#Mingi sickfic

[feverishly-kpop]

Ateez - Flu - Part 10 (Final Part)

When Hongjoong woke up he felt as if he was coming to from a coma. He hadn’t slept so soundly in a long time, but within seconds he wished that the coma would pull him back under. This flu was wreaking havoc on his body.

He sat up, confirming that Yunho was still asleep before stepping out of his room. All that hydration had left him in need of the washroom but, to his surprise, he found the door closed. Knocking quietly, Hongjoong listened for a response but did not receive one. After another knock met with silence he entered and nearly jumped out of his skin when he found Jongho lying on the washroom floor with a long-dried face cloth draped over his eyes and forehead.

“Jongho” Hongjoong whispered, nudging the maknae’s shoulder as he sank to the ground next to him, too exhausted and poorly to keep standing. Jongho stirred slowly and reached up to toss his compress aside but made no effort to respond to Hongjoong. “What are you doing on the floor, Jongho-ah?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Jongho responded in the most Jongho way possible, which is not at all what Hongjoong wanted to deal with in the middle of the night while his head was swimming with fever.

“I’m sick, Jongho” Hongjoong responded flatly. “I’m sick and had to use the washroom but here you are, laying in the damn floor. Your turn.”

Jongho sighed before responding. “I woke up with a headache so I got up to take my temperature.”

That was enough to send Hongjoong into hyung mode immediately. “Why didn’t you wake Seonghwa?”

“I can take my own temperature, hyung” Jongho quipped back before continuing. “I’m running a fever” he added nonchalantly. “And the floor was cold, so I just laid down with a cool compress. It’s fine. I’m fine.”

Hongjoong rolled his eyes. This situation was so very Jongho. He was about to inquire about any other symptoms when the door flung open again, this time by Yeosang who nearly face planted, tripping over Jongho’s outstretched legs, as he barreled toward the toilet to be sick again. Jongho reached out an arm to pat Yeosang’s back in silent support but was too weak to do anything beyond that.

It took Yunho less than a minute to appear in the doorway, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. Hongjoong sighed before speaking up, realizing that everybody would be looking toward him to take control despite him being as sick as the rest of them and it being 3:30 AM.

“Yunho-ah, what are you doing out of bed?” He asked, willing his voice not to break as he spoke.

“I heard somebody getting sick. Now I feel queasy again” Yunho replied weakly, sounding half asleep. Hongjoong’s eyes darted to Yeosang, who was still draped over the toilet. He was out of ideas until Jongho acted quickly, reaching over his head and tossing the waste paper bin toward Yunho’s feet. Yunho muttered a weak “thank you” before taking the bin into the hallway and sitting down outside the washroom door. A wave of guilt and pity washed over Hongjoong as he heard his dongsaeng getting sick in the bin but there wasn’t enough room for a fourth member on the washroom floor and he sure as hell wasn’t about to get up from his cozy spot next to Jongho.

“It’s alright. You’re going to be just fine” Hongjoong slurred, unsure if the sentiment was directed more strongly to the others or to himself.

*~*~*~*~*~

Seonghwa woke up to muffled sounds coming from the washroom followed by the sound of retching. For a split second he contemplated rolling over and going back to sleep before he heard another set of feet pattering toward the washroom. Knowing that eldest-hyung duty called, he sat up in bed quickly - perhaps too quickly - his head quickly hitting his pillow again before he even realized that he needed to lie back down. He suddenly felt a shift of pressure in his sinuses.

Dammit.

He was sick.

Unfortunately, so was somebody else based on the cacophony of sounds emanating from outside his closed door. With a deep breath he sat up again, much slower this time, and headed toward the door, bracing himself for what he may find when he opened it.

Seonghwa almost stepped on Yunho as he closed the bedroom door behind him. He knelt down in front of him, giving a light tug on the waste paper basket that Yunho was nearly falling asleep in. Seonghwa placed a hand on Yunho’s cheek, quickly realizing that he was no longer able to very accurately feel for a fever now that he too was running one of his own. Despite his own body being feverishly warm now, he could still tell that Yunho was feeling even warmer.

“Yunho, love, you’re feeling very warm again” Seonghwa said quietly, noticing now how sore his throat was. “Did you forget to take your medication? You haven’t been running this high since it was prescribed…”

Yunho shook his head in response. “I didn’t forget. I didn’t want to take it. It makes me feel funny…”

Seonghwa cut him off, trying to mask the frustration he felt rising in his chest. “You know what else makes you feel funny? A high fever. You seem to be feeling really funny now, hmm? The medicine isn’t optional, Yunho. It’s…” Seonghwa stopped abruptly when a wave of dizziness struck. In the moment it took for him to center himself he took in how absolutely pathetic Yunho looked sitting on the hallway floor. There would be a time to discuss this, but that time was clearly not now. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves before speaking up again.

“Sweetheart, why are you out here in the hallway anyhow?” He asked, his tone much calmer than a moment ago.

“Because they are in there” Yunho said with some effort, indicating vaguely toward the washroom.

“Who? Who’s in there?” Seonghwa asked but Yunho was already beginning to doze off again. There was nothing Seonghwa could do about that at the moment. He couldn’t lift Yunho on a good day, and his running nose suddenly reminded him that this definitely wasn’t a good day. Making a mental note to wake Jongho to have him help Yunho off the floor and back to bed, he slowly opened the washroom door.

So much for that mental note.

Seonghwa felt close to tears. He was in over his head. This flu had done the impossible, taking out eight grown men in the span of a couple of days. Admitting defeat, he unlocked his phone, texting a manager:

“Sorry to wake you hyung. But we need you.”

*~*~*~*~*~

When the manager arrived, not even an hour later, his jaw dropped as he surveyed the scene.

Seonghwa had miraculously gotten everybody off the floor and into the living room. Jongho sat at one end of the sofa, his head resting in his hand as he shivered too violently to make sleep possible. Hongjoong, on the other hand, was curled up into the maknae’s side, having had no trouble at all finding sleep again. Yeosang was stretched out across the middle of the couch with blanket haphazardly draped over his legs that threatened to fall to the floor at any slight movement. Yeosang had left almost no space for Yunho, though Yunho didn’t seem to mind curling up in a tight ball in the small amount of space he did have, in a way that seemed physically impossible for a person of his stature.

The manager almost instantly jumped into action. He had years of experience wrangling his own sick kids in addition to sick ATEEZ members, but he struggled to recall a time when seven of the eight were sick at once.

“San, Mingi, and Wooyoung?” He asked quietly, turning to Seonghwa. Seonghwa finished his thought on his behalf.

“Sleeping. Hopefully” Seonghwa supplied helpfully as he stood with his arms crossed across his chest.

“I’ll be honest,” the manager said after a few moments of thought. “I’d like to take anybody with a fever to the hospital. This flu clearly is nothing to mess around with.”

Yeosang piped up at that. “I don’t have a fever, so I don’t need to go” he announced, his tone laced with pride despite not even opening his eyes as he spoke.

The manager turned to Seonghwa, wordlessly looking to fact check Yeosang’s statement. Seonghwa nodded slowly. “He’s telling the truth. I checked his temperature a few times yesterday afternoon and before you got here. Normal temp, somehow.”

Yeosang pulled up the blanket as he snuggled deeper into the couch, content that he’d be able to stay home, but Seonghwa wasn’t finished.

“No fever, but he’s vomited several times. I think he should go.” Seonghwa’s words cut Yeosang like a knife.

“You can’t just change the rules like that, hyung” Yeosang responded with a huff. Seonghwa couldn’t help but smirk at Yeosang’s petulance.

“Well I can. You’re going to have to come with me, kid. I’m sorry” the manager said in response, slowly pulling Yeosang’s blanket off and folding it before stuffing it under his arm. While he was clearly not happy about it, Yeosang sat up, resigned to his fate. “Fine, but it’s still not fair” Yeosang said with a pout.

Yunho was the next to speak up, although his voice was muffled, barely audible as he spoke into the couch cushion.

“What was that, Yunho?” The manager asked as he knelt down in front of him, his voice gentle, knowing that Yunho always needed a little extra care and comfort when he was sick.

“I don’t need to go. I don’t have a fever” he repeated, a little louder this time. The manager sighed, laying a cool hand over the nape of Yunho’s neck. “I don’t think that’s quite true, is it? Hmm?”

Yunho ignored him, relishing in the comfort of his touch before his hand warmed from the contact with Yunho’s fevered skin.

“And your hyung said you were throwing up again? Is that true?” The manager questioned, brushing Yunho’s hair back from his face. Yunho only shrugged. “Let’s get you up, nice and slow” he said, taking his time untangling Yunho’s limbs one by one.

“I don’t see the point in playing games,” Jongho said as the manager helped Yunho sit up. “I have a fever. It’s not high, but it’s a fever. But I also don’t want to end up like that” Jongho said bluntly, gesturing toward Yeosang and Yunho’s end of the couch. He didn’t have to elaborate further. Everybody knew what he meant by that. “So if I have to go, I’ll go.”

The manager signed internally, relieved that at least one member wasn’t putting up a fight.

“Oh, and I mean I’m sure it goes without saying,” Jongho added, level headed as always. “He’s going to have to go.” Jongho looked down at Hongjoong, who had remained fast asleep through the entire conversation.

The manager nodded as he pulled Seonghwa aside. “I’m going to go ahead and take these four.” I’m sure it’s going to take some time to get them checked in and settled.” Seonghwa nodded as the manager continued, pinching the bridge of his nose, a clear indication of his current stress levels. “Call me once the other three are awake. If they wake up still feverish, which they will be, I’m sure, I’ll come back and get them.”

*~*~*~*~*~

Getting Hongjoong, Yunho, Yeosang, and Jongho packed up and into the van with the manager went about as well as Seonghwa had assumed it would. Four overnight bags, four sick men who struggled to take more than a few steps without needing a break, a frazzled manager who was growing more and more concerned by the minute that their van would get towed before they had everybody loaded up, and Seonghwa, who was putting on the show of a lifetime, not wanting to tip anybody off to how sick he was.

Seonghwa drew in a sigh of relief as he put the last of the members’ bags in the trunk, feeling out of breath and weak. Just as he was about to slide the door closed Yunho broke down in tears.

“Hyung, my pillow” he said between sobs. “I forgot my dog pillow.” Seonghwa felt about ready to go upstairs and throw the damned pillow out an open window and hope for the best, but he smiled instead, ruffling Yunho’s hair and assuring him he’d be right back down with it.

*~*~*~*~*~

Seonghwa all but collapsed against the stone pillar at the dorm building’s entryway as the van pulled out of sight. The sun was beginning to peak out, a reminder that San, Mingi, and Wooyoung would be waking soon and he’d be repeating this entire process again.

The energy to go back upstairs was alluding him until a woman emerged from the building. A nurse decked out in scrubs, clearly on her way to work for the day. She looked down at Seonghwa, sitting miserably on the cold concrete in his pajamas.

“Are you okay, honey?” She asked kindly. Seonghwa could feel his cheeks heating up even more than they already were from sheer embarrassment. “Did you lock yourself out?”

Seonghwa shook his head, hopping up regrettably fast to his feet and pulling his key out of the pocket of his sweat pants. “I’m just fine, thank you” he said with a tired smile. “Eventful morning is all.”

The woman smiled as she continued to the parking garage. “Hope the day turns around for you” she added over her shoulder. Seonghwa flashed a friendly wave, knowing that it would only get worse from there.

*~*~*~*~*~

Seonghwa had managed to get another hour or two of sleep on the couch before Mingi woke up.

“It’s so quiet…” Mingi grumbled, running a hand through his hair as Mingi collapsed heavily at the other end of the couch.

“Well, it’s just you, me, San, and Wooyoungie here right now. And San and Woo are still asleep” Seonghwa replied, tip toeing around the matter at hand.

Mingi simply raised his eyebrow, sensing that his hyung had more to say.

“Listen Mingi,” Seonghwa resumed, uncharacteristically frazzled. “Don’t shoot the messenger but manager-hyung was here this morning. He put his foot down, anybody running a fever this morning has to go to the hospital.”

The silence hung heavy for what felt to Seonghwa like an eternity before Mingi replied.

“Well, I’m not going” Mingi said with a shrug. Seonghwa closed his eyes, his head pounding uncontrollably.

“Mingi, I’m sorry but it’s not up to you. Fuck, it’s not even up to me” Seonghwa said but Mingi remained unmoved.

“I’m not Yunho and I’m not Wooyoung. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself…” Mingi was cut off by Seonghwa.

“Mingi that’s mean and uncalled for” he said firmly.

Mingi sighed, relenting. “I didn’t mean it that way. It came out wrong. But I really don’t need to go. My fever is hasn’t gone up.”

“But it hasn’t broken?” Seonghwa asked, locking eyes work Mingi in a way that made it clear that the debate was over.

“No, it hasn’t broken” Mingi replied, rolling his eyes like a spoiled teenager.

“Pack your bag with anything you’ll want at the hospital. You might be there overnight so pack accordingly.” Seonghwa was too tired to scold Mingi when he threw the pillow at the end of the couch to the floor and stormed off to his room, slamming the door behind him, causing the pain behind Seonghwa’s eyes to pulsate.

*~*~*~*~*~

If San and Wooyoung hadn’t been awake before, they certainly were now. San emerged from his room, promptly laying down on the couch and using Seonghwa’s lap as a pillow. They were both silent until San spoke up.

“Wooyoung was talking in his sleep. Asking for his mom” San said with a sigh, covering his eyes with his forearm. “I’m tired, hyung.”

Seonghwa’s heart broke at the fatigue in his voice.

“I heard you tell Mingi we have to go to the hospital. I packed my bag and started Wooyoung’s but…” San’s statement was cut off by a spell of harsh coughs. “I’m sorry, hyung. I felt too weak to finish.”

Seonghwa stroked San’s forehead, trying to comfort him before helping San sit up and laying him back against a pillow. “When did you get so big, my little Sannie-ah?” Seonghwa asked lightly as he draped a blanket over his dongsaeng. “I’ll take care of Wooyoung and get him packed up and ready to go.”

*~*~*~*~*~

Wooyoung was still burrowed into Yunho’s bed when Seonghwa entered. Tears stained his cheeks, confirming to Seonghwa that he, beyond a doubt, was still running a fever. Seonghwa silently took the bag that San had started packing for Wooyoung, to Wooyoung’s own room, adding a cozy sweatshirt that would keep him comfortable in the hospital, as well as his headphones and a few hair clips, knowing that Wooyoung would get restless if his hair was in his face.

He pulled his phone out and sent a text to the manager as promised:

“The kids are up. Ready to get them to the hospital when you are.”

*~*~*~*~*~

The process passed in a blur this time. Seonghwa could tell his fever was up, leaving him feeling like his head was floating as he went through the motions. He left the bickering with Mingi to the manager, confident that he had done his part earlier that morning. San, always feeling like he had something to prove, slung his own bag over his shoulder as well as Wooyoung’s, and headed down to the van, that, once again, the manager was convinced would get towed if they took much longer.

Seonghwa pulled the front door closed, the last one out, carrying Wooyoung on his back after it had become clear that Wooyoung was too dizzy to walk. With the last of his dongsaengs safely buckled into the van, Seonghwa turned to go back inside. It was becoming more apparent that he had a finite window of time to get himself back upstairs and into bed before his body gave up.

The manager was about to pull away when he rolled the window down. “Hwa” he called out, putting the van back in park. “Hongjoong texted me. He’s sharing a room with Yunho. He said Yunho is asking for you.”

Seonghwa tensed at that. He meant it with all the love in the world. He adored each and every one of his dongsaengs with his whole heart and he’d do anything for every single one of them without so much as a moment of delay.

But, in the most loving, caring, concerned way -

Not a fucking chance, Yunho.

And with that, that finite window of time closed on Seonghwa.

“I know you’re exhausted. Being a dad is a lot of work, isn’t it?” the manager said with a good-natured chuckle. “If you want to come for a bit I can bring you back in a few hours.”

Seonghwa felt his breath coming faster.

“I can’t breathe” he mumbled, losing his balance and tripping into the side of the van with a thump.

He was now coughing, gasping for breath. It all happened in slow motion. He looked into the window of the van, seeing Wooyoung sleeping with his head in San’s lap.

Sleep.

That sounded so fucking good right now.

“Hwa!” He heard a voice call out. Strangely it sounded somehow far too loud but also so far away, simultaneously.

“M’ tired, hyung” Seonghwa said with a final sigh, giving in to the immediate need to sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~

It took no time at all for Seonghwa to realize where he was when he came to. The stark white walls and ceiling, the ambient sound of beeping equipment and the overwhelming smell of sanitizer that, even completely congested, was still evident.

Yep. He hand landed himself in the hospital with the rest of the members.

Eight makes one team and all that, I guess.

Seonghwa couldn’t help but feel bitter for a moment. He had made sure everybody else had a soft blanket packed in their bag but here he was, covered in one that felt like paper.

He closed his eyes again, the pain behind his eyes no match for the bright fluorescent lights overhead. That’s when he heard the voice of his manager talking to somebody outside his door. The voices were muffled, which was further compounded by the fact he couldn’t seem to hear very well out of his right ear, but he was able to make out a few words.

“Private room.”

He turned his head, cracking his eyes slightly. He did have a private room. He sighed in relief at that. No members bothering him when all he wanted, no, needed, to do was sleep.

“Bruised shoulder.”

Yeah, that checked out too. His shoulder felt tender where he had made contact with the side of the van before he…before he fell asleep? Passed out? What exactly had happened?

And the last thing he heard before the door opened:

“Sedative.”

Before he could process that a nurse appeased his bedside. He opened his eyes for a moment as she laid a hand over his forehead. It felt far more heavenly than a simple touch had the right to feel. She looked familiar.

“Sorry that the day didn’t turn around.” She stated as she slipped a thermometer probe under his tongue. So that’s where he recognized her from. The parking lot earlier that morning. It beeped in a matter of seconds.

Seonghwa tried to sit up to get a glance at the reading on the box-like device in her hand but was gently pushed back.

“What’s my temp?” He asked, his voice surprisingly gravelly. She sighed with a sad smile, as she injected something into his IV line. She was silent for a moment, concentrating on dosing Seonghwa with the right amount of medication.

“You’ve got a fever, honey” the nurse replied as she released the IV bag and stepped across the room, grabbing an ice pack and wrapping it in a cloth before draping it over Seonghwa’s brow. He could see her lips moving but couldn’t make out what she was saying. She even picked up the thermometer again and showed him the reading but his eyes couldn’t seem to actually make it out. Couldn’t be too bad he supposed. Or maybe, more so, hoped.

Sedative.

That’s right.

“You’re going to feel sleepy. Don’t fight it” he heard the nurse’s voice.

Fight it? After sleepless nights, dealing with endless crying, puking, fainting, sweating, sneezing, coughing, and arguing? No, fighting it didn’t even cross his mind.

[iminluv1117]

no one writes sick fics anymoreee. like damn i just want a hurt/comfort of one of the members taking care of another who has a cold or something please😭

[darl-ingfics]

Sicktember Day 10: The Sniffles

Fandom: ATEEZ

Sickie: Hongjoong (cold)

Caregiver(s): Seonghwa, Mingi, mostly

Word Count: 2,239

Notes: So this is the second Sicktember fic finished in the nick of time (literally stayed up to string all the pieces together an hour past my normal 'bedtime,' per say). This idea got away from me, and there will be more it coming post-Sicktember. This is just a "small" snippet, and, of course, fully of nonsense side plots. I also have learned that I have no idea what to do with San in these fics; he's the one member I have no figured out to at least a working degree, so we're gonna keep working on that. Really for all of the members... ramble over.

Sunday

Hongjoong woke up coughing. And not the kind of ‘clearing the throat from sleep’ cough, but rather the ‘hacking up gross shit’ cough. Lying down, he almost felt like he was choking. But even after vaulting into a sitting position, he immediately doubled over with the force of the cough, face buried in his hands. The sudden movement caused something to shift in his sinuses, and before he’d even gotten his breath back under control, he was thrown forward by a string of sneezes that left him feeling dazed and breathless. 

Hongjoong groaned. The nap had not helped. The universe had not been on his side. He was sick. He was sick and he had to be on camera in an hour. 

Well shit.

*

“Hongjoong-ah, we have you sitting in between Seonghwa and Mingi right there.” Their manager was smiling, but there was pity in his eyes. But he very casually slipped him a bottle of water, a blister pack of pills covertly tucked against his palm, so Hongjoong couldn’t stay mad at him. The captain nodded, mouthing a ‘thank you’ before moving into the room. A series of crafty items were spread around the table, and the members were so busy taking it all in no one had seen him yet. 

“How was the nap, hyung?” Mingi, who only knew the figure shuffling towards the table was Hongjoong because he’d heard their manager say his name, asked. Hongjoong noticed that San and Wooyoung were still missing. 

“Fine.” Five pairs of eyes snapped to him, and Hongjoong felt his body physically shrink into his hoodie. He fought the sudden urge to clear his throat. “What?”

“Hyung…” If he’d thought the manager’s pity was bad, it was ten times worse from Yunho’s pouted lips and wide eyes. 

“What?!” Hongjoong repeated. He felt his cheeks heating up from the scrutiny. “I’m fine.”

“Oh, sweetheart, that is so far from true.” Seonghwa had pushed out his chair and was moving around the table towards him. 

“Don’t!” Hongjoong held up a warning finger to his friend. Seonghwa, the disobedient little shit he was, did not stop moving until he had his hand pressed against Hongjoong’s cheek. The captain swatted his hand away, tried to step back out of his reach, but Seonghwa (whose reflexes weren’t compromised by a cold) was faster, catching Hongjoong’s wrist and feeling his forehead this time. 

“You’re warm, but not fever warm,” the eldest muttered, lips quirked to the side. 

“See? The nap worked…”

“But you look and sound so much worse,” Seonghwa finished, settling back in his heels, arms crossed over his chest. Hongjoong glared at him. Which lasted all of two seconds before a cough bubbled up in his throat. Elbow thrust against his mouth, he turned his back on his members, as if that could hide his very obvious illness. 

“Hyung, you can always go back to bed,” Yeosang offered. There was that pity again. Fuck. “ATINYs will understand if you sit this one out.”

“Seriously, Joong-hyung. You look rough,” Jongjo replied. His voice was so much softer than usual. “Like, rough enough that ATINYs are going to notice and worry about you. Not to mention we’ll be worrying about you.”

“And, if your own wellbeing and ATINY’s worries aren’t enough to convince you, the rest of us would very much like to not have whatever you’re having right now,” Yunho added, his tone teasing, but the sentiment clear. 

Hongjoong sighed, pushing the heels of his hands against his eyes. It was too much. All of this: the managers worrying about him, his dongsaengs worrying about him, ATINYs worrying about him… This was why he couldn’t be sick. Ever. Ever ever. This was so stupid! He felt a hand on his shoulder, but shrugged it off. 

“Joong…” This time, both of Seonghwa’s hands grasped his shoulders. Hongjoong dropped his hands away from his face, fixing Seonghwa with a frustrated glare. Seonghwa’s face was a mix of concern and patience. “Are you overwhelmed?” The captain blinked. He hadn’t expected that question. But… He nodded. “How are you feeling? Tell me honestly.”

“I feel okay. I’m just stuffed up is all.” His statement was punctuated by a congested sniffle. “But I got meds, so I’ll be fine.” He shook the blister pack for good measure.  

Seonghwa arched one eyebrow at him. “You’re sure?” 

Hongjoong nodded. “It’s just a bad case of the sniffles.” 

Seonghwa turned to face the other members, a silent conversation happening between them all. Hongjoong hated being the subject of said conversation, wanted to shrink back into his hoodie again. “If you’re sure, then, let’s get ready to go.” Seonghwa returned to his seat, gesturing for Hongjoong to follow. The captain nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he moved to his own chair. As he sat down, he felt Mingi’s hand against his lower back, warm fingers rubbing against sore muscles. Hongjoong smiled, nodded towards his fellow rapper. Maybe this wasn’t going to be as bad as he thought. 

*

Hongjoong was, once again, wrong. The universe had truly decided to fuck with him today. Despite popping the pills from the manager ten minutes before the live started, Hongjoong had yet, at fifty minutes in, to feel any positive changes in his condition. In fact, he felt worse than before. Extra lights had been turned on to brighten up scene, and the additional heat from the lights had immediately made him uncomfortable. Hongjoong may not have been running a fever, but something about the additional light was unsettling him. His skin felt too close against his body, his limbs felt all shuddery, his head was starting to beat with a consistent, almost rhythmic pain. He spent most of the live silently puttering around with the art supplies immediately in front of him, barely listening to his members’ chatter. 

And none of that compared to the absolute mortification his respiratory system was causing him. It was almost as if his body had decided to completely betray him the minute the camera turned on. He had, of course, started the live with their team chant, which had been fine. But, as he attempted to explain their activity for the day, his voice had caught in his throat, prompting a cough that lasted a second too long. Yunho had covered him that time with a joke about how their time with ATINYs had just started and wouldn’t be over for a while, so there was no reason to be getting choked up yet. Hongjoong would have to thank him for that later. He would also have to thank Seonghwa for picking up his explanation for the activity for him. And Mingi for pushing his water bottle into his hand. 

Really, he’d just have to thank his whole team for putting up with him today period. Cause if he wasn’t absentmindedly doodling on the paper before him, completely checked out, he was trying his damnedest not to draw attention to himself, which was increasingly hard given how often his body decided to be disruptive. What had been a sore throat and stuffy nose had become a near constant urge to cough and sneezing every few minutes. At first it was easy to stifle it all into the collar or sleeve of his hoodie, but as time wore on, the more tired he became, and the harder it was to control his own body. 

“Hongjoong-ah, what are you drawing?” San called, attempting to lean around Yeosang, Wooyong, Jongho, and Seonghwa to see. The captain had been too quiet, and San wanted to make sure he didn’t completely slip away. 

Hongjoong met San’s eyes then stared down at his paper, also wondering what he was drawing. He opened his mouth to respond, but immediately held up a finger to pause as he was cut off by an abrupt sneeze that he barely caught in his wrist.

“Whoa! Bless you!” San exclaimed, slightly taken aback. From the other side of the table, he’d been the least aware of his hyung’s condition. “You good?”

“Uh-huh…Huh-ET’huh! ET’Chuh!” This time he had more warning to turn away from his members, from the camera, hands covering his face. He felt a hand on his back (Mingi, probably) rubbing between his shoulder blades. Another hand pulling at his arm (gentle but firm, definitely Seonghwa), moving one hand from his face to pass him a travel pack of tissues that he gratefully accepted. 

“Hyung, are you good?” Wooyoung exclaimed, pointing to the iPad screen in front of him. “ATINYs are worries that you’re sneezing so much.” 

“No, he is not ‘good.’” Seonghwa jerked his thumb accusingly at Hongjoong despite his focus on the picture he was coloring. “He’s got a cold.”

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” Hongjoong smiled brightly at the camera, so brightly that for a moment he almost didn’t look like he was on the verge of collapse. “Just the sniffles is all.”

“I can literally hear you breathing,” Mingi said. The captain shoot him an unamused glare, trying very hard not to smile at the way that Mingi shrunk down, giggling like a child who knew he’d be getting away with something. 

“Hyung, I’m never gonna forgive you if you get me sick,” Yunho joked. 

Hongjoong rolled his eyes. “For the last time, none of you are gonna get sick…”

His statement was immediately followed by Seonghwa turning away from the table, catching two delicate sneezes into his sleeve. Hongjoong glared as the eldest broke into the brightest fit of giggles. Yunho, San, and Mingi all OOoooOOOO-ing loudly, pointing at him, did nothing to lift his mood.

“Hyung, I think your sniffles are contagious,” Wooyoung commented, to several chuckles from around the table. 

“No, no, it was the markers…”

But Seonghwa’s dramatic pointing at the pack of scented markers he and Jongho had just opened was cut off by an overly dramatic fake sneeze from Mingi that caused Yunho to nearly fall out his chair laughing. 

“Oh no, it’s the sniffles, they’re contagious!” Mingi chuckled. 

Hongjoong pouted. “Be nice to meeeee!” he whined, leaning his head heavily against the table, earning even more laughs. “I’m siiiiick!” 

“We kid, we kid.” Mingi patted his back. 

“I’m sorry, that timing was not good,” Seonghwa laughed, also rubbing a hand against the nape of Hongjoong’s neck. 

“I would argue it was perfect,” Jongho replied. 

“I think they smell good,” Yeosang spoke up, intently focused on his drawings. 

“I’m not arguing that point. They’re just strong,” Seonghwa replied, once again cut off, this time by San yelling at Wooyoung, who had quietly been adding purple dots to his craft. 

“AhhHHHH!!! You’re ruining it!” San exclaimed, standing up in a rush of emotion as Wooyoung cackled.

“I just wanted to see how long it would take you to notice!” 

“Aaaaaaand, we have run out of time. And just in time, cause I think we are all losing it a little bit,” Jongho announced formally to the camera. “Thanks for tuning in to another episode of unhinged chaos.”

The rest of the members said their goodbyes, the red light on the camera finally went dark. Hongjoong had only just lifted his head from the table to wave goodbye to ATINY before letting it fall back against his arms. Seonghwa’s fingers were still massaging his neck. That was maybe the only part of his body that felt good right now. 

“How’d those meds work out for you?” the eldest asked. His tone was light, but Hongjoong (and everyone else) could hear the edge to it. 

“They did not.” 

“What happened to ‘it’s just the sniffles?’”

“Well, that’s not really a lie, is it?” He coughed roughly into his fist. “It’s just… slightly more than that.” Mingi pouted, carding his fingers through his captain’s hair. 

“I’m sorry you don’t feel good, hyung,” he said gently. 

“Hey, not to change the mood, but I would like it to be known that Yeosang and I carried this live on our backs,” Wooyoung interjected, raising his hand like a child in school. “While the rest of you messed around, we made art.” Yeosang held up a picture of the eight of them as stick figures against an elaborate, colorful background. “Okay, maybe not this art specifically, but…”

“What’s wrong with this one?”

“I didn’t mean…”

“I want to frame this one.”

“No one said you can’t…”

“What if I want it to hang in your dorm?”

Jongho scoffed. “Oh please, hyung, you know those colors don’t match the aesthetic of our dorm.”

Yeosang’s glare was sharp. “Stay out of this.” 

Jongho held up his hands in surrender, a smile breaking on his lips at his own joke. Hongjoong chuckled in spite of himself, glad for the momentary distraction. But the laugh only made him cough again. Damn, he was already so over of this. 

“Alright. Live’s over. Let’s get you back to bed.” Seonghwa clapped his hands, summoning them all to movement. “And the rest of you, I suppose I can’t force you to go to bed, but…”

“You can try…”

“BUT, I can ask you to be respectful of your ailing captain who needs you to be quiet about whatever you choose to do with yourselves,” Seonghwa finished, talking over Wooyoung as he guided Hongjoong by the shoulders towards the stairs. Hongjoong let himself be maneuvered around, too tired to fight it at this point.

[whats-k-popping]

Not Valid

Summary: Just pulling the phone closer to him hurts his muscles. And the bright light of the screen has him seeing stars. A new headache pulses behind his eyes. But all he has to do is pull up Mingi’s contact and press the phone button. He can manage for that long. 

Pairing: Minsang - Platonic intentions but open interpretation.

Words: 3236

Warnings: Illness || Fever || Angst || Non-graphic Nightmares || Mingi Hiatus era

Inspiration: Loosely inspired by canon Minsang phone number incident. Modified events to fit into this story.

“He’s finally asleep,” Seonghwa sighs, shoulders slumped as though they may fall right out of their sockets. He exits the bedroom corridor, joining the members waiting in the living room. 

Hongjoong hangs up the phone as he emerges from the kitchen entrance, sitting around the other 6 members. “Managers said anything above 38.5 is excused from schedules. Anything over 40 and it’s a trip to the hospital.” 

“He’s still just over the 39 mark. His fever hasn’t gone lower than 38.8 all night,” Seonghwa admits, throwing himself on the couch despite the fact that it’s already occupied by the three youngest. He had volunteered to stay up with Yeosang through the night. He’s exhausted and not the least bit excited for their daily schedule, but he’s already resolved to nap on the drive to their filming location. 

Hongjoong’s already texting the manager and alerting them of Yeosang’s most recent temperature. He’s also asking (demanding) that his schedule be cleared for at least two days. Seonghwa makes himself comfortable on Wooyoung’s lap, “Even if he wasn’t excused, there’s no way he could make it through the day. He can’t even sit up on his own.” Silence falls on the room, the other occupants looking between the two eldest, unasked questions like elephants in the room. Hesitation on the tip of their tongues.

Hongjoong feels the tension like cement blocks on his shoulders. It’s his job to anticipate these things. Though no one had expected their resident Doberman (read: Maltese) to get sick, especially as quickly as he did. Regardless, his job is to make sure the members are taken care of. And their physical condition comes first. “Mingi, what’s your schedule look like?” 

“Just vocal recording.” the fellow rapper replies. Since he’s returned from hiatus, upper management has decided to ease him back into the idol lifestyle so as not to overwhelm him. He’s only had one or two simple schedules a day for two weeks now. And while he’s grateful for the accommodation, he can’t help but feel he’s not really pulling his weight for the group. But he’s talked about these feelings with his members and they’ve all reminded him that it’s best to go at this pace to avoid a relapse. And silver linings, he’s available when the members need help.

“Sangie should be fine on his own for an hour or so. Honestly, he’ll probably stay asleep most of the day since he didn’t get much last night.” Seonghwa supplies. 

Mingi realizes quickly where the conversation is headed. “I’ll look after him once I’m done with recording,” he volunteers, like it’s not already the decided answer to unasked questions. 

Wooyoung wraps his arms around Mingi’s broad shoulders, hugging him tightly, “Take care of my best friend, Minnie.” 

Mingi pats Wooyoung’s back with a wide smile. “And here I thought I was your best friend,” He says sarcastically. 

San scoffs and mutters “Get in line” to which Wooyoung’s jaw drops to the floor and the rest of the room bursts into laughter. Mingi has to admit, it’s good to be back. 

Hongjoong takes one more trip down the bedroom corridor to check on Yeosang before their managers arrive. The leader smooths out the younger’s hair and sets a few things within reach should Yeosang wake up urgently. He then joins the other members as the vans pull up in front of their dorm. Mingi gets into one van while the other six pile into the other. 

As expected, Mingi finishes his schedule quickly and he’s back to the dorm an hour later. The first thing he does after kicking off his shoes is make sure that Yeosang’s still alive. He peeks his head inside and finds the older vocalist curled up under the covers. Exactly how Hongjoong said he left him. He looks peaceful, contrary to how he’d seen Yeosang staggering through the dorm last night. After the night he knows Yeosang had, he doesn’t want to disturb him. So he softly closes the door and notifies the group chat that he’s back and Yeosang is officially in his “very capable hands.” It wouldn’t be the member’s LINE group chat if Wooyoung doesn’t make a dirty joke out of it. 

He goes back to the living room and connects his switch to the TV. There’s a game he’s been meaning to play. And usually he feels guilty playing during the day. But he figures there’s nothing else he should be doing as long as Yeosang sleeps. He’s not due for another dose of medicine yet, and Yunho prepared food to heat up if Yeosang wakes up hungry. So he leans against the back of the couch, an excited smile on his face as he boots up the game. He even remembers to turn the volume down so he could hear Yeosang call for him. 

Yeosang tosses and turns in the throes of yet another vivid fever dream. He always gets them when he’s feverish. When he was younger, they used to be filled with truly terrifying things, like clowns and cartoon monsters. And that one about bees that unsettles him to this day. But recently they are always the same plot. Now they always involve the members. Sometimes, the members are mad at him. Sometimes, he leaves the members. Sometimes there’s a tragic accident. No matter the preface, the ending always remains the same. Yeosang always ends up alone. 

This one ends with a devastating plane crash and the sight of his member’s mangled bodies. It’s the visual of San’s severed head that shocks him to consciousness. The first thing he notices is his heart beating against the wall of his chest. With enough force, it might bust through his rib cage. He tries to take a deep breath, but quickly realizes that no matter how hard he tries, the air won’t come through. His breaths are short and ragged. Then he feels cold tracks running along his cheeks. Tears. 

He reaches for where he usually keeps a water bottle next to the bed. Or, rather, he tries to. The simple action of extending his arm hurts. Every joint aches, sending signals of pain to his clouded mind. Just taking his hand from the warm encasing of the covers sends a sharp chill all the way to his spine. And suddenly his whole body feels 20 degrees below freezing. He’s still crying. 

It takes more energy than it should for Yeosang to grab the water bottle, only to find it empty. Feeling the air light bottle shatters his heart. He’s already crying, and he won’t stop anytime soon. He feels betrayed for a moment, astounded that someone would drink his water. He doesn’t remember drinking it. But he doesn’t remember much of the last 12 hours, actually. Glimpses of the last 12 hours flash through his mind. There’s only bits and pieces of members’ faces after deciding that Jongho’s lap would be a good place to rest. He should apologize to their maknae.

Rather than launch a full scale investigation on the case of the missing water, he focuses on where he’s going to find more. He’s losing water faster than he can replenish. With the sweat and the tears, he’ll risk dehydration soon. And even his fevered foggy mind knows that is something he would like to avoid. He can hear Seonghwa’s soft voice in his head: “You need to drink, Sangie. We can’t have you getting dehydrated.” So that’s where his water had gone. 

The dryness in his mouth battles the nausea swirling in his stomach. He’s somewhere between thirsty and nauseous. He needs to be hydrated, in case that swirling does result in vomiting. Has he done that yet? He can’t even remember. But the kitchen is so far away. He doesn’t think he could make it to the bedroom door. The kitchen may as well be on another continent. His lips start quivering, mustering up the reserves of his strength to venture into their suddenly too big dorm. How foolish he’s been to complain about the size of their dorm before. 

When he sits up, he spots a note on the side table. There’s a chart logging the medications he’s taking and when he needs his next dose. This had been Jongho’s diligent work after he accidentally over-medicated San when he was sick. Since then, the med table has been an absolute must in the ATEEZ dorm. They don’t need any more scares like that. Aside the medication chart, there’s a sticky note written in Hongjoong’s scratchy handwriting. He wipes the tears from his eyes so he can read it: 

I got you two days off. We’ll see how you’re feeling after that. Mingi is going to be at the dorm with you. Let him know if you need anything. Feel better. -Hyung. 

A wave of relief washes over Yeosang’s weakened body. He smiles for the first time since he’d woken up, thrilled to find he’s not alone in the dorm. Not only will Mingi be able to help him, but he doesn’t like to be alone when he’s feeling so poorly. Not that he’s ever told anyone. He knows sometimes it’s unavoidable. 

Relaxing back into the bed, Yeosang reaches for his phone to call Mingi. Just pulling the phone closer to him hurts his muscles. And the bright light of the screen has him seeing stars. A new headache pulses behind his eyes. But all he has to do is pull up Mingi’s contact and press the phone button. He can manage for that long. 

“The number you have dialed is not valid.” 

That’s not possible. He tries again. 

“The number you have dialed is not valid.” 

The relieved smile falls, and Yeosang’s eyes fill with tears again. Maybe one more time. 

“The number you have dialed is not valid.” 

And when he hears that dreaded message a third time, the tears spill again. Did Mingi block his number? Or did he turn off his phone? But Mingi’s supposed to be taking care of him. He hasn’t seen Mingi all night, if the fleeting flashbacks are anything to go by. Doesn’t Mingi care about him? Shouldn’t Mingi check in on him? He weeps at the cyclone of thoughts swirling through his clouded mind. 

He’s never craved attention so desperately. All he wants is touch. Nothing too extreme. Delicate fingers running through his hair. Maybe a steady palm on his shoulder or cool knuckles against his forehead. He just doesn’t want to be alone. In all of his nightmares, he ends up alone. But those are just nightmares. He never thought they would translate to his reality. Hopelessly, he clutches the phone close to his chest and weeps. Maybe Mingi will hear him? Maybe Mingi won’t care. 

Mingi has cleared through eight levels already. He’s hyperfocused on each mission, the game much more captivating than even the trailers made it seem. He’s so engrossed in the game, he’d nearly forgotten about Yeosang. That is, until his phone rings and he catches sight of Wooyoung’s silly selca on the screen. He instantly pauses the game and picks up the phone. 

“Song Mingi! Where are our updates!” Wooyoung screams. Based on the voice’s distance from the receiver, he assumes Wooyoung is not alone. The others are probably crowding the phone. 

Mingi startles at the question. How long has it been since he last checked on Yeosang? He’s been back for nearly three hours. He bites his lower lip. “There’s nothing to report, Woo.” He hesitates, “Sangie’s been asleep the whole time.” 

“Did his fever break yet?” 

“He didn’t even wake up for his medicine?” 

“You should wake him up. He needs to eat.” 

Mingi’s heart sinks. The members all trusted him to take care of Yeosang. He wants to contribute to the team. And he doesn’t even do that well. His mentality shifts to formulate an excuse. In his defense, he's used to having the place to himself these days. And Yeosang's been so quiet, he'd forgotten he was there. Mingi just hopes the quiet isn't a bad thing. 

“I’m sorry,” Mingi states ambiguously, “I’m going to check on him now. I’ll update the group chat.” He hangs up the call before anyone can voice their disappointment.

When he approaches the bedroom corridor, he hears the sobbing. The sound gets louder as he rushes to Yeosang’s room. He throws the door open and finds Yeosang curled into a fetal position. 

His eyes have dried up from dehydration, no more tears left to shed. But his voice still breaks with hiccuping whimpers and sobs. Mingi rushes to the bedside, falling to his knees to get as close to Yeosang without climbing into the bed with him. 

"Sang-ah. Hey, are you okay?" He asks stupidly, already knowing the answer is a blaring no. "Are you still feeling sick" like the bright red feverish flush doesn't give it away. 

Yeosang just curls tighter into himself, shaking his head. He convinces himself that there is no way Mingi is here with him now. Mingi doesn’t care about him. He must be having another fever dream. This Mingi will leave him eventually. And he’ll be alone again. 

Mingi brushes his fingers underneath Yeosang’s sweaty fringe. Yeosang almost leans into the touch, but succumbing to the comfort would just be an evil trick. “You’re burning up!” Mingi exclaims, “Bre-Breathe with me, hyung, we-we need you to calm d-down.” 

This nightmare Mingi even stutters like the real one. And now there’s a hand on his chest, and a face close to his telling him to breathe in. And hold. And breathe out. Because he’s so close, and so warm, Yeosang does. Until he his breaths even out and he can no longer hear the sound of his own heartbeat drumming in his ears. All he hears now are comforting nothings whispered in Mingi’s deep, soothing voice. And he starts to believe Mingi is more than an evil figment of his imagination. His touch is genuine. His presence is comforting. His concern is written on his features. 

Nightmares make him cry. The nightmares never cry themselves. 

“You scared me,” Mingi confesses. He presses his forehead against Yeosang’s burning skin. “I’m sorry I wasn’t with you. What got you so upset?”

Yeosang sorts through his mind, trying to remember why he was so worked up in the first place. But he can’t focus on anything but the spots where Mingi’s skin is on him. It’s a welcome presence, a comfortable tingling reminding him that he’s not alone. Not in his room, and not in the world. He just makes a noncommittal sound, holding his arms out to initiate more contact. 

Mingi notices Yeosang’s phone clenched tightly in his grip as he goes to hug the older. He tries to pry the phone away from Yeosang, “Silly hyung, you shouldn’t be using your phone when you’re sick.” he jokes, “You should have been resting.” 

When Mingi pulls the phone away, the memory floods him again. He had tried to call Mingi. The number you have dialed is invalid. He remembers. Mingi doesn’t care about you. He reaches for the phone again, “You didn’t answer me.” He rasps, his mouth dry and voice hoarse from disuse.

“What was that?” Mingi hadn’t heard. 

“I-I tried to call you.” Yeosang shows Mingi the phone screen, shows him the three attempted outbound calls, “I needed you.”

Mingi pulls out his own phone. He checks his call records. He has exactly zero missed calls from Yeosang. But when he looks back to Yeosang's phone, he immediately recognizes the issue. He pulls Yeosang into a tighter hug, "Oh, hyung." He sighs, "that is my old number. I had it changed while I was on leave." 

Yeosang sniffles, suddenly feeling shy. And ashamed. His fault. He should have known better. Mingi would never shut him out. He's one of Mingi's top 5 favorite hyungs. "Oh." It's a small sentiment, but it clears up everything. If it comes up again, he'll blame it on the fever. 

Mingi snatches the phone from Yeosang yet again, and this time the older relinquishes it without complaint. "Here hyung," Mingi taps at the screen, "I deleted my old number and added the new one. So it will go through the next time you call." 

Yeosang nods, a lingering pout on his lips. He's grateful for Mingi's updated number. But he doesn't really want a reason to use it. 

"Not that you'll be calling me anytime soon. Because I'm not going to leave your side until you're feeling better." The taller man climbs into the bed. Yeosang smiles, quickly wrapping himself around Mingi like he's a body pillow. "Seonghwa may try to kick me out, but he can fight me. I think I can take him." Mingi smiles, running fingers through the older's dark hair. 

Yeosang just hums in reply, quickly falling asleep to the rapper's gentle scratching. "But don't tell him I said that." Mingi's laugh is music to his ears. "Hey, are you falling asleep?" And just like that, the soothing petting stops. Much to Yeosang's dissatisfaction. "No, you can't yet. I have to give you your medicine. And food. And you still have a fever. I haven't even taken care of you yet." 

"Not hungry," Yeosang replies, muffled against Mingi's shoulder. 

"Not negotiable. The others might actually kill me if I don't pamper you like the prince you are." Now it's Yeosang's turn to laugh. But it quickly digresses into coughing. And that reminds him, he's awfully thirsty. 

"Water." The vocalist raspy once he's finished coughing, "Thirsty." 

Mingi eyes the empty water bottle on the floor. He picks the bottle up with his left hand, and scoops Yeosang up into his right side. "Don't wanna move." Yeosang whines. 

"You're not moving. I'm carrying you." Mingi rebuts. 

"Still moving." He mumbles against Mingi's neck. Despite his protest, he quickly latches on, tired arms slung around Mingi's shoulders. "Where are you taking me?" 

"The kitchen," Mingi replies like it's obvious. "You said you wanted water." 

"I want you to bring me water." 

"No. I just promised that I wouldn't leave your side. Not even for a second." Mingi's wide hand runs along his back. 

Yeosang doesn’t have the energy to argue. So he succumbs and lets Mingi carry him to the kitchen. He gulps down the water while seated on Mingi's lap. He even eats a few pieces of fruit before he all but orders Mingi to take him back to bed. Mingi takes his temperature and records it on the log. He's still teetering at the 39 mark. Yeosang takes the meds he offered then resumes cuddling with the younger rapper. Mingi makes sure he sends a photo to the group chat. 

He's nearly asleep, lulled by the rise and fall of Mingi's chest, when his eyes shoot open and he reaches for his phone. 

"Sangie, what's wrong?" Mingi asks, but Yeosang doesn't reply. He keeps tapping at the screen. The room is silent for a few seconds until Mingi's ringtone echoes through the room. Mingi picks up his phone and shows Yeosang the Hehetmon drawing on the screen. 

Yeosang ends the call, wide smile on his face as he sets the phone back and nuzzles himself into Mingi's chest again. "Just making sure." 

Mingi smirks, presses a kiss to the crown of Yeosang's head. "Sweet dreams, hyung." 

And they are.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: I've had this idea in my mind for a really long time. Mingi and Yeosang are my Ateez biases. I personally found the phone number incident really charming, especially the way they handled it. Also, no disrespect toward Mingi's hiatus. I have the most respect for him prioritizing himself and his health.

I feel like my writing has gone to shit. I'll keep working on it. Send me prompts to help me?

As always, thanks for reading to the end! I really appreciate each and every one of you who make it this far! Feedback is always appreciated. And please let me know if I missed any tags or TWs. Please call me out for any errors you notice!

[kcomfortplace]

Sick Mingi Headcanons

Stress makes him physically sick. He either gets stomach aches, throws up or headaches

You're the one thing that calms him down immediately

If he feels anxious he holds your hand or burries his head in your chest/shoulder

Gets really bad migraine episodes and needs you by his side if he feels rhen starting

He's really vulnerable if he is sick and needs a lot of reassurance all the time

Loves to be cuddled and any kind of affection

His stomach is really loud if he feels sick

If he feels mentally unwell he needs to sleep by your side or he won't be able to sleep at all

Either gets extremely emotional if he has a fever or will start to party in the middle of the night until he passes out

Immediately cuddles up to you if he feels unwell

Loves to be babied

Will quietly tell you if he feels unwell

Scenario:

He had a panic attack right before a fan meeting and kept asking for you but you were at work. One of the boys called you and you Immediately left work. You calmed him down and helped him through the fan meeting. Afterwards you two went out to get ice cream

He got so nervous at tour first date that he accidentally threw up all over your lap

[faeprincess777]

❤️My Ateez Favorite Fics🩷

I do not own any of these fics, I just enjoyed reading them! Most of these fics are smutty, so please, no minors!

OT8

Whichever Way by @igbylicious (woosan, series)

Best Girl by @beenbaanbuun (yunho & mingi)

The Paradigm Complex by @shadowynn (multi-member)

Dewdrops at Dawn by @sunmoonjune (multi-member)

Into the Aurora by @honeyhotteoks (multi-member)

Masterlist by @holybibly (multi-member)-literally every single fic is fire 🔥

Jenga and Jealousy Masterlist by @hongjoongtime117 (multi-member)

Hotel California by @mint-yooxgi ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hongjoong

I Can't Stand Him by @hongjoongtime117

Seonghwa

Mr. Popular by @wooyoungiewritings

All Tied Up by @pyramid-of-starrs

Make Me Water by @bangtanintotheroom

Yandere Seonghwa by @mymoodwriting

The Thing About Pretty Boys by @wonusite

Hybrid, Yandere Seonghwa by @mymoodwriting

Best Friend's Mother by @hwashotcheeto (series)

Before Midnight by @baekmond

Heartbeat by @yunniverse

Don't Be a Stranger by @1117feverlessdreams

You Made It Shine by @taeyongdoyoung

Passion Young Fever by @fairyniceyeah (sickfic)

Pleasure of Punishing by @songmingisthighs

Yunho

Attention Seeker by @pyramid-of-starrs

Mercilessly by @velvetydream

Yeosang

Touch Me, Taste Me, Fill Me Up by @littlefireball

San

I See Red by @0097linersbb

Karaoke Angel by @kpop-dungeon-dark

My Heart, I Surrender by @sweetinsaniiity

Softer, Softest by @frenchkisstheabyss

Mingi

Husky Hybrid Mingi by @vent-stink

Cock Blocked by @star2fishmeg

Sick, Little Games by @sweetinsaniiity (pt.2)

Wooyoung

Die for me by @jisungchan

How to Tame a Brat Tamer by @k-hotchoisan

Seduced by the Bad Boy by @xomakara

Thrill of the Chase by @alvojake

Just Trust Me by @wwooyology

Jongho

Just One More by @mingtinysworld

Hide and Seizure by @itsoktobeconfused (sickfic)

[retrochannie]

If I break my wings, will I certainly crash?

wooyoung angst, hurt/comfort fic

pairing: no specific pairing genre: angst, hurt/comfort, found family, sickfic wc: 2,185 summary: Jung Wooyoung can't seem to take a break - until his body forces him to

Jung Wooyoung was a lot of things.

A talented performer to fans, a beloved idol to many and an absolute menace to Hongjoong.

He wasn’t, however, all that smart.

Okay maybe that’s too blunt - Wooyoung wasn’t very considerate about his health. He did a decent job most of the time, attending all his doctor appointments and eating a healthy serving of veggies everyday. He just had the tendency to… not know his limit. Or rather, make a repetitive effort to completely neglect his limit in an attempt to go above and beyond. 

It only seems noble when you ignore the consequences.

Exhibit A; the idol in question found himself again in their dance practice room at an ungodly hour of the early morning. With a comeback approaching, Wooyoung felt the familiar pressure of needing his dancing to be absolutely perfect - not only for his self-satisfaction, but to ensure he could be a good help for his members if they had their own tribulations.

That’s how he found himself leaving the dorm in secret while his fellow members rested peacefully, completely none the wiser to his actions. A good thing for Wooyoung, he knew the chastising he’d receive from them if they found out and with that aforementioned comeback on the horizon, he really didn’t want to be the cause of any extra stress.

Besides, it’d be fine! A couple all-nighters on the build up to their comeback and then he’d sleep like the dead. Easy peasy.

He stumbled somewhere in the middle of the dance and cursed. That was the fourth time now and it was starting to piss him off. Walking over to the computer in the room, he started the song from the beginning once again before hurrying over to get into his starting position.

Stumble.

He landed on all fours this time, having been unable to catch his balance. 

Embarrassing.

Wooyoung was starting to think someone was playing a prank on him, perhaps one of his members had found out about his late night practising and decided to tell him off for it without actually saying anything.

Definitely Yeosang. That’s absolutely a Yeosang move.

Wooyoung looked around him for any sign of foul play from his position on the floor, only to come up short. He checked his shoes - also nothing. 

It didn’t make sense, why was he stumbling all about the place if someone wasn’t messing with him? Had he started regressing in his dancing skills? The thought worried him, hastily moving to get up and restart the music again, needing to get it right. 

Maybe he was more tired than he thought, because as soon as he stood a sudden headrush brought him crash landing back down. 

Oh yeah, he could really feel it now. Rolling onto his back, he felt exhaustion seeping from the pores of his body and Wooyoung partially regretted trying to pull not one but two all-nighters back to back.

He looked over at the clock on the wall to the right of him that read 04:43am and sighed. There wasn’t much he could do about it now, even if he walked back to the dorm at that very second and slept the moment he got there, he would maybe get a maximum of one hour sleep time before he’d have to be up again. 

If it isn’t the consequences of my own actions…

Cursing at himself again, he forced himself to stand, much slower this time to prevent him from passing out then and there before getting back to work. 

He’d let himself sleep well tonight, he’ll be fine.

The other members started filing in a few later, some yawning while others had more energy. Namely Yunho and Mingi who followed behind Hongjoong doing a little dance. Hongjoong, on the other hand, looked at Wooyoung with a frown.

“Yah why are you here so early again? You’ll get sick, you know.” Hongjoong made his way over to him after discarding his bag and coat in the same corner of the room Wooyoung’s own stuff had been sitting since around midnight. Any longer and his stuff will have cobwebs on them when goes to pick them, he joked inwardly.

“Awh hyung~ you care so much about me” Wooyoung teasingly pinched the leader’s cheek, only to have it swatted away as Hongjoong grimaced.

“When did you get here though Woo? I didn’t hear you leave.” Seonghwa looked concerned, but Wooyoung threw him a reassuring grin “I haven’t been here that long! Must’ve left just before you woke up.”

He wasn’t that great of a liar, but Seonghwa seemed to accept his answer (though with the look of concern still present on his features) as he went back to stretching. An activity the rest of his group were busying themselves with too. It made him feel a little out of place, so he decided to go over a couple steps he had gotten stuck on earlier to distract himself until the rest were ready.

Ten minutes later and the group stood in their respective starting positions for Crazy Form, Hongjoong stood by the computer quickly pressing play before running to his own position.

It went okay. Kinda. Wooyoung absolutely skipped a beat at one point and threw himself off a little, but he played it off well and carried on smoothly. When the music ended and it was pointed out he wrote it off as joking around, which got a laugh out of most of them and an exasperated chuckle out of others.

He prayed they didn’t see the way his jaw clenched in frustration. The way he wobbled on his feet.

It wasn’t good enough.

They voted to go through it again before moving onto another track and Wooyoung found himself nodding along in agreement. Except, he was really starting to feel at his limit. His eyes felt dry, heavy and so utterly tired. His head was fuzzy and every step he took to get into position was done in some sort of auto-pilot mode - not quite processing what he was doing as he was doing it. 

He was dead on his feet.

The music started again and this time Wooyoung didn’t know who hit the play button.

Now credit where credits due, Wooyoung didn’t drop immediately. He’d argue he made it a solid minute and a bit before his vision fizzled out - not even registering hitting the floor. One minute he was trying to watch his reflection, desperate for his moves to come across as anything but sloppy and the next…

Well the next second he was laying there, staring up at Jongho and Seonghwa’s panicking faces.

Ah, he was gonna be in so much trouble.

“He’s awake! Hyung, are you alive?”

“Yah, he’s obviously alive, Jongho!” That was.. San? Maybe?

Twisting his head back indeed revealed San’s face too, making him realise he was actually laying with his head in the man’s lap. A sweet action really, but Wooyoung couldn’t but notice that San’s legs were probably just as solid as the wood floor beneath them.

“Wooyoungie? Can you hear me?”

Ah how long had he been spacing out for? 

Seonghwa brushed the bangs back that had been stuck to his head with sweat. The older man’s cool hands feeling like a luxury in that moment.

Feeling a little more himself, Wooyoung made a wobbly attempt of sitting up, only to get pushed back down by Jongho. He let out a groan in protest, “come on I’m fine I just fell over.”

“Fell over? Wooyoung we all just witnessed you stop and full on pass out in front of us!” Hongjoong was here now. Where had he gone?

“To call our manager and let him know you’re sick. He’s gonna come and drive you home” Hongjoong squatted down by Seonghwa, worry imprinted on his features, “and yes, you asked that out loud.”

“Wait I’m not sick-” 

“We’re back!” Yunho announced as he and Mingi skidded into the room, both carrying a handful of… protein bars?

“We didn’t know which one to get so we just got a couple of all of them,” Mingi unceremoniously dropped his haul on the floor next to them with Yunho following suit. “He should have some water first though,” Yeosang all but materialised from next to Jongho, practically shoving a water bottle in his face before Seonghwa took it from him and opened the lid, offering the water more gently to Wooyoung.

“Stop stop!” Wooyoung forced himself up this time, ignoring the reluctance of those around him, “I said I’m not sick! And I definitely don’t need to go home, I’ll call the manager right now and tell him myself!” 

He got to his feet through sheer dumb determination alone, but didn’t make it even half a step before he felt himself stumbling again, destined to land flat on his ass had it not been for San who had sprung up with him.

Wooyoung rubbed at his tired eyes in annoyance, hating that had it not been for him putting most his weight on San, he’d fall over again. 

All he did was pull a couple all-nighters! Why was his body acting like it’d been through war and back?!

“Wooyoung-ah if you don’t sit down-”

“I need to get it right, Hongjoong-hyung. Just a couple more tries,” he tried to argue, but didn’t stop San and Seonghwa from lowering back to the floor.

“Wooyoung… how long have you actually been here for?” The annoyingly observant Yeosang asked slowly, brows furrowed.

Wooyoung hung his head, both in shame and exhaustion.

“Got here a little after midnight maybe.”

The silence said everything.

“We finished at eight last night Woo… with the time it would’ve taken to get home, shower and eat.. Did you sleep at all?” Wooyoung really hated how unnaturally shaken Yunho’s voice sounded. 

“A couple nights without sleep is nothing guys, we used to be tired all the time as trainees!” 

Yeah, bad answer apparently.

“A couple nights? Wooyoung you haven’t slept in two days?!” Oh Hongjoong really wasn’t happy with him. Peaking at the older man through his too-long bangs revealed the leader’s eyes being the size of saucers as he looked over Wooyoung.

“It’s not that big a deal-”

“Not that big a deal? We’ve been practising this dance for days now which means you’ve been dancing non-stop without any rest! Do you know how dangerous that could be?” 

“Joong,” Seonghwa planted a hand on the leader’s shoulder, “he knows now, okay? Take a breath.”

Listening to the eldest, Hongjoon took a second to collect himself as the remaining members purposely avoided eye contact to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

“What did you need to get right?” Yeosang asked tentatively, causing the troublemaker to finally raise his head. “The dance, I keep stumbling through it… My moves aren’t sharp enough, I- I don’t know why I can’t just do it.”

“Because you’re tired, Youngie,” Hongjoong’s voice was considerably calmer now, warmer, it made Wooyoung feel a little better. “Of course you won’t get it right if you’re half asleep the whole time.”

“To be fair, you were still doing it pretty good!” Mingi pitched in, “imagine how pristine it’d be if you did it with a full night's sleep.”

Playing with the hem of his t-shirt, Wooyoung felt himself accepting that his members were, likely right - though he still couldn’t help but feel disappointed in himself. Not just for messing up practice, but now for causing everyone to worry over him and for lying to them.

Sneaking out behind their backs? What sort of teenage loser did he think he was?

He was brought out of his thoughts by a hand in his hair, looking up to see Seonghwa smile at him warmly. “Don’t think about work right now okay? Focus on that nice rest you’re gonna get when you get back to the dorms.”

“I’m sorry.”

Hongjoong sighed before chuckling a little, “you worried us, Woo, I’ve never heard Mingi squeal so loud-” “hey!” “-but like Hwa said, just focus on getting better okay? No one’s angry at you.”

“I mean you did sound kind of mad earlier, hyung,” Yeosang reminded jokingly.

“Yah, Yeosang do you want a lecture too?”

The conversation was cut short by their manager entering the room, huffing and puffing, clearly having rushed his way there. Somewhere in his gasps for breath he asked if Wooyoung needed to go to the hospital which was immediately shut down by the man. 

Hospital for a case of the eepys? No way.

The members helped him gather his things which, luckily, did not have any cobwebs on them and San and Jongho helped Wooyoung to his feet once again. It all felt like overkill, a little embarrassing even, but there was no denying the warm feeling blossoming in his chest.

San walked him to the car in the building’s parking lot as the manager handled the bags, giving Wooyoung one last ruffle of his hair before leaving the pair to go back to practice.

Wooyoung was asleep before the car was even in motion.

[ao3feed-ateez]

ateez wooyoung

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/FcygawB by tinystar_04 The sun set over the ocean, casting a golden glow on the deck of the ship. ATEEZ had just returned from a successful raid, spirits high and laughter echoing across the waves. Among the crew, Wooyoung moved with his usual energy, though beneath his bright smile, a hidden pain gnawed at him. He felt a sharp pain in his side every time he moved, but he shrugged it off. He couldn't let the crew worry about him, not when they had just achieved something so great. "I'll be fine," he told himself, forcing a smile. "It's nothing." Words: 696, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 1 of kpop sickfics Fandoms: ATEEZ (Band) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Jung Wooyoung (ATEEZ), Kim Hongjoong, Park Seonghwa, Jeong Yunho (ATEEZ), Kang Yeosang, Choi San (ATEEZ), Song Mingi (ATEEZ), Choi Jongho (ATEEZ) Relationships: Jung Wooyoung (ATEEZ)/Everyone Additional Tags: Hurt Jung Wooyoung (ATEEZ), Everyone Loves Jung Wooyoung (ATEEZ), Jung Wooyoung-centric (ATEEZ) read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/FcygawB

[ateez-ao3feed-new]

Untitled Ateez fic

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/MqyNQau by MinMinJo Group stomach flu fic Words: 1227, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 189 of Kpop Sick and hurt/comfort fics Fandoms: ATEEZ (Band) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Park Seonghwa, Kim Hongjoong, Jeong Yunho (ATEEZ), Kang Yeosang, Choi San (ATEEZ), Song Mingi (ATEEZ), Jung Wooyoung (ATEEZ), Choi Jongho (ATEEZ) Additional Tags: Sickfic, emeto read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/MqyNQau

[k-sickies]

oh yes, I love that hongjoong idea! there's just something so good about the strong ones who are supposed to lead having to lean on others for help, especially when it all comes from exhaustion. How do you think each Ateez member would be in that kind of situation?

Also, it's kind of funny how few San sickfics I've come across. For how popular he is among Atiny I figured there'd be more but I think I've only found one or two where he's the sick one. I can't find many for Changbin either, although that one makes sense because he's not biased as much

and i figured to make fluid conversation easier I'd sign off?

-- <3

Yes, I think so too!

Hmm I guess they would have similar reactions to any member so just have this:

Seonghwa:

He would be worried but doesn’t show it and does everything he can do help him. Definitely knows how to lay someone down if they’re about to faint. He would probably seem really calm but he isn’t.

Yunho:

I think he couldn’t handle it rather well. Of course he’s worried about Hongjoong but he would be the most rational out of all of them. As soon as Hongjoong feels better he would be the first one to tell him off about his reckless behaviour though

Yeosang:

He’s one of the quiet caretaker who does really well with calming the members or keep them grounded if they feel dizzy. Definitely knows how to take care of a feverish or dizzy person. Doesn’t do good with vomit though. Is a bit emeto phobic after a certain event (yes I have smth in mind 👀)

Mingi:

This soft bean would be absolutely overwhelmed if Hongjoong would faint but he does good with anything else. Definitely is good at taking care of an exhausted Hongjoong, he would just cheer him up and maybe make him watch some movies.

San:

He would be extremely worried and overwhelmed with the situation and would tear a bit up. If they would be alone he would try his best to be there for him but he’s more of the person to cuddle Hongjoong to sleep and all of that.

Wooyoung:

He would be scared if Hongjoong would faint. Definitely would start crying. However he’s the best if it comes to take care of any stomach problems. He knows what to do against nausea, is the one to take stomach medicine everywhere he goes. Is even okay with cleaning up vomit. He gives the best belly rubs!

Jongho:

Would be absolutely terrified but doesn’t show it at all. You would think he’s a pro at taking care of a sick person. Not matter what’s the situation he would keep calm and is the best to comfort the person. He would even cuddle someone to sleep if that helps. Secretly cries as soon as no one is there because he’s so worried about the sickie, especially if it Hongjoong

-

True! I think I also only came across of a few San fics. I also thought there would be more. I wonder why there aren’t..

Honestly I’m sad about the lack of Changbin appreciation but the same goes to Jeongin.

And ocf!

[kpopsickies]

I was thinking since I’ve never seen a Mingi sickfic and you’re my favorite writer, that if you had time, you could make an emeto Mingi sickfic!!! I feel like there’s not that many ATEEZ sickfic writers, so it’s awesome that you’re open to do them. maybe you could do an emeto Mingi one with Hongjoong and Seonghwa caretaker but mainly Hongjoong because I feel like Seonghwa would be a little squeemish. I was thinking one where they find him in the morning sick or something or you could base it off of mingi being drunk since san seonghwa and joong talked about alcohol tolerance on vlive before. be creative and have fun:)

sickie: Mingi

caretaker: Hongjoong+Seonghwa

content warnings: emeto, mentions of being drunk/drinking

Mingi p.o.v

I had told myself time after time that I wouldn't get drunk. The others were drinking, but I knew I'd regret it if I drank, and yet somehow I ended up the drunkest out of everyone. it was my first time ever being sick while in Ateez. And I already knew it wouldn't end well. I was always really good about not falling apart while drunk, but my hangovers were absolutely horrible. I'd get migraines that would completely knock me out. Making me nauseous beyond belief. So I wasn't surprised when I woke up the morning after our new years vlive feeling like absolute shit.

My head was pounding, it felt like someone was drilling spikes into my temples. On top of the pain in my head I felt sea sick, it felt like I was on a boat, swaying back and forth. the combination of the vertigo and the headache was doing nothing to aid in the growing nausea. I felt the bile rise in my throat, the acidic taste burning my throat. I tried to swallow, but my whole body seemed to reject it. I gagged, I tried not to panic, not wanting to throw up on my floor, I stood up to go towards the bathroom, but the dizziness worked against me as I lost my balance and fell down, landing with a painful thud on my floor, the jostling caused a shock wave of pain to be shot through my body and radiate through my head. Just enough to push my stomach over the edge. I gagged trying to cover my mouth, but the bile rose in my mouth and a second later my stomach flipped around and I removed my hand, expelling the contents of my dinner and a good amount of alcohol over my lap and floor. I muffled a painful sob into the sleeve of my sweatshirt, which was now covered in vomit.

Seonghwa p.o.v

I was startled awake to a thud. I looked around the room, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, a few seconds later I was able to register my surroundings and came to the conclusion that the sound was just a dream, I lay back down, fully planning to go back to sleep. But I heard something that changed my mind. It sounded like crying. I quickly got out of bed, worried. I followed the sound to Mingi's room. I knocked on the door and didn't receive an answer, which caused my concern to only grow. I gently pushed the door open, instantly being hit with a sour scent. I flicked the lights on, and was forced to fully wake up as I saw Mingi sitting on his floor, crying and covered in vomit. I didn't want to leave him, but I also knew it wouldn't be helpful I also got sick. I swallowed thickly, praying for my stomach to stay strong. I moved into the room and sat next to him, "Hey Min"

"hurts" he whimpered softly. "what hurts?"

"head, dizzy, stomach, too bright" He words were soft and mumbled, a barely coherent string. "your head hurts?" he nodded, but whimpered and pressed his head against my chest, "the lights" he said softly, "do you have a migraine?" he didn't answer, just whimpered softly. I took that as a yes, I stood up and turned off the lights, just as I did I heard him gag, and I turned around to see him expelling his stomach contents onto the carpet. I quickly moved to put the trash can under his chin, not that it was really doing that much. I felt my own stomach protest, but I couldn't leave him alone, he looked miserable, I moved behind him and began gently rubbing his back. "It's okay sweetie" I spoke softly, considering his headache. He continued to throw up, tear streaming down his face. He felt clammy, and a bit feverish, I assumed his body wasn't happy with everything he was feeling.

Once he finished I took the trash can from under his chin, "let's get you rinsed off"

"okay" his voice was small, "can you take your sweatshirt off for me?" he did so, moving slowly. I took it from him once it was fully off. I left the hoodie on the floor next to the mess of sick on the floor. I walked with him to the bathroom. He moved slowly and he was unsteady on his feet, swaying every few steps. Eventually we got into the bathroom, I instructed him to get undressed, I ran a bathtub of cool water, not trusting him to stand long enough for a shower, "promise me you won't fall asleep"

"I won't" he said, slowly getting into the bathtub. "Can I leave you alone in here for a few minutes" he nodded, barely moving his head. His eyes were closed, "don't fall asleep"

"Hurts too much to sleep" he said softly. His voice was so small, despite being one of the tallest members. I felt so bad for him. I left the bathroom and made a beeline for Hongjoong and I's room. I quickly shook the leader awake, "what's wrong hwa?"

"Mingi's sick"

"like how sick?" he asked, already getting out of bed, "migraine, he threw up a few times. He also has a fever"

"He threw up?" I nodded. "are you okay?" the leader asked, he knew how sensitive my stomach is, "yeah, I'm okay, I just didn't know how much longer I would be if I did this alone." Hongjoong nodded in understanding. "Did he get sick in the bathroom or his room?"

"Room, it's all over the floor" Hongjoong nodded, "where is he now?"

"he's taking a bath, I wanted to try and lower his fever" Hongjoong nodded, "can you go find pain medicine, water, and crackers... actually see if we have Gatorade, he needs the electrolytes" I nodded, "I'll go clean up his room. Have him move to the couch when he's done" I nodded, "sorry Joong" He smiled at me, "it's okay Hwa. not the first time, won't be the last time" He went towards Mingi's room and I went to the kitchen, finding gatorade and crackers. I set them on the coffee table in the kitchen, I went up to the bathroom where Mingi was still laying in the bathtub. his eyes closed, but he didn’t look peaceful, his face was contorted in pain and his skin resembled dough. “Mingi?” I said softly, he opened his eyes and looked at me, “do you want to stay in the bath or are you ready to get out?” 

“m ready, get out” He spoke, his voice was strained and sounded weak. “I’ll get you clothes” he made a soft sound of agreement, I left leaving the door open slightly, just in case. I went to his room, Hongjoong wasn’t in there, I guessed he went back to bed. I took clothes from Mingi’s closet and made my way back to the bathroom, as I got closer I heard, very clearly, the sound of someone getting sick. I stood for a few seconds, trying to center myself, not wanting to get sick, but also wanting to be there for Mingi. I stepped into the bathroom. 

Hongjoong p.o.v

I was coming back from the laundry room when I heard retching from the bathroom, I hurried and saw Mingi sitting on the floor of the bathroom he was leaning over the toilet gagging, a towel wrapped around his shoulders, silent tears streaming down his face. I came in and sat behind him, gently putting my hand on his back. I felt each gag rip through his body and cause his entire body to shudder. “hurts” he said softly, I gently rubbed his back, “I know, it’ll be over soon” I felt a sob tear through his body. He coughed up a wave of bile. “I don’t think you have anything else to throw up bud” 

“hurts” he said again. “I know” a few seconds later the door opened and Seonghwa was standing there, I saw he had clothes in his hands. “sorry, I went to get him clothes” 

“It’s okay” I said softly. The two of us slowly and carefully moved Mingi, helping him get dressed. Once he was dressed he helped him stand, he was still unsteady on his feet, but it seemed bringing his fever down helped to recenter him a bit. We moved slowly to the living room, where we settled him on the couch. Seonghwa got the designated “sick bucket” while I was in charge of forcing Mingi to eat the smallest bit of food, and drink the gatorade. “I know you don’t want to, but trust me it’ll help, because then you can take pain killers to get rid of your headache, then you can sleep.” He protested, “please Min” he whined softly. I handed him the open bottle of gatorade, his stared at it in disgust. I had forgotten how much of a baby he could be when he was sick. “please just a little bit buddy” he whimpered, but he lifted the bottle to his lips and took a small drink. He grimaced, but he took a few crackers and ate them slowly. During that time Seonghwa returned and sat down next to me. 

The two of us quietly urged Mingi on, until he finally ate and drank enough to take the medicine. He gagged after swallowing it. “Just try and keep it down” I said gently rubbing his back. He hummed, too scared to open his mouth. He lay down. “try and sleep” Seonghwa said, “mmkay” he said softly. Both Seonghwa and I breathed a sigh of relief when he finally dozed off. The two of us slept on the floor of the living room, just in case Mingi woke up sick. 

Mingi p.o.v

I woke up, I wasn’t sure how much later it was, but I heard voices and noticed that there was a light on in the kitchen, I also noticed both Seonghwa and Hongjoong were asleep on the floor of the kitchen. I quietly stood up and stepped over them and went to the kitchen. My head still hurt and my stomach was definitely sensitive, but I felt much better. In the kitchen I was met by San, Wooyoung and Yunho. “good morning Min” Yunho said smiling at me. I smiled back and sat at the kitchen table. “you feeling better?” San asked, I nodded, “what was wrong?” Yunho asked sitting next to me, “hangover”

“you were throwing up a lot for a hangover” Wooyoung said, “how’d you know I was throwing up?”

“you’re not exactly quiet” San explained laughing a bit, I blushed, “sorry” 

“it’s fine” they said at the same time. “but seriously, how come you were so sick if you were just hungover?” 

“I have like zero alcohol tolerance, so I’m not exactly bad when I’m actually drunk, but my hangovers are really bad.” 

“yikes, are you feeling better?”

“yeah, my head and stomach are still a bit sore, but besides that I’m feeling a lot better” 

“that’s good” I heard from behind me, I turned around and saw a sleepy looking Seonghwa behind me. “good morning hyung” San and Wooyoung said. He waved at them as he rubbed his eyes and sat down at the table next to me. I suddenly felt guilty, It was no secret to the members that Seonghwa had the most sensitive stomach out of all the members and really hated to be around people who were sick. “I’m sorry about last night hyung” he shrugged, “it’s okay, I’m just glad Hongjoong was there to help” he admitted, “where is Hongjoong?” 

“he went to his room and went back to bed” Seonghwa explained, “also, we have the day off for ‘recovery’” We all were excited to hear that, “Jongho and Yeosang are both at the studio practicing, do you want to text them so they know they can come back and we don’t have dance practice” San explained as he “helped” Yunho cook. Seonghwa nodded and pulled his phone out. “hey Mingi?” I looked over at him. “do me a favor and don’t ever drink again” the others laughed, “of trust me hyung, I don’t ever want to go through that again”

[feverishly-kpop]

Ateez - Flu - Part 9

“I’ll never forgive Yunho for bringing whatever this is into our home” Yeosang said with a pout as Seonghwa helped him get situated in his bed.

“It’s just the flu, and Yunho doesn’t like it any more than you do, trust me Sangie” Seonghwa responded as Yeosang rolled from his back onto his side, trying to get comfortable despite the ache running up and down his spine. “There’s nobody to blame here.”

The virus had come over Yeosang quickly, just as it had for the other sick members. He had gone to bed feeling a little lethargic and woke up congested and sick to his stomach. Seonghwa and Jongho sat with him on the washroom floor as he had done for Yunho just a few hours prior, supporting him through bouts of vomiting, encouraging him to take sips of water, and finally allowing him to lie down in Jongho’s lap once he had finished. Seonghwa checked his temperature not once but twice, somewhat shocked that Yeosang wasn’t running a fever, but Yeosang didn’t seem to care, given how poorly he was feeling with our without a fever.

“Think you’ll be able to get a little bit of sleep?” Seonghwa asked once Yeosang’s tossing and turning had come to a stop.

“I don’t know, probably not” Yeosang grumbled miserably in response. Jongho and Seonghwa sighed in time with one another. It didn’t matter how many times they had experienced it, it never got easier to see Yeosang sick, nor did it ever get easier to deal with the absolute sour disposition that came along with it.

“Can we get you anything?” Jongho asked tentatively, drawing the curtains in the room in an effort to make it easier for Yeosang to fall asleep.

“Wooyoung,” Yeosang responded quietly, craving the comfort of his oldest friend’s arms around him now that his stomach had settled. Seonghwa nodded sadly, silent for a moment as he tried to mentally navigate the situation before speaking up again.

“Wooyoungie is asleep. I’ll bring him in once he wakes up if he’s feeling up to it” Seonghwa said, running his hand through Yeosang’s hair.

“Never mind” Yeosang replied with a despondent sigh. “Jongho told me you had to drug him to get him to sleep. He’ll be groggy and sweaty and annoying…”

A well timed yawn cut Yeosang off, much to Seonghwa and Jongho’s relief, and it was only a matter of time until he was out cold.

*~*~*~*~*~

Seonghwa and Jongho sat in silence on the couch, afraid to make even the smallest amount of noise out of concern that they’d wake somebody and open a whole new can of worms. Several minutes passed before Seonghwa spoke, his voice barely audible even to Jongho who was sitting within arms length.

“So are you going to get sick first, or me?” He asked quietly, a weak attempt at a joke. Jongho couldn’t help but roll his eyes as a smile spread across his face.

“It’s going to be you, hyung. I never get sick. I’d be willing to bet that I won’t get sick at all” Jongho replied, earning an eye roll right back from Seonghwa.

A few more minutes passed in silence before they heard a door opening. Seonghwa grimaced, internally praying that whoever it was would be easily redirected back to bed.

“Hyungie” Wooyoung whined, his eyes rimmed red and cheeks flushed. “I woke up and I don’t feel good and I…I don’t know what’s going on…” he said as tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Oh honey, come here,” Seonghwa said, opening his arms to his dongsaeng. Guilt settled heavily on his chest, knowing that Wooyoung was disoriented due to the meds he had tricked him into taking. “You got a few hours of sleep, though” he added as Wooyoung sat in his lap. Seonghwa could feel the heat radiating off Wooyoung as he wrapped his arms around him, desperately trying to comfort him, it only by a little.

“Hyung, I can’t breathe and my head hurts and San is asleep…” Wooyoung’s breath was picking up as he spoke. Seonghwa quickly interjected, speaking quietly and gently, desperate to calm him before he began hyperventilating.

“You’re okay, jagi. You took some medication that made you sleepy, that’s why you’re feeling a little confused. Just take a few deep breaths for hyung” he cooed, running his hand through Wooyoung’s sweaty hair, realizing it was easier said than done considering how congested he was.

To Wooyoung’s credit, despite being in a fever and medication induced haze, he managed to get a couple of breaths out and was in the midst of a third when he sneezed suddenly, too weak to cover his mouth or move his head. Seonghwa gasped in shock, but his attention was instantly pulled back to Wooyoung, who was crying even harder now.

“I’m so sorry, hyung! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!” Wooyoung’s voice was laden with pure panic now as he suddenly jumped up from the couch in order to put space between himself and his hyung. “I don’t want to get you sick” he added as Seonghwa grabbed him around waist before he collapsed.

“Wooyoungie it’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong” Seonghwa said Wooyoung slumped against his chest. “Let’s get you back to bed, okay?”

*~*~*~*~*~

Jongho cringed as Wooyoung’s sneeze landed squarely in Seonghwa’s face but sat silently by as Seonghwa ministered to Wooyoung, carefully guiding him back to Yunho’s bed for a few steps before scooping him up in his arms when it became clear that he was far too unsteady to walk by himself.

He started to feel uneasy for the first time since Yunho had walked feverishly through the front door. He had seen all of his hyungs sick before, to varying extents, but this flu seemed to be taking absolutely everything out of all of them. He hated seeing them like this, but also hated the thought of ending up like that as well. He was pulled from his thoughts by Seonghwa’s return, who sat heavily back on the couch, wiping his face with a wipe before tossing it on the table.

Seonghwa sighed before looking back at Jongho. “Yeah, I think you might be right. I’m gonna be the next one to get sick.”

[stay-tiny2021]

Sick Day // ATEEZ Little Space

Published:  10/28/2021

Words:  2885

Relationship:  Jeong Yunho/ATEEZ

Characters:  Park Seonghwa, Kim Hongjoong, Jeong Yunho, Kang Yeosang, Choi San, Song Mingi, Jung Wooyoung, Choi Jongho 

Tags:  de-aging/age regression, little space, baby space, fluff, angst, sickfic, poly!ATEEZ

Little/Baby:  Yunho

Caregivers:  ATEEZ

Plot:  Yunho becomes sick, which prompts his caregivers/boyfriends to take care of him.

Names Used

Mama (SH)

Dada (HJ)

Baba (YS)

Appa (SN)

Minnie appa (MG)

Mommy (WY)

Eomma (JH)

Requested:  No

~ ~ ~ ~ || ATEEZ || ~ ~ ~ ~

“Yunho, are you alright? You look pale,” Hongjoong voiced his concerns to the tall blonde male. 

The 8 members of ATEEZ had just finished rehearsing “Wonderland,” and were now taking a break. During rehearsal, the leader could tell that Yunho looked different than usual, and it wasn’t a good thing. 

Yunho’s skin was an ashy pale color, his pink lips were chapped and dry, and it appeared that the third eldest was sweating even more than his boyfriends were. Sure, the song’s choreography required a lot of energy, but no one should be sweating that much in a t-shirt and gym shorts. 

Yunho was the group’s little, and he’d been feeling off since he’d woken up this morning. His head pounded and felt like it would explode at any moment, his body horrendously ached, Yunho felt warmer than usual, and to top it all off... he had this feeling of nausea building up in his stomach. 

Of course, he didn’t tell his boyfriends this; he didn’t want to let them or Atiny down because he suddenly didn’t feel good. The puppy-like boy needed to push through today and remain big. His team was counting on him -- a silly headache and a bit of an upset stomach couldn’t stop Yunho. 

“I’m okay, hyung. I just didn’t get enough sleep last night,” Yunho lied. 

No matter how badly he wanted to slip and have his caregivers look after him, Yunho was going to stay big. The others needed big Yunho right now. 

Hongjoong didn’t exactly believe his younger boyfriend, but he knew Yunho would get defensive if he was cornered. So he let it go for the time being. 

After drinking some water and snacking on energy bars -- Yunho was mostly drinking water -- the boys went back to practicing. 

Yunho was trying so hard to push down the nausea in his stomach so he could focus on his dancing, but it was becoming more and more difficult to ignore his churning stomach with each passing minute. 

Mingi watched silently, making sure to check on Yunho every now and then. He knew something was wrong -- everyone knew -- but like Hongjoong, Mingi knew not to corner or push Yunho into telling them. It wouldn’t get them anywhere. 

Mere seconds after their next run through of “Wonderland,” Yunho couldn’t hold it back anymore. The nausea that had been building in his stomach all day was now rising up, and he felt his mouth water. 

Quickly excusing himself, Yunho ran to the restroom, not knowing that Mingi decided to follow after him.

The sound of the door banging against the wall sounded throughout the quiet and empty restroom as the dancer made his way to the toilet in one of the empty stalls. 

Walking in, Mingi was met with the sounds of gagging and splashing. Quickly making his way to the stall Yunho was in, he knelt behind the older boy and gently ran his hand up and down the blonde’s back. 

Once Yunho was done emptying the contents of his stomach, he leaned back into the firm but soft chest behind him with a deep sigh escaping his lips. Mingi wiped his mouth off, flushing down any evidence of his boyfriend being sick down the toilet. 

“Yunho, why didn’t you tell us you were sick, baby?”

“Didn’t want to be a bother,” Yunho mumbled tiredly. “Couldn’t let you or Atiny down.”

Mingi hummed, running a hand through the little’s sweaty hair, feeling how warm Yunho was. “But your health comes first, baby. We wouldn’t have been upset, and you would never be a burden. Come, let’s get you back to the practice room; I’ll take you home so we can get you all cleaned up.”

Mingi helped Yunho up, with a bit of protesting coming from the older male as the pair made their way back to the practice room.

“What happened?” Hongjoong asked as soon as the pair walked back inside the practice room.

Yunho’s cheeks and ears were now a bright shade of pink, which stood out against his still pale skin. 

“Yunho just got a little sick, hyung. I think he has a fever, too; he feels really warm,” Mingi reported to their leader. 

There was now something else bubbling up inside of Yunho, and it wasn’t another wave of nausea -- it was his little space. Little Yunnie was desperate to come out, wanting his caregivers to take him home and give him lots of love and care. But at the current moment, he was fighting to stay big... and Yunho was helplessly losing his internal struggle against the overwhelming urge to slip.

“Darling, why didn’t you tell us?” Seonghwa questioned gently, putting the little’s attention on his eldest lover. “You know we wouldn’t have gotten upset or mad, baby boy.”

That one nickname sent Yunho over the edge. 

As the dancer looked to his eldest boyfriend, his pupils began to dilate. This was a tell tale sign that he was slipping. 

Within seconds, Yunho was engulfed by his headspace and felt his knees give out from underneath him. He fell to his knees on the hardwood floor of the practice room, scaring and worrying his caregivers/boyfriends. His brown eyes filled with tears, as the pounding sensation in his head and the soreness of his aching body had not gone away just yet. 

“Yunho!!” Hongjoong exclaimed, running over to Yunho and Mingi, who were now on the floor. 

The younger rapper had not expected the sudden drop, and went down to the floor with Yunho.

Yunho had tears in his eyes, making grabby hands for Hongjoong. “D-Dada,” he cried as the leader checked him over for injuries. 

Cooing, Hongjoong pulled the taller to his chest and rubbed his back gently. “Dada’s here, baby boy. Dada’s right here.”

Sniffling, the little buried his face into his caregiver’s neck and pouted. “Feew icky.” 

The others looked at each other in worry as Seonghwa knelt down next to Yunho and Hongjoong. 

“I know, sweetness. Mama knows you don’t feel good. Why don’t we go home, hmm? Mama will make you some of your favorite soup to eat, and give you some medicine to help you feel better. Would you like that, my sweet?” The eldest hummed. 

Yunho continued pouting but nodded, making grabby hands for his Minnie appa, who didn’t hesitate to cradle the mentally younger boy close to him. Once he was secure in Mingi’s arms, and the others gathered their belongings, Yunho reached to hold onto his Baba’s hand as they made their way out to the van. 

Yeosang just smiled softly but sadly at their baby while gently running his thumb over Yunho’s knuckles. “Baba’s right here, prince.”

They all hated to see Yunho sick, especially now that he’d slipped into his headspace. The poor thing looked so pitiful already, and he looked even more pitiful now that he was sick and little.

Everyone piled into the van, making sure that Yunho was comfortable where he was seated... which was right between his mommy (Wooyoung) and eomma (Jongho). The little one had curled himself into Wooyoung’s side, meanwhile Jongho busied himself by rubbing Yunho’s back to keep him calm in case he threw up again. 

The ride home was mostly silent. The only sounds made were Yunho’s sniffles and the comforting voices of Wooyoung and Jongho as they tried to console their baby.

It hurt everyone’s hearts to know that their precious little one wasn’t feeling well at all.

~ ATEEZ Dorm ~

“A-Appa, hea’ huwts,” Yunho whined pitifully, tugging on his hair due to the massive pain of his headache. Grabbing at his hair didn’t do him any good, seeing as he pulled his hair hard enough to make it hurt, which made him even more upset. 

San -- who had volunteered to carry Yunho inside the dorm -- pressed a kiss to the dancer’s head. “I know, treasure. Appa knows it hurts. Don’t pull on your hair, okay, pup? We don’t want your head to hurt more.”

Yunho’s body shook with cries as he felt aches and pains in every part of his body. Both big and little Yunho hated being sick or injured, so he was often sad and clingy if he slipped into headspace while he was injured or feeling ill.

The group finally entered the dorm once Hongjoong unlocked the door with his key. San reluctantly handed Yunho over to Yeosang once they were inside the dorm. Yeosang’s arms were filled with the sick boy, who immediately cuddled into his Baba’s touch.

“B-Ba… b-b-ba.” Yunho whined into the crook of Yeosang’s neck.

Yunho had slipped so far into his headspace that he couldn’t form words. It was rare – but not uncommon – for Yunho to slip into baby space, and it looked like today was one of those days for the blonde male.

Yeosang rubbed the baby’s back, trying to comfort him and keep him calm to the best of his ability. “I know, pumpkin. Baba knows you don’t feel good. Don’t try to talk if you can’t, baby cakes. Let’s get you upstairs, hmm? You need a nice, warm bath and some comfier clothes,” he said even though he knew Yunho didn’t really understand his words.

While Hongjoong stayed with Seonghwa in the kitchen to help him cook, Yeosang carried Yunho upstairs to one of the bathrooms. Wooyoung followed behind them to find the little some comfy pajamas.

“Here we are, sugarplum.” Yeosang cooed as he and Yunho entered the bathroom. A chuckle left the male’s lips when the little began to suck on Yeosang’s shirt. “Oh no, baby, we don’t suck on my shirt – it’s icky.” 

Yeosang sat next to the bathtub, Yunho still cradled to his chest. The mentally older boy searched in his bag with his free hand, finding the pastel blue dummy he’d cleaned this morning. The comfort item had sat in Yeosang’s bag since the last time Yunho had slipped.

“Here you go, puppy – Baba’s got your dummy for you.”

When Yeosang laid Yunho on the carpet next to the bathtub, he slipped the dummy into Yunho’s mouth. The little just looked up at him with bleary eyes as his caregiver turned to leave the bathroom. The baby began whining and fussing, his cheeks turning a brighter shade of pink while tears stained them.

Yeosang nearly got whiplash from how quickly he turned around. “Shh, baby boy. Baba’s not going anywhere. I’m right here, precious. I’m right here,” he coaxed soothingly into Yunho’s ear.

Wooyoung appeared in the doorway, having heard Yunho begin to fuss. “Sangie, I’ll get him cleaned and changed. Will you please go and get his blanket and his puppy stuffy from his room?” The second youngest asked in his lover’s ear.

Yeosang nodded, gently placing Yunho in Wooyoung’s arms. “Mommy’s going to get you in your bath, sweetness. Baba’s going to go get some things for you.” He told the little and pressed a kiss to Yunho’s flushed cheek before leaving the bathroom.

Yunho looked at Wooyoung with his big, brown eyes. He gave a little whine as the lilac-haired male laid him on the rug that sat atop the bathroom floor.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Mommy’s just running your bath,” Wooyoung cooed as he began running the warm water into the bathtub, pouring in the little’s favorite bubble bath mix. It held a vanilla scent that wasn’t too strong, and would hopefully make Yunho feel somewhat better.

When there were enough bubbles and enough water, Wooyoung shut the faucet off.

Without any resistance, Yunho allowed the mentally older boy to undress him and set him in the bathtub. The little just sucked on his dummy in content while his boyfriend/caregiver gave him a bath. The only time the baby made any noise was when Wooyoung removed Yunho’s dummy from his mouth in order to wash the mentally younger’s face.

When his bath was done, Yunho’s dummy was placed back in his mouth. After Wooyoung dried him off with a fluffy towel, the little was changed into a nappy and his favorite puppy pajamas. Clutching his puppy stuffy and yellow blanket close, Yunho was carried downstairs by Wooyoung, where the pair met Hongjoong and Seonghwa in the kitchen. The eldest couple were waiting with a bowl of soup for the sick little.

Hongjoong took Yunho from Wooyoung, brushing some of the baby’s blonde hair out of his face. “Did mommy give you a bath, my angel?” He cooed sweetly and softly.

Yunho nodded against Hongjoong’s shoulder, finding comfort in his dada’s embrace.

Seonghwa gently caressed the little’s cheek with his thumb. “Do you think you can eat a little bit of soup, baby boy? Mama and Dada made it just for you, sweet prince.”

Yunho nodded, but whined when Hongjoong tried to put him in his high chair. The leader’s face contorted into one of confusion before he realized what the baby wanted.

“You want dada to hold you while mama feeds you, don’t you, my sweet?”

The blonde sniffled and nodded, feeling Hongjoong’s lips press themselves against his temple.

“It’s okay, puppy. Dada’s got you. Let’s go sit down.” Hongjoong cooed, sitting down at the table with Yunho in his lap.

Seonghwa sat down next to the pair, gently reaching over and removing the dummy from Yunho’s mouth, which caused the little to whine. The eldest boy smiled softly when placed a small spoonful of soup in front of the baby’s lips.

“Here you go, baby boy.”

Yunho obediently opened up, allowing his mama to slip the spoon into his mouth. He swallowed the spoonful of soup, its warmth settling in the baby’s stomach.

Downing at least a third of the bowl, Yunho felt full. Seonghwa recognized this and smiled, pressing a tender kiss to the mentally younger boy’s cheek. “Mama’s so proud of you, darling. You did so good. Here’s your dummy, my love.”

Yunho immediately took the dummy between his lips when Seonghwa placed it there, leaning into Hongjoong. The leader gently rubbed his back and kissed the baby’s head. “Dada’s sweet boy. Yes you are,” he cooed softly.

The ’98 liners had originally planned to give Yunho a bottle filled with milk, honey, and powdered fever reducers, but decided against it in case the little got sick again. They’d wait for the soup to settle in Yunho’s stomach before attempting to give him medicine.

After a while, Yunho’s eyes felt heavy and a yawn escaped his lips. It was nap time, and he definitely needed one. He began to squirm in Hongjoong’s lap, and the older boy took notice of it.

“Okay, baby. Dada knows it’s nap time. Let’s go get Eomma, yeah?”

Here’s the thing about Yunho and nap time:  he would only nap with Jongho, Seonghwa, or Yeosang. It wasn’t anything against his other lovers/caregivers, but he just enjoyed napping with those three the most.

At the mention of Jongho, the little nodded fervently. “‘Omm… ‘omma!” He blurted with all his might, despite his scratchy and sore throat.

Hongjoong smiled as he carried Yunho into the living room, seeing ATEEZ’s maknae seated next to Mingi on the couch. “Jongho? Someone’s ready for nap time, love.”

Jongho looked up, a gentle smile forming on his face once Yunho began making grabby hands for him. He didn’t hesitate to take the baby into his arms, kissing his head. “Hi, baby. Are you ready for nap time with Eomma?”

“Hmm,” Yunho hummed around his dummy. The little looked so exhausted. Given what he’s gone through in the last few hours, no one could blame him for being so worn out.

“Okay, baby boy. Say night night to everyone.” Jongho cooed and waved to the others with his free hand.

Yunho – too little to understand – saw Jongho’s wave and copied it with his own. The others cooed and bid both males ‘night night,’ watching the maknae disappear as he turned the corner with Yunho in tow.

Carefully making it up to Yunho’s bedroom, Jongho immediately laid the boy down on the bed. The mentally older male laid down next to the baby, pulling the covers over the both of them. Jongho had an arm around Yunho’s waist, and the little had his head on the other boy’s chest, cuddling his puppy stuffy and blanket close.

“Goodnight, sweetheart. Eomma loves you and hopes you feel better soon,” Jongho mumbled and pressed multiple kisses to his boyfriend’s hair.

Yunho never registered Jongho’s words, as he had fallen asleep as soon as the two got comfortable in the bed.

Everything seemed to feel better now that little Yunnie had his caregivers, who would go to the ends of the earth for their precious little baby.

~ ~ ~ ~ || ATEEZ || ~ ~ ~ ~

[darl-ingfics]

Sicktember Day 24: Tales from the Waiting Room

Fandom: ATEEZ

Sickie: Yeosang, Mingi (unspecified, general respiratory illness)

Caregiver(s): Mingi

Word Count: 1,259

Notes: COLLEGE AU!!!!!! ALSO! This fic was lifted from something I wrote for a different fandom years ago (never published) but DOES insinuate romantic relationships. The two characters in the fic are NOT the ones dating, and I don't specify who they ARE dating, but I kind of liked that element in the original piece, so I left it here, but super vague cause I'm not wholly comfortable speculating that kind of stuff. Is it out of the realm of possibility for me to write a romantic ship fic one day? No. But am I there yet? Also no.

The only thought that Yeosang had the energy to entertain as he did his best not to fall over on his way back to the house was wondering how he’d gotten out of bed that morning. He hadn’t slept very well, and if his calculations had been correct, he’d only logged about four hours of sleep. The sweatshirt he’d thrown on over top of a long-sleeved sweater wasn’t helping at all against the chills he was trying to ignore, and the miserable weather wasn’t helping either. His throat felt like he’d been swallowing pinecones for fun, he couldn’t breath through his nose, his head was pounding, and he hadn’t really eaten that day as the thought of actually eating the cereal he’d pushed around in his bowl that morning had made his stomach turn. 

As much as he hated to say it, or think it, Yeosang had to admit to himself that he felt incredibly under the weather and probably shouldn’t have gone through the process of getting up at all. But unfortunately there had been a final to take, a genetics final, and feverish or not, he had to take that test. Thankfully, it was his last exam and he now had all the time in the world to sleep off whatever bug had infiltrated his system.  

The rush of warm air that met him as he pushed open the door to the house felt like absolute heaven. After closing the door (and the frigid air) behind him, Yeosang paused, his back resting against the door, and he simply took a moment to breathe. Or at least he tried to breathe, but that didn’t seem like an actual possibility as the air got stuck in his throat and prompted a round of coughs that left him very out of breath. Well, that was worrisome. 

“Who’s home?” a hoarse voice called from the living room.

“Yeosang,” he replied, frowning at the agonizing pain saying that one word induced. Not a moment later, Mingi appeared from around the corner, bundled up in all his winter wear. 

“You sound like shit,” he stated plainly.

“You should talk,” Yeosang replied.

“Yeah, but I was sick yesterday and you didn’t look like a zombie this morning so…” Mingi argued plainly, knowing he’d won this argument. But his fighting words (docile as they were) disappeared in thin air as he asked,  “Want to go to the clinic down the street with me? Yunho said they don’t suck. Not in those words. But that’s what I took away from it.” 

“That would be nice,” Yeosang nodded, opening the door once again and following Mingi out to the car. “Want me to drive?”

“If you’re offering,” Mingi replied, stifling a cough in his fist. “I can drive home. We’ll call it even.” 

“Okay,” Yeosang replied as they both slid into his car. 

“At least the pharmacy is close,” Mingi commented, pulling his knees up to his chest in the passenger’s seat and resting his head on top of them. Yeosang wasn’t sure how he was able to make himself so compact in such a small space, but Mingi also looked so sick and sad that it made his heart melt a bit to see her like this. “And you won’t make fun of me like Wooyoung would.”

“You know he’s just kidding,” Yeosang replied softly as he backed out of the driveway. “He teases me all the time. And he knows you’ll fight back, so he takes it as a challenge.”

“Even when I’m sick and clearly weak and helpless and he has the obvious advantage?” the taller man asked, the words catching in his throat and causing his to cough again. Mingi pouted her lips at Yeosang as if to prove his point. 

“Hey, this is natural selection. Survival of the fittest,” Yeosang replied, shrugging his shoulders innocently. As he pulled up to a stop sign, he gave her an apologetic smile. “Looks like Wooyoung’s the fittest.”

Mingi smacked his shoulder, feigning offense at his joke before laughing. Yeosang laughed back until it dissolved into painful coughing once again, and he allowed Mingi to do the rest of the talking until they’d reached the CVS. There was a very small line at the minute clinic, and the duo got their names on the list and were huddled together on the plastic waiting room chairs in no time. 

“Dear god, do they have the AC on?” Mingi asked, wrapping his arms around himself and pulling one leg up onto the chair, knee to his chest. 

“Maybe,” Yeosang replied, feeling chills prickling up and down his own arms, tingling through his spine. 

“Want to cuddle?” Mingi asked plainly.

“Sure,” Yeosang agreed, sinking into Mingi’s side as the taller man wrapped an arm around him.

“You’re so warm,” Mingi moaned, snuggling as close to Yeosang as the chairs would let him. “Are you always this warm? Is it just the fever? Is it you or me?”

“I’ve been a science major for three years, and I honestly can’t think of any terminology to explain it to you right now,” Yeosang admitted weakly. 

“That means you’re either brain dead after your test or much sicker than we think you are,” Mingi replied. “Or they’re just not teaching you anything and you’re doing all that homework for nothing.” Yeosang hummed, snuggling as deep as physics would allow into Mingi’s side. Mingi continued talking to him, a silly story about some of his classmates that Yeosang knew was just to keep the other man’s mind off of their current situation. But it also had the side of effect of putting Yeosang right to sleep as the deep vibrations of Mingi’s voice passed through their many points of physical contact, lulling Yeosang into peaceful unconsciousness. 

He had no idea how long had passed when Mingi poked his shoulder. “Hey, babe. You awake?”

Yeosang shook his head, trying in vain to clear the haze away. “Um-hm,” he mumbled in response, his head falling back on Mingi’s shoulder, where fingers started running through his hair. 

“Wake up, bud. It’s our turn.” 

Yeosang roughly sat back from Mingi’s embrace, pouting slightly at his roommate. Mingi chuckled, standing up first and offering Yeosang his hand. The shorter man took is begrudgingly, trying to avoid the eyes of the way-too-smiley nurse leading them back into the exam room. 

“Thanks for stopping in today. I mean, sorry that you had to, but glad you came to us,” the nurse said quickly. Yeosang had to assume they were new at this. At least the greeting people part. He had full faith in their medical abilities. Damn, this fever was messing with him. 

“Glad you were so close,” Mingi replied, ever charming as he led Yeosang to sit on the exam table. His hands guided Yeosang’s shaky movements, and once the shorter man was situated, Mingi hopped up on the table next to him. 

The nurses eyes moved between the two of them, a question he couldn’t ask apparent in his gaze. “How do you two know each other?”

“Just roommates. Along with my boyfriend, his boyfriend, and four other guys, romantic partners not confirmed,” Mingi replied plainly. 

The nurse nodded. “Sounds like a party.”

“Oh, you should see us play monopoly,” Mingi practically purred, a cat like grin stretching on his face. Yeosang rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to smile. As long as Mingi’s banter got them in and out of here as fast as possible, with the strongest medication available, who was he to stop him? 

[xheykyjx]

Ateez sickfic headcanons part 2

San

* Probably overeats ngl

* Don’t think he would do it often, but def when the managers or someone else pays for the food lol (saaaame bruh)

* Then he ends up a pouty, bloated mess

* He always tries to like crawl in members’ laps and be like “tummy rubs now pls sir”

* Surprisingly doesn’t get stomachaches even when he eats too much

* He also burps a lot when he overeats

* Like a lot a lot

* Mingi and Jongho probably think it’s the funniest shit ever, but I bet Wooyoung and probs Hongjoong are like “ew stfu degenerate”

* Also the type to burp so much that he ends up puking lmao

* Like one sec he’ll be goofing off and then all of a sudden he’s like “oh shit” and books it to the toilet

* Retches soooo loud but everything is pretty average

* Vomiting doesn’t faze him at all he just pukes and then he’s like “Hyung come rub my tummy” lol

* Def one of those

* As much as he loves being on the receiving end of belly rubs he’s also a fan of giving them

* Loves belly rubs whenever tbh even when he feels perfectly fine

* Also one of those haha

* Bends over like Seonghwa I bet

Mingi

* Oooooh boy

* This is where the Maknae whump starts guys

* Like Yunho he’ll eat a lot of foods, but like Seonghwa he’s pretty careful

* He hates puking more than anything like holy shit

* Not emetophobic, just hates how it makes him feel

* Whenever he gets some kind of stomach sickness he curls up in bed w/ Yunho and waits for the worst part to come

* Basically when he vomits he feels like he can’t breathe and it’s the worst feeling ever; the experience leaves him sweating and shaking and so Not Ready for the next round

* He’s the type to have to puke a lot, just one or twice doesn’t do it for him

* He absolutely Needs someone else there w/ him like he doesn’t care who someone just needs to be rubbing his back or holding his hand at all times

* Pukes LOUD if only bc he tries so hard to hold it back

* Def someone who has like sickly, queasy belches when he’s nauseous

* Same w his belly, it makes some p freaky sounds when he isn’t feeling good

* His tummy is v tender when he’s stomach sick, so he’s not a fan of it being touched

* Def kneels in front of the toilet w one hand on the side and the other clutching someone else’s for dear life

Wooyoung

* V sensitive stomach I bet

* Like eating too much of something (spicy food, sweet food, salty food, etc.) will make his belly so bubbly and loud and he hates it lol

* Probs also the type to give these sick, queasy belches when he’s super hungry

* Def emetophobic; like when he’s rly hungry and he starts to feel nauseous he’ll freak out

* V cuddly even when he feels fine, so tummy rubs are a definite yes for him lol

* Also playing w/ his hair and scratching his back

* He is all about those back scratches

* Pukes loud bc he probably holds it back for as long as possible

* Also craves comfort when he’s being ill bc it terrifies him so much

* The second he starts to not feel good/his tummy starts making bad noises, he’ll curl up in someone’s bed or lap and be Miserable and Terrified

* Highkey can imagine someone else (San or Hongjoong or smth) having to literally drag his sick ass to the toilet in time for him to throw up

* U know he’s gonna blow when he starts hiccuping lol

* Def squats like Hongjoong does

* Also def cries when he vomits

Jongho

* Despite his tough, scary exterior this boi is such a softie when he doesn’t feel good

* “Hyung, my tummy feels weird.”

* U can imagine that all seven of his hyungs are scrambling to figure out which one he wants lmao

* Since he works out a lot, I feel like he’s the type to overexert himself and end up feeling rly weak or nauseous or smth

* *i dont work out so idk if this is accurate or not lol

* Also the type to like put his head on other members’ shoulders when he doesn’t feel great and give them that opening to play w his hair or smth

* All his hyungs will be stepping on each other to coddle him first lol

* He doesn’t mind vomiting personally, but he knows it bothers some of the other members so he kind of just... tries not to

* U know he’s gonna hurl tho when he starts doing these little burps uncontrollably

* Average puker ig, although I see him burping more than anyone else

* Afterwards he feels weak and tired and he just wants to cuddle w his hyungs :(

* Def squats when he pukes, but he doesn’t touch his belly

* He Hates having his belly touched

* He likes having his hair played w tho ^^

[youngkchunk]

just so fluffy! (with employee milk and employee sugar)

sugar, spice and coffee with ice - k.hj

kim hongjoong x gender neutral!reader

cw - bakery!au, fluff, sickfic/comfort, san + mingi co-workers, soft!

word count: 6.1k

this fic has been written as a part of @yungisstar1117-writes' october collab! check out the other works for the collab on their blog!

“So why do you want to work here?” the man in front of you (Hongjoong, if you remembered correctly) asked. He smiled at you and although it was friendly, it didn’t disguise how exhausted he looked.

“Well, I have a diploma in baking and pastry but taking classes in baking isn’t the same as real experience,” you said and offered him the same smile he was giving you. You knew that he already had all of this information since he had your neatly printed CV on the table in front of him with a few lines highlighted or pointed out with small stars drawn in red pen. “I’ve been here before and everything’s really good so I’d really love to keep learning and getting better here.”

Hongjoong nodded, smiled and pushed the CV back across to you.

“I just wanted to ask you something,” he said, finger pointing at a line that was marked with a star. “It says that you worked at another bakery before this one, a big one. You had a good role there. What made you quit?”

You followed where he was pointing and read the description of the brief job you’d had before quitting and applying here. You suppressed a sigh and put on the smile you knew employers liked to see.

“Because of what you said - it was a big place and it’s hard to learn in a place crowded with baking students who don’t know much,” you explained. It wasn’t a lie and regardless of whether he believed you, Hongjoong nodded and took the CV back.

“I’ll be honest with you,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You’re overqualified for this place. With a diploma like this and your experience, even if it was short, you could get hired pretty much anywhere.”

“Yes, but-”

“I’m not finished,” he interrupted you, looking up with a small smile. “But I need the staff and it’d be a mistake not to hire someone with your skills. I just can’t promise an amazing wage or the kind of learning experience you’re looking for.”

“That’s alright,” you said, a grin plastering itself across your face as Hongjoong got up to find a contract form for you to fill out. When he turned and saw the grin on your face, he laughed. He still looked tired, but the sound of his laughter was so sweet that you felt your own mood lifting with it. He watched you fill out and sign the contract, humming a soft ‘thank you’ when he took it from you. You looked around the small bakery, taking in the pictures on the walls and the currently empty display case. Behind the counter you could see a few polaroids stuck onto the wall along with congratulations cards. You almost felt like you were in someone’s home.

“You’ll start on Sunday, okay?” Hongjoong interrupted your thought process, smiling when you got up from the table you’d been sitting at and pulled on your jacket.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” you replied, offering your hand for him to shake. He seemed taken aback for a moment but then laughed that same sweet laugh before shaking your hand. “Thank you for hiring me, I won’t let you down.”

“I hope not,” he said, giving your hand a gentle squeeze. “See you soon.”

When you arrived at the cafe on Sunday a few days later at seven in the morning, you began to understand why Hongjoong looked as tired as he did. You made your way to the back entrance and pushed open the already unlocked door. You hadn’t even taken a step inside when Hongjoong’s voice greeted you, chipper and friendly, along with the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

“I’m in the kitchen,” he called out. You nodded, toeing off your shoes to replace them with clean ones and leaving your belongings in the small entry hall you’d stepped into. You followed the sound of music playing to the kitchen, finding Hongjoong with his hair tucked away into a cap and lips forming a small smile as he hummed along to the music. It was clear that he’d already been there a while. There was already dough proofing and cake batter prepared in bowls, and Hongjoong was busying himself with greasing and lining cake tins.

“Good morning,” you greeted. The man was startled briefly, pausing his movements to wave at you.

“Hey,” he replied. He gestured to a coffee machine across the room with his elbow, holding up his hands to avoid getting grease on himself. “I got an early start, since the dough needs time to proof. There’s still coffee in there if you want any. Employee milk in the fridge and employee sugar on top of the fridge. They’re labelled with stickers.”

You gave a curt nod, making yourself a mug of coffee. Sure enough, the milk and sugar were labelled with an assortment of heart-shaped and smiley face stickers. By the time you were done with your coffee, Hongjoong was washing his hands of the oil he’d used in the cake tins, back to humming as he looked over the different trays of dough.

“Cakes have to go into the oven,” he told you, turning to make sure you were paying attention. “You’ve worked with pastries, right?”

“Yes.”

“Great. There’s recipes for the cakes that those batters are for up on the wall, can you get them into the tins and put them in the oven? You can watch while I’m doing everything afterwards,” he said, watching with something akin to curiosity as you began to work.

Hongjoong was quiet for the majority of the time you both worked, speaking only to ask you if you knew what you were doing or to explain things you seemed unsure about. You were surprised that the quiet atmosphere didn’t make you feel awkward, Hongjoong’s efficient and calm working pace saving you from feeling out of place. It was a little past nine when the back door opened. You looked up from where you were cleaning up the counters but Hongjoong didn’t lift his eyes from where he was flipping through receipts.

“Ten minutes,” he called out, raising an eyebrow when there was no response. He looked up then, glancing at you briefly before turning his attention to the kitchen doorway, where nothing other than the sounds of somebody humming and shuffling around could be heard. “Hello? Ten minutes late!”

Once again, there was no response and Hongjoong turned back to the receipts he’d been putting in order. You took his lead and went back to wiping down the counter.

“He’s not actually in trouble,” Hongjoong said, smiling when you looked at him. “It’s your co-worker. He works front and he has a habit of being late but it’s not a big deal. He’s good at talking to customers.”

“Will I work in the front with him?” you asked, wringing out the cloth you’d been using and setting it aside.

“When he needs you to, yeah,” Hongjoong said, pushing the receipts aside and pushing himself up to sit on the counter. “He’ll show you how to make drinks and how to arrange the display case.”

“What do you do during the day?” you asked. Hongjoong opened his mouth to answer, interrupted by what you assumed to be your co-worker walking through the doorway, headphones on and eyes drooping from sleepiness.

“Good morning Hongjoong. Good morning-”

His voice trailed off as he narrowed his eyes at you, mouth dropping open before his eyes widened.

“Oh, are you the new employee?” he shouted, causing Hongjoong to gesture to his ears with a wince. The other man seemed to understand after a moment of staring at him, taking off his headphones and grinning brightly so that his eyes creased. Beside you, Hongjoong let out what sounded like a fond sigh. “You’re the new employee, right? My name is Mingi! Hongjoong’s been looking for someone to work here for ages now.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” you said, offering him your hand to shake. He took it without hesitation, giving it a tight squeeze. He shot Hongjoong a look that you couldn’t really decipher before looking back at you.

“Do you want to help me set up the front? San comes in tomorrow so you’ll meet him then,” he explained, looking around at the pastries sitting in trays on the counter with a happy smile. “These look good.”

“Yeah, well they’re not for you,” Hongjoong said without any hostility in his voice, reaching up to pat Mingi’s head. “Get to work.”

The day went by quickly. In between helping Hongjoong with decorating cakes for orders, you spent your time in the front with Mingi, learning to use the cash register and helping him organise the display case and the few tables that were lined up in the front area. Hongjoong was quiet but kind, smiling each time you made eye contact and giving you extra time for your lunch break, which you spent sitting on the backstep behind the bakery, listening to Hongjoong’s music playing in the kitchen and Mingi’s cheerful banter with the customers. In the evening, you helped Mingi clean the front and close up, happy to follow and learn his routine.

“San does things a little differently,” he said as he shut off all the lights in the front and gestured for you to follow him into the back. “And you’ll probably figure out your own way of doing things as well, which is fine unless Hongjoong gets mad.”

“I never get mad,” Hongjoong called out, joining you both in the hallway as you slipped off your apron and put on your shoes. Mingi shook his head at you when Hongjoong wasn’t looking, miming being choked. You giggled and Hongjoong shot Mingi a look before looking back at you. “I hope your first day was alright.”

“It was! Thank you for being patient with me,” you said, a grin on your lips. “Mingi was really helpful, I hope I did a good enough job.”

Mingi shot Hongjoong that same sort of look he had done earlier (although he was much less subtle than before) and this time Hongjoong imitated it, raising his brows as though to mock him. Mingi’s expression dropped with a soft huff and he finished putting on his jacket.

“Me and Hongjoong can walk you to your bus stop!” he offered. You glanced at Hongjoong and found that he looked a little mortified, only smiling when he noticed you looking at him.

“Yeah, to celebrate your first day,” he finally said. “Let’s go.”

Despite Hongjoong saying that the walk to the bus stop was just a celebration of your first day, it became routine. Regardless of whether it was San or Mingi working, at the end of their shifts they would insist that you all walk together to your bus stop, at which point they’d give you a hug and Hongjoong would give you a wave.

“Get home safe,” he would say before heading off with your co-worker, always looking back at you before he was entirely out of sight. You’d be lying if you said that the caring words didn’t fill your stomach with butterflies, but you made no effort to dispel the butterflies either. It was better to keep them inside of your tummy, where they couldn’t embarrass you in front of your boss.

“Happy one month,” Hongjoong called from the kitchen while you tied your apron in the entrance hall. When you walked into the kitchen there was a smile on his face and a finished tray of cupcakes on the counter, one of which had been set aside and decorated. “That one’s for you, before we start working on everything else.”

The butterflies returned full force as you picked up the cupcake, splitting off a piece and holding it out to him.

“Thank you,” you said, grinning when he took the piece you were holding out to him. “How early did you come here to make these?”

“I’m usually here before six so I was just a little early. There’s financial stuff to sort out and all,” he murmured, lifting himself to sit on the counter. He kicked his legs lightly as he sat there, looking more peaceful than usual but still just as exhausted as every other time you saw him.

“Couldn’t you stay after we close instead?” you asked, unwrapping the rest of the cupcake and eating it while Hongjoong considered his answer.

“That’s when I walk you to the bus stop,” he said with a small shrug. Your eyes widened at his words, cheeks heating up as you picked at the icing on the cupcake.

“Why don’t we stay behind with you? If you have our help it’ll be quicker too, right?” you offered. Hongjoong looked at you with narrowed eyes, half hesitant and half curious. “I don’t have any experience with finances but I could take care of the cleaning back here too, so that you have more time to take care of everything.”

Hongjoong’s expression relaxed and he smiled at you.

“That’s not an awful idea,” he said before hopping off of the counter and gesturing to the ingredients he’d already sorted into containers. “Let’s start.”

And with that, finance evenings became just as much of a routine as your bus stop walks, Hongjoong in the front of the bakery while you cleaned up the kitchen. San and Mingi weren’t able to stay behind most evenings, so the bakery was filled only with the sound of shuffling receipts and the quiet clattering of utensils being moved around until Hongjoong was done, announcing that he was ready to leave. You would walk to the bus stop after that, occasionally carrying drinks that Mingi or San had made for you both before leaving and occasionally eating extra pastries that were left over from the day.

“You know you don’t always need to stay behind, right? I really don’t mind coming in early,” he said to you one evening, folding his apron and putting it away before picking up his backpack. You took a moment to look at him - the way his eyebrows were relaxed, his cheeks a pretty pink, his eyes bright even at the end of the day - and decided immediately that spending evenings with him was infinitely better than having to see him exhausted every morning.

“It’s okay, I think it’s more efficient this way,” you told him with a firm nod. You pushed open the door and held it for him before stepping out yourself, inhaling the cool night air as deeply as you could while Hongjoong locked up. “I like spending time with you anyway.”

Hongjoong hummed softly as the two of you began walking. It was only when he didn’t answer that you registered what you had said, shoving your hands into your pockets in the hopes that it would help to curb your embarrassment. When the walk continued in silence, you chanced a look at Hongjoong and found that he was smiling.

“I like spending time with you too,” he finally said as the two of you got closer to your bus stop. He looked at you, the tip of his nose coloured a bright red from the cold. “I’m glad I hired you. You’ve been really helpful, I don’t know how we managed before we had you around.”

“That’s- that’s good to hear,” you mumbled, smiling when Hongjoong giggled a little at your stuttered reply. As the two of you arrived at the bus stop he turned around to face you, a content smile on his lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” he sighed out. You waited for his usual ‘get home safe’ but instead, he stepped forward and wrapped you in a warm hug. You felt your heart skip a beat at the feeling of his warm breath on the side of your face as he pulled away. “Get home safe, okay?”

“Okay,” you replied, voice almost inaudible. He gave you one last smile before turning to leave. As always, he turned back to look at you before he was out of sight.

The next morning when you clocked in, the familiar sound of Hongjoong’s playlist was gone, replaced by two people bickering back and forth. You set aside your things and put on your apron, making your way to the kitchen and cringing at the sight before you. Hongjoong’s usual fresh coffee was replaced by three open cans of energy drinks and two untouched ones sitting on the window sill and while some dough had been put aside to proof, the cake batter that was usually at least started by now was nothing more than a liquid mixture of melted butter and sugar.

“We weren’t supposed to melt the butter,” San whined beside Mingi, watching as Mingi scanned through the recipe, occasionally glancing down at the bowl of butter and sugar. “Hongjoong never melts the butter.”

“How were we supposed to mix it otherwise? It was like a brick! How do you mix concrete with sugar?” Mingi grumbled, turning to look at San and instead finding you standing in the doorway, a mix of concern, confusion and just a little amusement present on your face. “Oh thank God. Please help us.”

“Hm?” San hummed, relief flooding his expression when he too turned to find you standing there. “Good morning.”

There was a beat of silence as you stared at the two of them, unsure of what to say.

“Where’s… Where’s Hongjoong?” you asked, deciding to settle on the most basic question possible.

“Sick,” Mingi replied, waving a greasy hand before continuing. “With a cold. He’s not dying but he asked us to come in and start with things before you got here.”

“But we didn’t start anything, we just melted a ton of butter and it didn’t even mix with the sugar,” San told you, his lips pulled into a pout so that he sounded like a grumpy child.

“Okay,” you sighed. The kitchen counter was in a little bit of a state to say the least and it was clear that you were going to be behind with everything that needed to be in the display case. But more than that, you couldn’t help but feel a little worried for Hongjoong and whether he was alright. The absence of the smell of coffee he made for you both each morning made your heart sink a little. “Okay. Can one of you make coffee? And you can help me do the rest.”

“Yes captain,” they chimed out with almost identical timing, laughter escaping you despite the stress in your chest. How many times had they said that to get the timing so perfect?

Thankfully, the day went by without too many hiccups. You were behind on a few things for the front of the bakery but all orders were finished and picked up on time and there was enough time for all three of you to take a lunch break at some point during the day. It was odd to be on the teaching end of the baking, instructing San on how to grease the cake pans and how much each ingredient needed to be stirred. You felt a warm sense of pride in your chest when he managed to get everything done just how you’d asked and wondered if Hongjoong felt the same pride when teaching you small things you hadn’t been sure of before.

“Y’know Hongjoong really likes you,” San told you at the end of the day, leaning against the window sill while you wiped down the counter. You could feel your hands faltering for a moment at the sound of his words and while you hoped he hadn’t noticed, he let out a little giggle that suggested otherwise.

“Yeah?” you asked. He hummed softly, watching you with a small smile.

“Yeah. He’s really happy that he got to hire you,” he said. You didn’t try to stifle the smile that was tugging on your lips.

“I’m happy he hired me too,” you answered, your voice quiet enough that San could have ignored your answer but instead he made his way over to you and poked your cheek playfully.

“I have to get going, is it okay to leave you here?” San asked, smiling when you nodded. “Okay. You have our numbers, right? Text us to let us know if you get home alright.”

“Will do. Bye San,” you called out as he left you behind in the kitchen, both him and Mingi shouting ‘goodbye’ as they left you in the silence of the bakery. You sighed quietly, looking around the kitchen. All that was left was to take care of the finances.

Even though you’d stayed behind with Hongjoong on multiple occasions, you had never sat with him and watched while he took care of things. It was quicker for both of you if you cleaned while he worked, so that you could both leave earlier, but it felt like a mistake now that you were sitting with a stack of receipts in front of you and Hongjoong’s binder of papers that made little to no sense to you. You asked yourself the first question you could think of: what would Hongjoong do?

You followed his usual steps. You put on some music, made yourself a mug of tea (with employee milk and employee sugar) and pulled out the bright blue calculator he kept beneath the front counter before sitting down at the corner table he liked to use in the front. You’d barely settled down when you heard the back door open, followed by a series of quiet sniffles and silence.

“San?” you asked, your brows furrowing with worry when there was no reply. “Mingi? Did you guys forget something?”

There was another soft sniffle but no reply until Hongjoong himself trudged through into the front, wrapped up in a scarf, winter jacket and topped off with a hat on his head. His eyes widened upon seeing you and you noticed that they were red-rimmed and sleepy.

“Oh,” he mumbled, reaching up to take out the headphones in his ears. His nose was running and he wiped it with the back of his hand, his eyes squeezing shut in discomfort. “I didn’t know you were still here.”

“Why did you come in?” you asked, your heart skipping a beat when he smiled sheepishly.

“To do the papers,” he said. He let out a whimper as he squeezed his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “I know that you don’t know how to do them and I didn’t want it to pile up.”

“Hongjoong-”

“I didn’t want to come earlier because I thought one of you would scold me,” he explained. “But you’re still here.”

“Good thing I am, you shouldn’t be here like this,” you said, your voice firm but not quite scolding. He frowned a little and you gestured to the chair across from you. “I won’t scold you while you’re sick. Sit down, I’ll make you tea.”

He mumbled a quiet thanks but made no move to sit down, watching you shuffle about the front with his eyes drooping shut and his hands fiddling with the ends of his scarf. You caught his attention only once the tea was done and you set it down on the table.

“Sit,” you instructed and Hongjoong complied. It felt strange to give your boss orders but he didn’t seem to mind, taking off his hat and scarf to reveal a mop of unruly hair and unusually pale skin. You clicked your tongue at him softly, picking up a tissue from the counter before sitting back down across from him. You reached over the table and murmured a quiet ‘stay still’ before wiping his nose and top lip, and quickly running your thumbs beneath his eyes to wipe any tears that had dampened the skin there. He stayed still just as you’d asked, shutting his eyes and leaning forward into your touch with a quiet grunt. You smiled and held his face for a little longer than necessary, rubbing your thumbs over his feverish cheeks before letting go. “Drink your tea so I can take you home, okay?”

“The papers,” he murmured, opening his eyes and frowning at you.

“I’ll keep them organised and we can do them together when you’re better,” you reassured him. He was quiet for a long time, looking grumpy as he looked between the papers and the mug of tea. You pushed it closer to him tentatively. “Please, Hongjoong.”

“Okay,” he murmured, voice barely audible.

You spent the better part of an hour telling him about what it’d been like to work with San and Mingi, careful to remember the details of the melted butter in the morning and the ridiculous amount of caffeine the two had consumed throughout the day. Hongjoong sat in the chair with his eyes shut most of the time but still listening, lips curving into a content smile when you mentioned a particularly amusing detail.

“Finished,” he said once he was done with the tea, setting the mug down and smiling at you. He looked a little brighter now that he’d been inside for a while and he’d had something to drink. He stood up. “Just gonna wash my hands.”

You let him go about washing his hands while you set aside the papers and the extra dishes to wash the next morning, picking up his hat and scarf on the way. He let you tie his shoelaces for him and wrap him back up in his hat and scarf, insisting all the while that he wasn’t that sick but never once making a move to stop you. You were a few steps out of the door when you felt a warm, clammy hand take hold of yours. You stopped and turned to face Hongjoong, finding him staring off into the street and seemingly not concerned about his hand in yours.

“You okay?” you asked, giving his hand a gentle squeeze as you began to walk again.

“My head hurts,” he said, glancing at you. He looked down at your hand in his and blushed, shifting his attention back to the street. “You don’t have to take me all the way home.”

“It’s okay, I’m not in a rush to go anywhere,” you told him, rubbing your thumb back and forth over his knuckles. “You always walk me to the bus stop, let me get you home safe too.”

He did let you, falling asleep with his head on your shoulder while you were on the bus and holding onto your hand tightly as he directed both of you down the streets to his apartment building. It was odd to see him so subdued and touchy but not unpleasant either, the butterflies in your stomach practically rioting each time he squeezed your hand. By the time you were at the front door of his apartment he was significantly more sleepy than he had been when the two of you left the bakery, and when you held out your arms to hug him, he fell forward into your touch, body shuddering as he suppressed a sneeze.

“How’re you feeling?” you asked, rubbing his back.

“My body really hurts,” he grumbled. “And I’m hungry.”

“What did you eat today?” you asked, smiling when you felt his hands gripping at your jacket.

“I had noodles for breakfast and then I fell asleep before coming to the bakery,” he mumbled, frowning when you broke the hug. “What?”

“Go inside. I’ll make you something to eat,” you directed. He stared at you for a moment, eventually huffing and opening the apartment door to let you in without protest. His apartment was cozy the same way the bakery was, albeit a little messier. He plopped down onto the sofa and leaned back, face scrunching up before he sneezed. You smiled and let him rest there while you explored his kitchen and got to cooking, glancing over at him every now and then to make sure the noise wasn’t bothering him. Every time you checked, he was sound asleep, still clothed in all of his winter clothes and his cheeks flushed red. You made use of the ingredients he had, carrying two bowls of the soup you’d made for him to the coffee table once you were done and snorting softly when he still didn’t stir. “Hey, wake up. I made you soup.”

He whined, opening his eyes when you took off his hat and began to undo his scarf, lips forming a pout and then a small smile. He allowed you to take off his jacket too, shivering now that he was exposed to the cool air of the apartment.

“Sit with me,” he said, crossing his legs on the sofa and patting the spot beside him. “Thank you for the food.”

“It’s no problem. You need to eat well so you can get better,” you told him, watching him eat for a little while before starting on your own bowl of soup, your heart fluttering each time you caught Hongjoong looking at you. He was slower than usual while sick apparently, taking longer to look away from you when the two of you made eye contact and smiling a little each time he looked away. You reached over to push away some of the sweaty hair stuck to his forehead, giggling when he pressed his head into your touch. “You’re touchy when you’re sick, huh?”

His cheeks turned pink and he shook his head adamantly.

“No. It’s just not nice to be sick alone. Plus I really wanted to see you today,” he said, voice trailing off towards the end of the sentence.

“Oh yeah?” you asked, taking the bowl of soup from him when you noticed that he was done.

“Yeah. Mingi’s up my ass about something. San too,” he said, turning to look at you with a half-hearted expression of annoyance. “I’m supposed to be their boss, how come they get to make fun of me?”

You got up to take the dishes to the kitchen to avoid laughing at the annoyed tone of Hongjoong's voice, coming back to find that he was curled up in a corner of the sofa, the lights off and the TV turned on and illuminating his features.

“What are they up your ass about?” you asked, still amused by his choice of words. He hummed, shifting his attention from the TV to you.

“It’s not important right now,” he said, sniffling quietly. “I’ve known them for a long time so we’re always annoying each other about something I guess.”

You nodded in understanding, crouching in front of the sofa to press the back of your hand to his forehead.

“You don’t have a fever right now. Will you call me in the morning if you’re feeling worse?” you asked, removing your hand from his forehead to reveal that he was frowning.

“You’re not staying?” he asked, using his sleeve to wipe at his top lip. Your mouth opened and shut a few times as you tried to think of something to say, your head empty aside from the shock at being asked to stay so suddenly. He seemed to figure out what was going on, shuffling around on the sofa so that his head was laying on the armrest and his neck was bent at an angle that definitely wasn’t comfortable. “You don’t have to stay. I’m sorry that I put you on the spot, I know you’re supposed to be at the bakery tomorrow and-”

“San and Mingi can manage a few hours by themselves,” you interrupted him. He narrowed his eyes at you, knowing full well that based on how today had gone the two of them wouldn’t be able to get anything done alone the next day either. When you smiled and sat down on the sofa beside him, he understood what you meant, a grin breaking out on his face. You felt your cheeks heat up as you set a pillow on your lap and patted it gently. “Put your head here. You’re going to break your neck like that.”

He moved without hesitation, laying down so that he was facing your stomach.

“You can’t see the TV if you lie like that,” you whispered, running your fingers through his hair when he replied with a soft grunt. The butterflies in your stomach died down and turned into a comfortable warmth when you realised he was already falling asleep. It was a good thing that you’d stayed, you told yourself. Not just because he was sick and didn’t have any cooked food or medicine but because the calm look on his face was probably the prettiest thing you’d ever seen, even with his stuffy nose and ruddy cheeks. “Sleep tight.”

It did end up being a lie that San and Mingi could manage alone, but it was worth it to make sure that Hongjoong got some breakfast in him and wasn’t going to venture out into the cold evening to try and take care of finances. And it wasn’t like the bakery descended into chaos while Hongjoong was gone (if the smoke alarm went off four times on the third day he was gone, no one had to tell him that), so he had nothing to worry about. Especially not when you visited to make sure he was alright and even brought San and Mingi along one evening with takeaway and a few rented DVDs.

It took almost a week for Hongjoong to come back to the bakery and although you’d told him that he should take as much time as he needed to rest and feel better, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t excited to come into work and hear his playlist and smell his favourite coffee brewing.

You could hear him as soon as you pushed the door open, rapping along to the song playing and making his way around the kitchen. You smiled.

“Morning Hongjoong!” you called.

“Good morning,” he called back, bright and clear now that he was feeling better. When you stepped into the kitchen, he looked just as bright as he sounded, grinning at you before his eyes widened. “Wait! Wait, shut your eyes!”

“What?” you asked, stopping in your tracks and doing as he’d asked. He let out a relieved sigh and you laughed. “What’s going on? Did you buy a new mixer or something?”

“No, it’s more important than that,” he said, taking a hold of your arms and moving you so that you were standing in front of the counter. He let go of your arms, one of his hands lingering just a little longer before he let go completely. “Okay, open them.”

You did as asked, glancing first at him beside you before looking down at the counter, eyes widening at the sight of a pretty decorated cake in front of you, words iced onto it in curly cursive letters.

“‘Will you go on a date with me?’,” you read out loud, grinning at the cake and letting out a short laugh. Beside you Hongjoong was silent, waiting in eager anticipation for your answer. Your grin grew. “This is like a promposal, y’know.”

He grimaced at your words, face turning red.

“I know but San and Mingi said it would be a good idea,” he whined, covering his face with his hands. “I’m so sorry, this was a really stupid way to ask-”

“No they were right, it is a good idea,” you told him, glancing at the cake again. “I’d love to go on a date with you.”

From behind his hands, Hongjoong made a small sound of surprise. He removed them from his face and smiled, looking at the cake with what you could only describe as pride.

“Great! I mean-” he paused and took in a breath. “I swear I planned this out properly, I just got sick before I could do it the way I wanted to.”

“It’s okay,” you reassured him, gathering a small dollop of buttercream from the bowl beside the cake onto your finger. Before Hongjoong could react, you wiped it onto the tip of his nose, giggling when he gasped and glared at you. “It was nice to take care of you.”

For once it was San who scolded the two of you when he came in, but it was hard to take him seriously when Hongjoong’s face was smeared with leftover buttercream and his hand was holding onto yours. And you definitely couldn’t bring yourself to feel bad when Hongjoong gave you a gentle kiss that tasted like butter, sugar and morning coffee while the other wasn’t looking.

♡

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