Fall For Me

VII. Quarter After One

Joong isn't a nocturnal person. The past few days of filming and shooting scenes, he'd been staying up late till 3am. He wasn't used to such schedule since he sleeps when his siblings sleep.  His schedule, up until he was hired for the series,  was single-handedly controlled by the baby.

As a big brother, Joong is always awake when the kids cry for food. He wouldn't say that he's a responsible person but his appetite is also scheduled to run the same time as the rest of his siblings. They eat the same time and nap the same time. 

And now P'Nine took a chunk of his sleeping time.  They're always together and always chatted with each other. Including the schedule with filming,  they were almost inseparable.

P'Nine even got comfortable coming over to their place after baby sitting his siblings with him that time. P' comes over so often that his own mother even treats P'Nine as her son. 

Nine easily earned the hearts of the people in his home so that even if P' comes over in the middle of the night, his mother would go above and beyond to pamper him. 

She said that P'Nine is special since he's his first kiss even though it's just in the series. There's always something special about one's first time of anything and she's the kind of mother that keeps track of that sort of stuff.

He doesn't mind the blatant favoritism over P'Nine.  In fact, it made it easier for him and his P' to become a lot more closer. 

"Are they asleep?" P'Nine asked in a hushed voice mindful of the other sleeping members of the house. He even cutely tiptoed his way to the bedroom.

"Yeah, in deep sleep so you needn't be walking this cute---ouch," he was met with P'Nine's not-so-intimidating stare and crazy fast slap in the head.  It's laudible how he's trying to intimidate him but P'Nine's soft cheeks wouldn't even scare a fly. 

"I'm not cute. I've told you a thousand times," P' sat on the bed like he owns it.

"These here says otherwise," he pinched both cheeks just to annoy him. 

"Joong, I'm not gonna tutor you if you keep this up. I'll leave," P threatened. He still held onto his chubby cheeks squishing it to this and that direction. It retained its softness even P had losf weight.

Despite the threat, P did not make an effort to physically stop him playing with his cheeks, so he kept giving improvised facial massage. It contorted P'Nines face to frustration, irritation, annoyance and then surrender. 

"That's fine. You can go home," he said. P'Nines face transforming into disbelief.

"Really? Then I'm going home," P said as he stood up and slung his bag to his shoulders, ready to leave. 

"I'm coming with you," he added and it effectively halted P'Nine from walking out the room.

"I live alone right now. You'll starve in my apartment. I don't have food in the fridge." Nine said as he looked at the floor as if thinking of some other excuse not to imvite him to his apartment.

"No problem.  We can buy groceries on our way. It'll be my treat since you've been tutoring me while we're shooting the series." he replied, determined to visit P'Nines's apartment.  

"You don't have to. It's my obligation as your P' to help you." P'Nine countered clearly unwillimg to invite him. 

"I insist. Besides I haven't been to your apartment. I'm always troubling you by making you drive here and having to look after my siblings with me. I want to visit you whenever I need your help, not the other way around," he argued back.