Fluffy SKZ Oneshots EP.2🧸

A minor annoyance 🌡️

Sickie: Chan
Caregivers: mainly 2basco + Felix

No one’s POV.:

Chan hated to be sick. Generally tended to ignore it whenever it happened, which was more often the case than he’d want to admit. It shouldn’t be shocking how weak his immune system was and how frequently something managed to slip past it. Constantly overworking and spreading oneself thin would do that to a body. A stuffy nose was nothing Chan couldn’t deal with or that would interfere with his work, just a minor annoyance. Still, it was something the members would notice and knowing how their leader always tried to hide his struggle and push himself too hard, they couldn’t help but worry. They didn’t believe Chan anymore when he said it was just a little sniffle because he tended to say that before passing out with a dangerously high fever. Those incidents were something the eldest too regretted now because his dongsaengs were always on high alert when he wasn’t on top of his game, even if it really wasn’t anything to worry about.

“Are you coming down with a cold again?”, Changbin frowned when he had prepared his breakfast and took a seat next to Chan, “You only just got over the one you had last month.” Chan sighed and shook his head, trying to refrain from sniffling. He was fine. “Sure, you totally don’t sound congested at all”, the rapper commented, rolling his eyes. Clearing his throat, Chan muttered: “I just got a stuffy nose, Bin. Please don’t make a big deal out of it.” – “Alright, I won’t but you are aware that this stuff wouldn’t happen so often if you took better care of your body”, Changbin hummed, slightly frustrated with his hyung. He was glad that 3racha would spend most of the day at the studio, just the three of them. It’d be easier for Chan to take it slow if there were no other producers or staff around to judge him for slacking off. Well, most of them wouldn’t judge because they knew how hardworking Chan was but the Aussie always felt like they’d judge and pressure himself to work harder.

While Chan was in the bathroom to get ready for work, Changbin stood in the kitchen, preparing a thermos filled with tea. Jisung walked up behind him, a worried crease on his forehead. When Changbin looked up and their eyes locked, the younger raised an eyebrow, so Changbin explained: “Chan’s coming down with something again.” – “Again?!”, Jisung frowned, “it’s been what? A month? Barely.” – “Yeah, that’s about right”, the older hummed, “I don’t think it’s as bad, at least not yet. Stuffy nose and irritated throat at the very least, so I’m making tea.” Jisung nodded in acknowledgement and mused: “Guess I’ll pack tissues and cough drops.” – “Good thinking, we’ll just try to take it slow today, so hyung doesn’t  push it”, Changbin determined, shooting Jisung a smile.

“Minho-hyung said he’ll cook dinner for everyone, can we try to finish in time for dinner and join them at their dorm?”, Jisung asked eagerly as they made their way to the studio. Glancing at his dongsaeng, Chan smiled: “Sounds good. Any specific reason?” – “I think Felix has been pestering about something he wanted to try, so Minho-hyung decided if he makes it, he’ll make enough for the entire group”, Jisung hummed, sounding a little uncertain. Chan didn’t need to know that the recipe Minho was going to try was a soup and that he didn’t need to be pestered when the rappers told him that Chan was feeling a little under the weather. The dancer knew how quickly Chan’s ‘a little under the weather’ could turn into thoroughly sick because he didn’t really take care of himself, so they better do it for him if they didn’t want him to take a turn for the worse.

Changbin cheered inwardly. Having plans for the evening would most certainly ensure them to get out of work early and they could make sure Chan wouldn’t go back to work after dinner, hopefully having an early bedtime instead. He truly hoped the leader would accept an early bedtime, his headache becoming more apparent the more time passed. “Do you want to take a break, hyung?”, Jisung whispered as he watched Chan massage his temples. Giving an itchy cough, the Aussie sniffled: “No? Why should I take a break? Do you need one? We can take a break if you need it.” – “I-I don’t need a break”, the younger stammered, “Just thought you might feel better if you rested your eyes for a moment.” – “I’m fine, I can work”, the eldest frowned, brushing off Jisung’s concern. Knowing how defensive Chan tended to get, the rapper didn’t take it personal and merely leant back in his seat with a sigh. He did open the bag of cough drops though and placed it next to his hyung’s laptop when the older kept clearing his throat frequently.

Chan closed his eyes for a moment and rested his head in his hands, taking a deep breath. Bringing his sleeve up to his face, he muffled a cough, that came out far harsher than he had expected. His eyes watered a bit and gave a wet sniffle as he rubbed at his eyes. Gosh, he was so freaking tired. A pair of gentle hands appeared on his shoulders, kneading the tense muscles there, and Chan couldn’t help but turn into putty. “Lets take ten, okay?”, Changbin hummed as he continued to massage the leader’s neck and shoulders and the older couldn’t find the energy to argue. Giving a sleepy hum, Chan crossed his arms on the desk and rested his head on them as the tension melted away. His body ached but Changbin’s hands were warm through his hoodie, easing the pain and making him drowsy.

“If you keep going, I’ll probably fall asleep”, Chan warned quietly. Giving a hum of acknowledgement, Changbin whispered: “Would that really be such a bad thing?” – “We’re at work”, the leader reminded, his voice getting huskier as sleep threatened to creep up on him, “I can’t sleep now. There’s… …stuff to do.” – “There always is, isn’t there?”, Jisung hummed, pouring another cup of tea from Changbin’s thermos. Chan nodded, clearing his throat. He only managed to come out of his daze when his breath started to hitch. Sitting up, the Aussie ducked his face into the crook of his arm and caught to throaty sneezes. His dongsaengs blessed him quietly, with Changbin offering: “Why don’t we finish up here quickly and go to the maknae-dorm for cuddles and a hot meal?” – “Sounds awesome but unjustified”, Chan sniffled, rubbing his eyes. “Why would that be unjustified, hyung”, Jisung frowned, checking the clock. Dinnertime was approaching and they had planned to leave early anyway. Clearing his throat again, Chan rasped: “We don’t usually go home early unless someone is sick.” – “Um, sorry to break it to you, hyung, but you are”, Changbin pointed out. The Aussie shook his head and muttered: “Am not. Just have a stuffy nose. I’m fine, I can work.”

After already having watched their hyung suffer all day, Changbin and Jisung made eye contact at that comment and sighed. “Besides, I can’t be sick. I’ve only been sick last month. It’d be too soon”, Chan frowned, accepting the tea Jisung handed him. Shaking his head, Changbin asked: “Why do you think you keep catching stuff so soon after getting over something else? Might that be because your immune system suck? And might that be because you never allow yourself to take it easy? Funny how that could mean that you could avoid it by not pushing on when your body is making clear that it needs a break to focus its resources on fighting something off.” – “Hmpf, I hate to be sick”, the leader huffed but he couldn’t argue.

“Come on, let’s wrap things up here, so we can have a quiet evening with the others”, Jisung encouraged already saving all the open files on Chan’s laptop. They just couldn’t give their hyung a chance to argue or else they’d be here all night. It wasn’t like Chan would miss a day of work. They had been working all day after all, only avoiding to work into the night shouldn’t make him feel so guilty but for some reason it did. Right up until Felix texted him that he was feeling homesick and if they could cuddle after dinner since Chan had already agreed to coming over. The leader could never leave his Aussie brother hanging, so he rushed to pack up and leave with Changbin and Jisung.

Making Chan rest was truly a team effort. Felix had only texted because Changbin had let him know how hesitant the leader was about going home early and Minho had the soup ready by the time 3racha arrived at their dorm. The humidifier was running in the living room, a box of tissues on the coffee table and a stack of folded, fluffy blankets on one side of the couch. It seemed the maknaes had set everything up for a movie night and Chan couldn’t help but smile, feeling at home with the members. He was immediately wrapped in a hug, Felix not wanting to let go of him afterwards. “I missed you too, Lixxie”, the leader breathed, burying his face in the younger’s sweater.

Felix gently pulled Chan to the dining table and nudged him to his seat, humming: “Dinner’s ready. Let’s eat, so we can cuddle.” – “Yeah, please sit down everyone, so I can bring the soup”, Minho called, setting a stack of bowls onto the table. Hyunjin and Seungmin were quick to pitch in and lay the table while Minho carried the pot of soup to the dining table. Chan thanked them quietly and blew on his soup to cool it a little faster. Inhaling the steam cleared his sinuses but made his nose tingle and he caught two wet sneezes against his shoulder. Maybe it was a good thing his dongsaengs cut his workday short because the fatigue set in more and more and his muscles ached. Getting koala-cuddles from Felix sounded like a dream to Chan.

The warmth of the soup soothed the irritation in Chan’s throat, the hearty meal making him drowsy. He helped clear the table before he was pulled to the living room, Felix pushing on his shoulders to make him sit on the couch. “Are you cold, hyung? Do you want a blanket? Cuddles are better under a blanket, hm?”, Felix mumbled as he took a seat next to the leader, grabbing a fluffy blanket and spreading it over the two of them.

The other members filed into the living room too and settled around the two Aussies. Instead of popcorn and crackers, Seungmin brought apple slices and berries, so they could have something to nibble on but provide Chan with the vitamins he needed to kick his cold. It had been a while since they had last been able to spend an evening together like this and they were going to treasure every second of it, even if Chan barely paid any attention to the movie they had voted on. What was left of his consciousness was focused on Felix’ fingers tangled in his hair, lightly scratching his scalp and slowly luring him to sleep. Sure, he still hated to be sick but having a family who cared for him so deeply made it a lot more bearable, so he would allow himself not to work through it this time.