Flu Season
Title: Flu season
Author: wontonxx
Pairing: Shindong/Ryeowook
Rating: PG borderline PG13
Length: one-shot; about 1400 words
Warnings: Not AU this time, but tons of OOC-ness.
Disclaimer: Never owned them, never will
A/N So, I lied. I'm posting one week later than I said I would, but that's only because I didn't like the oneshot I originally planned to post. This one is completely a different topic, the original being Kimbum/Eeteuk. I shall save that for another day, when I fix it. Well, enjoy? =]
074. Flu season
When flu season comes around, everyone in the Super Junior household takes drastic measures. Practically more so as this season is said to be more contagious than the last. There is no sharing of liquids or foods, 5 plus layers are required for permission to leave the house, orange juice will be the choice dessert, and absolutely no physical contact between members.
Shindong has an easy time with the first rule and a much harder time with the last. Especially so when it comes to a certain innocent like Ryeowook.
Some days when the house is cold because heat breeds bacteria, Shindong searches for Ryeowook with intentions to break the rules. Because in his mind, a million gallons of snot and days of flavorless porridge is worth a moment of Ryeowook smothering under him. It’s never as easy as it sounds with Ryeowook so faithful to staying healthy. Not to mention the other members reminding him endlessly about the last rule like he was some pervert, like they knew what he was up to.
He’d crawl quietly as best to his ability into Ryeowook’s bed on those days. If Ryeowook wasn’t there, Shindong would wait till he fell asleep, only to find the next morning that Ryeowook opted for the couch. That would frustrate him beyond words, but he’d calm down the moment he saw the way Ryeowook curled into the couch, mouth slightly parted letting out soft sighs. If Ryeowook was in his room, he’d ignore Shindong and practice his singing in the mirror. Shindong never felt frustrated as much as he wanted to when Ryeowook sang Marry U. If Ryeowook was on the bed, he would roll off, away from Shindong and say “Hyung, you know better,” in the way he absolutely hated. Shindong always felt frustrated when that happened.
When the house is quiet, everyone residing in their own rooms with their grandma’s ancient home remedy to fend off illnesses, Shindong would slip into Ryeowook’s room and just ruthlessly, no matter how much Ryeowook whined and squirmed, hug the younger boy. It never was of importance how long Shindong held Ryeowook, he would never hug back, staying stiff as possible all the while trying to hold his breath.
"Hyung, stop or I'll tell Eeteuk-hyung," he would say sounding breathless and Shindong would always let go.
These were the times Shindong disliked Ryeowook the most, but also wanted him the most.
---
Today would be different, Shindong had decided first thing in the morning that he would resolve the aching need stirring inside. So he is on a mission, a mission he will definitely accomplish. He has no idea how, but by the end of the day Ryeowook would be his no matter what virus was floating around.
Determined and freshly bathed, Shindong settles himself by Ryeowook on the couch and his plan is in action.
---
At first things were going smoothly, very smoothly. He had Ryeowook laughing at all his jokes, even the ones that weren’t funny which were rare. And in his defense the jokes only fell short because he was busy enjoying their close proximity on the couch. Occasionally Shindong had thought he achieved his goal when Ryeowook laughed so hard with his right hand gripped at his stomach and his left hand reaching out as if to pat, grasp, or hit him. Ryeowook would only pull his hand back when he realized through his laughing tears just exactly what he was doing.
Things went just like that for a while, and once Shindong ran out of jokes about Heechul’s princess syndrome and Super Junior life in general, things went down hill faster than he could say backwards backwards. Not because Ryeowook saw behind his master plan, but because Shindong sneezed.
And that’s how he found himself in bed at 2 pm wrapped in 12 different blankets with Ryeowook ignoring him for dear life.
---
When Shindong finally convinces Super Junior that he was not sick by doing all their hardest dance routines, he returns to stalking Ryeowook more ruthlessly than before. Still getting rejected heartlessly every time.
Shindong is tired now. Tired of chasing Ryeowook around the house. Tired of the burning fire inside of him every time Ryeowook so much as looks his way. And undoubtedly tired of failing when all he wanted to do was have his stupid cute boyfriend next to him. Giving up didn’t make him feel any better but to keep on trying…just the thought made him tired. He can wait till flu season was over and done with. At least he hopes he can.
---
Ryeowook tries not to care when he notices Shindong is around him less than usual. He takes it as Shindong coming to his senses, as Shindong respecting his desire to keep chances of getting sick to a minimum. Ryeowook really tries, but then he starts thinking Shindong doesn’t like him anymore and that really is something he can not care about.
“Hyung…are you okay?” Ryeowook’s careful, creeping up behind Shindong as he’s watching TV. He’s not sure if it’s the right thing to ask because he knows Shindong is okay. Ryeowook wants to know if they’re okay.
There’s silence for a while and Ryeowook thinks he lost his boyfriend, but then commercials come on and Shindong turns to him and speaks.
“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” It’s weird to Ryeowook because it sounds like Shindong and at the same time it doesn’t. He’s not too sure how he should feel.
“I don’t know it’s just that…you’re not you lately?” He’s uncertain and he hates it.
“Don’t be silly, Kim Ryeowook.” Shindong is walking, walking away. Ryeowook worries that maybe, just maybe he’d get sick from heartbreak before the flu could have a go at him.
---
For the first night in a while Shindong buries himself into his own bed, a bed he thinks smells like Ryeowook but lately everything smells like Ryeowook to his lonely heart. He tries counting sheep, sheep that eventually turn into Ryeowooks. He’s so tired of Ryeowook being everything that consumes his mind that he’s starting to see Ryeowook right in front of him.
“Shindong? Hyung?” God, he could even hear him. He’d move mountains just for his heart to stop beating so quickly at the sweet sounds.
Shindong sighs and ignores the voice pestering him. For a second there’s silence and Shindong really believes he imagined that voice. But then there’s rustling of sheets, a dip at the other side, and an arm wrapping around him. He has to breath soon before he passes out, it’s so warm though. Something he has been missing these past few weeks under patrol of the flu season, and he can’t breath, can’t focus on anything else. Just Ryeowook.
“You know, you might get sick.” Shindong finally finds it in him to speak, to catch a delicious whiff of air and Ryeowook. He finds the real Ryeowook doesn’t compare to his sheets.
“Just hold me, and I won’t care,” Ryeowook presses his face into Shindong‘s back, almost muffling the rest of his sentence, “Not now, not ever.”
“I missed you, you know.” Ryeowook feels relieved, feels loved and his heart bursts into multicolored fireworks. He’s afraid once the colors fade, it’ll all just be a figment of lies. He wills his heart to keep thumping loudly, hoping against all odds that Shindong could see the colors too.
“Yeah? That’s good.” Shindong smiles, his cheeks rising, his teeth shiny in the dark room, and he shifts to face Ryeowook and he sees the colors. He sees them in Ryeowook’s eyes, in his cheeks, in the way his hair feathers out against his smooth porcelain skin, in his hands as they draw pictures of love between his shoulder blades. Shindong witnesses it, but his eyes are swimming past all for the best color, for Ryeowook.
When Shindong’s looking at him like he’s the only star in the sky, Ryeowook wonders why he let the fear of the flu keep him away. Shindong wonders the same thing and resists the urge to undress him right then and there, placing soft gentle kisses on softer gentler lips.
“I love you.”
“More than anything?”
Ryeowook only nods, because it’s hard to speak when the man he loves is biting and kissing, sucking and kissing, loving him and kissing.
“Me too… Let me show you how much more?”
Ryeowook doesn’t say anything, doesn’t even nod. He’s shaking in anticipation, pulling Shindong closer adding pressure to all the right places.
“Even if tomorrow, we’re sneezing our brains out?”
Ryeowook can’t figure out why Shindong keeps talking and teasing. It’s been way too long to only be kissing lazily. Way too long (2 weeks, 4 days, 8 hours, and 37 minutes, to be exact) to be talking about something that should be a sure thing.
“J-just….ah…shut up,” Ryeowook pushes Shindong away from his neck, looks him straight in the eyes with equally lust filled ones, “Shut up and do something.”
Shindong only chuckles and Ryeowook has to kiss him before his heart explodes into another show of fireworks. Smiling into the kiss, Shindong cups his cheek just the way Ryeowook likes it and laces his other hand into his hair just the way Shindong likes to.
Ryeowook knows, as he slowly roughens the kiss and unbuttons Shindong shirt, that the flu would have to bribe him with endless days of ice cream before he loved Shindong less than his health ever again.