"Hyung," a voice calls, it sounds distant and muffled, as if Jaebeom were under water and someone is calling him from outside. His body feels heavy and alien to him, his eyelids made of lead and even if he tries he can't open them, plus after one try he gives up, not having the energy to try again. "Hyung, if you sleep here more your cold will only get worse. I have no problem being your pillow, but I don't think we are that close yet to be doing this."

"Hmmm," Jaebeom groans, understanding the words but not processing the meaning of them.

"Hyung, it might even rain. Wake up," the voice insists and this time Jaebeom feels a hand on his shoulder, shaking him.

Honestly, he feels terrible but he tries opening his eyes just for his surroundings to spin, so he closes them again. It feels like his body suddenly becomes so thin and small and the world is too big on him, like an infinitely larger jumper. But a second later it feels like his body is too big, swelling to the point he thinks he'll explode.

"Hyung, are you okay? Why are you making zombie noises?"

Jaebeom is a bit more conscious now, even if he continues going from too thin to too swollen, the world around him never fitting; yet he can recognise Jinyoung's voice and he realises he must've fallen asleep while talking to him, the medicine and his cold dragging him into unconsciousness. Now it's such a Herculean task to come back from such place.

"I don't... don't feel well," Jaebeom manages to stutter, shivering but not because he's cold, per se, it's just his body fighting everything he's feeling.

"Oh boy..." Jinyoung mutters, his tone carrying a bit of panic this time. "Okay, I don't think I can carry you, I'm not a man of muscle and you look heavy."

"Rude," Jaebeom scoffs, not missing the way Jinyoung chuckles even in such situation.

"So let me help you sit straight, and lets try taking deep breaths to calm down," the younger boy suggests and Jaebeom feels his hands on both shoulders, pushing him to a different position. He wonders if he was lying his head on Jinyoung's lap or something, because it seems the other young man is helping him to sit straight. "Okay, now breathe in... and out," he instructs, sonorously taking a breath himself to guide Jaebeom.

The older does as told, breathe in and out, in and out, until he stops feeling like the world is spinning around him out of control, until his body feels like his body again. An eternity later (or what seems like that) Jaebeom dares to open his eyes and the world isn't spinning anymore, so that's a relief. Slowly, he turns his head and finds Jinyoung by his side, holding him with an arm around his shoulders and a tentative smile.

"Better?" The younger asks and Jaebeom nods. He still feels more than sixty percent about to die, but it's better than before. "That's good. I was afraid I would have to drag your dead body down all those stairs."

"You could've used the lift though," Jaebeom comments and watches Jinyoung's face losing all emotion, just staring back at that.

"I was panicking, I didn't think through," he excuses himself and Jaebeom grins. "Still, I'm glad you are doing better."

"Thank you... you didn't need to stay or even help me. Why are you still here?" Jaebeom asks, his throat hurts, his voice is hoarse and he gets tired for uttering more than one sentence, but he pushes through.

"You've 'saved' me three times," Jinyoung points out. "I might be mildly suicidal, but I'm not ungrateful. When you started dozing off, your head on my shoulder and no more answers, I figured you needed some sleep to get better. Now I realise sleeping on the rooftop was probably a bad idea and I shouldn't have allowed it."

"Yeah, you should've stopped me," Jaebeom agrees, not meaning to criticise him or anything like it, just echoing his words.

"I'm not the best at surviving, you see? Not my forte."

Jinyoung's smile is sheepish and cute, Jaebeom cannot help noticing, the blush in the younger's cheeks probably matching his own feverish blush.

"You should head back home," Jinyoung speaks, looking away as if to hide his blush, but the corner of Jaebeom's mouth turn upwards. "It's really late and you need proper rest. Sleeping on the rooftop of the hospital is not the place, even if my lap is super comfortable."

"I wouldn't say super comfortable," Jaebeom points out, grinning as he confirms he indeed ended up sleeping on Jinyoung's lap, the younger probably even moved Jaebeom to that position so he would be more comfortable.

Jinyoung turns to gasp, mockingly offended that Jaebeom can say such thing.

"I was nursing you and this is how you repay me?"

"Weren't you just returning the favour though? You were never nice when I saved you," Jaebeom reminds him and Jinyoung only looks more offended. The older continues grinning, not knowing why he's teasing Jinyoung as if they were friends and got along. Maybe he's more feverish than he thought.

"First off, you didn't save me because I wasn't about to die the first two times. The third I did thanked you and I even got you food." Jinyoung looks indignant and Jaebeom only thinks it's amusing.

"You're cute when you get riled up," Jaebeom comments without much thought, still grinning and then breaking eye contact, staring ahead and losing his good mood. Just the thought of having to head home when he's feeling worse than before looks like too much. "How much worse would I get if I stay here?"

"Probably pneumonia or something like that," Jinyoung answers. "Why? Can't you stand?"

"I'm not sure," answers the older with a sigh. "I'm not even sure if I can make it back home. I didn't feel that capable before, now it's worse."

"Do you want me to take you home?" The younger offers, Jaebeom's head snaps to stare at Jinyoung, the movement too fast and sudden, making him dizzy all over again so he has to close his eyes for a few seconds to stabilise again.

"You are hospitalised, you're not supposed to go out. Is this another way of yours to put your life in danger, tempting death to come for you?"

"I don't think anything deadly will happen to me if I sneak out of the hospital to take you home and then come back," Jinyoung rolls his eyes. "Worst case scenario I get in trouble with the hospital, but believe me, that's not going to happen. Unless you're embarrassed to be seen with someone walking in a hospital pyjama."

"I don't care about that," Jaebeom replies, rolling his eyes just like Jinyoung did before. "I just wanted to make sure. I don't have the physical faculties to rescue you were you get in trouble."

"It's not going to happen," Jinyoung reassures.

Without waiting for another word, Jinyoung takes his arm away and rises to his feet with a little groan, probably from being sitting on the floor for so long. He presses his hands on his back and stretches while Jaebeom watches him in his hospital pyjama, with just a cardigan to keep him warm. Jinyoung looks younger like that, more fragile than the day before when they met near Jaebeom's place, under the rain. Jinyoung looks slightly different, Jaebeom notices, not exactly sick but worn out, like he's been having such a hard time for a long time, but he didn't look like that last night.

He's such a confusing creature, Jaebeom ponders as he watches the other boy stretching like a cat before holing up his hand for Jaebeom and helping him to his feet, carefully putting his other hand under the older's elbow to help him stand and control his balance.

"Okay?" Jinyoung asks and Jaebeom nods, even if the ground under his feet moves a bit still, but he can make it. "Do you wanna go home or stay with your mother tonight?"

Jaebeom thinks about it. Obviously it would be better to just go to his mother's room instead of his home, but his aunt is there and if Jaebeom shows up, she'll only get worried. Moreover, Jaebeom doesn't want to take the guardian's bed when his aunt is there.

"Home," Jaebeom answers even if it pains him. "Imo is with eomma now so there's no room for me and I don't want her to worry about me. It's just a cold."

"Fine, if that's what you want," Jinyoung agrees without further arguing and then proceeds to help him walk towards the doors and then downstairs, to the lift doors.

Jaebeom doesn't think much, he just leans on Jinyoung by his side, taking warmth from the other's body as he realises he now feels cold, when his surroundings change and there's no more cold wind blowing. Odd that he gets colder when around him gets warmer.

He isn't really aware of where they are, if people stare at them or anything; they probably do considering Jaebeom is leaning on someone who was admitted in the hospital when it should be the other way around, but in his state he couldn't care less. Every time they stop for some reason, Jaebeom just closes his eyes and lets Jinyoung support him. He faintly hears the younger complain for having to hold Jaebeom's weight, and he makes a mental note to thank the other man when he's feeling more like himself and less like a zombie.

Jaebeom tries his best to get in the taxi when Jinyoung tells him to, and he gives his address when the younger elbow him to do so because he doesn't know exactly. He could rest his head on the headrest of the seat, but instead he ends up resting on Jinyoung's shoulder again until he's roused when they arrive to their destination. He hands his credit card to pay for the ride and thanks the driver before getting off, taking Jinyoung's hand for support and once again letting the other man hold him as they walk towards the tower where his flat is. It's a big apartment complex, but his tower isn't that far from the entrance.

Once in front of the tower, Jaebeom presses the passcode to open the doors and they walk inside. Jinyoung looks around and spots the lift doors, taking Jaebeom with him to them.

"What floor?" He asks and in the back of Jaebeom's mind he knows he shouldn't let Jinyoung take him to his flat, he's done enough and Jaebeom can do the rest alone, but ultimately he just answers it's the thirtieth floor and watches Jinyoung press the button.

The doors open and before Jinyoung asks which door, Jaebeom turns to his right, to the only door on that floor. He focuses enough to press the buttons for his passcode and enter the flat... well, it's actually a penthouse but Jaebeom doesn't like calling it that. Jinyoung, however, notices it and his intake of air clearly means he's surprised.

"Your father does really well, uh?" The younger comments after they take off their shoes and walk inside.

Jaebeom finally breaks the contact with the younger, standing on his own and doing his utmost best to face Jinyoung properly before bowing in forty-five degrees.

"Thank you so much for bringing me home," Jaebeom says when he stands straight again. "I barely noticed the ride."

"You're running a really high fever, so lets get you to bed. Thank me when you're feeling better."

"I can do it myself. I don't want you to get in more trouble for sneaking out of the hospital. How did you even do it?" Jaebeom asks, just now thinking of that.

"I have my ways," Jinyoung answers casually. "And don't worry about that. Worry more about yourself right now. Tell me what's your room?" The last sentence sounds more like a question, and Jaebeom really doesn't have the energy to argue further, so he complies and points towards his door.

Jinyoung presses his hand on Jaebeom's elbow again and leads him towards his room, helping him get in bed and taking his belongings from him, including all the medicine he got and helping him to get another dose, even if it's too close from the previous one. Or maybe not, Jaebeom has no idea what time it is.

Jaebeom doesn't fight or complain, he just lets Jinyoung take care of him not with expert hands, but definitely much better than he could do in his state. The younger even ventures outside to the kitchen to bring him something to eat (something that was already made by the maid and left for him) before he takes his medicine.

"Get some sleep, hyung. That's what you need the most," Jinyoung lulls him, stroking his hair in a way that's too comforting and doesn't help Jaebeom to think and realise the whole situation is too surreal. He doesn't really know Jinyoung yet he's in his room, nursing him back to health.

"You need to go back..." Jaebeom mutters, a weak complaint.

"Shh, it's okay," Jinyoung reassures and Jaebeom can barely see the comforting smile the younger gives him. "I won't get in trouble, I promise. Just focus on getting rest so you'll feel better tomorrow. You don't need to get weaker and for things to get even harder, so sleep and recover. For yourself and your mother."

Jaebeom cannot argue against that, so he nods and lets Jinyoung persuade him to just fall asleep, even if that's reckless, irresponsible and crazy when he has a stranger in his home. Still, Jaebeom falls asleep with Jinyoung by his side, stroking his hair and humming a song that works wonders to make Jaebeom go back to unconsciousness.

∞

You know... this story might have like 40 chapters. I wrote the whole outline for the rest of it and it's quite a few pages and I tend to write a lot for it as it's more descriptive (?) Anyhow, I hope you don't mind. I also hope you enjoy this chapter. Slowly, you see Jaebeom and Jinyoung getting closer. This is my attempt a slow burn I think????? You let me know.

Bel, xx