Yeosang glanced at Wooyoung when the younger walked in his room, closing the door. His room got completely dark again, and Wooyoung laid behind Yeosang's curled up figure, carresing his hair. He stopped carresing his own hair and closed his eyes, feeling Wooyoung's warmth.

"What are you watching?" Wooyoung asked softly, running his fingers through Yeosang's hair in a soothing motion.

"Nothing, just... feeling bad about everything," Yeosang sniffled, pressing his face in the pillow. "Just a lot,"

"Yeah?" Wooyoung hummed, rubbing Yeosang's side.

"Yeah, like shit is going down. I want to be alone, baby. Can you leave me alone?" Yeosang asked, not looking at Wooyoung.

"But..."

"Please," Yeosang interrupted, his voice muffled by the pillow. "I just need some time to think."

Wooyoung fell silent for a moment, his fingers pausing mid-motion as he processed Yeosang's request. It hurt to hear those words; he wanted nothing more than to comfort him, to ease whatever burden he was carrying.

"Okay," Wooyoung said softly, his heart sinking. He slowly pulled his hand away, trying to respect Yeosang’s wishes. "I'll be right outside if you need me."

Yeosang didn’t respond, still buried in the fabric of his pillow. Wooyoung took a deep breath before standing up, feeling the heaviness of the atmosphere settle around him.

As he walked to the door, he paused, glancing back at Yeosang. He wanted to say something—anything—to bridge the gap that had formed between them. Instead, he just opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, closing it softly behind him.

Leaning against the door, Wooyoung felt the sting of unshed tears in his eyes. He hated seeing Yeosang like this, feeling so overwhelmed. He could only hope that the space would help him find some clarity.

"Whenever you're ready," Wooyoung whispered to himself, "I'll be here for you."

With that, he settled down on the floor outside the door, wrapping his arms around his knees, and waited.

×

"Wooyoung, are you still there?" Yeosang asked softly after two hours of restless sleep. "Can you make me hot chocolate?"

A wave of relief washed over Wooyoung at the sound of Yeosang’s voice. He quickly scrambled to his feet and approached the door, his heart racing with hope.

“Yeah, I’m here," he replied, his voice light and bright. "I’ll make it for you right now.” He opened the door and peeked in, mindful of Yeosang's still-curling figure.

Yeosang shifted slightly, looking up from the pillow with tired eyes, a small smile beginning to form at the corners of his mouth. “Thanks. I didn’t mean to push you away... I just needed some time.”

“I understand. I’m here for you, no matter what,” Wooyoung assured him, smiling back as he walked into the room. “I’ll make that hot chocolate for you, and then I can come back, and we can just... hang out, okay?”

“Okay,” Yeosang said softly, still feeling fuzzy from his restless sleep. He watched as Wooyoung headed to the kitchen, grateful for the warmth and softness that seemed to emanate from him, brightening the heavy atmosphere of the room.

As Wooyoung set to work, he couldn’t help but dart back to check on Yeosang a few times, wanting to make sure he was okay. Each time he would catch Yeosang staring back at him, exhaustion mingled with affection in his gaze.

After a few minutes, Wooyoung returned, two mugs in hand, the rich aroma of hot chocolate wafting through the air. “Here you go,” he said, handing one to Yeosang before settling back beside him on the bed.

Yeosang wrapped his hands around the warm mug, savoring the heat that seeped into his fingers. “This is just what I needed,” he admitted, taking a small sip and letting the comforting taste soothe him.

“Good,” Wooyoung replied, a hopeful grin on his face. “Just know that you don’t have to carry everything alone, alright? I’m right here.”

Yeosang glanced at him, gratitude shining in his eyes. “I know. I’m really lucky to have you.”

Wooyoung bumped his shoulder playfully against Yeosang’s, the air in the room shifting towards something lighter. “Well, that’s what partners are for,” he quipped. “Now, if you want, I can put on a movie, or we can just sit here and bask in the hot chocolate bliss.”

“Let’s just sit here for a bit,” Yeosang replied, leaning comfortably against Wooyoung, finding solace in his warmth.

And so they sat, wrapped in each other’s presence, a quiet understanding passing between them. The world outside faded, leaving only the rhythm of each other’s breaths and the comfort of hot chocolate to ease the weight that had settled on Yeosang’s shoulders.