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The dorm beds are notoriously uncomfortable. Overly firm yet completely unsupportive with a length so obscene that Sunghoon often wakes with his feet hanging off the end. His blanket is thin and his pillow is thinner and that’s entirely ignoring the largest issue of them all.
The stairs.
God, those four stairs that stood between him and peaceful rest were likely one the largest banes of his 19 years of existence and the boy did everything in power to avoid them.
Today was no different. Trudging into the dorm after a full day of schedules, Sunghoon found himself immediately lying face first onto the couch. He could hear the other boys shuffling through around, a few footsteps heading towards the kitchen for a late night snack and a few others heading towards the makeup room to attempt to remove remnants of makeup and jewelry while Ni-ki, who had won rock-paper-scissors earlier, made his way to the shower first.
The cool material under his cheek soothed his overheated face as Sunghoon felt his body relax into the softness of the couch. Eyes sliding close, the drowsy intangibleness that accompanied the state right before falling asleep encroached quickly and Sunghoon had no qualms in letting in take over.
He must have fallen asleep because the next thing Sunghoon knew there was a sharp slap to his butt.
Perfectly groomed eyebrows scrunched and one eye peeked open to deliver an aptly titled icy glare at his attacker. Stern scowl met large, doe eyes and Sunghoon felt his body melt once again.
“Hyung...” Sunghoon’s protest came out much closer to a whine, a commonality anytime he felt wronged by one Lee Heeseung who stood freshly showered with a small smirk on his face not inches from the couch, the hand he’d used to smack still wielded up.
“You can’t sleep here, Hoonie, you need to shower and get your makeup off or you’ll break out.” Heeseung made excellent points; however, Sunghoon simply could not find it in himself to care and instead turned his cheek to pointedly look away from the taller boy.
This was not the right decision. A devious giggle was the only warning he received before a body draped itself completely over him. Sunghoon let out a heavy whooshing of breath as he felt himself get smothered into the couch.
“Hyung… can’t… breath…” Sunghoon gasped out, randomly swatting his arms backwards in an awkward attempt at getting Heeseung off of him.
Heeseung shrugged above him, “You wanna sleep so bad? Fine. I’ll sleep with you.”
“Okay! Okay! I’m getting up.” The whine was back full throttle as Sunghoon was able to squirm his way out from beneath his hyung.
With small, shuffling steps and a doleful look over his shoulder towards Heeseung who perched himself on the couch to wait, Sunghoon trudged into the bathroom. The first thing he realized was the lack of noise, proving that Sunghoon had in fact fallen asleep on the couch and within that time the rest of the members had all gone to sleep. The second realization that he came to, as he stood in front of the mirror already having rid himself of his clothes, was that he’d also forgotten clothes.
The pure crushing wave of disappointment was immense as he reached slowly to put his clothes back on when he caught a flash of pink. Never did Sunghoon think he’d be grateful for his Heeseung hyungs forgetfulness.
The iconic hoodie lay draped across the counter, fresh and clean and ready for the taking. Heeseung had probably intended to wear it after his own shower but decided against it after growing too hot in the steam of the bathroom. Unlucky for his hyung but lucky for Sunghoon.
Picking back up the boxers he’d been wearing and tossing them next to the hoodie, Sunghoon let himself slip under the hot water. His sore muscles relaxing and his mind sinking back into the comfortable drowsiness it had been in before.
Hair and body clean, Sunghoon made quick work of his skin care routine, likely not doing a good job but his limbs were beginning to feel as heavy as lead as sleep encroached upon every inch of his skin.
A soft knock echoed out and Sunghoon tilted his head towards the door and let out a noncommittal grunt.
“I forgot to brush my teeth, can I come in?” Heeseung’s own voice seemed tired as well. Even a night owl as he seemed, had reached his limit after the schedule full day they had.
Sunghoon hummed once again and the door slid open, sending a wave of coolness into the room causing him to shiver gently.
Continuing on with his own tasks, Sunghoon nearly hadn’t noticed that his hyung hadn’t moved an inch from the doorway.
Glancing over, Heeseung stood frozen. Eyes glued somewhere below Sunghoon’s eyes and when the boy followed the gaze, it landed on the pink hoodie he donned.
“Oh, uh, sorry, hyung. I forget my clothes.” Sunghoon apologized gently, pulling the sleeves of the hoodie over his hands in order to twist his fingers into the material nervously.
“Its, uh, no big deal,” If Heeseung’s voice cracked when he spoke, neither of them mentioned it as Heeseung instead turned sharply and began brushing his teeth.
Finishing his own ritual, Sunghoon reached over Heeseung’s shoulder to slide his bottles of moisturizers and cleansers back into the drawers they belonged in.
The body was warm even through the sweatshirt and after tucking away the products, Sunghoon found himself unable to pull away. Instead tucking himself closer to his hyung and heaving a sigh of comfort.
Heeseung, for his own credit, was a good hyung and instead of shaking his dongsaeng off, simply wrapped an arm around the younger boy and pulled him upright. Quickly shutting off the tap and putting away his tooth brush with his other hand, Heeseung guided the younger boy towards the large, shared bedroom.
A passing glance at Sunghoon’s weary self and another at the stairs leading up to the boy’s bed settled a quick decision in Heeseung’s mind as he guided them both towards his own bottom bunk, gentle hands beginning to massage unconsciously into Sunghoon’s shoulder.
Sunghoon was letting himself get dragged along without fuss, something not particularly uncommon but nonetheless different. Knowing he wasn’t being placed into his own bed as he was lowered onto a mattress. Sunghoon could hear himself make small noises of displeasure as his pillar of warmth was removed. One hand reaching out to find it once more.
Heeseung let out a soft noise and didn’t make the other wait long as he crawled closer, allowing a sleep-drunk Sunghoon to plaster against his side.
Sunghoon forced one heavy eyelid open, “Thanks, hyung,”
The response he got was a hand stroking through his hair and what Sunghoon thought was a smile as his eye drifted close again. The motions in his hair were soothing and only deepened the feeling of comfort in the former ice skaters bones. His scalp was tingling from the contact, the calluses on Heeseung’s fingers scraping ever so lightly as the hand slid to the base of his neck to rub gently before gliding back upwards into his hair.
The feelings he’d never admitted to anyone stirred in gut and despite his best efforts, Sunghoon found himself letting them wash over into a wave of gooey softness.
Feelings best forgotten, feelings best ignored, feelings that would never be returned. All thoughts evaded as he focused only on the hands that gave him so much comfort.
Then that same hand slid lower, over a shoulder and running across his spine. Sunghoon had neglected to realize that the fabulous hoodie he’d put on, the Made by Jay original, had a large tear in the back and as Heeseung rubbed gently downwards, large hands made intimate contact with Sunghoon’s spine.
The shiver was uncontrollable and Sunghoon cursed his inability to control his own body. Heeseung showed no outward reaction that Sunghoon could hear, eyes still closed but the hand on his back had stilled, pressed on his bare skin.
Then it began to move again, just as softly, sliding under the material and stroking the skin of Sunghoon’s back. The contact left Sunghoon mesmerized, his own hands reaching forward to just limply grasp onto Heeseung’s t-shirt.
The repetitive motion sunk Sunghoon even deeper into requiescence, mind beginning to numb. The confines of sleep creeped over his mind and Sunghoon was just on the precipice of unconsciousness when a voice rang out. It was only a whisper, just in his ear but it seemed to echo between the two bodies lying in the bed.
“Hey, Sunghoonie.”
Sunghoon knew words weren’t an option, too close to sleep and too choked up on his own emotion, and so instead gave a soft hum in response.
“When you sleep tonight, dream about me, okay?”
The silence was stifling. Sunghoon’s brain was attempting to process at a speed he was currently incapable of. This problem, Sunghoon decided, the one that rested so deeply in his heart, was for tomorrow.
With a barely perceptible movement, Sunghoon leaned his head against Heeseung's chest and nodded once, just enough force to give the boy the response Sunghoon wanted to portray.
A heavy breath left Heeseung and the arms around Sunghoon tightened just a fraction.
Warm. Comforting. Hyung.
The precipice was there, just at the edge of his mind.
So he let himself fall.