Hakyeon trudged through the thick snow. If only Jaehwan lived somewhere that was easier to walk to. It wasn't his fault that he didn't have a  car.

        AND IT WAS JAEHWAN'S FAULT FOR MAKING ME WALK IN A FRICKIN' BLIZZARD. HE ACTUALLY HAS A CAR, BUT YET I'M WALKING. Hakyeon thought while walking up to the house. It had lights all over it, and was all around festive. The cuteness wanted to make Hakyeon sick. He was never the type of guy who liked Christmas though he'd act like it.

        Hakyeon arrived at his house and knocked on the door. He didn't expect Jaehwan to get the door open immediately, but that was exactly what happened. "Hakyeon!" Jaehwan dragged him into his house with a wide smile on his face. He happily dragged Hakyeon into his house while holding hands, and closed the door behind him. "I'm sorry for making you walk in a blizzard, but I wanted to see you and my car is stuck and I couldn't get you!"

        He was just so... Excited.

        "Maybe you should have gotten it out." Hakyeon said sarcastically as he kicked the snow caked shoes off and felt the warmth from the lit fireplace. If he wanted to be, he'd be the king of sass.

        "I couldn't get it out! Did you see the snow piled in front of my garage?" Jaehwan yelled playfully. He walked further into his house, and Hakyeon stayed behind. He started stripping off the bulky winter apparel in the middle of his doorway, which when Jaehwan looked back, made him laugh. "You're just gonna strip in my living room?"

        Hakyeon was already half done stripping before he nodded and kept going. He was always a fast changer. He just laughed again and walked toward into his kitchen. Hakyeon looked around the room and noticed that it was a lot more sophisticated than he had expected from him. "I like your living room."

        "Thanks! This room is, like, the only clean room in my house. Upstairs is just storage, and my room is a disaster." Jaehwan said from the kitchen. Hakyeon couldn't tell what he was doing from the living room. But he became a chatterbox since he didn't say anything. "Y'know, I thought you would have made fun of me for saying that. But yeah, thanks. Do you want hot cocoa? Today seems like a day for hot cocoa."

        Hakyeon made sure to put everything up on his coat tree and his boots by the door. "Yeah sure." He said as he joined him in the kitchen and sat at the island in the middle of it. "I thought your house would have been.... Different than this."

        "You expected me to be like a little kid huh? With things everywhere? I'm older now, hyung. I may be a single man, living alone, but I like to keep my house organized." Jaehwan said proudly, while pouring packets of chocolate mix into big mugs. Hakyeon laughed at him. He was proud of the weirdest things. "I hope you don't decide to go to my room though."

        Another awkward laugh from him made Hakyeon curious of what he was hiding in there.

        "It's not weird! I don't have like dvds everywhere or like really gross things out and about in my room! Stop looking like that hyung!" Hakyeon must have made a erted face because he thought it was something dirty. "Anyway, my room is just dirty. I don't have my washer and dryer in yet, so I haven't done landury for, like almost a week."

        "You could do it at my house." Hakyeon offered, seeing a light blush come across Jaehwan's cheeks.

        "I couldn't make you do that for me." Jaehwan said getting all blushy and embarrassed. It was adorable to Hakyeon how he did this to try to hide his real embarrassment.

        "Do you really want to go to the laundromat?" Hakyeon teased with a soft smile.

        "Well, no." Jaehwan said while grabbing a larger red kettle with a snowman painted on it. He really liked Christmas-themed things.

        "They you can come down to my house then. As long as you don't break my washer and dryer, I'm fine."  Hakyeon said while unconsciously watching Jaehwan walk around his kitchen. He filled the kettle and swung it onto the gas stove, onto a lit burner.

        "Um, Hakyeon?" Ken waved his hands in front of his face to bring him out of his trance. Hakyeon laughed and covered his face. He was caught redhanded at forgetting what he was doing. "Have you had dinner yet?"

        "Not yet. I'm living on a tight budget right now... I have a lot of bills I have to pay." Hakyeon said. He wondered if it was easy to see that he hasn't really eaten in a couple days.

        "Well, you look a little sick." Jaehwan reached up and felt Hakyeon's forehead to see if he had a fever. Hakyeon's cheeks flushed a pink color due to the random, caring touch he received from the younger man. "Yeah, you're a little hot. I'll make some soup. I'm no Taekwoon, but I can cook."

        What did this mean? Was Hakyeon sick? "But why? I'm fine." Hakyeon wasn't fine. He never let himself get sick. That would make him a bad leader. He had to take care of everyone else first. His own welfare was less important than everyone elses.

        "No you aren't. Sit on my couch." Jaehwan was now suddenly his Ken-jumma. "It's okay for you to get sick too. I know you were gonna pull the ' I'm always fine.' on me. Not happening."

        Hakyeon was defeated. He used that before on the members when they got sick. It was weird, he felt like a burden if he was sick. He slowly got up, and walked over to the couch. He could hear Jaehwan looking around his kitchen for appropriate soup food. He flopped down on the couch and stared at the fireplace. It was the only nonfestive thing in the living room.

        "Here, I'll turn off the Chirstmas lights and stuff. I'll leave the tree lit though." Jaehwan said as he walked back into the living room and unplugged 3 things. Suddenly, now the living room was dark, with the exception of the fireplace and a dimly lit tree. "We're having beef stew. I'll get you sweat pants. Those jeans won't be too comfortable for laying down and stuff."

        He heard Jaehwan run off without letting him fight it. He was fine. Why was Jaehwan being like this? Hakyeon swore he was fine. He sighed when Jaehwan came back quickly and handed him plain grey sweat pants. "Jaehwan, don't worry about me too much."

        "I know what you mean when you are on a 'budget'." Jaehwan made air quotes when he said budget. "You don't let yourself eat."

        He was caught redhanded. "This is the first time." Hakyeon lied.

        "This is the fourth." Jaehwan poked Hakyeon's nose and walked back to the kitchen. Hakyeon was really horrible at making sure he has enough money to pay bills. "You can change where ever you want. I don't care."

        He just straight up started taking his pants off in the living room. He took his phone and headphones out of one pocket and put them off the coffee table. The other pocket had his wallet until he put it with the others on the coffee table. He slipped them off easily, and favored his right ankle and took the pants off without trying to touch it. He had a nasty spill coming off his porch when he left to come here.

        While putting Jaehwan's sweat pants on, the kettle let out a high pitched whistle to let them know it was done. Jaehwan laughed at it for no reason and took it off. "Hakyeon, what do you want with your hot cocoa?"

        "I don't know." Hakyeon, now properly in baggy sweat pants limped back to the kitchen. He was not as careful as he thought he was. "What do you have?"

        "Whipped cream, marshmellows, peppermint stuff, cinnimon. I have a lot of things." Jaehwan poured the boiling hot water into the mugs and poured the rest of it into the pot. "I really like hot cocoa. I could drink it all year."

        "Why did you pour it in the pot?" Hakyeon asked while getting handed a really hot mug.

        "Because it's easier to cook the stew with hot water." Jaehwan smiled at the hungry man and grabbed a spoon for him. "Anyway, you'll need to stir that."

        "Hot chocolate is easier to stir with a spoon." Hakyeon started stirring the thick mix and stared into the middle of the swirl.

        "You really should have stayed in the living room." Jaehwan said as he started focusing on his soup that he was making. He stirred it and glared into it. He mumbled incoherently, probably swearing in various languages. "I made you walk through a blizzard and you haven't eaten. You have a fever."

        "I can sit out here while I'm still deciding what to put in my hot chocolate." Hakyeon kept stirring the hot chocolate without thinking. He started letting his eyelids droop, and he became dependent on his arm to hold him up.

        In addition to his not eating, he kept pulling more hours at bar during the night, and more hours at the cafe in the morning. He was sure that the others would yell at him for working insane hours in two jobs, but it was for his own good. Sure he wasn't eating, and only getting about an hour or two of sleep between his jobs, but he was able to buy everyone Christmas presents this year. Last year, he couldn't afford anything for any one.

        "Hakyeon!" Hakyeon was shaken awake. Jaehwan was standing in front of him, with his hands on his shoulders. "Hakyeon! You passed out! You almost spilled the hot chocolate on yourself when you passed out!"

        He passed out? Hakyeon didn't remember this.

        "How much sleep have you been getting?" Jaehwan was truely worried about Hakyeon. Hakyeon tried to bat his arms away, but failed miserably. Hakyeon sighed and looked at the ground, now embarrassed about it. "I don't need you lying to me."

        "A couple hours between jobs." Hakyeon looked up at Jaehwan and saw the look on his face of pure worry.

        "A couple hours? Between jobs? Oh my god!" Jaehwan engulfed him in a hug, and then picked him up. Hakyeon was too exhausted to fight it, and let the younger man carry him back to the living room. "You are staying here. Under the blankets. The stew's almost done. And you can have my hot cocoa."

        Hakyeon sat on the couch, covered himself up, and laid down. It was weird. Jaehwan said 'hot cocoa' instead of hot chocolate. But he has always been an odd duck. It never really mattered to Hakyeon anyway. "Jaehwan! I have a question." Hakyeon said to try to keep himself awake.

        "What?" Jaehwan came back from the kitchen with a spoon. He tucked Hakyeon in a little and sat down.

        "Why do you love Christmas so much?" Hakyeon asked, laying on his side to face Jaehwan. He watched as he contorted his face into a funny looking thinking expression, which made him smile.

        "Well, Christmas was never my style back in Korea, but here everything is so funny and cute and it's all about giving other people things, and I like doing that type of thing for other people. You could say I'm a big festive person." Jaehwan smiled and pat Hakyeon's head before going back to the kitchen to finish the cooking of the stew. Hakyeon smiled and snuggled into the comfy throw pillow.

        Who knew that it'd so nice in Jaehwan's place? It was so warm and inviting. Hakyeon would be fine with staying here and not having to care about anything.

        But it was also weird. He hadn't been here since the Christmas party last year, and helping him move in earlier last year. To be invited out of the blue was a surprise. And then, Jaehwan taking care of him as if they were as close as they were before VIXX broke up, was weird. He didn't even know until today that Hakyeon had been mistreating himself, but he took care of him all the same.

        "Stew's done!" Jaehwan walked into the living room holding a steaming bowl of it. He was holding the spoon to the side of it, and looked completely pleased with himself. "Hakyeon, you'll have to sit up to eat this."

        Hakyeon groaned while forcing himself up, and glared at Jaehwan for making him get up. He arranged the blankets so that he was still covered, but could eat. Jaehwan put the bowl softly on his lap and gave him the spoon. "You're being so nice to me today." Hakyeon smiled at the younger man, and started eating.

        "I tried my best, I hope you like it." Jaehwan brought his feet up in the chair and leaned on the arm. He was watching Hakyeon.

        "It's good," He said between bites, "but why are you watching me eat it? Why don't you have a bowl of your own?"

        "Because, I'm making sure you don't jip yourself on something I made, just for you." Jaehwan nodded down at the bowl. "I'll eat when you're done."

        "How can I be sure that you aren't gonna jip yourself?" Hakyeon joked, before having another spoonful of the partly overcooked stew.

        "Because I love food too much. I used to hide in a closet to eat my Special K, don't you remember?" Jaehwan smiled. It was easy to see all the memories flood into his head, making him smile and chuckle.

        They went silent while Hakyeon finished it. Jaehwan took the bowl away and ended up using it as his own for the stew. He took a couple spoonfuls as he walked back to the living room, and made a high pitched sound. "Ooh! It's overcooked! You should have told me!"

        Hakyeon laid back down and moved the blanket again. He laid on his stomach and faced Jaehwan. He watched as Jaehwan ate, occasionally snuggling into the pillow. "You're adorable when you eat." Hakyeon commented, making Jaehwan try to look cute on purpose.

        "Why are you watching me eat anyway?" Jaehwan teased, making a playful annoyed face before laughing.

        "Just making sure you don't jip yourself either." Hakyeon said, pulling his sweater looser around the neck. He smiled at the younger man, who continued to eat with a slight blush on his face.

        They continued doing their staring and smiling thing until Jaehwan was done eating his overcooked stew. He stood up, and ruffled Hakyeon's hair as he walked by. "You're gonna need to get to sleep." Jaehwan said from farther away.

        "I'll sleep later." Hakyeon protested the idea of sleeping. He just ate. He should be doing something now.

        "No, you're gonna sleep. Unless you want to sleep in a bed." Jaehwan leaned over the back of the couch, already back from putting the dishes in the sink. "Your choice."

        Hakyeon twisted and contorted himself until he was laying on his back. He looked up to see the younger man smiling down at him. "I thought you only had one bed."

        "I do. I won't sleep with you if you sleep in my bed. I'll stay on the couch if you want me to." Jaehwan bopped his head from side to side, and then smiled again.

        "But it's your house, you shouldn't have to sleep on the couch." Hakyeon pulled the best conflicted face he could to try to make Jaehwan rethink his offer.

        "But if you want to sleep in my bed, I can't stay with you." Jaehwan looked just as conflicted as Hakyeon tried to look.

        "I don't have to sleep alone, do I?" Hakyeon realized the words after he had said them. He knows he blushed, so he covered his face. Jaehwan blushed too, so he felt a little better.

        "If you really don't want to, you don't have to..." It was easy to tell that it made Jaehwan nervous, even in Hakyeon's tired state. He watched Jaehwan disappear from above him, and then appear at his side. "I mean it's all your choice."

        Both of them stared at each other in silence. Hakyeon was the first to break the silence. "If you wouldn't mind..." Both of them blushed, though it didn't seem like a situation where they'd be blushing. Just one exhausted man, sleeping with another man so he wouldn't be lonely or try to stay awake.

        "Do you want to sleep in my bed?" Jaehwan asked, his voice unnaturally wavering.

        "I'd actually like to stay out here..." Hakyeon looked toward the fire, just past the younger man.

        "But you actually want to sleep with me?" Jaehwan asked, looking down at his hands.

        "So I wouldn't try to stay up." Hakyeon was trying to justify that he wanted to sleep with him, and hoped that the lie would fool himself too.

        "I'd have to change in pajamas. Do you need a t shirt too?" Jaehwan asked, looking in the direction of his room. "I might have a clean one lying about somewhere."

        "I'll be fine in my sweater. Go change, I'll wait." Hakyeon snuggled into the pillow and watched Jaehwan leave, trying to avoid but ultimatly staring at his .

        About 5 minutes later, Jaehwan came back, carrying a pillow under his arm. "Was it okay that I brought another pillow? I thought it'd be easier to sleep on if there were two people sleeping there."

        "Of course... Come here." Hakyeon held open his blankets for Jaehwan to join him, only to get a pillow thrown there as Jaehwan walked by. "Hey."

        "I'm keeping the fire lit okay or do you want to be cold tomorrow?" Jaehwan teased as he threw more wood into the fire. Hakyeon shut up and put the pillow behind his head, and scooted back into the couch to give him room.

        Jaehwan finally joined him and they were put in close quarters. As much as they looked uncomforable, they actually found a perfect postition together laying there. It was odd, but somehow they were comfortable.

        "Now, I'll just wait until you're asleep to wait to go to sleep." Jaehwan teased, knowing that Hakyeon would find a way to make fun of it.

        "Then we'll just be looking at each other for a long time." Hakyeon snuggled into his arm and closed his eyes slowly. "But good night anyway."

        "Good night." Jaehwan smiled. He liked that idea.

        And just like that, Hakyeon fell asleep. It was nice, even this close to Jaehwan. He could get used to this.