Upon A Time (JoongNine AU)

Upon A Change Of Us

Nine

"Joong, are you alright?", I asked through the door of the bathroom as soon as I came in and put my bag down. He was in there, and I could hear a vomiting sound. This was the third day that he stayed here, but in the past two days he seemed alright. Did he keep anything from my knowledge? This time, I came back a little early than usual, so, he must not expected it. The sound of a toilet being flushed, meant he did vomit. I sat at the edge of the bed and waited until he came out. He was a bit pale.

"Come and sit here, let me check your temperature, first", I said gently, and he walked towards the bed and sat at my side. I touched his forehead, a little warm than mine, but this might be because his heartbeat rose while vomiting. I took the thermometer from my study desk drawer and checked again. Yes, a bit higher than normal, mild fever. "Want to go to the clinic?", I asked again, he shook his head, and lay down on the bed. I sighed, it was not scorching hot, so, I didn't push him further. If tomorrow it was getting worse, then, I'd put my persuasion skill to use.

I ordered us some food delivery, and when the food arrived, he was still asleep, so, I took a shower first, changed into a fresh shirt and went to do my assignment, sitting at the study desk. When, it was already three hours, I stretched out my limbs, and decided to wake him up to eat, so that he could take a medicine. I was about to tap his shoulder carefully, when I heard him mumbled a name... Aria?. Who's that? Not one that I am familiar with. Ah, might be someone he knew back then. Slowly, I tapped his shoulder and called him to wake up. Joong opened his eyes, disoriented, but still sat up and then shook his head to clear up his remaining sleepiness. He gave me a smile.

"I must have slept for long, the night has fallen", he said, looking at the dark sky through the windows. I nodded. "Yes, three hours...you must be hungry. Go and wash up, it might help to cool down your fever a bit, and then we shall eat". As he sat in front of me with a small table between us, I could see that he looked a little down. 

"Joong, since when did you not feel well? Please be honest, you'd promised to call me should that happen", I asked gently. He looked at me and sighed, "Sorry, Nine, it was not my intention to keep anything from you. I just thought, that the flu was mild, but turned out, it progressed into a fever. But, overall, I am alright, just that it caused me to feel tired easily".

"Alright. After this, take the medicine, if tomorrow you are not getting better, I'll take you to see the doctor". Joong nodded and started to eat better. He must not want to cause me worry, and felt down that I caught him in such condition. After dinner, I continued to do the assignment, while Joong, chose to just watch a movie, said he slept too much during the day. At eleven, I yawned, tired from the continuous focus on the laptop screen. Ah, couldn't concentrate anymore! . So, I stopped and lay down besides Joong. He immediately shut off his movie, and lay on his side facing me. 

We both were quietly looking at one another, and the spell was broken when I decided to ask the gnawing question in my mind, "Joong...I realized, since we came back from the hospital, you're being so quiet. At first, I thought that you must be in recovery phase, but then I realized, something about you seemed to change too".

"Change? In a good way, or the opposite?", he asked and smiled. 

"Neither. I felt liked from the time you woke up at the beach, till now, you suddenly turned into an old soul; composed, quiet, matured", my eyes darting to his whole face. His youthfulness was apparent, so why suddenly, he became liked this within days. 

"So, isn't that good then, that how I'm now, is what you had wanted me to be? Usually, I am just a kid, right?", his voice was challenging me to deny them. 

"Is that what you think, of how I see you? A kid?. Besides, "be yourself", that's what I have always believed in, so why would I dictate how you should or shouldn't behave? If I'd made you misunderstood some words or actions, that were coming from me, then...forgive me... ", I said and squeezed his hand for assurance.