“Sungjae-ah...” The maknae paid Eunkwang no attention, continuing to play with his hair in the mirror. “Sungjae-ah!” Although the tone was harsher and the volume louder, Sungjae ignored it. “YOOK SUNGJAE!” Finally Sungjae acknowledged his elder with a disinterested sideways glace.

“Yes, hyung?” Eunkwang sighed in frustration and slid his aching body deeper into the bubble bath. “I'm bathing, you know?” Both the heat of the water and Sungjae's sudden penetrating stare made Eunkwang's skin flush and he fidgeted uncomfortably. “Yeah, I can see that.”

Eunkwang was too tired and too ill to deal with Sungjae's . It was one of the many times their age difference was obvious. “Still sick, hyung?” Eunkwang hummed lightly, lips under water and eyes closed. There was a long period of calm silence where the leader thought he would be able to relax. Just as he felt himself drifting off the loud “Ya!” Sungjae shouted into his ear startled him back to reality. Eunkwang jolted up, arms flailing, and smacked his head on the cold tile wall.

“Geez, hyungie. It's not like I'm some monster come to eat you.” Staring hard at the bright red plastic container in Sungjae's hands, Eunkwang questioned that statement. “Is that Gochuchang?”

Sungjae might have smiled, but it looked far too evil, too soul penetratingly dark and full of plots. “Yeah, we are going to burn that cold out of you!” Eunkwang's eyes darted for an escape. The towels were too far away but maybe he could just dash past the younger member . Then again, just how far would he make it being wet and sick? What if he fell and broke his nose? It wasn't like he could sit here. Eunkwang had spent too much time thinking, Sungjae was pushing a spoon of crimson paste against his lips before he could take any action. “Just eat it, hyung. You'll feel better.”

The spice was burning Eunkwang's eyes and his nose was running more from the smell than it had been from the cold. He attempted to shake his head away from it fruitlessly. Sungjae kept pushing until finally it slipped past Eunkwang's lips. There was no taste, at least not one that could be registered over the burning, hell like fire of the spice. Eunkwang tried to spit it out but Sungjae held his jaw shut, rubbing his throat as if trying to feed a stubborn dog medication. Enkwang's small hands gripped Sungjae's but the teen was stronger. Eunkwang had no choice. He swallowed.

“Better right?” Either Sungjae didn't feel the dagger like gaze or he ignored it pointedly, scooping another spoonful to Eunkwang's mouth. There was no fight this time, Eunkwang didn't have it in him. Pure resignation was easier to swallow than the Gochuchang, but Eunkwang choked them both down. “I guess two is enough, right?”

“Plenty.” Sungjae laughed and patted Eunkwang's cold, wet hair much like a mother with a bratty child. “Alright, hyungie, get back to your bath. You'll feel better in no time.”

Despite the trauma, he felt better already.