Work Text:
“Achoo!”
Six heads whipped around to lock eyes on Sunoo, who just let out a startling sound that jolted the rest of the members’ attention. His sharp eyes peered over his elbow, which he had just sneezed into. They had just completed their pre-soundcheck discussion, where Jungwon ran over what songs they would be going through for their fans, but the sneeze that came out from Sunoo concluded the discussion abruptly.
“Eh? What are you guys looking at?” he asked.
Ni-ki decided to state the obvious, “You’re sick.”
Sunoo shook his head, his hair wiggling in tandem. He had cut it shorter for their recent comeback, but it was finally growing back out to a length he favored, the strands of hair slightly brushing above his eyelids.
The group was in the green room on the day of their Amsterdam concert, preparing to go on for their soundcheck. Sunoo smoothed down the t-shirt and flannel he was wearing, wrinkling his nose at the members who still peered at him curiously.
“It’s fine, I’ve taken all my supplements; I even doubled up on my Vitamin C,” he said, waving a hand in front of him.
Suddenly, another sneeze attacked him, making Jungwon shake his head. “Aish, are you sure you can be at soundcheck? If you need to rest, I can let Yuki-hyung know–”
“No, no, I don’t want Engenes to worry. I will be okay,” Sunoo reasserted, earning a knowing look from their leader.
The rest of the group spread out throughout the green room, either lounging on the couch like Jake and Heeseung were doing, scrolling away at their phone before the show, or readjusting their soundcheck outfits. Sunghoon subtly lingered around Sunoo as their leader began to grab him by the shoulders, playfully but earnestly lecturing Sunoo about staying warm during their traveling, even if it was still the latter half of summer in the European countries they were touring in.
“Sunoo-hyung, please just take care of yourself; I know you give your 100% every time, and it’s probably wearing you down. Just get some extra rest while you can, nap before soundcheck and before the show if you need to,” Jungwon urged, finally letting go of Sunoo’s shoulders.
“Alright, alright. I promise I’ll be more careful about my health, thank you, Jungwonnie,” Sunoo replied, jutting his lip out in a pout.
Jungwon nodded in satisfaction before turning sharply to point at Sunghoon, whose eyes widened at the sudden attention.
“And you! Stop making plans with Jake-hyung and enticing Sunoo-hyung to follow along; you even took him out today during our break, you know he’s not feeling well,” Jungwon reprimanded.
Sunghoon raised his hands in defense of his innocence. “Hey, it was nice out yesterday. Sunoo said he wanted some fresh air,” he replied.
It was the truth; they had just landed in Amsterdam earlier that morning, and Sunoo was feeling stir-crazy after being inside for the last two days, trying to rest as much as he could to recover before their next show. “Sunghoon-hyung, can we go see the canals?” the younger had asked, flopping himself onto the bed beside Sunghoon.
The younger blinked slyly, using his most appealing charms to get Sunghoon to leave their shared hotel room. Sunghoon looked up from his phone, where he was watching some random, silly Instagram Reel that came up, and met eyes with Sunoo. The older member most definitely can’t deny Sunoo when he looks like that.
“Okay, fine. Only for a little bit,” Sunghoon said, putting his phone down onto his lap.
Sunoo exclaimed in glee, happy to have won him over this time. He leaped over and hugged Sunghoon’s body tightly, receiving zero resistance because Sunghoon always loved the physical touch from his boyfriend.
Now, Jungwon was eyeing Sunghoon with a chagrined expression, but the members always knew the leader was just doing his best to keep them all in order and make it through this tour without overworking themselves. His efforts were noticed, but were mostly in vain since the seven of them always put so much into each show, regardless of how fatigued or jetlagged they felt; their fans always gave them much energy to continue doing what they loved.
Sunoo was always the one who did the most to prepare and put his best foot forward, no matter what; he was called the master of fanservice. Fans would scream excitedly to see him react and respond to poster after poster, pausing to pose for every section, and interact with the other members; Engenes always ate it up, and Sunoo was happy to do it for them. Due to this, Sunoo would always end up being the most physically exhausted after shows, even though mentally, he was more than happy to do it all.
Sunghoon would worry from afar and in private, buying Sunoo lozenges when his voice seemed scratchier than usual, ordering a warm soup after shows because he knew that was his favorite; Sunghoon always felt naturally inclined to take care of Sunoo, as if it was an innate urge deep within him.
The younger sniffled slightly, an obvious cold coming upon him, but not yet fully fledged. At that, Jungwon pats his hyung on his head before stepping away to speak to their coordinator to arrange for a healing meal to be provided after the show.
“You should nap; you seem a bit tired, Sunoo-yah,” Sunghoon said.
“Everyone needs to stop fussing over me – besides, I’m the one handing out supplements like candy when I see any of you showing even the slightest signs of being sick,” Sunoo huffed, pouting.
“Okay, yes, but look at you now. You can’t take care of others without tending to yourself first,” Sunghoon replied, pulling the younger one in for a hug. Sunoo let out a muffled hmmph while his face was pressed against his chest, making Sunghoon snort. Sunoo snaked his arms around Sunghoon, sighing in relief as they held each other for a moment before the chaos of the concert began.
Hopefully, they could get a long, extended rest once this whole tour was over, one could dream.
A roar of applause and screams erupted once the final beat of Go Big or Go Home resounded in the arena, the residual of the intense bass thrumming in Sunghoon’s chest like no other. “Thank you, Engene!!” Heeseung called over his mic as the members linked hands to do their final deep bow.
At his periphery, Sunghoon could see Sunoo lingering in the fold of his bow for just a moment longer, most likely feeling the weight of the illness now. Sunghoon reached over and grasped Sunoo’s hand in a reassuring hold, squeezing just slightly so it was subtle enough but received by the younger.
The group made their way back to the main stage, waving at fans and bowing as they watched the moving screen close and eventually shut completely; they were done with their Brussels show, which only meant there were two more stops left in Europe. Ni-ki and Jay were whooping loudly as they all walked back to the green room to get a small respite before the send-off. Sunoo was sighing, tugging his already-removed in-ears from around his neck and handing them to a staff member, thanking them graciously for the help. Sunghoon was following behind, doing the same.
“Great job, great job, thank you!” The members chanted in a haphazard chorus, giving their final thanks to the concert staff, who were hustling about to break down the stage following the show.
An hour later, after what felt like endless selfies were snapped and photocards were signed, Enhypen piled into their van, sighing as they landed into the comfortable leather seats. Sunghoon took his spot beside Sunoo, who was already leaning his head on the glass of the window, eyes closed. He reached down to place his palm on Sunoo’s thigh to rub comforting circles with his thumb.
“Okay, once we get to the hotel, do your final checks because we will be taking off to the airport at 4:30 AM. Staff will come pick up our luggage at 11:45 PM tonight; we won’t have any time to waste, so please be proactive,” Jungwon chirped from his spot in the first row, where he was turned to the back to face the members, kneeling on the seat and gripping onto the headrest. “Good job today, guys.”
Jungwon then glanced over to Sunghoon, who was still looking at the half-awake figure of Sunoo in the seat next to him. “Sunghoon-hyung, would you be able to help him with packing the rest of his bag so we can distribute it to the staff? I’m thinking we should let him rest for as long as possible,” the younger leader asked, with a thankful expression.
Sunghoon nodded as Sunoo lolled his head over, leaning it onto his boyfriend’s shoulder instead of the cold window. His hand reached over to slip into Sunghoon’s and laced their fingers together. Sunghoon knew that the cold afflicting Sunoo was only getting worse, even with all the supplements and electrolytes the younger member was pounding down every hour.
“By the way, please don’t engage in any kissing or anything of the sort while Sunoo-hyung is recovering; I can’t risk having you sick either, hyung,” Jungwon added.
The rest of the group burst into a cacophonous harmony of feigned repulsion at the thought of the pair’s displays of affection, as Sunghoon slowly covered his face to hide his reddening cheeks. Sunoo and Sunghoon have definitely been caught before in the act of make-outs or some nearly racy moments by the other members on more occasions than they would be comfortable with, so this was just downright inelegant of him. (“Can we just get a new door or something? How do they keep barging into my room even when we lock it?” “They just need to go buy their own skincare instead of coming in to use yours, Sunoo-yah.”)
The group begrudgingly made their early flight from Belgium to Berlin, one of their final stops of the tour. They made their way to their hotel rooms, excited to hop into their beds to finish their much-needed slumber. It was only short-lived, however, before an official soundcheck would take place, where they ran through the entire setlist quickly for the sound engineers to check on their mics, and staff could test the visuals and lightsticks.
Once they were back from their day’s schedule, Sunghoon was lying supine on the bed, unable to move. “Heol, I’m so tired, how are we going to survive,” he groaned out loud, rubbing his face.
Sunoo hummed in acknowledgement. He was sitting at the desk of Sunghoon’s hotel room, thumbing his lower lip as he scrolled through his phone. Each member was able to have their own room during this stop, but it didn’t stop Sunoo from traipsing over to his boyfriend’s room fully in his pajamas, dark hair freshly washed using his favorite floral-scented shampoo, and bangs clipped away with some hairclips he bought during their Japan stop. To top it off, a sheet mask was smoothed over his face as he was winding down for the evening.
As Sunghoon lay on the mattress like a rock, Sunoo made his way into the bathroom and peeled off the mask, revealing a perfect, dewy landscape of his skin, which he most definitely prided himself on. He shuffled back into the room, plopping beside Sunghoon, the mattress bouncing with his arrival. Sunoo laughed out loud at the result of his actions.
“You sound like you’re doing better,” Sunghoon commented, rolling over from his back to face his boyfriend.
Sunoo’s lips suddenly formed a pout.
“I still feel sick, but I’m just tired of letting it bother me,” he replied.
Sunghoon hummed at his response before ruffling Sunoo’s hair and messing up his clipped-away hair. The younger made a noise of exasperation, trying to swat his hands away. Sunghoon laughed at how cute Sunoo’s reactions were to his antics, which were never-ending nowadays because he was so enamored by everything Sunoo did. He most definitely saw the way fans fawned over their interactions, especially commenting on the progression they'd made since their time on I-Land, where Sunoo was definitely vying for his attention – and now, Sunghoon wouldn’t leave Sunoo alone even if the younger would protest.
Since Sunoo suddenly had a newfound burst of energy, Sunghoon thought it would be a perfect time to provoke him some more. The older suddenly climbed over Sunoo’s body, beginning to pepper kisses all over Sunoo’s face while cradling his cheeks in his hands. Sunghoon grinned when he squeezed his palms, making Sunoo’s cheeks smush together and forcing his lips into a pout.
“Yahh!!!” Sunoo protested, hands flying up to try and wrench Sunghoon's hands off his face. “My sheet mask serum hasn’t dried yet!!!”
Sunghoon couldn't be bothered because he had deprived himself of doing anything affectionate to Sunoo while the younger was in the depths of his sickness. He continued tickling Sunoo’s skin with more kisses, planting some across his forehead, all over the flesh of his cheeks, the tip of his nose, and along his jawline; finally, he paused, hovering over Sunoo’s lips.
“I missed kissing you, baby,” Sunghoon said, becoming pouty himself.
Sunoo wrinkled his nose, face still held in Sunghoon’s hands. “You’re so corny, oh my gosh,” he replied, pretending to be peeved, but Sunghoon knew the younger loved it so much.
“Don’t kiss me, you’re going to get sick, Hoonie.”
Sunghoon shook his head, jutting his lip out. “No, I don’t care, it’s worth it.”
The younger began to protest again, so Sunghoon leaned in, pressing a searing, hot kiss into Sunoo’s lips, cutting the younger off from his objections. They both moaned softly, simultaneously relieved that the drought was over; they kissed hungrily, hands roaming up and down each other’s bodies. Sunghoon felt his mind grow hazy at the taste of Sunoo, something he missed desperately over the course of the week.
Sunoo hastily parted his mouth further when Sunghoon decided to cheekily slip his tongue in, swiping across to drink him in further. They continued their makeout, feeling each other’s bodies underneath their fingertips and leaving heated trails in their wake. Sunoo’s hand reached down slowly, sliding over Sunghoon’s half-hard bulge in his pants and palming him firmly, earning a low groan from the mere sensation. However, no matter how badly he would love to let Sunoo go down on him, and how he most definitely would love to return the favor by railing Sunoo exactly the way he liked it, Sunghoon knew he would have to resist, just this once.
“No, Sunoo-yah, we shouldn’t go further tonight.”
Sunoo frowned, his eyes growing round in despondency.
The older sighed, trying so hard not to give in to that sweet face of Sunoo’s.
”Trust me, I really want to, baby, but we shouldn’t tire you out before tomorrow’s show. Hmm..”
Sunghoon looked around the hotel room, trying to see if there was a way to divert their pent-up energy instead (because Sunghoon doubted he could hold back if they continued kissing and touching each other like this). Suddenly, his interest piqued, letting out a tiny exclamation when he came up with a solution. Sunoo glanced up, blinking curiously. “Hmm?” he inquired.
“I’ll go get that game you’ve been wanting to play with me, Teamfight Tactics?”
Sunoo’s eyes suddenly lit up, forgetting his upset over the sudden stop to their makeout. “Oh my god, yes, can we play, please? I can whoop your ass,” Sunoo stated with a cheeky scowl, his reaction a little too confident for Sunghoon’s satisfaction.
The older clicked his tongue, “Wow, someone’s eager to one-up me. Okay, let me go get my tablet from Jake-hyung then; he borrowed it on the plane earlier.”
As Sunghoon left the room to retrieve the said tablet, Sunoo happily lay on his stomach, kicking his legs in the air, already moved on from his earlier discontent. He opened Weverse, scrolling through the recent posts that Engenes were leaving, mostly congratulating them for their finished Brussels show from the night before.
One post popped up on his feed that caught his eye, simple and innocent enough.
Ddeon, what are you up to, the fan had written.
Grinning to himself, he quickly typed a response.
I’m now waiting to play games with Sunghoonie-hyung..
Once he hit post, Sunoo’s phone began to explode with responses, the number of hearts multiplying by the second. He giggled, thinking about how Engenes always speculated over his relationship with Sunghoon, with half of the fans convinced they were just very good friends, while the other half deemed their fanservice and moments as proof that they were dating – the pair would never reveal the truth, of course. So, Sunoo would just relish in silently acknowledging the fan compilations that always had captions proclaiming, SUNSUN IS REAL, DONT @ ME.
The door clacked open as his boyfriend returned, with not only a tablet in hand but also a takeout container that was most definitely filled with hot soup. Sunoo smiled widely, heart swelling with adoration over his sweet, sweet boyfriend. Too bad he was sick, because he would be climbing all over Sunghoon and show him how much he loved him, in a more risque way.
Another post flashed across his screen that he had to cheekily respond to.
acorn, why are you so cute ㅋ, the fan wrote.
ah sunghoonie hyung’s here, bye~~
At that, Sunoo posted the comment, shutting his phone off to scoot over and meet Sunghoon at the edge of the bed, cuddling his boyfriend's side; Sunghoon was explaining that he was secretly timing the arrival of the takeout so that it came after Sunoo's sheet mask was done.
For now, even though their intimacy was put at a pause during Sunoo's cold, delighting in each other's company over comfort food and playing games into the wee hours was more than enough for both of them.
The next day was their Walk the Line show in Berlin; the preparation for the concert went smoothly, taking off without a hitch as they breezed through an energized run-through earlier in the day and were anticipating the fan soundcheck soon.
All the members were now lingering in the green room, drinking in their fifteen minutes of peace before hopping on stage to see their fans in Berlin for the first time.
They were enjoying the quiet until suddenly, the silence was broken with the loudest sneeze that the group had heard in existence.
“ACHOO!”
Everyone was staring at Sunghoon, who was rubbing the tip of his nose with a sheepish smile on his lips. Ni-ki couldn’t hold back his laughter, snorting as he tried covering his mouth with his forearm.
“Oh my god, you literally sound like my grandpa, hyung,” he cackled, earning a shared, raucous laughter from Jake and Jay. Heeseung was also snickering behind the back of his hand.
Sunghoon wanted to snap back and sass the youngest, but suddenly, he was overwhelmed with another startling sneeze. Now, Sunoo was giggling, covering his mouth immediately to shield his amusement. Jungwon let out a noise that was half a sharp gasp and a choked yelp.
Right then, a silence fell over the group as they slowly realized how Sunghoon most likely fell sick.
Jungwon narrowed his sharp eyes at his two older members. “Yah….what did I say about staying healthy…and staying away from Sunoo-hyung……”
Sunghoon didn't make it to soundcheck that day.
Later on, after Sunghoon managed to get through the Berlin show (thanks to the power nap Jungwon forced him to take), a fan posted on Weverse after the show, worried about his absence at soundcheck.
sunghoon, are you not feeling well? i hope you’re okay ㅠㅠ
Jay had replied: he’s recovering well, our team’s pyeonyuk is strong after all
Sunoo read the post, giggling to himself as Sunghoon slept beside him in the hotel bed, tucked into Sunoo's side endearingly. The older was completely passed out from taking a cold medication that made him loopy and drowsy before he knocked out.
"Sunoo-yah......you're so pretty, prettiest boy in the whole world....promise me you will never leave me, never, ever, pleaseeee baby....I love youuuu," Sunghoon had drawled moments before falling asleep, eyes already shut and heavy from the medicine he took.
At that moment, Sunoo desperately wished he could share with the world how damn clingy Park Sunghoon can get when he falls ill.
Sunghoon scratched the side of his nose, feeling considerably stiff in the chic, neutral-colored hanboks they were donning for the filming of their Chuseok greeting message for their YouTube channel.
It was the beginning of September, so the humid summer heat that beat down on Seoul was finally winding down; it was beginning to feel like the holidays. Hence, it was the perfect time to film the greeting as well as another piece of content for the Chuseok Special that the content staff had planned, since they had just returned to Seoul following the completion of their tour.
“Okay, we’re on in three, two…” The director signaled the last number before the red light of the camera flickered on.
“Alright, we’d like to say our greetings; one, two…” Jungwon began.
“Hello, this is ENHYPEN,” the group chimed in together, bowing for the camera.
The message was a brief one, where they would review if they achieved the resolutions they set earlier during New Year’s. Jay was speaking about the experience of performing at Coachella, which was a huge success and feat for the group, earning a hum of agreement from the members.
Jungwon glanced over to acknowledge Jay, who completed his response; the leader turned to slightly make eye contact with Sunoo, whose turn was next.
“Mine was to stay healthy,” Sunoo said, with a tiny, polite smile on his face.
Jungwon cut in, his tone sweet and light – but the members knew he was very well concealing his sass. “But you have a cold right now.”
“Failed!” Jay said, simultaneously as Sunghoon started chuckling.
“I failed to do it,” Sunoo stated disdainfully.
Now, it was Sunghoon’s turn, and all he had to say was, “I think mine was to stay healthy too, but I also have a cold.”
Ni-ki and Jake were now fighting for their life, trying not to laugh when Jay repeated, “Failed!” Jungwon shot the couple another knowing look in his periphery before diverting the topic to his own answer.
Sunghoon and Sunoo smiled to themselves, pleased with their responses, damn well knowing they brought their sickness upon each other. Worth it.