Work Text:
Again, at this place
I see you, and everything finds its place
It’s the middle of the night when Changmin’s brain decides he has slept enough and wakes him up. Though it probably has more to do with the fact that his bladder is screaming at him and that his mouth feels as if it’s been filled with cotton than actual lack of sleep.
Damn.
Perhaps his tolerance for alcohol is not as good as it used to.
He knows he shouldn’t have drank so much last night. But in his defense, they had successfully finished the first three events in Osaka after a brief break to go back to Korea for other schedules. It deserved a celebration so Yunho and Changmin treated their dance crew to dinner.
It was fun, Changmin has to admit. They really enjoyed their meal and time together, and even Yunho joined them for a couple of shots —though he switched to water almost immediately.
He should have followed Yunho’s lead, honestly; remember to drink with moderation if he wants a full night's sleep and a long, healthy life. But hey, at least his head doesn’t hurt.
Changmin stretches wide on his bed and kicks the cover with his feet. His eyes still haven’t gotten used to the darkness and he wonders what time it is beyond the heavy curtains of his room. He reaches for his phone on the nightstand and unlocks it; the brightness of the screen is almost violent against his sleepy eyes. The clock reads 4:16 am.
He sighs.
Couldn’t this have waited until the morning?
Gathering all his strength, he leaves the comfort of his bed and makes a beeline for the bathroom. He doesn’t even bother checking his face in the mirror before walking to the kitchen. What’s the point anyway? He’ll just go back to sleep in a moment.
Changmin drinks a full glass of water and yawns loudly before realizing there’s light coming from the living room.
There, curled on the couch, covered with a blanket and surrounded by some of the stuffed animals his fans had gifted him, is Yunho. The long forgotten tv is playing infomercials and bathing him in its soft glow.
Dumbass , Changmin thinks, he has once again fallen asleep on the couch.
Changmin doesn’t know how he does it.
No. He does.
They’ve been in the industry long enough to take any chance to sleep, no matter how hard the surface. Even more reason why Changmin doesn’t understand why Yunho gives up the comfort of his bed so often for this. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s a heavy sleeper so he doesn't really mind. But still, he wakes up earlier than Changmin every day so he should at least make better use of his sleeping hours.
Changmin stops his internal nagging for a moment and watches Yunho sleep, overcome by a wave of fondness. He knows he should wake him up and send him to his own bed but Yunho looks so peaceful like this. His soft, tousled hair falls gently over his temple and the steady rise and fall of his chest puts Changmin in a pleasant trance.
Suddenly, disturbing him feels almost like a criminal act.
The man on the couch is so different from every-day Yunho. The unstoppable and passionate U-Know Yunho. It used to bother Changmin; all that restless energy, the incessant singing and dancing first thing in the morning —practicing, Yunho would say. You should join me, Changminnie—, the unannounced guests cramming their livingroom every day to play videogames with Yunho.
It had all piled up until Changmin decided he deserved some peace of mind and privacy and moved out of their dorm.
In the end, the distance only brought them even closer.
After all, they had gone to hell and back together and risen again victorious. And in the meantime, they’d learn to understand and accept each other’s differences, instead of fighting them.
Now they’re older —and wiser, Changmin likes to think— and they coexist with the easiness that only years of shared experiences could have granted them.
Living back together though…It’s been a while.
As much as they love and enjoy each other’s company, they still have their own houses back in Korea. And they both know it’s unlikely they’ll ever share their dorm life again; they have very different lifestyles after all.
But they used to spend a lot more time together before the two year semi hiatus forced by the pandemic; traveling, touring, practicing for shows.
So going back to this…Changmin wouldn’t say it’s been hard, but they had to relearn all their habits. Especially after the first shows when the intense rehearsals were over and the excitement of going back on stage toned down a little.
Changmin had missed this nonetheless. And Yunho had also been very vocal about it: “Can you cook for me, Changdol?”, “Do you want to watch a show together?”, “Do you mind if I sleep with you?”
Getting to enjoy these moments where Yunho is peacefully resting and soaking in all the little details that aren’t meant for the public eye; he’s also missed this a lot.
Changmin sighs.
He should wake him up.
As if on cue, Yunho starts tossing and turning in his sleep, as his breath quickens and his eyes move rapidly under his eyelids.
“Yunho, wake up.” Changmin crouches down next to him and shakes his shoulder lightly. Then, with more determination when Yunho doesn’t immediately wake up. “Hyung, you’re having a nightmare.”
Yunho opens his eyes startled as he draws in a sharp breath.
Changmin’s hand is still on Yunho’s arm and he squeezes it hoping it'd help ground him.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’m right here.”
“Changdol?” Yunho asks, rubbing his eyes, still not fully conscious.
There’s nothing new about the pet name but the way Yunho says it, confused and very sleepy, does something to Changmin. It’s cute and soft and it makes him want to come closer to Yunho.
Changmin hums in return and moves to sit at the edge of the couch. Yunho registers the motion and lifts himself to make room for him. Then he rests his head on Changmin's lap.
"I was having a nightmare," he says. "I was in a haunted house and there was something chasing after me and I could walk inside the walls. So I tried to hide there but they kept approaching and there was this big black hole on the floor and, and—"
The words come out of Yunho’s mouth in quick succession and with the certainty of someone who’s just woken up. It all seems to make a lot of sense to Yunho but…
“You’re awake now, hyung, and I’m right here. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Yunho looks up at him from his lap until he meets Changmin’s eyes and finally relaxes a little.
"It looks like you were watching a movie,” Changmin says, pointing at the tv with his chin as he absentmindedly brushes Yunho's hair away from his temple.
Yunho snakes arm over Changmin's thigh, holding him closer. "I was watching The Conjuring before I fell asleep."
“Hyung!” Changmin complains, “You need to stop watching horror movies after a long day of work. You know how that goes.”
Yunho doesn’t mind him. He says honestly, “I thought it’d be relaxing,” which only makes Changmin chuckle.
“Still, you should have gone to your bed. You know? Sleep on an actual mattress.”
“I can’t.”
“Wh–” Before Changmin can finish the question, he remembers. “Ah, the baby.”
“I can sleep there. It’s too hot in my room.”
Sweet, precious Yunho. Sometimes Changmin cannot believe him, but bless his heart.
Apparently, a few weeks before they went back to Korea, a bird had nested on the outdoor unit of Yunho’s AC. They only noticed after they got back and found a baby pigeon crying for food in there.
Changmin smiles because it’s all so very cute and ridiculous. Yunho goes out to the balcony every morning to drink his coffee and he talks and sings songs to the bird like a real life Snow White. He’d even stopped smoking on the balcony because “ Changminnie, it’s bad for Hato-chan.”
It’s a sight to behold, honestly. Changmin might have taken a video or two to extort him later. Which is absolutely pointless; Yunho has decided to tell everyone and their mother about the pigeon. He’d never be embarrassed about those videos.
But this whole situation means he just refuses to turn on the AC so as not to disturb the baby. Summer doesn’t care though, so Yunho’s been forced to spend the last few days in the living room where it’s colder or in his room with a fan turned to maximum and pretending he’s okay.
Changmin laughs softly. “You’re so good, hyung.”
“I’m only doing what anyone would,” he says, turning around and hugging Changmin by the waist, looking like he's about to fall asleep again at any second.
“Come on. Let’s take you to bed,” says Changmin, removing Yunho’s arm and standing up. Yunho makes a complaining sound that it’s soon replaced by a yelp when Changmin picks him up from the couch, bridal style.
“Changminnie!” he protests; half laughing, half asleep. “I can walk.”
“Sure, Sleeping Beauty. Just let me do this for you this time.”
Changmin crosses the living room in two strides and has to maneuver through the room door to avoid hitting Yunho’s head, but he sets Yunho down on his bed in no time.
“You brought me to your bed,” Yunho says, turning to his left side to where Changmin is sliding under the covers.
It’s not a question but Changmin replies anyway. “I thought we could sleep together tonight.”
Changmin's room is cold. Maybe too cold for someone who’s supposed to take care of his voice on a daily basis, but they don’t have any show for over a week and cuddling up with Yunho sounds like the most perfect way to drift back to sleep.
It’s nice, what they have, and it’s been so good reconnecting these past weeks in Japan. Relearning their habits, spending more time together doing nothing, going on dates in between schedules and even trying to get better at golf.
Changmin knows things won’t be the same after they go back to Korea. Aside from work, this had been a sort of a break from whatever they were doing before. They have their own lives and busy schedules back home that neither of them are willing to give up for the other.
And that’s okay; Changmin wouldn’t want it any other way. But he hopes they can spend more time together now that they realize how much they’ve missed each other.
Changmin’s sure as hell he’s going to make an effort.
“Thank you for taking care of me, Changdol,” Yunho says, as he hugs him again and buries his face on Changmin’s chest.
The smell of Yunho’s shampoo is familiar and comforting, and the pillow under Changmin’s head suddenly feels extra soft.
Changmin is so grateful to have Yunho by his side, to have built a life together and still be close no matter what.
“Anything for you, Yunho-hyung,” he says, as Yunho’s gentle breathing luls him back to sleep.