"Papa...! Paapaa~" a quiet voice whispered, slowly shaking Seonghwa awake.
Seonghwa stirred awake shocked, looked around just to find pale Yeosang wake him. The sun was already up, Jongho wasn't laying in his bed anymore, the other bedside was empty. He sat up straight while rubbing his face confused.
"It's so late, are you sick too, Papa?" Yeosang asked, a little worried that his father had slept in so late. Usually, Seonghwa was up at 6am sharp and started preparing a breakfast, got his sons ready to go to school by 7.30am. It was already 10am and Hongjoong had asked Yeosang to go wake up Seonghwa, as he too got a little concerned about the older.
"No... I..." Seonghwa mumbled, feeling a bad headache hit him, as if there was so much pressure on his head. He held his head for a second, hoping it to fade but it wouldn't. To not worry his child next to the bed he pushed himself out of his bed. "I'm fine, baby. Did Dad made breakfast? Did he give you your medicine?"
"Yes! Dad brought the others to school and kindergarten too, and Jongho is downstairs with him" Yeosang informed Seonghwa, assuring him that he was fine and everything that had to be done to that hour was actually done.
"Ah that's... Fantastic. But you shouldn't walk around too much though" he said, bringing his angel to his bed, packing him in in blankets and pillows as a support. "I'm going to prepare you a good tea, okay? I'll be right back" he said and walked down the stairs. As he came past the living room he dared to take a look at what was going on as loud voices came out.
It was Jongho and Hongjoong playing on the carpet. They were playing airplane, where Hongjoong lifted Jongho in the air with his feet and held him for safety by his hands. It was the mix of Jongho's high pitched laughter and the low giggling of Hongjoong filling the room in such a joyful mood. Only by watching he somehow felt his eyes get glassy, so he passed it, wiping away the wetness.
He entered the kitchen and started to prepare Yeosang's ginger-lemon tea. While the water boiled in the kettle, he cut the ginger and lemon to put them in the big cup. As he knew how Yeosang didn't like the taste of ginger, he added a lot of honey to make it just a little sweeter. At last he poured in the water and stired it. He was about to leave the kitchen when Hongjoong entered it with Jongho on his back at the same time. They both scared each other for a moment. Seonghwa almost spilling the hot tea over himself.
"Baba!" Jongho exclaimed with a shining smile on his face. He tried to reach out at him with a hand. "Mowing!"
Seonghwa's face graced a soft smile as he took the little one's chubby hand with his own, kissing his palm. "Good morning to you too, bunny" he responded, letting Jongho wrap his small hand around his fingers. "But Baba has to be with Yeosang right now, ah? Daddy's taking care of you, hm?" he added and gave him a loving kiss on the head while passing them to get to Yeosang again.
The boy felt miserable, all his limbs hurt, his throat was dry, he couldn't breathe through his nose. He was freezing but sweating at the same time. Yeosang was just drenched out of energy. Everything just felt so heavy for him. Seonghwa sighed deep as he watched his state, his own heart sunk just seeing it. He approached him, seating himself on the edge of the bed. To check if the tea was too hot he took a nip, put the cup on the bedside table. "It's still a little too warm, don't drink it right away" he informed him.
"I don't want to... I'm feeling to hot already. I can't. And it tastes bitter..." he whined, his voice cracking twice. He made a pain full expression as he tried to swallow his own saliva down his dry throat.
"I put a lot of honey in it, baby. It will help you get better faster, promise!" Seonghwa convinced him, earning an obedient nod. His eyes wandered through the room, there were books and toys over the carpet, pencils here and there. "You weren't bored in here at all I see" he marked by, chuckling as he proceeded to clean up the mess on the floor.
"I'm alone all the time~" Yeosang whined. He missed San and Wooyoung in his room but he would never admit that.
"But we don't want all of you to get sick at the same time, ah?" Seonghwa asked, Yeosang agreeing, rolling his eyes though. He was on self quarantine until his sickness was over. He didn't like it but for the sake of his family he had to take that one.
~
"Have you eaten?"
"No"
"Let me-"
"I will eat with the kids later"
"But that's in three hours, let me just-"
"I'm fine"
Hongjoong sighed and shut his mouth as he watched Seonghwa aggressively fill the dishwasher. He had come back to the kitchen to take a painkiller and just started to change the places of the plates and bowls. He had dodged all of Hongjoong's tries to start a conversation. He knew that Seonghwa was mad, at least a little hurt, but his behavior this time just didn't fit. He knew him long enough to tell that something was not adding up. "You don't look good... Are you getting sick too?"
Seonghwa stopped in his tracks and turned his head to him, shooting death glares.
Hongjoong pressed his lips together, lowering his head. "Yeah. I'm... I'm just gonna shut my mouth now"
-
Hey! How are you doing?
Ahh, today a little short update but well, I thought it fit.
I made it late again, it's 3am and I am hungry af so sis gonn get herself some spicy instant noodles :]
Just asking by the way, what's your late late night 'snack'? XD
Well I don't know if I should say this like... Is it a spoiler? Hm, dunno. But it should be a waring as I know not all are comfortable reading everything and some topics could be triggering.
So I will put it here, the following chapters could get a little angsty, a little dark. I will put a trigger warning over the spesific chapters.
I wish all of you a peaceful day and night
Please stay healthy and safe
-gulkurusubb