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Seungho stares at the ceiling. His mind is filled with nothing but the knowledge of how icky his body feels. This was one of the few nights Seungho is free of the horrors of his childhood in the form of nightmares. His insomnia was caused by something more physical and current.
The summer heat had caused him to toss off the blanket and the clothes on his back. Sweat filled his yellow bed mat, turning the fine fabric a darker shade. On the other side of the mat, lies the love of Seungho’s life, who sleeps as if it were winter. As usual, Nakyum sleeps as if the dangers of the world do not exist. Nakyum curls into Seungho’s side, further heating the nobles' already sweaty skin as he seeks his own warmth.
For the first time since Nakyum has come to share his bed, Seungho scoots away from his touch. He had been doing so all night, but Nakyum followed. Though, Seungho could not complain as the cold wooden floor felt good on his skin. But, when Nakyum began to whimper, Seungho immediately looked over in worry. Is Nakyum having a nightmare? Is he injured? Is he ill? Did Seungho wake him up? All his worries came at once yet all Seungho was able to do was carcass soft cheeks. Nakyum’s skin is smooth to the touch, unlike Seungho’s clammy hands. Nakyum’s whimpers subsides at the feeling of Seungho’s large, sweaty hands, causing Seungho to let out an exaggerated sigh. He knows full well what he must do to please his sleeping lover.
He has to make a grand sacrifice.
Fighting against the screams of his body, Seungho scoots back onto the sweat-filled mat and wraps his arms around Nakyum, who lets out a content hum and nuzzles into Seungho's chest. Nakyum gives a light smile. Seungho grimaces.
The next morning, when Nakyum wakes up, he finds his clothes damp. What further confused him was the loose way Seungho held him as he often woke to strong arms trapping him to the mat. This morning, he was able to sit up with ease.
“Good morning, my lord.” Nakyum says in a rough voice as he rubs his eyes, eyebrows quirked for a question he’s afraid to ask.
Seungho grumbles in response before moving away from Nakyum and back on the floor, where he lets out a sigh of relief as the cold wood touches his back.
Nakyum watches in shock, “A-Are you okay?”
Seungho responds with a glare, which comes off weakly from behind eyebags and his pink, heated skin. Nakyum, his brain fogged by sleep and general ignorance, proceeded with his day with caution. He knows full well that he was the cause for Seungho’s frustrations, yet he doesn’t know what to do to redeem him, causing him to fear whatever form of punishment Seungho thinks of.
But Seungho’s punishment is a subtle one, one that upset him too. Instead of being there to fill the empty air next to Nakyum as he ate his breakfast and lunch under the hot sun, Seungho stayed in his chambers, all doors closed and no lights lit, as he caught up on sleep, tossing and turning on the floor to find cold spots.