The first day of school was the only day of the year that Lee Jihoon woke up early. He’s been teaching for years now and he still felt anxious about every new school year for some reason. Oh well, work was work. He gave one last yawn before finally getting up from his bed.

Apparently, today was also the only day Mingyu decided to sleep in. Jihoon found the kitchen dark and empty, neither breakfast nor Mingyu making breakfast to be found. The boy had made him breakfast, lunch and dinner most of the summer, so Jihoon felt more than a little disappointed.

He made his way to Mingyu's room, finding a huge blanket burrito on the bed. “Hey kid, time for school.” Jihoon shook him gently.

“Can’t,” Mingyu said weakly, voice muffled by the blanket. He coughed. “I’m sick.”

Jihoon didn’t believe him one bit. He yanked off the blanket from Mingyu's face and immediately regretted it. He did look sick; his eyes and nose both watery, and Jihoon didn’t need a thermometer to know that Mingyu's forehead was warmer than it should be when he pressed his palm to check it.

“Told you I was sick.” Mingyu wiped his nose with the sleeve of his sweater before pulling the blanket back on his body.

“Gross.” Jihoon looked around for some tissue, throwing a whole box on Mingyu's bed once he found one.

He announced that he’d get Mingyu some medicine and went back to the kitchen. He also checked for some leftovers Mingyu could eat when Jihoon was at work but found none. He massaged his temples before calling the principal to tell her he wouldn’t attend classes because Mingyu was sick and didn't have anything to eat and might burn down the house if he accidentally sneezed at the stove, but Yejin just cooed at him to take care of “the poor baby”.

Mingyu sat up in bed when Jihoon came back with a glass of water and some medicine. He was apparently only in a sweater and Thomas the Train underwear, which Jihoon had to laugh at.

“We live together, of course we’ll see each other in underwear sometimes,” Mingyu said with a pout. He lay back down after drinking his medicine.

Yesterday, Mingyu, after hanging out with his friends, came home drenched in rain water. He apparently got stuck at the train station without an umbrella when it started raining, and he couldn’t wait to come home any longer so he just walked home in the rain. If that wasn’t dumb enough, he stood around meddling with the pasta sauce Jihoon was cooking when he came home, dripping rain water all over the floor, much to Jihoon's chagrin. Jihoon thought he was fine yesterday after he had taken a warm shower, but apparently Mingyu kicked off his blanket in his sleep and because he was only wearing underwear and a thin sweater, he had gotten sick because of that. Mingyu really was an idiot. And now Jihoon had to take care of this idiot.

“Well, I’m staying home so just call me if you need anything,” Jihoon said before attempting to leave Mingyu’s room.

He immediately regretted his words, for the rest of the day was composed of Mingyu needing things. One minute he was cold and needed extra blankets, the next he was hungry and can Jihoon make him some soup please, and then he wanted some tea. By early afternoon, Jihoon was already more exhausted than he would have been on a regular work day.

He finally gets to take a break when Mingyu decided he wanted to take a nap, so Jihoon sits back on the living room couch watching tv. He hears Mingyu's bedroom door open and prays the boy just needed to take a leak.

Unfortunately, Mingyu sat down beside him. “Hey, can we cuddle?”

“What the ?” Jihoon glared at him. “No.”

“I’m cold. I couldn’t sleep.” Mingyu did indeed look cold, sniffling and even shivering a little.

“I’ll get you a hot water bottle if you want.”

“But that isn’t alive,” Mingyu whined as best as he could with his hoarse voice. “Don’t you like hugs, Jihoonie? They’re very comforting.”

“No.” Jihoon did not like skinship. He certainly didn’t want a hug from a germy oversized kid right now either.

“Please?”

“No way.”

“I wouldn’t be asking you if you agreed to adopt a dog in the first place and I had one to cuddle right now.” Mingyu pouted.

Jihoon let out a heavy sigh before opening his arms begrudgingly. They talked about this before and he already knew that Mingyu would never shut up about getting a dog once he got started. Mingyu wrapped his arms around his middle, tucking his head under Jihoon's chin and snuggling against his chest.

It’s not as awkward as Jihoon thought it would be, as bad as he was at skinship. Mingyu was warm and his hair smelled nice. Not too bad at all. Jihoon found himself relaxing into the hug, resting his chin on Mingyu's head more comfortably and even hugging back.

Mingyu hummed contentedly when Jihoon started his hair absently. “Feels nice,” he murmured.

“Yeah?” Jihoon continued his hair, one arm draped loosely across Mingyu’s back. “You know, you could’ve just called me if you were stuck in the rain. I would’ve drived and picked you up.”

Mingyu sniffled against his sweater. “Really?” he asked in a small voice.

“Really.”

“You wouldn’t be annoyed? I wouldn’t be a bother to you?”

“No.”

Mingyu hugged him extra tight for a few seconds before releasing his grip and settling into his previous more relaxed hold. “Thank you.”

They fall asleep like that, a warm and comfortable nap Jihoon hasn’t had in a long time.

It doesn’t last too long though. He wakes up when Mingyu pulls away from him in one sudden movement.

“Yuck! You drooled on my head!” Mingyu accused, voice loud despite being hoarse.

Jihoon's eyes snap wide open. “I do not drool in my sleep,” he hissed. He quickly wiped at the side of his mouth, cheeks flaming up when it felt wet. He saw the wet stains on the front of his sweater. “You… you ing got your snot on my sweater!!” he yelled, hitting Mingyu repeatedly with a throw pillow.

“I’m sick, stop being a meanie!” Mingyu cried as he held his arms up to defend himself.

“You are gross, so I can be a meanie!”