The Mid-Summer Fever
These Days of Summer
Winds may come
And the winds may flow,
But there's no wind
that can cool me of my fever,
Summer fever.
“You're sick.”
Baekhyun sneezed, his eyes red and watering. “I'm fine,” he sniffled, pulling away from the hand Chanyeol had placed on his forehead, “I – I need to go to work.”
“No way,” Chanyeol said over his shoulder as he propelled himself through the air into the kitchen to rummage around the medicine cabinet, grinning triumphantly when he found a thermometer and headed back to Baekhyun's room. He hated to have to resort to human methods, but him being the summer spirit – and eternally warm – he couldn't tell if Baekhyun had a fever or not on his own. “You're sick, Baekhyun.”
“I don't even have a fever.” Baekhyun protested.
Chanyeol rolled his eyes and stuck the thermometer in the brunet's mouth. “We don't know that for sure,” he said, watching the mercury on the thermometer and grimacing when it hit 100.0 and kept going. “Yeah, you have a fever.” He grabbed the phone from Baekhyun's nightstand and handed it to him. “Here, call your boss and tell her you're sick. I'll go make you some soup.”
“Chanyeol, you don't have to –”
“I want to,” Chanyeol said, cutting him off. “Just call your boss, alright?”
Baekhyun sighed but did so, bringing the phone up to his ear as it rang, and Chanyeol, satisfied, retreated into the kitchen. It had been a long, long time since he'd cooked food like this, since he had no real need to eat any more, but he'd seen other humans doing it, so how hard could it be, really?
He just hoped he didn't set the kitchen on fire, or anything.
Like that'll happen, Chanyeol thought flippantly as he stuck a can of soup in the microwave and turned it on high. I've got this.
“Chanyeol, what's that smell?” Baekhyun called from his room a few minutes later as Chanyeol desperately tried to fan out the flames around the burning can of soup. Maybe he should've stuck it in a bowl before putting it in the microwave.
“N-nothing!” The summer spirit replied quickly, hoping Baekhyun didn't get out of bed to investigate as he patted the flames away with his hands, focusing on containing the fire rather than spreading it. He'd always been bad at controlling his abilities, and this was definitely a time when he needed them to cooperate. “It's fire – fine! It's fine! Your soup is almost ready!”
“... It smells like something is burning.”
“Nope! Nothing's burning!” Chanyeol picked up the can of soup, ignoring the burning hot metal as he pried it open and dunked its contents into a bowl. Then he placed the can under the faucet and doused it in water to cool it off before throwing it away, grinning at the steaming bowl of soup on the counter.
Well, that went better than I'd hoped.
He brought the soup to Baekhyun along with a spoon and a glass of water, smiling widely, and felt his heart jump in his chest when Baekhyun smiled back.
“It looks delicious,” the brunet said, his voice thick with congestion.
Chanyeol smiled, pulling out a bottle of ibuprofen. “Take this after you're done eating and then get some rest, alright?”
Baekhyun nodded, smiling as he took the bottle and set it down on the nightstand. “You seem pretty good at this.”
Chanyeol felt a chill go down his spine and he swallowed hard, “Yeah, my, uh … my sister ... she is – was one of those people who got sick a lot, and I was always the one who took care of her, so ...”
“Oh,” Baekhyun suddenly looked worried, “Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up painful memories.”
“No, it's fine,” Chanyeol said softly. “Really. Now eat your soup before it gets cold and don't forget to take your pills. I have something I need to do.”
“Something?” Baekhyun echoed around a mouthful of food.
Chanyeol grinned, blowing the windows open with a flick of his wrist and stepping out to hover above the windowsill. “Hey, give me some credit. I'm the Spirit of Summer! I can't hang around all day doing nothing!”
Baekhyun's smile faltered a bit, “You – you'll come back, right?”
Chanyeol's chest ached at the sight and he nodded, his grin softening. “Always.”
Then he was gone, catching a ride on the wind and whooping as it carried him up and up into the air; high over the clouds and across the town to a familiar house on a familiar street. It was the same house whose roof he'd landed on just some weeks before, bored and lonely and invisible to all.
It was Tao's house.
But as Chanyeol drew closer he noticed suddenly that there was someone standing at the door, knocking on the wood determinedly. Wondering who it was, he floated down closer to land on the overhang just above the front stoop, and his eyes widened as he saw that Joonmyun – the same friend of Baekhyun's that had come to visit a few days earlier – was the one standing there.
But why was he there?
Just then the door opened, revealing the same dark-haired, gentle-looking boy that Chanyeol had been imagining throwing off a cliff for the last few days. There was something different about Tao, though; a particular slump in his shoulders that belied exhaustion, a heaviness in the corners of his lips, dragging his expression down into a frown, and a strange redness in his eyes, almost as if …
As if he'd been crying. Chanyeol thought.
“Joonmyun?” Tao sounded confused.
Joonmyun's entire demeanor changed abruptly, his determination shifting to something much softer as he took in the younger man's disheveled appearance. “Hello, Tao.”
“Hi.” Tao's voice was brittle. “What do you want?”
Joonmyun looked hurt for a moment, then he shook it off, chewing on his lip before he spoke. “I don't think you should go talk to Baekhyun like you were planning.”
“Why not?”
The older man sighed, “Because. I went and talked to him yesterday, and …” He shook his head, “I just don't think talking will change anything.”
Tao frowned, his hand resting on the doorknob as if he couldn't quite decide whether he wanted to let Joonmyun in or slam the door in his face. “Am I supposed to just take your word for it?”
“Baekhyun himself told me that it wouldn't change anything.” Joonmyun said softly, his eyes downcast. “Look, you know he doesn't hate you, right?”
“Did he tell you that too?” Tao snapped.
Joonmyun stiffened. “Yes, he did, and there's no reason to be nasty about it. He also told me that he needs time to get back on his feet, which is another reason you shouldn't go talk to him. Just give him time.”
Tao's hand tightened around the doorknob, his knuckles going white. “I … I didn't want it to be like this.”
“I know,” Joonmyun murmured, his defensive posture dissolving away at the pain in Tao's voice. “I know, Tao.”
“I just – I wish it could've been different,” Tao whispered, tears welling up in his eyes, and pity washed over Chanyeol like a tidal wave. “I wish I could've told him that I felt the same, if only to make him happy. But I'm his friend, Joonmyun. I don't feel that way about him, and I … I can't lie to him. I can't.”
Joonmyun abruptly stepped forward, embracing the boy. “I hope you know that none of us blame you for anything.” He murmured, Tao's hair, “It's not your fault that you don't feel that way about Baekhyun, and he doesn't blame you either, alright? He's a big boy.” He smiled, “We can get through this.”
And from his perch on the roof, Chanyeol realized suddenly that he'd gotten it all wrong.
Tao is as much a victim as Baekhyun is.
The empty bowl of soup on Baekhyun's bedside table made him think of Chanyeol every time he rolled over and saw it, and honestly it kind of worried him. The summer spirit had left a little over an hour ago, that mysterious smirk on his face as he leapt out the window and into the warm summer air, and though Baekhyun knew he'd be back – because Chanyeol had promised – he was still worried, and while he was worried he'd never get to sleep.
But he needed to. He didn't want to be sick all summer, and the only way he was going to get better was if he got some rest and let his body heal. So it was with that – and the memory of Chanyeol's promise to never leave ringing in his head – that he finally rolled over, drawing the comforter up to his chin as he closed his eyes and relaxed.
He was just beginning to nod off when he heard a knock at the door.
Oh, who could that be? He wondered, groaning as he pushed himself up and out of bed. It's definitely not Chanyeol. He would've just come in through the window.
The room spun around him a bit as he finally got to his feet and staggered out of his bedroom. Everything seemed sort of blurred – like he couldn't really focus on where he was looking – so it surprised him when he made it to the front door, though he was even more surprised when he actually managed to open it.
However, the last person he'd expected to see standing on his front porch was Kyungsoo.
“K-Kyungsoo?” He stammered, confused.
His best friend grinned at him, only to frown as he noticed how weak and pale the older boy looked, “Whoa – hey, are you alright?”
“N-no, not really,” Baekhyun said with a dry laugh.
Kyungsoo's worry morphed into a deeper look of concern. “You look terrible!” He stepped forward and put a hand to Baekhyun's head. “You have a fever … Oh, Baekhyun, if I'd known you were sick I would've come earlier. Why didn't you call?” He sounded angry, “Honestly, have you been here by yourself all this time?”
“No,” Baekhyun said without thinking, “Chanyeol was taking care of me.”
Kyungsoo paused. “Who's Chanyeol?”
“N-no one,” Baekhyun lied quickly, swaying on his feet.
Noticing his instability, Kyungsoo quickly stepped into the house and put an arm around Baekhyun's waist to steady him. “Come on,” he said, dragging the shorter man along, “Let's get you back to bed. I'll make you some soup.”
“I already had some,” Baekhyun murmured sleepily as Kyungsoo carried him into his bedroom and dumped him on his mattress. “Chanyeol made it for me.” He snuggled down into the covers, glad to be back in his bed. The room was still spinning a bit, but the blankets were just so warm, and all he could think of was Chanyeol; Chanyeol's warmth, Chanyeol's hair, Chanyeol's smell. He sure hoped the summer spirit got back soon ...
Kyungsoo, however, was frowning at that comment, about to ask who Chanyeol was again, but before he got a chance he realized that Baekhyun had already fallen asleep – or at least nodded off to the point that he was no longer coherent enough to answer any questions. So, with a heavy, sigh, Kyungsoo tucked the covers up around his friend and shut off the lamp on his bedside table, pausing when he saw the empty bowl sitting there.
He said Chanyeol made soup for him, Kyungsoo thought, picking the bowl up and glancing at Baekhyun, but who –
A sudden gust of wind that blew open the bedroom windows cut Kyungsoo's thoughts off, and he quickly ran over to them, flustered and confused as to how that had happened when they'd been latched tightly shut. Worried that a storm was coming, he glanced out through the window, his eyes widening as he saw a completely clear sky up above.
Then where had that insane gust of wind come from?
Thankfully, though, because of the strange gust of wind, Kyungsoo was so lost in his musings that he didn't notice the way the air in the room seemed to heave a heavy sigh of relief, settling around Baekhyun like a blanket as Chanyeol slipped through the still-open window and landed, barefoot, on the cold wooden floor. He glanced sideways at Kyungsoo but otherwise paid him no mind as he moved to sit at Baekhyun's side, for he knew Kyungsoo would not see him. Humans never did.
Except Baekhyun.
But Baekhyun was special.
“Sorry I took so long,” the summer spirit murmured, brushing the hair out of Baekhyun's face and smiling as he saw the boy relax at his touch, “I'm here now.”
I'm here.
Baekhyun was floating; weightless and lighter than air. He could see the sun, shining brightly in the darkness, and he reached for it, straining as the tips of his fingers just barely brushed its golden rays.
My sun.
He had to get to it.
My own, personal sun.
“Baekhyun … ?”
Baekhyun's eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was Chanyeol smiling down at him, his face ringed by a cluster of golden curls. Baekhyun smiled back, relaxing as he moved to reach up and run his fingers through those golden strands of sunlight just like he'd always wanted, but he froze suddenly and sat up, feeling sheepish as he remembered that they weren't alone. He'd been so preoccupied with Chanyeol that he almost hadn't noticed Kyungsoo standing on the other side of the bed, worry creasing the lines on his forehead.
“Hey, Kyungsoo,” he murmured, attempting to cover up the way he'd been reaching for Chanyeol by running his fingers through his hair instead.
“Hi.” Kyungsoo relaxed, smiling. “Sorry, um, I heard you say something and I thought you were awake, but you must've just been mumbling in your sleep.” He patted Baekhyun's head. “Go back to sleep. I've got everything under control here.”
“No, no, I feel a lot better now.” Baekhyun smiled, pushing himself up onto his elbows, “I think I've slept enough.”
“Well … alright,” Kyungsoo smiled. “Are you hungry?”
“Yes,” Baekhyun said, glancing at Chanyeol who grinned, “Very.”
“Good, because I'm right in the middle of making you dinner.” Kyungsoo patted his head again, gently flicking his forehead before sauntering out of the room, and Baekhyun laughed in his wake.
“Your friend seems interesting,” Chanyeol commented.
“Kyungsoo?” Baekhyun smiled, “Yeah. He's really great. He's like a mother to me, actually, even though I'm older than him.”
“A mother, huh …?” Chanyeol quickly shook off the memories that came back to him at that and moved to press his forehead against Baekhyun's, still worried. “Are you sure you're feeling better? You had such a bad fever earlier ...”
“I'm sure,” Baekhyun said, his breath catching a little at their close proximity, “And it's all thanks to you.”
“Me?” Chanyeol moved back and Baekhyun laughed.
“Well, yeah. You made me soup and gave me medicine when I had no one else here to take care of me. If it hadn't been for you, I definitely wouldn't be feeling this much better.”
Chanyeol smiled, “I didn't do much, but I am glad you're feeling better.” He took Baekhyun's hand, the back of it gently with his thumb, “So very glad.”
“Hey, I was wondering,” Baekhyun said softly, “When I get better ... will you take me flying with you?”
“Would you like that?” Chanyeol asked, distracted by the way the light of the setting sun threw colors through Baekhyun's hair.
Baekhyun nodded, “Very much.”
“Then of course I will,” Chanyeol said.
And Baekhyun had never smiled so wide.
“What are you grinning about?” Kyungsoo asked, walking into the room just then with a tray of delicious-looking food in his arms.
Baekhyun chuckled and glanced sideways at Chanyeol, liking the way the thought of the summer spirit settled in his chest like a special secret that was meant just for him. “Oh, no reason,” he said flippantly, “No reason at all.”
A/N: Sorry this took me so long to update, I've been really busy, but I'm back now! ^^
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