To love and to Hate

8: Safe travels

The water mage continued walking after he caught his breath. "Yes, to put it bluntly, that's what he thinks."

Jisung just shook his head. "And here I thought he was an innocent little guy."

"He still is, he just... has the wrong ideas. Although, I wouldn't complain if you and I had a tumble in the sheet-"

Jisung smacked him upside the head. "Shut up, you pervert."

Minho chuckled almost wickedly. "I'm just being honest. You feel small against me like this, I could throw you around a bit, and I'm sure you'd enjoy that, wouldn't you?"

The fever definitely wasn't the only thing lighting his face on fire. "Stop talking right now, or I'll report you to Chan for harassment."

A beat of silence. "You really wouldn't consider taking your frustrations out on me?"

"If I do that, it will be in a fight, not in the bedroom."

"You're no fun."

"You're just nasty."

The never-ending back and forth came to a pause as the pair made it out from under the mountain. The world around them was white with falling snow, but thankfully it was a fairly calm storm.

The fever was messing with Jisung's temperature so badly, he could feel himself trembling from the cold despite the fact he felt like he was overheating. It was pathetic, really, shaking like a newborn deer while being carried by his enemy. He just hoped he could erase this memory and move on with his life.

While Minho trudged along carefully, Jisung felt the smallest twinge of pity, and he hesitantly moved his arms to align with Minho's and began rubbing his hands up and down to warm the water mage's skin. He'd sacrificed his jacket, the least Jisung could do was keep him at least a little bit warm.

After what felt like much too long, both mages sent praises to the heavens upon spotting the lights of the town just below them, and Minho's pace picked up.

An involuntary 'aw' escaped Jisung's lips when he spotted Jeongin standing at the edge of town, huddled against a building and holding a few blankets. The young mage perked up and ran toward them.

"You two are absolutely insane!" he exclaimed, throwing one of the blankets over Jisung's back. "Or are all mages like this?"

Minho chuckled. "No, it's just us."

"Well, I guess that makes sense. Come on, I have some food ready to warm up, you two have been inside that mountain all day."

"No thanks to you," Jisung hissed into Minho's ear.

"We've already discussed this, darling, there's nothing more to say here." Minho patted his leg. "Just hang onto that attitude and you can use it again when we aren't on the verge of dying."

Why was that... a little cute? No, Minho and cute did not belong in the same country, let alone the same sentence.

A drilling headache had made its way into Jisung's skull and the fever seemed to spike by the time they reached Jeongin's little house, and Minho dropped him onto the floor in a strangely abrupt way. Jisung didn't think anything of it until the water mage grabbed both of his arms and met his eyes.

"Jisung, you're burning up."

"Minho, I do believe we established that," Jisung sassed, blinking hard to clear some of the fog that edged into his vision.

"No, you're burning up. You're literally steaming, has this happened before?" Minho asked, his voice unsteady.

What in the world was he talking about? Jisung glanced down at himself, and his eyes widened. Steam was, in fact, rising from his body in alarming waves. "What the hell?"