Sleep and Teddy Bear
Title: Sleep and Teddy Bear
Author: Althea79_percent
Rating: PG-13
Form: One-shot
Fandom: Group S / Shinhwa / HOT
Pairing: SungTa
Genre: Fluff
Disclaimer: They belong to themselves. Plot is mine.
Summary: HyeSung needed his teddy bear before he could sleep.
A X-Over Fan-fiction
"Sleep and Teddy Bear"
... and I'm glad mine's here ...
They always said that all of us needed a teddy bear to sleep. Something to cuddle just as we were getting all cosy and comfortable on the bed.
KangTa growled as he fumbled with his keys. He was sure he didn't need that. With his exhausted body, he was sure he could fall asleep all nicely once he made contact with any soft surface. He entered his dark apartment with a sigh. Closing the door with a slight push from his tired hand, all he could think of was his bed. And how bad he wanted to sleep. His eyelids were drooping and he could barely keep his eyes fully open for three consecutive seconds.
"I'm home," he called out softly to the empty room, not expecting an answer.
His sleepiness was robbed away from him and KangTa immediately looked up, startled, when he heard random noises that sounded like elephants had fallen from the sky coming from his bedroom. It was only then that he noticed the light pouring into the corridor from the said room. He began to frown, anxiety and wary entering his mind as he knew that his house was supposed to be empty. He was very sure he did lock his apartment before leaving the house earlier that morning even if dawn had just broken. He took a few steps towards his bedroom, adjusting his duffel bag in such a position so that if needed, he could just use it as a weapon to attack the intruder.
Then again, he thought, pausing for a moment, there was only one person who could pass the tight security of his apartment flawlessly.
"Ahn ChilHyun."
KangTa jumped when he heard his name being growled out in such a threatening voice. He looked up to see a very familiar figure coming out of the room and was currently looking back at him, looking pretty pissed off. It was dark and it was impossible for him to clearly see his facial expression, but from the way he stood outside the room, and from the way he was putting both hands on his hips - he could tell. He could only blink in confusion as he watched his dongsaeng heave a sigh.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there standing in front of him was the only person that he knew had free access to his house - Shin HyeSung.
They stood like that for minutes; silence enveloping the two figures as neither took the initiative to break the tension. KangTa stayed rooted to his position, mind wandered to and fro, recollecting events in the past few days and weeks, thinking of what could have made his precious boyfriend so angry. Well, the guy looked like he was more than ready to skin him alive really. He thought of what he could have done wrong, but to no avail. They did not even meet for the past weeks! How could he made him angry if he was not present to annoy him? Coming to no conclusion, KangTa resumed his staring at HyeSung half way across the room who was staring- no, glaring back at him.
He decided that it would take him longer than eternity to get to bed if he waited for HyeSung to make his move, and therefore, though his heart was filled with trepidation, KangTa made his first step towards the black-haired figure. HyeSung, too, abandoned his spot and met the other half way in the dark corridor. Just as they were face to face, KangTa had wanted to open his mouth when he finally found it in his rapidly malfunctioning brain of what to say but his attention was quickly arrested when he caught HyeSung making a face.
The black head cringed, giving him a small frown. Wrinkling his nose, HyeSung started to sniff the air around him and even leaned forward to sniff at KangTa's collar which he picked daintily with his thumb and forefinger.
"Hey, hey, stop that."
HyeSung retreated, finally settling down to look back at KangTa. His frown deepened.
KangTa looked back, his eyes focusing on that questioning frown. For a split second back then, he was once again wondering as what could have made that crease grace that perfect face.
"Hyunnie, you stink."
At the declaration, KangTa couldn't help but burst in laughter even if the better functioning half of his mind was protesting at the assertion. He was, however, considerate enough to tone it down into a mere chuckle as he remembered that it was almost past midnight and surely the neighbours wouldn't want any kind of outburst that would rob their sleep.
"HyeSungie," he argued with an amused smile, resisting the urge to pinch those cheeks that HyeSung had puffed out. "You'll smell like this if you need to run for miles and having the scene re-taken for thousand times."
"No, I won't," HyeSung replied, replacing his frown with a small smile as he put one hand on KangTa's cheek and began to rub the tanned skin. "You know I always smell nice."
KangTa was chuckling at the comment made when he noticed that HyeSung had abruptly terminated his action and was staring back at him with a hint of something mellow in those dark melanin irises. He watched his friend's expression fall, along with the hand, only to have himself getting enveloped in a loose hug right after HyeSung closed the short distance they didn't manage to cover earlier.
Putting his now hooked hands behind KangTa's back, HyeSung rested his chin on the other's right shoulder and sighed.
"I miss you..."
His face immediately softened at the longing in those words. He put down his bag carelessly on the floor beside him and returned the hug.
"I miss you too..."
He inhaled an inward sigh as he relished the feeling of having the one he loves so close to him. It had been a long time ago since they last met and KangTa soon find it increasingly unbearable to live without the other person. Sure they did have some contact in a way or another, but suddenly, he felt the suppressed want beginning to overwhelm him in an upsurge of longing. He missed having HyeSung in his arms like this; he missed the way HyeSung always knew how to position himself so he would fit snugly in his embrace; he missed everything about the two of them together.
They had been "us" for so long now that busy schedules forced them to separate into "you" and "I" once again, he wasn't sure how to live life anymore.
But as much as he wanted that very moment to last forever, KangTa just couldn't help but admit defeat when his exhausted physique began to protest. Torn between wanting to preserve that sweet feeling and wanting to just jump on his bed to sleep, KangTa ended up blowing dejected air against his brown bangs. When he finally decided that they could continue their cuddle on the bed, and hence with him getting both things that he wanted, he cheered inwardly as he made up his mind.
Before he could even disentangle himself from those lean arms, however, KangTa found that he was roughly pushed away as two firm hands snaked out of his waist and planted themselves on his shoulder blades. He gave HyeSung a quizzical look as he tilted his head in confusion. HyeSung only gave a smile that made KangTa's frown deepen.
"Go take a shower."
He blinked.
"No, HyeSung, I'm tired. I just want to go to bed."
HyeSung began to whine as he latched himself onto KangTa who bent down to retrieve his bag.
"Hyunnie, will you please take a shower first before you go to bed?"
"HyeSungie, I don't even have energy left to walk. I don't wanna."
"Yes you wanna!!" HyeSung insisted as he put two hands firmly on KangTa's free arm.
KangTa gave the other person locking himself on his arms a short look.
"Okay, fine."
"Where are you going?" The black head asked as he let himself being dragged against the wooden floor when KangTa start to move.
"Bed."
"What?! No, Ahn ChilHyun, you said you're going to the bathroom!"
"I never said that."
"No, you said 'okay, fine'!!"
KangTa shook his head as he began to feel the heavy, lead-like additional weight on his arms taking its toll on him. He blatantly ignored more protests coming from the stubborn figure and made his way to his bedroom. The journey from the darkened corridor to his bed in his bedroom was not far, yet it took KangTa much longer than usual to enter the designated room. For every three steps he took forward, he would find HyeSung pulling him back two steps. For every three steps he took, he found out that he would periodically pause in his walk to give HyeSung a look to see if he would let go of his hand too.
Why was HyeSung being so hard on him? All he wanted was just for HyeSung to let go of his arms, leave his now crouched position on the floor, and let him go to bed.
Then, an idea hit him hard. He turned to once again give HyeSung a look which was returned with a pout. If HyeSung didn't want to do it himself, then might as well do him the favour and do it for him. As if he had managed to solve the world's most difficult trick, KangTa gave a victorious laughter that sounded like Ernie in Sesame Street before letting his bag drop, abandoned on the floor.
HyeSung had automatically tightened his grip in reflex when he caught KangTa's out-of-character laughter and moved back in wary.
"Wh- What?"
KangTa only grinned back as he placed himself beside HyeSung on the floor in such a way so his right arm that was attached to HyeSung’s stubborn hands wouldn't get twisted. He gave the now-worried HyeSung another annoying grin before he put his left hand beneath the other's bent knees and began to lift. HyeSung gave a surprised yelp when he realised that he was being lifted and out of reflex, he let go of his grip on KangTa's arm and turn to clutch on the nearest possible object - KangTa's shirt. Without missing a beat, once his arm regained freedom, KangTa placed it in place behind HyeSung's back and lifted.
HyeSung let his eyes widen when he felt himself leaving the floor and began to move horizontally mid-air.
"Ahn ChilHyun, what are you doing? Let me down!!"
"Okay, fine."
The next moment he found that he was being lowered slowly onto a soft surface and another heavy weight joined him.
"Ahh, bed..."
HyeSung blinked at KangTa's voice when he found out where he was. He quickly turned to find KangTa, now lying stomach flat on the bed, crawling to reach his pillow and began to roll on the mattress, burrowing himself under the cover.
"Oh no you don't!!"
HyeSung pushed himself to his knees and grabbed the pillow that KangTa was about to get.
"What?! HyeSung you have your own pillow! Give me back mine." It was KangTa's turn to pout as he got hold of the edge of his precious pillow and began to pull.
HyeSung pulled. "No, Hyunnie, I won't let you go to bed until you take your shower."
KangTa pulled back harder. "Why are you being so stubborn? I'll take my shower tomorrow. For now let me sleep."
"No, Hyunnie, please go take your shower before you go to sleep!!"
"HyeSung-ah..."
For the next few moments, two grown up men were engaged in the most ridiculous activity of tug-o-war. The poor pillow was pulled on its two sides, and it was dangerously on the verge of blowing up before KangTa, catching a slight loophole when HyeSung took a break to adjust his position, wrestled his most prized pillow to his possession. Giving a victorious sigh, KangTa fluffed the pillow and placed it snugly beneath his head.
There and then, he was more than ready to fall asleep and embrace the call of the God of Sleep. It would have been nice if HyeSung would join him and be his personal pillow. He gave another contented sigh before feeling the bed shift beneath him. A few seconds later, he felt his leg being grabbed and he was roughly pulled away from the bed. He blinked his eyes open in surprise and used his hand to prop his body as he turned to look at the other occupant of the room.
"Shin HyeSung!"
"ChilHyun, please take a shower before you go to bed," HyeSung whined as he embarked on his pursuit to get KangTa out of bed.
KangTa soon found himself slipping down and groaned as he grabbed the bed sheet.
"HyeSungie-yah," he said in exasperation as he crawled in the opposite direction that HyeSung was pulling. "I'll do anything for you tomorrow if you let me sleep now."
"No, Hyunnie," HyeSung pulled harder. "*I* will do anything for you tomorrow if you promise to take your shower now."
"HyeSung!!" KangTa crawled against the force of pull to maintain his place on the bed.
"Please~" HyeSung pulled again.
KangTa groaned again as HyeSung continued to pull and continuously asking him to "please take a shower". He had maintained his resistance for a few more seconds, just because he didn't want to give in. As time went by, however, he found that resisting the pull was making him sleepier than he already was, so he decided to drop his futile tries, knowing how stubborn his boyfriend could be, and let himself got dragged slowly out the bed. It was only when his entire form was off the bed and in contact with the cold hard floor that he gave another resigned groan. The only hint that he was not giving up yet was the fact that he had both his hands glued to the end of the bed sheets.
"ChilHyunnie, please please please with a cherry on top?"
KangTa mumbled something under his breath.
"What was it?"
"I said, it won't work."
There was a slight pause in which KangTa turned his head to look at HyeSung.
"Please please please with me on top then," HyeSung changed his tactics.
He groaned. Though it sounded very tempting but still...
"No~"
"Come on Hyunnie!" HyeSung whined. "I don't want to do this to you too, so just go take your shower."
KangTa released his grip and sighed as he was once again dragged towards the bathroom with his face flat on the floor. "Why?" He asked even as his voice was half muffled because he was talking against a wooden surface.
HyeSung stopped in his pull when he saw a glimmer of hope in KangTa's question.
"Cause I wanna sleep."
KangTa blinked his eyes against the hard surface of the floor when he heard the answer. He grunted a conspicuous noise against the floor to substitute his muffled "what?!" as he once again pushed his form with one hand and turned his upper body to give HyeSung a look of pure incredulity. What would him taking shower had anything to do with HyeSung wanting to sleep?
"With you," HyeSung continued as he pouted. "With a *clean* you."
HyeSung abandoned his stand and crouched just behind where KangTa's feet were. He removed both hands from where he was pulling at KangTa's ankles and switched to tugging the ends of those long pants.
"Hyun..."
KangTa blinked again when he saw his boyfriend beginning to bite his quivering lower lip and immediately returned to his original position and placed his forehead on his folded arms. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep up his resistance if he continued to look. No matter how sure he was initially, no matter how set his mind was, he knew all too well that he wouldn't be able to resist HyeSung no matter what. Especially not when he looked like he was about to cry like that. He felt the tug on his pants getting stronger.
"ChiHyunnie..." HyeSung called again, pulling more insistently at the fabric between his thumb and forefinger.
He tried to block out the soft plea that was slowly tearing each layer of his defences.
"Hyunnie, please?"
KangTa sighed, resigning himself to his defeated fate and reluctantly pushed himself up. "Okay, okay, I'll go take a shower..."
"Ahh really?" HyeSung squealed as he followed suit and gave KangTa a hug when both were standing up. "Hyunnie-yah, gomawo!"
"I know I know. You owe me one." KangTa smiled as he disconnected a now-bubbly HyeSung from himself and grumbled his way towards the bathroom.
He had taken his shower and got dressed in record time worth to be published on the Guinness book of record and was currently stuck at the sink brushing his teeth. He figured since he had to un-glue himself from the bed anyway, he might as well get really clean before going to sleep. From the vicinity of his bedroom, which was adjacent to the bathroom, he could hear HyeSung muttering incoherent things in between his sighs. He was half curious of what the other man fussing about, while the other half of his mind was fully alert lest HyeSung wanted him to do something else before sleep-time. With a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth, KangTa walked out of the bathroom and peered into the bedroom only to see HyeSung sitting cross-legged on his now made bed. He seemed to be engrossed in doing something and yet, since his back was towards him, KangTa could not get a clear view. It was only when HyeSung shifted that he finally recognised the object that HyeSung was holding in his hand.
KangTa blinked in surprise, pausing mid-brush as he saw HyeSung staring into the mirror in his grasp like it was his life and periodically shook his head before heaving a sigh.
"Gah.. I look horrible!" HyeSung declared with a frustrated throw of his arms in the air. Not noticing that KangTa was actually spying on him, HyeSung continued to stare at his reflection on the mirror and sighed. "Look at my eyes! They're all red and I looked like I haven't slept in years... I don't wanna be a panda."
"Ne, Hyunnie-yah, will you still like me if I look like a panda?" He asked without turning back, assuming that KangTa would be able to hear him even if he was doing what he was doing inside the bathroom.
"By bood yuu wood waeett a banda, HyeSungie?"
It would have not been decipherable to people other than HyeSung, maybe save for the name and the obvious "banda" equals "panda", but maybe they had been living together for too long that HyeSung easily translated those words into "Why would you look like a panda, HyeSungie?"
"Cause pandas have dark circles around their eyes. And I do too."
"By?" (trans: Why?)
"Because I don't sleep well." HyeSung growled, feeling his frustration heightening as once again he tsk-ed at his reflection, as if displeased with the imperfection shown on his face. "Heck, I haven't been sleeping well for the past months."
It was at the comment that KangTa finally realised that HyeSung was already clad in his sleeping attire even when he greeted him back at the corridor for the first time. If the boy was missing his sleep, he wondered what he was doing waiting for him to come back home.
"Sho by are yuu nod sweebing now, HyeSungie?"
At that very moment those words were translated to "so why are you not sleeping now" in HyeSung's cerebral space, HyeSung turned around to find KangTa looking at him with a bewildered look at the doorway. With fumes coming out of his head, HyeSung picked the nearest object in range and began to throw everything within his grasp towards a yelping KangTa.
"Hyunnie, you know I can't sleep well without you!"
HyeSung picked another object and threw it with dead accuracy.
"You know I can't sleep without you and hell knows when was the last time I saw you, you you you you inconsiderate bastard!!"
KangTa watched in horror his one and only alarm clock leave HyeSung's hand, making perfect somersaults in the air before biting his toothbrush and ran forward to save it.
"Addd!!!! HyeSungie, nod di awaarm klod!!" (trans: Ackk! HyeSungie, not the alarm clock!!)
When he barely caught the alarm clock, he managed to heave a short sigh, only in time to dodge another small pillow that HyeSung had thrown in his way. But at least, the alarm clock was unharmed, KangTa thought in relief, knowing that they would need it tomorrow considering neither of them were morning people.
"You know how much I missed you all these times and there you're acting like you don't miss me at all!"
He could only wince when another small pillow hit him squarely at the side of his face. How come HyeSung could throw things with such an accuracy to even avoid the toothbrush that was sticking out of his mouth?
"Aish, just hurry up and finish your stuff!"
KangTa was once again torn between watching in amusement at the angry HyeSung and his cute replies or dodging the rain of pillows and blankets aimed towards him. When he saw his huge pillow being thrown at him, he soon concluded that his safety was more important and immediately retreated into the bathroom with a slight chuckle. He quickly rinsed his mouth and carolled happily as he made his way back to their shared room, this time hoping that the war would have ceased.
"Okay I'm done. Let's sleep."
He was however blocked by a frowning HyeSung standing in the middle of the doorway, preventing him from going through.
"Go shave," he said with a tone of finality that left the other speechless.
KangTa took his shaving kit that was extended to him and walked back to the washbasin. Why was he giving in so much tonight?
"HyeSungie-yah, why are you doing this?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?" KangTa turned his head in time to see HyeSung leaving his spot by the doorframe and switched off the lights.
"I just don't wanna sleep with a moustachy you."
KangTa could only chuckle at the answer. HyeSung had made it clear since day one that he didn't like him to be "unkempt" but it wasn't totally his fault that his new image for his album required him to have some moustache. At times like this, HyeSung could be so demanding it's scary.
When he was finally done with everything that he needed to do, KangTa entered the now darkened bedroom to see HyeSung already wrapped beneath their blanket at his side of the bed. He crawled in to his spot beside HyeSung and settled down, relishing the sweet reward that his bed had given him after all the trouble that he had gone through only to get some rest.
"Hey..."
KangTa opened his eyes when he felt HyeSung's hand rubbing his cheek.
"You know I don't like your new style..."
He only laughed in response. "Yes, you told me that before."
"It's not that I don't like you already," HyeSung added with a pout, tracing that part of KangTa's face that was just above his upper lip. "I just don't like the moustache. I'm okay with the rest." He let a small smile appear. "But anyway, now that you're here, I know I can finally sleep."
He snuggled even closer to the warm embodiment beside him. "You smell nice..." He buried his head at the crook of his neck and gave a contented sigh. "Good night..."
KangTa stayed like that for a few moments, trying to put himself in a more comfortable position without moving the other person in his arms too much, but with himself bundled beneath the blanket, it wasn't that easy of a task after all.
"Hey HyeSung, are you asleep?"
The only answer he got was only the even sound of his breathing.
He sighed, resigning to being HyeSung's personal pillow and teddy bear for the night. He felt himself about to sneeze for a few times when HyeSung's stray locks of black hair tickled his nose but was fast enough to stop it from coming. He recalled the events that he had done for the night and felt like an idiot. He had come home only to be surprised by his boyfriend, dragged out of bed and forced to shower and shave, when all he wanted was just to sleep.
Ah well, might as well start sleeping now that he had his own personal pillow plus teddy bear. HyeSung's pretty warm and nice and very cuddle-able to be a teddy bear you know.
A few moments later, just as he was wavering between the state of consciousness and unconsciousness, KangTa soon realised that that was the first night in weeks that he was able to fall asleep that fast. And that was definitely the first time in months that he had a really good night sleep.
They always said that all of us needed a teddy bear to sleep. Something to cuddle just as we were getting all cosy and comfortable on the bed. Perhaps what they said about needing teddy bears to sleep was really true. Perhaps he really needed to have one to be able to sleep properly.
And he's glad his was there.
"Sleep and Teddy Bear"
[one shot / end]
Author: Althea79_percent
Rating: PG-13
Form: One-shot
Fandom: Group S / Shinhwa / HOT
Pairing: SungTa
Genre: Fluff
Disclaimer: They belong to themselves. Plot is mine.
Summary: HyeSung needed his teddy bear before he could sleep.
A X-Over Fan-fiction
"Sleep and Teddy Bear"
... and I'm glad mine's here ...
They always said that all of us needed a teddy bear to sleep. Something to cuddle just as we were getting all cosy and comfortable on the bed.
KangTa growled as he fumbled with his keys. He was sure he didn't need that. With his exhausted body, he was sure he could fall asleep all nicely once he made contact with any soft surface. He entered his dark apartment with a sigh. Closing the door with a slight push from his tired hand, all he could think of was his bed. And how bad he wanted to sleep. His eyelids were drooping and he could barely keep his eyes fully open for three consecutive seconds.
"I'm home," he called out softly to the empty room, not expecting an answer.
His sleepiness was robbed away from him and KangTa immediately looked up, startled, when he heard random noises that sounded like elephants had fallen from the sky coming from his bedroom. It was only then that he noticed the light pouring into the corridor from the said room. He began to frown, anxiety and wary entering his mind as he knew that his house was supposed to be empty. He was very sure he did lock his apartment before leaving the house earlier that morning even if dawn had just broken. He took a few steps towards his bedroom, adjusting his duffel bag in such a position so that if needed, he could just use it as a weapon to attack the intruder.
Then again, he thought, pausing for a moment, there was only one person who could pass the tight security of his apartment flawlessly.
"Ahn ChilHyun."
KangTa jumped when he heard his name being growled out in such a threatening voice. He looked up to see a very familiar figure coming out of the room and was currently looking back at him, looking pretty pissed off. It was dark and it was impossible for him to clearly see his facial expression, but from the way he stood outside the room, and from the way he was putting both hands on his hips - he could tell. He could only blink in confusion as he watched his dongsaeng heave a sigh.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there standing in front of him was the only person that he knew had free access to his house - Shin HyeSung.
They stood like that for minutes; silence enveloping the two figures as neither took the initiative to break the tension. KangTa stayed rooted to his position, mind wandered to and fro, recollecting events in the past few days and weeks, thinking of what could have made his precious boyfriend so angry. Well, the guy looked like he was more than ready to skin him alive really. He thought of what he could have done wrong, but to no avail. They did not even meet for the past weeks! How could he made him angry if he was not present to annoy him? Coming to no conclusion, KangTa resumed his staring at HyeSung half way across the room who was staring- no, glaring back at him.
He decided that it would take him longer than eternity to get to bed if he waited for HyeSung to make his move, and therefore, though his heart was filled with trepidation, KangTa made his first step towards the black-haired figure. HyeSung, too, abandoned his spot and met the other half way in the dark corridor. Just as they were face to face, KangTa had wanted to open his mouth when he finally found it in his rapidly malfunctioning brain of what to say but his attention was quickly arrested when he caught HyeSung making a face.
The black head cringed, giving him a small frown. Wrinkling his nose, HyeSung started to sniff the air around him and even leaned forward to sniff at KangTa's collar which he picked daintily with his thumb and forefinger.
"Hey, hey, stop that."
HyeSung retreated, finally settling down to look back at KangTa. His frown deepened.
KangTa looked back, his eyes focusing on that questioning frown. For a split second back then, he was once again wondering as what could have made that crease grace that perfect face.
"Hyunnie, you stink."
At the declaration, KangTa couldn't help but burst in laughter even if the better functioning half of his mind was protesting at the assertion. He was, however, considerate enough to tone it down into a mere chuckle as he remembered that it was almost past midnight and surely the neighbours wouldn't want any kind of outburst that would rob their sleep.
"HyeSungie," he argued with an amused smile, resisting the urge to pinch those cheeks that HyeSung had puffed out. "You'll smell like this if you need to run for miles and having the scene re-taken for thousand times."
"No, I won't," HyeSung replied, replacing his frown with a small smile as he put one hand on KangTa's cheek and began to rub the tanned skin. "You know I always smell nice."
KangTa was chuckling at the comment made when he noticed that HyeSung had abruptly terminated his action and was staring back at him with a hint of something mellow in those dark melanin irises. He watched his friend's expression fall, along with the hand, only to have himself getting enveloped in a loose hug right after HyeSung closed the short distance they didn't manage to cover earlier.
Putting his now hooked hands behind KangTa's back, HyeSung rested his chin on the other's right shoulder and sighed.
"I miss you..."
His face immediately softened at the longing in those words. He put down his bag carelessly on the floor beside him and returned the hug.
"I miss you too..."
He inhaled an inward sigh as he relished the feeling of having the one he loves so close to him. It had been a long time ago since they last met and KangTa soon find it increasingly unbearable to live without the other person. Sure they did have some contact in a way or another, but suddenly, he felt the suppressed want beginning to overwhelm him in an upsurge of longing. He missed having HyeSung in his arms like this; he missed the way HyeSung always knew how to position himself so he would fit snugly in his embrace; he missed everything about the two of them together.
They had been "us" for so long now that busy schedules forced them to separate into "you" and "I" once again, he wasn't sure how to live life anymore.
But as much as he wanted that very moment to last forever, KangTa just couldn't help but admit defeat when his exhausted physique began to protest. Torn between wanting to preserve that sweet feeling and wanting to just jump on his bed to sleep, KangTa ended up blowing dejected air against his brown bangs. When he finally decided that they could continue their cuddle on the bed, and hence with him getting both things that he wanted, he cheered inwardly as he made up his mind.
Before he could even disentangle himself from those lean arms, however, KangTa found that he was roughly pushed away as two firm hands snaked out of his waist and planted themselves on his shoulder blades. He gave HyeSung a quizzical look as he tilted his head in confusion. HyeSung only gave a smile that made KangTa's frown deepen.
"Go take a shower."
He blinked.
"No, HyeSung, I'm tired. I just want to go to bed."
HyeSung began to whine as he latched himself onto KangTa who bent down to retrieve his bag.
"Hyunnie, will you please take a shower first before you go to bed?"
"HyeSungie, I don't even have energy left to walk. I don't wanna."
"Yes you wanna!!" HyeSung insisted as he put two hands firmly on KangTa's free arm.
KangTa gave the other person locking himself on his arms a short look.
"Okay, fine."
"Where are you going?" The black head asked as he let himself being dragged against the wooden floor when KangTa start to move.
"Bed."
"What?! No, Ahn ChilHyun, you said you're going to the bathroom!"
"I never said that."
"No, you said 'okay, fine'!!"
KangTa shook his head as he began to feel the heavy, lead-like additional weight on his arms taking its toll on him. He blatantly ignored more protests coming from the stubborn figure and made his way to his bedroom. The journey from the darkened corridor to his bed in his bedroom was not far, yet it took KangTa much longer than usual to enter the designated room. For every three steps he took forward, he would find HyeSung pulling him back two steps. For every three steps he took, he found out that he would periodically pause in his walk to give HyeSung a look to see if he would let go of his hand too.
Why was HyeSung being so hard on him? All he wanted was just for HyeSung to let go of his arms, leave his now crouched position on the floor, and let him go to bed.
Then, an idea hit him hard. He turned to once again give HyeSung a look which was returned with a pout. If HyeSung didn't want to do it himself, then might as well do him the favour and do it for him. As if he had managed to solve the world's most difficult trick, KangTa gave a victorious laughter that sounded like Ernie in Sesame Street before letting his bag drop, abandoned on the floor.
HyeSung had automatically tightened his grip in reflex when he caught KangTa's out-of-character laughter and moved back in wary.
"Wh- What?"
KangTa only grinned back as he placed himself beside HyeSung on the floor in such a way so his right arm that was attached to HyeSung’s stubborn hands wouldn't get twisted. He gave the now-worried HyeSung another annoying grin before he put his left hand beneath the other's bent knees and began to lift. HyeSung gave a surprised yelp when he realised that he was being lifted and out of reflex, he let go of his grip on KangTa's arm and turn to clutch on the nearest possible object - KangTa's shirt. Without missing a beat, once his arm regained freedom, KangTa placed it in place behind HyeSung's back and lifted.
HyeSung let his eyes widen when he felt himself leaving the floor and began to move horizontally mid-air.
"Ahn ChilHyun, what are you doing? Let me down!!"
"Okay, fine."
The next moment he found that he was being lowered slowly onto a soft surface and another heavy weight joined him.
"Ahh, bed..."
HyeSung blinked at KangTa's voice when he found out where he was. He quickly turned to find KangTa, now lying stomach flat on the bed, crawling to reach his pillow and began to roll on the mattress, burrowing himself under the cover.
"Oh no you don't!!"
HyeSung pushed himself to his knees and grabbed the pillow that KangTa was about to get.
"What?! HyeSung you have your own pillow! Give me back mine." It was KangTa's turn to pout as he got hold of the edge of his precious pillow and began to pull.
HyeSung pulled. "No, Hyunnie, I won't let you go to bed until you take your shower."
KangTa pulled back harder. "Why are you being so stubborn? I'll take my shower tomorrow. For now let me sleep."
"No, Hyunnie, please go take your shower before you go to sleep!!"
"HyeSung-ah..."
For the next few moments, two grown up men were engaged in the most ridiculous activity of tug-o-war. The poor pillow was pulled on its two sides, and it was dangerously on the verge of blowing up before KangTa, catching a slight loophole when HyeSung took a break to adjust his position, wrestled his most prized pillow to his possession. Giving a victorious sigh, KangTa fluffed the pillow and placed it snugly beneath his head.
There and then, he was more than ready to fall asleep and embrace the call of the God of Sleep. It would have been nice if HyeSung would join him and be his personal pillow. He gave another contented sigh before feeling the bed shift beneath him. A few seconds later, he felt his leg being grabbed and he was roughly pulled away from the bed. He blinked his eyes open in surprise and used his hand to prop his body as he turned to look at the other occupant of the room.
"Shin HyeSung!"
"ChilHyun, please take a shower before you go to bed," HyeSung whined as he embarked on his pursuit to get KangTa out of bed.
KangTa soon found himself slipping down and groaned as he grabbed the bed sheet.
"HyeSungie-yah," he said in exasperation as he crawled in the opposite direction that HyeSung was pulling. "I'll do anything for you tomorrow if you let me sleep now."
"No, Hyunnie," HyeSung pulled harder. "*I* will do anything for you tomorrow if you promise to take your shower now."
"HyeSung!!" KangTa crawled against the force of pull to maintain his place on the bed.
"Please~" HyeSung pulled again.
KangTa groaned again as HyeSung continued to pull and continuously asking him to "please take a shower". He had maintained his resistance for a few more seconds, just because he didn't want to give in. As time went by, however, he found that resisting the pull was making him sleepier than he already was, so he decided to drop his futile tries, knowing how stubborn his boyfriend could be, and let himself got dragged slowly out the bed. It was only when his entire form was off the bed and in contact with the cold hard floor that he gave another resigned groan. The only hint that he was not giving up yet was the fact that he had both his hands glued to the end of the bed sheets.
"ChilHyunnie, please please please with a cherry on top?"
KangTa mumbled something under his breath.
"What was it?"
"I said, it won't work."
There was a slight pause in which KangTa turned his head to look at HyeSung.
"Please please please with me on top then," HyeSung changed his tactics.
He groaned. Though it sounded very tempting but still...
"No~"
"Come on Hyunnie!" HyeSung whined. "I don't want to do this to you too, so just go take your shower."
KangTa released his grip and sighed as he was once again dragged towards the bathroom with his face flat on the floor. "Why?" He asked even as his voice was half muffled because he was talking against a wooden surface.
HyeSung stopped in his pull when he saw a glimmer of hope in KangTa's question.
"Cause I wanna sleep."
KangTa blinked his eyes against the hard surface of the floor when he heard the answer. He grunted a conspicuous noise against the floor to substitute his muffled "what?!" as he once again pushed his form with one hand and turned his upper body to give HyeSung a look of pure incredulity. What would him taking shower had anything to do with HyeSung wanting to sleep?
"With you," HyeSung continued as he pouted. "With a *clean* you."
HyeSung abandoned his stand and crouched just behind where KangTa's feet were. He removed both hands from where he was pulling at KangTa's ankles and switched to tugging the ends of those long pants.
"Hyun..."
KangTa blinked again when he saw his boyfriend beginning to bite his quivering lower lip and immediately returned to his original position and placed his forehead on his folded arms. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep up his resistance if he continued to look. No matter how sure he was initially, no matter how set his mind was, he knew all too well that he wouldn't be able to resist HyeSung no matter what. Especially not when he looked like he was about to cry like that. He felt the tug on his pants getting stronger.
"ChiHyunnie..." HyeSung called again, pulling more insistently at the fabric between his thumb and forefinger.
He tried to block out the soft plea that was slowly tearing each layer of his defences.
"Hyunnie, please?"
KangTa sighed, resigning himself to his defeated fate and reluctantly pushed himself up. "Okay, okay, I'll go take a shower..."
"Ahh really?" HyeSung squealed as he followed suit and gave KangTa a hug when both were standing up. "Hyunnie-yah, gomawo!"
"I know I know. You owe me one." KangTa smiled as he disconnected a now-bubbly HyeSung from himself and grumbled his way towards the bathroom.
He had taken his shower and got dressed in record time worth to be published on the Guinness book of record and was currently stuck at the sink brushing his teeth. He figured since he had to un-glue himself from the bed anyway, he might as well get really clean before going to sleep. From the vicinity of his bedroom, which was adjacent to the bathroom, he could hear HyeSung muttering incoherent things in between his sighs. He was half curious of what the other man fussing about, while the other half of his mind was fully alert lest HyeSung wanted him to do something else before sleep-time. With a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth, KangTa walked out of the bathroom and peered into the bedroom only to see HyeSung sitting cross-legged on his now made bed. He seemed to be engrossed in doing something and yet, since his back was towards him, KangTa could not get a clear view. It was only when HyeSung shifted that he finally recognised the object that HyeSung was holding in his hand.
KangTa blinked in surprise, pausing mid-brush as he saw HyeSung staring into the mirror in his grasp like it was his life and periodically shook his head before heaving a sigh.
"Gah.. I look horrible!" HyeSung declared with a frustrated throw of his arms in the air. Not noticing that KangTa was actually spying on him, HyeSung continued to stare at his reflection on the mirror and sighed. "Look at my eyes! They're all red and I looked like I haven't slept in years... I don't wanna be a panda."
"Ne, Hyunnie-yah, will you still like me if I look like a panda?" He asked without turning back, assuming that KangTa would be able to hear him even if he was doing what he was doing inside the bathroom.
"By bood yuu wood waeett a banda, HyeSungie?"
It would have not been decipherable to people other than HyeSung, maybe save for the name and the obvious "banda" equals "panda", but maybe they had been living together for too long that HyeSung easily translated those words into "Why would you look like a panda, HyeSungie?"
"Cause pandas have dark circles around their eyes. And I do too."
"By?" (trans: Why?)
"Because I don't sleep well." HyeSung growled, feeling his frustration heightening as once again he tsk-ed at his reflection, as if displeased with the imperfection shown on his face. "Heck, I haven't been sleeping well for the past months."
It was at the comment that KangTa finally realised that HyeSung was already clad in his sleeping attire even when he greeted him back at the corridor for the first time. If the boy was missing his sleep, he wondered what he was doing waiting for him to come back home.
"Sho by are yuu nod sweebing now, HyeSungie?"
At that very moment those words were translated to "so why are you not sleeping now" in HyeSung's cerebral space, HyeSung turned around to find KangTa looking at him with a bewildered look at the doorway. With fumes coming out of his head, HyeSung picked the nearest object in range and began to throw everything within his grasp towards a yelping KangTa.
"Hyunnie, you know I can't sleep well without you!"
HyeSung picked another object and threw it with dead accuracy.
"You know I can't sleep without you and hell knows when was the last time I saw you, you you you you inconsiderate bastard!!"
KangTa watched in horror his one and only alarm clock leave HyeSung's hand, making perfect somersaults in the air before biting his toothbrush and ran forward to save it.
"Addd!!!! HyeSungie, nod di awaarm klod!!" (trans: Ackk! HyeSungie, not the alarm clock!!)
When he barely caught the alarm clock, he managed to heave a short sigh, only in time to dodge another small pillow that HyeSung had thrown in his way. But at least, the alarm clock was unharmed, KangTa thought in relief, knowing that they would need it tomorrow considering neither of them were morning people.
"You know how much I missed you all these times and there you're acting like you don't miss me at all!"
He could only wince when another small pillow hit him squarely at the side of his face. How come HyeSung could throw things with such an accuracy to even avoid the toothbrush that was sticking out of his mouth?
"Aish, just hurry up and finish your stuff!"
KangTa was once again torn between watching in amusement at the angry HyeSung and his cute replies or dodging the rain of pillows and blankets aimed towards him. When he saw his huge pillow being thrown at him, he soon concluded that his safety was more important and immediately retreated into the bathroom with a slight chuckle. He quickly rinsed his mouth and carolled happily as he made his way back to their shared room, this time hoping that the war would have ceased.
"Okay I'm done. Let's sleep."
He was however blocked by a frowning HyeSung standing in the middle of the doorway, preventing him from going through.
"Go shave," he said with a tone of finality that left the other speechless.
KangTa took his shaving kit that was extended to him and walked back to the washbasin. Why was he giving in so much tonight?
"HyeSungie-yah, why are you doing this?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?" KangTa turned his head in time to see HyeSung leaving his spot by the doorframe and switched off the lights.
"I just don't wanna sleep with a moustachy you."
KangTa could only chuckle at the answer. HyeSung had made it clear since day one that he didn't like him to be "unkempt" but it wasn't totally his fault that his new image for his album required him to have some moustache. At times like this, HyeSung could be so demanding it's scary.
When he was finally done with everything that he needed to do, KangTa entered the now darkened bedroom to see HyeSung already wrapped beneath their blanket at his side of the bed. He crawled in to his spot beside HyeSung and settled down, relishing the sweet reward that his bed had given him after all the trouble that he had gone through only to get some rest.
"Hey..."
KangTa opened his eyes when he felt HyeSung's hand rubbing his cheek.
"You know I don't like your new style..."
He only laughed in response. "Yes, you told me that before."
"It's not that I don't like you already," HyeSung added with a pout, tracing that part of KangTa's face that was just above his upper lip. "I just don't like the moustache. I'm okay with the rest." He let a small smile appear. "But anyway, now that you're here, I know I can finally sleep."
He snuggled even closer to the warm embodiment beside him. "You smell nice..." He buried his head at the crook of his neck and gave a contented sigh. "Good night..."
KangTa stayed like that for a few moments, trying to put himself in a more comfortable position without moving the other person in his arms too much, but with himself bundled beneath the blanket, it wasn't that easy of a task after all.
"Hey HyeSung, are you asleep?"
The only answer he got was only the even sound of his breathing.
He sighed, resigning to being HyeSung's personal pillow and teddy bear for the night. He felt himself about to sneeze for a few times when HyeSung's stray locks of black hair tickled his nose but was fast enough to stop it from coming. He recalled the events that he had done for the night and felt like an idiot. He had come home only to be surprised by his boyfriend, dragged out of bed and forced to shower and shave, when all he wanted was just to sleep.
Ah well, might as well start sleeping now that he had his own personal pillow plus teddy bear. HyeSung's pretty warm and nice and very cuddle-able to be a teddy bear you know.
A few moments later, just as he was wavering between the state of consciousness and unconsciousness, KangTa soon realised that that was the first night in weeks that he was able to fall asleep that fast. And that was definitely the first time in months that he had a really good night sleep.
They always said that all of us needed a teddy bear to sleep. Something to cuddle just as we were getting all cosy and comfortable on the bed. Perhaps what they said about needing teddy bears to sleep was really true. Perhaps he really needed to have one to be able to sleep properly.
And he's glad his was there.
"Sleep and Teddy Bear"
[one shot / end]