ice cream | ateez 7+1

hongjoong (final)

insecurities. they were eating hongjoong up.

hate. that too, was getting to hongjoong.

stress. hongjoong was stressed out, and this is the first time he admitted that he had overworked.

sadness.. hongjoong was upset.

and to top everything off, the poor boy was ill.

-

"have you seen hongjoong hyung?"

this was the fifth time a member asked mingi this question.

to his dismay, the answer was still no.

-

to be honest, hongjoong has never went back home, after the mwave performance.

after the performances, he brought san to the ice cream parlour, as promised. he then told san that he left something at the arena and that san should head back home first. san did so.

hongjoong ended up taking a midnight taxi to the studio, and started working on tracks. he knew that treasure ep.3 just released, but that also meant that a new album needs to be worked on.

at three am, hongjoong stopped. he headed to the basement, for dance practice. he thought he messed up during aurora, which honestly, he didn't.

hongjoong replayed fancams over fancams, trying to pick up everything good the members did. he wanted to learn from all seven of them.

at six, hongjoong felt his eyelids getting heavy, and soon fell asleep in the basement.

-

"what if he's just downstairs, at the basement?" yeosang spoke up.

the members gathered around and discussed on where hongjoong might be at. various places were named. but like yeosang thought, they missed out on the basement.

"oh."

the members hurried down to the basement and released the sighs and breaths they didn't realize they were all holding in, when they saw the small leader curled up on himself.

"hongjoong ah,"

no response.

yunho hurried to hongjoong, and realized that the small boy looked a little bit ill and too pale for his liking.

mingi went to them, and placed a hand on hongjoong's forehead. the hand recoiled as soon as he felt the amount of heat radiating off the leader's body. 

"i think hyung's sick,"

jongho frowned, knowing how bad hongjoong's condition could get when he's ill. he knew him since mixnine, and has seen it all.

the members decided to carry hongjoong bridal style back to his bedroom, and let him get the rest he needs there.

-

it was eight at night.

jongho's phone's alarm set off. "check on hongjoong hyung".

he got up from the sofa and made his way to the elder's room.

opening the door, he stepped foot in hongjoong's room, and his eyes met with the sight of said boy sobbing while scrolling through twitter.

"hyung?"

hongjoong quickly turned off his phone, not wanting anyone to see what he was looking at.

he wiped off his tears, and put on an act as if he wasn't crying before.

"jongho?"

"what's wrong?"

hongjoong shook his head. nothing, he wanted to say. but that would be lying.

"hyung, i know when you're upset."

"hate," hongjoong mumbled.

he kind of felt ashamed as he wasn't one to be affected by things like this.

jongho went to hongjoong, not caring if he'd catch the bug, and cuddled him. the hyung has been nothing but nice and caring to every one of the members and he deserves affection, too.

-

hongjoong woke up as a sharp pain hit his stomach.

he winced, but tried his best to keep quiet as he didn't want to wake up the sleeping member next to him. it was mingi.

another wave of pain came and he accidentally let out a yelp.

mingi woke up.

"hyung!"

mingi saw pain and exhaustion written all over the elder's face. he felt so bad.

mingi rubbed his back.

hongjoong didn't notice yunho until he started rubbing the elder's stomach.

"do you feel better?"

hongjoong nodded. he'll thank them the next day.

-

both mingi and yunho woke up earlier the next morning, prepared to help the leader, after last night's events.

at nine, hongjoong woke up.

his stomach didn't feel as painful as the previous nights, his throat didn't feel tight, and he felt like he could finally breathe.

except, one thing was on his mind.

"mingi, yunho?"

the boys turned to look at hongjoong.

"do i drag ateez down?"

they frowned.

was that the reason why jongho saw hongjoong crying? did he let hate get to him?

"hyung, hate comments come as long as there are positive ones. you really shouldn't believe what those mean people are saying. we promise you, it's not true."

"and to answer your question, hyung, no. you're the most beautiful person my eyes have ever landed on."

"wait, yunho, that was my line!"

yunho stuck out his tounge at the other. 

"i guess you just have to come up with another one!"

hongjoong smiled at two. they were idiots, but they were his idiots.

-

"hongjoong hyung, i know you're still sick, but..." yeosang trailed off.

san wanted to help complete the question.

"ice cream?"

"okay!"

after seeing seven different flavoured ice cream from each member, hongjoong didn't care if his upset stomach would return. he didn't want any member to feel left out so he did what he could. he ate all seven.

he would have his friends by his side, anyway.

☆ the end

gah if you made it this far, thank you so, so much!

it's a story without an actual plot that i  decided to publish as there are not enough ateez works out there.

again, if you completed ice cream, i can't thank you enough.

i love you.