“I’m home~” Jongdae sang as he walked into the spacious apartment.

Today had been a long day of doing nothing but errands. It was his only day off, so he knew he had no other choice but to get it all done today. Putting away the groceries, Jongdae began humming to himself, as he was apt to do. After putting the milk away in the refrigerator, a strange, inexplicable feeling welled up in his stomach.

    “Junmyeon?” he asked timidly, wondering why his boyfriend hadn’t answered him before.

    It was his day off too, but when Jongdae got up this morning he saw the older man still asleep in their king-size bed. He had looked so peaceful that Jongdae decided to let him sleep in. He softly padded down the hallway, making his way to their bedroom. Concern painted his face as he saw the sight before him.

    Swaddled up in blankets and sitting up on the bed was Junmyeon, a permanent frown darkening his handsome features as he closed his eyes.

    “Sweetheart…” Jongdae murmured soothingly.

    He walked over to the bed and gently sat on the edge so as not to disturb his sleeping prince.

    “Junmyeon,” he whispered, gingerly placing a hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder.

    A soft groan emanated from the elder’s lips as he opened his eyes.

    “Hmm?” he answered weakly.

    Jongdae looked at the sick man before him. He was always so strong, constantly on the go. To see him like this was an anomaly to say the least. He knew this was going to happen eventually, and soon, to be honest. Junmyeon had been pouring his heart and soul into his most recent case at the law firm, spending countless hours at the office to research as much as he could. On a good day, he would be home by ten o’clock at night. The food Jongdae had prepared for them would be sitting in the microwave so as not to get cold so quickly. He would try to stay up for Junmyeon to greet him when he got home, but with his own taxing job and long hours, he would usually fall asleep on the couch waiting for him.

    Jongdae’s eyebrows knitted together in slight frustration. Junmyeon’s eating habits hadn’t been up to par this past month--it’d been longer than that if he really wanted to be honest with himself. He stared at the poor, sick soul that lie there pathetically before him. Jongdae gently tugged the blanket that was wrapped over Junmyeon’s head like a shawl. Deepening his frown, Junmyeon obeyed, and pulled the blanket off his head. Jongdae placed a hand on the man’s forehead and let out a sigh.

    “You’re burning up.”

    His hand lifted from his forehead and rested on the side of his face, cradling Junmyeon’s reddened cheek.

    “You stay there and get some rest,” he commanded the elder.

    “W-where are you going?” Junmyeon asked, his voice laced with exhaustion and grogginess.

    Jongdae abruptly his heel and placed his hands on his hips, a serious look residing on his usually-smiling face.

    “I’m gonna make you feel better.”

    For the next hour, Junmyeon drifted in and out of sleep. Occasionally he could hear the faint sounds of a pan gently clanging on the stove or the soft, repetitive thudding of a knife on the cutting board. Just when he was almost in the heavenly state between wakefulness and sleep, he felt a gentle push on his shoulder.

    “Baby, wake up.”

    Junmyeon pried his eyes open to see his boyfriend holding a tray in front of him. On it was a large bowl of soup. Although his appetite was non-existent, his mouth still watered from the tantalizing smell that wafted in the air and drifted into his nostrils. Jongdae pulled the blanket off of Junmyeon’s head again and placed the bedside tray on his lap, ensuring it wouldn’t spill.

    “But I’m not hungry, babe,” he half-spoke, half-whispered.

    “Doesn’t matter. You’ve gotta eat, Junmyeon. If you want to get any better, you need to have something in your stomach--that isn’t fast food. Here, start with just the broth.”

    Jongdae lifted a spoonful of broth and blew on it. He then placed it on his lips, making sure it wasn’t too hot for him. Placing it towards his boyfriend’s pursed lips, he sang, “Open up.”

    The elder obeyed and slurped the spoonful of broth. Although he admitted he wasn’t hungry, the soup was delicious. He softly hummed in delight as he felt the warm liquid run down his throat. Jongdae placed the spoon in the other’s hand and made his way to the bathroom. The faucet could be heard as Junmyeon took another spoonful of soup, this time eating some of the vegetables as well. The younger returned at his side, folding a washcloth and placing it on Junmyeon’s forehead. The coolness of the moist cloth brought a slight smile of relief to his face.

    “There. Better?” he murmured.

    “Mhm,” he answered, smiling at the young man.

    As was in his nature, Junmyeon had always been the one to take care of Jongdae. Now that the tables have turned, he now had no choice but to let the younger take care of him. Normally, he would have felt helpless, incompetent even. However in this moment in time, it felt just right. He was being taken care of by the person he loved the most. Besides, he was even feeling a little better. He stared into his boyfriend’s deep brown eyes and smiled. Right now he felt safe. Right now he felt cared for. And he was perfectly okay with that.