#seonghwa sick

[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.

[likeathunderoverflow]

I am so cooked this comeback

[maximura]

Park Seonghwa at Coachella 2024 | Original photography by Frazer Harrison

[darl-ingfics]

"I've Got You"

Fandom: ATEEZ

Sickie/Whumpee: Hongjoong (cold)

Caregiver(s): Seonghwa

Word Count: 567

“Huh-ET’huh! ET’Chuh! Uggggghhhhh…” Hongjoong coughed, the extended groan completely necessary but terribly irritating on his intensely sore throat. 

“Wow, Woo wasn’t kidding. You look pathetic.”

Hongjoong’s head snapped to the side, heavily lidded eyes finding Seonghwa smirking down at him from the end of the couch. “Hwa…” he croaked, swallowing hard against a dry mouth. “Wha’… what’re you doin’ here?”

Seonghwa chuckled lightly. “Your roommates were scared for your health.” He shifted his weight, crossing his arms over his chest. “Probably for their own too.” Hongjoong simply groaned again, burying his face into the throw pillow he’d claimed when he crashed on the couch however long ago. “How can I help?”

“Remove my sinuses from my body?” He coughed. “Maybe my lungs too?”

“Yeah, that’s not really my speciality,” Seonghwa replied. “How about some soup instead?”

Hongjoong shrugged. He heard Seonghwa laugh again, then the sound of footsteps walking away. “Waiiit.” Hongjoong tried to lift his head to follow Seonghwa, maybe to ask him not to leave, but he was cut off by a harsh cough that left him lying listlessly. 

“Oh, you poor thing.” 

Hongjoong’s eyes snapped open. He didn’t remember closing them. Seonghwa’s face was now right in front of him, smile so comforting Hongjoong felt like crying. The feeling only grew as Seonghwa’s careful fingers carded through this hair, then placed a warm cloth against his forehead. The effect was instantaneous, relieving some of the pressure built up in his sinuses. Every muscle in Hongjoong’s body relaxed, and his eyes slipped closed again. Only this time, it was from comfort rather than a desire for unconsciousness. 

“That’s right. Relax. I’ve got you, honey.” Hongjoong instantly started crying. Seonghwa’s soft, cool fingers wiped a tear from his cheek. “Hey, hey, none of that now. You’re sniffly and dehydrated enough.”

“But you’re being so nice to me…”

“That’s my job. No tears. Can you open your eyes for me quick?” Hongjoong complied. “When did you last eat?”

He waited so patiently while Hongjoong forced his feverish brain to comb through his memory. “Two hours ago? Jongho made me toast.”

Seonghwa nodded, satisfied. “I assume Jongho medicated you then too?” Hongjoong thought, then nodded. “He’s grown up well, hasn’t he?” Hongjoong nodded again, smiling before coughing again, attempting to turn away from Seonghwa as much as possible. “Anything else you need?”

Hongjoong shook his head. “Just sleep.”

Seonghwa nodded. “Perfect. Sit up for me.” He let Hongjoong move at his own pace, slowly pushing up to a seated position. The change from horizontal to vertical caused all the yuck in his head to shift, prompting a harsh sneeze. Seonghwa offered him a handful of tissues, using Hongjoong’s distraction to slide onto the couch behind him. 

“Noooo….” Hongjoong coughed again. Seonghwa’s hands wrapped around his torso, keeping him from toppling forward. 

“Yeeeeeessss,” Seonghwa mimicked Hongjoong’s whining cadence when the captain got his breath back. He shifted a bit to get them both settled with the captain propped up against his chest. “This will help you breathe easier, which means you’ll sleep better. And if you sleep better, you’ll get better.”

“But what about…”

“No buts. Just like no tears. I said I’ve got you, and I mean that.” 

Hongjoong let his head fully fall back against Seonghwa’s chest, peering up at him through his eyelashes. “I love you.”

A kiss was placed on his forehead. “Sleep, Joong.”

[starseongs]

maybe there’s hope for them after all

[sickonthedancefloor]

Y'all remember that Ateez teaser I wrote a billion years ago? Well.

Yunho wears himself down at the beginning of promotion season. Seonghwa notices, he always does.

Sickie: Yunho Caretakers: Seonghwa, Wooyoung

It’s just how Yunho operates, and yet it worries Seonghwa every time. Seonghwa had seen how tired the taller dancer had been lately, how this comeback seemed to be taking his energy from him every day. A new live filming at 4 in the morning, flying early to another concert performance, more interviews, more youtube specials. For the past week, Seonghwa has seen his soft eye bags darkening with each passing day, but in true Yunho fashion, there’s never any complaints.

It was the performance on M-Countdown that had been the first downfall. The performance went well, Atiny were energetic, and the group was in a rare form of ultra excitement. But during the wind-down, as they filmed tiktok challenges with other idols, Seonghwa had caught Yunho leaning heavily on their manager, walking oddly as they moved backstage. Yunho waved Mingi off with a smile, but Seonghwa caught the wince when Yunho placed weight down on his left foot. It was later when he’d learned that Yunho had stepped wrong during their last performance, and the adrenaline had kept he pain away until he was winding down.

Ice and painkillers and propping it up, the stationed medic recommended. It wasn’t broken, wasn’t very swollen, but if he hurt his muscle, it would just need some time to rest up. Annoying, Yunho had told Seonghwa later. But just a sprain. I’m okay.

Annoying in the sense that he can’t just shove both of his feet in his shoes and go. Frustrating that he needs to take a Tylenol and ignore the throbbing to perform, but his responses to the staff are just that he’s okay to power through it, he can walk just fine. They wrap it with bandages for a performance, and the pressure helps, but Seonghwa can see it taking its toll. Slowly but surely.

“Let me know if you need anything, okay?” Seonghwa tells him softly.

“I will, hyung.” He won’t.

But Yunho naps the hour-long flight to Tokyo, and he’s stiff and limping when they get up and takes a few moments to stretch before deboarding. He tells them he just wants to nap it off for a little when they get settled, and they let him when they arrive and get settled in their stay. They tug out his futon first and leave him to rest; and he wakes up with Wooyoung curled against him, drooling on his pillow.

The show goes well. Rehearsal was smooth, everyone felt great, Yunho even performed a freestyle cypher for the dance battle when he got into it. And when they came back, Yunho, being Yunho, goes to reassure Atiny that he’s fine. He was too forthcoming on their apps, a little too honest; but he just likes that transparency between himself and their fans. He likes being at least a little honest with them, even if it’s not always positive. His ankle doesn’t hurt much, and he’s tired, but he will be okay.

Yunho is not fine, which is why Seonghwa goes to join him. Yunho was fine enough that Atiny doesn’t catch on, and the two end their somewhat chaotic toktoq live with laughter and smiles while they tease San over his own live. Once the camera gets put away, app closed and schedule officially done for the night, Seonghwa watches as Yunho leans back onto the floor, letting out a deep breath as he closes his eyes.

Seonghwa doesn’t hesitate to lean over and look at him. Really look at him. He looks tired, even underneath the remnants of makeup, and he winces when he turns to his side when he moves his problem leg. His ankle must be bothering him again, Seonghwa realizes. But his cheeks, oddly enough, are glowing pink under the fading foundation. His oldest dongsaeng is just pushing through the day, he can tell.

“Yunho-yah?”

“Hmm?” Yunho doesn’t move.

“When’s the last time you took any medication?” Seonghwa squats next to Yunho’s side, placing a slim hand on his forehead. There’s an unnatural heat, but he doesn’t feel scorching; it’s a fever probably just high enough to feel uncomfortable. Yunho leans into the touch and doesn’t answer for a long while. For a moment, Seonghwa’s concerned he fell asleep.

Then: “…before soundcheck, I think?”

That was… hours and hours ago. They had done soundcheck in the morning because of the festival’s length, and had done lunch, costume changes, the performance, even a dance cypher that had Yunho jumping around in pure excitement. They’d had a late breakfast then gone straight to the venue. No wonder he seemed so drained when the adrenaline wore off. Yunho hadn’t complained at all.

“Come on, let hyung get you something for the pain.” Seonghwa sighs, stroking back Yunho’s bangs. “Do you have any cold medicine with you too?”

Yunho nods, gesturing towards his smaller bag on the table. “In my bag. I can get it in a second. You don’t have to worry about it.”

But Seonghwa doesn’t wait. The older one just heads up to get the bag, rummaging through it until he finds a little pouch where Yunho keeps his medication. There’s just acetaminophen, some general cough suppressant, and a blister pack of heavier-strength cold medicine. He takes a few moments to read the labels before heading back to Yunho with his water bottle from the table. With a dramatic sigh, Seonghwa sits onto the floor next to Yunho, nudging his arm with his knee.

“Come on, Yunho, sit up for me?”

Seonghwa spares a glance over to Yunho, who slowly pushes himself upright, before just rolling to his side and setting his head on Seonghwa’s leg. “Can I just sleep here, hyung?” Yunho asks. His tone is light, like a joke, but Seonghwa can tell his dongsaeng is more than ready for some uninterrupted rest. Well, they won’t be up much longer. Meds, cleaning up and brushing his teeth, then sleep. He pops two pills out of the blister pack and puts them in Yunho’s waiting open hand. He then adds a Tylenol, then glances at the cough suppressant.

“Have you been coughing, Yunho-yah? I haven’t heard anything from you.”

Yunho shrugs idly. “Not much, just usually if my nose is runny, from the drainage. But it’s been okay today.”

Okay today. How many days has it been? Seonghwa nods in acknowledgement, deciding to set that pill aside for if those symptoms occur. He opens the water bottle and watches Yunho take the medication, encouraging him to drink a little more to keep from getting dehydrated. Yunho drops his head on Seonghwa’s shoulder, yawning softly.

“Hyung… I’m tired.”

“I know, Yunho-yah. Come on, let’s get ready for bed. Do you want to go take a shower and I’ll go find your pajamas?”

Yunho nods against Seonghwa, but he doesn’t move for a few extra moments. It’s only when Seonghwa’s sure he’s about to fall asleep does he bump him and tell him to get up, watching as the tall puppy-like member slinks towards the bathroom. Seonghwa goes to his suitcase and opens it, pleased to see Yunho’s organization habits were still the same; his pajamas and casual clothing were still tucked on one side together, everything folded by outfit plans. Seonghwa grabs a set of clean pajamas and underwear, delivering it to the bathroom. He sneaks into his own room to change briefly, figuring he could just do his skincare once Yunho fell asleep. Yunho came from the bathroom after a bit after, dressed and clean and a little dazed from the extra steam. Seonghwa just tucks him into his futon, covering him with the comforter and making sure his feet are covered up. He keeps Yunho’s foot propped on an extra pillow. The taller man smiles sleepily at him.

And in a lazy, cute little sing-song voice, to the tune of their song Thank U¸ he says: “Thank you.” And the two of them giggle.

“Go sleep, silly.”

“Don’t stay up tonight worrying about me, okay, hyung?”

Seonghwa smiles. “Of course. Good night.” He flips off his main light and stays in until Yunho falls asleep, then heads off to his own room.

~*~

When Seonghwa slips into Yunho’s room the next morning, he sighs when he sees his younger member fast asleep still, alarm beeping from across the room. Seonghwa turns off the phone’s alarm, a little surprised to see that Yunho didn’t stir at all. The tall member was curled on his side, sweat-soaked hair clinging to his forehead, blanket haphazardly pushed down to his waist. His shirt was also damp with sweat, breaths coming out in a rapid, huffy pace. At one point, his body trembles as he coughs roughly, before he stills.

Touching his forehead, he frowns; Yunho’s definitely gotten worse overnight. The touch has Yunho stirring, the man groaning as he slowly wakes up.

“Yunho-ya,” Seonghwa calls softly, pulling his hand away.

“Hmm…?” Yunho squints his eyes open. “Hyung?”

“There you are…” Seonghwa smiles. “Good morning.” He tries to keep himself calm, to not upset Yunho too early, especially as he’s waking up. He can see Yunho trying to get his bearings, glancing around the room before he turns on his side to cough again. Seonghwa is quick to rub his back, reaching over with his other hand to grab Yunho’s water bottle. He’s glad to see Yunho drank more throughout the night, so at least he was trying not to become dehydrated. When Yunho’s coughing spell stops, Seonghwa hands him the water bottle, and he takes a sip.

When he sets the bottle down, Yunho pushes himself to sit up, grimacing as he moves. “Good morning,” he mumbles. He pulls at his shirt from where it clings to his stomach. “Ugh…”

“Not feeling any better, huh…” Seonghwa guesses. He moves a hand back to Yunho’s back and continues to rub circles, trying to be somewhat comforting. “Did you sleep all night?”

Yunho shakes his head with a sigh. “Woke up coughing… So I took more medicine, went back to sleep.” At least he was trying. After a moment, he just shakes his head again and leans forward, ripping off his shirt. When the air conditioning hits his shoulders, he shudders.

“Yunho— At least let me get you a new shirt!” Seonghwa hurries to Yunho’s bag, grabbing another tee. He helps Yunho into it, pulling the blanket up to his stomach.

“Seonghwa-hyung… can you grab me new shorts too?” Yunho mumbles. His ears turn pink at the request, feeling a little embarrassed.

Seonghwa nodded, but paused to glance over his shoulder. “Do you want to take a quick shower? Maybe a little rinse off may make you feel better.” Especially if his fever is breaking, even if he took one yesterday.

Yunho shakes his head, but grimaces and sets his forehead into his hands.

“Oh… headache?”

“Mhmm.”

Well, that didn’t help. Seonghwa goes back to Yunho’s medicine bag to see if he had any headache medication on him as well, but he sighs when he doesn’t find it. Yunho hasn’t had any terrible headaches in a while, so Seonghwa isn’t surprised that he left it at home. He just hopes Tylenol and more rest will help it pass. He tugs the medicine container over, along with a new pair of boxers and sleep shorts from Yunho’s suitcase. They’re not strangers to changing in front of each other, but as Yunho seems to be a little more sensitive at the moment—probably from the illness, rather than shyness—Seonghwa just focuses on trying to pull out new medicine while he changes. He laughs when he sees Yunho throw the dirty clothes in the direction of his suitcase, landing in a heap a few feet away from it.

“Do you remember what time you took your medicine last night?” Seonghwa asks.

“Uh… around one thirty or something? It was dark, I used my phone to find them but… didn’t really look at it.” Which honestly explained why it was further away. Yunho probably just tucked himself back into the futon and went back to sleep once he grabbed the pills. Seonghwa hums but knocks out an assortment of tablets, setting them in Yunho’s hand. The blonde doesn’t even question it, just tossing all the pills in at once and swallowing the water—which leads to another coughing fit. Seonghwa just rubs his back with a sigh.

“Next time, one at a time, okay?”

Yunho just nods in agreement. His eyes are closing, and as the fit subsides, he finds himself leaning into Seonghwa’s embrace. The older one just helps him lay down, fixing the blanket over him.

“Sleep, honey.”

He falls into slumber easily.

~*~

Yunho isn’t sure what he dreamt about, but he awakens in a panic, his heart racing and eyes glancing every which direction. He’s breathing heavily, and just from the force, his chest aches. His eyes burn with unshed tears, and as his shoulders begin to shake, he feels a pair of arms wrap around him and hold tightly. Wooyoung’s soft voice flits in his ear: “It’s okay, Yunho-ya, you’re okay. It was just a nightmare.”

Just… a nightmare. Yunho just focuses on his breathing, turning his head where he can hear Wooyoung’s voice coming from; he can barely see anything, with the room being dark and his vision blurring as he blinks falling tears. Wooyoung just continues to hush him, letting Yunho tuck his head into the crook of Wooyoung’s neck. His fingers run through his hair, and he rocks him gently while Yunho gets his bearings straight.

“Woo…”

“Yeah… You’re okay, Yunho. Deep breaths, breathe with me. In…” They take a breath in. “Out.” And a shuddered breath out from Yunho. His shoulders droop. Wooyoung makes him take a few more deep breaths before he eases his grip, his hands moving to Yunho’s cheeks, thumbs brushing away the moisture on his cheeks.

“Yuyu… You just had a nightmare, that’s all. You started thrashing around.”

Yunho frowns, his face pressing against Wooyoung’s hands. Wooyoung just leads his to his shoulder and hugs him again. “I don’t… remember it. I just…” He groans. His mind feels so foggy, his headache mostly gone but lingering in the back of his mind. He feels so disoriented, and it takes him a little longer with Wooyoung just rubbing his back and smoothing down his hair to realize that he really is awake. He feels sore.

“Ssh, ssh, you’re okay. Do you want to try something to eat? It may help…”

He doesn’t want to move, to be honest. Yunho’s back hurts, but Wooyoung’s hand is easing away the tension that’s formed and he’s slowly beginning to feel like putty in his grasp. His eyes close, and with a soft sniffle, he turns his head to the side where it rests more comfortably. Wooyoung’s hands pause, and all it does is garner a soft whine from Yunho.

“Don’t fall asleep on me, silly!”

“ ‘m not…” He was.

That’s when Yunho hears a second set of footsteps enter, and given how light the steps were, he’s sure they’re Seonghwa’s. “He’s awake?”

Wooyoung leans back a few inches, bringing Yunho with him while he cranes his head backwards. “He’s trying to fall asleep again.”

“We should probably feed him,” Seonghwa says with a soft laugh. “He hasn’t eaten since yesterday and it’s almost noon…”

Wooyoung and Seonghwa’s voices, as soft and gentle as they were, merely lull him back to slumber, curled right up where he was against Wooyoung’s shoulder. Thankfully, the shorter member doesn’t nudge him for a few good minutes, and Yunho rouses to a delicious smell of ramen. When Wooyoung pulls him to sit up, he catches Seonghwa sitting next to him, a tray resting beside him with a warm meal. And it looks delicious. Yunho blinks sleepily, a small smile forming.

It's from their favorite ramen shop in Japan. They’d ordered, knowing Yunho would appreciate the little pick-me-up. The dish was more broth and vegetables than toppings, which worked for him as he wasn’t overly hungry in the first place. He doesn’t complain as Wooyoung repositions the two so Yunho is laying with his back to his chest, slouching between Wooyoung’s legs. Seonghwa scoots over, and he swats Yunho’s hand away when he reaches for the spoon.

“You’ll spill.”

He would. Seonghwa was right. Yunho just drops his hands on either side, and they find Wooyoung’s quickly. Wooyoung gives his hands a gentle squeeze. The two members talk casually on the morning earlier while Seonghwa feeds Yunho, updating him about Mingi’s accidental build-kit purchase and the lego snacks he found. Apparently, there was already a goody bag of snacks with Yunho’s name on it for when he was doing better. That had Yunho smiling while he chewed his latest spoonful. It was nice knowing his friends were so caring, especially while he was unwell like this.

When Yunho accepts another spoonful, he blinks as his eyes go foggy. It takes him a small sniffle to realize that he’s already about to cry, and when he finally blinks, a few small blinks in succession, tears roll down his cheeks.

“Oh, Yuyu!” Seonghwa smiles, setting down the bowl to reach for Yunho’s cheeks. Gentle hands wipe at the tears while Wooyoung hugs him a little tighter, curling in over his shoulder.

“I—I just.. I love you guys so much!” Yunho babbles, and the tears just fall harder.

That gets Wooyoung laughing softly, planting a kiss on the crown of his head. “We love you too, silly! Don’t cry!”

“I didn’t wanna…”

Wooyoung lets go of his hands so Yunho can wipe at his cheeks, but the smaller one hugs him closer because of it. The pressure from Wooyoung behind him, and the firmness of Seonghwa’s hands at his cheeks with the softness of his thumbs brushing his face, is a reassuring comfort. It doesn’t take him too long to stop crying, but the episode gives him sniffles. Seonghwa makes him blow his nose before he reheats the ramen and returns to feeding him. And the two keep the conversation lighter, talking about some new drama they watched, in the hopes of keeping Yunho from getting too overwhelmed again.

It has an adverse effect. As he eats, he droops, and after half the bowl, he decides he’s done. “Here, take these.” More meds from Seonghwa, but Yunho doesn’t even look at them all, just takes them two at a time as Seonghwa gives them to him. And after a few moments, he rests again.

“Comfy, Yunho?” Wooyoung asks him softly.

“I feel like… every time I close my eyes, I get sleepy.” Yunho’s begun mumbling. He’s exhausted.

Seonghwa just laughs. “Then rest, silly.”

And he does, knowing that even if he doesn’t say what’s wrong, he knows his team will find out. And they’ll care for him. Curled up to Wooyoung’s side, Yunho sleeps just a little easier.

[whats-k-popping]

Hello! For the prompt list, could you write 5 & 49 with Seonghwa as the sick one and San as the caretaker? I love their brotherly dynamic~ Thank you!

I'm so sorry this request is about 9 months old! If you're still here, anon, I hope you enjoy this fic. I really did enjoy writing it and I love the dynamic between these two!

Pairing: Seonghwa x San - platonic intentions, but read as you please

Prompts: "Try and get some food down. Anything" || "Sorry. I'm… I'm really dizzy" 

Words Count: 2489

Warnings: Illness || Emeto || Graphic Descriptions of Sickness

San doesn't usually wake up in the middle of the night. He has a very thorough nightly routine that he completes meticulously each evening. He spends upwards of an hour in the bathroom each night, completing his skin care and dental care and emptying himself of anything that might disturb his precious hours of uninterrupted sleep. He swears by this routine. Sleeping in his own bed is a luxury these days, so he doesn't even want to waste 1 precious minute on something as trivial as using the bathroom. 

So he's naturally disgruntled when he wakes in the middle of the night unable to quickly doze back to sleep. Despite his nightly rituals, he still finds himself having to pee at half past 3 in the morning. He blames it on drinking Mingi's leftover coffee. Can't let precious caffeine go to waste either. He only feels a hint of remorse. 

Begrudgingly, he throws the covers off of himself and hustles down to the bathroom. If he's quick, he might be able to get it done without losing the fuzzy feeling of sleep. In and out, then back to sleep. That's the plan. 

That plan comes to a screeching halt when he enters the bathroom to find Seonghwa draped across the toilet seat, skin white as a ghost. And if the sight isn't enough of a clue, there's an overpowering stench of vomit lingering in the air. 

"Hwa-hyung!" San exclaims. He stands petrified in the doorway, like he's awaiting further instruction. He's not really sure what he's supposed to do. Seonghwa is the caretaker of the group, how is he supposed to take care of him. 

Seonghwa lifts his head to look at San, a pained expression on his face and a vacant look in his eyes. He shushes the younger, "You'll-" He cuts himself off with a nauseous burp, "You'll wake Mingi."

Of course, even draped helplessly over the only toilet in their apartment, looking minutes away from comatose, Seonghwa is still thinking about the others. San clicks his tongue. And Mingi, of all people, a historically heavy sleeper. The building could be mid-demolition and he'd be none the wiser. "No I won't," San says confidently. Still he lowers his voice just for good measure. 

The remnants of sleep are gone and he's on high alert now. He knows he won't be able to go back to sleep knowing that his hyung is feeling so miserably unwell. So he enters the small bathroom and closes the door behind him for privacy. He also turns on the bathroom fan, to hopefully ventilate some of the smell out of the room. 

"Don't come any closer, San-ah." Seonghwa stops mid-command to gag. It's unnaturally loud, echoing in the now sealed room, but unproductive. "I might be contagious." 

"I don't care." San replies without thinking, like it's the most natural response in the world. "You need help." 

Seonghwa shakes his head, not making any eye-contact with the younger. "I can take care of myself." He says in such a way that San can't help but be skeptical. "You're younger than me. I'm not your responsibility." 

"You're my hyung," San stands his ground, already resolved to help Seonghwa. At least through the night, he can let Hongjoong know in the morning and they can work out a more long-term plan from there. "And my family is my responsibility." 

Seonghwa looks like he has another objection queued up, but before he can respond he bows his head into the toilet bowl when the formerly unproductive gag returns. This time, a slurry of sick pours out his open mouth. The oldest whimpers and moans as he stomach convulses to get every last drop out of him. 

San notices it's mostly clear and speculates that Seonghwa has been throwing up for so long that he's empty. Since they all ate the same thing, he concludes it's likely a stomach bug, not a lone case of food poisoning. While Seonghwa continues to stare into the bowl, San takes the opportunity to approach his hyung. He crouches down next to him and runs a hand along his back, "You're okay. Get it out. That's good." He whispers sweet reassurances until the episode is over. 

All the tension leaves Seonghwa's body at once, leaving him slack against the toilet seat. San's hand on his back distracts him from the cramping in his stomach, so for now he stops trying to shoo the younger away. The attention actually feels kind of nice, reminds him of home, of being the youngest in the family. Reminds him of how much he misses it. 

The porcelain seat is cold, but San's body is teeming with warmth. He craves that warmth, the comfort that comes with physical contact. It's more alluring than the ceramic bowl. It takes way more effort than it should, but he pushes himself off the toilet seat and into San's open arms. 

San sees Seonghwa's intention and helps him settle in, wrapping his arms comfortingly around his hyung. He uses just enough pressure so that he's hugging, but not squeezing. "Poor hyung, you really must not be feeling well." He soothes, pressing a kiss to Seonghwa's sweaty temple.  

Seonghwa whines, a long drawn out sound that might be an affirmative. He mumbles something about "hurt" and "cold" but all the words are muffled against San's shoulder. 

"C'mon, why don't we get you back to bed?" San suggests. He contemplates getting his hyung in the shower, but decides against it given the elder's weak state. Maybe when some of his energy returns, he'll push for a shower. 

"Couch," Seonghwa counters. 

San's eyebrow raises in curiosity, "You don't want to sleep in your bed. It's much more comfortable than the couch." He recommends, "If you're still worried about waking Mingi, don't be. His door is closed." 

Seonghwa shakes his head the tiniest bit. If San hadn't been critically analyzing his hyung's every movement, he would have missed it. "Not about Mingi," Seonghwa insists. His eyes start to water and his lower lip quivers. "Please, just couch." He begs through a sob. 

Though San doesn't totally understand why, he can tell it's a sensitive topic and surrenders. "Okay, okay," he hushes, "I'll take you to the couch. I'll set up a nice, soft blanket for you and get you extra pillows. Okay, how does that sound?" Seonghwa does like the sound of that, he affirms it with a small "mmhm." 

San pushes Seonghwa away just long enough to stand up on his own. Once he's on his feet, he holds out a hand to his hyung, "Can you stand?" 

Seonghwa holds the outstretched hand, squeezing it with all the might he can muster. He uses his other hand to hold into the edge of the sink, trying to get himself up. He makes it onto his knees, but can't make it any further. With a sniffle, he shakes his head sadly at his dongsaeng. 

San doesn't question it or force anything more from his hyung. He simply steps in and helps Seonghwa to his feet, shouldering much of his hyung's weight onto himself. "There we go, wanna try walking?" When Seonghwa doesn't object, San takes a tentative step forward, out of the bathroom. Seonghwa follows on wobbling knees. 

They make it to the entrance of the living room area when Seonghwa nearly throws himself against the wall. He clings to the wall, slowly sliding down until he's on the floor, head pressed against the wall. San crawls next to him, "What's wrong?" 

"Sorry, I'm… I feel really dizzy." He explains his sudden transition to the floor. "I just need a minute." 

There's a cold hand pressed against Seonghwa's forehead, something to focus on that will hopefully make his world stop spinning. Even with his eyes closed, he feels like he's riding a carousel at 160 kph. "You're burning up." The younger gasps like this is new information. Seonghwa has known of the fever for hours. "And you're probably dehydrated too. We've gotta get some liquid in you." 

A panic shoots through San as he scans the room, hoping that by some miracle someone might be there to help him. But he knows deep down that it's a lost cause. It's still the middle of the night. And the only other person in the apartment is sound asleep. So it's all up to him. "Stay here, okay?" He encourages, "I'm gonna get stuff ready for you." 

Seonghwa just nods, hand resting on his bloated stomach. Without San's cool hand to ground him, his mind is back to whirling around the carousel. He presses his head against the wall and whimpers until San's return. He has no way of knowing if seconds, minutes, or hours pass in his misery. 

San can hear Seonghwa's lonely cries as he passes through the apartment. He starts in the kitchen, setting on a kettle for tea and rummaging through the mostly barren cabinets, swearing up and down that he'd seen a sleeve of crackers lying untouched just a few days ago. When the crackers don’t turn up, San whispers out a curse and peers around for something else that would be easy on his hyung’s stomach. A bowl of jook would be ideal, but that will take a long time to prepare. Seonghwa needs nutrients now. 

He creates a tray of snacks, containing stray food they had in the apartment. He slices up every kind of fruit he could find, microwaves an instant noodle cup and set the flavor packet aside, and he borrowed one of Mingi’s favorite jello cups. San pours the whistling kettle over a peppermint tea bag and allows it to steep for only 1 minute, not wanting the tea to be too strong. Then he adds an electrolyte drink to the tray for good measure before carrying it out to the coffee table. 

He passes through the corridor again, paying Seonghwa little mind. It seems the older has started to drift off as he rested against the wall. San figures it just buys him time to finish setting up the living room. He takes a quick detour to his hyung's room to gather some additional supplies. 

Upon entering the room, San's hit with the smell of vomit. It doesn't take him long to notice the shallow pool of vomit beside the bed. He follows the trail up and sees another small puddle among the bedsheets. It's suddenly abundantly clear why Seonghwa was so adamant about not returning to his room, feeling too sickly to face the mess he'd made at some earlier point in the night. 

He decides to leave the mess for now, recentering his goal of getting Seonghwa nourished, medicated, and rested. He pulls out some fresh clothes for his hyung, figuring that his current outfit is either sweat soaked or vomit stained. Likely a putrid combination of both. 

He forgoes stealing the blankets off Seonghwa's bed and opts to take the bedding from his own room. But he makes sure to pick up Seonghwa’s Star Wars blanket for some familiarity and comfort. It's a child sized blanket. It hardly covers his torso effectively. But it's a great comfort to Seonghwa, especially when he's feeling sick or overly tired. 

Once San spreads out all the blankets to cover the scratchy fabric of the couch, he returns to find his hyung dozed off right where he's left him. He nudges the older awake. “Hwa-hyung, wake up.” He whispers, “You shouldn't sleep here.” 

Ever the light sleeper, Seonghwa rouses, though he immediately resumes his whimpers. “don't wanna get up.” A sob dies out in the back of his throat, “don't feel good.”

“I know you don't hyung,” San sympathizes, “but I have some things set up that will make you feel better.” He doesn't allow time for Seonghwa to refute before he's helping the older man to his feet and guiding him to the couch. 

Seonghwa's whole weight falls onto the couch, ready to sleep as soon as his head hits the pillow that San had laid out for him. He draws the Star Wars blanket close to his face and lets out a relaxed sigh. It feels like home. 

“No, not just yet hyung.” San nearly shouts just to get his hyung's attention. “First, try and get some food down.” He gestures to the options displayed on the coffee table. “Anything, please.” 

“Sannie, my stomach hurts” The older man slurs. “I don't think I can eat anything.” 

“Hyung,” San's voice morphs into a gentle scolding tone. “You need to eat something.” 

“No!” Seonghwa whimpers. “I just need to sleep.” 

“You know if the roles were reversed, you'd be trying to make me eat something.” San doesn't back down, despite his hyung's bratty behavior. He gives up on asking, opting to use a bit more force. He picks up the electrolyte drink and points the straw to Seonghwa’s lips. “take a sip.” 

When Seonghwa opens his mouth to refuse, the straw slides between his lips. He manages three small sips before he pushes the straw out of his mouth. “Cold.” He whines. 

“How about some tea, it's nice and warm by now.” San replaces the drink bottle with the tea cup. “Sit up a bit, I'll help you.” 

Seonghwa finally does as he's told. Propping himself up enough so San can tip the cup against his lips. The tea is warm, sends a wave of comfort through his chilled limbs. And the weak peppermint flavor coats his bubbling stomach. Still, he pushes San away before he's finished the cup. He just found this new comfort, he doesn't want to risk it by filling up too fast. 

San sets the cup down, “jello or apples?” He offers, figuring that the noodles may be too much for his hyung's stomach right now. He's not ecstatic, but he's satisfied with the amount of liquid Seonghwa managed to take but just wants a few bites of food in him as well.

He decides on the jello, likely a result of his natural sweet tooth winning out. San spoon feeds him an astounding five bites before he purses his lips and puts a hand on his stomach. “Done.” The sick man insists. 

“Okay,” San confirms. “Take a little medicine, then you can sleep again.” 

Seonghwa nods and takes the pills San hands him. He only sips a bit more of the electrolyte drink to force the pills down. And finally, he lays back down, settling into the couch and curling himself into a small ball. “You'll stay?” He looks pitifully at San. 

“Of course, hyung. I'll stay.” He leans against the front of the couch, resting his head on his hyung's thigh. 

“Thanks, Sannie.” Seonghwa’s breathing starts to even out as sleep overtakes him, “for taking such good care of me.” 

“Sleep well, Hwa.” San also starts to drift back to sleep, the adrenaline of the past hour finally dying down.

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

A/N: Sorry again for another long absence in sharing fics. I have a few more request fics I'm actively working on and some original ideas I want to flesh out. I know my motivations have been wavering, but I'll get through them in time. I'm finally starting to feel more like myself again, so hopefully, I'll get out of this funk soon. But I make no promises to timing. Just know that I'm still here, still writing as I'm able to. Please accept this overdue Ateez fic as a token of my gratitude.

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. And please call me out for any errors you notice!

🧡 Aki

[kalisbaby]

Seonghwa's IG story 12/1/2024

[yunwooz]

230617 ©️ hongj1998ng

[cheollipop]

i was busy rewatching the mv like three times sorry but we know sounds fucking amazing im ascending

[kimjoongie]

I'm not doing fine.

[feverishly-kpop]

Ateez - Nauseous at Work Vignettes - 2/8 - Seonghwa

Seonghwa had been worried about Wooyoung when he put him to bed the night prior after the two of them had gone out drinking. They didn’t have schedules the following morning, but the thought of looking after a hungover dongsaeng the following morning was not necessarily how Seonghwa had hoped to spend his day off.

So it came as a surprise to him when he was shaken awake by Wooyoung, who was already dressed and looking completely well.

“Hyung, the photo shoot got moved up to today” Wooyoung said with some urgency. “There’s a huge storm coming tomorrow so they moved it up.”

Seonghwa nodded, his head aching as he did so. He glanced up at Wooyoung, who had easily downed twice as much soju than Seonghwa himself and had to be carried home on Seonghwa’s back.

Damn him.

“No hyung, please don’t close your eyes again. Hongjoong-hyung is all worked up trying to get everybody up and out within the next half hour” Wooyoung pleaded with him, shaking his shoulder again.

“Okay, okay I’m getting up” Seonghwa said, the volume of his own voice coming out far too loud despite being hardly above a whisper. Wooyoung seemed to notice Seonghwa wince as he sat up, offering him an understanding smile as he pulled out some clothes for his hyung.

“Are you feeling okay?” Seonghwa questioned, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to dull the pain settling behind them. Wooyoung nodded in response, stepping out for just a moment before returning with a few pain tablets and a bottle of water.

“I’m fine, hyung. Sorry I was so…messy…last night.” Guilt seeped into Wooyoung’s timid apology as he realized how unwell Seonghwa was feeling after he had spent the last hour of their night sitting with Wooyoung, rubbing his back and offering him sips of water after round of sick.

Seonghwa smiled in response as he swallowed his tablets. “It’s okay, Wooyoungie, I’m just glad you’re feeling better this morning. I’m sure I will be too once the meds kick in.”

*~*~*~*~*~

Seonghwa did not feel better once the meds kicked in. Hell, he wasn’t even sure that they had kicked in at all. He did his best to keep the discomfort he was feeling to himself, not wanting to add additional stress to what was already a very stressful day for Hongjoong. This was one of the more complicated shoots they’d done and the fact that it was so suddenly pushed forward had the captain on edge. He didn’t need Seonghwa’s hangover to further complicate things.

He could sense Wooyoung’s eyes on him throughout the shoot. Luckily it was not physically taxing in any way, but his outfit was heavy and uncomfortable, and much too tight around his waist with his stomach, making the nausea that was beginning to set in that much worse.

They had just about finished with group shots when the photographer announced that they’d do individual shots next and that Seonghwa would be first.

Seonghwa did his best. He really did.

The hot sun overhead did nothing to help his pounding head and looming nausea. He knew if he waited any longer, he’d have an embarrassing mess on his hands. After making the split second decision, he bowed quickly to the photographer, muttering something about the washroom, before he stumbled off the set.

Wooyoung noticed immediately and instantly dropped the snack bar he had been eating to race to Seonghwa’s side.

“Wooyoung-ah” he managed to gasp between heavy breaths. “I’m going to be sick.”

With that, Wooyoung pulled off the long jacket he had been wearing, using it as a makeshift curtain to give Seonghwa some privacy as he doubled over, immediately regretting every bit of food and drink he had consumed in the last 24 hours.

“This is so embarrassing” Seonghwa whined once he felt like he had finished for the time being. Wooyoung didn’t respond, more focused on finding some solitude and shade for his hyung.

“I’m sure they got plenty of good shots to use. You were just about done when…” Wooyoung’s voice faded off, not wanting to rehash any details unnecessarily.

Seonghwa nodded before adding weakly, “I’m just so nauseous still. But Woo, you don’t need to stay. I’ll just close my eyes for a little while to see if it’ll pass…”

Wooyoung signed, brushing Seonghwa’s hair from his face. “Hyung, you took care of me last night. Let me return the favor so we can call it even.”

[k-sickies]

Hiii for your drabble prompts, could you do #3 with Seonghwa as the sickie and Hongjoong as the caretaker? The not wanting to lay on the floor sounds very Seonghwa like as soon as I read it haha. Thank u~

Warning: passing out

"Hyung? Are you okay?" Hongjoong asked.

Seonghwa smiled softly "Yeah. I'm fine." 

Hongjoong didn't believe him and he had every right too. Seonghwa was pale and his hands were shaking. His every move was slow and sluggish. To be honest Seonghwa didn't feel so good. He felt hot and cold at the same time. It felt like he was swimming and his ears were ringing. While dancing he stumbled to the side. He leaned against the wall to support himself. His eyes focused on the ground. Everything was blurry but still the whole room was spinning. He felt like passing out. Hongjoong was quick by his Hyungs side. He grabbed him by the waist and pulled him over to the bench. 

"Hey? Hyung? Can you hear me?" Hongjoong asked, his voice laced with worry. 

Seonghwa nodded. The action making the dizziness worse. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Only to open it to see a bottle of coke in front of him.

"Take a few sips?" 

"No. Just give me a minute." Seonghwa said. 

Hongjoong tried again but to no use. His Hyung just wouldn't take a sip from the coke. Hongjoong was a bit overwhelmed with the situation. Not really knowing what to do but he couldn't possibly force his Hyung to drink something. Maybe he is right and he would feel better in a bit. 

A few minutes later Seonghwa decided that he felt good enough to continue dancing. He didn't feel better it was just that the dizziness wasn't as bad anymore. It was still there but it subtled down a bit. However, it didn't took long for the dizziness to overtake again. He turned his body. Moving to the rhythm of the music. Staying in beat. Turned again and suddenly his side met the wall. He tried to hold himself up. The whole room spinning. His breath laboured. He was sweating a bunch but still he was shaking so bad that it seemed like a tiny breeze could knock him over. 

"Hwa? Hyung? Seonghwa Hyung?" Hongjoong called out. 

Seonghwa couldn't hear him. His ears ringing. His mouth couldn't form any words. All the could feel was how the room kept spinning and his knees wobble underneath him.

"H-Hyung?" By now Hongjoong was full on panicking. He doesn't know what to do. He felt so scared. He was never in such situation and now he was all alone with his Hyung. The situation overwhelmed him. Hongjoong pulled on his hair. He had a few tears in his eyes. "Fuck." He cursed.

The leader wrapped one arm around Seonghwas waist. "Work with me, okay? I will lay you down now" 

Seonghwa shook his head.

"I'll help you, don't worry." Hongjoong tried to sound as gentle as possible.

"It's dirty." Seonghwa could manage 

"What?" Hongjoong asked in confusion. 

"The floor.." The older mumbled again.

Now Hongjoong understood him. The older doesn't want to lay on the floor because it's dirty. If Hongjoong wouldn't have been so overwhelmed he would have laughed but right now he couldn't. 

"It's okay, just lay down, will you?"

By now Seonghwa had lost all his colour. He was pale as a ghost and shaking badly. Still he was stubborn enough to not lay down. "No..no one cleaned it. I don't wan' to.." he said, his words becoming slurred. 

"Fuck, Hyung!" Hongjoong cursed. 

The leader didn't know what to do so the best thing that came in his mind was to lift up the older and carry him like a bride over to the bench. There he laid him down as carefully as possible. The leader took off his jacket and placed it underneath Seonghwas head. Then he quickly went over to grab the coke and offered it to Seonghwa. The older was so out of it he couldn't hold the bottle by himself. Hongjoong helped him take a few sips. Seonghwa was conscious and his breathing slowly returned to normal again. His face slowly getting more colour.

Temporary relief took over the leader and he sat down on the ground next to the bench. He hid his face in his hands and took a deep breath. Tears formed in the corner of his eyes. He just needed a second to gather his thoughts. He was so overwhelmed by the situation. He doesn't know what would have happened if his Hyung really would have passed out. He felt so scared and small. Even noe he doesn't know what to do. Should he call someone? Should he wait? What was he supposed to do? Hongjoong leaned his hand back and stroked his hair out of his face. Stressed about the situation he took another deep breath.

Suddenly there was a hand wiping a tear from his cheek. He looked up only to meet his Hyung smiling softly at him.

"I'm okay, don't worry too much." Seonghwa mumbled.

"You're not..you almost passed out…" Hongjoong said as took a deep breath. "You gave me a real scare." He said as he reached out to hold his Hyungs hand. 

"I'm Sorry. I didn't realize it would get this bad." Seonghwa admitted. Feeling guilty to give the leader such a scare. "Can we go home?" 

Hongjoong smiled softly and nodded. "We will as soon as you can stand up."

[maximura]

Ateez for Elle Singapore (October 2023)

[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.

[joong-tori]

y’all this comeback has me going FERAL and i’m abt to be going ✨🌶️SLOW IT DOWN MAKE IT BOUNCY 지금부터 FLY🌶️✨ forever until the end of time i’m so serious