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Yunho was in pain, to put it simply. He’d been so sure he could hold out until the end of dance practice at least, probably could have made it all the way back home before collapsing if he’d tried a bit harder. But Wooyoung had a way of seeing through his façade with almost calculated ease. If Yunho was hurting or sad or feeling a bit off-kilter, Wooyoung was always the first to know.
Which was why Yunho wasn’t at home right now, nor was he in the dance studio, he was sitting outside the building, hunched over as he took in one shaky breath after another, Wooyoung crouched beside him whilst they whispered soothing words in his ear.
“I promise Hongjoong will be here soon, he’s just in a bit of traffic Yunnie, you’ll be alright.” Wooyoung said with a quiet hum, an aborted noise of surprise leaving their lips when Yunho slumped forward and wrapped his arms around them instead.
“Th-Thank you… I’m sorry about all this.”
“There’s no need to apologise, puppy,” Wooyoung giggled at the nickname they’d so graciously given Yunho years ago, “Just focus on resting when you get back home, okay?”
“Okay.” Yunho replied, nuzzling against Wooyoung’s shoulder with a sigh. Today had just been so awful and Yunho was more than ready for it to be over.
It had started at nearly four in the morning, where he’d woken up to a dull ache running down his spine and around his chest and realised he hadn’t taken off his binder before bed. Seonghwa had been woken up by his squirming in an attempt to take off the item, which led to a lot more fussing and soothing before Yunho fell back asleep.
After that there had been a problem with a group project, a huge line at his usual lunch spot, a book had fallen out of his hands and onto his foot in the library; and to top everything off, because nothing could go right, Yunho had fallen in dance practice and landed heavily on his elbow. Thankfully nothing had broken, but the mental stress Yunho had been under caused him to panic, and Wooyoung had anxiously rung Hongjoong to come and get his boyfriend before the situation worsened.
Yunho could still feel the phantom pain of where his binder had been pressed against him all night as he tried to take in another breath, whimpering on the exhale as Wooyoung started rubbing circles against his back.
“Do you need your pain meds?” Wooyoung asked softly, receiving a gentle nod in return as Yunho stayed put against the younger’s shoulder. “Okay, they’re in your bag, right?” Another nod and Wooyoung carefully pulled themself away to inspect Yunho’s belongings, rifling through the front pocket until they happened upon a small box with Yunho’s medication inside.
Not everyone knew about Yunho’s flare-ups, or the fact that he had a name for all his symptoms. Only Seonghwa and Hongjoong were privy to everything, besides Wooyoung. Because telling people was a daunting thing, especially when it came along with explaining every little detail of what he could and could not do along with it. But Yunho would tell them all, eventually.
Right now, just Wooyoung, Seonghwa and Hongjoong was enough.
“Here you go.” Wooyoung said with a smile, holding out a tablet and Yunho’s bottle of water before helping him to take a sip and down the medication quickly. It was at that moment, too, that Hongjoong finally pulled up on the curb beside the pair, hopping out of the car as if he was running on two times speed. Knowing the amount of coffee Hongjoong consumed daily, Yunho and Wooyoung wouldn’t be surprised if he was.
“Is everything okay? Do you want a hug? Should I call Seonghwa too? She could probably make you some food you like for when we get back… Oh my gosh should I call an ambulance—”
“Hyung!” Wooyoung said firmly, and it was only then that Yunho noticed how much his hands were shaking from all the crowding, trying to press himself further against the wall in an attempt to hide in the shadows. “Yuyu is fine, it’s just been a bad day. You need to take him home and let him rest and it’ll be okay.” Hongjoong seemed to deflate as Wooyoung spoke, all the tension bleeding out of him as he crouched down to help Yunho stand.
“I-I really am fine, I just want to sleep.” Yunho admitted quietly, but Hongjoong knew - with just one glance - that it wasn’t the whole truth. However, the interrogation could wait for later, and all three of them knew that.
“Thank you Wooyoungie, for looking after him.”
“It’s no problem, I hope you feel better soon Yunho.” Wooyoung said, smile still as bright as ever as they opened up the passenger door for Yunho to duck inside, managing to press at least a dozen kisses to the boy’s face before pulling away, pleased at the quiet laughter Yunho managed to let out.
“I will, don’t worry. Have fun tonight with Yeosang.” Yunho whispered with a wiggle of his eyebrows which had Wooyoung recoiling back with reddened cheeks.
“How- How the fuck did you hear about that?” Wooyoung hissed.
“San knows absolutely everything that goes on with the two of you, and they can’t keep a secret either.”
“I’m going to kill them. It’s been decided.” Wooyoung huffed and backed away, closing Yunho’s door and waving the two of them off with a petulant scowl on their face.
It was then, when the world started to speed by and Hongjoong turned on the radio, that Yunho realised just how tired he was. Everything blended into one mass of colour outside his window and the world blurred down until Yunho could sense nothing but the deep seated ache in his bones and the warm hum of the car cruising down the road, and it was to that that Yunho finally fell asleep.
-
“How on earth are we supposed to get him upstairs without waking him?” Hongjoong hissed quietly, having gotten out of the car to greet Seonghwa when he saw the eldest waiting for the pair to arrive home. “Yunho’s a giant, my arms will snap.”
“We’re just going to have to wake him Hongjoong, I don’t want to risk Yuyu getting hurt.” A pout instantly formed on Seonghwa’s face as she spoke, looking down at Hongjoong as the younger wilted and decided to take on the task of waking Yunho by himself.
He rushed around to the passenger side, and opened the door with all the care in the world, leaning down to brush Yunho’s hair from his eyes as he started to stir.
“Hmm? What’s going on?”
“We’re home sweetheart, but we can’t carry you upstairs because we don’t want to hurt you. So you’ll have to walk if that’s okay?”
“Yeah ‘s fine.” Yunho grumbled, stretching out his limbs and wincing when his knees cracked at the movement. Hongjoong couldn’t help but frown a little, knowing how Yunho’s flare-ups tended to go and if he was already in pain now, then it would probably go downhill fast from there on out.
“Seonghwa ordered us some fried chicken, I hope that’s okay?” Hongjoong asked, helping Yunho to his feet as he nodded in reply, leaning heavily against Hongjoong as the pair made their way inside the apartment building, where Seonghwa was waiting to open all the doors for them. “And we’re going to put on whatever film or drama you want whilst you get cuddled to death.” He added on, watching with a fond smile as Yunho sleepily chuckled at the comment.
“Can we watch Big Hero 6? I like that one.” Yunho said softly, face screwing up as he hobbled upstairs as fast as his tired body could go, Hongjoong right behind him to make sure he wouldn’t fall.
The journey into the apartment was done in near silence, Seonghwa hanging around outside to wait for their food delivery as Hongjoong took Yunho to the bedroom so he could get changed into pyjamas. They’d done this routine before, and would continue to do it every time Yunho had a flare-up. Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue, that was what the doctor had called it. Chronic pain that would come and go as it pleased, but Yunho said it always lingered under the surface, something always ached and he was almost always tired, but some days were simply much worse than others. And the mental stress had finally dragged the boy under once again.
“I’m sorry…” Yunho whispered, once Hongjoong had helped him into his favourite pair of pyjamas - ones with flowers patterned all over, a present courtesy of Seonghwa who had the matching set. The words made Hongjoong stall from where he was getting dressed, glancing back over to the bed with a frown before going to crouch in front of his boyfriend, cupping Yunho’s face with his hands.
“You’re not allowed to apologise, you know that.”
“I-I know I just-” Yunho sniffed as he spoke, blinking away the tears that were caught in his lashes, “Sometimes I just want to be better, normal, so that you don’t have to rush out of classes or miss out on life because of me. I’m not going to get better though, because there isn’t a cure and—”
“Yunnie, love, I don’t care about leaving classes. You’re so much more important and you know that too. I know there isn’t a cure, and I know you’re going to keep having these flare-ups, but that just means I get to spend time spoiling you and taking care of you, which me and Seonghwa love doing by the way.” Hongjoong laughed gently as he spoke, leaning forward to kiss away the tears that trailed silently down Yunho’s face. “You’re my best friend and my boyfriend and I’m always going to be here for you. You’ve been managing your flare-ups a lot better lately and I’m so proud, but even if there comes a time when you can’t, for a little or a long while, that doesn’t matter to me. I’m going to be sticking around regardless because I love you.”
Hongjoong knew he’d finally gotten through to Yunho when the younger stifled a sob against his hand, arms coming to wrap around Hongjoong a second later in a tentative hug. There wasn’t a second after that where Yunho wasn’t being told over and over that Hongjoong loved him, because the younger one needed to know.
“I love you too, you and Seonghwa mean so much to me.” Yunho eventually whispered out, managing to giggle when Hongjoong nuzzled their noses together.
“Seonghwa won’t mean as much when she’s eaten all of our chicken though…” Hongjoong grumbled, making Yunho pull back and peer out towards the living area.
“Can you carry me now? I can’t let her eat all the chicken.” Yunho whisper-shouted, as if Seonghwa would be listening in to their conversation and Hongjoong couldn’t help but laugh, nodding his head a second later before hoisting Yunho into his arms.
Now, Yunho wasn’t really all that heavy, not when Hongjoong had finally decided to let himself be dragged off to the gym alongside Yeosang, San and Wooyoung (that trio were absolutely evil when they were together, but he loved them regardless). Seonghwa made room for them both when they got to the couch, Yunho being gently placed in between her and Hongjoong and pushing a plate of fried chicken and fries towards the youngest, deciding to feed him so that Yunho wouldn’t have to budge.
“You don’t have to—”
“Shush and let me feed you the chicken, or I’ll steal your Spiderman collection.”
A gasp, “You wouldn’t!” Yunho said, looking at Seonghwa with wide eyes until she burst out laughing.
Hongjoong couldn’t help but smile along as he ate his dinner, content with the knowledge that his partners were okay, and that no matter what, he could be there for them.