8 Makes 1 Family

BURNING UP (pt. 1)

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"Burning Up"

By Yeo_Mama

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OR: The first time Jongho ever gets the flu.

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Sheets, comforter, pillow cases, blankets...

Hongjoong mentally listed off everything that could be found on a bed, double checking that he'd made the twin frame in front of him correctly. Seonghwa had put him in charge of changing it, so it had to be up to par. His husband wouldn't stand for an incomplete bed, let alone at this hour of the night.

Once he was sure that he wasn't going to get scolded for his work, the brunette began cleanup. He gathered the ball of fabric he'd placed by the door, double checking that the soiled sides stayed in. His four-year-old had really managed to do a number on the soft purple of his bedspread. Even Mr. Bear had been within enemy fire, the dark fibers of his coat now matted with a questionable substance. Hongjoong just hoped his stuffed presence would remain unnoticed until he was back in commission. He didn't need an upset preschooler on top of the fact that his son was already incredibly sick to begin with. Tears, snot, and vomit did not make for a lovely combination.

He bundled the dirty sheets up, with Mr. Bear dangling by an unscathed ear, and headed for the laundry room; trying to remain quiet. Most of his boys were heavy sleepers (just like himself), but Wooyoung's sudden eviction out of his and Jongho's shared room had disturbed the flow. The second grader had been pawned off to San in his bunk, which thankfully wasn't much of a challenge on his part. There had been some whining and shuffling around as everyone settled back down, but by the looks of it, the majority of his household had stayed fairly unconscious. It was truly a blessing, and the brunette just prayed it would continue that way. He couldn't imagine the utter shitshow Yeosang and Mingi would create if they found out that their little brother was ill.

Hongjoong padded his way through the dark halls, stumbling slightly at the vague light he had to work with. He practically burned out his retinas as he flipped on the utility room's ceiling fixture, his eyesight going black as he lost his night vision for a moment. Though he recovered fast enough and immediately threw everything in his hold into the washing machine, adding in some detergent before starting it up. Jongho's sheets and comfort toy should be clean by morning at this rate, saving him and Seonghwa from any future meltdowns.

At the thought of his husband, the brunette left the room to do its job and started for his en suite, making sure to close the door behind him to muffle the laundry's noise. The elder had barricaded himself and their youngest inside as a sort of quarantine zone, saving a widespread of germs from contaminating the hallway bathroom everyone seemed to use. One sick kid was better than six anyway.

The brunette gently knocked on the doorframe before he stepped inside, being greeted by the same exact sight he had left not even thirty minutes ago.

"How's it going in here?"

Seonghwa looked up at his voice, his tan skin washed out from the fluorescent light above and emphasizing the deep purple bags currently sat underneath each of his eyes. He was still stationed on the floor, crisscrossed with his back between the edge of the tub and the wall. A blanket-covered bundle laid quietly in his arms.

"Still feeling icky."

He murmured, carefully wiping away the inky mess of black hair that hung over Jongho's brow. The four-year-old shifted in his mother's hold at the feeling, but did not wake, remaining fast asleep for the time being. His poor little cheeks were bright red with fever, along with the tip of his nose. His nostrils were shiny with mucus as he breathed, making him sniffle every so often as it refused to stop running. Seonghwa's hand was constantly reaching up to wipe at it with a crumpled tissue.