Lucky Stars

Junghoon felt like he was dying. Maybe he wasn't that far away.

He had gone to bed after a grueling solo dance practice session, the same as every night. But unlike every other night, this time Junghoon had pushed through a throbbing headache and sweat through his clothes before returning to the dorm, feeling like he'd been trampled by a herd of elephants.

He'd kept falling asleep in the shower, body freezing and forming goosebumps despite the heat of the stream. That had been concerning, sure, but it was nothing a good night's rest couldn't fix, he told himself.

Unfortunately for Junghoon, the good night's rest never came. He had shoved his pulsing head into the pillow an uncountable number of times, but no matter what he did he couldn't get comfortable. The sleep he got was quickly interrupted, from his head killing him, from being too hot or too cold, and... when had his joints started to ache?

Junghoon felt miserable by the time the sun rose, and he was sure he looked as bad as he felt. On days like this, he wished he had chosen a less demanding path. With herculean effort, the boy dragged himself out of bed.

He had to stand still for a moment to get his bearings. The world was spinning and his shivering wasn't helping. But Junghoon managed to find a clean set of practice sweats and exchange them for his sweaty pajamas before shuffling down the hall for breakfast.

"Oh thank god, you're up. Breakfast is saved!" Hwichan said in greeting when Junghoon arrived in the common room.

Just the walk down the hall had taken it out of him, though, and Junghoon couldn't spare any breath to tell Hwichan to find another breakfast slave.

It was still early, and most of the members were still asleep, making every last minute count. While he was normally an easy early-riser, today Junghoon found himself wishing for bedtime already.

"Junghoon... you look..." Sebin's brows knit together as he took in the shorter boy's appearance.

"Terrible," Hwichan supplied.

"Dead," Hyuk said, eyes wide. "Did you pull an all-nighter to dance again?"

Junghoon's tongue felt heavy, and he had to think hard before he spoke. "No, I just feel really shit."

The other members gave each other concerned looks. Annoyance prickled down Junghoon's back. What did they have to worry about? He was up wasn't he? No matter how bad he felt, Junghoon would never miss a practice on his own volition.

"Junghoon. You're slurring your words," Sebin said calmly, but his voice betrayed his worry. "You're sick."

Hwichan made his way to a drawer and pulled a thermometer out, even as Junghoon began to argue. "'M not... sick. I just feel bad."

"That's what being sick is, buddy," Hwichan smiled and gently held Junghoon's flushed face in both hands. Then, he stuck the thermometer in his mouth when Junghoon opened it to argue.

"102," Hwichan reported after a moment, and Sebin stood up decisively.

"Right, you're going back to bed," he said sternly.

"No!" Junghoon felt like a child throwing a tantrum. "I can't miss practice. I'll be fine by lunchtime, just see."

"Junghoon, you can't get better if you don't rest," Hyuk said calmly. "You'll make it worse. And then you'll miss even more practice."

Junghoon contemplated. His legs were on fire already from standing to have this short conversation. He didn't think he could dance, even if he went to practice.

"Okay, I can't dance like this, but I should still be there."

"To do what exactly? Things won't fall apart if we have ten members for a day," Sebin pointed out. "Junghoon. Don't make me carry you."

"Actually, that might be a good idea." He couldn't take it the dull, stabbing pain in his legs anymore, like they had fallen asleep hours ago. Junghoon sunk to his knees as Hwichan and Sebin raced forward.

"Junghoon!"

"My legs hurt," he said, obviously. His brain was feeling fuzzier by the second, too.

"Geez. Okay, I've got you," Sebin said determinedly, and Junghoon just let him grab him under the arms and pick him up like a baby, like the smaller boy weighed no more than a sack of potatoes.

Normally, he'd be hissing like a cat and fighting tooth and nail to be freed, but today he was just too weak. Junghoon ust closed his eyes and buried his heated face in Sebin's cool neck.

It was only a few steps to Junghoon's room, and soon Sebin was waiting to put him down as Hwichan and Hyuk were fixing the mess he'd made of his bed last night in a fevered stupor.

It took only a few moments, but Junghoon was already slipping into sleep in Sebin's arms. The older boy's hands were stroking his hair, and Junghoon leaned into the touch.

Sebin set him down gently on the sheets so Hyuk could pull the blankets back up and tuck him in. Hwichan disappeared and returned a few moments later with a glass of water, an ice pack and some pain relievers.

Once a Junghoon had gotten the medicine down and settled the ice pack behind his neck, he was surprised to find Sebin crawling under the covers next to him.

Junghoon made a questioning face and opened his mouth to talk, but nothing came out. Sleep threatened to pull him under once more.

"We don't have to leave for another hour," Sebin replied to his unasked question. "And since we're not getting breakfast today, we might as well keep you company."

The taller boy gently angled Junghoon's body sideways, spooning him from behind and holding him tight. The pressure was nice, he supposed, and he felt stable for the first time that day.

As soon as the two had settled, Hwichan wasted no time climbing into bed and hugging Junghoon from the other side, burying his smile in the smaller boy's hair.

Despite the bed already being full capacity, Hyuk squeezed his way behind Sebin, making him laugh. Junghoon felt the rumble as if it were his own.

As the four settled down and dozed off, Junghoon wondered if his old group would have taken such care in his health, or any interest in him besides his ability to dance.

Whatever the answer, Junghoon counted himself lucky now as he fell asleep in his new members' arms.

A/N: wow I turned this out fast! I'm sorry if there's any personality inconsistencies! I only found out about this group three days ago lol. But the archive is barren, so I wanted to contribute! I hope you liked it!