Work Text:
The thing is, when Jihoon started coughing up a lung at 10:30 last night, he should’ve just called it a day and gone to bed. What he actually did was stay up until 3am working on a track, then walk home in the rain with only a thin hoodie for protection.
Basically, he’s an idiot, because now he has a fever.
“You’re staying in today,” Seungcheol tells him firmly the next morning as he and Wonwoo wrestle Jihoon into bed. The moment they get him down, Seokmin quickly clambers onto him to stop him from moving. “The more you rest, the faster you’ll recover.”
“But the fansign,” Jihoon complains, glaring at Seokmin. He hates shirking on his responsibilities.
“You’ll just get the Carats sick,” Jeonghan points out as he comes into the room, arms full of sick people things: tissue boxes, two bottles of water, that big plush Rilakkuma Jihoon had been gifted a few months ago and refused to admit he loved.
“Don’t leave the dorm,” Seungcheol orders. “Mingyu’s making congee for you. Heat it up before you eat it, okay?”
“No chicken, no eggs, no fried things!” Seungkwan yells from somewhere outside the room. “No dairy, either!”
“Guys,” Jihoon protests, “I’m fine–”
“Jihoon-ah,” Soonyoung says quietly, from all the way across the room. “Get some rest. Please.”
Jihoon’s ready to argue, but he catches Soonyoung’s eyes and the worry in them drains all the fight out of him. He closes his mouth with a sigh, leaning back against his pillow in defeat. This boy has far too much power over Jihoon, honestly. “Fine,” he grunts finally, kicking weakly at Seokmin, who shoots him an apologetic grin before sliding off. “Whatever.”
Satisfied, the boys file out of the room, one by one. “Be good, Jihoonie,” Seungcheol half-warns, half-pleads. “Don’t make us and the Carats worry like this, okay?”
Jihoon mutters some affirmative, and Seungcheol nods back before closing the door behind him, leaving Soonyoung alone in the room with Jihoon.
“I’ll come back and check on you after our schedules,” Soonyoung murmurs, coming close to sit on the bed next to Jihoon. He smooths a hand over Jihoon’s forehead, pushing his fringe back gently. It’s soft and tender, affectionate as they only are in private.
“You don’t have to,” Jihoon tries, but Soonyoung just smiles and presses a kiss to Jihoon’s forehead. It’s a small thing, but it leaves Jihoon feeling warm and so, so loved.
“Sleep,” Soonyoung tells him, standing up; his voice is so soothing, so gentle compared to his usual exuberance. “I’ll be back by the time you wake up.”
“No, you won’t,” Jihoon murmurs, eyelids suddenly feeling very heavy. There’s more than one item on their agenda today, and he knows Soonyoung’s got new songs to choreograph for.
“Trust me, Jihoonie,” is all Soonyoung says, shooting Jihoon a cheeky grin, and then he’s gone.
Jihoon listens to the footsteps leaving their dorm until he falls asleep.
--
Of course, Soonyoung is nowhere to be found when Jihoon wakes up two hours later. He’d been expecting it, but he lets himself pout anyway, since nobody’s around to see it. “Liar,” he mutters to himself, aware that being upset over it is childish but frankly not caring a single bit. He’s sick. Woozy, if you will. He has an excuse.
He steals Soonyoung’s favourite white hoodie out of his wardrobe, slipping it on over his own; then, still feeling cold, pilfers one of Hansol’s flannels too, a huge soft old thing their stylist adamantly refuses to let him wear out for how ratty it looked. He drapes the wool blanket Minghao’s mother knitted him last Christmas over his shoulders for good measure, then ventures out of his room in search of Mingyu’s congee, sipping at a bottle of water.
It’s still in its pot, so Jihoon turns on the stove and gives it a little stir. While waiting for it to heat up, he checks his phone– and can’t help but laugh at all the selfies Junhui’s sent to their group chat.
Feel better, Jihoonie! Fighting!! he sent after approximately fifteen selfies, each just as cringey and extra as Jun is in real life.
Are you sure those won’t make him feel worse, Jisoo sent right after, to which Junhui replied with a picture of himself pouting.
Savage, hyung, sent Chan, along with an appalled emoji.
Someone’s gotta be while Jihoonie’s out of commission, explained Jisoo.
I’m so proud, said Jeonghan, and Jihoon can just imagine him mock-wiping a tear from his eye.
Thanks, guys, Jihoon sends, and puts his phone away to turn off the stove and ladle out a bowl of congee. It’s tastier than Jihoon expected, and more importantly hot. It slides down his throat easily, warming and soothing him from the inside out.
Jihoon climbs back into bed when he’s finished eating, and tries to go back to sleep. His body is aching even though he hasn’t done anything but eat and sleep today, and no matter what he does the small of his back won’t stop feeling cold.
Sick Jihoon is apparently sappy Jihoon, because he can’t stop feeling thankful for his members, how each of them obviously loves and cares for him so very much, how just wearing their clothes or eating their food or looking at their stupid selfies makes him feel better.
He just wishes one of them was here. A hug, he thinks, would be fantastic right now. One of Seokmin’s, perhaps, almost too tight; or Wonwoo’s; warm and considerate; or Seungcheol’s, familiar and loving.
Or Soonyoung’s, Jihoon thinks peevishly, because the idiot promised he’d be here but isn’t, and Jihoon misses him so much it’s like an ache in his heart.
--
He must drift off at some point, because the next thing he knows, someone is spooning him from behind, pressing kisses to the base of his neck, rubbing soothing circles on his stomach.
“You’re late,” Jihoon complains blearily even before his eyes open, because he knows the way Soonyoung’s body fits against his by now.
Soonyoung huffs a startled laugh, obviously unaware that Jihoon was awake. “Sorry, sorry,” he whispers against Jihoon’s skin, “but I’m here now.”
“Missed you,” Jihoon whines. “Soonyoung.”
That startles Soonyoung, too, Jihoon can tell from the way his arm tenses around Jihoon’s waist, but Jihoon is too tired and too cold to be embarrassed. He turns over and burrows his face into Soonyoung’s chest, throwing an arm around Soonyoung to hold him close as he tangles their legs together.
Jihoon sighs happily. He doesn’t know if it’s all the sleep he’s been getting or the fact that Soonyoung’s here, but he’s feeling much better.
“Missed you too, jagiya,” Soonyoung says finally, tucking Jihoon’s head under his chin and running his fingers through Jihoon’s hair. The cheesy petname would normally make Jihoon cringe and flinch away, but today Jihoon wants to be babied, and Soonyoung, somehow, knows it. “Get some rest.”
Jihoon hums, and lets the sound of Soonyoung’s heartbeat lull him to sleep.