don’t be so hard on yourself [S.Coups x The8]
I wrote this after I got inspired by this post I reblogged, and I just... had to TT it turned out a little angstier than I thought but it ends really sweet. Seungcheol and Minghao don’t really have anything romantic, it’s more... friendship cuddles and stuff? I hope you like it~~
pairing: S.Coups x The8 genre: slight angst, comfort, anxiety, the8 comforts his hyung, c u d d l e s
“You’re sick, Seungcheol.” Jeonghan took the thermometer out of their leader’s mouth once it started beeping, and he sighed. “You’re running a fever. Let me call the manager.”
Seungcheol, who was just about to pull on a nice shirt for the fanmeet, stopped as he looked up at Jeonghan with a frown. He flopped down on the bed, a disappointed grimace on his face. He knew he was just going to have to stay at home, there was no way the managers would let him come after he was so ill.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Jisoo sat down next to him, giving his shoulder a caring squeeze. “Just get better, Coups, the fans wouldn’t want to see their precious leader sick.” “I know, just-” Seungcheol sighed, his eyes downcast as he thought hard about how he needed to get better, and fast. He didn’t want to disappoint anyone, least of all his fans, and his members that he was supposed to lead…
“Yeah, manager says you can’t come today.” Jeonghan hung up the phone, sighing slowly when he saw the crestfallen look on Seungcheol’s face. “Don’t worry, Cheol-ah, just rest. I’ll look after the kids.” “I’m not worried, I know you will.” Seungcheol smirked, before he pulled out a fresh t-shirt that he usually wore at home, from his cupboard.
“At least Minghao will have some company, he’s sick too.” Soonyoung had walked into the door, giving his leader an apologetic smile. “We’ll be sure to carry your love to Carats, hyung.”
Seungcheol nodded, a small smile on his lips as everyone in the dorm began to file out, until finally, there was silence.
The eldest was left there to his thoughts, unwanted feelings coming up and he felt a little bit like a disappointment. A lot, actually. It was better this way, to stay home and not let anyone else get sick. But he couldn’t help but feel like he had let everyone done-
“Hyung?” Minghao’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and Seungcheol looked up to the younger male, who had walked himself up to the bed and invited himself to sit down in front of him. “What’s wrong?”
Minghao asked quietly, and Seungcheol sighed into his hands, shaking his head. “It’s nothing, don’t worry.” “You look really… down, hyung, is it because of the fanmeet?” Minghao had hit the nail on the head; Seungcheol couldn’t bring himself to lie, and he slowly nodded.
“I… I wish I wasn’t sick, you know?” Seungcheol mumbled, finding an unexpected confidant in Minghao as he looked up at the younger boy. “I feel like I’ve let down everyone that was waiting for me, and people might think badly, y’know, if I’m just getting ill all the time, I need to be better-”
Seungcheol hadn’t realised the tears going down his cheeks until he felt Minghao’s thumb wipe them away, and he looked up at the concerned male slowly.
“Hyung, aren’t you being too harsh on yourself?”
Minghao scooted closer, and brought Seungcheol’s forehead to rest on his shoulder, his fingers running through the dark hair, damaged from the dye and rough to the touch.
“You’re putting yourself on a pedestal that’s too high. You think we all expect so much out of you, hyung, but you’re doing fine just the way you are.” Minghao said softly. “It’s better if you relaxed, even.”
Seungcheol was shaking his head slowly. Minghao was wrong, damn it, he was wrong-
“You need to rest, hyung. You work harder than the rest of us. And you're always pushing yourself but you need to take care of yourself too.” Minghao, his slow, almost songlike voice lulled Seungcheol to listen.
“How will you take care of us, if you're not taking care of yourself?” Minghao mumbled, putting his arms around his hyung. “You'll just exhaust yourself and Seventeen wouldn't be the same without you.”
Seungcheol slowly nodded, weakly bringing his arms up to Minghao’s smaller frame and holding the boy close, his sadness and frustration coming out through his silent tears.
“You're not in this alone, hyung. You have your limits too, and you need to know when things are hard, you should talk to us. Even if it's just to Jeonghan hyung or Shua hyung.” Minghao said quietly as he hugged him, nuzzling his face into his leader's shoulder.
“We just want you to eat well, sleep better, and take care of yourself. A healthy Choi Seungcheol is a happy Choi Seungcheol.”
An hour later, the both of them were huddled up in Seungcheol’s bed under the blankets, watching a drama on his phone. It was too cold, too lonely, and the both of them needed each other to forget about their sickness.
Seungcheol noticed that Minghao had fallen asleep, his head on his shoulder and an arm draped around his waist loosely. With a smile, he put away his phone, deciding it was time to get some rest as well if he wanted to get better.
As Seungcheol moved to bring the blankets up to cover them fully, Minghao stirred in his sleep, before his grip on Seungcheol’s waist tightened and he pushed himself further against him.
“Is it okay…” Minghao asked in a groggy voice. Seungcheol turned a little, allowing the younger male to cuddle into his chest.
“Of course…” Seungcheol whispered, his own arm going around Minghao and holding him pressed to his chest. Minghao was asleep in minutes, snoring lightly.
“Thank you.” Seungcheol murmured gratefully, before his own eyes fluttered shut and he found himself falling asleep, exhaustion from the cold and fever overcoming him.
They both deserved this rest.