Fluffy SKZ oneshots🧸

Every step of the way🧸

Sickie: Hyunjin

Caregivers: Stray Kids

Requested by Yeonbinbabygirl00

TW: cancer (remember this book is about fluff and comfort, we don't do sad here....)

No one's POV.:
It had been almost half a year since that fateful day, the day a doctor told Hyunjin he wasn't as fine as he always thought. The dancer had pushed the thoughts as far away from himself as possible, maybe if he didn't acknowledge it, it wouldn't be true. His mom was the first one who learned about his diagnosis, urging her son to get treatment immediately. The doctor had advised to try chemotherapy first, prescribing a bunch of pills the dancer would have to take for three days in a row, wait for three months and repeat. Planned were four two six cycles, depending on how well the boy would respond to the treatment. Hyunjin's day to day life now included frequent doctor visits, which he somehow managed to go to in secrecy. He had done two cycles so far and both had left him throwing up for days afterwards. Both times his friends had been there, comforting him and holding his hair out of the way as they tried to help the dancer get over his 'stomach bug' quickly. His hyungs prepared him light meals while the youngers cuddled him, not getting tired of the dancer's movie requests as they watched the same few dramas over and over again with him. Little did they know.

Hyunjin knew he had lost weight, which was a miracle since he didn't even weigh much to begin with. Dancing which was one of the things he used to enjoy most, suddenly didn't sound as appealing anymore. His stamina was decreasing and he felt fatigued most of the time, dancing just seemed way too tiresome to be fun. Minho and Felix were the first two to notice their friend not being himself. The dance-line often practiced alone and Hyunjin's lack of drive soon showed. His dance was lacking the usual energy and he called for water-breaks more frequently. Their concerns were often brushed of with simple statements like 'I should have gone to bed earlier last night' or 'I've already practiced earlier'. Changbin had gotten concerned when they were fooling around backstage and he had picked the younger up, noticing how shockingly easy it was. Was the dancer on a diet? He certainly didn't need to.

With the next cycle of his therapy approaching, Hyunjin knew he needed to talk to his members. Their schedule was packed and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep up. The dancer had dreaded the conversation with his group, having to tell them he wasn't ok and that he needed a break. He didn't even know how to do it, the thought of calling a group-meeting making his heart beat loudly and his hands shake. Pulling out his phone, he quickly typed a short message and asked if they could all talk after dinner. That way he wouldn't be able to chicken out again. It was only a few hours till the other members would come back from their individual practices. Hyunjin had settled for memorizing his lyrics and practicing his rap in the safety and comfort of their dorm. Rubbing at his face and patting his cheeks a few times, he tried to get himself to focus on the lyric sheets in his lap, the letters and words muddling together and losing their meaning as his thoughts were everywhere but on the task on hand.

The time passed a lot faster than expected, and soon there was a knock on the door before Seungmin poked his head in to tell Hyunjin dinner was ready. The dancer sighed, putting his lyric sheets away. He had been less productive than he had hoped he'd be. Sitting down between Seungmin and Changbin, he accepted the plate Chan handed him. The leader had meant well, piling up a generous amount of food. Hyunjin frowned, he didn't feel too hungry to begin with and the anxious knot twisting in his stomach certainly didn't help his appetite. Mainly pushing the food around with his chopsticks, the dancer rearranged the words in his head and tried to figure out how he'd start the conversation later. The members noticed him spacing out but left him be, knowing their friend would talk to them later. The majority of the group was already done eating when Hyunjin hadn't even finished half of his meal. He simply helped clear the table when the others were done, dumping the rest of his food into the trash since he didn't feel like eating anymore than he had already forced down. "You really didn't want to eat any more?", Chan frowned, he didn't want his dongsaeng getting even skinnier than he already was. The younger shook his head and walked over to the living room couch, sitting down while he waited for the others to join him.