I am so so sorry for the delay... I have been busy the past few weeks but finally, here the birthday present for my dear friend Pina!! ILU <3

And thank you to nestealove who kindly helped me and proofread my crappy english! Thank you again!

Enjoy

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When Christmas comes with rain, flu and tender feelings

It was pouring outside. A heavy rainfall constantly hitting the roof and the windows.

In this time of the year, it usually should have been snowing and Seoul covered with a soft and purely coat of the white powder. People would be in the streets, happy to leave behind them their footprints as they walked in the snow, to make snowmen or to enjoy the enchanting Christmas lights shining around the city; may it be with their family, children, friends, or lover.

But it kept raining, raining and raining… Still pouring, over and over again, never stopping. The strong winds reaching records of violence and temperatures easily going under the zero; a storm was probably coming.

So instead people stayed confined in the warmth of their homes, deserting the streets usually so crowded and cheerful on the eve of Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The rain was hammering harshly on the bedroom’s French window, causing Donghae to shiver even more in fright as well as cold, even if he was warmly dressed and tightly wrapped up in his quilt.

However, he soon let his arm out of the cover to grab a tissue on the nightstand and sneezed again.

A strong gust of wind caused the window frame to creak and Donghae jumped in surprise. He quickly pulled the quilt up to his nose and closed his eyes very tightly, slightly trembling.

How he hated this!

He opened one eye after hearing a soft chuckle. The subdued light from the bedside lamp let Hyukjae’s slim figure appear at the door frame.

He approached, sitting on the bed by the youngest side and gave Donghae a hot scalding mug, smiling tenderly.

“Here, hot milk with some honey. It should warm you up, ease your sore throat and help you sleep as well.”

Despite his big shining and feverish eyes, Donghae blinked before he sat up straight, back against the headboard, a weak but grateful smile stretching his thin lips.

Hyukjae really did know him by heart. He knew that a hot milk always helped to lull him to sleep when the last one fled from him; just like when he was young, because of a mischievous Hyukjae who took a nasty pleasure into scaring him with ghost stories, resulting in little Donghae not being able to close his eyes at all and his mother having to give him his hot milk.

Hyukjae learnt his lessons very well afterward.

The oldest also knew that honey would appease his burning throat. And the whole beverage would warm him up from his bad cold which confined him in bed for two days already.

Another gust made Donghae jump once again as he was about to take the steaming cup from Hyukjae’s hold. His shoulders hunched up, head buried in the loose of the older’s sweater Donghae was wearing (because he liked wearing Hyukjae’s clothes all the time and when he is sick, he felt secure) as he avoided the amused smile of his partner.

“I know I am being silly and ridiculous. There isn’t even any thunder….” mumbled Donghae with his hoarse voice.

As an answer, Hyukjae his cheek tenderly with the back of his hand, with so much love in his eyes. Donghae didn’t have to justify himself for his acts, especially with him.

Hyukjae knew very well Donghae’s phobia of storms, especially thunders. He had already witnessed his panic attacks and it had scared Hyukjae to no end, he had felt so helpless.

So at eight years old, Hyukjae had promised Donghae to do everything in his power to be by his sides during stormy days to protect him. And if he couldn’t be there to fulfill his promise, he had showed ways for his best friend to overcome his fear: to shut himself in a room without windows, to bundle himself up in his covers, even over his head, to put his earphones and listen to his favourite playlist, volume raised to the highest level …blocking the sound and the light coming from the thunderbolt.

Even if there was no lightening this night, the storm was raging outside and Donghae couldn’t help himself from being uncomfortable and insecure.

Added those feelings this to his pitiful state caused by the illness: his usually tanned skin was pale except for his red and feverish cheeks, he struggled to keep his usually shining brown eyes open and his tousled hair had some locks glued to his forehead and his nape because of the perspiration.

This picture of Donghae might have seemed….pathetic to others but in Hyukjae’s eyes, he was just so… adorable. Even if sick and weak.

Seeing him so vulnerable made Hyukjae’s need to care for him even bigger.

With a tender smile, he handed him again the mug and slipped under the blanket next to him.

Immediately, Donghae snuggled against his side and pressed his hands around the hot mug to keep himself warm with and breathed out.

Hyukjae wrapped his protective arms around his shoulders and he felt his lover relaxing straight away despite the persistent gusts of air against the window.

Donghae was drinking his hot milk slowly, small swallow one after another, appeasing him instantaneously.

But what really soothed him was the closeness of his lover, his comforting warmth, his intoxicating  scent, his aquiline nose tickling his temple as his regular and hot breaths caressed his cheek.

No sound was heard except for the heavy rain hitting the glass of the window.

They just held each other in the confined heat of their cocoon.

« Hyuk… »

« Hum ? »

« Don’t you think this is kindo of…romantic?”

«What?» Hyukjae whispered, eyes shut closed and nose buried in Donghae’s hair, savouring the affectionate presence in the hollow space in his arms.

«Us.»

Hyukjae opened his eyes, moved away a little to gaze at his lover and quirked an eyebrow.

« You see, you and me, together, nestled under our cozy bedding, sharing a hot milk while it’s a rotten weather outside and raining as if it will never end! I think it’s super romantic, don’t you?”

To emphasize his words, Donghae gave him his mug and Hyukjae gladly accepted it laughing softly.

« Are you making fun of me? » the brunet grumbled, pouting.

« Not at all, it’s just that you are a hopeless romantic Hae, even in your worst state and the most unlikely situations” Hyukjae replied fondly, poking his red and burning cheek.

«  Well for your information, it’s entirely your own fault if I am that ‘hopeless romantic’ as you put it and If I am saying cheesy stuffs all the time…I need to be like this for both of us !!” the younger sulked with his croaky voice.

« And I love it when you act like that! I would be worried if you didn’t, actually…and I would miss it for sure” Hyukjae answered, taking one last sip before handing him back the mug.

“But you know I could have been offended by what you have just said? Furthermore, I did make some improvements, right?” the older added, kissing Donghae’s temple and taking his left hand where a simple but beautiful silver ring adorned his ring finger.

The latter stuck his tongue out childishly at him and Hyukjae pinched his runny nose, pretended to be offended by the action.

“But I love you the way you are as well, you rude and insensitive man…..okay okay, I was kidding! No, not my nose, it hurts!” Donghae whined, backing off a little.

But as soon as he saw the guilty look growing on Hyukjae’s face, he scooted over quickly and kissed Hyukjae’s left hand which was adorned by the exact same silver ring.

He started laughing at their silly act unfortunately, that made him coughed badly.

The culpable look on Hyukjae’s face was immediately back and the man rubbed his back with as much gentleness as possible to soothe him, feeling so powerless faced with Donghae’s bad state.

He winced as the virulent coughing fit continued yet.

Donghae offered him a weak smile and tried to savour the last sips of the precious beuverage that were left as he nestled again against his fiancé.

« You know what would be even more romantic?»  Hyukjae asked in a sof voice after a moment while playing with Donghae’s fingers.

« Tell me ? » the youngest asked, clueless.

« Kissing under the rain ~~ » The older hummed intertwining their fingers tightly.

Donghae laughed and shook the hand holding his playfully.

« Okay~, but it’s not going to be possible even if it sounds very tempting, I don’t intend to catch a pneumonia and die young! Flu is plenty more than enough!! Thank you very much!”

« You are such a drama queen” Hyukjae and before Donghae had the time to scowl and bit back a whining, he brought Donghae’s left hand to his mouth and kissed his knuckles one by one, pulling at the same time his lover towards him, nuzzling his nose against his.

« You know, kissing here, under our rain shelter is romantic as well.”

« But I have a bad cold Hyuk, I don’t want to infect you…” Donghae mumbled when his gestures were screaming the opposite, his fingers clutching Hyukjae’s shirt.

He rubbed his red nose softly against his fiancé’s and his lips came instinctively closer to Hyukjae’s plump ones.

« A little more of a couple of bacteria and germs won’t kill me. You sneezed and coughed directly in my face all night long!”

Already red from the fever, Donghae became even redder as he blushed madly to the tip of his ears and then he moved his face backward, stunned.

« Way to ruin the ambience, Mister-I- so-called-made-improvements!! No, no, no! Stop trying to kiss me Lee Hyukjae! Back off!” Donghae ordered, trying tonpush his fiancé oof of him/ “Besides, I remember telling you to go to sleep on the couch last night so I would spare you from catching my flu!!” the youngest grumbled as he continued to try to move away from his teasing lover.

Hyukjae giggled. His whining partner was so damn adorable when he wanted to act bossy - and failed. As Donghae wanted to escape his embrace still sulking under his breath, the blonde hastened to grab him by his nape and give him a firm kiss on his lips to keep him quiet.

They parted a little, trying to regain their breaths and stared at each other intensely befotr bursting into laughter before kissing passionately again.

A long, sweet and intense kiss….which was suddenly interrupted by…

“ATCHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

…A loud sneeze that Hyukjae managed to avoid barely by moving his head aside. He praised silently his good reflexes.

He took the now empty mug from Donghae’s hands and put it on the night stand. Then he reached out for the tissues box and  took one to give it to the brunette who had watery eyes from frustration and above all, from tiredness by dint of sneezing and coughing.

« I ab fed up with being sick !!!!! »

Hyukjae caressed his cheeks, carefully trying to distract Donghae from noticing that he had started to speak through his stuffed nose.

« My nose is irritated from blowing it so much, Hyukkie…. » The brunette complained, using his third tissue in a row.

He scrunched his red and hurt nose and jutted out his pouty lips as Hyukjae laid a feathery kiss on the perk up nose.

« I will go to the drug store tomorrow morning to buy you some cream, it will soothe you and heal your nose. I’ll also buy everything I need to cook you a chicken soup again. You liked it and it made you feel better, didn’t it?”

« But Hyuk, you can’t keep on taking care of me like this! You’ve been missing work for two days because of me!!” Donghae said, feeling that it was his fault.

Hyukjae placed th