We All Need A Chill Pill

Clambering down from his bunk, Changkyun's feet hit the floor and suddenly he felt as though something was off. Not anything particularly terrible or immediately concerning like an injury or soreness, but he felt strange. He tried to shake the feeling, assuming it was because he was still tired. Wonho had been a little rough in waking him just now, and they’d had a late practice the night before. He also may have spent a little longer perusing Instagram before bed than he’d like to admit.

After brushing his teeth, he swallowed after rinsing out his mouth and realized his throat hurt. Again he speculated that it was just the late practice. They’d sang their parts a little too for rehearsal and he must’ve worked himself too hard. He wasn’t a main vocal for a reason.

He made eye contact with himself in the mirror, blinking a few times to try to will away the redness in the whites of his eyes. He shook his head to drive away some of the lingering drowsiness and left the bathroom, rubbing his left temple.

It was about to be a long day.

Kihyun, as usual, had breakfast prepared for everyone. All the utensils were laid out for them, and the rice was still freshly steaming. Seeing food, especially food cooked by Kihyun, usually awakened his appetite. At the moment, though, he didn’t feel quite like eating, which he couldn't exactly blame on the late practice this time because he was usually starving the morning after a hard rehearsal.

He sat at the table so as not to arouse suspicion and sipped from a water bottle he took from the fridge, because Hyunwoo was always telling them to keep hydrated. He also had a few slices of Minhyuk’s orange when the older offered.

His sore throat made it harder to talk with his normal intonations and tone, but he usually didn’t have his voice in the mornings anyway, and the hyungs didn’t seem to notice.

Soon enough they were fed and ready for the day. They’d loaded into their van for the day's schedules, and Wonho commented on how tired Changkyun seemed as he leant his head against his hyung’s shoulder.

“It was a late practice last night,” Minhyuk commented in the younger's defense, yawning afterwards for effect.

Changkyun, having not even realized he'd dozed off, woke up when Wonho nudged him. They'd arrived.

He put on a brave face as he climbed out of the van and stood in the bright sunlight. He squinted and blinked a few times, and a dull headache was brought to his attention. He swallowed again, wincing.

They had a few interviews scheduled for the day, plus an event at which they would have to sit and look pretty, and not much else. Luckily, he had somewhat of a quiet and reserved image, not very likely to get wild or even talk much on his own if he didn’t have to, so he decided to bide his time, nodding along when his hyungs said something and offering the occasional laugh or smile. At one point Kihyun made him reply to a question, but it wasn't a hard one and the hyungs all laughed at the way he fumbled with his response.

That afternoon in the dressing room, the makeup noonas had commented on how he didn’t look well. One of them attempted to feel his forehead, but he shrugged off their advances and assured them he was fine, just tired.

He'd figured out at some point that it was something more than that, but it's not like he'd be willing to admit it to anyone, least of all the older women who applied his eyeliner for him.

"Hey, I.M-sshi, eat your food."

Changkyun hoped he didn't twitch too visibly at the sound of Kihyun's voice. He looked up at the bowl of noodles and bottle of green tea that had been slid in his direction on the table.

Their manager had had their food delivered to the studio and brought to the dressing room earlier as Changkyun was getting his touch-ups. Despite having a very meager breakfast, Changkyun still didn't have much of an appetite. To satisfy Kihyun he pretended he was about to take a bite of his ramyun, and while his hyung had his back turned he slid his bowl to Jooheon, who graciously accepted without looking up from his own bowl which he'd already inhaled half of.

Changkyun rested his forehead on his hands, folded over the top of his bottle of tea, yearning to go back to the dorm so he could go to sleep, or at least somewhere that wasn't loud or brightly lit. This was indeed a long day.

"Changkyun-ah, do you want my kimchi?"

It was Kihyun again. Changkyun straightened, shaking his head.

"No thank you."

Kihyun set his kimchi down on the table next to Changkyun's tea and took a seat next to him, casting a disapproving look at Jooheon for all the slurping noises he was making.

"You feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," Changkyun replied, feeling his heart beat a little faster. He knew of his hyung's motherly super powers. At this point Changkyun was beginning to face the reality that he was, as every idol dreaded, sick, and he didn't need Kihyun making it real for him. It was a mystery in itself Kihyun hadn’t noticed already. Perhaps he had, which was why he was suddenly grilling Changkyun.

"You're just kind of quiet today."

"Aren't I always?"

"You got me there."

Changkyun feared Kihyun would try to touch him, feel his forehead or grab the back of his neck, but Kihyun turned his attention to Jooheon and scolded him for eating so loudly. The maknae knew he wasn't in the clear, however. Kihyun continued to cast suspicious glances at him until they were loaded back into the van to go back to the dorms that evening.

Changkyun clambered into the van and coincidentally got a seat next to Hyungwon, the boy who was born sleepy, and he found it the perfect opportunity to get the rest he so desperately wanted. He cuddled up to Hyungwon and rested his head on his shoulder, the older appreciating another member to lean against. Changkyun worried briefly that Hyungwon would feel how feverish he was, but around lunch he’d started getting the chills and Hyungwon was so warm.

They arrived back at the dorm right after sundown. His little nap with Hyungwon did little to help Changkyun's condition, and in a moment of weakness he almost asked Hyunwoo to carry him into the dorm. Of course Hyunwoo would've, but then he'd have to admit that he was sick, and then he'd disappoint them, and they already had Jooheon for a rapper so it wasn't like he was irreplaceable, and then he'd be out of the group and left all alone.

That was the exact opposite of what Changkyun wanted, so he chewed his lower lip and followed his hyungs up to the dorm.

After changing into a comfortable pair of sweats and a gray hoodie, he briefly contemplated going to bed. The thought immediately left his mind, however, the moment Hyunwoo summoned them all for dance practice. At this point he knew Kihyun suspected something, being the observant mother of the group, and he didn't want to draw attention to himself. He walked slightly behind the rest of them on their way to the studio, and he warmed up quietly in the corner of the dance room near the speakers.

Jooheon, bless the boy, wasn’t particularly observant, and Hyunwoo was too busy trying to keep them all on the same task to notice him. Minhyuk was already too pumped with energy to bother with Changkyun’s meandering and silent demeanor, and Hyungwon was bugging Hyunwoo about ending practice early so they could have dinner at a decent hour and get to bed before midnight. Wonho also tended to pay more attention to his reflection than the members. Aside from Kihyun, he was in the clear.

While he waited for Hyunwoo to herd them into formation, he knocked back a mouthful of water and winced slightly at the sting in his throat. He absentmindedly watched Jooheon trying to mimic Hyunwoo, who had their choreography down already.

“He’s not that bad,” Wonho chuckled from next to Changkyun, and for the second time that day Changkyun hoped he didn't twitch too violently. His hyung was probably referring to Changkyun’s previously pained expression, and Changkyun didn’t try to correct him.

"I didn't say he was."

"You were thinking it."

Changkyun rolled his eyes.

“Are you okay, though? We didn’t even start yet and you already look warm.”

Wonho reached over to touch Changkyun’s face. Dodging his hand and trying to keep it playful almost blew the maknae’s cover, but in the act he’d dropped his water bottle and Wonho laughed, leaning down to pick it up for the younger. “You didn’t eat a lot today either. You better not faint.”

"I'll be fine," Changkyun replied, taking the water bottle back, careful not to let their fingers touch.

"Alright, alright, everyone line up. We'll start from the top," Hyunwoo called, and Changkyun felt the chill of anxiety in the pit of his stomach. This day just wouldn't end.

-

They made it about halfway through practice, at least halfway through the choreography which usually meant halfway through practice, and Changkyun didn't think the dance itself was that strenuous. Well, it didn't seem that way when he was able to do it yesterday, or when he at least had most of his moves down. He cleared his throat while doing that one fucking complicated turn that he couldn't even nail while being in top physical condition the previous night, and he stumbled for what felt like the thousandth time that hour. The dizziness that had slowly settled over him like some kind of foreboding shroud also wasn't helping.

Then suddenly he became aware of something hot and wet leaking from his nose. He knew the runny nose had to come at some point, because why stop with a sore throat, but he didn't appreciate the timing. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand only to be immediately startled by what he thought he saw in his periphery. He glanced down at his hand and found a bright red smear against his skin. He reached up to touch beneath his nose and found more of the warm liquid that he was now coming to realize, wasn't snot.

He looked down at his fingers, only to find what was most definitely blood on his fingertips. He gasped, although the sudden intake of air made his head throb.

Somewhere in the middle of his gruesome discovery he realized the music had stopped. He looked up and was met with 5 of his 6 hyungs looking at him with varying degrees of concern and horror. Jooheon, who had probably already looked at him and judged the situation to be something he didn't want to see, was white as a sheet with a hand over his eyes.

The younger didn't have too much time to fully appreciate their reactions, however, because suddenly he was feeling extremely lightheaded. He felt his legs giving way, and if it weren't for Kihyun and his previously mentioned motherly super powers, Changkyun was quite certain he would've dropped to the floor like a sack of rocks.

"Changkyun, are you okay?!" Kihyun exclaimed, having caught Changkyun around the waist before he could fall.

Indeed, Changkyun was not okay. At least, he didn't feel confident enough to lie that he was, especially when he had what felt like no sense of balance and a bloody nose, on top of his already pounding headache. He tried to focus on staying conscious. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in...

Unsettled by the maknae's silence, Kihyun lowered him into a sitting position on the floor.

"Minhyuk, can you run and get some tissue from the bathroom? Hyungwon, throw me his water bottle."

After a moment of rest and with someone to lean against, Changkyun was able to cover his nose with his sleeve to stifle some of the bleeding. He did it mostly for Jooheon's sake, seeing as the boy was looking pretty close to fainting himself as he stood, stunned, across the room near the door.

Minhyuk's running footsteps could be heard outside, and he burst back into the practice room with a handful of tissues that he handed over to Kihyun. 

"Here, use these. Move your sleeve."

 Changkyun took the wad from Kihyun and replaced his sleeve with the tissues, wincing at the warm dampness he felt as the fabric brushed against his wrist.

"What happened? Did you hit your face on something?"

Changkyun shook his head, though he did kind of wish he had bashed his face against something.

"Did it just start bleeding? Were you lightheaded before that?"

This time he didn't reply, only glancing up at Kihyun but unable to meet his hyung's gaze. He could practically here the gears in his head turning.

After a moment Kihyun stood, sighing and brushing his hair back. Probably out of frustration, Changkyun concluded. He knew he was being difficult, and he both greatly regretted it and didn't care.

Suddenly Wonho spoke up from behind Hyungwon, who was still standing with a death grip on Changkyun's water bottle.

"Are you sick, Changkyun? Is that why you didn't want to eat lunch and why you've been so tired?"

Changkyun was very quickly beginning to realize that he'd been so worried about Kihyun exposing him that he forgot all about the ever-observant second in command, Wonho. He would've seen everything. He'd been suspcious of him all day and even tried to say something to him before practice started, and Changkyun hadn't even noticed.

This day certainly never seemed to end.

They all took Changkyun's silence to mean Wonho had hit the nail on the head. A pale, bloodied, and somewhat disoriented Changkyun was certainly a strong piece of evidence to back Wonho's claim.

"Oh my god, Changkyun, it’s dangerous to exert yourself like that when you’re sick!”

Changkyun sat with his head down, tissue pressed underneath his nose. He felt the blood rushing to his face, and not just because he was violently hemorrhaging via his nasal cavity.

“I’m sorry, hyung,” he murmured, voice muffled by the combination of tissue and blood-soaked fabric from his sleeve.

Kihyun, realizing the younger's discomfort, crouched in front of him, brushing his damp bangs back to press a palm to his forehead.

“You’re going to get worse if you don’t rest, Changkyun-ah.”

Changkyun knew that, of course, but he wished he didn't have to. Most of the time he could work right through an illness and he generally bounced back from injuries fairly quickly, but judging by how horrible he felt, physically and now emotionally thanks to Wonho, he couldn't argue Kihyun's logic.

"Hyungwon, can you walk him back to the dorm?" Hyunwoo asked, though coming from him they all knew it was really a directive. "And Changkyun, please go to bed."

Kihyun pulled Changkyun to his feet, making sure the boy was alright to walk on his own.

"Leave your sweater on the washing machine. I'll clean it when we come back."

He gave a curt nod, suddenly taking notice of Jooheon who had moved from his spot by the door and was now hiding behind Hyunwoo with his hood pulled down over his eyes. For some reason it greatly offended Changkyun that his hyung would go so far as to not want to look at him, but he knew Jooheon didn't find blood too appealing, especially if it wasn't his. Thinking back, Changkyun was hoping that him almost fainting was a result of the fever and not his own phobia of blood rearing itself. He was humiliated enough as it was.

-

When he and Hyungwon arrived at the dorm, he kicked off his shoes and slipped into the bathroom, removing the tissues from beneath his nose to test the flow since leaving the dance studio. The bleeding had lessened, at least enough that he'd have time to get undressed and into the shower before it dripped to the floor. He swallowed, wincing not at the dry ache in his throat but at the coppery taste at the back of his mouth.

He'd just pulled off his shirt when Hyungwon knocked on the door. This time Changkyun twitched and didn't worry about how noticeable it was, because he really expected Hyungwon to have gone back to the studio already. He cracked the door open but didn't peek through.

"Pass me your sweater."

Changkyun passed him the sweater with the stiff sleeve and shut the door again, waiting to hear Hyungwon leave. He only heard the washing machine in the other room kick on. Exhaling, he turned and finished undressing.

In the shower he leaned his head against the wall and tried to pretend the water was washing away his sickness too. It didn't, though. He watched the soap suds circle the drain and he rubbed his temples.

He could practically hear the blood pulsing in his head by the time he shut off the water and toweled off. He wiped some steam off the bathroom mirror and for the second time that day, inspected the red around his irises. He found it harder to look himself in the eye this time, so he turned and left the bathroom, shutting off the light behind him.

When he walked into the living room, he found Hyungwon lying sprawled out across their couch bed, scrolling on his phone. He looked up when he heard Changkyun enter.

"Hyung, why didn't you go back yet?" Chankgyun asked, wincing at the rasp in his voice. Hyungwon smirked.

"To make sure you actually go to bed."

"I don't need a babysitter."

"I never said you did. Now get to bed."

Changkyun tossed his towel at Hyungwon and padded into the bedroom he shared with Minhyuk, Jooheon, and Kihyun. He clambered up to his bunk and pulled the covers over his head, waiting to hear Hyungwon leave.

In usual Hyungwon fashion, he went on biding his time in the living room. He heard him get up and go into the laundry room, go into the kitchen, and he finally he heard him approaching the bedroom.

"Okay, goodnight, Changkyun. Please rest," Hyungwon called, leaving the door slightly ajar before taking his leave. 

When he heard the front door shut, Changkyun sighed shakily into his pillow and tried to ignore the next set of hot and unwelcome liquid to leak from his face that day, this time from his eyes and not his nose. 

What a long day it turned out to be.

Wonho was thrust into consciousness with a certain degree of irritation. Normally he could sleep right through anything from Hyunwoo's snoring to the sounds of Minhyuk terrorizing the maknaes in the next room, but as he blinked into the darkness of the bedroom, he couldn't pinpoint anything that would be cause for his awakening. He listened for a moment, thinking maybe he'd hear thunder outside, or someone watching TV too loudly in the living room.

He heard nothing, aside from Hyungwon and Hyunwoo breathing steadily to his right.

He reached for his phone, temporarily blinded by the brightness of the screen before he could make out the time. 3:12 AM.

He had no reason to be awake at such an hour, so he rolled over, making up his mind to go right back to sleep.

He had been lying still, waiting for sleep to find him again for no less than 15 seconds before he heard someone rush from the neighboring bedroom to the bathroom and unceremoniously slam the door behind them. He figured it was Minhyuk, who was always drinking entire bottles of water before bed and waking up annoyed in the dead of night to relieve himself.

This thought process was interrupted by some muffled coughing, shortly followed by a wretch, and then silence.

He immediately thought of Changkyun; pale, quiet, sneaky-little-shit Changkyun.

He kicked off his blanket, climbed out of bed, and made his way out into the hallway, carefully closing the bedroom door behind him so Hyunwoo and Hyungwon wouldn't be woken up.

He heard a second wretch through the bathroom door across the hall and this time was able to confirm that it was indeed Changkyun he was hearing. Without a second thought he tried the handle and found that in his rush to puke his guts out, Changkyun had neglected to lock the door.

Wonho opened the door, not bothering to knock because he knew Changkyun probably wouldn't want him to come in and it would only give him time to reach up and lock the door.

"Changkyun, are you okay?" he asked, entering the bathroom with his hand still on the handle.

"Oh my god, hyung, please leave."

Wonho did the exact opposite and shut the bathroom door behind him, taking in the situation.

The younger was on his knees, presumably having crumpled in the throes of vomiting, face both flushed and pale at the same time. Seeing Wonho shut the door, he seemed resigned to his hyung being in the room and spit into the toilet before reaching up and flushing his stomach contents. Wonho assumed he couldn't have thrown up very much, having not eaten a full meal that day.

"You okay?" Wonho tried again, moving closer to Changkyun without encroaching on his space just yet.

Changkyun didn't reply, sitting with his head down and eyes closed. He was still catching his breath.

"You wanna go to the hospital?"

Changkyun immediately shook his head, though the movement was very slight. Wonho sighed and crouched next to the boy, brushing his damp bangs back to feel his forehead. He winced at the heat he felt beneath his fingers.

"You feel really warm. Do you feel like you're gonna throw up again?"

Again, Changkyun avoided replying. Wonho heard him swallow, watching the wince that passed over his features from what he now assumed was a sore throat.

"C'mon, man, you're scaring me," he urged, pressing the back of his hand against Changkyun's cheek, which was also feeling uncomfortably hot.

"I... I'm just gonna sit here until I'm not dizzy... You can go back to bed, hyung."

Like hell he was.

"Like hell I am," Wonho replied, sitting down next to Changkyun on the floor. Changkyun exhaled at just the right volume that told Wonho he wasn't exactly welcome yet.

"Or do you want me to go wake up Kihyun?"

"No, god no."

Wonho couldn't help but grin at the younger's pleading tone.

"Fine, but when you pass away tonight he's gonna be pissed when he wakes up."

In all seriousness they both knew Kihyun was going to be pissed when he woke up whether Changkyun succumbed to his illness or not. It's just that he'd be pissed off about not being woken up to take care of Changkyun, even if Wonho took it upon himself to do it. Kihyun was a bit overly-protective of their maknae.

He watched the younger turn and spit into the toilet again, apparently having emptied his stomach but still feeling a little nauseated. Knowing Changkyun, the mysterious enigma of a maknae who was probably feeling very vulnerable at the moment, Wonho was probably freaking him out a little by being there to see the younger at his lowest.

"I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier."

He'd just have to bear his heart and soul, making himself as vulnerable as Changkyun, if he wanted to get anywhere with him.

"I just know how bad it can get, you know, when someone overworks themselves," he continued, moving his hand up to gently squeeze the back of Changkyun's neck. The younger relaxed a little. "And you never tell us hyungs anything, so we always have to guess how you're feeling or what you're thinking."

Changkyun glanced at him, puppy eyes glossy and reddened by the fever. Wonho smiled gently at him.

"You feel a little less dizzy now?"

Changkyun offered a slight nod, casting a wary look at the toilet like he was hoping he wouldn't have to vomit into it again, at least for the rest of the night. Wonho hoped he wouldn't have to either.

"We can trade bunks tonight, so that you're closer to the bathroom in case you need to throw up again."

"You don't have to do that, hyung," the younger murmured, eyes trained on the older as he stood.

Wonho ignored his comment, helping him to his feet. 

"I'll go move my blankets."

He left the bathroom and went into the bedroom across the hall, gathering up his comforter and pillow from his bed. He heard Changkyun running the water, presumably rinsing the taste of stomach acid out of his mouth.

Upon entering the neighboring bedroom, he exercised extreme caution in getting Changkyun's blanket and favorite pillow down from his bunk, replacing them with his own. Jooheon spent most of Wonho's visit unconsciously flopping around in bed while trying to get himself untangled from his blankets, and Minhyuk was snoring softly with his face pressed against the wall. Kihyun, who tended to wake if his dreams were too loud, was curled up on his side, sleeping as peacefully as could be.

Wonho met Changkyun in the hallway, the younger wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he turned the bathroom light off. He followed Wonho into his bedroom, looking both apprehensive and exhausted as Wonho set his bedding down.

He turned and motioned for the younger to climb into his bunk, which Changkyun did after a glance at Hyunwoo and Hyungwon, both still out cold.

When Changkyun had climbed into bed, Wonho covered him up and fondly stroked the younger's hair before taking his leave.

"Thanks, hyung," he heard behind him before he shut the door. He smiled to himself.

With some difficulty, he climbed up to Changkyun's bunk and curled up around one of the plushies Changkyun slept with, taking in the smell of the younger as he dozed off.

God, did he love that enigmatic little shit.

-

"What?! He was throwing up and you didn't wake me?!"

Changkyun was suddenly awake, facing the wall in a strange bed, and he wished that he could not only go back to sleep, but never wake up again. For one thing, he was in several different kinds of pain. There was the dull soreness in his stomach, the sharp burn in his throat, and the generic deep ache of illness in all his limbs.

"He didn't want me to," he heard Wonho reply. The thinness of the walls between the bedrooms was good for something after all, it seemed. "I sat with him to make sure he was okay, though."

Changkyun had apparently missed Wonho's dramatization of the events of the previous night, and he hoped no details had been embellished or exaggerated. He exhaled and regretted doing so at the sudden burn in his lungs. He coughed, muffling it with his blanket.

"Great. That's great. He's probably not fine if he's throwing up, but thank god you were there for him."

"Harsh, hyung. It's not even 8 in the morning and you're already starting in," He heard Jooheon comment groggily. He then heard Minhyuk groan and roll over, probably in agreement.

Kihyun ignored them, leaving the room, and Changkyun could practically feel his motherly concern through the bedroom door.

The older entered the room, taking a seat on the bed at Changkyun's back. Kihyun grabbed his shoulder, gently prompting the younger to roll onto his back.

Changkyun struggled to open his eyes, feeling personally attacked by the light from the hallway leaking in from the open doorway. When he blinked it felt like there was gravel beneath his eyelids.

Kihyun brushed the younger's bangs back to feel his head. Changkyun hoped he didn't lean into the touch too noticeably, but physical contact with others felt like it would be the best relief for all the aches he was feeling.

"You're worse than yesterday. Honestly, Changkyun, this is why we tell you not to work yourself too hard."

Changkyun pondered replying, but judging from all his various aches in his throat and chest, he figured he probably didn't have much of a voice to reply with.

At some point in Kihyun storming into the room, Hyunwoo must have woken up as well. Changkyun heard him sit up and grunt questioningly at Kihyun and Changkyun's presence in the room.

"I switched bunks with him last night after he threw up," Wonho explained from the doorway. Hyunwoo nodded slowly, seemingly satisfied with Wonho's explanation.

Kihyun moved his hand, pressing the back of it to Changkyun's cheek. The younger appreciated the coolness of his hyung's skin in contrast to his own, probably burning to the touch. The contact only lasted a moment, however, as Kihyun moved his hand and stood up.

"I'm gonna go call manager-hyung. I'll be right back, okay?"

Changkyun wanted to ask him to stay, but he held his tongue. Kihyun turned to look at Hyunwoo, now climbing out of bed.

"Can you go kick Minhyuk and Jooheon out of bed for me?" Kihyun asked as the older looked for a shirt to put on.

"You know they don't wake up for me," Hyunwoo murmured, turning to him and smirking.

"Well can you try anyway?"

Hyunwoo shrugged, leaving the room without having found a shirt. Kihyun followed. A moment later Wonho had replaced Kihyun at the younger's side, this time climbing into the bunk and lying down with him.

"So did you have a good sleep?"

Changkyun managed a grin, reaching up to rub one of his eyes. Aside from crying himself to sleep and being rudely awoken by a bout of nausea, he'd slept fine. Being surrounded by the smell of one of his hyungs may have had something to do it, though he wouldn't admit that to anyone, least of all Wonho.

"Did you know Kihyun woke me up by whacking me with my own pillow?" Wonho told him, hoping to make Changkyun smile again. "I told you he'd be pissed."

Changkyun was about to try talking, though he wasn't sure what he wanted to say, when Kihyun reentered the room, stuffing his cell phone into the pocket of his sweatpants.

"Hyung, get up. You're gonna get sick too if you get that close to him."

"You were way closer to him just now when you were feeling his forehead. You probably have his germs too."

Kihyun rolled his eyes, grabbing Wonho and dragging him out of his own bunk and away from Changkyun. The younger suddenly felt colder.

"Manager-hyung said he can take you to the hospital and get you looked at after he drops us off to do our schedules," Kihyun relayed, anticipating an argument from Changkyun by the way he held up a hand to shush him. "And before you try to argue with me, yes, you're going to see a doctor, Lim Changkyun."

Changkyun honestly didn't know what kind of argument he could've even put together, feeling as shitty as he was, but he hated the idea of going out in public to a brightly lit place to get poked at by a guy who would tell him what he knew already; he was very, very ill.

Kihyun herded Wonho out of the room and set about the very difficult task of getting Hyungwon out of bed.

"Hyungwon, get up. C'mon, Changkyun was up before you and he's actually dying."

After shaking his shoulder for what had to be a solid 30 seconds, Hyungwon finally rolled over and sat up, blinking down at Kihyun and then Changkyun behind him.

"Why's he in here?"

"I'll tell you when you get up and get ready, now hurry up."

Hyungwon clambered down from his bunk and Kihyun also herded him from the room before turning his attention back to Changkyun, who'd only managed to sit up in the past 15 minutes.

"You too. At least get up and go sit in the living room."

Changkyun felt like perhaps he'd find death itself waiting for him outside the bedroom, but he warily climbed out of bed, steadying himself by grabbing the bunk above Wonho's. The ground seemed to be very far below him, looking down, and all his limbs felt heavy. As much as he wanted to go back to sleep, he really didn't want to faint on Kihyun again. The older stood watching him to make sure he was alright to walk on his own, and he kept an eye on Changkyun as he wandered into the living room and sat on the couch bed.

He coughed and cleared his throat, trying to breathe through the stabbing pain he'd caused in his airway. 

It seemed this would be another long day as well.

Hyungwon, up and dressed but still looking a little groggy, came out of the bathroom and sat down heavily on the couch next to Changkyun before turning to look at him.

"Heard you had a rough night."

He felt the blood rushing to his face, mostly out of shame. Why did he have to get sick? Why did he have to be a burden? Why did the whole dorm have to know about it? Why was he suddenly freezing?

Changkyun shivered at the slight wind Hyungwon had carried with him before he sat down, despite what he was sure was his low to mid-grade fever. He could feel his own heat radiating off him and yet he felt like he was sitting in a freezer.

Hyungwon took notice of this, and without hesitation pulled off the hoodie he'd been wearing.

"Here, since yours is still drying."

"You don't have to do that," Changkyun spoke his first words of the day, his voice hoarse.

"Of course I do; I'm your hyung."

Changkyun didn't feel like arguing with the older's logic, especially since Hyungwon was always so damn sweet to him all the time anyway. He let Hyungwon help him pull the hoodie on.

Immediately, Changkyun felt more equipped to deal with the freezer that was now his life. The combination of Hyungwon's lingering body heat and the smell of his cologne, though Changkyun could hardly smell, made him feel a million times better.

Funny how anything of his hyungs made this feverish hell a little more bearable.

Kihyun brought Changkyun a pair of socks, and Hyunwoo got him a med mask for him to wear to prevent the spread of infection. He watched his hyungs getting ready while fighting the wave of exhaustion that threatened to overtake him while he sat curled up on the couch. Hyungwon sat next to him all the while, in a similar state of lethargy, though that was normal for him.

"Alright, are we ready?"

"Manager-hyung says he's outside."

Changkyun had struggled to even get from Wonho's bunk to the couch, so he couldn't imagine making the journey from the dorm down to the parking garage. 

He sighed, looking up at Hyunwoo, who stood nearby. He'd have to give in to weakness a lot today, it seemed.

“Hyung?”

Changkyun lifted an arm toward Hyunwoo with a pitiful quiver in his voice and his eyes as woeful and puppy-like as he could manage. In all honesty he knew he didn't have to try so hard to get Hyunwoo to dote on him, but if he was going to play his maknae card, he was going to do it right.

Hyunwoo, without hesitation, picked Changkyun up off the couch, an arm behind his back and the other underneath his knees. Changkyun was practically limp in his grasp, resting his head against his hyung's shoulder.

"Oh, our poor baby," Minhyuk cooed, reaching over to cup Changkyun's cheek.

"Don't patronize him, Minhyuk," Hyunwoo chided.

"I'm not patronizing him, it's just that he's so cute and defenseless right now."

Changkyun pushed Minhyuk's hand away, hoping his med mask could hide his flushed face.

On the way out the door, Jooheon grabbed a pair of shoes for Changkyun to put on in the van, while Minhyuk and Wonho ran ahead to hold all the doors open for Hyunwoo and his precious cargo. When they arrived down at the parking garage, Minhyuk opened the van door for Hyunwoo while he sat Changkyun inside. Jooheon entered next with Changkyun’s shoes, and the hyungs climbed in after them.

While Changkyun clumsily pulled his shoes on, now uncertain of death's whereabouts, their manager apparently asked him about his condition. Kihyun answered back, and Changkyun barely even noticed the question was originally posed to him.

“His fever's pretty bad. He's been coughing too.”

“And he's been sick since yesterday? Geez, haven’t I warned you boys about overexerting yourselves?”

“Yeah, Wonho yelled at him about that already.”

“I did not yell at him, did I, Changkyun?”

“He can’t hear you, he's going back to sleep," Jooheon fired back, pulling Changkyun's head down to rest on his shoulder. Changkyun didn’t fight it.

"It seems like he might have the flu or something."

“Well if it is, you should all be careful not to catch it too.”

"You don't have to tell us that."

"Yeah? You guys don't know how to keep your hands off him. Just look at him and Jooheon."

Changkyun didn't catch too much more of the argument because he started dozing off. Jooheon made a good pillow.

As quickly as he dozed off, he was awake again as they began pulling into the studio to drop off all his hyungs. Deep down he wished that one of them would come to the hospital with him, but he didn't want to show fear or uncertainty, especially now that he was already vulnerable and had already played the helpless maknae card once that morning.

Leaving the van, they all bid their goodbyes to the manager and to the maknae.

"Bye, Changkyun, don't cry if they give you any shots."

"Kiss your nurse for me!"

Changkyun would've rolled his eyes, were it not for the dizziness and increasingly debilitating headache he was getting from the sunlight outside all the windows. He pulled his hood up and tried to ignore all his hyungs as they clambered out.

He got a kiss on the cheek too, but he didn't bother looking to see who it was.

"Minhyuk! What did I just say?"

Minhyuk. Of course it was Minhyuk.

"Hey, it wasn't even on the mouth."

He heard the van door close, and he willed himself back into unconsciousness while leaning against the window. As overbearing and embarrassing as his hyungs were, he missed them already.

-

They had 2 interviews before noon to complete, luckily in the same studio as the one they'd be using for their V app broadcast after lunch. They apologized for Changkyun's absence, explaining that the younger was sick but currently receiving medical care and would be with them again soon. They conducted themselves the same as any other interview, and it wasn't like the maknae spoke much anyway, but it felt like they were missing something with just the 6 of them.

During lunch in their dressing room, Kihyun heard his phone ring as it was charging. He was across the room and had answered it halfway through the second ring.

"Hello?"

"We're done. I'll come down after I drop him off at the dorm."

"Is he okay?"

"Turns out you were right. He's got the flu."

"Shit, really?"

"They said he needs to rest for at least the next 3 days, and he won't be feeling 100% for another week."

"Alright, should we tell the fans when we go live?"

"Don't make them worry too much."

"Of course."

"Changkyun, you wanna say hi to Kihyun?"

Kihyun heard the radio in the background, and their manager laughed.

"He waved."

"Tell him I waved back."

"I will. Do you need me to pick up anything from the dorm before I come back?"

"No, we're fine. But can you make sure he gets up to the dorm okay?"

"Yeah, I know, he's a fainter, isn't he?"

"How'd you know that?"

"Because they gave him an IV and he was out for most of it."

He heard muffled scraping and their manager laughing as Changkyun grabbed his phone out of his hand.

"For the record, I didn't faint, I was sleeping."

He heard the phone being taken back by their manager.

"Sure you were. Anyway, we're almost to the dorm. I'll be at the studio in a bit."

"Okay, bye hyung."

Kihyun hung up the phone and turned around to find Minhyuk, Hyungwon, and Jooheon piled up on the couch right behind him, leaning in to apparently listen in on the conversation.

"So how is he?"

"Yeah, is he alright?"

"Did he die?"

Kihyun plugged his phone back in, chuckling at their excitement.

"He's got the flu."

"The flu?!" Minhyuk yelled, drawing the attention of everyone else in the room, including all the makeup noonas and Hyunwoo and Wonho, who were both still eating.

"Really? In the middle of spring?" Jooheon inquired, head tilted.

"You can catch the flu any time of year, Jooheon," Hyungwon replied, looking to his right at Jooheon with an exasperated smile.

"So is manager-hyung coming?"

"Yeah, he's taking Changkyun back to the dorm now."

"Let's hurry up and do the broadcast so we can go home and see him, then."

-

When they got to the dorm, Changkyun had enough confidence to walk, albeit slowly, up to the dorm without the assistance of Manager-hyung. After all, he'd managed to walk in and walk out of the hospital on his own, and the journey felt much more manageable now that he'd been pumped with fluids and a shot of something that the doctor said would shorten his suffering, though he still felt like death would be waiting in the living room for him.

"Okay, now go to bed. The members all know you're supposed to be resting up, and you're excused from schedules for the rest of the week, so don't try to push it before you're better."

"I know."

"And don't give them a hard time. They're just doing what hyungs do."

"I don't give them a hard time."

"Sure you don't. Alright, I'll go get them from the studio."

Manager-hyung left, and Changkyun shivered, hugging himself and clinging to the sleeves of Hyungwon's sweater. It wasn't quite a hug, but it felt something like it.

He went into the bedroom across from the bathroom and retrieved his blanket from Wonho's bed, dragging it behind him into the living room. He flopped down on the couch bed, flicking on the TV for some background noise as he curled up beneath his blanket. 

He woke up to the sound of the front door opening. He wondered briefly if it was their manager, coming to drop something off before he went back to the studio, but it was in fact his hyungs who came through the door.

Damn, didn't he just flop down on the couch?

"Look, it's patient zero."

"I told you he wasn't dead."

"Hi, Changkyun. I got cough drops for you."

"Was your nurse cute? Did you kiss her for me?"

Thinking back to when they'd parted ways that morning, he wondered why he missed this.

They all set out to redress into more comfortable clothing. They had some time off between schedules and practice for once.

"You were here fast," Changkyun commented as Kihyun handed him the pouch of cough drops.

"Yeah, we were worried about you so we ended lunch early to do the broadcast."

"You didn't have to do that."

It seemed like Changkyun was saying that a lot these days.

"Of course we did."

Kihyun felt his forehead, though he did more as a gesture of comfort than to test the younger's temperature.

"How was it?"

"The nurse said I was cute," Changkyun relayed, popping a cough drop into his mouth. The wrapper had an inspirational phrase printed on the inside. Be resilient.

"Well we knew that already. Was she cute?"

Changkyun gave Kihyun one of his looks; one of those Changkyun looks where he somehow communicates an entire emotion with just his deadpan expression.

"So she was? If she was, don't tell Wonho-hyung."

Kihyun brushed the younger's hand and flinched at how cold his fingers felt.

"Your fingers are freezing."

"Sorry, that IV made my arm really cold," Changkyun coughed, covering his mouth. At some point he'd lost the mask because his nose had begun to get stuffy, and he prioritized air over his germs. He was trying to be careful, since he didn't want any of his hyungs sharing this hell.

"Did you cry?" Kihyun inquired, smirking while he took the younger's hand between his. He rubbed his hands over Changkyun's arm to help warm him up, and Changkyun offered one of his half smiles.

"No, I was asleep for most of it."

"Asleep, huh?"

"I swear. Manager-hyung likes to lie about that kind of stuff."

"Sure, sure."

Kihyun let go of the boy's arm, getting up to presumably do some upkeep of the dorm. Changkyun curled back up beneath his blanket. He closed his eyes, listening to Wonho and Minhyuk arguing about something in the kitchen while Hyunwoo laughed and Kihyun tried to calm them down. Hyungwon had gone into their bedroom to take a nap, and he didn't know where Jooheon had gone.

A moment later, though, he felt someone lay on the bed next to him and he peered out from beneath the blanket to find Jooheon, resting his cheek against his bent arm.

There he is.

"Hi, Changkyun."

"Hyung, if you get too close you're gonna get sick too."

"I don't care."

Jooheon reached out and palmed Changkyun's cheek, rubbing his thumb over the younger's cheekbone.

"You look like you're about to turn into one of those zombies from the Walking Dead or something."

"Thanks."

Changkyun had to agree, though, based on how he was feeling. It wasn't as bad as this morning, where he felt like death was walking 3 steps behind him, but he still didn't feel like doing much of anything at all. The cough drop had helped his sore throat a little, but it still made him grimace every time he coughed.

Kihyun re-entered the living room, bringing a water bottle to Changkyun. He hardly noticed Jooheon lying next to him, unlike this morning when he manhandled Wonho out of his own bunk for the same offense.

"Changkyun-ah, did they give you any medication to take?"

Changkyun took the water bottle, remaining silent.

"I'm gonna call manager-hyung if you don't tell me."

"I put them on the table."

"Did you take anything already?"

Changkyun shook his head, and Kihyun went back into the kitchen. Jooheon waited until he was gone to say anything.

"You know he's gonna keep you on a schedule until all your medicine is gone."

"Not looking forward to it," Changkyun replied quietly, shaking his head. Kihyun returned with an ibuprofen pill in hand.

"Take this, then you can go back to sleep, okay?"

Changkyun sat up, tossing the pill in and taking a drink of water after. He swallowed the pill with some difficulty on account of his throat, but he managed. Jooheon lied next to him, apparently amazed at the younger's ability to take pills with such low levels of fuss.

"Alright, go to sleep. Jooheon, don't bother him."

"I'm not bothering him, am I, Changkyun?"

Changkyun didn't reply, lying back down. Kihyun left the room to do some laundry, and Changkyun began to relax as the ache in all his muscles began to fade. Jooheon had rolled over and was facing the TV, chuckling softly every once in a while at whatever he was watching. Changkyun scooted forward, pressing his forehead into the place between Jooheon's shoulders. He dozed off, smiling to himself.

Jooheon made a good heater too.

Hyungwon had enjoyed his nap for exactly 102 minutes before he woke up for no apparent reason. He was still tired, he was always tired, but he was also hungry. He crawled down from his bunk and went into the living room, finding the rest of the maknae line lying on the couch.

"That was a quick nap for you, hyung," Jooheon commented, referring to Hyungwon's disheveled hair and heavily lidded eyes.

"Hush, you punk," Hyungwon murmured, smiling. Changkyun was curled up behind Jooheon, still sound asleep. The older crept into the kitchen, where Kihyun was cooking and Wonho was washing the dishes. Minhyuk sat at the table, eating ice cream straight from the carton.

"Where's Hyunwoo-hyung?" He inquired, supressing a yawn. He tugged the fridge door open and rummaged around in hopes that no one had found the pudding he kept behind all of Wonho's protein shakes.

"Mom told him to go pick up milk," Wonho replied, nodding to Kihyun. Kihyun rolled his eyes.

It quickly became apparent that someone had found Hyungwon's pudding, and he was momentarily overwhelmed by the betrayal. It took him a moment to realize Kihyun had said something to him.

"What?"

"Can you go tell Jooheon to put his laundry away?" Kihyun repeated, dumping his used utensils into the sink much to Wonho's dismay. Hyungwon ignored him, slamming the fridge door.

"Who ate my pudding?" He demanded abruptly.

"What pudding?" Kihyun inquired, sounding about as annoyed as Hyungwon felt.

"Wasn't me. I wish it was, though," Minhyuk put in through a mouthful of ice cream.

"Why do you get your own pudding?" Wonho commented accusingly, turning around while drying a plate.

"I can't have anything nice in this dorm, can I?"

"Hyungwon, laundry, Jooheon, now," Kihyun ordered in his signature nagging mother tone, turning the stove on.

Hyungwon thought about arguing for a moment before giving in, leaving the kitchen.

Entering the living room, he approached the couch bed and stood between Jooheon and his view of the tv.

"Kihyun said you have to go put your laundry away."

Jooheon feigned a pouty face, and Hyungwon simultaneously wanted to snuggle him and choke him out because of how fucking unfair it was that he usually got what he wanted when he pulled a face like that around the hyungs.

"Do it. Hurry up."

Jooheon sighed heavily, inching forward and carefully rolling off the bed so as not to wake Changkyun before padding down the hall to the laundry room.

Hyungwon thought about going back to bed to continue his nap, but seeing Changkyun all by his lonesome curled up under his blanket, he decided to sit down.

He looked around for the remote, clicking through the channels until he found a rerun of Happy Together. He was just beginning to identify with Yoo Jaesuk's humor when he heard the younger's breathing behind him.

He turned to assess whether or not Changkyun was in any sort of distress. He could hear the shallowness of his breath caused by the congestion, and his chest rose and fell in uneven intervals. Despite this, from what little of Changkyun's face he could see peeking out from beneath his blanket, he seemed largely unbothered.

Hyungwon found himself smiling softly.

He was about to turn his attention back to the TV when he heard the front door open. Hyunwoo entered the living room carrying a grocery bag.

"Hi, hyung."

"Hey, Hyungwon. I got you more pudding."

Hyungwon tilted his head in confusion. Hyunwoo hadn't been present for the pudding controversy earlier, and the others wouldn't have cared enough to call him about it.

"I found your stash and I was really hungry."

"Seriously, hyung, when are you not hungry?"

Hyunwoo feigned swinging the bag at Hyungwon, who still flinched despite being across the room.

"Well since you got me more, I forgive you."

Hyunwoo flashed one of his eye smiles and went into the kitchen. Hyungwon shook his head, returning to Happy Together. 

He had been watching for approximately 18 seconds when Changkyun abruptly coughed behind him. Hyungwon turned to look at him, waiting for him to wake up. The younger coughed several more times, apparently startling himself awake. He pushed himself up on one elbow, trying to catch his breath.

"Hey, hey, chill out. It's okay."

Hyungwon reached out and grabbed the younger's shoulder, squeezing gently. Changkyun moved the hand covering his mouth up to his eye, rubbing it while he tried to process his surroundings.

"You're okay. Wait, are you okay? Sorry, did I wake you up?"

"What time is it?" Changkyun inquired raspily, sliding his arm out from beneath him to lie back down.

"Uh, about 5:30," Hyungwon estimated, checking the time on the TV for confirmation. 5:38PM.

"Where's Jooheon?" was Changkyun's next inquiry.

"Putting away his laundry. Why, did you prefer him?"

Changkyun exhaled softly, meaning to at least chuckle, but instead he was forced to hold back another cough.

"Do you need anything?"

Changkyun shook his head, pulling his blanket back over himself.

"Did you eat today?"

Changkyun showed Hyungwon his forefinger and thumb held a few centimeters apart, indicating in Changkyun-speak that he'd eaten "a little bit" that day. Hyungwon smiled again.

"Yeah, well you should eat some more. Should I go get you something?"

He knew the younger was going to tell him no, so when Changkyun shook his head again, Hyungwon still got up.

"Well I'm gonna get you something anyway."

He patted Changkyun's chest gently before getting up and going into the kitchen. Hyunwoo was helping himself to whatever Kihyun was making, and Wonho had managed to get Minhyuk to help put away the dried dishes.

"Hyung, Changkyun's awake. What can I feed him?"

Kihyun, in the process of snacking while cooking as he usually does, hummed in recognition and gestured to a pot he had on a different burner on the stove.

"I made some soup for him. You can get him a bowl and take it to him."

Hyungwon wasn't even surprised by Kihyun's initiative in preparing soup especially for their ailing youngest member. He followed Kihyun's instructions, going out of his way to grab the bowl Minhyuk had gingerly put in the cabinet moments before to annoy him.

"And when you take it to him can you go tell Jooheon that it's almost time to eat?"

"We're eating light, since we're going to practice after," Hyunwoo put in, sneaking another cluster of scorched rice from the pan.

"Yeah, light," Wonho murmured from by the refrigerator.

"Oh yeah, Hyungwon, I put your pudding back where I found it."

"Well now I have to hide it again since everyone knows where it is."

"You know nothing is safe in this dorm," Minhyuk replied, sitting back down at the table.

"If they get eaten up on me one more time I'm leaving and I'm taking the kids," Hyungwon brooded, grabbing a spoon for Changkyun's soup. He'd meant Jooheon and Changkyun, but thinking on it, he didn't know if he could handle taking care of the both of them by himself. He'd at least take Changkyun. The boy didn't know how to bitch and whine like the rest of them.

"You are one of the kids," Kihyun called after him. Hyungwon rolled his eyes. If anything he was their rebellious teenager.

Upon returning to the living room, he found that the younger had pushed himself up into a sitting position and was listening to Jooheon complain about having to put away his laundry.

Yup, looks like he'd only be taking Changkyun.

"Jooheon, Kihyun said the food is ready."

He didn't mean to lie, and it wasn't exactly a lie because Kihyun and Hyunwoo were already eating, but he kind of wanted Jooheon to leave immediately so he could take care of Changkyun by himself.

"Okay. Did you tell him I put my laundry away? Because I totally did."

"When you say it like that it makes me think you didn't."

"Well I did."

Hyungwon stared, skeptical of Jooheon until the younger retreated past him to the kitchen.

When Jooheon was out of earshot Changkyun looked to Hyungwon, the edges up his mouth twitching upwards for a moment.

"He only put half of it away and hid the rest in Minhyuk's basket."

"Of course he did," Hyungwon murmured, suppressing a smile. He handed the bowl of soup to the younger.

"Careful, it's hot."

"I'm not a kid, hyung," Changkyun murmured, minding the positioning of his hands. Hyungwon was smiling again.

"I know you're not."

Hyungwon watched the younger warily inspect the contents of the bowl with his face slightly obscured by his hood. Hyungwon's hood, technically. He was glad he let the younger wear his sweater, even if he was getting his germs all over it. There were worse things than Changkyun germs.

"If you eat at least half the bowl I'll share my pudding with you when you get better."

"What pudding?" Changkyun inquired hoarsely, spoon raised to his mouth.

Now it was Hyungwon's turn to bitch.

-

Changkyun, after eating a little less than half his bowl of soup and listening to all the events of the day through Hyungwon's (dramatic) point of view, wanted to do practically anything except sleep. He was exhausted and in pain, sure, but he was tired of being tired.

Hyungwon had returned to the kitchen to put away Changkyun's bowl and get his own dinner. At this point he was beginning to miss them all in much the same manner as he had in the car this morning, even though they were a room away. He ignored the feeling, browsing the channels on TV until he found an English sitcom. He swallowed and was glad for the soup, which had soothed his throat a little.

He sat with his back pressed to the wall, knees drawn up to his chest.

Growing up he'd seldom wanted other people near him when he wasn't feeling well, which is why he found it so strange that he wished the hyungs would keep taking care of him. He liked to pretend he wasn't the youngest member until he needed something, and maybe that was what manager-hyung had been referring to this morning, but he didn't like taking advantage of his hyungs.

With that in mind, he really wished he wasn't as sick as he was. He sighed and coughed roughly afterward as if to punctuate the thought.

“Oh, was that my poor sick puppy?” Minhyuk called as he entered the living room, shortly followed by Hyunwoo and Jooheon. Changkyun reached over and pulled his blanket over himself to create a barrier between himself and Minhyuk, because he needed the exact opposite of whatever Minhyuk wanted to do to him. He watched apprehensively as the older came and sat next to him.


“Minhyukie, I told you not to tease him. He’s in no condition to defend himself right now,” Shownu chided as he pulled on a hoodie. What had Minhyuk called him this morning? Cute and defenseless? He'd have to agree, at least with the defenseless part. Minhyuk could manhandle him or bully him and he was pretty sure he wasn't feeling up to fighting back. 

"I'm not teasing him," Minhyuk remarked, leaning over to brush his hand through the younger's hair. Changkyun was worried more about his uncharacteristic gentleness than anything.

Kihyun and Wonho entered the room next, Hyungwon coming shortly after while finishing off one of his pudding cups.

"We're gong to dance practice. You gonna be okay by yourself?"

Changkyun nodded. Except he must've looked as not okay with it as he felt, because Kihyun butted in, trying to shoo Minhyuk away as he moved to feel Changkyun's head again.

"Maybe one of us should stay with him. We've been leaving him alone too much."

Normally Changkyun would give anything for some alone time at the dorm, but he had to agree with Kihyun. He didn't like being all by himself at all, at least not now.

Not that he would admit that.

"Well it can't be you, since you still haven't learned your part," Wonho pointed out, earning a glare from Kihyun.

"I'll stay," Minhyuk chirped, and Changkyun's breath caught in his throat.

Of course it had to be Minhyuk.

"Well you do have your part down," Hyunwoo murmured thoughtfully. Minhyuk was always the first to have his parts memorized. It was unfair, really.

"Yeah, Minhyuk should stay," Wonho nodded. Hyungwon cast Changkyun a sympathetic look. Jooheon was biting back a smile, and Kihyun looked to be agreeing with Changkyun's skepticism.


“Don’t leave me with him,” Changkyun pleaded, voice weak. He loved Minhyuk, deeply and truly, but much like Hyunwoo had said earlier, he was in no condition to defend himself against Minhyuk's hyperactivity. 


“Hyung will take care of you, Changkyun-ah, it’s okay,” Minhyuk iterated, pulling him over into a trapping hug. Changkyun looked to Kihyun and then Hyunwoo, hoping they'd fall for his puppy eyes again.

"And since you're staying, you can do some chores," Kihyun put in, seemingly ignoring the younger. Minhyuk groaned and overdramatically flopped over on the couch bed, dragging Changkyun down with him.

"But I've got a sick puppy to take care of."

"Between making sure he's resting and taking his medicine, I'm sure you'll find some free time."

Minhyuk brooded while Changkyun pushed himself up and watched the rest of them get ready to leave.

"If he's mean to you I can drop kick him when we get back," Wonho offered, gently squeezing the back of the younger's neck like he'd done the night before. Changkyun sniffled, nodding. He wanted to tell Wonho that it was okay to preemtively punish him for whatever misfortune befell Changkyun later in the evening, but they'd all be leaving soon and he didn't want to do anything to antagonize Minhyuk right off the bat.

Minhyuk got up to see them out the door, practically chasing them out with assurances that he would take care of their youngest member and they wouldn't have to worry. When they left, Minhyuk returned to the living room and stood by the TV, seemingly contemplating something. Changkyun watched him. 

"You think Kihyun will mind if I get on Twitter for a bit?" Minhyuk asked after a moment, already going into their bedroom. Changkyun wanted to tell him that he should probably do some chores first, but he knew the others would be gone until late into the night and the thought of missing out on so much practice time stressed him enough that he forgot to say anything at all.

Minhyuk appeared after a moment with his iPad, flopping back down on the couch bed next to Changkyun. He was scrolling through their Twitter feed, occasionally chuckling but otherwise silent, which unsettled Changkyun because rarely was there a time when Minhyuk wasn't being loud.

"You know, Monbebes are flooding our Twitter with messages for you."

Changkyun glanced at the older, sniffling and tilting his head.

"Here, look."

Minhyuk handed Changkyun the iPad, allowing him to scroll through all the tweets directed at him. Amongst all the well wishes, he felt himself getting a little emotional. He didn't anticipate such an outpouring of concern and love from the fans.

Get well soon, I.M! Monbebes are waiting for our Monsta X maknae to return to us! Are the other members taking care of you? Rest up for us!

"Is my puppy gonna cry?" Minhyuk teased, grinning softly at the younger. Changkyun blinked a few times, glad for his continuous sniffle to hide the fact that he may have accidentally showed an emotion. 

"No, my hair got in my eyes," Changkyun murmured, rubbing a fingertip over his suddenly damp eyelashes. Minhyuk leaned over and affectionately ruffled the younger's hair beneath his hood.

"It's like Monbebes love you almost as much as we do."

Changkyun assumed the "we" meant the other hyungs. They told him they loved him frequently, at least more often than he said it collectively to the rest of them, but he still had trouble believing it at times. Not that he'd admit that.

"How about you take a selca and post it so they know you're okay?" Minhyuk suggested after a prolonged silence. "I mean, not okay, since you look pretty miserable, but you know, like you're hanging in there."

"Thanks, hyung, but as you've said I'm the exact opposite of a visual right now," Changkyun replied, and not just because he wasn't considered a group visual even when healthy. If he looked anything like how he felt, he'd have to agree with Jooheon's earlier comment on his resemblance to a walker.

"Whatever, you're still cute."

Minhyuk opened the front-facing camera and held up the iPad to get a selca with both him and Changkyun in frame. With the low lighting in the room he didn't look terrible, but he still didn't want the Monbebes to see him looking so miserable.

"How come you get to be in it?"

"So Monbebes know I'm a good hyung," Minhyuk replied matter-of-factly, readjusting his grip and angle to compensate for the lighting. Changkyun waited for Minhyuk to find his good side. With his free hand Minhyuk grabbed Changkyun and pulled his head down to rest on his shoulder.

"C'mon, act like you love me."

Changkyun rolled his eyes before holding up a thumb and forefinger heart to cover part of his face. Minhyuk smiled and took two pictures from slightly different angles.

"Now write the caption."

Minhyuk passed the iPad back to Changkyun, who contemplated his words for a moment before typing it while leaning back in such a way that Minhyuk couldn't see the screen.

Hi Monbebes, I'm miserable but recovering well. I'm glad Minhyuk-hyung is here to take care of me.

"You can't read this, okay? I swear it's really heartfelt though."

"What do you mean I can't read it? I'm in the selca, so I should know what the caption is."

"I told you, you can't read it."

Changkyun knew Minhyuk would still read it regardless, but he needed a reason to be mad about the older teasing him for it later.

"Fine, I won't."

Minhyuk pouted while Changkyun started scrolling though Twitter again. He let his gaurd down, however, and Minhyuk easily reached over and snatched the iPad out of his lap.

"Hey, don't. Just go do your chores or something."

"How about I go do them once you behave and go back to sleep?"

"But I don't want to sleep."

"Then I guess I can't do my chores."

Changkyun turned his body and feebly kicked at Minhyuk, who laughed and moved off the couch bed with the iPad in hand. He retreated into the kitchen, knowing the younger wouldn't be able to follow him.

Asshole.

Alone again, Changkyun leant back against the wall, half-focusing on the sitcom on TV while he brooded. He wondered if getting emotionally heated was detrimental for his fever. His aggressive headache came to his attention, and he was again overwhelmed by the crushing exhaustion from doing absolutely nothing. His back and shoulders ached from all his coughing, and he quickly wished Minhyuk would come back and give him another hug or something.

Not that he'd admit that.

He quickly found it difficult to keep his eyes open, and he shivered, slinking down beneath his blanket and curling up on his side.

He could hear Minhyuk listening to Ailee's new song in the kitchen when he drifted off.

-

Fever dreams were the worst. They were always really long and felt incredibly real while also managing to be weird and impossible, and they always freaked him out enough that he didn't want to sleep again after waking up from one. The one Hyungwon had been there for was actually kind of funny, thinking back on it. He'd dreamt Winston from Overwatch was throwing chairs, Monbebes, and other projectiles onstage during their first Japan tour and he wasn't allowed to dodge because manager-hyung had told him not to.

He would've preferred another Overwatch nightmare over what he got the second time around, however. This one felt particularly real, like replaying a memory. Despite being startled awake by it, the only detail that stuck perfectly in his mind as he thrust back into consciousness was the moment from No Mercy where they called his name, except this time they never called him.

As unwelcome as he was in the beginning, he wouldn't trade his spot in the group for anything.

He coughed from the sudden intake of air, attempting to sit up or at least raise his head. He was met with Minhyuk’s hand pressing his head back down. Upon closer inspection he found his head resting in Minhyuk’s lap while the older stroked his hair.


“Hey, hey, you're okay. Calm down, I'm right here."

Changkyun reached up to rub his eyes, hoping he wasn't crying on the outside like how he'd just been crying on the inside. Minhyuk grabbed the boy's wrists, prying his hands away from his face.

"Did my puppy have a nightmare?" He asked softly, and Changkyun didn't even mind the nickname as Minhyuk cupped his cheek in the same manner as this morning, albeit more gentle. He closed his eyes again, trying to calm down. He could practically hear his heartbeat in his ears, which didn't do a damn thing for his headache. 

“You’re still really warm. And you were breathing weird so I put your head in my lap and you were out so hard you didn't even wake up when I moved you so I figured I'd just stay here and watch you breathe."

Changkyun comprehended very little of whatever Minhyuk had just said to him, as he was still trying to convince himself that he was still Lim Changkyun, aka I.M, youngest member of Monsta X under Starship Entertainment.

Youngest member of Monsta X. Member. Of Monsta X.


“Time?” He heard himself ask, throat feeling tight.


“Late.”


“Where’s…?” He trailed off, suddenly self-conscious about the rasp in his voice. Minhyuk glanced up at the direction of the front door.


“Not back yet. You know Shownu-hyung, keeping us practicing at all hours of the night.”


Changkyun shut his eyes and tried to push the fuzzy feeling out of his head. The more he tried to wake up the more tired he felt.

Why was he so damn tired? The most excitement he'd experienced that day was when he went to the hospital, and even then he sat around trying not to pass out.

"Kihyun told me you could get sicker just lying around doing nothing for so long. You should get up and walk around for a little bit."

"You calling me fat?"

"No, I'm calling you lazy."

Their banter would’ve continued, but as Changkyun sat up he had another coughing fit, visibly tensing up at the ache in his shoulders and chest. Minhyuk firmly planted his hand on the space between Changkyun’s shoulder blades, rubbing comfortingly up his spine before gently squeezing the back of his neck when the younger was able to catch his breath.

"How about you take a hot shower? But not too hot because you still have a fever and you might end up fainting again."

Changkyun gave Minhyuk another one of his signature Changkyun glares.

"I'm not gonna come in and save you either. I'm not like Wonho-hyung; I'm not just going to bust into an occupied bathroom whenever I want."

Changkyun ignored him, though he agreed with the idea. He needed an isolated place to allow his feverish brain to process all that had happened to him that day.

He scooted forward, setting about the monumental task of getting from the couch to the bathroom. He stood up, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes until the rush of blood in his head subsided. Minhyuk waited, making sure the younger was able to get around by himself.

Remembering the processes involved in showering, Changkyun made a detour to their bedroom to grab a clean pair of clothes. He smirked at Jooheon's bed, the rest of his unsorted laundry having been dumped in a pile by Minhyuk, which meant the older had actually done some of his chores while Changkyun was out.

"You want hyung to help you undress?" Minhyuk called as Changkyun entered the bathroom. 

"I'm locking the door," was Changkyun's reply, slamming the door behind him.

Changkyun slowly undressed, nearly losing his balance while taking off one of his socks. He stepped into the shower, playing with the temperature of the water for a bit before wetting his hair. He coughed a few times as he adjusted to the damp air. He winced, annoyed by the lingering rattle in his breathing.

He was so busy trying to convince himself of reality, to cheer himself up with all the messages from Monbebes on Twitter, when he remembered that he'd never actually locked the door. He seriously considered getting out and locking it, but then again, Minhyuk would've already snuck in and turned the light off or committed some other sort evil if he'd wanted to. 

He rubbed one of his shoulders, suppressing a cough.

When he'd climbed out and dried off, he felt both better and worse. He'd exchanged muscle aches for achy sinuses and a runny nose, caused by being upright and the steam from the water. He had to blow his nose twice while trying to get dressed.

He wiped the fog off the mirror above the sink and checked himself to make sure it was actually just snot and not more blood, and he made eye contact with himself again.

He was still pale, red-eyed, and exhausted. Same as the night before.

He brushed his damp bangs back and left the bathroom, pausing in the doorway before going back and grabbing Hyungwon's hoodie. He went into the laundry room and dropped it into the washer, making sure it was on the appropriate settings before starting the cycle. He didn't want to return it with his germs all over it.

On his way out he saw his in hoodie hanging by the door and he pulled it off the hanger, inspecting the sleeve he'd bloodied the day before. There was barely any stain to speak of thanks to Kihyun's motherly super powers.

He walked back into the living room to find Minhyuk lying sprawled out on the couch bed with Changkyun's blanket pulled over his lap, watching something on the iPad. 

"There you are. I was beginning to think you fainted again."

Changkyun approached and sat down, sorting out his hoodie in his lap before beginning to pull it on.

"I'll trade you."

Changkyun pulled his head out, looking quizzically at Minhyuk, who was already sitting up and pulling his own hoodie off.

"Um, why?" Changkyun questioned, flinching as Minhyuk threw his own hoodie over Changkyun's head and snatched the younger's out of his hands.

"So your other hyungs know that I'm a good hyung."

Changkyun, though he would never admit it, was glad they'd traded. Minhyuk smelled as good as Hyungwon, or at least he did in Changkyun's previous experiences seeing as he couldn't smell at the moment. If possible, he was also warmer than Hyungwon had been.

"I'm gonna wait for them to get back, so how about you trade bunks with me tonight?"

"But I'm already sleeping in Wonho-hyung's bunk."

"Yeah, and I want him out of our room. He snores."

"He doesn't snore."

"Don't argue with me, you punk."

Changkyun didn't think he'd ever heard Wonho snore, at least not when he slept in the same room as him, but he wasn't arguing. He liked Wonho's bed, but it was mostly because it was one of his hyungs' things and he was sure Minhyuk's bunk would have the same effect of comfort and security.

Minhyuk stood and went into their bedroom. A moment later he reappeared with Wonho's bedding and overdramatically bumped into every possible doorframe as he carried it into the neighboring bedroom, earning a small smile from the younger.

He brought Changkyun's pillow back into the living room with him, grabbing the younger's hand and pulling him off the couch bed to his feet. Changkyun offered little resistance as Minhyuk led him into their bedroom, dragging his blanket behind him like a 3-year-old. He climbed into Minhyuk’s bunk without protest and Minhyuk helped tuck him in. He noticed Minhyuk's blanket hanging off the top bunk; his bunk.


“Thanks.”


“Thanks, hyung," the older corrected, sitting at the edge of the bunk and poking Changkyun's forehead.


“Shut up.”


Minhyuk was smiling at him again. Changkyun was about to tell him go away when Minhyuk suddenly jumped to his feet.


“Oh, shoot."

The older dashed out of the room and returned a minute later with Changkyun’s medicine and a glass of water.
 Changkyun must’ve made a face, because Minhyuk made a face right back at him.


“Listen, Kihyun will dropkick me if I don’t make you take your meds.”


Changkyun knew that, but no one in their right mind liked to take medicine. He took the pills from Minhyuk. He tossed them into his mouth and grimaced at the taste but managed to swallow them despite his sore throat. He tried to hand the water back to Minhyuk, but was met by his hyung pushing the glass back towards him.


“Drink it up, Changkyun-ah.”


Changkyun wanted to argue that he'd been intravenously pumped full of fluids that morning and was plenty hydrated, but he also knew Minhyuk was right. He drank the water as fast as his aching throat would allow and coughed dramatically after doing so, handing the empty glass back. Minhyuk ruffled his bangs before taking the glass back to the kitchen. He re-entered the room and reached up to Changkyun’s bunk to retrieve one of his stuffed animals for him.

"Here, so you're not alone when the feverish night terrors hit you."

Changkyun had no witty reply, mostly because it was a legitimate concern he had. He took the animal, his big white seal, from Minhyuk and curled up on his side with it tucked under his arm.

“Now go to sleep. I’ll make sure they’re quiet when they come back.”


The older turned and was about to leave the room when he seemingly remembered something else important. He dropped to his knees by the bunk, pecking Changkyun on the cheek in the same manner as he had in the car this morning. He had probably expected some form of retaliation by the way he lurched back after. When Changkyun did little more than pull his blanket over his head, Minhyuk laughed. Goddamn that laugh. Changkyun couldn’t stay mad at him if he tried.


“Don’t die on us, alright?”


“No promises.”


He heard Minhyuk get up and shut the door, turning off the light as he did so. Just like that Changkyun was left to stew in his feelings.


-

Hyunwoo had learned to fall asleep and stay asleep through any and all disturbances that one could experience while sharing a dorm with 6 other young men. He ignored and often didn't even wake up for most of the nightly goings-on, relying mostly on Kihyun and Wonho to handle it, which is why he didn't know why he was suddenly lying awake in his bunk.

He did kind of have to pee, but it wasn't nearly urgent enough for him to have woken up because of it. He had also come home exhausted after a long and rewarding dance practice with the members, minus Changkyun and Minhyuk, and he needed all the rest he could get.

His second thought was that maybe he was too hot or too cold, which wasn't the case. He'd slept with a shirt on, unlike most nights, which was sufficient enough to keep him warm, and Manager-hyung was touchy about when they turned up the heat or used the A/C for extended periods. 

He sat up, rubbing his eye. He looked over at Wonho, who was lying on his stomach, head hidden beneath his pillow. He could hear Hyungwon above him, breathing softly and evenly. It was still dark out, either very late at night or very early in the morning. He couldn’t really tell.

He moved the pair of pants Hyungwon had tossed over his bedside table to check the time. 5:48AM.

He decided to get up and peek at his other batch of kids in the room over, then try to get back to sleep before he actually had to be up at 8:30.

He stood and left the bedroom, careful to open the door quietly. He was about to push the neighboring bedroom door open when he noticed the flickering light from the TV in the living room. He heard a muffled cough.

Well, that had to be Changkyun.

He entered the living room to find the younger sitting curled up on the couch bed, rubbing the fur on his stuffed seal's head, apparently what he'd used to muffle his cough with.

"Sorry," the younger murmured softly to his seal, sniffling after. Hyunwoo had to admit that he already adored Changkyun, and him apologizing to a stuffed animal was enough to instantly brighten his morning.

"Changkyun-ah, what are you doing?"

Changkyun seemed momentarily startled by Hyunwoo's presence. Normally the younger had a pretty good sense of his surroundings and would've at least heard Hyunwoo coming, but the older took into consideration that all his senses were probably dulled by his illness.

"Hi, hyung."

Hyunwoo approached and sat on the edge of the couch, brushing back the younger's bangs to touch his forehead.

"What are you doing up?" 

Changkyun shrugged.

"I was coughing and I didn't want to wake anyone up."

Hyunwoo felt something in his chest tighten. He could understand why, but it didn't make him feel any less guilty. If he hadn't woken up, Changkyun would've been left to suffer alone. 

He moved to touch the back of his hand to the younger's cheek. He was still warm, but it didn't feel as bad as the day before.

Hyunwoo took his hand away after a moment. He could tell Changkyun didn't want him to by the way he followed his hand slightly.

"Why didn’t you just tell us?“


The younger sniffled, giving Hyunwoo a questioning look. Even in the low light from the TV Hyunwoo could see the reddened whites of the younger's eyes. 

“That you were sick," he clarified.

Changkyun didn’t say anything in reply. He dropped his gaze to the floor by the TV and Hyunwoo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.


“You’re a good liar. Kinda makes it hard for us hyungs.”

Changkyun suppressed a cough before clearing his throat.


“I just... I didn't want to be a burden."

Hyunwoo felt the tightness in his chest again. 

“You’re not a burden to us, Changkyun.”


Changkyun apparently didn't quite agree, which Hyunwoo gathered from his apprehensive facial expression.

“Would you be mad at me if I got sick? Would you think Hyungwon was a disappointment if he got hurt and didn’t tell us or if Jooheon overworked himself and couldn't perform?”


“No, I wouldn't.”


“Then please don’t beat yourself up about this. We'll love you and take care of you no matter what."


Changkyun was quiet for a while. He stared down at his seal.

"Okay?"

"Okay."

Hyunwoo reached out and squeezed the maknae's shoulder.

“And you're really cute when you talk to your seal."

He smiled as he watched Changkyun get flustered.

"I... I wasn't talking to him."

"I think you're cute no matter what, but that was especially cute."

"Shut up, hyung."

Normally Hyunwoo would try to scold the younger for improper language, but they were alone, and honestly, he didn't mind. He let their maknae get away with a lot, thinking back.

“I think this is the part where you two kiss and live happily ever after.”


They looked up to see Kihyun in the doorway of the bedroom nearest the living room, running a hand through his hair to tame some of the mess. He was the lightest sleeper of all of them, so Hyunwoo wasn't particularly surprised to see him.

“Why are you two out here?”



“Well, he's out here because he was coughing and didn’t want to wake you guys up.”


“Poor baby. Should I make you something?"

Changkyun shook his head, but Kihyun was already heading for the kitchen.

"So was Minhyuk a good babysitter?"

Changkyun gave him one of his looks. Hyunwoo smiled.

"Do I need to put him in a sleeper-hold for something?"

"He kissed me."

"Not on the mouth, right?"

"Does it matter?"

"As long as it wasn't on the mouth I won't interfere."

Changkyun, seemingly pouting, scooted away and pressed his back to the wall. He sniffled again. Hyunwoo noiselessly got up and retrieved the box of tissues they kept on a shelf in the bathroom.

"Blow your nose, kid."

Changkyun, after a moment of hesitation, took the box from Hyunwoo.

"Thanks, hyung."

Hyunwoo sat back down next to him, throwing an arm around him. He didn't move until Kihyun brought Changkyun a mug of tea.

-

Changkyun had watched Wonho, Hyungwon, Hyunwoo, and Kihyun all get ready and leave for various activities with Manager-hyung. Later that evening, they'd all have to appear for another interview and a recording for a radio show, minus Changkyun of course, but for now he was content to drink his tea and watch the morning cartoons.

He'd been sitting curled up on the couch with his blanket wrapped around him when Minhyuk came out of the bedroom, clearly holding something behind his back. He approached Changkyun while smiling, causing the younger to lean away from him.

"Hey, Changkyun."

Changkyun remained silent, suspicious of Minhyuk.

"I have something for you."

"I don't want it."

"You don't even know what it is."

"I don't, but I know you."

"Yeah, and I'm always nice to you and I'd never do anything mean to you."

Changkyun would've rolled his eyes were he not worried about taking his eyes off the older.

A moment later Minhyuk produced a folded paper from behind his back. It was a stiff piece of card paper, folded somewhat unevenly, looking rather blank and unassuming. Changkyun made no move to grab it, so Minhyuk slowly pushed it closer and closer to the younger's face until he had no choice.

"You can't read it, but it's really heartfelt, I swear," the older smirked, echoing Changkyun's words from the night before. In response Changkyun began to open the card while maintaining eye contact with Minhyuk, who lurched forward and playfully slapped the top of the younger's hand.

"I told you, you can't."

"Then why did you give it to me?"

"Because you're miserable but recovering well and I'm a good hyung who takes care of you."

He repeated Changkyun's message to the Monbebes he'd written as the caption for his and Minhyuk's selca. He swatted Minhyuk with the card.

"You said you wouldn't read it!"

"Well once you read that, we'll be even."

Minhyuk pulled the younger's hood down to cover his eyes, laughing and scampering off after to avoid any retalition from the younger. By the time Changkyun had pushed his hood back, Minhyuk was gone.

Asshole, Changkyun thought for the second time in a 24 hour period.

Sighing, Changkyun opened the card to find a cartoonish but detailed drawing of Reaper, Changkyun's favorite character from Overwatch. Written in various open spaces around Reaper were messages from the hyungs.

Feel better soon, you little punk

We'll take care of you forever, Changkyun-ah, but please be healthier in the future

Get better quick, kkukkungie

I love you, my Changkyun, so please rest up

Our puppy, please recover

Hyungs love you, Changkyun, so stay healthy for us

They hadn't even signed their messages, but he could tell who was who by their handwriting. 

He smiled, because if he didn't smile he would probably cry. For some reason 6 little dopey messages written on his Reaper card meant more to him than the thousands he'd read from Monbebes on Twitter. Of course he loved the Monbebes, but there would be no Monbebes without his hyungs.

Jooheon came out of the bathroom, fresh out of the shower. He saw the card in Changkyun's lap and smiled at him.

"You know Minhyuk-hyung made that because he said he was jealous that you were so happy about all the messages from Monbebes, so he drew that and made all of us sign it."

Changkyun nodded slowly because that was definitely something Minhyuk would do for him. Jooheon flopped down to sit next to him and pulled Changkyun's head over to rest against his shoulder like they'd done in the van the day before.

"So are you happy?"

"I'm happy."

Changkyun was really happy. He was also kind of glad he was sick. Or maybe he was just glad he had such good hyungs.