Approaching footsteps filtered into his peripheral attention, soft and hesitant; quiet against the carpeted floor. Namjoon doubted he would have heard them at all had it not been for the echo of hollow silence that only a sleeping household could create. Thumb marking his place against the crisp coolness of the page, he lowered his book to his lap and glanced up.

The lamp above and behind his left shoulder threw soft glow in a fuzzy-edged circle of warmth around him; more than enough to read by, but not enough to identify which of his members was stood bathed in the shadowy darkness of the top few steps of the staircase.

Namjoon eyed the tall, lean figure and squinted; not Yoongi or Jimin, but easily any of the others. Just standing at the top of the stairs.

Each and every one of his dorks wouldn't hesitate to slide down the staircase banister and drape themselves across his lap on any given day. But then, it wasn't any given day- it was well into the witching hours and all the others were peacefully asleep. Or at least, they had been- obviously no longer true on at least one account.

A nightmare? Sick? Heaven forbid: Jungkookie sleepwalking again?

The unusual behavior lighting an ember of concern deep in his chest, Namjoon reassured gently, "You can come down..." and was thankful when his observer hmm'd with airy acknowledgment and began to meander slowly down the steps.

Tae.

With just enough glow to illuminate the shadow washed features as belonging to his second youngest dongsaeng, Namjoon raised a questioning eyebrow, asking, "Taetae, it's late- everything okay?"

Crossing the room on bare feet, red tips of the toes peeking out from beneath the silk cuffs of his pajama pants, Taehyung dropped unceremoniously into the empty section of the couch to Namjoon's left, drawing his feet up and curling into himself.

Concern mostly abated (with the general lack of blood, sweat or tears), replaced by mild curiosity, Namjoon waited patiently as Taehyung tucked his fingers under his thighs and peered up at him with sleep-heavy eyes.

And then..."Hyung. I'm a cat."

Namjoon blinked. Taehyung tilted his head.

For lack of anything more appropriate to follow with, Namjoon settled on a non-judgemental, slightly inquisitive, "Oh?"

Because really, it was nearly 2 am and who was he to argue with a such a confident statement? General evidence to the contrary notwithstanding.

"Yes," Taehyung confirmed, tipping left slightly to press his face against Namjoon's sweater covered bicep.

Thoroughly baffled, more than slightly bemused (and maybe just a little weakly indulgent), Namjoon raised a hand to card his fingers through Taehyung's hair-

Taehyung rolled elegantly upright from the couch, somehow managing to dislodge Namjoon's book as he went, and disappeared back up the staircase with slow easy strides.

Namjoon, (deciding an in-depth scrutiny of the exchange would just hurt his head) dog-eared his page and closed the novel. Dropping it to the coffee table, he got to his feet, stretching until the stiffness of his back gave with several small sharp 'pops'.

"And on that note..." he whispered, stifling a yawn as he flicked off the lamp and wandered up the stairs to bed.


Across the hall, curled into the ridiculously warm softness of his blankets, Taehyung valiantly fought sleep until he heard the tell-tale sounds of footsteps shuffling down the hallway and into the room opposite his.

Rustling fabric and the creak of furniture brought a self-satisfied curve to his lips as he allowed his eyes to dip closed; content now that his jittery, tense and overtired hyung had finally gone to bed.