I Think A Lot About How Seonghwa Wants To Be Treated When Ill And This Fits - Tumblr Posts

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orange flavoured - p.sh

park seonghwa x gender neutral!reader

cw - college-ish!au, fluff, sickfic, seonghwa has a fever

word count: 1.5k

Seeing Seonghwa at your front door at ungodly hours of the night was not a regular occurence. Hongjoong, sure. Even San and Wooyoung had a habit of turning up at your place at fuck o'clock in the morning for whatever reason, because they knew you lived alone and always had a free sofa and hot water to shower with. Not to mention it was convenient, because you lived just a few minutes walk from campus. Despite this, Seonghwa was never one to come to your house in the middle of the night. He could get to his dorm room unharmed even if he was drunk or sleep deprived, thank you very much. He was self-sufficient that way. So opening the door to your cramped apartment at 3 a.m. to be greeted by his face twisted into an uncomfortable grimace was enough to make an icy block of worry form in your stomach.

"Hwa?" you asked, your voice gruff from having just woken up. "What's wrong?"

"I don't feel well," he whispered, voice barely audible.

He winced after speaking, lips pressing into a thin line. You realised then that he was struggling to stand upright and although you were still half asleep, you rushed forward to pull him inside, one hand on his waist and one reaching past him as you pulled your door shut. You heard Seonghwa let out a soft sigh before he leaned into you. You realised then that even through the layers of his and your clothing you could feel his skin burning up.

"You're burning up," you stated simply, earning a whine from Seonghwa, who lifted himself away from you after you spoke. He tried to smile but his expression showed his discomfort all the same.

"I was at the library and I tried getting home but I don't- I don't feel well," he said. You couldn't help but pout at seeing him so vulnerable. It was an unusual sight. "And I thought maybe since Joong stays here sometimes I could stay over? If it's okay with you."

"Of course it's okay!" you reassured him, pressing a hand between his shoulder blades and guiding him to your sofa, where he collapsed with a groan and with very little grace. You rested the back of your hand on his forehead, his whole body shuddering at the feeling of your room temperature skin on his own overheated skin. With a long sigh you removed your hand and examined Seonghwa's state. His features pulled into an expression of discomfort with a little furrow between his brows, his shaking hands hugging his sides and sweat that was starting to make his hair stick to his forehead. Worry and fondness tugged at your heart as you leaned down to push his hair out of his face. "Seonghwa?"

"Mh?" he grunted, his teary eyes meeting yours.

"I'm gonna get you some medication and something comfortable to wear, okay? I think Hongjoong left some clothes here a while ago so I'll bring you those," you told him. Despite how pained he looked he nodded once you were done speaking, leaning into the corner of the sofa with a sharp exhale. You nodded to yourself when he closed his eyes, leaving him to rest while you collected everything you'd promised him.

A thermometer, a pack of over-the-counter fever medication, a hoodie and sweatpants and a glass of water later, you were kneeling on the sofa in front of a disgruntled and sweaty Seonghwa who didn't even have the strength to protest when you took hold of his face and asked him to open his mouth. You pressed the thermometer beneath his tongue and smiled at the small sound that left him when he closed his mouth around it. Your apartment was silent while you waited for the thermometer to beep, Seonghwa's cheek uncomfortably warm against your palm as you held his face in place. It was an intimacy you had never shared with any of your other friends before, taking the thermometer out of his mouth and reassuring him that his fever wasn't all that bad, and the knowledge made a small smile play on your lips.

"Do you need help changing?" you asked from where you stood in front of him, running your fingers through his hair while he took the medication with the water you'd given him. He shook his head and leaned into your touch, his eyes falling shut as he set the empty glass down in his lap. When he made no move to set aside the glass you laughed softly, letting go of his head to set the glass aside yourself and unfold the hoodie you had brought him. "Here, sit up for me."

"You don't have to help me," Seonghwa protested, opening his eyes and pouting at you in a way he usually only did when he was trying to make you laugh. You smiled and reached for his hand.

"It's okay," you said, giving his hand a squeeze. "Let me take care of you."

Seonghwa was silent, his ears turning pink, but after a moment he squeezed your hand back and sat up properly.

"There we go," you hummed, letting go of his hand to set the hoodie down in his lap. He shuddered when you helped him take off his shirt, the air of your apartment far too cold for his body to handle. He raised his arms silently when you picked up the hoodie, allowing you to slip it onto him without much difficulty. Changing his pants, however, was another story, as he sat with his hands pressed to his thighs with a rigid frown on his face. "Seonghwa, you can't sleep in these jeans."

"It's embarrassing," he murmured, eyes fixed on your shoulder instead of your face. The longer you sat with your hands on his knees the redder his cheeks turned, making him look like a sweaty strawberry wearing a slightly too small hoodie.

"I've seen you at the pool before," you pointed out, earning a look from Seonghwa.

"That's not the same," he huffed, brows drawing together as he shifted his gaze down to his lap. Seeing how stubborn he was and how ill he still looked you sighed and set the sweatpants aside, your soft spot for him far too soft to keep insisting with him.

"Okay, let's just get you to sleep," you said, smiling when he let out a happy hum. "Are you feeling any better?"

"No, not yet," he mumbled, wrapping his arms around himself and squeezing slightly. "I'm so cold."

"I'll get you an extra blanket and in the morning you can take a warm shower, okay?" you offered. Seonghwa nodded in response, offering you a small smile. You stood up again and held out your hand. "Come on, let's get you in bed."

Seonghwa complied quietly after that, sniffling occasionally in discomfort even as you tucked him into your bed, settling a blanket over his shoulders as he curled up tightly. His eyes were shut but he still didn't look peaceful, shivering with every movement he made. Your heart ached in your chest and you stroked his hair out of his face once more before you turned to your bedroom door.

"Call me if you need anything," you told him, your hand already on the door handle when Seonghwa let out a low whine.

"Please stay," he called out, his voice unsteady. You glanced back at your bed in surprise and heard him more than saw him move around, your bedsheets rustling in the quiet of the room. There was a little more silence before he spoke again. "You don't have to, I just- I thought I might feel better if you're here."

"Oh," you whispered, unable to stop yourself. You smiled as you shut your bedroom door and stepped back towards the bed. It was a wide, fond smile that turned into a grin once you were lying down in front of Seonghwa, holding out your hand for him to hold. He took it without hesitation, lacing his fingers with yours so that his clammy palm was pressed against your own dry palm. "I've got you. You'll feel better soon, okay?"

In front of you Seonghwa sniffled but nodded.

"Okay," he answered, his voice watery. You pouted and shuffled a little closer to him, kissing his knuckles before you could think too much of it.

"Get some rest," you told him, smiling when he gave your hand a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you for taking care of me," he whispered, giving your knuckles a feverish kiss of his own before he hugged your hand to his chest. You could feel his heart pounding and realised absentmindedly that this intimacy was even greater than when you'd just been taking his temperature. The thought didn't last long though, your mind quickly floating back into the sleepy state it had been in when Seonghwa first arrived.

"Always," you assured him.

By the end of the next day Seonghwa was feeling fine again and the experience only brought about two changes. The first was that he now knew his body was definitely not made for studying past three in the morning. The second was that he quickly became a regular presence in your apartment three or so nights a week, which was a pleasant and domestic change that you happily welcomed. If Hongjoong and San and Wooyoung were slightly jealous that their rest stop had been taken over by Seonghwa then - well, you'd leave that for them to figure out.

☆⌒

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