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Love in Deepspace was the newest boy group in Linkon. The group had debuted with five members and had an ever growing fan base. Zayne was the leader with a composed and somewhat cold personality. His presence just commanded attention, and fans went crazy for his ‘leader’ voice. Rafayel was the main vocals and (dubbed by the fans) an absolute diva. He was a constant flirt, energetic, and loved fan interactions. Sylus was the lead rapper and the ‘bad boy’ of the group. He didn’t care what people thought of him or the group. His confidence made the fans for wild. Caleb, sweet Caleb, was the main dancer and sub vocalist. His golden retriever with a hidden dark side made him an enigma for the fans to figure out. Lastly, Xavier was the visuals of the group. The adorable ‘soft boy’ that fans adored.
The boys debuted with their song “Longtime Longevity” that went viral and ever since, their company has had them doing tons of fan events, photo shoots, and interviews. Each of the boys had their own schedule on top of their group schedules. Their manager, Emcee, had tried to get lighten their schedules, but the company wanted the most profit possible out of the group. Many fans had expressed their own concerns about the idols being overworked.
Being the leader, Zayne had the responsibility of upholding the group’s image and making sure everything was good enough for the public, including relations between the group members. It was a tiring job, but Zayne enjoyed it. He’d grown up with Caleb, and he’d been happy to debut with his childhood friend. He didn’t know the others as well at first, but after spending months with them before debuting, he’d learned about them, at first through observation before getting to know them through talking.
Zayne had never gotten sick before in his life. Even as a child, when Caleb or Emcee got sick, he’d never catch their illness. When his parents got sick, Zayne didn’t get sick. After a long few months of their comeback world tour, fan meets, and interviews, every one of the Love in Deepspace members were exhausted, and Zayne felt a scratch in his throat. That he ignored.
“You’re looking a little flushed. Are the fans finally melting our snowman?” Rafayel teased behind closed doors after the group finally got free from a fan meet. He poked Zayne’s cheek, smirking as Zayne swatted at him, his ears bright red.
“I’m fine,” Zayne sighed heavily. “Just tired.”
“We’re all tired,” Sylus drawled, lounging on one of the plush couches in their shared living space. The company liked to have their talents as close as possible, so under contract, they were supposed to share a primary living space. “Don’t tell me you’re falling ill now.”
Caleb snickered, “Zayne? Sick? That’s impossible. I’ve never seen him get sick. Like, ever. He’s immune to everything.” He collapsed on the couch, not caring he was partially on top of Sylus, who grunted. The white haired man pushed Caleb to the side and Caleb got comfortable. What many of the fans didn’t know that to avoid dating scandals, they all simply saw each other in secret when the cameras were off. If they were seen in public, most fans would assume they were doing something as a group.
“It’s true,” Emcee said, walking into the apartment. “Zayne’s never been sick. You’ve all did good work these past few months. So, I’ve managed to get you all a break for a while. It’s not a full hiatus, but it’s a break in the more strenuous activities for a couple weeks.” The room seemed to collectively sigh.
“Thank the seas!” Rafayel grinned, hugging Emcee. “You’re the best, cutie.”
“Mm, yeah,” Xavier yawned, stretching his arms above his head. “I could sleep for a year.”
Zayne’s shoulders relaxed. The idea of a break melted away the remaining tension he had. “Thank you,” he murmured, adjusting his glasses. He’d wear contacts during performances, but he always preferred having his glasses. Somehow, Emcee had convinced Zayne to rest earlier than usual, and he fell asleep relatively quickly.
His head pounded, his eyes watered, and his throat felt like he’d swallowed sandpaper. Zayne woke up feeling like death warmed over, body sore and aching. A horror dawned on him. He was sick. He was actually sick. “Eugh,” he groaned, bile rising. He rolled over, vomiting into his trash can. His face flushed, and he coughed.
“Holy shit,” Caleb gaped, standing in the doorway.
Zayne glared at him, the light from the hallway making his headache worse. “Go away,” he wheezed, flopping back on his bed. He didn’t want to make Caleb or any of the others sick. He didn’t know how long he’d be sick, and he didn’t want to disrupt their potential schedules. “I’m fi—” another coughing fit cut him off.
“You are not fine,” Caleb huffed, standing over him like a mother hen. He pressed the back of his hand to Zayne’s forehead. “You’re burning up, Zayne. Stay here, I’ll bring you some water and medicine. If you can manage it, I’ll make you some soup.” Caleb was the designated cook for the group if they didn’t want to eat out.
“And before you say no, don’t,” Caleb cut Zayne off before he could speak. “You took care of us for a long time. Let me return the favor, and I’ll keep the others away from you, so you can sleep.” He left the room and came back with a few bottles of water, hot tea, and some cold medicine.
“Thank you,” Zayne rasped, swallowing the pills and sitting up enough to sip the tea. “Jasmine,” he murmured. “My favorite.”
Caleb smiled softly. “I know. I have Sylus and Emcee out getting more soup ingredients, and Rafayel is insisting on making you some Lemurian medicine,” he shrugged. “Oh, and Xavier offered to be a heat lamp.”
“What?” Zayne raised an eyebrow.
“I dunno,” Caleb rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s what he said.”
Zayne groaned and laid back down. “I’d like some rest,” he groaned. Caleb helped pull the blankets up. “Do you want a heat pack or a cold pack?”
“Neither,” Zayne shivered. “I’m cold enough.”
Caleb cooked bone broth for Zayne and made sure he stayed up on his medication. Despite the leader’s protests, Caleb slept by his side for extra warmth. Rafayel’s medicine was just a sea shell that he claimed could heal him if he asked. Emcee, Sylus, and Xavier helped with whatever Caleb demanded that would help Zayne. When Zayne finally get better, it was just in time for their schedules to start up again.
The first day of photo shoots, Caleb sneezed. Zayne sighed.