ice cream | ateez 7+1

jongho

"jongho, it's okay,"

jongho looked at wooyoung teary eyed. he felt bad. his head hurt, his throat felt scratched, he had a fever, his nose was runny, and he had just threw up a few minutes ago.

all seven members were currently sitting on jongho's bed, trying to come up with ways to make the youngest feel at least slightly better.

they didn't know how the boy got so ill so suddenly. they had a concert, a fan meeting after that, went for dinner, and when they came back home, jongho threw up.

to say that the older members were afraid and upset was an understatement. hongjoong was really affected by it and thought that he failed as both an elder member and a leader, to allow the members to get ill. but of course, he would never voice it out.

"jongho ah, will ice cream make you feel better?"

jongho looked at hongjoong sadly.

"hyung, i can try?"

hongjoong smiled at the younger's cuteness.

"of course."

on that note, hongjoong grabbed his jacket, made a mental note on what flavours each member liked and what would make jongho's upset tummy feel better, and headed out to 7-eleven.

hongjoong really wanted some alone time to think to himself and to reflect on himself. he wanted to give himself advice on being a better leader for the members, the company and the fans. but he couldn't. his friends were at home alone looking after the youngest who was ill.

hongjoong picked out seven different flavoured ice cream, as one, he didn't have appetite for ice cream and two, he needed to take care of jongho.

after paying for them, he left.

-

"mingi hyung, it really hurts," that was the first thing hongjoong heard when he returned.

"jongho, what hurts?"

"hongjoong hyung, you're back?"

hongjoong nodded and sent san a sheepish smile, hoping that san would help prepare the ice cream for the members. of course, san understood and agreed.

when the ice cream were prepared, hongjoong asked the members to take a break, and promised that he'll stay with jongho.

"jongho, eat up. vanilla's your favourite,"

jongho smiled at the elder of the two.

he wondered how he had gotten so lucky to be able to debut in the same group as the amazing and nice rapper he's admired since mixnine.

jongho felt coolness and dampness on his forehead and realized that hongjoong was cooling down his temperature by wetting his forehead with a wet cloth.

the temperature was just right. it was what jongho taught hongjoong when he did the same for the elder, when he had fallen ill during mixnine.

"he remembers," jongho thought to himself.

looking down, hongjoong noticed that jongho had fallen asleep.

"jongho ah, take care of your health, we don't like seeing you so upset and sick. we love you."