kangmin fluff & hurt/comfort

more than sniffles

Taking a sip of the refreshing water, Kangmin struggled to breathe evenly, exhausted from the dance practice and glad to be having a break. Glancing at the clock on the wall opposite him, he took note of the time and smiled slightly as he knew that they would soon head home for the day. However, his relief was short-lived when the dance instructor clapped his hands, signalling the end of practice, but motioned for him to stay back.

The other members were tired as well, and Gyehyeon was even suffering from a cold, so Kangmin held himself back from asking one of the others to stay with him. Instead, he waved a much too cheery goodbye to everyone else and went to the dance teacher, awaiting instructions and advice even though he also felt like he could fall asleep right then and there, and wanted nothing more than to go home and rest.

"Kangmin, your performance today was not up to expectations — your moves were not sharp enough and you danced off beat more than thrice already. You need to realise that this is not something to play around with and take lightly, and I thought more of you. Practice this song again, starting from the beginning, and don't forget what I've just told you."

His weary brain barely tuning in what the instructor was telling him, Kangmin only nodded and got into position for the choreography. The rest was a blur as he let his sub-consciousness and muscle memory take over, and it was soon evident to the dance teacher that he was not paying close attention. This infuriated him, and the poor boy got a harsh telling off before being sent to continue for a few more hours, him alone in the huge practice room.

When he was finally released it was already the late hours of the night, and Kangmin tried his best to stagger home before he passed out. He did not know whether to be thankful or resentful that none of the others had come to drag him back. The journey back felt like it took forever, but it was in reality only fifteen minutes.

Fumbling in his pocket for the dorm key, the door suddenly opened and the leader bumped straight into him, causing him to lose balance. If Dongheon had not caught the sleepy boy in time he would have fallen down hard on the floor. The older's arm was around Kangmin's shoulder, and he leaned into the other, closing his eyes and yawning.

"I was just about to go out and fetch you, Kangminnie. Do you even know what time it is?" Dongheon exclaimed, not liking one bit how tired Kangmin was. "Let's go inside."

The two of them walked through the entrance and into the living room, Dongheon supporting a practically asleep Kangmin with his arm. He was conflicted — should he wake Kangmin up and make sure he ate something, or should he just let him sleep? Knowing that Kangmin was hungry, he decided on the former, leading the younger into the empty kitchen and sitting him down on a chair. The others were in bed as it was so late.

Taking a pair of chopsticks from the cabinet and the leftovers from dinner, Dongheon sat down beside the boy and tried to keep him awake enough to chew on the kimbap he was feeding him. The process was slow, with Kangmin slipping into sleep every few minutes, but it went quite well. And then, when two kimbaps were finished, Kangmin refused to eat any more, shaking his head when Dongheon attempted to feed him again.

Puzzled as he knew that it was not enough to satisfy Kangmin's hunger, Dongheon felt a bad feeling rising up his throat. Putting a hand on the maknae's forehead, he felt how warm it was, confirming his theory of Kangmin being sick. Kangmin always had a small appetite when he was feeling under the weather, so he must have caught the flu at some point from Gyehyeon. The members were always sharing bottles and food after all.

Leaving for a second, he found the fever reducer in the kitchen cupboard and also filled a glass with water. He disliked how Kangmin did not tell him or any of the others about his sickness, but he put that aside and took care of Kangmin first. Shaking the younger's shoulder gently, he managed to wake him and showed him the pill and water.

Even in his half-asleep state Kangmin grimaced at the sight of the pill, turning away and hiding his face with his hands. He felt groggy and had a headache, yes, but he was also not about to go and swallow a tablet that could potentially get stuck in his throat, even if it would make him feel better afterwards. He just really didn't like taking pills.

"Kangmin-ah," Dongheon started, racking his brain for a way to coax Kangmin into taking the pill. "You have to at least try. Here." He slowly pried the maknae's hands away from his face and put the little pill in one of his hands, the glass of water in the other. Then he put his arm around Kangmin again and squeezed slightly, rubbing circles on his arm in an attempt to soothe him.

Looking at the thing in his palm, Kangmin sighed and wished he could go to bed and not need to take it. He leaned backwards into Dongheon and closed his eyes once more, a part of him hoping that the leader would let him off this once. However, Dongheon was not fooled and he took the pill from Kangmin, bringing it close to his lips and nudging them. After a few minutes Kangmin finally gave in and opened his mouth to let the older pop the pill inside, then he quickly gulped down some water and sat there silently, his cheeks puffed out like a squirrel's.

"Swallow on my count of three, okay? One, two, three!"

Then pats were felt on Kangmin's head and he smiled, tired out by all the fuss. Dongheon gave him a tight hug and then pulled him up so they could go to bed. Once reaching the bed, Kangmin climbed in and was instantly out like a light, leaving Dongheon to cover him with his soft blanket and tuck him in.