Wu Fan lied still on his bed as he slowly opened his eyes, his breathing heavy and warm and he realized that his temperature had shot up again. The medicine he took this morning must have lost it’s effect. With blurry vision, he glanced at the clock on the sidetable, it was already 11.50 a.m., the day almost reached its middle point. It was time to take his medicine again, but Wu Fan was barely awake. His mind was in a jumble of mess from the immense heat, he couldn’t tell apart from being dreaming and being awake. He needed to get up and eat and take his medicine, but he couldn’t tear his body away from the bed, and ended up falling asleep again in the middle of trying.

When I need someone, no one is around.

“Sorry guys, but I really have to go!” Lu Han said in a rush, as soon as he finished his examination. The rest of his classmates had been coaxing him to join their little celebratory party that the exam week had ended, but Lu Han had to awkwardly declined their invitation because there was someone who had been bothering his mind since the morning; Wu Fan.

Before he left for school this morning, the manager had taken him to the clinic, but he couldn’t help but worry that Wu Fan had to be left alone at the dorm. The manager, Jongdae and Minseok had to travel to Busan to do a tv program recording today, and they would only return early tomorrow morning. Yixing and Zi Tao on the other hand had taken a few days off and returned to their hometown in China.

Lu Han even ran to the train station, causing people left and right to give him weird looks.

I have to be back soon.

4.50 p.m.

Exo-M’s Dorm

“Wu Fan!” Lu Han shouted as soon as he barged into their dorm, but he quickly placed his palm over his mouth. He shouldn’t be causing such disturbances to people who needs rest.

“Wu Fan?” He called softly this time as he stretched his neck left and right to look for the leader of the group but the house was too quiet to his liking and he was no wheere to be seen. As soon as he finished taking off his shoes, he ran to the living room and found Wu Fan asleep on the couch, his limbs closely folded towards his body like a fetus.

“Wu Fan!” Lu Han quickly ran to his side, checking on his temperature by touching his forehead and his neck. He was burning. His face was sweaty and red. Lu Han gently shook Wu Fan awake.

“Wu Fan, what are you doing here? You should be lying on your bed,” Lu Han gently told him. Wu Fan frowned and turned his body to the other side, ignoring Lu Han in his deep sleep.

“Wu Fan, come on. We should get you back in your room.” Lu Han gently lifted Wu Fan’s arm to put it around his neck, attempting to bring the younger member of the famous idol group back to his room but Wu Fan pushed him away in the chest, causing the thin, older guy to easily fall on his rear. Lu Han winced quietly as he got up again and rubbed the sore spot on his bum.

“Go away... Leave me alone... The room is too hot...” Wu Fan grunted, still half asleep by the time. Lu Han scratched his head. He didn’t know Wu Fan was the type who would get grumpy when he was sick. He had never seen Wu Fan fell sick, not this bad.

“Don’t be stubborn now. Let’s go back to your room. I’ll turn on the airc-onditioner for you, okay?” Lu Han told him as gentle as he could and then pulled both of Wu Fan’ arms, pulling him up to a sitting position. Lu Han sat himself in front of him on the couch and pulled on Wu Fan’ arms from behind, letting him rest on his back so he could lift him up, giving him a piggy back ride. Too weak to resist anymore, Wu Fan just let Lu Han did whatever he wanted.

With staggered, yet careful steps, Lu Han finally managed to get the tall guy back on his bed. Wu Fan quickly fell back to sleep after Lu Han tucked him in, so Lu Han took the chance to run to the kitchen and reheat the rice porridge the manager had left for Wu Fan this morning. He was pretty sure Wu Fan hadn’t had his lunch yet.

When Lu Han got back to his room, Wu Fan was still asleep. He was again, grumpy and angry when Lu Han woke him up for his delayed lunch. After much persuasion, Lu Han finally managed to get him eating. After the first spoon, Lu Han managed to spoon-fed him without any problem until he finished the whole bowl of porridge Lu Han brought for him. Poor Wu Fan, Lu Han thought. He must have been starving.

“I need to get you washed and changed. You already sweat a lot,” Lu Han told him after he finished his meal and took his medicine. Wu Fan grunted in protest.

“I’ll do that later. I’m tired,” He mumbled.

“It won’t take long, Plus,” Lu Han paused when Wu Fan’s head was about to hit the pillow again. Lu Han quickly stopped him from lying down and pulled him back up again.

“Plus, you’ll feel better after you wash.” Lu Han continued while pulling Wu Fan’s t-shirt over his head. Wu Fan struggled a little, rebelling against Lu Han but Lu Han softly whispered reassuring words to him as he stripped off the younger boy’s top.

“It won’t take long, I promise,” Lu han said as he reached the wet towel from the basin he had placed on the sidetable earlier before he fed Wu Fan and began with wiping Wu Fan’s face and then slowly worked his way downwards. Wu Fan had his eyes closed the whole time, but Lu Han could tell that he was feeling better as the wet, cold towel ran all over his bare skin, toning down his burning body temperature.

After Lu Han finished wiping both of his long arms, he moved closer to Wu Fan to start wiping on his back.

“Are you tired?” Lu Han asked him softly.

Wu Fan hummed his answer, his eyes opened a little.

“You can lean on my shoulder while I wash your back.” He said as he pulled Wu Fan towards him, letting him to rest his head on his shoulder as he told him to. Lu Han gently ran the wet towel over his back, up and down and all over. Wu Fan sighed, his warm breath tickled Lu Han’s neck a little as he did so.

“Lu Han... Thank you...” Wu Fan said softly, his voice a little coarse than usual, but it brought a smile on Lu Han’s lips. Lu Han quickly finished his little task and put a fresh, clean clothes on Wu Fan again, made him comfortable and tucked him back to bed. Wu Fan fell asleep immediately while Lu Han continued to keep an eye on him, regularly replacing the wet towel on his head.

Wu Fan woke up in the middle of the night, this time feeling more awake than he had ever been the whole day. He still felt a little warm, but the heat had tremendously left his body so he felt a bit more energetic than before. He realized that the sky had turned dark, and the room was dimly lit up with his table lamp. Lu Han was still there in the room, sitting on his study chair, his head tilted to the side as he slept. He was facing towards his bed with a wet towel dangling between his fingers. Wu Fan reached for his hand.

“Lu Han,” Wu Fan called softly, squeezing the slim fingers into his own.

Lu Han slowly opened his eyes, “Hmm?” he straightened his back against the chair, “What’s wrong, Wu Fan? Do you need anything?” Lu Han asked sleepily before he yawned.

“Why are you sleeping there? Lie down on the bed,” Wu Fan told him.

“Mm... okay...” the sleepyhhead replied as he climbed on Wu Fan’s bed and immediately lied down.

“You can’t sleep here, you might get sick too.”

“Sssh...” Lu Han smiled as he pulled Wu Fan down, forcing him to lie next to him. Lu Han let his arm resting across Wu Fan’s broad chest.

“Just stay still, and go back to sleep.”

Wu Fan placed his hand on top of Lu Han’s, the one that was splayed across his chest, and then slowly let his drowsiness took over him.

“Okay,” Wu Fan whispered quietly. In case Lu Han fell sick, Wu Fan would just take the turn to take care of him next time.