Seonghwa finished brushing his teeth and headed back into the bedroom of the hotel, his damp towel hanging around his neck. He brought it up to his hair, giving it one last shake before tossing the towel back into the bathroom.

"God, it's so hot when you do that."

Seonghwa looked up to see Hongjoong curled up under the covers, grinning at him.

"I know," Seonghwa smiled innocently and made his way over to the bed, crawling in beside him. He planted a soft kiss on his cheek before straightening out his blankets and getting situated.

"So you're really just gonna go to sleep without more than a peck on the cheek after entering this room looking like that?" Hongjoong asked, pointing at his mildly damp shirtless figure.

Seonghwa turned towards the nightstand to grab his phone and set an alarm.

"We have a concert tomorrow. We need to get some sleep."

"This is cruel and unusual punishment."

Hongjoong crossed his arms, pouting. Seonghwa looked at him and sighed. He put his phone back on to charge and switched off the lamp on his bedside. He turned back to Hongjoong and with one hand resting lightly on the small of his back, he pulled him in for a kiss, letting his soft lips linger as long as they wanted.

Hongjoong eventually pulled back a bit, smiling like an idiot.

"I guess I forgive you."

Seonghwa smiled in amusement and moved to turn off Hongjoong's lamp. But Hongjoong reached out, stopping him.

"Wait! I still have a few things I have to work on! I'll turn it off as soon as I'm done. I just can't afford a migraine from staring at my screen all night."

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow.

"Hongjoong...you've stayed up every night since we got here. You need to sleep. I think Atiny would prefer to see you happy and healthy, even if it means your new songs are delayed by a few more weeks."

"I know, but it won't take me very long! I just can't sleep knowing I could've finished them..."

"Why don't we get up early tomorrow and I'll help? I set an alarm for four."

Hongjoong didn't want to accept but he couldn't resist the idea of falling asleep, wrapped around Seonghwa's warm body.

"Okay. But don't you dare let me sleep a minute past four."

"I won't."

Hongjoong turned off the light and slid under the covers, moving closer to Seonghwa. He curled up on his side, wrapping his legs around his long frame. Seonghwa stretched his arm out and Hongjoong placed his head on his shoulder.

For a while, they laid there, just feeling the other's presence, wrapped in a sense of security so deep neither ever wanted to move again.

But Hongjoong had something on his mind.

"Hey, Hwa?"

"What, Joongie?"

"Have you ever thought about...having kids?"

Seonghwa turned his head to the side, facing Hongjoong who was only a few inches away.

"Of course...but...why do you ask?"

"I mean like...having kids...with me?"

Seonghwa felt a small smile curl up his cheeks.

"Yeah..." he whispered.

Hongjoong's eyes sparkled.

"You have??"

"I mean...I know we can't...you know...but I've really been thinking about adoption. You know-later on. Whenever..."

"...Ateez disbands."

"Yeah."

Hongjoong held onto Seonghwa's hand, squeezing it tightly.

"I really want to. I want to be a dad. With you."

Seonghwa felt his eyes getting watery.

"Yeah. Me too."

He pulled Hongjoong closer and wrapped him into an embrace, their bodies so close they were practically one.

"I love you, Hongjoong. So much. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"I know. I love you, too, Hwa. You're my everything. Always and forever."

The lay in silence, just holding each other as if afraid as soon as they released, they'd be pulled apart. But soon sleep washed over them, and they drifted off, still loosely intertwined.

...

"Hey guys-I hate to be a buzzkill but I think it's time for everyone to get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow. This is the first time we've ever done a combined concert with Ateez, so we need to show Stay our best."

Chan stood, turning to help Felix up off the couch.

"Oh-it's fine, you don't have to-" Felix started but was interrupted.

"It's okay, I've got him."

Jisung quickly threw an arm under Felix's shoulders and hoisted him up, making sure he could grab his crutches before setting him on his feet.

"Thanks, but you guys really don't have to worry about me. It's just a little stress fracture," Felix said with a forced smile. He was getting a bit sick of being babied by everyone.

"Do you need me to grab your stuff? I can carry it to your room for you," Jisung offered but Changbin quickly picked it up and guided Felix out of the hotel room into the hallway.

"Hey, everyone. I've been talking to Felix and he's really bummed about not getting to dance for the show. And treating him like an injured puppy isn't doing anything but make him more upset. I know we all just want to help but I think we need to give him some space," Hyunjin said, playing with a ring on his hand.

"Yeah, Jisung. Give the man some space, won't you?" Minho snapped, causing Jisung to turn towards him in confusion.

"He's right. I know, I'm one of the worst. But we all need to try to do better," Chan said, looking around the room.

Everyone nodded as they grabbed their belongings and headed out to their respective rooms. Once everyone had left, Jisung spun around to face Minho.

"What the hell was that?!"

"Woah-what was what?"

"You! Making that comment about me needing to give Felix space! Why'd you say it like that?"

Minho scoffed.

"You're kidding, right?"

Jisung glared at him.

"What's your problem?"

"My problem is that you've been jumping at any chance to help Felix ever since he got hurt."

Jisung laughed, shaking his head.

"Oh, so you're mad that I'm trying to help my friend? Who's injured?"

"He doesn't want your help! He's said that! A thousand times!"

"And that means I'm just supposed to let him try to stand on a stress fracture for his own pride?"

"If he asks you to, then yes!"

"Why do you even care? Do you just feel bad because you haven't been there for him? Am I making you feel shitty because you're being a bad friend?"

"I'm being the bad friend? By listening to him?? Please, enlighten me as to how that makes me a bad friend!"

"Get your head out of your ass. Just because he doesn't want our pity doesn't mean I'm just gonna stop worrying about him. Maybe you can turn your emotions off like a fucking sociopath but I can't."

"Excuse me? It's not being a sociopath it's called being respectful of other people's wishes. You know that even if you keep trying to win him over you're never going to beat out Changbin."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Minho regretted them.

Jisung froze, staring at him.

"Are you fucking serious? Are you really accusing me of trying to cheat on you? With Felix??"

"Well you've certainly spent way more time with him this week than you did with me."

"Because he's injured! And he can't walk without crutches! You have two perfectly healthy legs you fucking idiot!"

"Any of the other members could be helping him but you always jump in first. You even step in before Changbin."

"Because he's there with him all the time! I'm trying to give him a break!"

"Changbin doesn't seem to think so."

Jisung scoffed, moving towards the bed, picking clothes off the floor and shoving them into his suitcase.

"So you talked to him about it too? So you can ask everyone but the one person who would never ever lie to you?"

"Han, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm sleeping in Hyunjin and Seungmin's room tonight."

"You're just going to give up? Like that? You don't have anything to say for yourself?"

"Oh I have a lot to say. I just don't feel like being as big of an asshole as you."

With that, he zipped up his suitcase and left, slamming the door behind him.

Minho sat down on the bed, his fists shaking in anger.

Of course he knew it was unlikely.

He knew he should trust Jisung.

He just couldn't get past the way his emotions surged every time his hand brushed Felix's. Every time he jumped up from his seat to open a door for him. Every time he gave him a big hug because he was worried about him.

It was too much.

Clearly Felix thought so, too.

But it didn't mean he didn't feel bad for everything he said. He just couldn't stop himself. He never could.

He groaned in frustration, leaning back on the bed and throwing down his fists at his sides.

He'd really fucked everything up.

He just hoped Jisung would feel better in the morning. The fans always watched them closely, as if they sensed that they were closer than the other members. He didn't know how, when they tried to be discrete about it.

But he didn't want the fans to worry if they noticed the two of them weren't talking.

He decided there wasn't anything he could do that night, so he turned off the lights and slipped under the covers, feeling awfully lonely in the dark, empty bed.