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San woke up with watery eyes and a scratchy throat. Wooyoung was lying next to him, the comforter pulled up under his chin and his lips slightly parted as he slept peacefully and blissfully. San smiled at the sight and ran his fingers through Wooyoung's black mane of hair.
"Wake up sleepyhead. We have a live recording later." San whispered and kissed Wooyoung on the tip of his nose.
Wooyoung wrinkled his nose, a cute gesture that San loved so much about him. Grumbling, he pressed his head into the crook between San's neck and his shoulder.
"I don't want to get up, I want to go back to sleep." Wooyoung grumbled. San grinned, but gently pushed Wooyoung away so he could get out of bed.
"You're mean," Wooyoung whined.
San had to laugh at his defiant boyfriend, but this quickly ended in an agonized cough. Wooyoung jumped up and put his hand on San's back. There he drew circles over the noticeably defined muscles and looked at him with concern.
"Are you okay Sannie? Are you sick?"
San waved him off and took a sip from the water bottle he had placed next to his bed.
"I'm fine, just a dry throat."
He could tell by the sceptical glint in Wooyoung's eyes that he didn't believe a word he was saying.
***
San's condition worsened from hour to hour. The scratching in his throat had turned into a burning sensation and his head was throbbing. With the help of a script, San fanned himself.
Yunho sat in the chair next to him and looked over at him.
"San, are you all right? You look so pale. Should I get Hongjoong or Seonghwa?" Yunho asked, pushing his glass of water towards San, who drained the cool drink in one go.
"I think I have a fever," San whimpered and massaged his temples, "I'll lie down after our performance, I promise."
"Are you sure you can do it? No one will be angry with you if you're ill. Your health is more important than a TV appearance."
San smiled at Yunho and squeezed his hand.
"I can do this."
***
San wouldn't make it. Sweat ran down his forehead and dripped into the collar of his shirt.
Wooyoung kept looking worriedly in his direction. San wished he wouldn't do that. Wooyoung was so distracted that he kept making mistakes and the whole group was forced to restart the recording.
It happened from one second to the next. San's eyes went black and he staggered forward. Wooyoung shouted his name, but San couldn't catch himself.
A sharp pain shot through his back as he hit the ground in front of the stage. His breath rattled in his chest as San gasped for air.
"Sannie? Can you hear me?" a familiar voice reached San's ears, numerous hands grabbed him by the arm, by the shoulders.
Wooyoung hugged San to his chest and wrapped his arms around him protectively.
"Sannie? baby?"
Wooyoung was upset, San could tell from his trembling voice. Groaning, he opened his eyes. Seonghwa came rushing over, a wet, cool cloth in his hand which he pressed against San's forehead.
Hongjoong and Mingi joined forces to free San from his sweaty shirt, while Yeosang placed his hand on San's thigh as a calming gesture.
As if through a fog, San could see Mingi running towards him with a medic.
Suddenly Jongho was beside him, a bottle of water in his hand. The youngest of the group had wide open eyes and looked down at San in shock. Yunho tousled Jongho's hair before taking the bottle from him and helping San take a few sips.
Wooyoung mumbled soothing words to himself, but San only heard the loud rush of his blood before he fell into a deep sleep.
***
San regained consciousness as his body was submerged in icy water. Startled, he opened his eyes and gasped for air.
"Sannie! San! You're home, it's okay."
Wooyoung's voice helped calm his heartbeat and he stopped struggling against the arms holding him in the bathtub.
"That's it, you'll feel better soon," whispered Seonghwa and ran a washcloth over San's upper body.
The world went black again.
***
It was dark the next time San opened his eyes. Wooyoung had curled up at his side like a cat. The burning in San's throat had subsided and the throbbing in his head no longer hurt. Yawning, San stretched his arms.
"San?" Wooyoung mumbled and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
"Hey." San whispered back before glancing around his room.
The rest of Ateez had been keeping watch at his bedside. Hongjoong and Seonghwa were sleeping intertwined on San's small, gray sofa. Jongho and Yeosang had snuggled up together on the fluffy carpet. Mingi was sitting on his gaming chair, Yunho on his lap.
"They refused to leave." Wooyoung explained quietly.
"We were all so scared for you."
San saw the glistening tears in the corners of Wooyoung's eyes. His heart pounded painfully in his chest. He hated to see Wooyoung cry.
Tenderly, he wiped the tear from Wooyoung's cheek and gave him a gentle kiss.
"I'm fine. Nothing happened."
Wooyoung slapped him hard on the upper arm and glared at him angrily.
"But something could have happened!" Wooyoung hissed.
"You could have broken your neck on that fall! You could have broken something else! And all because you're so stubborn!"
Wooyoung reinforced his arguments by hitting San with a pillow.
Laughing, San snatched the pillow from him and pulled the sulking boy close.
"I'm sorry, Woo. I promise I'll never do anything like that again. If I get sick again, I'll stay in bed and you can nurse me back to health, okay?"
Wooyoung rolled his eyes in annoyance, but snuggled closer to San and nodded.
"Okay."
"Good, then let's go back to sleep. We can worry about the rest tomorrow."
San rolled onto his back and buried his fingers in Wooyoung's hair, who had laid his head on San's chest to listen to his heartbeat.
"I love you, Sannie. Please promise you'll never leave me."
Such a fierce feeling of affection flashed through San's chest that it took his breath away.
"I love you too, Woo. I'll always be with you as long as I live. I promise you that."