A few days before the yearend stage, VIXX got a surprise day off from their late night rehearsal. Because the weather had been a little less than friendly on their winter ridden bodies. With individual schedules during the day, and dance rehearsals at night the members as well as the dancers had been a little under the weather.

The next morning started out peaceful, with the occupants of the house sleeping in a little more than usual. Jaehwan and Taekwoon trying to get as much sleep as possible before they have to leave for the theater. Hakyeon still nursing a bad cold. Hongbin had been the first one to be awake and moving about, followed by Eongdongie that nuzzled his leg as he made himself a warm cup of tea.

“Ah, Dongie’ah, you’re here. That means your Pabo Appa is also here.” Hongbin said to the puppy as he bent down and scratch the back of the pointy ears. “Are you hungry? Your appa not up yet?” so he moved to the feeding bowl and refill it, Eongdong enjoyed his breakfast heartily.

“Good morning, Bin-ah.” A warm body hugged Hongbin from behind.

“Morning Hyung. Are you feeling any better?” Hongbin greeted Hakyeon without having to turn around and see the man that had plopped on to his back early in the morning.

“A bit, but my nose is still running. The fever has gone down though.” Hakyeon let go and proceeded to make himself a cup of warm lemon honey tea.

“Did you know that Shikkie came home last night?”

“Really?? What time? I didn’t not hear him come in. He sort of just took off after the rehearsal last night, I thought he will be in his studio. He is still doing some recording right?”

So after a quick breakfast Hongbin check on the shared bedroom, finding that Hyuk’s bed had been neat and undisturbed, meaning the boy did not came home the night before. After a quick scan of the dark room, he figured out that Wonshik was wrapped tightly in a blanket on his side of the room. It’s rare to see Wonshik’s blanket still tightly wrapped around him in the morning, with his kicking habit, usually it’s halfway off the floor.

“Ravi-ah, do you want breakfast?” Hongbin said as he approached the bed. Then he gently shook the lump on the bed. A deep groan was his only reply.

“Oi, are you alive? When did you get here?” Hongbin poked and tried to find the edge of the blanket to reveal the creature hiding beneath it.

“Urg. I feel sick, it’s so cold. Kong-ah, I think I’m going to die.” Replied a coarse voice. And a pale unshaven face of VIXX’s rapper emerged from the pile.

“Why? Did you catch a cold too?”

“No…”

“Then?” Hongbin touched Wonshik’s face to see if he had a fever. Hongbin was right, Wonshik was burning. “Oi, your fever is so high. They heck happened to you?”

“Got a tattoo last night. What is happening to me Binni-ah. It’s sore everywhere, I can’t move.”

“Aish, are you stupid? You are already very tired, and you decide to get a tattoo after practice last night? Can’t it wait?” Knowing that one of the aftermath of getting a tattoo is a fever, as a response to the open wound and the body forcing itself to heal. Hongbin had been dealing with the smaller fever Wonshik have had since the very first tattoo he got. But out of all the six previous tattoos Wonshik had gotten, none had ever gave him a fever this bad.

“I thought since we have today off, I can let it heal for a little, because the photo shoot for my mixtape will be the day after right. I thought it would be nice if I have the tattoo already.”

Hongbin looked at the devastating state of his stupid lovable idiotic brother. He sigh, because he knows that he will have to take care of Wonshik all day, since Hakyeon is still sick himself. Jaehwan and Taekwoon have to go to the theater, and Sanghyuk is nowhere to be found. “Is that why you came home, instead of going to the studio?”

Wonshik showed more of his face to Hongbin, to shot him a shy smile. Like a kid caught with his hand inside of the cookie jar before dinner. “You will take care of me right?”

“No. I will just let you die.”

Hongbin went back to the kitchen to fetch some hot beverage and fever medicine for Wonshik. While he was at it he also called a nearby shop to order the house some nutritious breakfast –or lunch, depends on when people decides to wake up. “Hyung, Shikkie is sick. He got a very high fever because he got himself a tattoo last night.” He said to Hakyeon who was still perched on the dining table, phone in one hand, and toast on the other.

Taekwoon walked into the kitchen in his zombie like state, desperately reaching for the kettle to brew himself a cup of weak coffee. “Stupid Shik. He showed me the design for the tattoo. It’s really big, I’m sure it’s because of that.” Having heard what Hongbin declared moment before.

“How big is the tattoo? He doesn’t usually have a fever right? From his other tattoos.” Hakyeon asked.

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen it. He was a Lava burrito when I was in his room.”

“Aigoo poor baby….” Cooed Hakyeon, as he got up from the table and made his way to Wonshik’s room.

When Hongbin reenter the bedroom with a mug of hot tea and medicine, he found Hakyeon cuddled up around the lump inside the blanket. Wonshik’s head that popped out was cradled in Hakyeon’s hands. “Shik-ah, sit up a little. Drink your medicine.” Hakyeon uncurled and helped the rapper to sit up a little, propping his head with pillows.

“Damn… I didn’t know it will get this bad. Shiyoung-noona warned me, she said I should get it in 3 seating, but I forced to do it in two.”

“Why do you need to get it now anyway? And why not just do it in three?” Hakyeon asked, after holding the pills and glass of water for Wonshik.

“Because I want to make it look somewhat done, with at least some shading on it. It would look weird with just the outline. I don’t want weird tattoo on the promotional photo. And I need a few weeks to let it heal to get the next session done.” He replied with groans interjected here and there as he tried to lay back down, staying aware of his tender left side.

Right at that moment, Hakyeon blew out one of the loudest sneeze Hongbin had heard. His small rounded face contorted into something that looked less human and more Rumplestiltskin. His muscles contracted, his feet got off the ground at the force of his sneeze. “My God, I felt like my heart was about to burst.” He said after he regained his human form.

“Hyung, I don’t think you should be here. Shikkie’s body is already weak, we don’t need of your germ to contaminate the air.” Hongbin said, as he tried ushering Hakyeon out of the bedroom. Reluctantly the older man got up and walked out of the room. But not before giving Wonshik another awkwardly positioned hug. “Hyung, the food is going to be here anytime now. Just get yourself some food, then go back to bed. Let your medication actually work. Don’t make me confiscate your phone.”

“Yes, Hongbin-appa.”

Hongbin smiled at the nickname. He then turned around to his friend, currently curled up in bed, looking miserable. “Do you need anything else?”

“I need cleaning, I got back home so late last night, and the fever already kicked in. So I didn’t get a chance to clean the tattoo.” Wonshik said, as he tried to uncurl and lift his shirt. But given how sore he was, it was quite a task.

Hongbin adjusted the heater in the bedroom then moved closer to help Wonshik remove his shirt. When the shirt was out of the way, Hongbin saw that the cover bandage was still in place, and it covers one entire side of Wonshik’s left ribcage. “Ey, that piece is really big.” He said after he assessed how far the tattoo wrapped around. “Let me get the warm water. Where is your antiseptic wash and lotion?” Hongbin asked, this is not the first time he had to help Wonshik with the healing of his tattoos. The one on his upper back really requires help in the after care, the one he got a little over a year ago.

“I got a new bottle, it’s in that plastic bag.” Wonshik said, as he was slowly peeling the bandage that held the gauze covering his new ink.

Hongbin gathered towels, soft washcloths, and paper towels. Then he moved to the kitchen to look for a water basin big enough to help wash Wonshik’s tattoo, before his fever gone down and he can take a shower himself. When he got back to the room, the slightly bloodied gauze was on the floor and Wonshik was laying on his good side.

“Lift your body a little.” Hongbin helped Wonshik’s overheated body to get off the bed a little bit and slip a towel under his body to not soak the bed. After that he proceeded to soak the washcloth in the warm water and lightly rinses Wonshik’s torso to start the mechanical process of washing, rinsing, patting dry and covering the decorative wound with a thin layer of anti-bacterial lotion. Through the process, Hongbin kept his touches soft, not scrubbing too hard. He also moved quickly because he can see that Wonshik had started shivering because of the exposure to the cold air. So he made sure that Wonshik was warm and comfortable, tucked in to his chin and his furry son within reach.

“Thank you, Binn-ah. Don’t worry now, count me as a practice of all the asses you have to wipe and wash when Red Bean got here.” Wonshik said, from his position in the bed. With a small curse, Hongbin threw a ball of used paper towel at his head. But Hongbin smiled none the less

“Shut up and sleep”

Later that day, Wonshik emerged from his room, more colors had returned to his face. Screaming for food. After his belly was filled, he finally have the strength to take a shower properly. But of course being the baby that he is, he walked out of his room with his sweater in one hand and the bottle of antibacterial lotion on the other. “Konggie-appa, help me with this please.” As he stood in front of the couch where Hongbin was chilling, watching Overwatch play-through on his phone.

Hongbin looked up, “What happen with your hand? You can reach it just fine.” But Wonshik just pouted and shoved the bottle to Hongbin’s hand. Reluctantly Hongbin apply a thin layer of the goo to Wonshik’s side.

After Wonshik put on his sweater, he grab the thick blanket laid on the back of the couch and wrap himself in it. Before plopping himself a little too close to Hongbin. Out of all six of them, it’s safe to say that Wonshik is the touchiest out of all of them, he is the one that needs the most physical contact. He is the one that will lean into other members or just randomly lay his head on people’s lap. But usually he fulfill that by clinging onto Jaehwan and Taekwoon. Hongbin guessed the fever is making that need for comfort heightened, thus he himself would be the victim of Wonshik’s overflowing affection.

Wonshik squirmed and wiggle, trying to re adjust his position, to be able to snuggle into Hongbin’s uncooperative side, but trying not to put too much strain into his sore side. After a couple of minutes, he sigh in defeat. Hongbin chuckled. Then very uncharacteristically for Hongbin, he readjust his position to let Wonshik settle onto his side comfortably before wrapping his arm around his friend. His left hand in Wonshik’s hair.