Solid GrounD (MxM)

When Emotions Shift

"Why can't you cook like this, grandpa?" 

That voice sounds familiar... and unwanted. 

Groaning, Austin coughed roughly a few times before forcing one of his aching eyes open. The other was still pressed against his pillow, and he had little strength to bother wasting moving in order to get a better view. Not that he wanted it. 

Ike stood in the doorway to his room, holding a bowl of food that he just knew Roh-Ahn had made for him, not Ike. 

Wait. He said grandpa? 

Sitting upright far too quickly, Austin felt his head spin and teetered for a second, then fell right back down. His head flopped against his pillow, amplifying the headache his fever was working hard on. 

"Don't instigate him right now, Ike. He's already in bad shape." Wan-Nu said in English, making Austin grateful that the guy had thought about not using Korean around him... at least while his brain felt like a pile of overheated mush. 

When Wan-Nu came into view, having stepped out of the bathroom with a few small damp towels folded in his hands, Austin felt confused but relieved at the same time. 

He would have been absolutely furious with himself if Roh-Ahn had been the one taking care of him. 

"Where is Roh? Is he okay?" Austin rasped, leaning over his bed in time to nearly hack up a lung. 

Thankfully, he had nothing in his system since he'd thrown up hours ago, but his throat sure burned once he was finally able to return to resting on his back. He'd coughed so much already that it was practically raw. 

"He's at work. He got so worried about you that he was going to try and take care of you anyways, even if his health would most likely deteriorate from doing so. I told him to not be stupid and just call the hospital to send out an ambulance, but my darn nephew couldn't bare the thought of not being able to at least check in on you regularly, and he can't go anywhere near a hospital unless it's an emergency." Wan-Nu said as he knelt down besides Austin's bed and began pressing one of the cool cloths to his forehead. 

Just the temperature from the cloth tapping along his overheated skin made Austin sigh in relief. 

"What time is it?" He whispered, knowing darn well that he could turn his head and try to read his alarm clock, but also knowing that he was likely going to pass out with just the simple action. He was barely hanging on to consciousness already. 

Wan-Nu frowned and glanced toward the alarm clock, but before he could reply they all heard the front door open and the sound of a stumbling limp head their way. 

Austin couldn't help the huge grin that covered his pale face as he looked toward the bedroom door. His vision blurred with the action a little, but when he saw Roh-Ahn's head peek just a tiny bit inside his room, Austin nearly melted. 

Thank god he looks amazing. Roh-Ahn's face was a little flush, but it was clear that he'd been moving as quickly as he could manage to get back home. His eyes were bright and the smile Austin had dreamed about waking up to every day since he'd been sick made his heart beat excitedly in his aching chest. 

"Aus, you're awake!" Roh-Ahn nearly shouted, looking so relieved that Austin just knew he had to try and act like he wasn't feeling as bad as he actually was. 

With a good deal of effort, he shoved himself up against the pillows and smiled. 

"Sorry for worrying you, Roh. I'm still not feeling that great, so don't come in, but thank you for getting me some help. I was feeling pretty horrible there for a while."