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"here."
taeyoung stares blankly at his best friend's expressionless face before letting his gaze stray towards the other's outstretched hand - seongmin's holding onto a crumpled paper bag. the blonde gestures towards it weakly with a quivering chin. "...what's that?"
"paracetamol, and..." seongmin clears his throat, "fever cooling pads."
the corners of taeyoung's lips slowly curl up into a smile as he tries to hold in his laughter at the shorter's increasingly reddening face. "you stopped by the pharmacist on the way here from school?"
"no!" seongmin replies, a little too quickly, a little too loudly. more clearing of the throat and a brief pause before he continues. "...um, no. they just happened to be in my bag?"
"right." taeyoung can no longer hold back his grin as he raises his brow, pointing at the plastic bag seongmin has been trying to conceal behind his back. "and you also just happened to be carrying a tub of porridge around?"
seongmin scowls as he sets the container on the blonde's bedside table. "wipe that smug grin off your face, kim," he says as he opens the lid, letting the savoury scent of the dish waft through the room. "you should be thankful that i even thought to come."
the grumpy expression on his face is immediately replaced by panic, however, at the wince taeyoung lets out as he tries to sit up. "hey, go slow, don't rush!" he squeaks, and taeyoung couldn't help but laugh at the sheer terror in his voice.
when taeyoung finally gets into a proper sitting position, seongmin props a small table on his lap and presents his friend with his bounty: a tupperware packed to the brim with warm chicken congee, a bright yellow thermos filled with yuja tea, and a single strawberry glazed donut, at which taeyoung visibly brightens up. "you brought my favourite!"
"don't flatter yourself, i just-"
"-happened to have one lying around, i know, i know." taeyoung scoops a spoonful of porridge into his mouth, sighing as the flavors melt on his tongue. seongmin's mum has always liked to add extra pepper into her jook because it gives it 'a bit of a bite', and she was right - it never fails to make the blonde feel warmed up.
taeyoung did know, however, that it wasn't just the jook - or even his fever - that's making him feel as warm as he currently is. looking up from his meal, he catches seongmin's unusually fond gaze and throws him a shy smile. "really, though - thanks for going through all this trouble."
seongmin sighs heavily. "if you already know that i'm going through all of this bother to help you then you better try your best not to fall sick again..." the shorter of the two continues to grumble under his breath as he tears open the paracetamol packaging, placing 2 tablets on top of the thermos, before looking back up at taeyoung.
a half-smile finally tugs at seongmin's lips, and the sight had taeyoung struggling to remember how to breathe.
oh no.
he would honestly take a fever over whatever this is.