"what are you, twelve? come on, doc just said there's no more mattresses!" jeonghan said in a mischievous tone, defying wonwoo who still stood beside the mattress he had to share with mingyu.
"jeonghan leave him alone, we haven't been together for long. it's okay if he wants to sleep on separate beds when we're around so many people." mingyu defended his boyfriend, still holding onto wonwoo's hand who hesitantly stood beside him.
"as if you don't sleep together every single night. what does our company still matter at this point?" jeonghan challenged his resistance again, knowing it was only a matter of time before he would win. besides, where was he planning on sleeping elsewhere? in soonyoung's bed?
as if on cue, soonyoung lifted the blanket, patting the empty space beside him. "you can also lay with me if you prefer that over mingyu." soonyoung joked, barely even able to resist his laughter. without further doubt, wonwoo dropped himself on the mattress he now shared with mingyu, not caring about the proximity between him and his boyfriend in the open.
"oh no no no, ew." he muttered in the same emotionless low voice they were used from him, lighting the room up with laughter. even when they had to be silent, as most patients were trying to sleep, they couldn't help but to keep the lively atmosphere for now.
and midst all that, junhui sat high up his bed with his back resting against the headboard, having minghao sitting closely next to him. the younger still tend to have difficulties with showing physical affection in the company of others, which junhui accepted and allowed him to take as much time in as he needed. just simply sitting shoulder to shoulder satisfied him enough, not asking for more than simply minghao's presence near him.
even when his legs were softly trembling, tensing up every now and then, junhui felt calm and filled with ecstasy. the sight of his friends in his own bedroom, in the middle of that astonishing abandoned valley, was like a dream coming true. just simply being able to share this with them was amazing.
"jun?" minghao whispered, getting junhui to avert his attention from everyone in the room to him. without using actual words minghao pointed at his leg, that clenched together painfully tight, a grimace of discomfort appearing on junhui's face.
"it's nothing severe this time, i promise. i think the peak of it has already passed." and this time junhui was right. the sudden strokes of pain that shot through his limbs every other second started fading on a slow pace, making junhui aware that it was only a light attack this time. the only side effect was that all feeling inside his legs was slowly starting to fade away, yet junhui tried not to worry about it too much.
"please don't lie to me like last time, when you threw up at night." minghao tried to receive more information, knowing all too well that junhui wasn't going to tell him anything if he were the one to decide.
"i promise that it's different this time hao." junhui assured him, carelessly pressing a tiny kiss against his temple. "besides, i that think after everything that doc has told you this afternoon i can hardly keep making excuses every time. don't you think?"
minghao nodded hesitantly, seemingly still not fond of it. "i just really don't want you to keep things from me. especially not about your physical state." minghao whispered in return, his hand naturally trailing off to junhui's. "and i really understand that your intentions are good. but this isn't the time to hide physical pain from me."
even when junhui was still determined to seek his boarders when it came to these attacks and he didn't want to give up so easily, the look in minghao's eyes gave away how much he wanted to be there for him. tearing down his walls just a tiny bit more couldn't hurt, right?
"i'm sorry hao, i didn't know it affected you like that." junhui squeezed his hand gently, a faint grin appearing on his face. "from now on i will try to tell you more, okay?"
and minghao settled for that, knowing that he couldn't ask for more. "thank you jun." he whispered, laying his head against the elder's shoulder. they were too caught up in their own little world to even notice the silence that had dawned upon the group of teens, all staring at the heartwarming scenario in front of them. they seemed to find it wonderful to finally see junhui being in love like that.
regardless of his condition, he was able to give someone all his love and ask for nothing in return. and he had finally found a person who tried giving him equally as much as he received; xu minghao. and his friends couldn't be more delighted of what the future would bring for them.
"minghao?" chan's voice made both junhui and minghao snap out of their little world, eyeing the younger who had just spoke. "can i ask you something?"
minghao giggled and nodded in approval. "well, soonyoung and i have been meaning to ask you this the entire afternoon but we really don't want to come off as rude in any sort of way."
"i've never assumed you and soonyoung as rude, chan. there's nothing to worry about, so you can ask me whatever is on your mind any time." junhui was surprised by minghao's sudden heartwarming openness.
"do you think you will ever return to the idol business?" minghao had seen the question coming somehow, being aware of their undying curiosity. so his mind didn't get clouded with panic, nor other suppressed feelings of fear. especially not with junhui by his side.
"in all honesty, i don't think i will. jun has offered me to move into his apartment once we're both released from the lake house. i don't think there's any other place where i'd rather be than with him." minghao spoke in all honesty. "if you all accept me in your town as well, of course." he added rather nervously.
"of course! you're a member of the toe cult now, right?" as much as jisoo despised the horrifying name at first, he was the one to reassure minghao with a promise of their friendship and with that a place in the group.
that night the toe cult had earned their tenth member.
