There were times when Changkyun retreated back to his shell. It was as if they were back to the No. MERCY era, where the youngest was constantly left out. All the other members would try to bring him out of the shell, try to remind the youngest that he was one of them, but sometimes it wouldn't work.
Not when the youngest didn't feel like replying to his hyungs, not when the youngest wasn't in the mood to cuddle, not when the youngest just wanted to be alone.
It was scary for his hyungs at first. After all, who knows what could be going on in that kid's mind? But then, the youngest male would always scrunched up his nose after a while. And say something weird, like "Kihyun hyung, why are crocodiles green?"
Kihyun had almost smacked him that day.
However, things were different now. It had been hours since the youngest had became quiet, but the scrunching of nose had yet to come. Nor did he initiate any eye contact with any of the members since the beginning of their dance practice.
Minhyuk had tried to be extra clingy to the youngest, but Changkyun had pushed him away, even frowning at the slightest touch from the vocalist.
Jooheon was surprised when he rested his head on the younger male's shoulder and Changkyun had walked away wordlessly, causing Jooheon to fall.
But the fall had hurt less than the pain he felt when Changkyun wouldn't even look at him.
The other members were shocked too, when they saw how Changkyun pushed Jooheon away. The rapper line had been closer than ever, ever since they began to write lyrics together.
They eyed the youngest nervously, watching the maknae reach for the sound system to restart the music.
"Changkyun, are you sure? We practiced for hours already, I think we need a break." Wonho called out cautiously, exchanging eye contact with the other members.
The members made their way to their positions silently when the youngest made no reply.
They all continued to eye each other and the youngest through the mirror while dancing for what seemed like the hundredth time, not knowing what to do and just going along with the flow.
The concern changed to panic when the youngest suddenly stopped dancing midway, his hands reaching for his head and a groan escaping him.
"Changkyun, what's wrong?" Kihyun was next to him in an instant, giving the youngest support as he slowly brought Changkyun to lean against the mirror.
Even then, Changkyun tried to weakly push Kihyun away.
Kihyun barely managed to bring his hands against the younger male's forehead and hissed at the temperature.
"Hey, you're burning up!"
"I'm fine." Changkyun tried to swat Kihyun's hands away.
"No, you're not! Shownu hyung, help me get this boy back home."
Changkyun knew he was in no position to argue when he let out a soft sneeze he had been trying to hold in.
Feeling weak from both the long practice and the sickness, (and not wanting to hear Kihyun's nagging) he silently let himself be piggy-backed by the eldest back to the dorm.
-
The members all followed them back to the dorm, too worried about the youngest to be in the mood to practice more.
Shownu laid Changkyun down onto the bed, while Kihyun took charge from then.
"Wonho hyung, pass me some medicine for cold and fever from your bag."
"Okay."
"Hyungwon, change the child into new, dry clothes."
"Sure."
"Jooheon, go and wet some towels with cold water and bring it here."
"Yes."
"Minhyuk, go bring the fever patch from the fridge, The bottom part of the fridge."
"Jeez, I know where it is!"
"Shownu hyung, well, you can help shift Changkyun so Hyungwon could get the clothes off him since he looks like he's having a hard time."
"I'm...not." Hyungwon barely puffed out as he hardly managed to bring the youngest into a sitting position.
Changkyun who had been cooperating all along, widened his eyes in alarm when Hyungwon tried to tug his clothes off.
"I can do it myself." He weakly protested, trying to flick off Hyungwon's hands.
"Sure, and I hate sleeping." Hyungwon snorted, before tugging at the clothes more roughly. This time, the younger male hesitantly allowed him, though he did mutter a few curses under his breath.
"Hold on." Kihyun halted Hyungwon who was about to put a white shirt onto Changkyun. The shorter male took a dry towel and began to wipe the sweat off Changkyun's body, causing Changkyun to let out a sigh at the comfort.
"Kihyun! Which part of the fridge again?" Kihyun sighed at Minhyuk's cry from the kitchen.
With a few hand gestures, Shownu was sent to help Minhyuk.
"I'm fine, I can take care of myself." Changkyun once again tried to convince the short vocalist.
"Yes, and you're doing a really great job, aren't you?." Kihyun replied sarcastically. "But seriously though, if you ever feel unwell again, you can tell any one of us and we'll take care of you, okay?"
"But I can take care of myself just fine." The rapper responded stubbornly, before sighing. "This is why I didn't want to let you all know I was sick. Y'all would be worried and everything."
"Hey, you're our member, It's our duty to worry for you, anyway." The tallest interrupted.
Changkyun's heart soared at his words and he tried to suppress the grin blossoming on his face.
"I think that was the most touching sentence I've ever heard Hyungwon say." Kihyun said jokingly, grinning while Hyungwon glared at him.
Admitting defeat, the youngest male silently let Hyungwon lie him down gently back onto the bed just as the rest came parading in, his smile never leaving his face.
The members watched as Kihyun took care of the younger - wiping him again gently with a cold towel, putting the fever patch on, feeding the younger the medicine from Wonho.
Changkyun was silently enjoying the attention he was getting, though he would never admit it.
"Lee Minhyuk! No cuddling with Changkyun! Do you want to get sick too?"
Kihyun practically yelled at the ball of sunshine named Minhyuk about to pounce onto Changkyun.
"Go outside, we'll let Changkyun sleep." Kihyun instructed, his steady gaze never leaving Changkyun, as he ignored the whine the recently blonde haired let out.
Kihyun waited for everyone else to leave, before tucking Changkyun into the blanket. He turned, about to leave and join the rest outside when Changkyun softly gripped his sleeve. It was a weak attempt, but enough to make the vocalist halt in his steps.
"Can you stay? I'm cold"
A smile slowly made its way onto the vocalist's face.
Kihyun dragged a chair over and sat down, his hands wrapped around the younger's hand, giving the younger warmth not just from his body heat, but from his affection too.
(A few hours later, Jooheon peeked into the room, out of curiosity as to why Minhyuk had scowled and stomped off after looking into the room, only to be met with the scene of Kihyun asleep next to the maknae.)
(Jooheon failed to notice the two hands still entwined within each other, the smaller one tightenening its grip, as a form of 'thank you'. )
(The vocalist responded by squeezing the younger's hands back.)
*****
*casually inserts changki*
y'all, 69k reads?? i'm flabberghasted.
thank you. thank you all for sticking till the end - thanks for all the votes and comments that never fail to make my day 10x better.
i love you guys to the moon and back and i hope you guys enjoyed this story as much as i did writing it.
shalom <33
SHALOM!