Hello, Hello (Tell Me What You Want Right Now)

Jeongguk V

Jeongguk has been struggling. He trips over himself and runs into others during dance practice, his voice cracks as he works on vocals, and he withdraws into himself, acting a lot like he did before debut. It's so un-Jeongguk like that the others begin to worry. He brushes off their concerns, saying that he's just tired and he'll get over it soon.

But then he starts complaining about headaches. Jin makes him drink more water, gives him burupen tablets every four hours. They don't really help, but Jeongguk takes them anyway. Eventually they grow debilitating, and he has to skip practices two days in a row. The members take turns caring for him as they have free time, giving him painkillers and vitamins in hopes of fighting off whatever illness is trying to take hold of him.

Hoseok sleeps with him this night, rubbing at his neck to ease the tension. Jeongguk cries frustrated tears because he want to be better, he hates feeling weak and he hates missing practice so much. Hoseok just talks softly to him, carding long fingers through his hair, and Jeongguk eventually passes out from pure exhaustion.

He wakes up before the sun does, an earthquake rattling in his head and his entire body feeling like he's been run over. Every muscle in his body is throbbing, pain shooting through his nerves, and he cries out unconsciously. Hoseok wakes immediately, startled, and Jeongguk writhes in the Beta's arms. "Hyung," he cries. "Hyung, it hurts, make it stop!"

The pieces click into place and holy shit, Hoseok thinks, Jeongguk is presenting. He doesn't say this aloud, not wanting to alarm the boy, but he strokes at his face, his shoulders, and tells him that he's going to go get something. He has no idea if Jeongguk understands him or not, but the younger whines as Hoseok pulls away. It breaks Hoseok's heart but he's got to tell the others so the managers can be informed. Jeongguk is going to be out of commission for a while.

He goes to Taehyung's bed first, waking the Omega up and telling him to go to Jeonggukie. Taehyung wakes up confused, but Hoseok explains the situation and Tae jumps up immediately. He seems alarmed by Jeongguk's pain addled state, but curls up with him all the same. The presence of his best friend seems to calm Jeongguk a little, but he's still writhing and crying.

Hoseok leaves the room and goes to Jin and Namjoon's next. Namjoon is laying closest to the door, so Hoseok shakes him awake first. Namjoon seems disoriented but when his eyes finally focus Hoseok says. "Jeongguk is presenting."

"What?" Namjoon shouts, bolting straight up and dislodging Jin from where he'd been cuddling next to him. The Omega whines, eyes blinking open, and says, "What the hell is going on?"

"Jeongguk is presenting," The other two say together and Hoseok adds. "We've gotta call the managers and get the rest of you out of here. When he starts pumping out pheromones he's likely to throw the Omega's into heat, or the Alpha's into rut. We can't have that with him incapacitated, too. I can stay back and take care of him."

Namjoon nods. "Good plan. Go, go take care of him and I'll call the manager-nims."

Hoseok agrees, and rushes to the kitchen to get more pills and several rice-filled hot packs. He warms them up in the microwave, foot tapping impatiently, and when they finish he grabs them, the pills, and a water bottle from the fridge, tucking them all into his arms. As he goes down the hall he hears Namjoon's voice picking up. "No, no, he's staying here, he needs the familiarity, the comfort. I don't care, he's not leaving, book the rest of us a hotel and Hoseok-hyung will stay with him..."

Hoseok shakes his head; management never makes things easy. As he's about to enter his room again, Jimin pokes his head out from across the hall. "What's going on?" he asks quietly. "We can hear Namjoon-hyung shouting from in here."