• FOUR •

November 14th

Admittedly while it may not have been a full on deep clean, Xiumin had in fact just tidied the place up which he was coming to regret as he looked at the mess in his arms. Like a mere few hours ago kind of just tidied, and yes it was a given that he would have been a little self conscious of the mess if he hadn't cleaned up but in this state Chen hardly would have commented on it. Although the smarmy little was full of surprises and seemed the type to bite the hand that fed him if he thought it'd be funny enough.

Yet here he was welcoming this erupting volcano of a bio-hazard into the lovely clean apartment with its cream carpets and non infected surfaces. Not ignoring the fact that the date had obviously been ruined too, but as salty as he felt Xiumin couldn't blame it entirely on the other. If anything he just felt an immense sense of pity as he lowered Chen onto the plush sofa; that and a general fear for the safety of his upholstery of course.

The only reason causing him to take such a massive risk was to search for any possible solution or medicine buried in the apartment to help the other feel the slightest bit better. If Xiumin could only ease the pain slightly then Chen might end up sleeping the worst of it off. For now however there was just a low whine of pain and the stuttered sound of fingernails leaving trails on the surface of the cushion beneath him; knuckles equally as white as a sweat drenched face and hands clenched into fists.

Though the look now passing over his ever handsome features was one of strain and panic typically meaning one thing and one thing alone, either Chen was going to give birth, or was holding back the urge to vomit. And it was highly unlikely that Chen had a bun in the oven. "Chen?" He quickly approached the other and firmly sank fingers into the flesh of an upper arm. "Chen?" Once more he tried, louder this time as the other continued to pant and stare down at his sock clad feet motionlessly.

But he daren't attempt to shake or slap him out of the daze, it was only when spit began to generously spill over a full bottom lip that Xiumin launched an arm around Chen's waist while the other twisted to drag Chen's arm forcibly up and over his own shoulders. Thankfully it seemed that the dark patch of drool now colouring Chen's slacks was the wake up call for them both as Xiumin only needed to haul him for the first few steps before the other was attempting to run to wherever he was being dragged. Which was thankfully the closest bathroom.

The bones in Chen's wrists sung and practically vibrated with a dull ache for what felt like hours to him after they smacked audibly on the porcelain rim of the toilet, Xiumin barely got a chance to lift up the lid and seat before he launched himself onto it with full force. But to be honest he hardly had a second to spare considering the hose like spray of vomit that seemed to expel itself from his guts like some poor possessed girl in a nineties B-grade horror movie.

Xiumin allowed his eyes to wander as he idly rubbed Chen's back, humming some random tune under his breath as if it would drown out the sound of retching. His free hand was behind his back supporting him as he sat on the floor with the other, hopping from spot to spot on the tiled floor, moving whenever the extremity began to feel heavy with blood. Though even pins and needles might have been a welcome distraction in that particular moment. It was a given that the poor guy would be there for quite some time and honestly the smell was starting to get to him. How on earth could so much vomit come out of one person?

So with a nose wrinkled in disgust Xiumin couldn't bring himself to sit there any longer and delicately began to stand, legs half asleep underneath him and bones, knees and ankles specifically, crunching with the first few steps until he was in front of the kitchen sink filling an old sports drink bottle with some water. Even now the vomit could be smelt and heard as it splashed into the toilet in all its chunky glory. Probably best not think about its chunky glory. Definitely best. With quick and guilty steps Xiumin darted past the bathroom and opened the door to his own bedroom, almost slamming it behind him in his haste to prevent the smell from travelling here too but it was already too late.

Wandering into the smaller ensuite he feebly opened the medicine cabinet and the door creaked as he did so. Unsurprisingly it was looking a little barren, beside some painkillers and cough sweets on the top shelf and antiseptic creams and plasters of varying sizes on the first. Though truth be told he had no idea what he was actually looking for. Was there such a thing as anti-nausea tablets?

Well either way he didn't have any regardless of whether they were real or not. The only viable option would be the painkillers as Chen had mumbled something about a headache a few moments prior but that could also be down to how he was physically hanging inside the toilet at this point. Not even bothering to sit back upright when he was finished spewing anymore, just staying there in defeat with his face inches above the rising level of puke. However more importantly it was looking very unlikely that Chen would be able to keep the tablets in his system long enough for them to take any effect.

Slamming the door shut in frustration Xiumin groaned audibly when it only swung open again immediately after, so with a pained laugh he pushed it shut and merely stared at him reflection in the mirror-door hybrid for a moment. He rarely ever got sick, hell he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a cough or slight sniffle for more than a day if even that. Which meant he needed to talk to someone who knew how to take care of other people, even if it meant his doom in the process.

Moving back to the open lounge area now Xiumin began to pace around in an almost circle as he stepped over items and trailed his fingers over any surface he could reach. She'd failed to pick up on her actual phone which left him with no option but to try the home phone, that's how desperate he was. Thankfully it engaged on the fourth ring.

"Mum? Mum that's you right? Sorry- yes- no I haven't forgotten your voice- no its just that I- no no mum I just never have to ring the home phone! I was worried I'd dialed it wrong! Look I'm sorry to be calling so late but I- I you see I have a bit of a, kind of like a problem." Ten out of ten already regretting this. God she was going to ask so many damn questions.

"Fine, lame excuse for not even recognising your own mother but I'll let it slide if you visit soon, so, what is it? You are alright aren't you, you sound fine, are you fine, are you- you- did something happen? Are you hurt?" his mother's worried voice crackled through the speaker of the phone now that she could finally get a word in edge ways.

"Hey hey, stop it I'm fine mum, promise! It's not about me, you know Chen right? The guy I mentioned that I was going on a date with- no I swear I did! No- no don't worry, forget it! Okay, start over shall we hmm? There's this guy, Chen, I went on a date with him tonight and well he's currently puking in my toilet," Xiumin rambled then paused while a very uncertain and loaded, "Riiiight, so..." came as his reply from his mother. "It started at the restaurant, we um both ate the same thing though and I feel fine, he said he didn't want to go to the hospital because he insists that its just a food intolerance thing and he doesn't want to waste their time but I'm not so sure. How do you tell the difference like between real food poisoning or an allergy or whatever he's saying he has?" Xiumin asked, hoping his mother would be able to provide him with an answer.

"Oh uh, right, okay. If it was a proper allergy he'd be swelling up by now I imagine Xiumin, just go and have a looksie and tell me, like maybe his face or throat?"

Quickly peering around the corner Xiumin let out a sigh of relief at both the lack of visible swelling and at the fact that Chen seemed to have momentarily paused. "Nope, none that I can see, breathing fine and all."

"Well then its mostly likely food poisoning or some kind of intolerance possibly? What did you eat- because unless it was under cooked chicken or shellfish of any kind I imagine he'll be fine."

"Really? He doesn't look fine right now."

"I bet Min, truthfully there really isn't much you can do, like any medicine or food you give him he'll just throw it back up again. It's probably best to just let him get it out of his system, he might be able to keep down some simple foods tomorrow but it depends how bad the food poisoning is. Is he just throwing up then?" his mother rambled after pausing to think for a moment.

"I think he has a fever as well, it's just strange because I ate the same thing and I'm fine. Maybe it really is a mild food allergy or intolerance and not food poisoning then?" he asked though none of it was really making sense to him leaving him even more lost than before he first phoned his mother.

"I mean, well uhh, I'm really not the best person to ask Min, dare I say google it? I reckon as long as its not chicken or shellfish that you ate it can't be- like its probably not really bad food poisoning and if he's not even swelling then it's probably not a bad allergy either so I reckon intolerance or just weird reaction? But it's gotta be one of the two, so just keep an eye on him and you'll have nothing to worry about."

Oh yeah besides the undeniable worry and panic for both Chen's health, his carpets and apartment warranty, and for what the neighbours must be thinking right now as Chen was yelling his name from the bathroom. The apartments all had kinda thin walls and if the situation sounded bad in his head it probably sounded worse to Mr and Mrs Langley upstairs. "So just let him puke it out, and get the fever down pretty much? And if I cant, like what? Then go to the doctors?"

"Definitely don't give him any food then, you have to starve a fever. Chen needs to just sweat it out of his system basically. If you notice any swelling you have to take him to the hospital right away, but I'm sure you know that already. Though at least with either of the possibilities it's not contagious so you can take care of him without catching it," the woman listed on before continuing with, "speaking of taking care of him I'll let you get back to it, but don't worry I know exactly how to get vomit stains out of carpets I was quite the party fanatic as a teenager one time I even-"

-"Yes I won't give him anything- no- stop please I don't wanna know- yes thank you, I think that's enough I really don't want to know thank you! I think Chen's going to lose his voice if I don't go see him soon he's been shouting for a few minutes, so thanks, bye!" Xiumin rambled on hurriedly, not really wanting to hear his mothers stories but now that he'd ended the call he didn't really want to find out what would greet him in the bathroom either. So the result was him awkwardly lingering in his own corridor, too scared to go in as he pointlessly fiddled with one of the paintings hanging on a wall. But he'd have to face the music eventually.

Turning his attention fully back to Chen despite his apprehension Xiumin could hear a stomach turning mixture of vomit splattering, choking, crying and panting, all mixed in with slurred versions of what he could only guess was once a name. Not a pleasant combination. Still fearing the bathroom he softly called out to Chen that he hadn't gone anywhere and that he was getting the apartment ready and would be done soon. When in reality he just wanted to hide a bit longer.

With eyes downcast watching his steps as he made a mental list of all the supplies required Xiumin slowly walked to the kitchen to begin collecting them all. Placing a palm on the cold granite counter top he then hiked a knee up onto the surface as well before giving one last push to surge himself upwards till his fingertips made contact with the small box of matches. Candles would possibly help the smell, of course he'd open up the windows for a while too but the wax needed to melt and heat up before it could really emit any scents.

He didn't really care what the end product of sandal wood, lavender, vanilla, and cinnamon were and quite frankly he didn't care; anything was better than sweat and sick. Even going so far as to light his own personal favourite candle beside his bed after removing the nearby magazine and stashing it away in a drawer because there was so not going to be a repeat of setting the alarm off ever again. Next came all the windows, pushing them as wide as they would go and ignoring the reddened patch of white skin the had appeared near the inside of his elbow from where he'd caught it on the frame whilst lowering himself off of a chair.

Returning to his bedroom Xiumin paused deep in thought. He couldn't exactly kick the poor man out after all this time so naturally Chen would have to stay here. Meaning he'd also have to sleep somewhere. It would be extremely rude to make a guest sleep on the sofa but Xiumin was really quite attached to his very clean, very comfy, and not puke stained bed and sheets but there was no other option. Plus his own bedroom had an weird adjoined bathroom type thing of a wet room, meaning that Chen wouldn't have to blindly hunt for the other bathroom in the middle of night and end up throwing up all over Xiumin's face because he got lost. So there was no other option, he would take the sofa and Chen would take his bed.

Thus began his new little mission to hide absolutely everything of any worth that he didn't want to get infected and or covered in that gross substance. The plush fleece throw and brushed cotton duvet were swapped for simple cotton and the spare blanket that had been buried under the bed. Some might call him a snob but there was nothing wrong with sleeping in comfort and wanting to preserve the quality of that comfort. Comfort was expensive when it came to sheets. Clean washing was also then tucked in various drawers and slid onto hangers; a growl of frustration leaving him when he attempted to pull out one free hanger and ended up bring three more with it as all the jumpers fell to the bottom section of the wardrobe too. It always happened when you were in a rush, it's like the hangers just knew somehow.

Once that mess was cleared away he collected all the unfinished and dogeared books and returned them to the high shelves above the head of his bed, knees sinking into the mattress as he did so. The only thing left on the surfaces were photo frames and the odd trinket picked up from god knows where, leaving Xiumin with plenty of room to fill them with supplies. Padding back across the soft carpet socked feet met cold hardwood flooring as he migrated into the kitchen. It was probably safest to locate some makeshift sick bowl in case Chen didn't make it to the bathroom.

So with knees cracking with the movement Xiumin squatted down to peer into the cupboard beneath the sink. There was an large plastic washing up bowl that had morphed into a container for various sprays and bleach placed at the far back corner. And after battling to get it out without knocking everything over Xiumin stood once more to fill a few bottles with water before returning to the bedroom once again.

Finally the same lap around the flat of rummaging in the kitchen, peering into the bathroom to check on Chen, then hiding in his bedroom for a while was made. This time its reason was raiding the freezer for ice-cubes to hopefully bring down the fever enough for Chen to sleep. Although this was immediately followed by locating a few washcloths from the linen cupboard but with that it was finally deemed that his bedroom was fully equipped to take care of a sick person. But maybe too prepared?

Am I going overboard? Is this weird, am I being weird? Wait am I actually being weird? I can hardly just toss him back outside like what am I supposed to do with him in this situation? Xiumin half thought and half muttered under his breath as he paced back and forth. It's not as if he's a stranger? It'd be weird if I didn't know the guy but what its been like a month since I first met him? Yeah a month, he's not a stranger, this isn't weird. No no I'm definitely doing the right thing.

After a quick deep breath to rid himself of thoughts such as that Xiumin finally returned to the doorway of the bathroom with the intention of keeping his feet firmly planted there instead of just passing by with a quick check. The sight that greeted him was not pleasant in the slightest. Chen was paler than before, eyes red raw from crying, and a chunky orange paste was both dripping off of his chin and onto his shirt as well. A sister pile of the putrid substance was next to the toilet as well.

"Hey buddy...I'm back now. How're we doing? How we feeling?" A feeble glare was that answered Xiumin, obviously not appreciating the feigned enthusiasm. "Yeah I know, I hate it too, are you okay though?" he asked gently after crouching down next to the sick male in question.

"Do I look like I am?" Chen bit out as he stared tiredly up at Xiumin.

"Stupid question sorry, are you feeling any better than earlier then I guess?"

"I haven't puked in three minutes-" pausing as he attempted to raise his fists above his head in celebration, -"it's a new record, go me!" Chen hissed with fake enthusiasm and some weird form of sluggish jazz hands. Xiumin clearly appreciating his sarcasm just as much as he enjoyed the other's stupidly kind voice from before. "I keep getting hot flushes though, and I'm, I'm like dizzy and maybe a little confused but for like just a second, and each time I get one of these things it just gets hotter and hotter I really don't know what to do, it's never been as bad as this before, oh shi-, another one now," he whimpered, strain evident in his voice as pain consumed his body. "It's just so ing hot, I feel so gross Xiumin I'm so ing hot I actually feel like I'm going to melt, or burn, or like something else that's just as nasty," Chen hissed in between pants. 

Xiumin placed a hand on his forehead and visibly winced as the strong heat engulfed his palm. Chen was right, he was absolutely burning. Xiumin quickly wiped Chen's mouth and shifted so that he was right beside the poor, trembling boy. "What do you mean never been this bad?"

"It's like a food intolerance type thing but I'm just like really sensitive to it, think of it like IBS, so like when I eat something my stomach doesn't like everything gets sent out with it to get it out of me."

"Right, right okay, I'm with you. So is it all out? Do you think you're done puking for the minute? Because what I wanna do is move you to my room okay? I have a um, ensuite type thing, its a smaller washroom attached to my bedroom that you can camp out in. I've got a bowl you can be sick in, if you can't make it to the bathroom, and I've put it near the bed too, but if you are done vomiting for now I think we've gotta try and focus on getting your temperature down okay? Yeah?" Xiumin soothed gently. Once Chen had nodded weakly he began helping the other to stand on shaky legs with one arm wrapped securely around a narrow waist and the other braced against his ribcage with fingers spread wide to keep him upright.

Walking down the hall those few meters was a mission in itself but Chen was at least trying to help by steadying himself on the adjacent wall, hand sliding along the paper with a soft hiss with every step. Depositing him on the bed was precarious too as Chen immediately tried to lay down but Xiumin just gestured wordlessly to the mess covering his shirt. 

Jesus ing Christ this is embarrassing. "Uh Xiumin? Can you help me with um- can you help take my shirt off, I can't do it," Chen ground out in embarrassment as he had been attempting to undo the same button for about a minute but his hands just wouldn't stop shaking.

"Um if it's okay then I think I'm gonna take well like everything off? You uh, you've kinda puked a little bit on your trousers too. I mean I have some sweatpants you can borrow it's just like if you're okay with me doing this?" Xiumin asked, feeling incredibly awkward. "I can just get the buttons and the zipper and then leave if you like," he wished that the question wasn't the only thing was hanging right now, hell if the light fixture was sturdy enough. This would definitely be a first date to remember. It started off innocently enough with all their little flirtatious escapades at work, but now he was sat here taking care of him while he puked, and they theoretically never even finished their first date.

Looking back to the other's face he saw Chen nodding regretfully at him so he took this as his queue to sit down beside the other and begin ing the shirt. At least Chen was just as pained about the situation as he was. His fingers fumbled with the buttons nervously while he tried to avoid awkward eye contact, body stiffening instantly on reflex as the other began fiddling with the hem of his now un-tucked dress shirt but he was glad Chen was focusing on something besides being slowly stripped. Once he had reached the bottom there was a quiet voice whispering "Just- yeah, just go ahead." So he gently brushed the shirt off of one shoulder and threaded Chen's arm back out of the sleeve.

Next was the tricky bit, Xiumin rose to stand again and very carefully moved the shirt behind Chen until it came to his left side instead meaning he could fold it in on itself as he went. Effectively trapping any vomit within the fabric itself before he followed suit with the other sleeve until the shirt was balled up and placed by their feet. Xiumin could almost physically feel the heat coming off the other as he undressed him, palms had even become wet with it from the briefest touches and the sweat slicked skin faintly gleamed in the light.

A breathy laugh escaped him when the other finally just flopped back onto the mattress with a groan. Then moving to kneel on the floor the socks came next before he began eyeing the leather belt with a surprising amount of fear. It's gonna be fine, it's not like he's gonna be he'll just be in boxers for like two seconds I can deal with that. I'm not being weird, I'm just helping a friend, no not friend, more than friend? "Can I? Or do you uh..."

"I'll get the belt so uh you just pull I guess- give- gimmie a um just one second."

"Hips up please Chen," he mumbled as lightly squeezed Chen's calves to try and make him move. Once the other had Xiumin started yanking the trousers down which slid off the sweaty body with ease, only tangling slightly around the ankles but Chen soon wiggled his feet and they eventually came off. With trousers and shirt in hand he wandered into the kitchen without looking back at the half form for a split second and put the clothes straight into the bin. He'd just have to owe Chen. And that's where he remained for a second, staring down at the bin as the lid automatically came to a close with a soft click, just breathing for a minute before he turned to the sink. Trying his absolute best not to audibly gag when thick, creamy liquid washed off of his fingers and curled around the plug hole.

With a towel in hand Xiumin wandered the small apartment, tucking the fabric under one arm briefly while the other rose upwards to pull the windows shut. Thankfully most of the candles on the coffee table had just extinguished themselves but those that hadn't he quickly blew the last wisps of a flame away. When he finally circled back around it took a lot of mental negotiation before Xiumin finally peered around the corner, it just felt so wrong to look at someone in a state as vulnerable as this. But it was kind of serene to watch Chen for a minute, no quick remarks, no smug grins and playful eyes. Just laying there calmly for the moment, eyes closed and spread eagle across the bed. Xiumin couldn't fight back the faint laughter when Chen turned and buried himself in between his pillows and snatched another one purely to hold against his body.

"Hey, don't you be laughing at me! How long have you been standing there? Yeah don't mind me it's fine, just laugh at my misery instead!" Chen whined as he clutched the pillow even tighter to his body, fabric rustling as he did so.

"Not long really, was just nice to see you finally shut up that's all. You're not too bad now are you? You want some fresh clothes to put on?" Xiumin asked once he had wandered further into the room, grabbing a pair of sweatpants from the cupboard and waving them in the other's general vicinity.

"Nah forget them for just a second, I'm getting really warm again to be honest."

Xiumin wished, really wished that Chen would have just said yes to the damn sweatpants. Or some shorts, maybe even just a t-shirt, anything to cover himself up by even the slightest amount. Because now Xiumin had to look at his practically but still boxer clad form that didn't really leave anything to the imagination for the rest of the night. He did try in earnest not to let his eyes linger for too long but there was definitely some aspects to be appreciated. It was now inherently obvious that Chen worked out, maybe not as much as Xiumin did as most of his spare time was spent there but there were still some clear signs.

The moderate beginnings of an upcoming six packed faded in and out of view as Chen panted, slowly dragging in great breaths of air before forcefully exhaling them once more. Lines of definition disappeared below the waist band of black boxers that led onto thick thighs. His arms were raised above his head, bending slightly as his hands fisted and played with the pillow case edge, the muscles of his biceps and forearms rippling beneath the surface whilst performing those actions.

Sweat still glided down his body as his chest heaved, and simultaneously a dark flush settled on the high points of Chen's face that later spread further downwards. Likely due to a spike in the other's fever which definitely wasn't what either of them wanted. Once his eyes finally traveled back up to Chen's face Xiumin realised that the other was just smirking at him, eyes fixated on holding his gaze. But that was fine, Xiumin had just been evaluating him, from a gym frequenter's perspective, purely professional.

Just a drawn out groan left Chen's lips to begin with. "Why couldn't you have just looked at me like that earlier, I would have been to distracted to even eat that way and we wouldn't be in this mess. Don't do it now when I can't do anything about it," he half whined. He had seen the way Xiumin's dark brown eyes had raked over his half form, he'd been able to practically feel the lingering gaze on his skin, and he'd even clocked the other swallowing nervously after he had spoken. But Xiumin did nothing but splutter before turning around and opening his wardrobe.

"Chen you can't try that crap on me now, you're sick, it doesn't really have much effect considering that I just watched you vomit for like an hour," he retorted with snidely, laughing when Chen only huffed in response, whining about how Xiumin ruined all of his fun. There was peace for a moment or too but the silence wasn't necessarily that comforting either.

"I'm starting to feel kinda gross again, and as much as I don't really want you to see me puking again as it kinda ruins my amazing appeal but I keep getting like really dizzy like before, I actually think I might pass out so like this does not feel right," Chen mumbled slowly, stumbling over his words with nervousness. He wasn't lying, it genuinely wasn't a ploy to get Xiumin to pity him, he was truly starting to get worried. There had been times where accidents such as this had happened before but it had never been this bad really, although for all other instances he'd had a certain magic power fuel to blitz it out of his system. And there was very little chance of that spontaneously appearing.

"Oh okay um um what do I do? This has happened before right? You're not like gonna seize or anything, are you?"

God I hope not. "Just stay here I guess, it's coming and going for the minute- the feeling of it I mean, but yeah episodes like this have happened before and it shouldn't come to anything as bad as that, it never has before."

"Alright, long as you're not gonna faint like right this second then we're good. I'm just gonna get changed and I'll be right there, so just look at the ceiling or something," Xiumin ordered, waving his hand and gesturing for Chen to roll over liked he'd said.

"What you mean roll over and not stare at you when you're in a vulnerable state like you did to me before?" Chen queried while raising his brows at the now rapidly colouring other male.

"Hey! I wasn't, I mean- like I wasn't staring staring! I was just having a quick look jeez, and stop making it out like I molested you or something!" Xiumin cried indignantly, pointing an accusing finger at Chen.

"I'm not saying you did! Just seemed like you wanted more than just an innocent little looksie and I know I'm not wrong," Xiumin snarled after Chen had spoken, apparently Xiumin didn't appreciate his teasing. Wonder why? Struck a nerve perhaps?

"Oh just go back to being a normal sick person and don't look!"

Naturally now that Xiumin had insisted on it so much Chen just couldn't resist sneaking a few glances. He watched curiously as the other presumably undid the buttons on his shirt as all Chen could see were the muscles in his back rippling with the movements and then the dark material was just shrugged off till it fell on the floor. By god there had never been a louder sound than the zipper on Xiumin's slacks, it filled the entire room as he laid there with his eyes glued to the ceiling and his hands clasped tightly over his stomach. That rigid position was maintained until another soft rustle sounded as the trousers too hit the floor and the sounds of drawers sliding along their runners instead filled the room. Words were poised on the tip of his tongue, aching to tease and rile the other up but in this situation it'd just lead to nothing. An old word sprang to mind, long forgotten in the modern English lexicon but Chen couldn't fight it springing to the forefront of his mind. Sphallolalia, flirtatious talk that leads nowhere.

But then all thoughts vanished as Chen's stomach joined the clothing on the floor by plummeting those brief few feet, metaphorically for once as it wasn't a flow of vomit that left him but seemingly the ground beneath him instead. Or that's what it felt at least. To begin with that's all that happened, it felt as if his body was remaining perfectly still but the rest of the Earth was spinning without him. Perfectly content to leave him behind and carry on her way. He opened his mouth and well as much as a person could be aware of he felt the air moving around his tongue and lips as he spoke, only there was no sound. So he tried again, though realistically there was no use in asking "Have I gone deaf?" aloud if he had in fact gone deaf. But Chen carried on, rambling away out of sheer panic as the darkness started eating at the far edges of his vision.

Just one leg was securely in the sweatpants when Xiumin spun around in bewilderment as Chen pondered out loud as his supposed lack of hearing. What on Earth? With a rising sense of urgency Xiumin blindly tried to shove his leg into the other hole and hoick them up to his waist, all while he half fell and half hopped towards the other. His knees burned from where they'd been driven into the carpet with forceful urgency but that didn't matter because Chen's voice was a rising crescendo filling the room with a stifling sense of panic. "Chen? Chen! What is it, what's wrong?" When no response came Xiumin immediately reached out and placed a tentative hand on the other's shoulder, shaking slightly as he did so. Some pillows and whatever photo frame that had once been on his bedside table was now on the floor, violently flung from its usual home during Chen's flailing in response to his gentle touch.

"Xiumin? Xiumin I can't see- I can't like everything's gone- it's gone black and and I can't hear anything either I don't know if you're saying anything but I can't- I can't see- it's just nothing!" He cried, chest rising and falling at a dizzying speed as his arms swung about the space wildly once more. Jesus Holy Christ I am so ed what if I actually die? What if I actually like die? I can't die, I can't die but God I'm gonna come close to it, I didn't even eat that much of it   . The pain was back too, ripping through him like lightening; Chen felt like he had been charged with a thousand bolts of electricity and the heat from that immense power was making his skin bubble and peel from his very bones.

"ing- right right okay, um, , an ambulance? Do I need to- where's my phone? where's my phone?!" Xiumin shouted as he grabbed one of Chen's flailing arms and pinned it to the bed, the other had a death grip on the flesh of his bicep. With a heave and a yelp of panic Xiumin tried shoving Chen further over into the centre of the bed so that he could kneel beside him. If Chen truly couldn't hear anything then he needed as much physical contact as possible to quell the justifiable fear consuming him, so Xiumin tried to plaster himself to the other as much as he could.

Chen relished in the body next to his, thankful for the comfort of the physical touch and warmth it provided him with, so he couldn't resist burrowing further into the lap he'd been pulled into. "Say something, anything, please." The sound of his own breathing had never sounded so good before, or the rustling of cotton sheets beneath them.

"Um I don't know- hello? Can you hear-"

"Thank god. I've never been so happy to hear someone's voice before."

And that's where the two of them remained while time sluggishly trickled on by. Xiumin just listening to Chen's breathing that gradually evened out once more and watching the tension slowly liquidate from his limbs and features. It did ebb back in waves occasionally; a crease between full brows forming as breaths got heavier, fingernails audibly scraping on the mattress as the sheets were clenched in a tight fist, or a faint tremor that overtook Chen's somehow tiny form. It was so strange seeing someone usually so vibrant and full of life reduced to just a frail shell. But that too passed, and soon bloodshot eyes were focusing on Xiumin once more with a watery smile. "Feeling any better?"

"Nope not at all, I'll just have to stay here forever," Chen finalised as he faintly grinned up at Xiumin. Then rolling over so that he was on his back between Xiumin's legs, head still propped up on one of the other's thighs he tried a more reassuring smile. Reaching up he brushed the hair out of Xiumin's face and pinched his cheeks before tugging them upwards. "C'mon gimme a smile, I'm alright, I'm still feeling warm but the pain has mostly gone, I'm feeling better I promise. I truly have no idea what that was, but I feel better than before, I think."

"You had me so damn worried, you idiot," Xiumin scolded but honestly he felt like weeping with relief. Right now Chen looked like a cat curled up between his legs, resting peacefully, but that was a different story a few minutes ago. The sight that greeted him previously was horrifying. Chen was writhing in the bed, arms swinging wildly around him while he shouted mixtures of "Xiumin!" and "Help me?" whined feebly. He'd tried everything, whispering soothing words- though they'd be of no use and essentially were for his own benefit more than anything, he even played with the other's hair or rocked him gently but nothing worked at all.

He eventually settled for resting his arms on Chen's back to rub circles into the bare skin, praying that it did something. A few mumbled pleas to whatever deity he could think of had even sneaked out when Chen became deadly silent, only panting and whining but never responding to anything Xiumin said to him. The thought was constantly in the back of his mind of whether he should be calling an actual professional but he didn't want to be the boy who cried wolf. But hopefully they were out of the woods now and through the worst of it, if it happened again Xiumin would definitely not hesitate to phone for help.

"Oh really? Are you that attached to me already?" Chen commented while he pulled one of Xiumin's hands onto his own chest and began idly playing with his fingers, eyes curiously watching fingers bend and tendons stretch.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that, but only a little bit, not like I was absolutely terrified and panicked beyond belief or anything," Xiumin squeezed out jokingly, but a squawk of surprised slipped out as Chen rapidly rolled over and sat up, kneeling between his own spread legs.

Chen's cold heart swelled at the thought, or it would have if it still had the capability to do so. "I'm really sorry I worried you so much, I think it was just a combination of like the drinks and mainly me reacting to the food and- but also like just me generally panicking and obviously then the fever as well. I mean, there was a lot going on and I'm sorry I ruined our first date."

"Hey hey don't do that." Xiumin could understand the apologetic stance Chen was taking but that didn't mean he would tolerate it. "You didn't ruin anything, none of this was your fault, I just wish you'd told me sooner that it was definitely something that had happened to you before so I didn't phone my actual mother out of panic-"

-"Woah woah woah you legit phoned your mum over this? Like for real? You phoned your mum, that's the cutest thing ever." Coincidentally Xiumin was now refusing to meet Chen's eye and was seemingly very interested in a loose thread poking out from the waistband of his sweats.

"Yeah I phoned her when you wouldn't like stop puking and you just kept feeling worse and worse, I was worried it was a proper allergy or like food poisoning or something. I wanted to see if she knew anything, I hardly have anyone else I could call, I mean maybe my flatmates from last year but I don't know."

"You don't have to explain yourself Xiumin, I think it's very sweet that you did that, I'm just sorry I worried you," he finished with a soft smile, hoping it seemed genuine amidst the white lies that were beginning to pile up. Although it was kind of true that this was a food intolerance, so that wasn't too far off. But now was definitely not the right time to think of everything Chen was lying to the other about, that would be a dark thought pushed back until later on when it became even harder to address it. Because that was definitely the smart choice.

However, it was decidedly not a smart choice to think about things such as that on a delicate stomach as the anxiety was wrecking absolute havoc not just mentally but internally as well. "Xiumin, th-" he gagged, pressing the back of his hand to his lips Chen attempted to swallow it back down before speaking again, -"the bowl, the bowl now, bowl please." Quickly reaching for the bowl offered Chen flung himself forward and vomited yet again. There was barely any food left in his stomach by this point so it was just acidic bile that was leaving him; his throat burning with every breath. He couldn't stop dry heaving though there was nothing left inside to see the light of day, at some point there was a dip on the mattress beside him and a hand rubbing soothing circles on his back appeared shortly after.

Eventually Chen felt safe enough to relinquish his hold on the stupid plastic bowl and Xiumin gingerly took it from his hands before walking away and disappearing out of the room. For a moment eyes followed that retreating figure, desperately trying to fixate on one object to stop the world spinning but it just wasn't working. So in defeat Chen dragged his body upwards until he was actually situated on the bed this time. Before his feet had been dangling over the edge with his head in between his legs while he heaved, but now a weary body sunk into the plush mattress with a groan. Pointedly ignoring how the sheets clung to his sweaty form.

"Are you okay?" A voice announced from in the doorway, concern evident and Chen then realised he hadn't made a single sound in the past few minutes while Xiumin was busying himself with other tasks. Him being quiet was naturally a cause for concern.

"Yeah yeah I'm alright, I don't think there's anything left to come out of me even if it tried to. We should be in the clear now." Even Chen himself hoped that the words leaving his mouth were somewhat truthful.

"I'll still stay with you until you fall asleep though, just in case. But if you wake up and you need me I'll be down the corridor and on the sofa alright? Shall I turn the TV on?" Xiumin asked as he sat down next to Chen.

"Thanks Xiumin, you don't have to but I appreciate it." His fingers pulled and tugged at the duvet as he spoke, undecided on whether he wanted to be buried underneath it to sweat out the fever or not. A few seconds ticked by and Xiumin still hadn't spoken, and with a quick glance in his direction Chen was met with a raised brows as if he was waiting for something else. "Oh the TV! Yeah, yeah sure that's fine with me sorry, not really with it at the moment."

Xiumin chuckled under his breath as he walked over to the bed and hunted for the remote in the second drawer of the beside table. It was by no means a large TV, just a decent sized one that sat on a cupboard on the opposite side of the room to his bed. A few little souvenirs and trinkets adorning the same cupboard top too. The plastic was cold in his grasp as he pressed the power button, briefly flicked through the channels until he settled on some police investigation show that was currently showing some high speed car chase.

For the moment at least there was no disapproval from the other so Xiumin threw the remote and cringed as it bounced off the bed. He'd pick it up later, for now he wanted to focus on Chen again. Reaching over once more hesitant fingers plunged into the bowl of cold water that had been placed on the beside table a good half an hour ago and picked the soaking wet cloth up. By squeezing it and twisting it within a tight grip he rung some of the extra water out before placing it on Chen's forehead.

There was a surprised splutter at first but it soon morphed into a halfway combination of a groan and a sigh. Xiumin smiled to himself as he watched the tension flow of out Chen's features, slowly at first but gradually a look of contentment overtook handsome features. But that feverish blush still danced along high cheek bones, even spreading to the tip of a straight nose and down onto the other's chest. So he reached over once more for another cloth that had still been left within the bowl. He didn't ring this one out as much so it was still dripping when he placed it on Chen's neck and chest, dabbing at the warm skin. Xiumin repeated this process over and over until slowly but surely Chen started to return to a more normal temperature.

"Are you feeling better? Are you tired yet, do you want me to turn off the TV?" Xiumin asked gently and Chen just gazed up at him in response.

"Yeah I'm feeling a bit better. I'm not that tired so we could always watch the rest of this show?" Chen replied with while still staring up at Xiumin. He just felt so much gratitude towards the other. This had happened before, the little sickness episode, and every single time Chen had had to just take care of himself. This was the first time some else had ever taken care of him and worried over him like this, all while barely knowing anything about him. The blind trust humans could have never ceased to amaze him.

It was about half way through the show, just after the second ad break that Xiumin noticed Chen pushing away the now warm and soggy flannels in favour of hiking the duvet up around him. But considering that the two of them were sat on top of it he didn't get especially far. "You alright Chen?"

"Yeah yeah I'm fine, it's gotten real cold all of a sudden, is there like a window open or something?" Chen hissed out, body shaking with the sudden cold.

"It's probably because you haven't got any clothes on, I shut them all earlier Chen but maybe there's a draft or something coming through," Xiumin spoke while untangling himself from the other as he began moving to stand up, bare feet sinking into the carpet one by one but his heel remained covered by the two sizes too big sweatpants. Firstly he closed the bedroom door to trap any heat coming from the radiator in the room, then Xiumin turned around and wandered over to the wardrobe to find another pair of sweat pants and a shirt he didn't like very much. Better safe than sorry in case it got covered in vomit.

He briefly considered grabbing one for himself as well but he tended to always run too hot if anything. Returning to his original position of sitting beside Chen Xiumin then handed him the clothes before picking up the wet cloths off of the floor before they made a damp patch. Next the bowl of water was carefully lifted and he then made one of the many treks to his attached bathroom in order to pour the now luke warm liquid away and generally tidy up the room a little of any tissues and such.

Meanwhile Chen put the clothes on hurriedly, glad for there to be something other than just his bare skin to protect him from the bitter chill in the room. With the now extra warmth he felt the call of sleep lurking at the farthest reaches of his mind, and by god was he glad for it as being asleep meant he could just leave his body to sort itself out and he'd endure none of the pain. He then remembered Xiumin saying that he'd be sleeping in here and that Xiumin himself would be in the living room on the sofa, he did feel slightly guilty but as he slipped under the thick covers and practically melted into the soft mattress that feeling soon disappeared.

Finally returning Xiumin melted at the sight in front of him, more that just a little relieved that the other was finally feeling okay. "Tired are we Chen? You can go to sleep now then, I'll turn the TV off so you just rest. You'll hear me making some noise for a little bit as I need to get set up in the lounge but after that I'll be quiet and you can properly sleep, if you need me call me okay? Night Chen."

Chen only muttered in response as he as already half asleep, to far gone to see Xiumin smiling softly at him from the doorway.

*

Unfortunately, that blissful sleep didn't last anywhere near as long enough as it needed to for Chen abruptly woke up in the middle of the night feeling completely frozen. And he truly meant completely frozen, it was like his body had completely shut down. His fingers and toes were completely numb and it was actually difficult to move as his limbs seemed so unresponsive and sluggish. He tired calling out for Xiumin in a blind panic, because who wouldn't? If you woke up in complete darkness and couldn't move what else would you do, but his throat was still somewhat raw from puking so his words were barely even audible. Which only panicked him more.

Attempting to fight against the invisible chains holding him down Chen did at least try to force his legs to move but they just felt like all the blood had been drained from them, making the muscles not even capable of functioning. His arms however had been crossed over his upper body while he slept, meaning they had the slightest warmth to them and were still somewhat functional. So with a pained wheeze he managed to maneuver them out from underneath the duvet, but the momentum carried on and he ended up striking a few books off of the nearby cupboard. The thud echoed about the motionless apartment and he just hoped they had landed spine down or something otherwise the pages would be all smushed and ruined. The pleasant surprise though was that after no more than a few minutes after the little accident did he see a bleary eyed Xiumin standing in the doorway.

"Chen? Was that you? Chen what happened are you okay?" Xiumin asked groggily. As soon as he heard the commotion he'd immediately woken up, cursed his good hearing, and then realised that it must of come from Chen in his room. The thought spurred him into action as he threw the blanket off and shuffled down the hallway. He looked down after Chen had pointed down to the books with a wobbly hand and sighed before walking further into his room to pick them up and place them away from the clumsy male. "Chen you need to be more careful, how are you feeling thou -holy crap you're cold!" Xiumin blurted as he put his hand on Chen's outstretched arm and visibly winced at the sudden iciness that had engulfed his palm.

"S-so cold," Chen tried to say but it came out more of a breathy whisper than anything.

"I can see that Chen! Oh god hang on- wait have you lost your voice? How long have you been calling me? Did you knock them off on purpose, I'm so sorry that I didn't hear you, stay put and I'll get blankets." Xiumin proceeded to leave the room and grab any spare expanse of fabric he could ranging from towels to his dressing gown before returning to his bedroom and dumping it all on top of Chen. The other continued trying to speak but nothing seemed to be coming out so Xiumin sighed and leant in further aiming to catch even the slightest part of what the other was trying to say. His knees cracking as he squatted down to be eye level with the other. But the only response he got as trembling fingers reaching out to touch him, like tendrils searching for warmth. Hissing as they made contact Xiumin allowed his knees to fall to the carpet as well to avoid himself being pulled in any further. The two then remained there in an almost stalemate for a few moments, eyes now finally choosing to adjust to the darkness and soon Chen's face came into view. Illuminated by just the faintest touch of moonlight.

"Please?" Came the softest whisper, the smug grin so characteristically Chen came back into view and then it finally clicked within Xiumin what the silent question was.

"Oh you're just evil aren't you. I'm not going to do it, you'll warm up in a minute with all this extra stuff on top. C'mon, don't make me do it."

"Please?" It was more drawn out this time, begging and pleading with its soft whispered vowels.

" sake. Ughh, I don't wanna do this. You'll have to give me a minute Chen, I need to mentally prepare myself for this, oh god you're so cold this is going to some serious balls," Xiumin spoke mainly to convince himself to go through with it before he gingerly lifted the covers to slide in and sit next to Chen. He remained as stiff as a board as this little ice beast wormed his way into Xiumin's lap and latched on to whatever he could grab, though he did draw the line as cold hands started creeping up his exposed back.

Once the other was somewhat comfortable for the minute as Chen had finally stopped fidgeting he allowed himself to get settled as well by shifting up a pillow to rest between his back and the headboard. And that's where he remained for the next few minutes, willing himself to ignore the body sapping away all of his heat as he fought off sleep himself. Whenever he tried to extract his body from the other's hold Chen would just whine and complain so he'd just have to return to sitting beside the other.

"Just lay down Xiumin, I won't bite, unless you want me to."

"Shut it you, go to sleep," Xiumin immediately snapped back with without missing a single beat, though he did take the other up on his offer and slowly he sunk further down beneath the covers.