Chapter 10: All's Fair in Love and War

[Normal POV]

Donghae woke up to the feeling of arms being wrapped around his waist and the sound of a muffled moan of agony. Donghae looked downward to find Monique's head rested on his stomach, her eyes squized shut with obvious pain. He closed his eyes again, wrapping his arms around the girl, making her look up at him.

"Oppa?" A smile made its way on his lips as he peaked  an eye open, a smile evident on her pale lips, a thin blanket of sweat lightly covering her forehead. Donghae took in the view surprisingly calmly. The strands of hair that stuck to her forehead, the light blush of heat across her cheeks, her breathing slightly labored with her lips parted. She was obviously ill.

His smile disappeared, a hard line taking over his lips as he took in her appearance. "You're sick." He stated simply before maneuvering the girl so that she was laid straight on her back, covering her with a thin throw-on blanket.

Monique blinked up at the man as he pressed a hand against her forehead. "How long had it been since you drank that much?" Donghae asked calmly, causing a blush to deepen her sickened one.

"A while..." She looked downward in shame. "I'm so irresponsible. I knew I had work today, but decided to still drink that much!" She pressed an aggravated fist at her forehead. "I was so stupid.."

Donghae placed a hand on top of her fist, pressing it down from it's place on her forehead and smiled softly at the girl. "Don't. It's not all your fault. Leeteuk-hyung should've known to stop you. He should've known you had work today."

"But I shouldn't have to rely on someone to stop me, I should know before going too far. I'm the most responsible, not Leeteuk-Oppa," Her gaze fell downward again. Donghae sighed and forced a smile.

"You don't have to work today if you don't feel up for it," Donghae spoke with a little sense of authority in his voice.

Monique smiled and shook her head, "If I feel like dying today, it's my fault. I have to take responsibility for my work." Donghae nodded in understanding, yet disappointment.

Donghae got up from his bed and stretched, taking another glance at the girl before getting up to go to the kitchen.

"Donghae-ah," Donghae turned at the sound of his name and frowned. It was Leeteuk, the one person he didn't want to see right now.

"What?" He answered bitterly. The older looked downward, feeling the sting behind Donghae's simple answer. 

"I'm sorry about last night. You're right, I'm the eldest and I should've been keeping an eye on Monique-ah," Leeteuk admitted, trying to smooth over what had happened the night before. 

But Donghae got angrier. He pushed the unexpected older against the wall, blocking his hyung from any way of escape. "You don't get it, do you? I'm not mad about you not watching over her. I saw what you did last night! And you think I'm mad over something as petty as that? You along with all the members are aware of what I feel for her!" Donghae spoke in a harsh whisper, trying not to alarm any of the members or Monique.

Leeteuk progressed what Donghae was saying and looked into Donghae's angered eyes and spoke boldly and calmly, "You don't own her, Donghae. I have as much right to voice my feelings for Monique-ah." Leeteuk yanked Donghae's hands out of the way and looked back for a moment when walking away.

"I wasn't even thinking of taking her away. I was going to push my feelings aside since you're a donsaeng I care for, but since you're getting so worked up by a friendly kiss on the cheek, then I'm willing to play, Lee Donghae. All's fair in love and war."

Leeteuk walked away, straight back and a strong face. Donghae looked after his older with a glare.

"I don't want to hurt you, hyung. But if you insist, don't cry to me when I steal her away from you," Donghae spoke after him, making Leeteuk pause in his stride for a moment before walking out the door to begin his schedule for the day.

Donghae watched where Leeteuk had walked, lost in thought when he heard the door to his room open, a faint 'Oppa' and the sound of something hitting the floor followed. Donghae spun his head around at the sound to find Monique's body limp on the floor.

"Monique-ah!!" He pulled Monique's body in his arms, making her head lay on his shoulder.

"Donghae-ah, what's going on?" Eunhyuk walked out of his room and his eyes grew wide, "Monique-ah!" Eunhyuk knelt down immediately next to Donghae, pressing his hand against Monique's forehead. "She's burning up."

Within the next few minutes, the rest of the dorm members had gathered around the girl's small body, shrieks of worry coming from Ryeowook and Yesung.

"We need to call Leeteuk-hyung," Sungmin simply stated, pulling out his phone, ready to call the leader.

"Don't call him," Donghae said through gritted teeth, "He doesn't need to be here, I've got it under control."

Heechul stepped out and growled, "Under control? Monique-ah, our choreographer, is on the floor unconscious and we don't know why! How is that under control?!" Donghae winced at Heechul's words and wrapped his arms around the girl in his arms.

"Donghae-ah, we need to call hyung, the rest of us have schedules. He only has interviews; he can do those over the phone," Siwon spoke, placing a hand on the fish's shoulder, trying to persuade him.

After a short silence, Donghae nodded, "Fine. Call him." He pulled the girl up into his arms bridal style and placed her on the couch.

Siwon pulled out his phone, dialing the number immediately. 

"Hello? Siwon?" Leeteuk picked up after a couple rings, confusion evident in his voice.

"Hyung-!" Siwon started, getting cut short of his response.

"Shouldn't you be practicing at the studio with Henry-ah and Eunhyuk-ah? You better-" It was Leeteuk's turn to be cut off.

"Noona fainted. You need to come back soon to help, we're not sure what to do," Siwon tried to speak calmly, but worry was dripping from his usual well-monitored tone. 

"Okay, okay. I'll be there in a couple minutes. Call and tell the manager I'll do the interviews over the phone today. You and the others get ready for your schedules, I'll take care of her today," Leeteuk said, covering from the sudden shock and news but still trying to take control of the situation. He hung up the phone as soon as Siwon voiced his understanding.

Siwon turned to the group of members that were gathered around the girl and nodded, "Let's get ready for our schedules. Hyung said he'll be here soon and wants me to call the manager to tell him that he'll do his interviews over the phone. Let's go." Siwon started dialing the manager's number, but was stopped by a hand.

Siwon looked up to lock eyes with his sick Noona, "Siwon-ah, don't. I'll be fine, tell Oppa not to come, I'll... I'll be fine." Siwon took note of the sweat on her forehead and the pain her eyes held, even though it was evident she was trying to stay strong. Siwon looked at her with sorrowful eyes and shook his head.

"No, Noona. You need to stay home today, you're too ill," Monique shook her head vigorously.

"I'll be fine, it's nothing I can't withstand until tonight," Monique said softly, trying to get Siwon's favor, only to be shot down again.

"You fainted, Noona, you're not fine," Kibum spoke, placing a hand on his older friend's shoulder. Monique acknowledged the action and shook her head softly.

"I just need water, I might just be dehydrated, I have to work today. I can't be ill, not when I have to go through training with you guys throughout the week, I can't. This is the break I've been waiting for. The company won't just stand by when they can easily replace a mere choreographer within seconds." Monique then sat back on the couch, Donghae next to her with a hand on her lap.

"Ryeowook-ah, can you get Monique-ah a glass of water?" Ryeowook nodded to his hyung's request and quickly walked to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water for his Noona.

Monique began to drink the glass of water when the door opened to a very worried Leeteuk.

"Monique-ah," Leeteuk started, quickly pacing to the sitting girl and bending down in front of her, hands pressed on both her cheeks, "Are you okay?" Donghae tried to control himself when he saw a soft smile pull it's way to her lips and a hand lift to be placed smoothly on the older man's. 

"I'm okay, Oppa. Go to work, I'll be okay," Leeteuk smiled and shook his head.

"She insists to still work, hyung. Tell her she's crazy!" Kibum spoke, standing up from his sitting position, waving a hand toward his Noona.

Leeteuk turned his attention back to the girl who's cheek was still in his grasp, looking deeply into her eyes, "Are you sure you're okay?" Monique nodded, making Leeteuk sigh.

"Okay, you all get ready for your schedules," Leeteuk ordered, looking over his shoulder to his dongsaengs, "now." 

The other members hurriedly dressed for their schedules as Donghae, Leeteuk and Monique remained in the living room. Donghae stood up from the couch

"What's the plan, hyung?" Donghae asked as he looked at the girl sitting on the couch. 

Leeteuk stood up with a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest, eyes locked on Monique's sitting figure. "I'll her while she's  following Siwon-ah on his schedule today, but she shouldn't be dancing at the studio with them, only watching." Leeteuk placed his hands on his knees as he slightly bent down to match Monique's eye level and smiled. "Arasso?" 

Monique bit her lip in thought and pouted, "But Oppa~ I have to work on all the dances so I know what to work on~" Leeteuk shook his head and kept his ground.

"If you're to faint again, I'll already be there just in case so Siwon'd be able to continue on with his schedule. No dancing," Monique pouted and let out a soft and defeated 'fine.' Leeteuk smiled in triumph and picked the girl up, slinging her over his shoulder, "then go get ready so we can get going."

Monique's giggles echoed through the dorm as Donghae just sighed, pressing a hand to the back of his neck.

"I brought this upon myself with being paranoid about hyung. I shouldn't be mad at him if she falls for him, " Donghae thought while getting comfortable on the couch while Monique was getting dressed in his bathroom.

Leeteuk soon returned to the living room, sitting on the couch beside his dongsaeng, waiting for Monique. The room was filled with an awkward  silence as the two men waited.

"I'm sorry..." Leeteuk looked towards Donghae, waiting for him to continue. Donghae sighed, "I'm sorry I was being paranoid." Leeteuk nodded, accepting the apology.

"Donghae-ah-" Leeteuk started, but looked up when Monique stepped out in a pair of light gray sweats and a blue spaghetti strapped shirt and sneakers, hair pulled back in a neat pony tail, a pink backpack slung over her shoulder, and a smile painted lightly on her lips. Leeteuk smiled back and got up, opening the door for the girl, waiting for her to step out. 

Monique stepped out of the dorm and started heading down the hall slowly while Leeteuk poked his head through the door to face Donghae to finish his sentence.

"I'm not giving her up so easily."

Donghae blinked at what his hyung had said and nodded in understanding before Leeteuk closed the door to start heading down to the dance studio.