[074] His Incompetent, Clumsy but Loyal Keeper

theme: o74. Flu Season.
pair: Shindong/Ryeowook
rate: G
words: 1088
#: 63/100


“Hyung!” Shindong collapsed beside Heechul on the couch. After a fit of coughing, he gasped, “I’m dying!”

Heechul shoved him away, “You are not dying!” Heechul stood up and shook his head, “Diva!” He accused exasperatedly before storming off to his room.

“I told you to stop stripping in your sleep,” Eeteuk scolded from the dining table where he ate his dinner,

“Clothes just… just get in the wa-AH CHOO!” Shindong sniffed, holding his throat after the sneeze that seemed to shake the dorm.

“You’re not the one that’s there in the morning after he’s done undressing,” Hankyung muttered darkly from the kitchen where he was washing dishes.

Knowing Hankyung was Shindong’s roommate, Eeteuk could do nothing but shake his head sympathetically.

“Does no one care that I’m dying?” Shindong asked with a hurt tone,

“We would if you actually were. It’s just the flu, hyung,” Donghae insisted as he was break dancing from the kitchen to his bedroom.

Eeteuk blinked as he watched Donghae travel from the kitchen to their bedroom before shaking his head and adding, “You’ll be fine Shindong. And tomorrow you’ll have the whole day to rest in peace - the rest of us will be out at the recording studio.”

“What if I d-”

“YOU’RE NOT DYING!” The other exclaimed in unison from their respective places around the dorm.

It was late morning the next day when Shindong crawled out of his room -still in his pyjamas- and headed to the kitchen, hoping Hankyung had left him breakfast.

“AISH! Shindong-sshi! What are you doing crawling on the floor!?” Ryeowook yelped when Shindong suddenly appeared, his blanket draped over him.

“I’m too weak to walk,” Shindong insisted as he threw his arms on a nearby chair, resting his head on the seat, “What are you doing here?”

“I finished recording earlier,” Ryeowook explained, “And the others told me how you were sick, so I thought I’d come and keep you company.”

Shindong’s eyes shone with a new light, “Bless your soul, Ryeowook!”

Ryeowook laughed, “It’s not a big deal, I’m just making… er…” He glanced at the pot on the stove, “I was making you soup.”

Shindong raised his eyebrows in curiosity as he stood up and walked over to the stove, his blanket draped about his shoulders, “That… looks like sewage water,” he glanced from the bubbling brown liquid to Ryeowook, “No offence.”

“I don’t cook and… and I followed the instructions,” Ryeowook pointed to the open cook book beside the counter. Shindong shuffled over to the book and glanced over it as Ryeowook added, “And you guys were out of milk, so I thought I’d use water instead…” he trailed off when Shindong stared at him in disbelief, “I… I… Mian.”

“It’s okay Ryeowook,” Shindong insisted as he manoeuvred his blankets so they were just slung over his shoulders, giving his arms free reign to move about, “Are you hungry?”

Ryeowook could do nothing but nod as he sadly stared at his so-called soup.

“Go set the table and I’ll make us some soup,” Shindong said before coughing into the crook of his elbow.

As Ryeowook did as he was told, he watched his hyung get rid of the brown water and start a new pot. With silent awe, he watched as Shindong was careful in making the simple chicken noodle soup - always coughing away from the soup and washing his hands between each cough or sneeze. After a few moments, Shindong walked over to the dining table with two bowls of soup for himself and Ryeowook.

After eating, Ryeowook offered to clean the dishes. Shindong conceded as he retreated to the couch, falling back against it, his blankets surrounding him in a warm cocoon. When Ryeowook was done with the dishes, he came over to Shindong and touched the back of his hand to his forehead,

“Hyung, you’re burning up!” Ryeowook exclaimed,

“I may not be dying, but I’m very close to it,” He chuckled slightly before falling into a fit of coughs, “Can you grab me a glass of water?” Shindong coughed as he slowly got to his feet, “I’ll take my medicine in my room since it’s there already.”

Ryeowook nodded excitedly as he bolted to the kitchen for the desired drink. Shindong, in the meanwhile, slowly shuffled over to his room. When Ryeowook entered Shindong’s room, he found his hyung collapsed on the bed, his blankets still wrapped snugly around him,

“Shindong-sshi?” Ryeowook said hesitantly as he stood in the doorway,

“I’m still awake,” Shindong muttered as he pulled himself into a sitting position.

Ryeowook came over, placing a glass of water on his bedside table. “Let me help,” Ryeowook insisted, picking up the bottle of medicine and tablespoon from the table.

Shindong silently conceded as Ryeowook opened the bottle and gingerly began pouring the pink medicine onto the spoon,

“Careful!” Shindong coughed just as the spoon was overcome with medicine and half of it fell to the floor.

“M…Mian,” Ryeowook stammered quietly as he held out the medicine bottle and spoon to Shindong.

Shindong shook his head, “Just clean up the medicine,” he said as he down what little was left on the spoon and poured himself another spoonful.

Ryeowook grabbed the tissue box that was on the night stand and knelt on the ground, wiping up the medicine. When he was done and the dirtied tissues were disposed of in the trashcan, he came back to Shindong and sat on the edge of his bed,

“Thanks Ryeowook,” Shindong said sleepily, a smile on his face,

Ryeowook stared at him, startled, “Thanks? For what?”

“For helping me,” Shindong yawned,

“But… but you did everything hyung,” Ryeowook reminded, “When I tried to make soup, you took over to fix what I messed up and… and when I tried to give you your medicine I just ended up spilling it.”

Shindong blinked at his words before smiling and shaking his head, “I didn’t need you to do any of that for me,” he reached out and grabbed Ryeowook’s hand, “I just wanted you to stay with me.” He closed his eyes as the medicine began to take over and the sedatives were upon him; he murmured softly, “So, thank you.”

Ryeowook watched as Shindong slowly moved over the precipice into slumber. When his hyung’s breathing grew steady and a snore began to escape his mouth, he knew Shindong was in a deep sleep. Ryeowook smiled down at his hyung, squeezing affectionately the hand he still held, “Anytime hyung.”