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It starts off with a sneeze. Or, well, kind of.
“Fuck,” Kyungsoo gasps out with a breathy, dirty little sigh that makes Chanyeol’s cock twitch and his fingers tighten their hold around Kyungsoo’s hips. Kyungsoo throws his head back, plush lips open with gasping moans as he slides down Chanyeol’s length slowly until his perfect, sculpted ass rests against Chanyeol’s thighs.
“You feel so good around my cock,” Chanyeol groans, fingers flexing and leaving tiny butterfly fingerprints indented on soft skin. Kyungsoo just lets out another punched out gasp. He rolls his hips experimentally, and they both moan in unison at the sensation of Kyungsoo’s tight walls clamping down around his length.
Kyungsoo is beautiful always, but he’s especially a sight to behold like this — thick thighs bunching and flexing powerfully as he rides Chanyeol’s cock, pretty pink nipples peaked on his chest, back arched deliciously, mouth open with his panting and a rosy blush on his cheeks, his cock bouncing against his soft tummy and leaving behind a trace of precum every time Chanyeol pulls him back down on his length.
A particularly strong thrust has Kyungsoo making breathy little gasps, and Chanyeol grunts as he pounds against Kyungsoo’s prostate. He can feel the pleasure building up in a crescendo, a familiar heat sparking along his spine when Kyungsoo clutches desperately at his shoulders, whimpering loudly as he bounces on Chanyeol’s cock. The smaller man moans out his name, softly, like he can barely get the syllables out beyond his overwhelming pleasure. Chanyeol knows he’s getting close himself, his own moans coming out ragged and harsh, Kyungsoo’s ass tight and perfect around him, and he moans deep and loud as he picks Kyungsoo up before slamming him back down on his cock, delighting in Kyungsoo’s sobs of pleasure.
And then— and then— Kyungsoo sneezes.
His inner walls clamp down on Chanyeol’s cock and he lets out a bruised moan before Kyungsoo’s sneeze processes in his mind. They both pause, frozen still from the surprise. Kyungsoo’s eyes are wide and round in the kitten-like way he gets when he’s taken aback by something. His nose is still scrunched up adorably, the vestiges of his sneeze in action.
“I—” Kyungsoo starts, voice slightly hoarse from his moaning, before faltering. His flush deepens, this time due to embarrassment rather than arousal, and he shifts uncomfortably on top of Chanyeol’s thighs where Chanyeol’s cock is still lodged inside him. The movement makes Chanyeol grunt a little.
Chanyeol’s face still feels a little wet as an unfortunate side effect from being within the splash zone. It’s a little gross, but Chanyeol figures he’s been dating Kyungsoo long enough and has been living with him even longer as germ-y little idols that it isn’t a huge deal. Besides, Kyungsoo looks adorably flustered and he’s self-aware enough to know he’s head-over-heels-in-love that he feels a wave of affection whenever Kyungsoo does something mundane like sneeze or god forbid—fart.
But still, as much as Chanyeol loves him, he has never been one to pass up the opportunity to tease his boyfriend. So he bursts out into laughter, clutching his chest dramatically as he cracks up. “You sneezed!” he says, delightedly.
“Shut up,” Kyungsoo replies, embarrassed, narrowing his eyes. The beautiful flush is still dusted across his round cheeks, and his mouth is set in a moue of discontent.
“I can’t believe you sneezed!” Chanyeol says again, still laughing loudly as he wipes a tear from his eyes. But then he cradles his hand underneath Kyungsoo’s jaw, pausing for a millisecond to admire how much bigger his hand looks in comparison, before angling down for a kiss. He feels Kyungsoo smile into the kiss, and his observation proves correct when they pull away and Kyungsoo’s lips are stretched into a familiar heart-shaped grin.
“Shut up,” Kyungsoo repeats again, before chasing after Chanyeol for another kiss. He presses a sweet kiss to the corner of Chanyeol’s lips. He shifts again, this time letting Chanyeol’s cock slip out of his body. Kyungsoo’s soft now, and Chanyeol’s getting there too, despite neither of them having orgasmed. But it hardly matters—there’s always next time, and Chanyeol is more than content to lay on their bed together and to wrap Kyungsoo up in his arms.
He feels an overwhelming sense of adoration as he presses at least a few dozen kisses all over Kyungsoo’s face; to his forehead and to the round tip of his button nose and the curve of his soft cheeks and the cupids bow of his lips. It doesn’t matter when he feels a deep fulfillment at the way Kyungsoo’s eyes sparkle with amusement even as he pretends to squirm away before giving up, turning around in Chanyeol’s embrace to kiss him soundly on the lips.
“I love you,” Kyungsoo says fondly. “You’re ridiculous,” he says in the same breath, in the same adoring tone.
Chanyeol feels like his face will fall apart with how much he’s smiling, and that he would gladly let it if it meant he could always be with Kyungsoo like this. “I could say the same to you,” he says, pinching the tip of Kyungsoo’s nose with his thumb and forefinger. He laughs delightedly when Kyungsoo’s eyes scrunch close. “I love you.”
So, yes—it somewhat starts off with a sneeze.
Preparations for their next comeback is in full swing, and with it, the back-breaking schedules between boring, bureaucratic meetings with various teams within the agency; long, arduous days in the practice room. For some of them, this is coupled with frequent sessions at their hairstylist — hours spent sitting in the same forsaken chair as they bleach their hair until it’s brittle and stripped of colour.
Chanyeol is the last to arrive at the practice room that day. He still smells faintly like the hair toner they used to keep his hair a light silver, and he wrinkles his nose.
“Ooh,” Jongdae says, pulling off his water bottle with a small cheer. “Look who it is!”
His timing is probably as good as it could get. The members are gathering around the small resting area in the adjacent room connected to the practice room. Judging from the light sheen of sweat on their faces, they’re probably taking a small break from dance practice.
By rote, he immediately seeks out the familiar wide-eyed gaze of his boyfriend—which could be a slight struggle due to his size and propensity to hide behind others—and true to his words, Kyungsoo is huddled on the far-end of the couch between Baekhyun and Sehun. His eyes are closed, however, and his head is resting on Baekhyun’s shoulder. His heart sinks slightly. Kyungsoo has been busy with his latest filming schedule, and they haven’t had much time to see each other either at Chanyeol’s (and Kyungsoo’s, too, really) or at their dorms.
“Hi,” Chanyeol says with a jaunty little wave. Junmyeon waves back, engrossed in a conversation with Minseok and Yixing, and Jongin mutters “yo” before returning to his phone. His eyes are trained on Kyungsoo, though, and he beelines towards him, plopping unceremoniously on Sehun’s lap.
At Sehun’s squawking protests, Kyungsoo pries his eyes open, blinking a few times as if to clear the cobwebs. “Ch’nyeol?” he slurs. He doesn’t bother lifting his head from where its pressed against Baekhyun’s shoulder, even as he shoots Chanyeol a crooked little smile.
“Hey Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol says. He fights the urge to take Kyungsoo’s hand in his—even if their members are aware of their relationship, it still feels unprofessional to show too much non-platonic affection. “Tired?”
“Mm,” Kyungsoo says, blinking his eyes closed again. Baekhyun lets out a small chuckle and apologizes when Kyungsoo grumbles from being jostled. Faintly, Chanyeol feels a stab of jealousy, but it’s moot when they’ve all been living in each other’s pockets since they were teenagers.
Their choreographer, Gu Young-hyung, re-enters the room a second later. “Oh, hey, Chanyeol. Nice hair,” he says, before rallying them up for another run through. Chanyeol glances at Kyungsoo as he stands up, holding out a hand for Kyungsoo to grab. The sleepy boy takes it, squeezing at Chanyeol’s hand subtly, before leading them to their marked positions in front of the mirrors. As Kyungsoo visibly fights off his exhaustion, Chanyeol studies his face—slightly puffy and swollen, probably from his lack of sleep—and the way he yawns between breaks.
Chanyeol frowns, concerned. Kyungsoo always has a habit of working like a horse and as they only continue to get older, their abused bodies no longer recovering from the aches and pains and sleepless nights as smoothly, it’s only becoming increasingly important that they rest.
He makes a mental note to give Kyungsoo a shoulder and foot massage when they return to the dorms that night.
The next day at practice gives way to an even more fatigued Kyungsoo. He had seemed better last night after Chanyeol spent some time working out the aches and knots in his feet, paying special attention to the sensitive arch. Kyungsoo certainly seemed enthusiastic later when he was grinding his cock against the ridges of Chanyeol’s abs, at least.
Today, as they go through the choreography for what feels like the millionth time—and he knows they still have a million more to go—Chanyeol non-subtly sneaks glances at his boyfriend. There are dark smudges under his eyes, and despite the intensity of dancing over and over again, Kyungsoo has stubbornly kept his thick hoodie on.
It’s actually Chanyeol’s hoodie, really, but it’s so big and warm and worn-out that Kyungsoo loves shrugging into it during the winter. He assumes it’s just comfortable for Kyungsoo, but Chanyeol’s heart automatically grows three sizes bigger at the sight.
When Gu Young-hyung calls for a fifteen minute break, Yixing is quick to wrap an affectionate arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “Aren’t you hot in this thing?” Yixing says, plucking playfully at the hoodie.
Kyungsoo shakes his head and pats Yixing on the hand. They’re sitting on the couch, and Chanyeol can feel the warmth seeping into his skin from Kyungsoo even through their clothes.
For a moment, they both get distracted when Baekhyun accidentally trips over Minseok’s leg. But then Kyungsoo lets out a soft sigh and sags into his side a little. Despite his sweatiness, Kyungsoo still buries his face in Chanyeol’s neck, breathing in deeply. It seems to help, his natural scent comforting him as he relaxes. Across from them, Jongdae notices, but only smiles and looks away again.
“Okay?” Chanyeol asks, quieter than he normally would be. But somehow it doesn’t feel like his usual volume would be helpful.
Kyungsoo doesn’t answer immediately. Then, he shivers, his hair brushing ticklishly against the nape of Chanyeol’s neck. “I’m cold,” he complains.
The room feels nearly sweltering to Chanyeol, who tends to sweat easily during a workout. Concerned, Chanyeol repeats, “cold?”
“A little,” says Kyungsoo, and then promptly sneezes. For Kyungsoo, who tends to downplay the discomfort he feels, that meant he was pretty fucking freezing. Alarmed, Chanyeol presses the back of his palm to Kyungsoo’s forehead. It felt maybe a bit warmer to the touch, but nothing discernible.
Junmyeon notices. “Is Kyungsoo sick?” he asks. The rest of the team turn to look at them both.
“Maybe,” Chanyeol says, frowning. There’s a fleece blanket kept in the storage closet of the room, and he considers grabbing it.
“No,” interjects Kyungsoo. “I’m fine. Just a little cold.” As if to prove his words, he shivers again. Junmyeon doesn’t look convinced.
Worry rises steadily in Chanyeol, and he rubs the back of Kyungsoo’s neck comfortingly. “Sehunnie,” he calls out to the youngest who’s sitting on the arm of the couch. “Would you be able to get the blanket from the closet for Kyungsoo?”
It seems to help. Once the blanket is nestled around Kyungsoo and tucked under his chin, his boyfriend lets out a small sigh of content before sinking closer into Chanyeol’s side. If Chanyeol wasn’t so worried for him, he would coo over how endearingly swaddled Kyungsoo looks in his blanket burrito.
As it is, Kyungsoo insists that he feels better once they resume practice again. For the rest of the day, Chanyeol keeps an eye out for Kyungsoo. Thankfully they have no schedules after practice, and Kyungsoo has a short break from filming as well.
He hopes that finally having a good night’s sleep will seem to resolve whatever Kyungsoo is feeling.
Chanyeol should have known something was wrong the day Kyungsoo had bundled himself up like a baby in the practice room.
The following days aren’t any easier on them. As their preparation ramps up leading up to their official comeback, their work days drag longer and longer. Thankfully, Kyungsoo has no filming scheduled until after the weekend—a small blessing Chanyeol refuses to take for granted. Usually these pockets of free time, as minute and sandwiched between their next schedule as they are, typically lead to Chanyeol and Kyungsoo having their hands all over each other. Privacy and free time are hard to come by, and they have fallen into the habit of optimizing it by going through their stash of lubes of condoms. Quickly.
Sometimes, all they do is cuddle and watch a movie together. Other times, it’s more time spent in Chanyeol’s studio, producing tracks and playing with samples.
More often than not, they fuck. When they’re in the right mood for it, it’s rough and dirty, Chanyeol slamming Kyungsoo up against the wall or taking him from behind, spanking his fuckable ass a cherry-red in tandem to Kyungsoo’s ah, ah, harder, Chanyeol, more moans. When it’s not a little rough, Chanyeol takes the time to pamper Kyungsoo. He fucks him slowly on his side, or while Kyungsoo is on his back as he holds his hands and kisses him gently and sugar-sweet in between deep thrusts.
On Wednesday, however, Chanyeol notices that Kyungsoo has started coughing too. Chanyeol brews some hot ginger tea with longan and red date for their post-practice jam session and gives Kyungsoo a laryngeal massage, but they cut the studio session short when Kyungsoo’s voice grows hoarse even in spite of both. It’s not ideal on any given day, but especially not so close to a comeback, and Chanyeol ushers them both home early.
“Shower fast, Chanyeollie,” is the first thing Kyungsoo says to Chanyeol once he emerges from the shower with only a flimsy white towel wrapped around his waist. His voice is still hoarse, but Chanyeol can’t help but trace a stray droplet of water as it slides down Kyungsoo’s neck. Of course, Kyungsoo notices. The smaller man’s lips tug into a smirk.
“But your throat,” Chanyeol protests. They die quickly on his lips when Kyungsoo only smiles wider and reaches between Chanyeol’s waistband to grind the palm of his hand against Chanyeol’s cock. He peers up at Chanyeol through his long lashes, sly and coquettish.
“I’ll be waiting,” Kyungsoo promises, before pulling his hand out of Chanyeol’s pants. He rises up on the tip of his toes to press a kiss to the corner of Chanyeol’s mouth, deceptively sweet for his brazen seduction.
But, god, if it isn’t effective. Chanyeol watches, enraptured, as Kyungsoo unravels the towel. He can’t tell if his boyfriend is moving slowly on purpose, aware of the sight he makes, or whether he’s just tired. Smooth skin is revealed inch by inch. He gulps audibly when Kyungsoo bends at the waist to pick the towel up from the floor, accentuating his perfect, thick ass.
He startles when Kyungsoo balls the towel up and throws it on Chanyeol. It lands on top of his head, obscuring his vision. “Hey!” he complains, but his heart feels full when he hears Kyungsoo giggle.
“Go shower,” Kyungsoo admonishes. “I have a surprise for you when you’re back.”
Those words do it, and Chanyeol scampers off. He runs into Minseok in the hallway, who takes one look at him and then at Kyungsoo’s bedroom door, before sighing and walking away. Chanyeol would be more embarrassed if he knew there was any heat behind it. But Kyungsoo’s dormmates are as used to seeing Chanyeol staying over as Jongin, Junmyeon, Yixing, and Sehun are with Kyungsoo sleeping upstairs with him during their promotions.
He takes the most efficient shower in his life. There’s a low thrum of arousal as he showers, brain flitting through the thousand scenarios of what the surprise could be, and knowing it would be perfect no matter what.
When he returns back to Kyungsoo’s bedroom, he’s half-hard and excited. However, an unexpected sight greets him.
Rather finding his boyfriend ready and wanting, Kyungsoo had fallen asleep sometime during his shower. It was only fifteen minutes long, and Chanyeol exhales softly, an adoring smile on his face. Kyungsoo must have been too exhausted to stay awake.
The smaller man is snoring softly, curled up into a little ball like he normally does. He’s still nude, and Chanyeol moves to adjust the covers so that they’re fitted snugly around him to keep him warm. It’s not until he moves closer that he realizes that there’s something clutched in his hands.
Kyungsoo’s fingers are wrapped around a large dildo, onyx in colour with gold shimmers mimicking the starry night sky. It blended in at first with Kyungsoo’s black bed sheets. The dildo was one of their favourites—thick at the base with a nice curve, and tapered at the tip. It was bought as a joke initially since it was modeled after a tentacle, which looked mildly terrifying at first, but Kyungsoo quickly grew fond of the feeling of the sucker pads rubbing against his sensitive walls. They rarely used it, having grown lazier with the clean up involved with using toys, but if Kyungsoo had pulled it out, it meant that he had been planning for a long night of fun.
Chanyeol gently pulls the dildo out of Kyungsoo’s hand, biting down a smile when the sleeping man protests at first, clutching tighter around it. But he manages without waking Kyungsoo up. After stowing it away in their box of toys hidden deep inside Kyungsoo’s closet, Chanyeol slides in next to sleeping boyfriend on the bed. Automatically, Kyungsoo turns to face Chanyeol.
“Love you,” Chanyeol whispers, even though Kyungsoo won’t hear him. He kisses Kyungsoo on the forehead—but then frowns when he realizes how much warmer Kyungsoo feels all of a sudden. Not enough to be alarmed, but concern rushes through him nonetheless. He’s going to talk to Kyungsoo tomorrow, even if the younger can be stubborn about health.
And, Chanyeol decides, he’ll pamper him a little more too. Kyungsoo’s been working so hard, he deserves it.
The next morning is horrible.
Chanyeol is startled awake at 5 am. It’s only an hour and a half before their alarm goes off and they have to rush to a studio recording session, but every extra minute counts in their industry. His initial grumpiness immediately dissipates when he realizes what had woken him up.
Some time during the night, Kyungsoo had rolled over onto his stomach, facing away from Chanyeol. The covers have been kicked off, revealing his bare skin. This time, he doesn’t pause to appreciate his boyfriend’s figure because Kyungsoo’s eyes are scrunched up in pain, coughing horribly into his fist. It sounds like he’s trying to expel rocks or something—it’s clearly painful, and his body racks with discomfort.
“Kyungsoo?” Chanyeol calls out, worried. He shuffles over to Kyungsoo’s side of the bed, petting his hair as softly as possible, as to not disturb him. “Are you okay? Do you need water?”
Kyungsoo tries to respond, rolling onto his back to look back at Chanyeol, but it’s as if his voice has been caught in his throat. He swallows loudly, screwing up his eyebrows from the motion. Then, he elapses into another horrifying coughing fit that has him curling back onto his side.
Chanyeol’s heart sinks. “I’ll be back,” he says in a rush, before hurrying to the kitchen to fix Kyungsoo a hot cup of mint tea. The CBXD dorm is dark and quiet, but he navigates it as easily as his own despite the slight differences in layout. Already, his mind races through a mental catalogue of things he should do—search their medicine cabinet for something to give Kyungsoo, a cool damp towel for Kyungsoo’s forehead, notifying their managers that Kyungsoo is too sick to work today, and then the quickest route to the most discreet hospital they can go to. But first, he needs to check on Kyungsoo.
He slips back into the bedroom with a steaming mug. There’s the briefest relief when he sees that Kyungsoo is no longer coughing, but the pallidness of his cheeks and his chapped lips do little to quell his concerns. Chanyeol shuts the door quietly behind him. “Kyungsoo?”
Kyungsoo blinks his eyes open, fluttering open in a way that seems monumentally difficult. “Chanyeol?” he calls out. His voice is even more hoarse than yesterday, low and husky and strained.
“How are you feeling, baby?” Chanyeol asks, perching on the edge of the bed on Kyungsoo’s side. He places the mug on the nightstand. Kyungsoo pouts up blearily at him, looking absolutely miserable. A frown tugs at the corner of Chanyeol’s lips, and he smooths Kyungsoo’s hair back from his forehead. He’s hot to the touch—even moreso than last night. A definite fever.
“I’m—” Kyungsoo begins, and then breaks out in another violent coughing fit. Chanyeol anxiously rubs his back, making soft comforting noises, his heart hurting at his boyfriend’s pain and his own helplessness.
“Drink some tea to soothe your throat, Kyungsoo-yah,” Chanyeol whispers, once the coughing fit subsides. He helps Kyungsoo sit up with some difficulty, Kyungsoo wincing as he slumps against the headboard. With one hand still rubbing his back, Chanyeol brings the mug up to Kyungsoo’s lips. He helps blow on the hot tea, cooling it down, before Kyungsoo takes tentative sips from the mug.
Kyungsoo winces again when he swallows. His eyes flutter shut as he leans back bonelessly, like it’s too much effort to keep his eyes open. “Thanks, Chanyeollie,” he mumbles. “I—everything hurts.”
“You have a fever,” Chanyeol explains, his heartstrings tugging at the sight of Kyungsoo’s dismay. “You need to rest up.”
Kyungsoo shakes his head sluggishly, prying his eyes open before they close again. “No, we gotta—work,” he grumbles, words slurred. “Can’t delay schedule.”
Chanyeol bites his lip and looks at Kyungsoo. He takes in the pallor of his complexion, and how even sitting upright seems to take monumental effort. Of all things that Kyungsoo hates, he hates being a burden the most. Kyungsoo has always prided himself on his professionalism and ability to persevere even in pain and illnesses.
But Chanyeol hardly remembers the last time Kyungsoo has been hit so hard like this, and above all, Kyungsoo deserves to rest. He holds onto Kyungsoo’s hand, frowning worriedly at how clammy it feels. “Rest,” Chanyeol insists. “And the doctor’s later.”
His boyfriend looks unhappy at this. “Work,” he mutters, even as he starts sliding sideways onto the bed. Chanyeol wonders if Kyungsoo even notices, but he’s guessing he doesn’t from how nearly incoherent Kyungsoo is.
He shushes Kyungsoo, and helps him lay back down on the bed. He’s still nude as well, and Chanyeol grabs a fresh t-shirt and underwear and helps Kyungsoo get dressed. “No work,” he soothes him. “It’ll be fine. We can record your parts later, you just focus on recovering first.”
Kyungsoo doesn’t respond at first, only shifting slightly to get more comfortable. At first, Chanyeol thinks he may have fallen asleep, but then he blinks up at Chanyeol with confused eyes. “Don’t leave me,” he mumbles, a sad little pout on his face, before he shuts his eyes again. After a few seconds, his breathing evens out.
For a moment, Chanyeol stares at Kyungsoo. His heart hurts, watching as his boyfriend coughs uneasily before tugging the blanket up until it covers his face. He lets out a sigh, pinching at the bridge of his nose.
He heads back into the kitchen, feeling slightly guilty for leaving Kyungsoo’s side. Chanyeol digs through the cabinet for some Tylenol, and preparing another mug of tea. As he waits for the tea to steep, he grabs the softest towel they own and runs it under cool water, wringing it out so that it’s no longer dripping. Kyungsoo is thankfully still asleep when he returns.
After placing the towel on Kyungsoo’s forehead, he sends a text to their manager to inform him of Kyungsoo’s condition. Briefly, he hesitates before he sends a second text, this time requesting for the day off to take care of Kyungsoo as well.
His manager responds immediately. Sorry, Chanyeol, the answering text reads. We can delay Kyungsoo’s recording but you’re going to have to do yours or else we’ll be too far behind schedule. If you finish up today though then you can take the day off tomorrow. Another text message comes in a split second later. I’ll get Woojin — referring to their newest manager — to take Kyungsoo to the hospital.
Chanyeol sighs, disappointed, but not surprised. Getting Kyungsoo time off to recover is rare enough—he knows that many of them have just had to pop a painkiller and hop up on Tylenol, grit their teeth, and bear with it. He doesn’t like it, not being able to be there for Kyungsoo.
There’s still some time before they have to leave, about forty-five minutes if Chanyeol is quick to get ready. He focuses, instead, on making sure Kyungsoo is comfortable, bundling him up with his softest blanket and placing an extra three cups of water on his nightstand next to the Tylenol. He quickly rushes back upstairs to his dorm to grab one of Kyungsoo’s favourite hoodies—it smells like Chanyeol now, having been left in his room—and folds it neatly next to Kyungsoo’s pillow.
All the movement must have woken Kyungsoo up, because his boyfriend makes an uncharacteristic whine before burrowing his face into the pillow. “Chanyeol,” he whines, one hand coming out from under the blankets to grasp blindly at the air. It’s a sight that makes Chanyeol heart throb. Kyungsoo’s adorable, even when he’s not trying to be.
“Hi sweetheart,” Chanyeol whispers, cradling Kyungsoo’s hand in his. He presses a kiss to Kyungsoo’s knuckles, disregarding how clammy it still is. “I’m sorry, Yongmin-hyung isn’t letting me stay. I have to go.”
“Noooo,” Kyungsoo protests, voice higher than usual. “Chanyeollie, don’t leave,” he begs.
Chanyeol’s heart breaks—and that’s how he knows Kyungsoo is truly, genuinely, horribly sick. As affectionate as he is with his actions, Kyungsoo has never been the type to ask Chanyeol to choose him over work. For him to be so earnest and clingy means he’s suffering and wants comfort.
He knows he doesn’t have much choice, but he climbs back into bed anyway. Kyungsoo settles down once Chanyeol is by his side, easily ingesting the medicine that Chanyeol helps him drink, before he instinctively leans into Chanyeol’s touch. He falls asleep a few minutes later.
Twenty minutes later, Yongmin-hyung raps on the door twice before letting himself and Woojin-hyung in. Hovering at the doorway, he can see Baekhyun looking worried as well. There’s a sympathetic look on both the managers’ faces, but Yongmin is firm, and leads Chanyeol back out of the room.
“Don’t worry,” Woojin says, patting Chanyeol on the shoulder. “I’ll take good care of Kyungsoo in your absence.”
Chanyeol does worry.
He keeps an eye on his phone, nearly obsessively. It’s to the point where Junmyeon had to ask him to focus, though not with malice. The rest of the members are concerned too, and the groupchat is flooded with get-well-soons that Kyungsoo hasn’t seen yet. He receives updates from Woojin, though that doesn’t stop him from texting Kyungsoo too. Unlike Woojin, who has been good-natured enough to respond patiently to all of Chanyeol’s texts throughout the entire day, Kyungsoo’s responses have been more sparing.
Chanyeol takes no offense. He gets it. His poor boyfriend is most likely not feeling well enough to focus on texting—not if he’s still as sick as he was in the morning.
It’s late at night after a whole day of recording and revisions by the time they’re all shuffling into the van. Chanyeol has never looked forward to returning home as strongly as now.
on our way home now. see u soon baby ♥️, he taps out quickly. A second later, his phone rings. Kyungsoo’s name shows up on the screen. Even after dating for a couple of years, Chanyeol’s heart still leaps into his throat at the sight of his boyfriend’s caller ID.
He accepts the call, pressing the phone to his ear. “Hey,” he greets Kyungsoo warmly. “How are you feeling?”
There’s a shuffling noise heard over the phone, like Kyungsoo is shifting on bedsheets. “I’m okay,” Kyungsoo croaks, clearly not okay, and then coughs loudly.
“What did the doctor say?” Chanyeol asks, wishing more than anything he was already home so he could wrap Kyungsoo up in his arms.
“Flu,” says Kyungsoo. “He gave me medicine. I should be better soon.” But there’s a note in his voice, something that feels off, that alerts Chanyeol. He knows Kyungsoo better than anyone else, and if he were to hazard a guess, it would be that Kyungsoo’s putting on a brave face right now.
“We’re almost home,” Chanyeol promises, soothingly. “Do you want me to pick anything up on our way home? Choco pie?” he suggests. It’s Kyungsoo’s favourite snack.
There’s a brief pause where Chanyeol wonders if Kyungsoo has fallen back asleep, but then he hears Kyungsoo snuffling quietly. His heart drops. “Kyungsoo?” he calls out, momentarily forgetting the other members in the car. “Babe, what’s wrong?”
Kyungsoo sniffles again. “No,” he answers at last, voice a little warbly but just as hoarse. “Come...come home soon, Chanyeol-ah.”
“I’ll knock Yongmin-hyung out the driver’s seat and slam on the gas pedal if you want me to,” Chanyeol answers, a little bit silly but more desperate to hear Kyungsoo laugh. It works, pulling a small giggle from Kyungsoo’s mouth. From the front seat, he sees his manager shoot him a look, but otherwise says nothing. He thinks he hears Yixing laugh a little from the seat behind him, Chanyeol doesn’t pay either of them any attention.
“Okay,” Kyungsoo says, quietly. He lets out another wet cough. “I love you.”
“Love you too,” Chanyeol says, even as his heart clenches.
Fifteen minutes later, Chanyeol knocks lightly on Kyungsoo’s bedroom door. “Kyungsoo?” he calls through the door.
There’s no answer. Carefully, Chanyeol pries the door open to find Kyungsoo sleeping again. The three glasses of water have been drained dry, but one of the tea mugs has been left untouched. Normally, Kyungsoo would have washed and dried them in the kitchen immediately, but from what their manager told him, Kyungsoo hasn’t had much energy to leave the bed.
He takes a moment to fully take in Kyungsoo’s appearance, noticing just how small and fragile Kyungsoo looks all curled up on the edge of his bed, as if he’s been waiting for Chanyeol to take up place next to his side. Kyungsoo has kicked off the covers again, most likely too hot for his feverish body, but the hoodie that Chanyeol had left this morning is balled up in his arms like a pillow. His hair is greasy, tousled and messy and piled on top of his head; strands of black sticking out at every direction. He’s breathing out of his mouth, and his lips are chapped and peeling. His face is no longer pale, instead replaced with two spots of red on his cheeks that are far too red for Chanyeol’s liking. His fever must still be quite high.
As if someone sensing his presence, Kyungsoo lets out a garbled groan as he wakes up, prying one eye open. When he sees Chanyeol there, both eyes pop open. His eyes are rimmed with red and slightly puffy. “You’re home,” Kyungsoo says, sounding relieved.
Chanyeol feels his heart fill with love. “I’m home,” he confirms, perching on the edge of the bed. He reaches down and cups Kyungsoo’s cheek comfortingly, feeling his fever-warmed skin, before pressing a gentle kiss to the slope of Kyungsoo’s brow. “How are you holding up, babe?”
Kyungsoo leans into his touch, but seems too tired to do much else. His eyebrows furrow. “I missed you,” he says, sounding sad.
“I missed you too,” Chanyeol says, a sad smile playing at the corner of his lips. He wishes he could have stayed home with Kyungsoo. He reaches down and flattens Kyungsoo hair, combing through the soft strands with his fingers. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be here today, baby.”
“S’okay,” Kyungsoo says, and then cuddles into him, wrapping an arm around Chanyeol’s torso. He blinks up at Chanyeol through dark lashes. The look in his eyes steals Chanyeol’s breath away, so full of love and heavy with affection, even when he knows Kyungsoo must be feeling miserable right now. His lungs constrict, stomach lurching, as he’s hit with a sudden wave of overwhelming adoration for his boyfriend.
He strokes Kyungsoo’s cheek, watches as Kyungsoo’s eyes flutter shut from the comforting touch. “I got permission to stay home tomorrow,” he whispers. “Just rest up for now, Kyungsoo. I won’t go anywhere.”
“Okay,” Kyungsoo mumbles back. A small smile curves his lips upwards. His eyelashes flutter, and Chanyeol knows that the lull of sleep is pulling him back down again. “Thank you,” he says sleepily.
“Sleep well, Kyungsoo-yah,” Chanyeol says. “I’ll be here in the morning,” he promises, pressing a kiss to his hair.
The moment Kyungsoo wakes up the next morning, he scrambles out of bed and into the washroom. Chanyeol, startled awake, quickly follows behind, heart pounding in his chest. In the washroom, he finds Kyungsoo gripping the edge of the toilet seat, chest heaving as he empties out the content of his stomach.
“Kyungsoo!” Chanyeol says, alarmed, as he drops down to his knees next to his boyfriend, rubbing comforting circles on his back. Kyungsoo groans, before slumping to the floor. There’s a sheen of sweat on his forehead and he looks awful. “Oh, Kyungsoo,” he says soothingly.
He flushes the toilet, and wets a wad of tissue paper to wipe Kyungsoo’s mouth. “Are you able to stand, babe?” he asks, cupping Kyungsoo’s face. His boyfriend shakes his head, shutting his eyes and leaning his head against the cool porcelain of the bathtub. It must feel good on Kyungsoo’s heated skin because he lets out a relieved sigh. Then, he dissolves into another fit of coughs.
Chanyeol frowns, pressing another kiss to the side of Kyungsoo’s face, hoping it would be a small touch of comfort. He doesn’t care if Kyungsoo is a little gross right now—he could be covered in his own vomit and he would still feel utterly enamoured with the other man. He just wishes he could take away all of his misery. Banish the pain. Weren’t the meds supposed to make him feel better?
“I’ll help you brush your teeth,” Chanyeol says, and Kyungsoo only nods. No protests. He helps Kyungsoo sit against the bathtub, and after they’re done brushing their teeth, Chanyeol takes a wet towel and gently cleans off the sweat from Kyungsoo’s face and upper body.
Once they’re done, Chanyeol takes in the lethargic way Kyungsoo is still slumped against the bathtub wall, and sighs. He bends down and picks Kyungsoo up.
“Chanyeol?” Kyungsoo murmurs, even as his arms instinctively wrap around Chanyeol’s neck. “Are we going to work?”
“No, baby, we’re getting you back to bed. It’s time to take your medicine.”
Suddenly, Kyungsoo peels his face away from where he had buried it in Chanyeol’s chest. “Are you leaving me again?” he asks. He sounds distressed, and Chanyeol quickly soothes him.
“I’m staying home with you today, sweetie,” he says gently before depositing Kyungsoo on the bed. He helps cover Kyungsoo with the covers again, and smooths Kyungsoo’s hair away from his face.
“I’m sorry I’m being such a burden,” Kyungsoo says, gripping at the sheets with his fists. He looks upset with himself.
Without a doubt, Kyungsoo is the most incredible, brilliant, strongest, beautiful person he knows. He’s always thought so, ever since they were trainee and after they had debuted, too, before they even considered dating one another. Maybe not so much physically, because years of pushing his body beyond his limits with little time to adequately rest and recover has left Kyungsoo with chronic shoulder pain. But it takes a one-of-a-kind person to work as hard and with as much heart that Kyungsoo does, even when so much about the “idol-life” left scars on his health, both mentally and physically. For someone who treasured silence so strongly, and his privacy above all, for someone who chose love over what was practical — Chanyeol has always, always admired his resilience.
Never, in his life, has he ever considered Kyungsoo a burden.
He tells Kyungsoo as such. He cradles Kyungsoo’s hand in his lap, stroking circles along the back of his hand as he damn near gives a monologue of how much he absolutely adores Kyungsoo. “You’re not a burden,” Chanyeol affirms, not quite as fiercely as he wants to. He knows that wouldn’t be helpful for Kyungsoo right now, not when he’s in a vulnerable state. “I love you so, so much. You could never be a burden.”
Kyungsoo looks stunned. Then, unexpectedly, tears well up and—to Chanyeol’s horror—it’s like a dam breaks, tears sliding down his face as his chest heaves, biting down on his lip to muffle his sobs. Clearly embarrassed, Kyungsoo throws an arm over his face to hide his face, but his shoulders still wrack with sobs.
“Oh no, no, no,” Chanyeol says, immediately wrapping his arms around Kyungsoo. He holds his boyfriend close to his chest, his own heart breaking for him. “No, no, I love you, it’s okay, it’s okay.”
It only makes Kyungsoo sob harder, but he wraps his arms around Chanyeol’s waist. “Shh, shh, I’ve got you. I love you, baby, it’s okay,” Chanyeol says, like a mantra, soothingly shushing Kyungsoo. He wants to make this world a safer place for Kyungsoo, away from sasaengs and the pressure to live up to a name, away from a world that cruelly gives Kyungsoo the flu and doesn’t let him feel like it’s okay to rest. But he can’t—not really—so he comforts him in the only way he knows how. He strokes Kyungsoo’s hair, presses half-a-dozen kisses to the crown of his head, all the way repeating how much he loves him.
Kyungsoo’s sobs eventually quiet into a sniffle. He rubs his face against the front of Chanyeol’s sweater. “I’m getting snot all over you,” he mumbles eventually. The tips of his ears are a bright red, either from embarrassment or his fever—but probably both. “I love you. Thank you for taking care of me.”
“You can rub snot on me from head to toe, I don’t care,” Chanyeol says stubbornly. He means it, too. Nothing about Kyungsoo would ever be too gross for him. “Always. I love you, always.”
Soon after, Kyungsoo falls back asleep. Chanyeol stays around for the next half-hour, wanting to make sure Kyungsoo is okay. He only leaves the bed when he hears a quiet rap of knuckles on the door, from Jongdae, Minseok, and Baekhyun who had swung by to check on Kyungsoo. They have to leave soon after for their next schedule, and Chanyeol promises to upgrade the groupchat when Kyungsoo feels better.
As his phone continues to ring, Chanyeol checks on the congee he has simmering in a pot, stirring through the rice to check how much it has softened. The chicken stock he used has mostly reduced, and he lowers the heat.
Finally, there’s a click on the other line. His mother’s smiling face appears on his phone screen. The sight of her bright smile and familiar laugh lines ease his heart, and he sets down the wooden spoon to wave at the camera. “Hi mom!” he says, mindful of how loud his voice is. Kyungsoo’s still sleeping in his bedroom.
“My Chanyeol, my son,” his mom coos back at him, laughing joyfully. “How are you doing? Busy preparing for your comeback?”
“Yeah, it’s been busy,” Chanyeol admits. “It’s going to get worse when we start promoting, but the prepwork is always difficult too.”
“My poor son, always working so hard,” his mom replies with a frown. “And how’s my other son?”
Chanyeol bites down a smile at her question, even as his heart squeezes as he thinks about how sick Kyungsoo still is. “Kyungsoo’s sick,” he tells his mom. There’s a bit of delay with the video, but he sees his mom’s face morph into a frown. “He threw up this morning, and has had a fever since yesterday.”
“Oh no,” his mom says, looking troubled. “Are you taking care of him, Chanyeol-ah? Does he need food? Mom can come and make him some chicken congee. I remember he liked it when I made some for him last time he got sick.”
He switches the camera view so that his mom can see the pot of congee on the stove instead. “Already making some,” Chanyeol says, laughing a little. He really does take after his mom. “I’m using your recipe too.”
“Good,” his mom says firmly. “That’s the only recipe I would approve in a time like this. Poor Kyungsoo, that boy works too hard.”
“He really does,” Chanyeol agrees. He switches the camera back to selfie-mode, and then stirs the porridge with a wooden spoon. It’s almost been 25 minutes, almost time to add in vegetables. “He says he feels bad for ‘burdening’ me,” Chanyeol tells her with a sigh.
“That boy,” his mom says in a scolding tone. “Tell him I’ll be giving him extra socks for Christmas this year.” Her frown deepens. “Maybe I should come over anyway. Your dad just bought a whole box of red ginseng extract. It’ll do Kyungsoo some good.”
He shakes his head, smiling. “I’m sure he’d appreciate it, mom. You know he loves seeing you. But it’s probably best you don’t come over just yet—he needs some rest.”
His mom sighs, but agrees. “You’re right. Poor boy. You take good care of him, okay? Make sure he takes his medicine and drinks lots of water. And stop leaving the fan on at night—that’s probably what did it.”
“Yes, mom,” Chanyeol says obediently. He pauses. Faintly, he hears a sound coming from Kyungsoo’s bedroom. “Hold on, mom, I think Kyungsoo’s awake.”
He mutes his phone just in case, but keeps it in hand as he heads back towards the bedroom, cracking it open slightly to see Kyungsoo standing on unstable legs. Chanyeol hurries to his side and steadies him. “Kyungsoo, how are you feeling?” he asks, tucking Kyungsoo's face into his neck as he checks his temperature with his chin. It feels less hot than before, but he’ll have to use the thermometer to double-check.
“I didn’t see you so I went to go find you,” Kyungsoo replies, his face still tucked into Chanyeol’s neck. His lips move against Chanyeol’s skin, the ticklish sensation sending a shiver down his spine.
“I was cooking lunch for you, babe,” Chanyeol explains, moving Kyungsoo gently toward the bed again. He pulls Kyungsoo onto the bed, and although Kyungsoo probably could have sat down himself, he’s pliant under Chanyeol’s touch. “It’s almost done.”
“Oh,” Kyungsoo says, tilting his head to the side with wide eyes, sparkling with wonder. “You’re incredible, Park Chanyeol.”
Chanyeol laughs, pinching Kyungsoo’s cheek. He knows Kyungsoo’s still much sicker than desirable when his boyfriend doesn’t even move away or scowl from the action. “I have to finish up, but my mom is on the phone. Would you like to speak to her?” he asks Kyungsoo, waving his phone in the air. “No pressure—you don’t have to. She’ll understand.”
“Mom?” Kyungsoo questions. Chanyeol nods. “No, give me please, I want to talk—” he tugs at Chanyeol’s sleeve. Chanyeol gives an affectionate peck to Kyungsoo’s forehead, and then to the tip of his nose, before he hands Kyungsoo the phone. He unmutes it, and watches as his mom’s expression turns into delight when she realizes who’s on the phone.
“Hi mom,” Kyungsoo says, smiling wide and gummy. “How are you?”
His mom’s face softens immediately. “Oh, my poor boy, how could Chanyeol let you get sick like that? How are you doing, my son?”
Chanyeol suppresses a smile, squeezing at Kyungsoo’s fingers affectionately, before he leaves his two favourite people in the world to talk, as he finishes cooking. His heart feels lighter now.
Lunch goes as well as he expected—that is to say, not perfectly. Kyungsoo, although buoyed from his conversation with Chanyeol’s mother and appreciative of Chanyeol’s cooking, has little-to-no appetite. He only manages a few bites of the congee before he looks at Chanyeol with baleful eyes and an apology. For Kyungsoo, who values food almost more than anything else, this seemed akin to torture for him. Chanyeol carefully kisses his little frown away, and packs and stows the rest away into the fridge to be eaten later for dinner.
Now, they’re both laying on the couch. Or more accurately, Kyungsoo is laying, with his head resting on Chanyeol’s lap, while Chanyeol sits. They have a cooking show playing in the background.
“—but then Sehun heard the smoke alarm and rushed out of the bathroom, still covered in suds. Junmyeon looked so guilty, and Jongin was pissed,” Chanyeol said, waving his hands around animatedly.
Kyungsoo lets out a contented chuckle, pressing his face closer into Chanyeol’s abdomen. Chanyeol smiles as he looks down at his boyfriend. The t-shirt he’s wearing has ridden up slightly, revealing his soft tummy. It’s one of his favourite features of Kyungsoo—sometimes he even blows raspberries on his tummy, to Kyungsoo’s mild annoyance. Fondly, Chanyeol pokes him in the belly, eliciting a squeak from Kyungsoo, before he helps him fix his shirt.
There’s a moment of quiet between them, filled with the low murmur of the television and the sound of their breathing, soft and steady. Kyungsoo closes his eyes, a small smile on his lips. Chanyeol decides to stop talking, to allow his boyfriend to get some more rest. Even on a good day, Kyungsoo has always preferred the peace of quiet. He’s sure it must be amplified now, when Kyungsoo’s unwell.
He combs his hand through Kyungsoo’s hair, massaging his scalp. Kyungsoo lets out a blissed out sigh, pressing his lips against Chanyeol’s stomach in a facsimile of a kiss. It makes him smile, and his heart constricts with the magnitude of his love for Kyungsoo.
He continues massaging Kyungsoo’s scalp, moving downwards to focus on his neck as well. Kyungsoo’s breath comes out in hot puffs, and he moans quietly. It sends a prick of heat up Chanyeol’s spine, but he ignores it. Kyungsoo could do nothing but blink and Chanyeol could probably get hard from it, but the last thing he’s going to do is make a move on Kyungsoo now when he feels miserable.
“Hey babe?” Kyungsoo speaks up, still curling into Chanyeol’s masterful touches like a little kitten. It’s endearing, and he bends low to kiss the shell of Kyungsoo’s ear before he responds.
“Hi,” he replies, smiling hard enough that he knows his dimple is showing.
“Can you—” he cuts himself off with another moan, squirming contentedly in Chanyeol’s lap. “Can you keep talking to me? Your voice— it comforts me,” he confesses.
Chanyeol’s surprised for a second before a pleased smile stretches his mouth from side to side. He probably looks silly and lovestruck, but why wouldn’t he be? When Kyungsoo’s his boyfriend. And in that moment, in the midst of their domesticity, Chanyeol knows he’s going to marry him one day. Even if Korea never legalizes equal marriage, even if they have to fly to Taiwan or Canada or Sweden to do it— he’s going to marry Kyungsoo.
“What would you like me to talk about?” Chanyeol asks a second later, scratching lightly at Kyungsoo’s scalp.
Kyungsoo hums, a pleased noise. His eyes are still shut, his long lashes casting a shadow on his cheeks. “Anything,” he says. If he was a cat, he’d be purring, Chanyeol’s sure. “Tell me about the song you’ve been working on with MQ-hyung. ‘Twelve,’ right?”
“Right,” Chanyeol confirms. His smile is so wide, it nearly hurts his face. He launches into another story about his studio team, and their progress with the song. Chanyeol’s been writing lyrics to it, and they’ve been producing the track together, but it’s missing something. He hopes he can get Kyungsoo to sing the vocals for it, but he decides to ask him when he’s no longer half-delirious from the fever.
He talks to Kyungsoo until his own voice nearly becomes hoarse, a ribbon of delight squeezing at his heart every time Kyungsoo laughs, every time he smiles with his eyebrows drawn together and eyes scrunched up, lips bowed in a beautiful heart-shape, every time he talks to Chanyeol in his quiet voice of his. He hates that Kyungsoo is still sick, and hates even more that this is probably the last day off he’ll have to recover. Work seldom waits for them to be better.
But he hopes, and god does he hope, that he at least can bring some comfort to Kyungsoo. That he makes it a little easier for him to get through the day, just like Kyungsoo does for him.
“I love you, you know,” Kyungsoo whispers, during a lull in one of Chanyeol’s silly stories.
Chanyeol can’t help it—he leans down and kisses Kyungsoo firmly on the lips. He peppers kisses on every part of Kyungsoo he can reach: his perfect lips, his nose, his cheek, his eyebrows, his forehead, even his chin. Kyungsoo laughs into the kiss, and wraps an arm around Chanyeol’s neck so that he can be pulled up into a sitting position.
“I know,” Chanyeol says. “I love you too, you know.”
This time, when they kiss, they meet perfectly in the middle.
Later that night, when the rest of the group returns back to the dorms, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo are bombarded with all seven members dogpiling on top of them. “Stop hogging Kyungsoo all to yourself,” whines Baekhyun, snuggling up tight to the smaller man. “Ouch, your elbow—” Yixing says to Jongdae. Minseok throws his leg over Chanyeol’s, and Jongin does the same to Minseok. Sehun pouts until Baekhyun relinquishes his hold on Kyungsoo, only for Sehun to treat Kyungsoo like his own personal body pillow. Junmyeon laughs at them all, but then squeezes himself between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo, claiming leaders’ rights.
Amidst it all, he catches Kyungsoo’s eyes. They share a smile, one full of love for each other, and for their misfit family members around them.
They’ll be okay.