No one’s POV.:

Hyunjin had already been feeling a little off after dinner the previous night. The food wasn’t sitting right and he even made himself a cup of tea, something he never did, before bed to help his stomach settle. His success was mediocre, his stomach still aching by the time he went to bed but it wasn’t bad enough to keep him awake. As the morning rolled around though, he woke up with a foul taste in his mouth and found his stomach hurting worse. Thinking he’d be fine once he had some water and maybe a small bite for breakfast to settle his stomach, Hyunjin rolled out of bed and shuffled to the bathroom to get ready. He struggled to brush his teeth, almost gagging on his toothbrush, but he really wanted to get rid of the bad taste. In the end, the dancer mainly relied on mouthwash to solve the problem and splashed some cold water in his face, sighing when he felt a little more alive afterwards.

Yawning as he trudged to the kitchen, Hyunjin almost ran into Jisung, who looked just as out of it as he himself felt. The two exchanged a sleepy greeting and joined Chan and Changbin, who were just making themselves breakfast. Chan didn’t comment on his dongsaengs’ disheveled appearances, well aware that neither of the two ever had an easy time waking up and would be grumpy if approached before they had the chance to properly wake up. Instead he exchanged a look with Changbin, the rapper chuckling at their typical morning antics. As he dished his food, Changbin noticed Hyunjin only grabbing himself some water and no food, which made the older frown. “Are you not going to eat anything, Hyunjin-ah?”, the rapper asked carefully, afraid of getting a snappy rely this early in the day. Sipping his drink, Hyunjin smiled: “I’ll toast some bread in a moment, just want to wake my stomach up first. I know what Minho-hyung has planned for today’s dance practice, so I don’t want to risk upsetting my stomach.” – “Please tell me it won’t be that bad”, Jisung groaned, stirring his cereal. The dancer only gave him a pained smile and Jisung knew, today would be intense.

As he had told Changbin he would, Hyunjin nibbled a slice of toast after finishing his water and decided that would have to do for now, eating more certainly wouldn’t end well. He dreaded having to dance today but he knew there was no getting out of it, at least not without telling his friends what was going on. Aside from the stomach ache and a faint hint of nausea, Hyunjin felt normal, so he didn’t want to worry his group unnecessarily and decided to just push through the discomfort, figuring it would go away eventually. That was what he told himself as they met up with the rest of the group and headed to the company building to start their day-long dance practice.

“Are you feeling alright, hyung?”, Felix asked quietly as the two of them stretched together, “You look a little pale to me.” Hyunjin’s muscles ached at the pull and he winced: “I’m alright, Lixxie. Just a little sleepy still.” The Aussie wasn’t sure whether he should buy this explanation or not but decided to let it slide for now. Stretching only made Hyunjin aware of how stiff and achy he was this morning but was that really a surprise? He wasn’t on top of his game and it was showing. Minho was the next to notice something was off. He had made the choreography together with his dongsaeng and knew how sharp and energetic the younger’s moves had been the last time they had gone over it but today was nothing like it. Hyunjin’s moves were slightly off beat and sluggish. He was trying not to jostle his stomach too much, the nausea only growing since he had eaten breakfast. Nudging his arm, Felix handed the older his water bottle as he still felt his friend was too pale to be healthy. Though Hyunjin didn’t feel like putting anything in his stomach, he took a few tentative sips to appease his dongsaeng and cringed at the wet gurgle coming from his stomach.

Minho was explaining the next few steps, wanting Hyunjin who had come up with that sequence to demonstrate it but the younger was spaced out and barely even heard him talking: “…Hyunj-“ – “C-Can I go to t-the bathroom”, Hyunjin choked out, feeling his mouth water. Though taken aback, Minho nodded before demonstrating the new moves himself as the practice room door slammed shut behind his dongsaeng. As soon as he was out of sight from his group, Hyunjin broke into a jog, hand clasped firmly over his mouth as he forced himself to breathe steadily through his nose. His stomach surely was more than a little upset now and the movement of him running didn’t help with that at all. Gagging wetly into his hand, the dancer shouldered the restroom door open and made it to the toilet just in time as his stomach clenched. The few sips of water he had forced down leaked out between his fingers and he removed his trembling hand from his lips, glancing at them in disgust before pitching forward with a productive retch.

Throwing up again, Hyunjin let himself sink into a crouch, his soiled hand hovered over the toilet bowl, while the other was wrapped protectively around his middle. The strain made his head pound but now that it had started, it was tough to swallow back the gags. A single tear ran down the dancer’s flushed cheek as he heaved, his stomach cramping up uselessly. He was panting but nothing came up anymore, so he reached for the toilet paper and wiped his lips before cleaning his hand as best as he could. Hyunjin knew he should go wash his hands but getting up seemed impossible right now. “Hyung?” Hyunjin looked up startled. He hadn’t heard the door open but he could recognize Felix’ voice anywhere. The Aussie had gotten more worried the longer his friend stayed away, so he eventually decided to follow him to make sure he’s alright. Finding the older crouched on the floor, didn’t help ease his worries as he could clearly smell the stench of vomit. “Did you-“, Felix started but cut himself off as he glanced at the toilet before flushing it. He had his answer. Looking up at the Aussie with teary eyes, Hyunjin rasped: “I don’t feel good.”

Felix took a seat next to his friend on the floor and carefully detangled the other’s hair tie from his hair. “I can tell you don’t”, the younger hummed sympathetically, running his fingers through Hyunjin’s sweaty hair, “You haven’t been feeling well all day, have you?” The older shook his head, his eyes closed as he took a deep breath. His stomach was still cramping. It was tempting to rest his aching head on Felix’ shoulder but he knew he’d have to wash his hand soon, the thought almost making him gag again. “Co-Could you h-help me up?”, Hyunjin asked shakily, “I- really need to wash my hands.” – “If you’re not too dizzy…”, the Aussie agreed, putting the hair tie around his wrist, so he’d have his hands free.

Hooking his arm under Hyunjin’s, Felix pulled the older to his feet, concerned when he swayed for a moment. It took them a while to brave the few steps to the sink and Felix kept his arms around his hyung’s waist, while the older washed his hands, becoming painfully aware of how hard they were shaking. Hyunjin felt his stomach turn and whimpered, his wet hands, clutching the edge of the sink as he lurched forward with a retch, his throat straining. Cursing under his breath, Felix removed his arms from the other’s waist and hurriedly gathered his hair, so it wouldn’t get in the way. The Aussie messily tied it into a bun at the back of Hyunjin’s head, rubbing his hyung’s back as the older got sick in the sink. “You’re okay”, Felix whispered sympathetically, patting Hyunjin’s back when he choked.

The spell was over after a few more dry heaves and Hyunjin weakly slumped into his dongsaeng’s side, the younger catching him around the waist and easing him down on the tiled floor. Silent tears made their way down Hyunjin’s cheeks and Felix gently rested his palm against his friend’s forehead, cooing: “Either you’re still warm from dancing or you’re running a fever. If you’ll be okay here on your own for a moment, I’ll go fetch your water bottle, yeah?” The older nodded, sniffling softly and wiping his eyes. Felix gave his shoulders a reassuring squeeze before straightening up and hurrying back to the practice room. Though his explanation was a rushed, the group got the gist and Chan allowed him to take Hyunjin home. Quickly throwing their belongings into their bags, Felix slung both bags over his shoulder and jogged back to the restroom, relieved when he found the older as he had left him. “Hey”, the Aussie smiled sadly, placing their bags down and handing Hyunjin his water bottle, “Chan-hyung said I can take you home and that I should tell you to feel better.” – “Thanks”, the older breathed, accepting the drink and taking a tiny sip.

Hyunjin was drained, a deep ache having settled in his limbs and an angry churning in his empty stomach. Still, he really wanted to get back to the dorm, to lay down and to maybe get some cuddles from his dongsaeng. He knew he shouldn’t, the Aussie would most likely catch whatever bug this was but his cuddles made everything so much better, at least to Hyunjin. When he felt ready to move, he allowed Felix to pull him to his feet and gripped the younger’s shoulders for support as his vision tilted for a moment. “You okay?”, the Aussie frowned, watching him pale. Blinking away the dark spots, Hyunjin nodded and leant into Felix’ side. He just wanted to be home.

It took them a while to get home and Hyunjin wasn’t sure his legs would carry him that far but he made it. Felix’ let them both into the dorm his hyungs shared and helped the older to his room before fetching a bucket from the closet of cleaning supplies. He might not live in this dorm but he easily knew his way around from how often he stayed over. Hyunjin so badly wanted to curl up right away but his clothes were drenched in sweat and even in his feverish state, he knew that was disgusting. Whining hoarsely, the dancer pulled the shirt over his head and Felix was quick to set the bucket down, so he could get him some fresh clothes. “Wait a second”, the younger instructed, dropping the fresh set of clothes onto the mattress before rushing off.

When he returned, Felix was carrying a warm wash cloth, smiling: “I figured you’d be too tired to shower but you’ll be more comfortable if we get some off the sweat off of you.” Hyunjin hummed in agreement, allowing his dongsaeng to wipe down his chest and back. The younger kept his touch light, well aware of how sensitive his friend tended to get when he wasn’t feeling well. Felix ran the wash cloth down Hyunjin’s arms before placing it onto the nightstand and helping the older into clean clothes. “The bucket is right next to you”, the Aussie informed as his hyung curled up under his blanket, “I’ll just throw this in the wash and make some tea. Do you need anything else?” – “You”, Hyunjin whispered barely audible, sounding so much younger. Removing the other’s hair tie, so he could run his fingers through his hair, Felix smiled: “I’ll be right back, yeah? Not leaving you to suffer on your own.” The older gave a soft hum in reply, closing his eyes as he waited for his friend to return.

Felix hurried, not wanting to leave Hyunjin alone for too long. He knew the other was technically older but he always got protective, when his hyung was sick or upset. The Aussie quickly brewed a cup of ginger tea and also grabbed an ice pack from the freezer before rushing back to Hyunjin’s room and placing the tea onto the nightstand. “Here, place this on your forehead”, Felix instructed, handing the older the icepack, “It should lower your fever and help with the headache.” – “Hmm, this isn’t comfy”, Hyunjin whined, shuffling around under the blanket. He had tried to find a comfortable position ever since Felix had left but his muscles were too sore for him to be successful. The Aussie cooed in sympathy, walking over to his hyung’s closet. He retrieved Hyunjin’s comfort blanket, that usually stayed in the closet until winter unless the dancer was sick and Felix figured, now would be the time to take it out.

Shooting upright in the bed, Gideon scrambled to get untangled from the sheets. Not even bothering to put his shoes on, he dashed for the door, sending a quick thanks to whoever put the automatic doors in the barracks, even though they were a pain at times.

Luckily, the men’s washrooms were only a couple hundred meters away, and being in the middle of the night, no one else was around to see Gideon’s frantic dash down the hall in his bare feet, wearing nothing but a pair of simple boxers. He’d never been so happy to see a toilet in his life as he threw himself down, leaning over the porcelain to throw up.

Collapsing wearily beside the toilet, Gideon took a few deep breaths, relieved that the pressure had resided slightly in his stomach. But he could almost hear the gurgling in his stomach, and quickly shifted to his knees again, ignoring the chill from the tiles.

This could be a long night.

*

Mitchell yawned as he walked down the hall. He should have gone to bed ages ago, but he had volunteered to start putting together the memorial tribute for Carter, and had been trying to get the website up and working for the last two hours. Mitchell didn’t know the man that well, but he also knew Gideon and Joker had been struggling the last couple of days with his passing, and hoped it might give them a small break from their grief.

Even with the urge to want to find every single KVA terrorist and make them pay for what they had done, including being the cause of Carter’s death, Mitchell still found he had a slight hop to his step, a bit of optimism that he hadn’t had for a long time.

About two weeks prior to the attack, Gideon had asked him out. The two of them had a great time at dinner, even ending with a make out session that left them both wanting more, but agreeing to take things slow. In Mitchell’s experience, slow could be a very, very good thing, and he was optimistic that once things settled down a bit, that they would be scheduling a second date for sure.

A slight smile at his plans for their next date, he was thinking they could maybe have fun at one of those vintage arcade locations, Mitchell turned the corner into the bathroom.

*

Gideon started as the bathroom door banged open, narrowly missing bonking his head off of the toilet paper dispenser. He had lost count of how many times he had thrown up, and he started hoping that his stomach could hold off until the other person was done, not wanting an audience. But when had anything gone right the last few days?

Gideon’s stomach violently rebelled, but the man no longer had anything to throw up. Choking out the bit of bile that remained, tears leaked out of Gideon’s eyes at the searing pain in his throat.

“Hey, do you need a hand?” A man asked outside of his stall, and it took Gideon longer than it should have to recognize the voice. It was Mitchell.

Gideon cringed, leaning away from the stall door. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see Mitchell, or that he was scared of him, but he didn’t want Mitchell seeing him like this. He had finally gotten up the nerve to ask Mitchell out on a date, with encouragement from Ilona and ribbing from Joker, and it had been a great night. But they had only been on one date, they weren’t really at the helping through sickness stage yet.

Gideon mentally crossed his fingers, hoping that his silence was enough of a response. Mitchell wasn’t one to walk away when someone needed help though, something that Gideon normally admired, but hated in the current situation.

“Look, I don’t want to leave you alone-” Mitchell started to say, opening up the door slowly only to freeze when he saw who was on the floor.

Gideon froze too, eyes darting to the floor, not wanting to see the look of disgust that was likely written across Mitchell’s face.

“Gideon, are you okay?” Mitchell asked, still not taking a step closer. “Wait, no stupid question. Let me get you some water.”

Gideon could hear his steps walk further away, and then the sound of water running. Then Mitchell reappeared, but this time he crouched down on the floor next to Gideon, a cup in hand. Mitchell must have seen Gideon’s hand tremble as he reached for the cup, because his hand wrapped around Gideon’s, helping tip the cup up for him to take a couple sips and then back down again.

While not very cold, the water was still refreshing, and it was all Gideon could do to stop himself from chugging down the rest of the cup. If Mitchell would let him of course. The two sat there for several more minutes in silence, Mitchell helping him with the cup when he wanted another sip.

“If you think you’re okay to move, I can help you back to your room,” Mitchell offered, breaking the silence. “Or, I can go get Ilona to help, if you’d like someone else here,” he added, his voice breaking a bit on the words ‘someone else’.

Gideon shook his head, his hand darting out to grab Mitchell’s wrist, failing to realize that it was Mitchell’s left hand and not his right that he was holding onto. “Stay,” Gideon croaked, feeling mortified, but pushing aside his embarrassment. His embarrassment paled in comparison to making Mitchell feel unwanted. “Sorry,” he couldn’t help but add, his head starting to tilt in the direction of the toilet, Gideon no longer having enough energy to keep his body upright.

But Gideon could feel Mitchell’s hand on his cheek, then on his shoulders as Mitchell maneuvered him into his arms, Gideon’s head now resting against his chest. His bare chest, Gideon briefly registered before another cramp reminded him of the current situation.

“Nothing to be sorry about,” Mitchell said softly, placing his free hand gently on Gideon’s head, his fingers lightly brushing through his hair. Gideon leaned into the sensation, throwing any remaining unease into the wind as he closed his eyes, letting himself be soothed.

“Fine you want to do it this way” Gale growled, stalking froward as Nova leaned relaxed back against the wall.  

As the group in front of them looked over at Nova, he just shrugged.  “Don’t fucking look at me, you piece of shit” he said “You're the morons that fucked up”

“McClain...” the one guy said “You’ve been gone for a while....  people have started to wonder what’s going on”

Nova rolled his eyes.  

“What...  Were you worried?” he asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Gale stopped in front of the group.  “Focus here” he said, “Now...  You either pay what you owe us, or I’m going to start breaking bones”

“Be nice, Gale” Nova said with a smirk from behind, he was starting to feel a bit light headed.  There was no way that he was going to let anyone see it.  

“I am” Gale said before he punched the man in front of him.  

“There we go...” Nova said with a sigh “Let’s see who fucking wins this fight”

Gale had sworn him to death, not to get involved with the fighting.  So he just stayed leaning against the wall and watched everything.  His one hand clenched and relaxed every now and then.  

Quickly his eyes followed everything that’s going on.  Clearly Gale could handle it on his own.  

Something caught Nova’s eyes and he pushed himself away from the wall.  The scowl on his face became deeper and he flicked his wrist like he was reaching for his power.  

The seal in his side pulsed for a moment.  

His eyes snapped back to Gale and the fight.  It only took him a second before he jumped into action.  His power rushed through him, burning through the seal.  

Within the blink of an eye his hand shot out, two of the guys that tried to sneak up to Gale, got thrown back.

His brother ignored the interruption.  

Nova’s legs almost gave in beneath him as the pain ripped through his side.  He caught himself on the wall, gasping for breath.  

His eyes flickered to Gale just in time to one of the men press something into his back.  

As he watch his brother convulsed.  It took him only a second to realize that they were shocking him electricity.  Fury ran through him. 

Why didn’t he notice it?

He usually knows when they have someone with an ability or power.  This time he did not pick up on anything.

“Stop right there, Nova” the guy that grabbed Gale snapped.

Nova glared at the man, keeping his expression in an annoyed scowl.  “The fuck you want?” he snarled.

“If you keep that up...  We’ll hurt your brother” the man said.

“Give me my money and I wouldn’t keep fighting you” Nova snapped annoyed.  His eyes flashing as he glanced at Gale.  

The man that electrocuted Gale, now had him turned around so he had to look at Nova.  Gale’s eyes locked with Nova, giving his brother a slight nod.  It was clear that Nova did not like what was happening.  Both of them knew the rules.  Neither of them liked the rules.  

As Nova watched, the man started sending electricity through Gale again.  After a few more second Gale stopped convulsing, sinking to his knees as he gasped.

A soft growl sounded from Nova.  His hand shot out, an uncontrollable blast of power hit one of the men.  The blast threw the man to the ground, ripping him apart.  

“Give me... my FUCKING... money” he growled.

This time Gale bit back scream as the man holding him, started sending more electricity through him.  

“Back of and we’ll let your brother go” the first guy yelled at Nova, his eyes flickering to the body on the ground.

Nova sighed, pulling his hand through his hair.  “You are fucking stupid, aren’t you” he said “Just kill him already.... Because I’m not stopping until I get my fucking money.  So who is going to last..?”

The men stared at him.  

“You are willing to let you brother die... for money?” the leader asked.  

Nova smirked at them.  “Oh....” he asked, tilting his head slightly as he stepped forward, lifting his hand towards one of the other men “Do we really have to fucking do this?”

He tried to block out the sound of Gale’s struggling breath.  

“You are one sick bastard” the leader of the men said. 

Nova snorted, before flicking one finger at the man.  A concentrated blast of power ripped through another man’s chest.  

“Oops...” Nova said “My hand slipped”

“...stop... teasing them...” Gale’s voice whispered in his mind and Nova took a deep breathe, rolling his eyes.  

The man clenched his jaw as he glared at Nova.  Immediately the other man send more electrical currents through Gale, making his brother scream.  Without warning the scream cut off.  

Nova’s eyes snapped towards Gale.  For a moment his mismatched eyes focused on his brother’s limp body.  Slowly his eyes lifted to where the remaining men were.   

He could feel the seal starting to burn in his side.  

It hurt.  

The feeling shot up into his head.  His vision blurred and he could hear a voice talking.  

“Give me... the fucking....money....” Nova snarled through the pain.

“...what’s going on...?” one of the men gasped, stepping back.

“What the hell?”

“STOP THAT!”

“What are you doing?”

“Are you trying to kill everyone here?”

“What the...?”

Nova growled at the men and the sudden on slaughter of thoughts going through his head.  He winced at the pain, but managed to push it back.  

“SHUT THE FUCK UP” he snarled at the people.  

“You bastard...” the leader said, backing away from him, his eyes flickering to the others “Kill him...”

Gale’s scream echoed through the air.  

Nova felt his power ripping from his control.  His vision went white.  He could feel the blood on his hand.  Pain ripping through him from the seal in his side.  

“...mi...”

“...va...”

“....ova...”

“Dominic...”

Nova sank to his knees, gasping for breath.  It took a moment before he managed to get his vision to focus.  

“Hey.... Nova....”

Slowly he managed to look over... at the voice.  It took a moment before his eyes focused on the figure.  It took a moment before he recognized Gale.

“..Holland...” he whispered.  

“Hey....” Gale said softly.  

Nova stumbled over to his brother, kneeling next to him.  “...sorry...” he muttered “...you... alright?”

“Dami...” Gale said as he tried to sit up “You....”

“...I know...” Nova said, gasping for breathe “Get you... out”

Gale’s eyes rolled back again as he went limp.  

“No no no....” Nova whispered, feeling panic for a moment.  He stayed frozen for a moment before he just closed his eyes, pulling on his power for a second time “Gale...  we’re.. going home...”

For a moment his eyes over Gale.  His brother was already 1.7 and he barely made it to 1.6.  As he moved, he noticed the blood on his hand and just stared it for a second, like he was trying to figure out where it came from.  

Swallowing, he turned his attention back to Gale.  His eyes flickered over Gale, before checking on his brother’s vitals.  When he was sure that Gale was alright, he slowly moved, managing to lift Gale with the fireman’s carry.  

He gasped, his legs almost giving in beneath him.  

As his power rushed through him, pain followed immediately.  He stumbled, but managed to stay on his feet.  Holding on to his power, he shot up into the air, leaving a blood bath behind.  

***

Nova stumbled as he landed in front of the house, out of breath, gasping.  He kicked the door open. 

“Max....!” he called struggling to get enough air.  

Footsteps sounded from the gym and Max came running up the stairs towards them.  

“Dami... Gale!” the boy called out, before freezing in his steps “What happened?”

Nova gasped as he started stumbling towards the living room.  “..they.. tried to... back out...” he managed to say, before lowering Gale to the couch “Just... um.. just... bring... me the... first aid... bag....”

Max blinked at his brothers for a moment, before he nodded and quickly left.  

Nova sank to his knees, just to exhausted to stay up.  He pressed his hands over his seal in his side.  It hurt so badly.  

“Dami...” Max’s voice said as something was placed next to him.  

Flinching Nova looked up at the boy.  “Hey....” he muttered “It’s alright...  we just need to... give him that... medicine that Mom left”

Max nodded, his eyes flickering to the blood on Nova’s hands and clothes.  

“It’s... not mine....” Nova whispered.  

“Okay....” Max said as he quickly went through the bag, before handing Nova a syringe.  

Nova took a deep breath, before he gave Gale the injection.  It was a mix of medication that helps them heal, something their mother made just for them.  

“Did you... finish the mission?” Max asked.  

“No...” Nova muttered “We didn’t get paid...”

“Dad’s gonna be mad” 

“I know....” Nova said before looking over at Max “...I’ll take care of it...”

Gale groaned before his eyes flickered open.  “Dami...?” he moaned “Max?”

“We’re here” Max said with a slight smile.

Gale turned his head, before looking over at his brothers.  “You two... alright?” he asked.  

Nova nodded.  “Yeah....” he said “I’m just going to.... was my hands...”

With that he slowly got up and stumbled up the stairs and to the bathroom.  The world around him turned as he reached the top.  He took another step, before everything just disappeared and he crumbled to the ground.  

Gale and Max froze as they heard the thump from the stairs.

“Shit...” Gale swore, before he got to his feet.  

Max glanced at Gale and his brother nodded at him.  With that the boy ran to the stairs.  At the top, Nova lay on the floor, eyes closed, breathing a bit off.  

“Holland!” he called “He fainted!”

Gale cussed as he stumbled to the stairs.  

“Max...  open his door” he said as he picked up his brother “Damn idiot pushed it to far”

Max nodded and quickly opened Nova’s bedroom door, so Gale could carry him inside.  

“Is he going to be alright?” the boy asked.  

“I’m here-” Alya said, bursting through the trapdoor and throwing a bag over her shoulder onto the floor- “to help.” 

She looked around the room and huffed when she didn’t see Marinette on the futon, where she said she’d be. The bags were tossed on the uninhabited futon and Alya climbed up the ladder. 

There was a giant pile of blankets and pillows on the bed and Alya groaned at the thought of having to dig through the mountain. She tossed the blankets to the side to find Marinette hidden under a pile of scrap fabric and thread. 

Marinette’s face was pale and her nose and eyes were red. Alya sighed and rearranged the blankets on top of Marinette where they wouldn’t suffocate her. She climbed down the ladder and leaned against it, pulling her phone out of her back pocket. 

She clicked on Sabine’s contact and texted, “Just got here, she’s knocked out. When she wakes up, I’ll get her to drink some water.” 

While she waited for a text back, she unpacked her bag and did an article for the Ladyblog, and another for her astronomy blog, and thought about making another blog about all of her blogs, but decided against it. She scrolled through her phone and texted with Nino until a notification from Sabine appeared on her screen. 

“Thanks again for taking care of her. Tom and I should be back by tomorrow night. Feel free to anything in the fridge if you get hungry.” 

She sent a thumbs up back and shut her phone off, deciding to go downstairs to rummage through the cabinets for something to eat while Marinette hibernated. For the next few hours, Alya slowly ate a bag of dill pickle chips and texted with Nino. 

Finally, Marinette woke up and climbed out of bed. Loose fabric was tangled in her hair and thread stuck to her clothes, making her look like she’d come out of Alya’s grandma’s house. 

“Hey,” she mumbled as she stretched. “You didn’t have to come. I can take care of myself just fine.” she said. 

Alya hummed disbelievingly and watched as Marinette tried to drink out of the mug she kept her pencils in. The pencils clattered to the floor and Marinette looked at Alya. 

“This proves nothing.” 

Alya turned her computer off and looked through her bag for a powerade she’d thrown in before leaving her house that morning. She untwisted the cap and handed it to Marinette, who drank it without much complaint. 

“It’s just a cold. I’ll be fine by tomorrow. You can seriously go.” Marinette said once she finished the drink. 

“We’re due for a hang-out anyway. You’re always so busy with your extracurriculars that we haven't done anything in months.” She said. “Besides, I already unpacked.” 

~

No one’s POV.:

Seonghwa had felt fine all day, or well, at least for most of it. There had been a moment during their dance practice when he had suddenly flushed with heat and started to sweat more than he had before. It didn’t concern him much though, as they had been dancing for hours. This was probably just his body telling him it had had enough for the day. His head spun when he plopped down next to his bag, shakily uncapping his water bottle to take a sip. Yeah, it was really time for them to wrap things up. Hongjoong seemed to agree, announcing that they would only do two more run-throughs before packing up and heading home. Sometimes Seonghwa wondered if their leader was able to read minds or if he just knew all of them really well by now because Seonghwa wasn’t the only one looking drained. San and Wooyoung laid sprawled out on the floor in the center of the room, chests heaving still as they tried to catch their breaths. Jongho sat slumped against the wall only a few feet away from his oldest hyung, gulping down the last few sips of his water. Yunho, Yeosang and Mingi forced themselves to stay on their feet and walk around the room a little, knowing they wouldn’t have the energy to get back up if they allowed themselves to sit.

When Hongjoong called them back to the center of the room, so they could finish and go home, Seonghwa dropped his head back against the wall. How was he supposed to get back up? As he tried to find the strength it would take for him to finish this practice session, Yunho approached the older and offered him both of his hands. Seonghwa stumbled for a second when Yunho pulled him to his feet but quickly regained his balance and have his dongsaeng a grateful smile as they got on their starting positions. It was funny how quiet and put together everyone seemed, San and Wooyoung having stopped whining about being tired and sore about half an hour ago, not having the energy to complain and just trying to get it over with. Not that Seonghwa could blame them, today’s practice had really been intense. By the time they struck the ending pose for the last time, the oldest had shifted to autopilot, his body moving to the beat from muscle memory only. This time he wouldn’t make the same mistake again and tried to learn from Yunho, Yeosang and Mingi. He stayed on his feet as he threw his empty water bottle into his bag, bracing himself against the wall with a trembling hand. It was time to get home.

Seonghwa was still running on autopilot when they returned to the dorm, not even trying to call dibs on showering first. He just dropped his bag and stretched out on the couch, while his dongsaengs took turns showering and ate dinner. He wasn’t that hungry anyway or at least not hungry enough that he’d be willing to get back up and eat something. At some point, the oldest must have fallen asleep because someone shook his arm, telling him that he should go and take a shower now. How fast had everyone finished washing up or had he really been asleep that long?

After Hongjoong had told him to wash up, Seonghwa made his way down the hallway, suddenly wondering where he was going. He still remembered that he was about to do something but had completely forgotten what. “Hey, I picked out some clothes for you, that look pretty comfortable”, Yeosang smiled, handing him a stack of clothes, “The bathroom’s free now.” Oh, right! He had been on his way to take a shower. Rubbing his face, Seonghwa thanked the younger and shuffled into the bathroom to wash up. His muscles burned when he peeled off his sweaty practice clothes but the water felt nice. For a few minutes, Seonghwa only stood there, allowing the cool water to soothe his muscles as he leant against the tiled wall. Before he could fall asleep and topple over though, he remembered to wash his hair and finish up, his bed the only motivation for him to get moving again.

The members were surprised when they didn’t see him again that evening. They had heard the water stop running a while ago but hadn’t seen their hyung since. It was only when Hongjoong checked their shared bedroom, that he spotted the older knocked out on his bed, his hair still damp. Clicking his tongue that the other would most likely catch a cold if he slept with wet hair, the leader grabbed a towel from the bathroom and carefully rubbed his hyung’s hair dry. It was a miracle that Seonghwa didn’t wake up, which only confirmed what Hongjoong had already expected. He really needed that sleep.

Despite not having had dinner, Seonghwa stayed asleep for quiet a long time and only woke up hours later to his head pounding. The room was dark and he heard Hongjoong’s steady breaths, indicating the leader was asleep. Rubbing his forehead to soothe the pounding, Seonghwa’s found it covered with sweat, his hair stuck to his skin. He switched on the reading light for only a moment, squinting as it burned his eyes and deciding it wasn’t worth it. In pitch black darkness, he struggled to untangle himself from the sheets and felt his way around the room to the bedroom door. He felt so hot, like his skin would burn off any second while his clothes clung to him, the shirt barely moving against his back. Seonghwa stumbled to the bathroom, not daring to turn on the light as he fought to get the shirt off. It was stuck to his sweaty body and his muscles sore and useless but he eventually managed to get it off, simply tossing it on the floor. Everything was way too hot and it hurt. He still managed to run a small towel under cold water before sinking to the floor with his back against the tub, dragging the cold towel over his arms before pressing it to his face.

Yunho almost had a heart attack when he had to use the toilet that night. The dorm was entirely silent with all the lights off, so there was no way he’d have expected his hyungs still form curled up against the tub. Seonghwa was either asleep or unconscious and didn’t react when the younger softly called his name. His shoulders and chest shone with sweat and Yunho winced when he shook his shoulder, feeling the skin burn under his hand. Despite being hot to the touch, Seonghwa trembled, curling in on himself in his sleep. It took a few more shakes and Yunho patting his cheeks for the oldest to finally open his eyes. He quickly closed them again, the bright ceiling light burning them and making his head hurt worse. “Can you hear me, hyung?”, the younger asked worriedly, resting his palm against Seonghwa’s forehead. Nodding slightly, Seonghwa moved away from the cold fingers on his face, shuddering as he hugged himself. Had someone messed with the aircon again? It wouldn’t be the first time his dongsaengs pulled a prank on them.

He almost drifted off again when Yunho’s cold hand tightened around his arm and the other reminded: “I need you to stay awake, hyung. Can you tell me what happened for you to end up here? Did you faint?” Seonghwa tried to pull his arm from the younger’s grasp, not liking the cold touch at all, but he was too weak. “Noo”, he groaned tiredly, “Go ‘way, you’re cold.” – “I’m not cold, you’re just burning with fever”, Yunho argued but let go of the other, “Can you stay awake for me while I go and get Hongjoong-hyung?” He didn’t get a reply but hurried to fetch the leader anyway. He also ran into Yeosang, who had woken up from the commotion and followed them quietly. “Hyung?”, Hongjoong asked quietly, crouching in front of Seonghwa. The other’s hair was plastered to his forehead, so the leader gently brushed it aside to get a better look. Seonghwa barely dared to open his eyes with the light still on but in the short moment he did, the younger could see how glossy they looked. “Could you turn the lights off and the hallway light on?”, Hongjoong requested and Yeosang was quick to comply.

Seonghwa was finally able to look at the leader now that the room was only dimly lit. His teeth were chattering when he pleaded: “Jo-ong, it’s s-so freaking c-cold, please- please d-do something.” – “Hyung, that’s the fever. It’s really not cold in here, nor is your body cold”, Hongjoong frowned but pulled his hyung’s towel off the hook and draped it around his shoulders. That was also when he spotted the small soaking wet towel next to the older. Picking it up, he hummed: “Where did this one come from?” At first, Seonghwa only shrugged, not really remembering how he had even ended up in the bathroom. “Oh, I was burning earlier”, he admitted, tiny bits of muddled memories coming back, “I-I don’t feel g-good.” – “Yeah, that’s quite obvious”, Hongjoong agreed, “Do you think you can stomach some medicine? We really need to bring that fever down.” The older only shrugged. “Hyung, he didn’t eat dinner”, Yunho reminded from the door way, making the leader frown. While Hongjoong rummaged through the bathroom cabinet, Yeosang announced: “I’ll go find some crackers he can eat, so hopefully the pills won’t upset his stomach.”

“Hyung, do you think you can make it to the couch if we help you?”, Honjoong asked, placing the box of fever-reducers onto the sink. He only got another uncertain shrug but really wanted to get the oldest somewhere more accessible than the cramped bathroom, so they could properly take care of him. When he didn’t get any verbal reply from Seonghwa, the leader looked at Yunho, who got the hint, announcing: “Let’s go to the living room. We’ll help you up on the count of three.” Hongjoong counted and together, they hoisted their hyung off the ground but the older was too weak to stand on his own, so they quickly slung his arms over their shoulders and dragged him to the living room. When he was eventually stretched out on the couch, Seonghwa kept his eyes firmly shut, breathing: “Dizzy.” He could feel the couch dip next to him, Hongjoong keeping his hands steadily pressed against his arms as if to ground him. “You’ll be okay, just take a few deep breaths for me”, the leader instructed, studying the other’s flushed face.

Right now, nothing felt okay to Seonghwa but the dizziness slowly ceased and all he could think about was how uncomfortable the cold couch felt against his bare back. While Yunho retrieved the fever-reducers Hongjoong had left on the sink, Yeosang approached the two with some crackers and a glass of water. “Hyung, we need you to eat a few bites, so we can give you medicine”, he hummed quietly, the oldest only groaned in discontent. He didn’t want to move again and eating seemed like too much effort, yet he didn’t really get a say in it as Hongjoong pulled him up by the shoulders and Yunho quietly slipped behind him to prop him up, handing the box of medicine to Yeosang. “Come on, you’ll feel better once you’ve had medicine”, the leader sighed, adding, “It won’t be as cold anymore either.” Seonghwa reluctantly accepted the cracker pressed into his hand, nibbling it slowly, Yeosang left the water and medicine on the coffee table and went to grab a shirt for his hyung. Sure, they had to keep him from over heating but if he chose a thin one, they might be able to trick the oldest into thinking it was warmer.

When he returned, Hongjoong had already gotten their oldest to swallow the pill and they took the opportunity of him still sitting up to quickly putting the shirt on him before allowing him to lay back down. Seonghwa was more than ready to go back to sleep now and almost managed to do so, when something cold touched his forehead. His first instinct was to slap it away but someone caught his hand. “I’m sorry but that has to stay there”, Yunho sighed, adjusting the washcloth he hadn’t managed to drape across his hyung’s forehead before the older started to fight him, “I know it feels cold but it’ll help you fever and your headache.” He could tell Seonghwa didn’t lie it one bit but he stopped fighting him and tried to suppress the shivers but couldn’t. He had almost made peace with his fate to be cold for the rest of the night, when something even colder touched his legs. Hongjoong had grabbed two icepacks and wrapped them in thin towels before placing them under Seonghwa’s calves. The oldest tried to say something but his words were unintelligibly slurred and Hongjoong could only pick out one word: ‘cruel’. “I know I’m cruel”, the leader sighed sympathetically, holding his hyung’s leg down when the older tried to move it away from the ice pack.

No one’s POV.:

When Yunho woke up this morning, his throat felt like sandpaper. He faintly remembered how his nose had been a bit stuffy the evening before, so he had probably breathed through his mouth all night. That would also explain why his lips were so dry. “Come on, hyung”, Yeosang sighed, tugging on the other’s arm again, “You’re even harder to wake up than Sannie this morning. What’s up with you?” – “Huh?”, Yunho hummed, propping himself up on his elbows as he blearily glanced at his roommate’s bed. It was already empty, though it usually took the younger a while to get up in the morning. “No going back to sleep now, hyung, come on”, Yeosang frowned, patting his hyung’s arm when the older just blankly stared at the other bed. Oh yeah, Yunho realized, he should really get up. Nodding tiredly, he threw off the blanket and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Yunho rubbed his face and patted his cheeks, trying to shake the sleepy haze that still clouded his brain. That was when his attention went back to the dry scraping in his throat. Yeah, he really needed to get up if only to get himself some water.

He ran into Seonghwa in the kitchen, the oldest scolding him for not getting ready yet. Hongjoong pointing out the time they’d have to leave from somewhere close by. Yunho nodded apologetically, chugging a bottle of cold water before heading to the bathroom. For some reason, his throat still felt dry with the large amount of water he had just drank and while the cold temperature had felt nice on his throat, it didn’t feel nice in his tummy. He couldn’t help but shudder as he brushed his teeth, already deciding to wear a thick hoodie today. If Yunho wasn’t mistaken, they’d have two radio interviews this morning and dance practice in the afternoon, so it didn’t really matter how he dressed as people would really see him anyway. With that in mind, he threw on soft sweatpants and a thick hoodie. Autumn had barely started but the weather was making the change of the season pretty obvious, cold winds whipping around their faces the moment they set foot outside. Yunho could tell his two hyungs were disappointed in him. The two oldest members already had the chaotic maknae-line to look after and make sure they were ready on time, they didn’t need Yunho to be unorganized and slow today too.

Though Yeosang had been a little annoyed that he had spent so much time fighting Yunho to get him out of bed this morning, he was concerned by how out of character that was for his hyung. Maybe he had practiced late the previous night and really needed the sleep but that didn’t change the fact that they needed to get to their schedule on time. It really sucked sometimes, especially when Yeosang noticed Yunho dozing off with his head on Mingi’s shoulder right after the settled in their seats. The older obviously needed more rest but they didn’t have the time for that. Their next break a little more than three weeks ahead.

Yunho groaned when Mingi shook him. Did the rapper have no regards for his sore muscles? The nap hadn’t really helped Yunho feel more energized and all he got from it was a headache. “Are you okay, hyung?”, the younger asked lowly, offering his arm when he saw the other stumble. Yunho gladly held on to him, informing: “I’m fine just sleepy.” – “You sure? Your voice sounds scratchy”, Mingi noted, guiding him into the radio station. “Mhm”, the older hummed, needing to clear his throat right after, “Slept with my mouth open, so my throat’s been dry all morning. Had some water but well…” – “We’ll get you some more and Hongjoong-hyung will do most of the talking anyway, so try to rest your voice for now”, Mingi instructed. He made sure Yunho was with the rest of the members before heading off to get the older a drink. Not usually the clingy one, it was surprising that Yunho pretty much became Jongho’s shadow the second Mingi had left and the makne too was a little confused, eventually asking: “Why are you following me everywhere, hyung, and what if I need to use the toilet at some point?” – “Oh, uh- I wasn’t following you intentionally, I think”, the older stammered, turning aside to cough before continuing, “’m just tired and you’re acting the least chaotic.”

Jongho didn’t really mind his hyung following him around, especially because he understood the other’s reasoning. It did worry him though because he soon came to realize just how out of it the older acted. “Here, hyung, have some water”, Mingi hummed as he approached the pair and handed Yunho a bottle. He met eyes with Jongho, the maknae realizing that he wasn’t the only one, who noticed their hyung acting strange. The rapper nervously patted Yunho’s back when the older aspirated and started to cough hard. “You okay?”, Jongho frowned, watching his hyung worriedly. Yunho nodded and tried to catch his breath but he only kept coughing. By now, Seonghwa was making his way over to check on his dongsaeng too. If the younger was sick, it’d explain why he had been so slow this morning. Before the oldest could ask him if he was okay, Yunho had finally caught his breath carefully taking a few more sips of water to soothe his irritated throat. Placing a gentle hand on the younger’s shoulder, Seonghwa breathed softly: “Are you okay now?” – “I was just a little clumsy when swallowing, hyung”, Yunho chuckled but his voice sounded strained, “I’m fine.”

If there was something Yunho didn’t sound, it was fine but with only a few more minutes till the interview, Seonghwa didn’t want to push it. That didn’t matter he wouldn’t keep a closer eye on his dongsaeng from now on though as his gut told him there was more going on and it had been all morning. It wasn’t long till they went on air and Yunho was starting to get nervous. He hadn’t really been able to warm up his voice and after his coughing fit, his throat wasn’t only dry but painfully sore. They had been told about the song they’d be singing live after the interview but he had been to out of it to remember it now. Clearing his throat, Yunho lifted the water bottle to his lips and took another swig just for good measure before settling into his seat behind the mic. There was no way him singing would sound good right now and he was already dreading the posts about him not being a good enough vocalist to be in his group because he knew there’d always be people online, who took one bad performance to judge and ignore all the good ones.

He made eye contact with Seonghwa, the oldest noticing how his hands trembled with nerves. “You okay”, the oldest mouthed and this time Yunho only shrugged. Aware that they were on air already, Yunho pulled out his phone and typed: ‘I haven’t warmed up. What are we going to sing? This will so not sound good ☹’ Glancing at Hongjoong as the leader answered the first questions, Seonghwa accepted the phone and typed: ‘If you can’t, you need to let one of the staff know and they’ll play your recorded vocals instead.’ Yunho read over it but still looked incredibly anxious, probably not wanting to bother the staff at such a short notice. Seonghwa just grabbed his phone and wordlessly got out of his seat, approaching one of the staff members to show them their conversation, so they could hopefully make the changes in time. He knew the younger wasn’t nervous about his voice sounding bad because he hadn’t warmed up but rather because he was still hoarse, whether the earlier incident was to blame or if he was sick barely made a difference. He sounded rough and he knew it.

When Seonghwa handed Yunho his phone back, the younger found a note stating: ‘You won’t have to sing and I doubt there’ll be any questions directed at you specifically, so we can cover for you. Just turn off your mic.’ Yunho instantly complied, heaving a sigh of relief afterwards. Listening to the other members answering questions, he rested his head in his hands and frowned when it felt kind of warm against his palms. He still had a headache but now it almost seemed like he had gotten a fever on top of it or had it been there all morning? Not like he would’ve noticed it in the rush to get ready on time. Now that Yunho wasn’t distracted anymore, he had the time to pay more attention to his body and yeah, he was most likely running a fever. It made his head feel a little swimmy and he felt ready to sleep again but he knew he couldn’t. His throat was starting to itch again but just because his mic was off, didn’t mean someone else’s mic wouldn’t pick up his coughing. For a while, Yunho tried to control his breathing, hoping the need to cough would go away but it only got stronger the longer he kept fighting it. As his face slowly grew red, Seonghwa shot him a worried and questioning look. ‘Tickle in the throat’, the younger typed, flashing Seonghwa his phone before shoving it in his pocket and clamping his hand over his mouth. Yunho fought to choke back a cough as he grabbed his water bottle and fled the room.

Their manager was more than confused when Yunho jogged back to the waiting area. Their interview wasn’t over yet and the boy shouldn’t be back out already. When he felt like he had at least some privacy, Yunho allowed himself to cough, choking on the air he so desperately tried to force into his lungs. His throat burned as he kept coughing, doubling over from the force as he tried to steady himself against the closest wall before stumbling over to a chair. Weakly plopping into the seat, he opened his water bottle and tried to stop coughing at least long enough so he could have a sip and hopefully it would soothe the irritation but he didn’t even get the chance. Yunho’s hands trembled as he set down the water bottle, afraid he would drop it. Clutching his chest, he tried to force air into his lungs only to double over again.

Eventually, he managed to get a few sips of water down and the coughing eased up. At least, to the point where he could last a minute without coughing. Yunho rubbed his face, his head pounding from the strain. It had taken him a while but he was ready to admit it now. He felt awful. I stray tear trailed down his cheek only for him to harshly wipe it off. Although he knew the fit had lasted quite a while, Yunho was unaware his group had finished the interview and was already on the way back to the waiting area, their manager informing Hongjoong about what had happened with his dongsaeng. The leader worriedly exchanged a look with Seonghwa, the older frowning: “He left because of a tickle in the throat, had I known how bad it was, I wouldn’t have let him go on his own.” – “Not like you could really leave, hyung”, Hongjoong sighed, though he too felt guilty and upset. They should’ve known something wasn’t right. Yunho had been acting off all morning yet they didn’t check in with him. He was their oldest dongsaeng, so they figured he’d have himself handled but they didn’t confirm that and now they felt like the worst hyungs.

Yunho’s face was flushed, his eyes redden a little and Seonghwa felt his heart break. “Hey, you doing okay now?”, Hongjoong asked quietly, Yunho nodding with a smile the older could easily tell was fake. Clicking his tongue, Seonghwa walked up to the younger and rested his palm over the other’s forehead. The oldest frowned at the heat, scolding: “Why didn’t you say you were sick? That fever is pretty high.” – “I- I didn’t-“, Yunho choked out, having to turn away to cough. Seonghwa gently rubbed his back while Hongjoong grabbed the empty water bottle to get him a new one. “I-I didn’t know, hyung”, Yunho rasped, wiping his eyes, “My mind was too slow to make the connection.” – “Which isn’t really surprising, you’re burning”, the oldest cooed, “I’m sorry, I should’ve realized something was wrong when Yeosang couldn’t get you out of bed.” Yunho gratefully accepted the water Hongjoong handed him and sipped it slowly while the leader announced: “I’ll make sure you’re cleared of your schedule, at least for today, and we’ll have someone take you back to the dorm. We can see where it’ll go from there and how much more time you might need off but for now, you’re going home, so you can sleep.”

“Hyung?”, Jongho hummed as he walked up to Yunho, “I still had some cough drops in my bag. You sound like you need them more than me.” The older tiredly accepted the cough drops, storing most of them in the pocket of his hoodie but slipping one in his mouth right away. “Thanks, Jong”, Yunho breathed, massaging his throat. If only he had figured out the fact that he was sick earlier, he could’ve stayed in bed, neither having to rush, nor to embarrass himself and cause a scene. While Hongjoong made the arrangements to with their manager to change Yunho’s schedule, Seonghwa sat with the sick boy, rubbing his back through each coughing fit, though they came less frequent now. Eventually, Mingi took a seat on Yunho’s other side, offering: “Maybe you want to stay in my room, hyung. You really look like you need sleep and if you have a room to yourself, no one’s going to bother you.” – “Thank you”, the older whispered. He wasn’t sure whether he really wanted to take the other up on the offer, feeling like he’d intrude, but on the other hand, resting undisturbed did sound nice. He knew San would try his hardest not to make too much noise when returning but he was clumsy from time to time.

No one’s POV.:

Minho woke up feeling weird. He didn’t know what exactly it was but something didn’t feel right. Turning off his alarm, the dancer threw off the covers and took a deep breath to ground himself. Something was out of place, really out of place. His skin was flushed, sweat beading on his forehead. Massaging his temples, Minho stood up and stumbled for a moment before making his way to the bathroom to get ready. Luckily his schedule consisted of only vocal lessons and a recording session. Well, he also had a workout session with a personal trainer planned for later that evening but figured he could cancel that if he still felt funny by then. As Minho glanced into the mirror, he wasn’t as confused anymore. Unsurprisingly, he was rather pale, only a light pinkish flush high on his cheek bones. A few strands of hair clung to his forehead, which he pushed back with a headband before washing his face. It felt nice to rinse the sweat off, the cool water bringing back his focus but even though he was a bit livelier afterwards, the dancer could tell he was most likely coming down with something.

Not having much of an appetite, he figured he could skip breakfast as he didn’t have to dance today, so he made sure his dongsaengs were up and getting ready, telling them to eat breakfast. Minho only grabbed a bottle of water and sipped it slowly as he got dressed for the day ahead. Since it would only be them, he decided that sweatpants and a t-shirt would do. He could put a sweater into his backpack in case he felt cold later but for now he was running hot anyway. Feeling a bit sleepy still, he dozed off on the drive to the company building but was wide awake when Felix put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. He should really pull himself together. Hyunjin could tell something was up with his hyung as the older didn’t react to his teasing at all and he soon stopped teasing him because it was kind of boring if he couldn’t get a reaction and he didn’t want to push it when the other wasn’t in the mood for it.

Minho was lucky. He’d have his vocal lesson first, followed by a rather long break before recording his lines. Maybe he could convince Chan to let him nap on their studio couch for a while before he’d have to record. It might help the headache that’s been steadily increasing since he had gotten up. He just had to get his vocal lesson over with first, which shouldn’t be too difficult. The teacher knew he had to record later on, so he wouldn’t push him too much and risk the boy losing his voice. Minho bid his friends goodbye and headed to his individual lesson.

As he had predicted, he didn’t have to push his limits today and only went over lines that he was already more than familiar with, improving his technique. Minho couldn’t wait for it to be over though. He was fatigued and the music made his headache worse but it was still better than dance practice. Jisung waved at him wordlessly, as the dancer slipped into the 3racha studio after his lesson. Only 3racha and Jeongin were present, the maknae currently recording his lines. The other members had vocal lessons too but would come to the studio to take their turn recording. Placing his bag down next to the door, Minho laid down on the couch, his legs dangling over the arm rest as he allowed himself to close his eyes for a moment. It felt nice, the smooth leather cool against his flushed skin.

“Hey, are you feeling okay?”, Chan asked worriedly, brushing his hand against Minho’s arm, prompting the younger to open his eyes. Propping himself up on his elbows, the dancer yawned: “I’m okay, just pretty tired today. I have a bit of a headache, so I didn’t find the energy to use my break for dancing.” – “That’s alright”, Chan smiled, “Jeongin just finished recording and Hyunjin should be here in a minute to record his lines. You’re not due to record until later, so if you want to take a nap and aren’t bothered by the noise, you can stay here.” – “Hyung, I thought about going out for coffee. Do you want to come along?”, Jeongin asked, hopeful he wouldn’t have to go alone. Watching Minho rub his eyes, he added: “If not, I could get you some coffee too.” – “Nah, it’s alright”, the dancer hummed, “Maybe walking around a little will help me wake up more. Let’s go.”

They walked beside each other in silence before Jeongin asked softly: “You didn’t eat breakfast, right? Maybe we could pick up a bite for you to eat too. Maybe you’ll feel more alive if you have some actual energy in you, not just caffeine.” – “Aish, don’t worry, Innie. I didn’t eat breakfast but I’m also not really hungry”, Minho smiled, brushing off the maknae’s concern, “I’m also going to get tea instead of coffee, not in the mood to get an upset stomach.” The younger nodded, knowing not to tell his hyung what to do. Minho would eat once he felt like it and at least he wasn’t going to drink coffee on an empty stomach. The dancer slowly sipped his tea on the way back to the company building. Him and Jeongin parted ways, the maknae having to get to his vocal lesson soon, while Minho went back to the studio, watching Hyunjin record.

Though he had taken precautions by not having coffee, Minho still ended up with an upset stomach by the time he had to record. It was only a slight discomfort and luckily not too noisy, so his recording session wasn’t interrupted by it but Chan could tell the younger was uncomfortable. That was also why he sent Minho home as soon as he was done recording. Usually, the leader would try to motivate his dongsaengs to work hard but he knew Minho and how perfectionistic he tended to be, so getting him to rest was more of an achievement than getting him to work. Chan was quite surprised when the dancer nodded and picked up his bag. He must be feeling far worse than he looked if he complied so easily.

The truth was, Minho’s stomach ache slowly turned into cramps and the boy hoped he could just lay down for a while and wait it out. If it got better after some time, he could still get something done and maybe even attend his workout session in the evening, although he doubted that. He had felt flushed and feverish all day and the headache had only gotten worse, so maybe working out wasn’t the best idea but there might be something else he could do and still feel somewhat useful before the day was over.

What Minho hadn’t expected was to fall asleep so easily once he laid on his bed. His nap ended up a few hours long and when he woke up, he felt disoriented. There was still a faint ache in his stomach but at least it wasn’t cramping anymore, so Minho decided to get up and try to eat some plain rice to see if it would settle his stomach. On the way to the kitchen though, he went to the bathroom to take his temperature, which unsurprisingly was a but elevated. Maybe he could take some medicine for the headache once there was some food in his stomach. It felt odd for the dorm to be so quiet during the day but Minho appreciated the silence, resting his head on his hand. He was only halfway through his bowl of rice when he started to feel queasy, pushing it away and closing his eyes. It didn’t get better as time passed but he still wanted to take some painkillers, so he made himself a cup of tea, waiting till it had cooled down some before rinsing down the pill with a few sips and heading back to bed. He still had the presence of mind to cancel his workout session before he went back to sleep.

It was already dinnertime when he woke up again, confused that it was still quiet at the dorm. Seungmin had gone to the gym with Changbin, wanting to work out with the older, while Felix was hanging out with Chan, Hyunjin and Jisung at their dorm. Minho’s stomach cramped up and despite thinking he was alone at the dorm, he rolled over to muffle a pained groan into his pillow. The rice hadn’t helped his stomach settle at all and the longer he lay there, the more convinced he became that he needed to be sick. His mouth was watering already and the back of his throat felt funny but he didn’t even really eat much today. Shakily getting out of bed, Minho dragged himself to the bathroom and muffled a sickly burp against his palm. His heart started to race when he flipped the toilet seat up, the realization that this was happening really setting in. The dancer stared into the clear water as his stomach tightened, willing the sensation to go away but maybe he’d feel better afterwards.

Minho squeezed his eyes shut and tightly gripped the edge of the bathtub as he lurched forward with a retch. He could feel the sour burn of stomach acid in his throat despite not having brought anything up and weakly burped over the toilet bowl. His head was almost pounding hard enough to distract him from the next gag. Coughing hard, his throat strained but nothing came up. It wasn’t too surprising as he didn’t really have anything in him but he really wished he could bring something up when his body kept tensing with dry heaves. The strain was intense enough to bring tears to his eyes and sweat coated his forehead, Minho completely giving up the fight against his body and simply allowing it to happen as he prayed for this to be over soon. The dancer was brought back to attention when a tentative hand appeared on his shoulder, Jeongin studying him worriedly. Not really knowing what to do, the maknae rubbed comforting circles over his hyung’s tight shoulders. “Please leave”, Minho managed to choke out between heaves, surprising his dongsaeng. It didn’t feel right to Jeongin to let the older suffer on his own but he got up, instructing: “Yell if you need anything.”

Feeling quite lost, Jeongin paced the living room before realizing he could make a cup of tea for the other for when he was done. He should’ve known his hyung wasn’t feeling well with how he had been acting this morning but he hadn’t thought it to be this bad. Worse was that he felt so helpless, unsure of what to do or how to be useful. No wonder Minho didn’t want him there. Placing the steaming cup of tea onto the coffee table, Jeongin stiffly sat on the couch and listened to every little sound he could hear within the dorm. It took almost ten more minutes till the maknae heard the faucet running and Minho shakily emerged a moment later.

Tiredly plopping onto the couch next to his dongsaeng, Minho laid down and rested his head on the maknae’s thigh as he drew his legs up to his chest. Jeongin didn’t say anything, instead running his fingers through the other’s sweaty hair. “Sorry for brushing you off”, Minho hummed hoarsely, “This was just disgusting and humiliating and I didn’t want you witnessing it.” – “It’s okay, hyung. I’m just sorry I couldn’t help”, the younger whispered as he continued to play with his hyung’s hair. Closing his eyes, Minho denied: “Don’t be sorry, I appreciate the thought.” There was a moment of silence before the dancer breathed: “You’re like really, really comfy.” Jeongin giggled quietly. If he had already been so useless, at least he was a good pillow. “I made you some tea, thought it might settle your stomach”, the maknae hummed, “Was this the only time you threw up today? You already looked pretty pale earlier.” – “Was the first time”, Minho admitted with a wince, “And I didn’t even really throw up. Couldn’t.”