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After the argument at karaoke sieun felt his entire head ache in pain, he already was a little dizzy from being around too many people. He liked his friends but somedays he would wake up knowing it was going to be a draining day, and those days he would rather not be around anyone besides suho. Suho always understood sieuns random moments of going completely quiet and he would even stay quiet as well for him, suho waiting patiently for him to bounce back. But after beomseok and yeongi argued sieun felt like he wasn't going to be able to bounce back as quickly as he wanted, his eyes felt like they were burning and his ears felt stuffed with cotton. Everything felt so bad all he wanted was to lie down with a pillow over his head.
He hadnt even noticed that yeongi left already until he felt a hand hesitantly coming to rest on his shoulder, he blinks a bit to focus his eyes before looking up at suho. Always so understanding, suho.
“Did you hear me?”
Had he been that spaced out? He liked listening to suho talk he rarely spaced out when he spoke, he didn’t think it was this bad. usually it’s just a horrible mirgaine, with a slight frown he shakes his head.
A huffs a small laugh, repeating himself “i said, are you going to be alright walking home? I dont mind walking with you, tonight was shitty.”
“Mm, no i will be fine on my own.”
The hand on his shoulder turns into suhos entire arm thrown over him, whining like a child “sieun-ah, you always say that and then the next day i see you looking like you got ran over! C’mon, I'll walk you home.”
Sieun squints a bit at him as he’s tugged to keep walking, looking back down at his shoes “you don't need to,”
“i want to, deal with it.”
sieun sighed at that, why was suho so stubborn? he acts so mature but then acts like a child who wants everything to go his way. it was both infuriating and sweet, stubborn meant he was set on helping sieun feel better.
“besides, you don’t look fine. i don’t want you passing out on the side of the road on your way home, who would i annoy then?” he teased lightly, jostling sieun a little by his shoulder
he grunts at the movement looking back up at suho to glare, “im not.. going to pass out, suho-ya.”
“hm, probably not. but tonight was stressful and i know you get all.. ugh, what’s the word again?”
“quiet?”
“i was gonna say irritable but yeah, that too.” he smirks down at him before continuing “but seriously i know you get bad sometimes after stuff like that, i’ll sleep better knowing you got home safe. you don’t want your best friend in the entire universe to be restless, do you?”
sieun just hummed a bit in reply, shrugging his arm off. suho let it go easily, if sieun didn’t want to be touched he respected that just fine.
“so cold to me, sieun-ah..”
as they continue to walk the conversation went back to what happened earlier, sieun could feel the headache grow worse. he felt so exhausted.
“beomseok was.. a bit harsh tonight, you know? i don’t understand him sometimes, hard to read.” suho sighs quietly, shoving his hands into his pockets “he better apologize to yeongi soon, or i’ll..”
“can we stop talking about this?”
“should we? i mean.. you do agree beomseok was out of line back there?”
sieun felt his headache pound harder, his eyes hurt so much “Mm, he was. i just don’t want to talk about it right now.”
“i think we should though, he pissed me off talking to her like that. i mean.. i get irritated when someone goes on my phone without asking too, but i don’t snap at them.” suho grumbles out, taking a hand out his pocket to massage his neck. a habit he had whenever he was irritated, “he acted like she committed a crime..”
sieun didn’t reply, he walks ahead of suho now “i can go alone from here,”
sieun could guess what face suho was making when he heard a dramatic whine from behind, his entire face was probably scrunched up and sieun didn’t need to look back to confirm it. he knew a lot about suho now, sighing to himself when he saw suho catch up to him so they were next to each other again.
“sieun-ah, you can’t get rid of me! i’m like a sickness, and you catch me so easily.”
the teasing made sieun want to pinch his arm, maybe even shove him over and book it down the street. neither would work, sieun would feel bad pinching him and he also wouldn’t ever be able to run far from suho.
“you’re annoying.”
“you’ll live,” he snickers, letting his hand fall from his neck back to his side “your dad is still away with work right? i don’t have work, i can make you some soup.”
“..yes, he’s still away. i can make my own soup though, i’m not fragile.”
“i’m sure you can, but i want to make it for you. you really don’t look well, sieun. let me take care of you, yeah?”
he already knew that he didn’t look well, he could feel the headache and the tremble in his hands. but he didn’t know it was that obvious yet though, did he really look like he would pass out? he was sure the argument earlier wasn’t that stressful for him, he honestly felt a bit guilty for being stressed out over something that wasnt even directed towards him. he felt selfish.
“you already know you can talk to me, so tell me what’s wrong. please?”
“Mm, just.. earlier back at karaoke.”
suho huffs at that, looking forward as they both walked “that’s irritating me too, i should’ve checked up on you after i talked to yeongi. maybe we should stop by a store to get you some water, that usually helps you right?”
water only did so much for something that was chronic, sieun didn’t have the heart to tell suho that even though he was sure he already knew that. it did help his headaches sometimes though, it also helped seeing suho look happy that sieun felt a bit better.
“it’s ok, we aren’t that far from my apartment.”
“hm, i’ll catch you if you pass out.”
“hilarious.”
—
when they finally made it to sieuns apartment he felt like he could fall asleep standing up if he tried, his entire body ached. he toed his shoes off less gracefully than he had intended, setting them down on the shoe rack. Suho makes his way to the kitchen once his shoes were off as well, humming to himself as he looks around for things to make quick soup.
“Suho-ya, you really dont have to make me anything. It’s getting late..”
“You’re acting like soup takes years to make, go get changed and relax before you fall over.” suho waved him off with a free hand, keeping his eyes towards the ingredients he was picking through
Sieun rolls his eyes a bit but shuffles to his bedroom in defeat, he felt too tired to argue with suho. Even if he was healthy suho would always win, he hated it so much because how can someone be so stubborn? He tugs off his clothes sluggishly, the cool air felt amazing on his warm skin. When had he even gotten this hot? He felt a bit gross with how sweaty he felt but he doesnt think he’ll have the energy to take a shower, maybe suho was right. He might actually pass out if he took a shower, even now he swayed a bit on his feet as he pulled on loose clothing.
When sieun walks back to the kitchen suho was busy making him some soybean sprout soup, it smelled amazing already. He sits down at the small table watching suho cook, he liked watching him cook whenever he did because it was so quiet besides the sounds of food being cooked.
“Almost done, sieun-ah.” suho hummed as he sets down a glass of water for him, “drink that while I finish up here.”
Sieun looks down at the cup before picking it up, he was capable of getting his own glass of water but he didnt have the energy to tell suho that. Plus the water felt amazing going down his throat so that was also a good reason not to try to argue with suho, he finished most of it before setting it back down on the table.
Once suho finished cooking he sets down the warm bowl of soup for him, “are you feeling any better?”
Sieun shook his head a bit as he gets a spoonful of the soup, he didnt feel better at all. Sure, he felt more relaxed now that he was home but he still felt sick. The water did help ease his headache up a bit, and the soup tasted wonderful.
Suho frowned at that as he sits down, leaning his head against his hand “you arent going to pass out on me though?”
“I dont do that anymore, suho-ya.”
“Who knows, you always find a way to surprise me. But seriously if you ever feel like youre about to fall over let me know in some way, i rather you not smack your head on the ground.” he teased, his eyes on sieuns mouth watching him eat the soup
“Very funny. im not planning on passing out, recently it’s just a headache and feeling dizzy.” he mumbles, staring down at the bowl of soup “it’s manageable so dont worry so much, please?”
“You do realize i dont mind worrying about you? It isnt stressful for me at all, if that’s what youre worried about.”
Why did suho always say those things that make sieun feel weird? It was a good weird, it did feel nice to be taken care of. But still, weird. he was so used to having to take care of himself it felt confusing whenever his friends cared for him, he was able to do stuff by himself? he was very grateful though, selfishly he hoped they would never stop taking care of him.
“i know, sorry.”
suho laughs a little, looking away from sieuns mouth “what’re you sorry for? you didn’t do anything,”
“I.. nevermind, it’s nothing.” he mutters, looking down at the half finished soup
Sieun knew suho wanted to keep pushing but held back, suho was always like that with him. He always let sieun come to him whenever he was ready, he found out the hard way that pushing him would just make him more closed off. Suho couldnt handle another week without sieun, it was torture not being able to annoy him. Even though suho really wanted to know what was up with sieun, he wanted to know every single thought that went through his mind.
For now he just nods his head a bit, “alright, if you say so. Finish your soup before it gets cold, is it helping?”
‘Mm, a little. I dont feel that shaky anymore, thank you for making it for me.. You didnt have to.”
Suho reaches out the mess up his hair, grinning at him “sieun-ah, i just told you i dont mind it. Besides it helps me with my amazing cooking skills!”
“Your cooking is good enough though..” he grunts as he swats the hand away, glaring at him
“But it could be better, who doesnt want to make more tasty meals?”
“Food is food.”
“So mean to me, sieun-ah..”
–
When sieun finished his soup suho was still fussing over him, making the shorter drink another glass of water and making him take medicine. He even would have tucked sieun into bed if he let him, which he didnt. Sieun was capable of getting into his own bed, he didnt like feeling helpless. He couldnt help but stare at suho as he sets down another bottle of water at his desk, did suho think he was weak? He should smack him in the head with his pillow, if only he was close enough.
“If you wake up feeling bad still drink that, i have work tomorrow so i might not be able to come over and take care of you. But still text me if you do still feel down, i wanna know.”
Sieun just hummed in reply, watching him as he leaves. He waits until he hears the front door close before he lays down fully in his bed, he felt off. It was definitely because he still felt sick at least it wasnt as bad, but now that suho left he felt vulnerable. It felt silly feeling like that, he was used to being alone and sick so why did he feel like that? Maybe he had gotten used to finally having someone to lean on, his parents were there for him as a kid. Not as much as they should have been but now with suho he felt like a little kid again, he couldnt tell if he liked it or not. He hated feeling weak but he loved feeling the warmth suho and the others brought to him.
He sighed a bit before rolling over to lay on his side, he hopes beomseok gets out of his mood. It felt scary seeing his friends fight with each other, maybe tomorrow will be better. He pushes those thoughts away so he could go to sleep, letting his mind cling onto the thought of suho letting it lull him to sleep.