Taeyong coughs and coughs as he lay limp on his couch he just cleaned and disinfected with his trusty Febreze. He was not allowing his sickness to stop him from cleaning everything in his apartment down to the last speck of dust. He does it, and regrets it later when his muscles start to ache when he probably stretched it too much to wipe the top of his cupboard.

Taeyong coughs again and reaches out from his little Spongebob comforter cocoon to grab his bottle, taking in a few sips and trying to swallow it without the fluid entering his nasal pathway. His stomach grumbled, and he only realizes that he hasn’t eaten breakfast but he was too weak to move and gazed at his sparkly and immaculate refrigerator longingly. If only he had superpowers and could magically teleport the stir-fried rice cakes he prepared yesterday into his belly. Taeyong was engulfed in his own bubble of misery of self-pity when the doorbell rang.

Taeyong sighs and slowly sat up, sliding his feet into his home slippers. He mustered all the strength left in him to stand and curses silently to himself that whoever behind the door needs to have a damn good reason for showing up when he’s about to die from expelling too much air from his lungs.

It looks like Taeyong’s guest was an impatient one as he had already rang the bell about twenty times during his walk (more like glide) to the front door and Taeyong’s apartment wasn’t big.

He finally made it to the door and his hand s out of its shelter to turn the knob. The person on the other side must have noticed the door opening as the door was suddenly pushed open, almost hitting Taeyong square in the face.

“Dude, watch out!” Taeyong exclaimed, stepping back in the speed of light and almost tripped over his Spongebob comforter.

“Crap, sorry!” A voice replied with the same amplitude and Taeyong’s heart jumped a little. Of course he knew who it was. There’s only one person who would attempt to kill him so early in the morning.

“Ten, what are you doing here.”

The boy smiled a smile equivalent to the rays of the sun and raised both his arms, displaying paper bags filled with stuff. “I came to nurse you back to health!”

Taeyong raised a brow and moved aside to let Ten into his house, making a mental note to clean his whole unit again after he leaves. Who knows what Ten had come in contact with during his little trip to the mart. Taeyong closed the door with his foot before gliding back to the living room, watching Ten dump his bags on the kitchen counter.

“How did you know I was sick anyway?” Taeyong asked, returning to sit on his couch, wrapping himself tighter with his blanket.

“I didn’t see you in the practice room and knowing the hardworking you are, you’d probably still be dancing your off even when you’re sick unless you’re really, really sick and about to die which”—Ten turned back to look at the lying figure on the couch, “you look a lot like right now. So obviously you’re dead sick and I got worried and being the good friend that I am, I walked to the mart near the company and bought ingredients to make you something.”

With the speed Ten was talking, it took Taeyong a while to fully register what he was saying. His eyes widen a little when he realized Ten meant he was going to cook him something, using the utensils he scrubbed the day before and the kitchen he had cleaned from ceiling to floor. Taeyong was so tempted to tell Ten to just heat up the rice cakes because he made enough for two but the determined look on Ten’s face was enough to shut him up.

Ten skipped towards Taeyong and pushed him down so he was laying comfortably on the cushion. Taeyong was a bit fazed by their sudden close proximity and gulped when Ten’s face appeared right in front of his and he smiled again, Taeyong’s snow white hair like a puppy.

“Stay put while I go make you porridge a.k.a Ten’s signature dish for his dear sick friend.” Ten joked and blew Taeyong a kiss before heading to the kitchen.

Taeyong shook his head, wondering how he even became friends with this weirdo but he felt oddly happy too. A slight smile found its way on Taeyong’s face as he saw Ten already facing troubles in the kitchen.

“You do know what you’re making, right?” Taeyong asked. Ten whipped his head towards Taeyong, blushing as he tried to show Taeyong he was doing something.

“Of course I do! And why are you watching me? Go watch the telly or sleep!” Ten stammered and Taeyong chuckled, finding Ten endearing.

Taeyong plopped his head up by the armrest, staring at Ten moving around aimlessly.

He finally brought out the rice cooker. Does he even know how much water to put? Has he even washed the rice yet?

Taeyong wanted to lend a helping hand to his troubled friend, but his eyes failed him and he fell into a deep slumber.

---

“Oh .”

“Ow!”

“Where’s the ing spoon when I need it.”

“ I forgot the ginseng!”

Taeyong stirred awake from his sleep, ready to attack whoever had woken him up. But at the sight of Ten seemingly in a war with himself in his kitchen, a laugh escaped from Taeyong’s lips. He got up and let his blanket fall from his shoulder as he walked to the kitchen.

“You said you’d make porridge for me, not turn my whole kitchen inside out.”

Ten jumped and turned around.

“Dude, don’t ing do that! I’m holding a knife!”  Ten placed a hand over his chest.

“I’ve been sleeping for a good thirty minutes and you’re still preparing your ingredients and is that flour I see on your face?”

Taeyong was struggling to keep his amusement to himself as he burst out laughing. He hasn’t felt this good in a while and he was thankful for his clumsy friend for that. Even if he has to probably scrub and pour Febreze over all his kitchen cabinets and utensils.

Ten shot Taeyong a dirty look. “I’m trying my best here. At least I got the rice done.”

Taeyong raised a brow as he went to open the lid. An odd smell filled the kitchen as Ten let out a sheepish laugh.

“Okay, I may have left it in the cooker for a tad bit too long.”

Taeyong sighed.

“It’s alright I have some leftovers in the fridge. It’s enough for two people.” Taeyong opened his fridge and pulled out the rice cakes and some rice. He popped it in the microwave and efficiently washed two sets of cutleries while setting up the table. Ten watched in awe.

“You could’ve told me you had food. I didn’t need to go through this .” Ten joked as he hurriedly sat by the table, already drooling over the sight of Taeyong’s specialty dish.

“And how the hell would I know you’d suddenly show up in front of my door.” Taeyong retorted, but Ten was already digging in.

He let out an exaggerated moan. “This is so gooooooooood.”

“Obviously. I made it.”

“Snob.”

“Excuse me?”

The disastrous lunch ended with Ten slumping on the chair with a full belly while Taeyong rushed to clean up.

“Hyung,” Ten slurred, “leave it, I’ll clean it up later.”

“More like ‘never’.” Taeyong replied, returning to the table to retrieve the remaining plates.

“I am a man of my words.” Ten stood up and puffed up his chest, and Taeyong couldn’t help but laugh at how extra his best friend is. Ten grabbed the plates from Taeyong and piled it on his arm. 

“Then help, you lazy .” Taeyong joked, and even though he knew Ten is going to mess things up given his clumsy and just dumb character in general, he was fine with it because just Ten being here was healing him and he could already feel the cough fly out the window—

CRASH!

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!”

And Taeyong coughs.