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To be honest, Seonghyeon hadn’t expected to find Martin asleep.
With a tired sigh of his own, he closed the studio door behind him, setting the takeout his hyung had sent him to grab on the coffee table. It had barely been fifteen minutes since he’d left, and Martin had seemed wide awake back then.
Seonghyeon couldn’t blame him, though. It was late, even for someone with the weirdest sleep schedule on the planet. He’d probably stretched out on the couch to take a break from the chair he’d been sitting in all evening and ended up passing out. His phone was still in his hand, probably dead too, since charging it was never one of the older boy’s favorite activities.
Seonghyeon sighed again, a quiet laugh slipping into the sound this time. Only then did he realize he’d been standing there watching Martin sleep. But what could he do? He wasn’t a monster; he couldn’t just interrupt someone’s well-deserved nap over takeout they could eat later, especially when it came to his elder, who put so much work into producing their group’s songs and had probably taken plenty of naps in the studio alone.
Still, he couldn’t just stand there doing nothing, so he decided to make himself useful. Seonghyeon made his way toward the couch as quietly as possible, freezing in his tracks when Martin mumbled something in his sleep and shifted slightly. Getting close enough, he cautiously reached out for the dead phone still clutched in the blond boy’s hand. He was only going to set it aside so Martin wouldn’t roll over it or accidentally knock it to the floor. Just being a good dongsaeng, taking care of his hyung, his friend, his leader.
It was almost funny, really, how many things Martin was to him.
His fingers had barely brushed against Martin’s when the older boy stirred, prompting Seonghyeon to pull back. For a moment, nothing happened. Then Martin mumbled something unintelligible, his grip tightening around the phone as his brows furrowed in annoyance.
Silly hyung, he thought, studying Martin’s sleepy frown. Seonghyeon really should wake him up, but how could he? He looked quite cute.
“Seonghyeon-ah, stop taking pictures of me.” The taller boy’s voice broke the silence, deep and rough with sleep. His eyes were barely open, probably because the studio’s bright lights were bothering him. Seonghyeon, meanwhile, remained silent, looking like a child who’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have, even though he hadn’t actually done anything wrong.
“I wasn’t taking pictures! I was just going to put your phone away!” He laughed, the sound coming out less nervous than he’d expected.
“All you ever do is lie,” Martin complained dramatically, still a little out of it. “Leave it. Come here.”
Seonghyeon froze in place once again, his hands hanging awkwardly at his sides, unsure of what to do with them. “What?” he asked, afraid he’d misheard him. “Dongsaeng nap time. Come on,” Martin reiterated, a laugh in his voice as he shifted to make room for the younger boy on the couch.
Biting his tongue, Seonghyeon approached him hesitantly before settling onto the couch beside his hyung. It was a tight squeeze, with one of Seonghyeon’s legs hanging off the edge while Martin lay on his side to make room for him. It was probably far from comfortable.
“I got the takeout. Wanna eat it? It’s probably cold now, but who cares.” Seonghyeon asked, an awkward smile tugging at his lips. They were a little too close, close enough for him to hear Martin breathing. “Wait, how long have I been asleep?” Martin questioned, the realization that he might have been asleep for too long finally shaking off the last of his sleepiness.
Seonghyeon chuckled. He tended to laugh a lot around Martin. “I don’t know, half an hour, maybe? I wasn’t paying attention to the clock.” He shrugged, watching as a pout formed on his hyung’s lips. “Well, I guess the food can wait another thirty minutes then.” Martin relaxed against the couch once again, while Seonghyeon fell silent.
He should say something. Suggest that they leave, head back to the dorm, and see if the others were still awake enough to eat with them. Anything would be better than sleeping pressed up against his hyung on a stupidly small couch.
It wasn't like Seonghyeon had a crush on him. For years, Martin had treated him like a younger brother he always looked out for, and Seonghyeon was okay with that since it meant he got to hang out with him and the others. But he wasn't blind or dumb; he was well aware of just how handsome his hyung was. With his height, charming blond hair, sense of style, and cool personality, Martin was practically a magnet for the people around him. Seonghyeon was used to people approaching him to ask if Martin was single or tell him they had a crush on his hyung. Girls and guys alike.
Back then, he would always say he didn't know or that he would try to set them up, but he never followed through. He couldn't explain why, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. It felt wrong to set his hyung up with random people just because they wanted to meet him.
Martin deserved better. Someone who truly knew him for who he was, who knew his tastes and the little things he only did around people he felt comfortable with.
“Earth to Sean,” Martin said in a cute voice, drawing his attention once again. Seonghyeon looked at him, trying to appear annoyed. “What? Stop it.” He turned his head toward the older boy.
“You’re, like, about to fall off,” Martin pointed out, looking at him as though he were already trying to figure out how to fix the problem. But before Seonghyeon could respond, Martin sat down and pulled him along, shifting their positions until he was lying right on top of Seonghyeon.
Seonghyeon laughed. What was he supposed to do in this situation? Martin was taller and heavier than him. He could push him off if he really tried, but why would he? “Get off, you’re gonna crush me to death,” he pleaded, only to hear a giggle in response. “Stop being dramatic.”
Before Seonghyeon could come up with another complaint, Martin had already made himself comfortable, wrapping his arms around the younger boy’s waist and putting his chin against his chest as if he had no intention of moving anytime soon. “You’ll survive,” he said with a grin.
No, he wouldn't. Not like this, with Martin this close, this intimate. He could feel his cheeks heating up. It was stupid. So stupid it might actually kill him. Trying to hide from Martin's piercing gaze, he tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling, snorting. “It's hot in here. Get off me.”
“It’s not. The AC is literally on. Shut up and let me nap, please.” He rested his head against Seonghyeon’s chest, closing his eyes as he tightened his arms around the younger boy’s waist, pulling him closer.
Taking a deep breath, Seonghyeon realized he was trapped. Martin was holding him too tightly for him to simply push him off and get up. Besides, that would be rude. His only option was to stay there and probably fall asleep too.
“Can you pet me?” Martin’s eyes suddenly opened again.
“What?”
“It helps me fall asleep faster.”
“Puppy hyung.” Seonghyeon snorted, earning a laugh from Martin in return. Still, he reached up and ran his fingers through Martin’s blond hair, gently scratching his scalp with his nails. It was almost amusing how quickly Martin quieted down under his touch, his eyelids growing heavy before finally slipping shut. A soft, contented hum escaped him.
His breathing didn’t take long to settle into a steady rhythm, a sure sign that he was deeply asleep again. Seonghyeon kept stroking his hair anyway, almost absentmindedly playing with it.
Martin looked cute. Too cute for his own good. No one had any business being this cute, especially not his hyung.
The room fell silent again. The bright light from the ceiling lamp was starting to make Seonghyeon’s eyes ache. He was tired, he remembered. He had been awake for just as long as Martin, if not longer.
Blinking slowly, he closed his eyes, convincing himself it was only to give them a break from the blinding light.
His hand gradually slowed its gentle caresses through the older boy’s hair, until he eventually fell asleep without even noticing.