Fluffy ATEEZ Oneshots🧸

Blinding Lights🌡️

Sickie: Hongjoong

Caregivers: Ateez

No one's POV.:

The moment Hongjoong opened his eyes this morning, he could tell it wouldn't be a good day. Seonghwa had opened the blinds already and the early morning sun casted distorted shadows through their shared bedroom. Despite rubbing his eyes multiple times, the shadows and rays of sunlight still looked odd, not like they usually did in the mornings. On the other hand, it had been a while since Hongjoong woke up at the dorm like he did today. He either got up way before the sun rose or slept in late on their days off, when the sun already stood high up in the sky, so what did he know? Maybe everything was just as it was supposed to be and he simply wasn't used to it. Yeah, that must be it. Unwillingly rolling out of bed, the leader felt the ground shift beneath his feet and needed a moment to find his balance before he could head to the bathroom to get ready. Seonghwa gave him a questioning look, like he was sensing something was off but Hongjoong pretended he was simply sleepy and needed some time to wake up fully. By the time they had to leave, the leader had not only convinced his hyung but also himself that nothing was wrong except for him being sleepy.

Stepping foot outside the dorm building though, Hongjoong started to question that explanation. It was so bright, yet the sun wasn't even fully up. How bright was it supposed to get once the sun rose higher in the sky? The odd lighting of sunrise cast funny shapes and Hongjoong shielded his eyes. It was too bright, a single glance towards the sky sent a stabbing pain through his eye. The feeling that something was off returned, gnawing at the leader's nerves, but what was he supposed to do if he didn't even know what it was? Had he been able to pinpoint what exactly made him feel so funny, he could've done something about it and wouldn't have to wait anxiously for whatever catastrophe was heading their way to strike but he couldn't, so he quietly filed into the van alongside the rest of the group. Seonghwa could tell, the younger was nervous and shot him a questioning look, holding up his phone. If he needed to talk, without their dongsaengs noticing, he could send him a message. Hongjoong forced a smile but didn't use his phone. What was he supposed to tell his hyung? That he had the feeling something bad was going to happen but couldn't tell what or why? It was probably just anxiety, the stress of their most recent comeback taking a toll on his already sleep-deprived body and mind. Yeah, that had to be it.

Hongjoong stumbled as he got out of the van, glad that Mingi caught his arm and steadied him till he had his balance back. It was even brighter now than it had been a few minutes ago and the sun made his eyes hurt. It was so blinding, that the leader struggled to see anything other than the odd shapes it casted, forcing him to blindly stumble towards the company building. Seonghwa and Mingi exchanged a worried look as they noticed Hongjoong sway. The oldest hurried to link his arm with Hongjoong's and quietly walked him into the building, barely catching the leader's relieved sigh the moment they were out of the morning sun. "You okay, Joong?", Seonghwa asked quietly, not wanting to catch anyone else's attention. The younger nodded but flinched at the movement, admitting: "My head hurts a little but it'll be fine. I'll make sure to drink lots of water and it'll go away soon." He was a little confused because they hadn't even started to work yet but he hadn't slept enough recently, so of course, his body would do weird things.

The headache had only started as he had gotten out of the van but unlike he had predicted, it didn't go away. Instead, it kept getting worse the more time passed and soon, he couldn't even think clearly anymore. The pain made it impossibly for Hongjoong to focus on anything for more than a few seconds and having dance practice surely didn't help. Not only did the blasting music reverberate in his skull, it also messed with his balance. The noise came from multiple speakers in opposite corners of the room, making the ground vibrate. It seemed Hongjoong was the only one feeling as exhausted as he did, his dongsaengs being as loud and energetic as ever. Seonghwa shot the leader a sympathetic smile when he cringed at a particularly loud yell, as San chased Wooyoung around the dance room. Hongjoong squinted his eyes, pressing his palms into them. The bright ceiling lights reflected in the multiple mirrors, making it almost impossible for him to see anything other than bright and colorful flashes.