word count: 2.4k
Content Warning: Swearing, sickness (mentions of coughing, headaches, achy body), and pining
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"Holy hell," Doyoung exclaimed as he entered your bedroom, placing his mom's homemade chicken soup on your dresser for later, "You look like shit, y/l/n!"
Doyoung had called earlier to ask if you wanted to hang out after he got off of work that night, as he knew that your parents were out of town, but as soon as he heard your hoarse voice and your coughs (although you tried to suppress them) he insisted that he stop by before work to check on you.
"Thank you. That's exactly what I needed to hear while I have the flu." You sniffled a little and wiped your nose, "I feel miserable, and apparently I look even worse."
Doyoung moved across the room to sit on the edge of your bed. He looked down at you sympathetically and pulled a new box of tissues out of his bag to set down on your nightstand.
"I'm sorry, y/n. You know I didn't mean it. I just didn't expect you to be this sick." He gave you a sheepish smile as he took the forehead thermometer from your nightstand and dragged it from temple to temple.
"Well, I didn't want to worry you," You shrugged, leaning up to see what the thermometer read, but Doyoung moved it away and set it back on your nightstand before you could see.
He sighed, "You're burning up. I don't feel great about leaving you here alone while I'm at work."
"I'll be fine, I promise." You manage between coughs, "Just come back for a little while after work. I'll even let you rent me a movie on your employee discount." You smirked, taking a long swig of water before you can start coughing again.
"No," He decided as he moves all of your medicine, cough drops, and some cold bottles of water to your nightstand for easy access, "I'm gonna find someone to come stay with you while I'm at work. Just hang tight for about 20 minutes and I'll have someone here to take care of you."
You nodded, unable to gather the energy to fight him on this one. You were too tired and achy, to fight a determined Doyoung Kim.
"I put all of your medicine and some water on your table so you don't have to move and I'm gonna take the chicken soup to the fridge for later."
"Thank you, Doyoung, really."
"No problem." He shot you a worried smile, "I need to head to work, but I'll find someone to come stay with you as soon as I get there."
You could only nod as he walked out of your room, closing your door behind him.
****
A few hours later, Sejeong snuck through the front door, using the key that Doyoung said would be under the welcome mat. She tip-toed up the stairs, quickly locating your room and knocking a few times.
As soon as Doyoung had asked her to come take care of you, she rushed at the opportunity and picked up a few goodies for you along the way. While the two of you didn't know each other very well, she always thought that you were beautiful, that your smile lit up the video store when you came to visit Doyoung. She had spoken to you before, usually, it was small talk to fill the time it took for Doyoung to come out of the back room to greet you. As much as she loved Doyoung and was happy he had a friend? girlfriend? (She swore you were his girlfriend) like you, she wished that you were at Family Video to visit her instead of him. So, she was happy to get to spend time with you without Doyoung, even if you were sick.
"Come in!" You answered with your hoarse voice, as you quickly dog-eared the page of the book you were reading and placed it on your nightstand. Doyoung never called you to tell you who would be coming over, but you expected it to be either Jisoo or Joy.
You looked up just as Sejeong had walked through the door, arms full of VHS tapes, a box of tea bags, and a few magazines and a shy smile on her face. Your heart dropped at the sight of her.
"S-Sejeong? You're who Doyoung asked to come stay with me?" Your cheeks turned beet red and you wished the Earth would swallow you whole.
Sejeong was the prettiest girl that you had ever laid eyes on and the fact that she could see you now, pale, snotty, hoarse, and overall gross made you want to slip your face under your covers until Doyoung could come back. You had first met her when you came to visit Doyoung at the video store, but you started coming around more often after meeting Sejeong. You always came under the guise of seeing your best friend, though he saw right through it when you started coming almost every day. You couldn't help but be a bit angry at Doyoung for inviting the very girl that he knew you had a crush on to come over and see you like this.
"Yeah," She smiled weakly, "I hope that's okay... I brought some movies that Doyoung said you'd like and I stole some magazines from my mom that we could read and maybe laugh at if you aren't interested in them. Oh! And Doyoung said your throat was sore, so I brought you some tea!"
Your heart clenched. You were surprised by her thoughtfulness and by the fact that she didn't seem to notice how horrid you looked and sounded.
"Of course it's okay," You scooted over to make room for her to sit on the edge of your bed and patted the spot. "What kind of movies did you bring?"
She smiled excitedly and rushed to your side, placing the tea bags and magazines on your dresser on the way over.
"Doyoung said you were into horror, so I got Hellraiser, The Shining, Children of the Corn, and the new Poltergeist movie!" She shuffles through the tapes as she reads off the names, "I am just now realizing that you may not have seen the first Poltergeist and I probably should have checked with Doyoung first because if you haven't, we can't really watch this one... Have you seen the first Poltergeist? He told me you were a horror connoisseur, so I just kind of assumed..."
You giggled, taking the tape from her hand to examine the back and read the summary. "I've seen the first one so many times, so you assumed right. I've actually been asking Doyoung when you guys would get the second one in the store." You took her hand and shot her a small smile, "You did great."
You and Sejeong spent the rest of the day watching the movies she brought and eating the chicken soup that Doyoung brought or drinking the tea that Sejeong brought. You then moved on to making fun of the quizzes and gossip articles in the magazines that Sejeong brought.
You yawned and Sejeong's eyebrows furrowed together. "Why don't you take a little nap. Doyoung should be off in about two hours, so by the time you wake up, he should be here."
You nodded, starting to feel a little loopy from your tiredness, pounding headache, and the medicine that you had taken about half an hour ago. "Only if you'll lay with me for a little." Apparently for you, a little loopy had also meant extremely bold.
You pushed back your covers to gesture for Sejeong to lay beside you and she obliged, her face heating up and butterflies in her stomach. You curled into her side, resting your head on her shoulder.
"You know, I'm kinda pissed at Doyoung..." You mumbled as your eyelids got heavy.
Sejeong was as stiff as a board. She never imagined the day would end with you snuggling into her and asking her to stay. She didn't know what to do with her hands and she didn't want to move an inch, in case you decided to move away. She eventually decided to let her hand rest on your waist, her arm holding you in place. Even if you and Doyoung were dating, you were sick and you wanted some comfort... right?
"W-why is that?"
"He invited you over to take care of me when I look like this! I mean, he knows I have this crazy big crush on you and he saw me today, so he knows I look like an actual corpse." You snuggled further into her side. "Now whatever chance I have with you is gone." You sighed, finally allowing your eyes to close, as they were getting too heavy to keep open.
Sejeong looked down at you, eyes wide and mouth agape, "You have a crush on me? I thought you and Doyoung were dating?"
You giggled, opening your eyes ever so slightly so you can look up at Sejeong. "No, silly! Doyoung and I are best friends. He isn't my type."
Sejeong silently contemplated her options for a few moments before she decided to go for it and ask you the question that was looming in her brain.
"So.... then who is your type?" She asked, but she doesn't receive an answer. "y/n?" She looks down at you for the first time since you curled into her side and she finds you fast asleep, head on her chest and arm draped over her torso.
Sejeong decided that it was for the best. You probably didn't mean any of what you said. She knew that between the medicine you took, your headache, and your desperate need for a nap you were probably a little dazed. But even so, she couldn't help but admire your sleeping figure. She noticed how delicately your eyelashes kissed your face, the light freckles that peppered your cheeks, and how your lips were slightly parted as you breathed steadily. She doesn't know how long she stayed like that, admiring you, when she heard your bedroom door creak open.
****
A few hours later, you opened your eyes to find the bed beside you empty where Sejeong once laid. You scanned the room and spotted Doyoung, sitting on your desk chair and watching your TV at a low volume.
"Hey!" He turned the Tv off and rolled the desk chair over to your bed to face you, "How was your day with Sejeong?"
As you thought back on the day, you recalled movies, tea, magazines, laughter, and hazily, your confession.
You shot up in bed, wide-eyed and ignoring the ache that shot through your body at the action. "Fuck!"
Doyoung noded at you, pursing his lips. "So you do remember, huh?"
"Not all of it, but enough to be absolutely mortified!" You cradled your head in your hands, fighting the urge to cry. "Does Sejeong hate me now?"
"No, she actually thinks that you didn't mean any of it because of how out of it you were. She seemed kind of disappointed, actually. I think she may be into you." He shrugged.
"Well did you tell her that I-"
He quickly cut you off before you could finish your thought. "You know that's not my secret to tell, y/n."
You deflated, laying back in bed. You knew that he was right; Sejeong deserved to hear it from you, not from someone else. "Well, what do I do? I'm stuck in bed for at least another 2 days, if not more. It's not like I can go see her at the video store to tell her anytime soon."
"Tell who what?" Sejeong stood in your doorway, a shy smile on her lips. "Sorry, I just realized that I left my coat and the tapes here. Not that I don't trust you to keep them for a few days til you came by the store again. I just thought that it would be easier if I came by because-"
"Sejeong," You cut her off with a giggle, "I'm glad you came back, actually. I kinda need to talk to you, anyway. "
Doyoung got up from your desk chair, gesturing for Sejeong to take his seat. "I'm.... gonna go heat up some soup for you, y/n. You ladies take your time." He gave you a reassuring smile and a thumbs up before closing the bedroom door and retreating downstairs.
"So..." Sejeong started as she crossed the room to take a seat in the desk chair, "What did you need to talk to me about?"
"Well right before I fell asleep earlier, I know that a few things were said and I just wanted to-"
"y/n, I know that you were a little out of it when you said those things. I understand." There it was, the look of disappointment that Doyoung told you about.
With newfound confidence, you spoke up, "No, actually, I wanted to tell you that what I said was true. I've had a crush on you since I saw you at Family Video for the first time and while it's true that I probably wouldn't have confessed if I wasn't a little loopy, I meant every word."
A few beats of silence passed before Sejeong's lips were on yours. She cupped your face with her hands and kissed you like her life depended on it, like she'd been waiting a lifetime to kiss you (and to her, it felt that way). She tasted like the strawberry chapstick that you always saw her put on when you visited at the store and the minty gum that she was always chewing. When she pulled away, you saw a new light in her eyes and a wide, giddy smile on her lips.
"Maybe after you feel better, I can take you on a date? We could go to the movies or to dinner, or maybe we can rent a few movies to watch at my place if you don't want to go out."
"I'd love that. Although, we may have to wait for you to get better as well." You laughed, grabbing one of Sejeong's hands to hold in your lap.
Sejeong's brows knit together in confusion.
"The kiss we just had? You'll probably end up getting the flu as well within the next few days."
Realization washed over Sejeong's features. She didn't even think about how you were sick when she leaned in to kiss you. "Oh shit..."
You pick up the hand that you were holding in your lap and pressed a kiss onto her knuckles. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you."