The Very Big Oops

words: 3198

Because the universe absolutely hates Hyukjae and wants to see him suffer, the man gets the flu; the nasty phlegm-and-standing-up-quickly-only-to-be-dizzy kind. As he dies in his apartment suffering alone—just the way he likes it—Hyukjae thinks ‘no wonder people died to the influenza before’ as he tries really hard to keep the room from spinning. SM, surprisingly, has been pretty good lately about letting their artists rest and thank because he’s no spring chicken anymore. Sure, he could out dance anyone (except maybe, probably, Boa and Hyoyeon) but he’d definitely need a day of rest afterwords.

So anyways, Hyukjae currently hates his life as he blows his nose loudly into some tissue. He watches re-runs of some new Fall drama, half paying attention as he scrolls lazily through his Instagram feed. It’s an okay afternoon given that Hyukjae might die, but then he hears a very annoying buzz from his front door. He prays silently as he watches the white door intently, hoping that maybe if he doesn’t acknowledge it the annoyance will go away. It can’t be Donghae, Hyukjae thinks flippantly, since he always just barges in. He mentally crosses Jungsoo off the list because the leader hardly ever visits them, and if he does it’s always announced. He briefly entertains the thought of Donghee but he knows the older man is at the hospital today. Hyukjae doesn’t even consider Siwon as an option; the man is probably saving kids and dogs from burning buildings. so that leaves the maknae line and Heechul—oh hell no. Hyukjae grabs his remote and turns up the volume on the TV to drown out the incessant buzzing.

Think happy thoughts. Being rich as Siwon, an apartment filled with fluffy dogs, strawberries, a house filled with candy. Oh, a house made of candy! It’s no use though and if anything the happy thoughts only served to make Hyukjae hungry.

“Hyung, let us in,” Kyuhyun’s whiny tone buzzes through his door.

“I’m coming,” He grouses back, curling his thickest blanket around his body like a cloak as he shuffles awkwardly to the door. Opening it, he doesn’t even have any time to greet Kyuhyun and…Heechul? Oh great, this must be Hell, he thinks mildly as the two make their ways in.

“Oh god, hyung, what happened to your hair,” is Kyuhyun’s immediate remark as he sits down on the dancer’s spot, a wine bottle in hand. Wait, did he come in with a wine bottle already?

“Hair?” Hyukjae repeats as he runs his pale fingers through his locks. Oh yeah, he did get it dyed didn’t he? He said he wanted to stand out but he seriously questions what went on in the woman’s head when she dyed it a neon yellow. He’s ninety-nine-percent sure it also glows in the dark. “Yah, don’t make fun of my hair, you look like a mop of cotton candy that grew legs.” Planting his on the opposite end of the couch, Hyukjae rapidly moves his head to find Heechul.

Oh, bad mistake, too much movement. He stretches out an arm to steady himself or else he’ll collapse onto an unsuspecting floor.

“Wow Eunhyukkie, Donghae was right you look like ,” Heechul’s ever caring tone carries over as he appears from down the hallway.

Hyukjae groans as Kyuhyun starts to channel surf. “First of all, thanks so much for the compliment,” Heechul rolls his eyes but the dancer makes it a point to ignore it, “Secondly, Hae told you guys I was sick? Why?”

The blonde’s eyes dart over to share a look with Kyuhyun. A look that Hyukjae can’t possibly decipher in his current condition right now. Instead, Heechul sits between the two younger members and takes off the jacket to his track-suit ensemble, revealing a ridiculous anime t-shirt underneath. Hyukjae can’t help but chortle because it’s just so Heechul it almost hurts. Kyuhyun eventually stops on his show, Journey to the West because of course he does.

“You know Hae, he doesn’t mention stuff like this unless he wants us to do something,” Heechul comments casually, “He didn’t say it outright, but I know he’s been worried about you, but since you’re being a to him he’s trying to give you some space.” Hyukjae gapes at the last comment, eyes twitching ever so slightly as he clenches his jaw shut. “Oh, don’t give me that look, we both know you’ve been a real to Donghae.”

“I-I’ve been a to Hae,” Hyukjae splutters as he feels his face heat up even more, “Well excuse me for being cranky knowing the man I’ve probably loved for most of my life gets married to someone I didn’t even know about,” he yells shrilly, chest heaving heavily as he stares much like a wounded animal at the duo in front of him.

Heechul’s eyes soften slightly as he places a hand awkwardly on part of the blanket. “Hyukkie, I know it’s hard but we have to try and be happy for Hae?” The blonde sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “You know, I would have loved it if you two had gotten together. You two always seemed like you were living through some epic love story and that it’d all lead to,” the elder entwines his fingers before pulling them apart, making an explosion sound in the process. Hyukjae isn’t too sure what it’s supposed to mean, but his head hurts too much to even try to guess.

“I think what Hyung is trying to say, is that we’re all sad for you,” Kyuhyun pipes in unhelpfully. “Also, Donghae wants to meet this upcoming Saturday to go over how he’s going to propose.”

“What!”

“God ing dammit Kyu,” Heechul sighs deeply, “we discussed that we’d tell him a few days from now.”

Kyuhyun, like the chaotic evil (good?) he is, shrugs his shoulders as he takes a swig from the wine bottle. “What? I figured we’d give anchovy some more time to prepare himself?”

Hyukjae almost wants to cry hysterically, but instead he stands up abruptly from the sofa only for his head to spin and vision to fog up. Before Hyukjae can fully pass out, he feels arms snake around his waist along with Heechul’s grunt of “ Hyuk, you’re heavier than you look,” and then everything goes black.

*

The next four days pass by in a blur as Hyukjae counts down to Saturday. Since Kyuhyun and Heechul’s (or what he aptly calls them the devil duo) last visit, the neon haired man has been holing himself up in his apartment for what feels like forever. His fever eventually broke but there were still some symptoms remaining: nausea, headaches, a now stuffy nose. After his little fainting episode, the members have seemed to have come up with a rotating shift of members so that he wasn’t alone. And, as annoying as it was to deal with people everyday, it would be a lie if he said he wasn’t touched. The only member on the rotation who didn’t visit often was Donghae; although, whenever Hyukjae saw the singer he constantly looked worried. In fact, if Jungsoo didn’t exist Hyukjae is positive that Donghae would be the mother hen.

Still, when the day comes for all of them to go over to Donghae’s—a rarer occurrence than a blue moon—Hyukjae debates if he can use his illness to get out of it.

It turns out he can’t. It’s kind of expected because he did tell Jungsoo about his idea first, trying to appeal to the elder’s motherly side, but alas it was a useless attempt. Hyukjae’s sickness wasn’t contagious anymore so that meant dragging his sorry over to Donghae’s and be reminded for the rest of the day that he isn’t the one getting married to his best-friend.

Yay.

“Would it kill you to at least look excited,” Jongwoon sighs from the large, round sofa.

“It might,” Hyukjae grumbles in response, really not in the mood to put up with any of Jongwoon’s comments today. Instead, he shoves his hands into his hoodie and curls up at the end