#svtfluff

Ateez

Nct 127

Nct Dream

P1harmony

Seventeen

Stray Kids

WayV

Episode 8:

Feverish Fives

On good days, Jenny Hong was up and ready for school all by herself. She liked the praise her father sent her way when he found her trying to put on her clothes, her head stuck in her clothes as she wished her freshly out of bed father with a gentle grin, her eyes crinkling the same way Joshua's did.

But today was not a good day. Today was a bad day. The worst of all because Jenny had woken up crying in the night, followed by both her parents by her side the entire night trying to get her sudden fever down. When she had finally fallen asleep and her fever was somehow close to gone, it was almost dawn. Joshua and his wife had crawled into their bed, being woken up by their alarms, wondering if they should wake up Jenny for school or not when she had walked into their on her own, her blanket trailing behind her, her rabbit clutched in her hand as she pouted up at Joshua with teary eyes.

Joshua had known his daughter rarely ever cried, only ever when she was really hurt or in pain and he knew the fever was making her body hurt so he had picked her up and put her right back to sleep on his chest, much to his wife's relief, who did not want to part with her sick daughter for some silly school day that would bring her back even more sick.

On the other side of the city, Lee Chan was doing his best to wake up his son Hyuk for school but the kid refused to get out of his bed. He said he felt like he shouldn't go to school today, said how he missed he missed his best friend Jiwoo. He insisted he felt like she needed him and he should go help her. And Chan got the most shocking message of his life when Joshua texted him saying that his daughter was sick and wouldn't be going to school. Chan almost sweared his son and his same aged best friend were twins at this point.

Hyuk and Jenny rarely ever left each other's sides, ever since their birth, which was only a few days apart, they had been together. They shared the same room in the NICU unit of the hospital, both early babies too excited to be out in the world. Joshua and Chan lived in the same neighborhood which made it no problem for the babies to be together when they finally got home after a month. They slept together, smiled at each other more than at anyone else (Josh and Chan refused to believe it was gas, they swore the babies were having a mental conversation).

Joshua always swore those kids were bound to always be together, he believed that. Their pure little hearts couldn't even take a few days of separation, much less months away after fights they would probably have when they grew up. But for now he enjoyed seeing them so coordinated and comfortable with each other. Hands held while crossing roads, walking through the streets, even when they fell asleep together Hyuk, who was older by only 5 days and 12 hours, held Jenny's hand. She always slept the calmest when someone held her hand, he always explained. And he was right, Jenny never had nightmares whenever someone held her hand while she slept.

And that's how Chan ended up driving to Joshua's house at 8 in the morning, a sleepy Hyuk staring outside while sipping on strawberry milk, a mask hanging by one of his ears for when they got to Jenny so he wouldn't catch anything from her. Hyuk had gotten angry at his father when Chan made him wear it, his best friend was more important than some silly cold. Chan almost reeled back when his son talked like such a grown up, he didn't even know who it was teaching his son how to talk like that.

When they reached, Hyuk was moving his feet with dull thumps onto the car seat, eager to get out, raising his hand when his father opened the door and removed the seatbelt so he was free, letting Chan carry him till the elevator, before he wiggled down when they got into the elevator, standing on his toes to press the number he knew was Joshua's house. He was wide awake now, his little hands fisting and loosening as he frowned in worry for his best friend. She sounded really sick when they briefly talked over the phone when he asked her if she wanted him to come over. He was wishing really hard right now that her owwies would leave quickly so they could go to school and have fun together at the playground.

As soon as the elevator dinged open, Chan followed after his worried son, smiling warmly at the concern the little guy had for his best friend, holding his hand to calm him down as the door opened, Joshua smiling at his younger member and then at his son and welcoming them both inside, Hyuk quickly hugging Joshua's legs before running towards Jenny's room, opening it to see her mother feeding her medicine, wincing slightly as he remembers how much she hates the bitter taste but how brave she's being right now, immediately walking up to her and climbing onto her bed, lifting his own face mask to prevent him from getting sick.

As soon as Jenny set her eyes on her best friend, they brightened and she grinned for the first time in the day, sitting up to hug him as he pinched her cheeks, scolding her for falling ill and ruining their plan on pranking the school bully today. Joshua's wife silently stood at the door and smiled, the kids oblivious to her presence now that they were together.

As Joshua and Chan sat together and ate the breakfast Joshua's wife made for them, the children took a nap together in Jenny's room, waking up together and walking out with their hair a mess and their hands intertwined, both of them begging for food and to watch their favourite anime.

Doraemon was put on and a bowl of steaming food was put into their laps as they both pushed their dads away from feeding them, saying they were grown up and could eat. Chan and Joshua shared a look at that, not believing their ears since both of their kids never ate on their own in the presence of their parents.

Soon after Joshua put on his favourite anime, Yuri!!! on Ice playing as Jenny giggled and tried to sing along to the song Hyuk wincing and pretending to close his ears at her voice, both of them having fun in their own world as they laid on the couch together, empty bowls of food abandoned on the coffee table.

Chan silently stared at the now tired babies who had grown up faster than anyone wanted, smiling as they both stared at the TV sleepily, sneakily clicking a picture of them. He knew these were the days without drama of being grown up and having responsibilities, he knew both of them would look back and smile fondly at these memories. But most of all, he believed that nobody could seperate litte Hyuk and Jenny, because their bond was as strong as it could be.