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"Gyeong-su?"
"Here!"
"Min-su?"
"Present.."
"Se-mi su?"
"Yup."
"Nam-su?"
"Along for the ride."
"Aaand Dae-ho.. su!"
Dae-ho barely knew who was speaking to him as he nodded slowly, using more of his strength than he intended to hold his head up. When Nam-gyu invited him to join him and his friends on a summer vacation, he never intended to feel so groggy. They took a little trip to a nice city near the most beautiful beachfront they had ever seen. It was the first time Dae-ho would ever have to really interact with Nam-gyu's friends, so he wanted to take this opportunity to make a good impression.
"Let- us- roll- ouuut!!"
Su-bong, better known as Thanos, spun on his heel, pointing in the direction they were heading. Into the city. Around other people. For a whole day. Dae-ho tried to swallow the lump in his throat, his eyes glossing over purely at the thought of being out for an entire day. Any other time, he'd enjoy the little outing. In fact, he'd be looking forward to it. The boy wiped his eyes quickly with the back of his hand, making sure no one in the group saw it as he dragged himself along, his body heavy with pain and exhaustion. A small groan escaped his mouth as he picked up his legs to walk, arms swaying at his side. This would definitely not end well.
There they were, standing in the heat and looking around for their first stop. Min-su held their only map while Se-mi searched up locations on Gyeong-su's hotspot. Their first destination was sightseeing, although, none of them were very interested in that except for Gyeong-su and Dae-ho. He could remember hearing Nam-gyu over the phone mention how pictures interested his lover like nothing else. He had a camera and everything. Just as if thunder struck, a pain in his head shook Dae-ho to his core. It felt as if a heavy anvil had been dropped directly on him and now he was suffocating from the weight. This couldn't be real.
"Hey, where do you losers wanna take pictures?"
Nam-gyu looked over at Gyeong-su, who was looking up at the sky, shielding his eyes with his hand.
"Preferably at a museum or tourist attraction- somewhere with something worth seeing."
Whatever interested him in the sky was not to Nam-gyu's interest. It was Dae-ho's turn to answer. He was patted lightly with the back of his partners hand to get his attention. He appeared dazed, eyes not particularly staring at anything yet glued to the ground beneath them. There wasn't a single thought behind his eyes, only exhaustion and pain.
"You in there?"
He directed his focus to his lover, trying to think more positively about the situation. At least Nam-gyu was with him, maybe it wouldn't be that bad. He lifted his head once more, trying to put his eyes on the other but couldn't even keep them open from the heat. The sun stung his eyes so bad he was afraid they would melt right out of his skull. Dae-ho winced, lifting a heavy arm to rub his eyes even if they were still wet with pain afterwards.
"Don't care."
He mumbled, trying not to aggravate his throat any more either. A terrible fire had started in his throat first, burning and burning until it was literally hell. He was dangerously hot, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead before they even got to the city well. Something plagued his body with an unbearable pain, and Dae-ho just had to deal with it. He swallowed again, the saliva he pushed down clashing with the burning wall of his throat. It made him sputter, almost to the point where he had to double over due to how much pain he was in.
"Hey, gang, check this."
Everyone circled Se-mi, who happened to be the only girl here. Nam-gyu lightly pulled Dae-ho towards her, causing his entire body to repulse. He stifled a groan, feeling his eyes getting glossy once again. His entire body raged with pain, like his blood had just been replaced with bricks. The boy tuned out the entire conversation, only catching small bits like his name or something unintelligible that Thanos said, even the mention of food went over his head.
A camera shuttered more times than necessary. Gyeong-su brought his camera along with him as well, he was more than prepared for this trip.
"Yo, Dae-ho."
He couldn't decipher who was speaking to him at the moment. It had to be someone in the group, no one else in this part of the country knew his name, right? Se-mi took a seat on the bench beside him, leaning back to make herself comfortable. Dae-ho could barely nod to acknowledge her presence. He was truly out of it. Se-mi didn't look for long, but she could still pick up that something was awfully wrong with him. Although she didn't know Dae-ho, they had met before, and he was never this quiet. He was a kind person, someone who was talkative and loud. He was constantly smiling and it really could get on a persons nerves. Dae-ho hadn't smiled once since they got here.
"You feelin ok? Ever heard of sleep?"
Usually he'd reply to her snarky comment with telling her the truth, and god did he wish he could. He wished words didn't scrape his throat any time he tried to open his mouth. He wished his jaw didn't clench at the slightest movement. He wished his head didn't pound with pain when he even tried to think. He was helpless. So utterly helpless. It seemed it was obvious he was in pain as well, if Se-mi noticed that meant someone else did too.
"Did you put on sunscreen? You're practically boiling as well."
Dae-ho tried folding his arms, whining at all the pain the simple movement caused him. They went sightseeing partially for him, and now that they were here he was sitting on his ass doing nothing. Se-mi shifted in her seat, letting her head fall back so she could look up at the sky.
"If you're not feeling well then just ask Nam-gyu to take you back to the hotel. It's no big deal."
What Se-mi didn't get was that it was in fact a huge deal. Dae-ho had an issue with disappointing Nam-gyu. He hated to see him upset and would do everything in his power to keep his partner peaceful. From what he's seen, this trip meant the world to him. Right now, Dae-ho was just unconventional and a burden. It was only one day, he could stick it out. For Nam-gyu. For the whole group. He surely didn't want to leave a bad impression on them.
Dae-ho held his head up, slowly wiping sweat off his face with a shaky hand. He saw his partner, grinning as he played tag across the bridge they were on with Thanos. They were having the time of their life. He allowed himself to grin as he watched them yell and laugh, it truly made him look a little brighter. Se-mi seemed to not have anything else to say until they were all ready to leave.
Lunch. Even though he could feel his empty stomach whine, Dae-ho truly wasn't hungry. His stomach and head seemed to collide on the topic of food. On one hand he was drained and out of energy, food being his only hope. On the other the thought of anything even touching his lips was nauseating and disgusting. His stomach already hurt enough and he was somewhat dizzy with nausea, so anything he could do to prevent himself from letting everything back up was in his favor.
The group rounded the corner to their destination, a small little cafe that smelled of pastries and teas. Dae-ho sniffled, rubbing his stuffy, red nose as he carried himself behind everyone else. The only person near him at this point was Nam-gyu. The two walked side by side, their hands brushing together sent a chill down his spine. One that countered the sick and filled him with a sweet, tingly sensation. That's when he broke into a cough. Maybe that was what he was feeling.
"Babe,"
Here came the lecture. Dae-ho braced himself for the inevitable speech. The yelling, the anger, and ultimately the disappointment. He squeezed his burning eyes shut, ready to come up with an apology for being so weak. Whatever Nam-gyu had to say, he was ready for it.
"I'll cover your food."
For a second, he flinched, thinking he would be hit or something. Instead, Nam-gyu only grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers as the entered the cafe. That was really it. No yelling or anything. Dae-ho's heart was pounding, mostly from all the walking, but also from the paralyzing fear that Nam-gyu was upset with him. He didn't even have the strength or time to thank his lover before he was caught by the shoulder and violently shoved forward.
"Pick up the pace, lovebirds! We're fuckin hungry here!"
Nam-gyu only yelled at Thanos instead, the two immediately engaging in a play fight in which Min-su somehow got involved. The other two stood to the side, letting them be nuisances as they studied the menu. The only one out of place was Dae-ho.
His head spun, eyes unable to concentrate on one thing in front of him. The floor doubled beneath him and he swayed slightly, not sure which way his body wanted to go. The boy was slightly hunched over as he clenched his stomach, nothing in his body was happy with that shove and it was sure to show it. When his breathing picked up and mouth watered, he covered his mouth with one hand, jaw clenching when he tried gagging as quiet and humanly possible. Nothing came out following the gag which he was eternally grateful for. He could feel little droplets of sweat forming on his face and drenching his hair. It was too hot no matter where they went. Even inside with the air conditioning, his entire body was on fire.
A heavy hand hit his shoulder, his body shook before he even had time to register it. When he could hold himself up again, he could feel the long hair brushing against his shoulder. It was only Nam-gyu, thank god. His partner gently massaged his shoulder, an anxious habit before looking at him with one of those cheeky grins.
"What ya want?"
"Mhh.. something small.."
"You're not hungry?"
Dae-ho shook his head, scratching his upper arm then folding his arms. Hopefully he could hold himself up just for a meal. He allowed himself to watch his partner to search the menu for something he might like. He appreciated it when Nam-gyu took over conversations for him if he didn't feel like talking. There was something about the way he just knew when to carry on for them both. The two ended up whispering back and forth to each other when the group got loud and Dae-ho would settle for a sandwich and a juice box. Childish, but it was all he could stomach right now. Nam-gyu didn't question him, just from the way Dae-ho carried himself he could tell he didn't look well. He wasn't well. From the tip of his nose all the way to his shoulders and neck he had basically turned red. There were so many indicators it should've been driving him crazy.
Just as he was about to ask, he had to step forward and order. Dae-ho clung to his partners side, finding comfort in being close to him. It didn't lower his body temperature or anything, but it made his dread lessened. They joined everyone else, now stand at the side of the counter, and for once this entire trip, they were quiet. Too quiet. Dae-ho and Nam-gyu still clung together, Se-mi could naturally silence herself, Gyeong-su and Thanos were busy scrolling on their phones, and Min-su.. well he was self explanatory. Gyeong-su only glanced up when the other two came towards them, shooting a look at Se-mi who shot one back immediately. They were communicating. From the looks of it, it was about the two of them.
A slight anxiety welled up in the boys already heavy chest, putting his breathing off for just a second, a second that would cost him. The next inhale triggered a congested cough into his elbow, jolting his body forward and clenching his jaw one more time. Now the entire group was communicating. It was terrifying and amazing how they could all send messages just through eye contact. How strong did their bond get? The food came out and much to Dae-ho's relief, it was still quiet. He was starting to get overwhelmed by the loud, business of the city. There was no where they could go that wasn't crowded, stuffy, and loud.
The food was better than it should've been. Even if he dreaded the meal, he ate just to have something in him. Even though all the tastes were fairly bland and unappetizing, there was something that came through that made it good. That was most likely the only good thing that would come out of this thing.
"Are we saving the beach for tonight?"
Gyeong-su covered his mouth as he spoke, the entire group seemingly forgotten the answer.
"That would be better, it is right next to the hotel as well.."
"Well said my boy, we beach last! Any objections? "
As much as Dae-ho wanted to be apart of the fun, he was hoping his little sniffles proved as an objection to that statement. No one seemed to have any thoughts, so it was settled. Nam-gyu turned his head to his partner offering a smile as he let his hand creep up onto his thigh, rubbing it slowly to see if it would comfort him. It didn't, but Dae-ho appreciated the thought. Thinking. Using his head still hurt. It got so bad he even took his ponytail down to see if that was making his head throb with pain. Nothing. It was only mid day, so he didn't have much time left. He could make it. He knew he could. The rest of the sandwich would have to be his dinner for tonight. There was nothing that could get him to finish it now.
For a while, all they did was sit and talk to give themselves a break from the walking. It was nice to take a load off when you felt as if you weighed a million pounds. Speaking of, his stomach seemed to get heavier as time went on. He was sure it was just hunger. He wanted more to eat, and he would definitely get that more. Only later, though. Just as he found himself getting comfortable, leaning into his lovers touch, it was time to go. He frowned knowing it was only a matter of time before they had to make their departure. He swallowed hard, pushing his chair back slowly and then lifting himself up. His head spun just from the simple action, why was this so hard? He thought he was gonna make it, one hand over his stomach before he bumped into the table, shooting a pain through his entire body.
Immediately he was drowned in concerns, Min-su going to help stabilize him when it seemed as if he'd fall. He rubbed his eyes, holding his stomach with one hand and then putting the other over his mouth. Everyone started talking over each other, sounds overlapping, and everything just became so much realer than he thought. His ears rang with pain, stomach unable to settle and with every breath, it only got worse.
"Hey, what's wrong with him?"
He couldn't make out which one of them was speaking, his eyes were too focused to the ground to position himself. Someone else spoke, their words completely unintelligible now. Dae-ho lifted his head, everything spinning around him as his eyes became wet with pain.
"Bathroom."
His jaw clenched as he leaned over the toilet, stomach doing summersaults as his mouth hung open. A trail of saliva was the only thing that poured out of him until he gagged, immediately a stream of bile came up, shaking his body to its core. That set him off. Whatever substance that came from his lips smelled terrible. As he hunched over the toilet, the smell alone made him even sicker than before. He coughed, tears now streaming down his face and into the bowl. There goes his meal for today. He barely had the energy to get up and flush when he was done. This was his body's way of telling him that he pushed too much, that it was his time to rest. He coughed again, tearing up just from how bad it hurt. The only thing he needed now was his lover. He craved Nam-gyu's gentle touch with him, how he held him when he felt bad, how his voice alone could comfort him right now.
"Dae-ho, baby?"
Just on cue, the voice pierced his brain. Dae-ho's heart fluttered as he struggled to get up from the floor and open the door, deciding to finally flush away his sick now that Nam-gyu was here.
"Oh god, love.."
When he saw the first stall door open, he immediately went to comfort his lover, entangling him in his arms as the tears kept coming. Right now, Dae-ho just wanted to cry. He was miserable and everything hurt. He sobbed into his partners chest, not even caring about the fact he was weak and vulnerable. He just wanted to feel better.
"I- im sorry.."
"For what?"
"I just- just wanted to come.. and m-make a good impression.."
"Cmon, Dae-ho, you know they like you already. You don't gotta fuckin push yourself just to hang out.."
Even with his vulgar language, Nam-gyu had learned to be much nicer upon being with Dae-ho. He had that natural charm on people.
"I know this trip meant a lot to you.."
"Shut up and let me be concerned about you, ok?"
The boy sniffled, slowly lifting his head to look at his partner who ran his hand through his hair. Despite the reassurance, Dae-ho still felt like the burden here. None of that exactly mattered at the moment, right now he just wanted to rest.
"Let's go back to the hotel, ok?"
Dae-ho watched Se-mi and Nam-gyu remap their plans for the rest of the trip. They'd have to work around Dae-ho's illness, occasionally leaving him so they could at least enjoy what they could. The rest of the time would be spent relaxing in the hotel or going out on their own. A cab pulled up not too long later, the only two who would be going were Nam-gyu and Dae-ho so they could both get some rest.
"Drive slow."
The driver nodded, turning on the air and pushing lightly on the gas. The two of them curled up together in the backseat, Nam-gyu cradling his sick partner, stroking his shiny black hair to the point of sleep.