105th year of Joseon, Mokpo
The day Hongjoong is truly shaken by what is happening to Seonghwa, is the day Seonghwa tries to rise from his bed, only for his eyes to roll back, and his body to come crumpling down.
He calls out his name, rushing to his side, hands gripping his shoulders.
"Hyungnim!" He calls. "Hyungnim, what has happened?"
Slowly, Seonghwa comes to, eyes fluttering, glazed, roaming his face, unseeing.
Slowly, he regains composure.
Sits up and smiles, slow and apologetic, tucks his face against the crook of Hongjoong's neck.
"Have I frightened you?" He says. "I think I stood far too quickly, nothing grave."
"Be quiet," he says, arms winding around him, cradling him close.
He places a basin by his bed, and says if he must, he should use that.
No need to stand and rush anywhere.
That afternoon, he calls the physician back, asks him to stay at the house till his illness passes.
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Hongjoong opens his eyes.
The room is dark, still, he does not know the hour.
He looks around, eyes needing a moment to adjust to the dark.
There is movement on the other side of the bed.
Seonghwa is sitting up, hunched over the basin, his covers pushed aside.
His shoulders heave, and then he gags and coughs.
He sits up hurriedly, rubbing his back, soothing, till he is finished.
Seonghwa takes a few gasping breaths before crumpling back into bed.
"What is happening to me," he breathes.
"It will pass, hyungnim," he says quietly, stroking his hair out of his face.
He gets out of bed to clear out the basin.
"Leave it, Hongjoong, I will not have you doing this for me," he says, tired and miserable.
He pays no heed.
He will not let him sleep beside this soiled basin all night.
He leaves the room, closing the door behind him.
He steps out into the chilly night air.
He means to clean it and replace it, but Chulsoo is already waiting outside, holding out a clean basin for him to take.
"Let me, Master Kim," he says, taking the soiled one from his hands.
"Yes, thank you, Chulsoo," he says.
He turns to go back inside, but the young man speaks.
YOU ARE READING
↱SEMPITERNAL↲ ⇾seongjoong⇽
FanfictionA story where Hongjoong and Seonghwa find each other in three lifetimes. "What if I said I'd find you in lifetimes to come? What if I loved you in all my lifetimes past? Wouldn't that be lovely?" "I think I'd say you're a god awful poet."
