Jongin woke up to a prodding finger poking at his cheek and a hand tickling his side. 

He smacked it away, still half asleep. "Go 'way, 'soo..."

"Jeeze, you must have needed sleep more than we thought you did."

The sleepy male cracked his eyes open to see a smirking Kris standing in front of him. "Huh?"

Kris' smirk turned into a grin. "Dang kid, did you really think I was Kyungsoo?" 

Jongin, ignoring the question, felt around the bed with his arm that wasn't asleep while keeping his face firmly planted in his pillow. The bed was empty and the sheets were cold. "Where's Taemin?"

"That's the reason I'm waking you up- I've got something to tell you." Kris sat on the side of the bed and pet Jongin's hair away from his face. "The doctor already got here and checked Tae over. He said he was alright, but we need to keep a close eye on his fevers and make sure he gets enough rest. He said he doesn't think it will happen again, but if Taemin gets another migraine, we shouldn't freak out. We should just keep him in a dark room like we did and make sure he's comfortable."

Jongin sat up a little straighter, rubbing his eyes to drag himself to awareness. "What did he say about Taemin passing out like that?"

"He said it's not totally uncommon- when people are really stressed or overworked or sick or whatever, it'll sometimes happen."

"... So Taemin's okay?"

"Well, he's not really okay just yet, but he will be. The doctor said to possibly expect nausea, fluctuating fevers, aches and pains, random bouts of exhaustion- stuff like that. So basically nothing we haven't dealt with yet." Kris smiled at Jongin and patted his head. "So come on, get up! Taemin is sitting in the living room with the rest, and I swear, he's being smothered- slowly but surely."

Jongin grinned at his second leader and hit him in the head with a fluffy pillow. "Okay, I'm coming~"

Jongin knew that while he himself could be overprotective, his band could be boarder-line fussy mothers. He stood up and pulled on a pair of plaid pajama pants and changed his shirt into a loose, sleeveless black tank top. Kris had left the door cracked when he left, and Jongin could hear what sounded like a mild squabble happening in the living room.

When he walked in, his eyes automatically searched for his missing best friend. He found Taemin laying down on the couch, stretched out with his head on a throw-pillow in Chanyeol's lap. The happy virus was once again watching a movie, but he was playing with Taemin's shaggy hair and would giggle every now and then at something said during the argument.

Taemin's face was completely horrified as he looked at Suho across the room. Suho was in the kitchen with Lay, Chen, and Baekhyun, who were staying out of it like Chanyeol, but they were also prone to breaking into fits of laughter.

"-no. Nooo way."

Suho looked over the island from where he was making dinner to nod his head at the younger boy mockingly. "Yes~ Yes, Taemin."

"Why do they have to know?! Do you even realize what they're going to say? Or what they might do? Holy crap, they might fly back here and ignore the rest of the radio shows just to scold me while they shove disgusting medicine down my throat and hover around like a flock of hens who just laid their eggs."

This earned a round of unrestrained laughter from one of the bedrooms; apparently this debacle was on show for everyone in the dorm. Jongin could hear Lay, Chen, and Baekhyun snickering in the kitchen. Chanyeol's face was bright red from keeping his hysterics contained, and he had a fist pressed to his mouth to hide his grin.

Suho smiled at the frantic teenager. "No, they won't."

Jongin cleared his throat loudly to make his presence known. Taemin's face brightened immediately, but he made no move to get up from Chanyeol's comforting hold. "Jonginnie~!" He whined. "Tell Suho that we don't need to tell SHINee what happened earlier today!"

Jongin suddenly became very awkward.

On the one hand, he could shamelessly side with his friend and "protect" him from the wrath of the older brothers by not telling them he had fainted.

... On the other hand, however, he could bring that same wrath down on himself for not telling them. SHINee had known most of EXO since they were trainees- they weren't afraid to discipline Jongin the same way they would Taemin.

Jongin shuddered and suddenly understood why the rest of EXO were keeping their silence. "Uhm... I don't-"

"See!" Taemin burst out before anyone could get another word in. "Jongin is with me!"

Jongin's eyes widened comically and he held his hands out in front of himself in an "I-have-nothing-to-give" kind of gesture. He turned to the other members in the kitchen for help, but realized he would be getting nothing when he saw Chen leaning on Baekhyun, convulsing in fervent laugher.

Suho leaned over the kitchen island like a mother getting ready to bargain with her child. "Okay, Tae. I'll make a deal with you. We'll tell SHINee what happened, but we'll tell them when they get back in a week or so. That sound better?"

Taemin sighed and nodded his head, realizing this would be the best deal he could get. Chanyeol patted his head in sympathy.

Suho continued, "But there's one itty-bitty catch." He pointed an accusing finger at the sick boy. "You have to tell us if you're feeling sick again. No more of this 'Oh-I'm-fine-just-let-me-pass-out-on-you' B.S. Got it?"

Taemin rolled his eyes and nodded his head once more.

"I mean it, Tae. If you even feel kinda-sorta-maybe light-headed, you're going to let one of us know. Okay?"

Baekhyun chimed in with a displeased snort from where he was sitting on the counter. "One of us? How bout' all of us? I'd be pretty upset if the walking germ over there-" Taemin glared at the nickname. "-tells one of you people that he's sick again and he keeps it from the rest of us." He pouted his bottom lip and gave Taemin the look of a kicked puppy.

Taemin rolled his eyes again. "Baek, I'm used to having five guys look out for me- maximum. It's awkward to suddenly have the undivided attention of twelve."

Chen shrugged his shoulders as he plopped down next to Taemin on the couch. "Welcome to the family."

Jongin walked into the kitchen to see what Suho was cooking. "Welcome to the family? Please, he's always been one of us."

Tao walked into the room along with Kyungsoo and Kris. It was obvious they had been listening to the conversation when Tao pitched right into the conversation. "Yeah, you're right. But so has the rest of SHINee. The fans call it... Uh, SHINeEXO, I think."

Kris gave a dorky grin. "Yup- it's a cool name. I like it."

Taemin looked at the scene in front of him and shook his head, not even trying to hide his smile. This is why he loved EXO so much. They were all so welcoming, funny, and family-oriented. And honestly, they reminded him that he didn't have to be perfect.

Taemin took his pillow off of Chanyeol's lap and twisted around until he could lay the pillow in Chen's lap, where he laid down again.

Chen looked down at his younger friend with a snotty grin. "SHINee was right- you do get cuddly when you're sick, but... You're kinda fickle about who cuddles you, ya know that?"

Taemin didn't bother to answer; he was focused on falling asleep to the soft sounds of conversation floating around the room and the comforting smell of Chen's body-wash. Soon enough he was asleep again- he knew he would be woken up within the next thirty minutes when dinner was ready, but he would take sleep wherever he could find it.

"Tae?"

Taemin cracked his eyes open to see Kyungsoo sitting in front of him. " 'soo?"

Kyungsoo smiled and rubbed the back of his index finger down Taemin's baby-soft cheek. "Yeah. C'mon, you need to eat something and get some medicine."

Taemin gave a groan and stretched out on his back. A lot of people thought that Kyungsoo was scary- when Taemin actaully thought he was one of the least scary people he had ever met. He was constantly taking care of the other members, not caring if they were older or younger.

Kyungsoo smirked and wiggled his fingers along Taemin's exposed tummy. Taemin gave a sleepy squeel and crunched himself into a ball to grin at Kyungsoo. 

Jongin yelled from the kitchen, "No tickling the infected, 'soo! You might be contaminated~"

Taemin sat up and looked at his friend, who was once again in line for food. "Contaminated?.... The infected?... Excuse you?!"

Jongin laughed quietly to himself. "Yeah buddy, EXO is not getting infected with you and your disease." 

"Uhm, excuse you, it's called a cold. It's not like I'm a zombie."

"Hm... I don't know, Tae. You've been looking pretty bad the last few days~. Maybe you passing out was, like, the beginning of the transformation."

Taemin snorted and slowly pulled himself away from his fortress of blankets, shivering at the loss of warmth. "Oh, I'm sure. Just be careful, I might spit in your food just to bring you to the dark side, Jonginnie."

"You would never!"

"But I would~" Taemin came up behind his friend and opened his mouth like he was going to spit right into Jongin's rice.

Jongin emitted a squeak of surprise and was quick to scramble away, holding his plate high in the air and away from Taemin. It was only when he reached the living room that Jongin realized all of EXO was watching them like they were some kind of comedy. "What?"

Baekhyun resumed his task of finding a good movie to watch with a grin. "Nothing~ You two are just.... Interesting."

Before he could respond, Taemin yelled from the kitchen. "They're just jealous of our unbreakable friendship, Jongin!"

Jongin pouted his lips and made a face at Taemin. "Oh yeah? Do real friends spit in each others food? Huh? Do they, Taemin??"

Taemin smirked while waddling back into the living room carrying a small bowl of steaming soup broth. "Without a doubt."

Taemin settled back into his fuzzy blankets and happily slurped at his soup, but couldn't get more than a mouthful down because of the face Jongin was making at him. Taemin giggled and coughed when his broth went down the wrong pipe. "Can you not look at me like that? I'm gonna choke on my soup.."

Jongin's pout turned into a grin and he settled in comfortably next to his friend, putting an arm around the top of the couch and around Taemin's thin shoulders. Jongin hummed and pet Taemin's hair. "You should eat more, you're so skinny."

Taemin stuck his tongue out at Jongin and curled into his side more snugly.

Xiumin scrunched his face up at the pair. "Jongin- didn't you just say to stay away from, and I quote, the infected?"

Taemin wrapped his arms around Jongin's neck and purposefully invaded his personal bubble space. "Jongin and I share everything! If my germs want to love him too, then hey, sharing is caring."

Jongin laughed and went to feel Taemin's forehead again. "Is your fever back up or something?"

Taemin shoved his hand away and sighed. "It doesn't matter if it is, I already took the stupid medicine. So unless you plan on overdosing me on fever meds and having Key kill you when he get's back-"

Jongin put a hand over Taemin's mouth. "Okay, okay, I got it. Jeeze. Oh, and just so you know, that "stupid medicine" you keep whining about is keeping you from passing out again. Uh-huh, yeah, don't forget about that one,0 buddy, because- don't give me that face- because if I were to possibly tell SHINee what happened, you'd be in trooouubllleeee~~"

​Taemin's eyes widened almost comically and he looked over to Suho. The SHINee maknae grinned and whined- "Mom~~"

Suho grinned and looked at Taemin's pale face. "Yes child?"

"Kai is threatening me~"

".. And?"

"And you should discipline your children!"

At this exact moment, Chen and Baekhyun started a scuffle in the kitchen, throwing food back and forth at each other. Luhan looked at Suho and Kris, not even bothering to hide his massive grin. "Yeah guys! Discipline your children~!"

Ultimately, the leaders refused to do anything about the situation, saying they were too exhausted from working so hard. When Chanyeol reminded them that all of EXO had done basically nothing for almost a week and a half, they claimed that "even when we're not working, we're working."

The rain storm outside never once died down- it got bigger and louder, to the point where everyone just brought blankets and pillows into the living room and crashed in one big pile. Taemin looked at the group fondly (even if some of their snoring was keeping him awake).

The sick teen tossed around on the couch for a while, but quickly became frustrated when he found that he couldn't fall asleep. When Taemin looked at his phone, the bright screen said it was 2:13 AM. So he sighed, the TV (with the lowest volume setting, of course), and simply waited for something to happen.

HELLO BABIES<3

I'm actually not happy with this chapter- especially the end. I'm sorry, I know it's bad (;￣Д￣)​

So did'ja catch what I did? :D

In the foreward of this story I mentioned how I wake my little brother up by rubbing the back of my finger down his cheek- I finally put it in the story. Like, where Kyungsoo woke up Taebaby.

Okay, well, I love you all. And I realized I haven't said this since like, chapter one, but I'm still totally willing to do it. If you guys want me to have something happen, or to have someone interact with someone else, I could try to put it into the story. :DD

Sorry if the rain storm was kinda prominant in this chapter- it's raining cats and dogs over here. Hail, lightning, thunder, swirling clouds, the whole nine yards. （￣□￣；）

Keep up the comments guys! Seriously, they all mean so much to me. Even if you just say, "Dude this is kinda nice"- 

I love it.

Hope you all have a wonderful day/night~<333