Wheein was sick – like don’t want to get out of bed, don’t want to move, just want to snuggle with Byul – kind of sick. Which was worrying because the usually hyperactive girl was literally bed ridden and mellowed out – which made her quiet – and in turn made Byul worry, turned Yongsun into a hyper-vigilant slightly over protective and super fussy mother bear and Hyejin…

Ahn Hyejin literally slaving around in the kitchen cooking healthy foods to keep Wheein’s tummy warm and hoping that her best friend would feel better. Soon. Pronto. Now. As soon as possible. Because the apartment felt really empty without the puppy’s ringing laughter.

Wheein hate being sick. But it was nothing compared to being sick during break time – like now – and after months of promoting, she really just wanted to play around, meeting up with friends, collecting on Byul’s promise to take her out on a date, eating junk foods, pranking Yongsun unnie, staying up until late at night watching movies with Hyejin. Fun things. Yet. She was stuck. In bed. Life’s .

Blowing her nose on the tissue and coughing slightly, she took another tissue from the ever present tissue box now stationed on her nightstand – for easy reach Byul said – and sighed. She counted one until three on her head and as predicted Yongsun entered her… well, Byul’s room, in a panic mode.

“I heard you coughing. Wheeinie-ah, you haven’t finished your water bottle, I told you to keep hydrating yourself.” Her hand was cool on Wheein’s feverish forehead and Wheein was almost thankful for the sudden coolness. Almost. If only it wasn’t accompanied by Yongsun’s unnie constant nagging. She meant well, Wheein knew that, but her head was pounding and she just want peace and quiet.

“You’re still hot… I mean warm,” Yongsun shook her head at her choice of word and looked at Wheein worriedly, “Should I call the doctor again? He said that you should feel better after a day rest, but you still have a fever.”

She fluffed Wheein’s pillow, just to make sure that she had something to do because Wheein being sick like this broke her heart and she just wanted to see Wheein’s bright smile again.

“I’m fine.” Wheein tried to smile but that short sentences caused her to have another coughing fit and put Yongsun into another mother-hen mode. Wheein’s back with more force than necessary, she fussed over Wheein with worry, “No… no, don’t talk, do you want me to get you anything? More water? Ggomo? Byul? Okay maybe not Byul, she’s forbidden from entering this room.”

Wheein bit her lips to stop the laughter from bubbling up, because honestly, hurts just to talk, but laughing out loud probably would make it worse. So she kept shut and shook her head. She wanted Byul, yes, but she didn’t want to infect Byul with her sickness. And that’s another problem altogether.

She could hear the argument from other side of the door. Byul insisting to come into the room and Hyejin prohibiting her.

“She’s coughing! I just want to make sure that she’s okay.”

“Yes, but then you would want to hold her and cuddle with her and then you’ll get sick as well and then we have two patients instead of one.”

“But you and Yongsun unnie constantly seeing her, why just me who can’t see her?”

“Oh my goodness, do I have to repeat myself? Holding, cuddling, so help me god, kissing! She’s full of germs right now, so you better stay away.”

Wheein raised one of her eyebrow at that part, she looked at Yongsun and mouthed silently, “Full of germ? Really?”

Chuckling lightly, Yongsun only shrugged her shoulder, her fingers straightening Wheein’s slightly messy bangs, “Well, you know what Hyejin meant, and yes, Byul would insist to cuddle you and give you kisses to make you feel better and then she would be contaminated and….”  

Huffing a breath, “I’m not hazardous material, you know.” Wheein mouthed the words again, pouting slightly and Yongsun nearly couldn’t hold her own urges to cuddle the sad puppy.

“No, you’re not, baby girl. Just wait until your fever went down and your coughing slightly better, okay? I promise, I won’t forbid Byul to enter the room then.”

Both women cringed when Byul’s raised up voice reached their ears, “Then I’ll just wear a hazard suit!!!”

“I better break them up before they kill each other. Sleep. I’ll check up on you later kay, baby.” Yongsun held her breath and gave Wheein’s forehead a kiss. Her soft face when she looked at Wheein changed into a full on determination as she marched toward the door.

“Will you two stop fighting! Wheein is resting!”

Wheein heard the shout and then silent. Blissful silent and her heavy eyes dropped down by the force of the medicine, drifting her off to sleep.

***

She blinked. Groggy from sleep, hurts like she just swallowed a broken glass. Coughing again, she raised her head when a glass of water appeared before her eyes and found Hyejin looking at her with worry. “Thanks.” She mouthed before taking a generous gulp from the glass, draining it in instant.

“I was about to wake you up when you started coughing, I made chicken broth for you, you need to eat something before you take your next medicine.”

Shaking her head slightly, Wheein raised herself up and sat in a lounging position, looking at Hyejin with a pitiful face. She didn’t feel hungry and hurt when she used it for swallowing. She just wanted to sleep – preferably with Byul holding her – did she mentioned how much she hates being sick? Well for the record, she hated it.

“Don’t give me that look, you can’t take your medicine on an empty stomach and if you want to get better soon then you have to take your medicine. Don’t make me force feed you.”

“But I’m not hungry….” Wheein mumbled her words slightly, trying to keep the level of her voice low.

Sighing loudly, Hyejin sat on the bed near beside Wheein and her hair gently, “Just a little bit? Like half a bowl? For me? Please?” she looked at Wheein pleadingly, fluttering her eyelashes for emphasis.

Wheein chuckled at Hyejin’s sudden aegyo and nodded weakly, “Okay…”

Grinning, Hyejin took the bowl containing the hot broth and blew at it softly, “At least half a bowl, okay?”

Wheein nodded obediently and opened wide, taking a mouthful of the broth that Hyejin spoon fed her. It was good, but then again Hyejin is probably the only one that had a decent enough cooking skill amongst the four of them.

Her tummy warmed slightly and Wheein realized that she was kind of hungry. Maybe it was not the broth, maybe it was Hyejin’s presence that lifted up her spirit. Whatever it was, she gained her appetite back.

In the end, she finished off the whole bowl, much to Hyejin’s happiness evident by the big smile that she gave to the older girl, “Good girl, Wheeinie!” Hyejin tousled Wheein’s hair until she whined in protest.

“I’m not a puppy…”

“No, you’re cuter.”

Hyejin smacked her lips onto Wheein’s cheek and tousled her hair again just to get another cute whine from Wheein who quickly busy tidying up her hair, “Hyejinnieee…. Stoppp ittttt.”

Laughing lightly, she rose up from the bed – bowl in hand – and looked at Wheein adoringly, “Now be a good girl, take you meds and rest up. I’ll wake you up again when it’s time to feed you.”

“Dinner… its dinner, not feeding time.”

Wheein rolled her eyes when Hyejin only laughed at her protest.

“Same thing. Sleep well, puppy.”

Wheein sighed and lay back down on the bed after gulping down the various antibiotics prescribed for her, staring at the ceiling waiting for sleep to claim her, *I miss Byul….* was her last thought before she drifted off to another deep sleep.

***

Byul sneaked into her room quietly, making sure that the door shut without a sound as not to alert the two guards that been forbidding her to even get a glimpse of her Wheein.

She looked at her sleeping princess with sad eyes. Wheein still looked pale and the frown between her brows gave the impression that she was not sleeping peacefully.

*Screw it. So what if I got sick.*

Climbing onto the bed and into the bed cover, she circled her arm around Wheein and held her close, lips pressed against Wheein’s slightly warm temple. The smell of flowery baby powder engulfed her and Byul sighed, she missed this. Holding Wheein in her arms like this. So it’s only been 2 days. But that two days was hellish for her because her Wheein was sick and she can’t be there to comfort her.

“Byul?” Wheein stirred on her arms and turned around, sleepy face looking at her adorably.

“Yes, baby?”

“Why are you here?”

Her voice was raspy and Byul’s heart hurt hearing it. Wheein’s face lightly, she smiled, “I miss you.”

“But I’m full of germs.”

“I’m not easily get sick, don’t worry.”

“But….”

Pressing a kiss on her forehead, Byul drew Wheein into a tight hug, “Don’t talk too much, it’s okay. I’ll be fine, I just want to hold you, okay?”

“Promise you won’t get sick.” Wheein mumbled against Byul’s shirt, hand already holding Byul tight.

“I won’t.”

“Hyejin and Yongsun unnie will kick your when they find you here.”

“So be it.” Byul laid her head on top of Wheein’s and the younger woman hummed.

“I miss you…”

“I miss you more, now sleep.” Byul pressed another kiss on top of Wheein’s head. She could barely sleep the past two days, constantly worrying about Wheein, but now that she had Wheein in her arms again, she could finally rest.

***

Wheein stirred awake. felt better. The usually constant pounding on her head was gone. But she felt warm. Like really really warm. With one eye opened, she slightly turned her head around and found Hyejin back hugging her – Wheein frowned – when did she got here?

Byul was still holding her, deep in sleep and Wheein smiled. She tried to get up – because seriously, sandwiched between the two hot blooded women, the air got pretty stifling – yet unable to do so. Wheein rose up a little bit and found Yongsun unnie sprawled on top of her thigh and Byul’s, her head pillowed on Hyejin’s hip and cocooned under her rainbow blanket.

Chuckling slightly, Wheein lay back down on the bed and sighed, guess she’s not moving anywhere soon. A small smile tugging on her lips, she closed her eyes and snuggled closer to Byul. Her precious members are around her and she felt infinitely better than yesterday, they still got days of breaks ahead, somehow the day started off in a really good way.

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Author's Note

When you have a writer's block.... just keep swimming, I mean... writing, until its unblock. maybe. hopefully.