Morning came slowly.
Thin sunlight slipped through the curtains, pale gold stretching quietly across the unfamiliar bed.
The room smelled faintly of medicine and rain-damp clothes, the calm after yesterday's storm.
Ping stirred first.
Still half asleep, he shifted slightly-then frowned.
Warmth.
There was warmth beside him.
His body stiffened instantly.
"...Why is this bed so big?"
For a second, confusion clouded his mind.
Then everything came rushing back at once.
The fever.
The cooking.
The way he'd stayed beside Keng longer than he planned.
And worst of all- the stupidly honest things he had said.
Ping's eyes widened in horror.
Slowly, almost mechanically, he turned his head.
Keng was asleep beside him.
Not too close. But close enough.
One arm rested near Ping's waist without touching him, as though even in sleep, Keng was careful not to cross boundaries he hadn't earned back yet.
His breathing was steady now, no longer uneven from fever. The redness in his face had faded too. He looked peaceful. Too peaceful.
Ping swallowed hard.
"Why does he look this good while sleeping?"
Carefully, he lifted the blanket and tried to slide out of bed without making noise.
Step one: escape.
Step two: pretend none of this ever happened.
Unfortunately- life hated Ping.
"You don't have to sneak out."
Ping froze mid-step.
Slowly, he turned around.
Keng was still lying there, eyes closed, voice low and lazy-almost amused.
"...Thank you," Keng added quietly before finally opening his eyes.
Ping immediately straightened.
"Jerk," he muttered.
Keng's lips twitched faintly.
"You could've just said you were awake," Ping complained quickly, fixing his clothes just to avoid eye contact.
"You're the sneaky one here." he added.
Keng smiled softly, clearly enjoying this more than he should have.
Before he could respond, Ping cut him off.
"You seem fine now, so I'll get going."
Then he moved fast. Too fast. He practically slipped through the door before Keng could say another word.
"Cough... cough-"
The suspiciously dramatic cough followed him into the hallway.
Ping refused to look back. Absolutely refused.
"And where are you coming from so early?"
Ping nearly jumped.
Rain stood in the hallway with crossed arms and the most knowing smile imaginable.
Ping stiffened immediately.
"Mind your business," he replied flatly, brushing past him.
Rain followed easily.
"Ohhh," he dragged out teasingly.
"You should've told me you were sleeping over."
"I didn't plan to!" Ping snapped.
"It just... happened."
"If you say so," Rain replied innocently, though his grin said otherwise.
Ping groaned loudly and quickened his pace.
Rain laughed the entire way back to their room.
-
Later that day, Keng looked significantly healthier.
Which unfortunately meant Tao, Jinn, and Bank regained their energy to annoy him.
"You look way better," Tao said suspiciously while eyeing him up and down.
"Recovered overnight, huh?"
"You should thank us," Bank added proudly.
"We told Ping to check up on you."
Keng paused briefly.
Then- he smiled.
Soft.
Real.
"...Well," he said casually, glancing away,
"you guys aren't completely useless after all."
The three of them stared at him in complete silence.
Then Tao pointed dramatically.
"...Wow."
Jinn nodded slowly.
"He's gone."
"Completely gone," Bank agreed.
"You're down horrendous," Tao finished.
Keng didn't even deny it. Which honestly made it worse.
-
Meanwhile, Ping was suffering in a completely different way. His arms were stacked full of heavy boxes that threatened to topple over at any second.
Considering his smaller build, it honestly looked dangerous.
Still- his pride refused to let him ask for help.
Ping puffed his chest out slightly and kept walking stubbornly.
Then a familiar voice appeared beside him.
"Here," Keng said smoothly.
"Let me help."
Ping didn't even look at him.
"No. Don't bother."
Keng stared at him.
Ping continued wobbling dangerously under the weight of the boxes like a determined baby duck.
"...You're seriously refusing?"
"I can carry them myself." Ping replied proudly.
But his confidence lasted exactly three seconds.
Because the moment Ping took another step- his foot slipped.
Everything happened quickly.
The boxes tilted. Ping stumbled forward- And suddenly, strong arms wrapped around him, steadying him before he could hit the floor.
Ping froze completely.
Keng's grip was firm but careful, one arm around his waist while the other steadied the falling boxes effortlessly.
For a moment- Ping forgot how to breathe.
He was close.
Way too close.
Close enough to notice the clean scent lingering on Keng's clothes.
Close enough to see the sharp lines of his jaw clearly.
Close enough to notice the top buttons of his shirt slightly undone, exposing just enough skin to make Ping's brain stop functioning properly.
And those eyes- Seriously unfair.
Anyone would get trapped looking into them.
Ping stared too long.
Keng noticed and smirked slightly, he flicked Ping lightly on the forehead.
"I know I'm handsome," he teased.
Ping's face exploded with heat.
"I-I wasn't staring!"
"Sure." Keng replied adjusting Ping's messy hair naturally, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"I told you I would help," he murmured quietly.
"Why do you have to be so stubborn?"
Ping's brain officially gave up. He straightened instantly, trying desperately to regain composure.
Keng only looked more amused.
Without effort, he lifted the boxes from Ping's arms like they weighed nothing.
"By the way..." Keng said casually while carrying them,
"I brought you lunch."
Ping blinked.
"What?"
Keng reached into one of the boxes and handed him a neatly packed lunch.
"I figured you probably skipped breakfast this morning."
Ping looked caught immediately.
"I... I just didn't have time," he muttered weakly.
"Exactly why you need this."
The reply came too smoothly. Too naturally. Like taking care of Ping had already become instinct.
Ping accepted the lunch quietly, trying not to look affected by it. Which failed terribly.
Keng smiled faintly as they continued walking.
"I noticed something else too," he said.
Ping frowned slightly. "What?"
"You don't wear glasses anymore."
Ping blinked.
"The contact lenses..." Keng continued, glancing at him briefly.
"They look good on you."
Ping rolled his eyes quickly, though his ears were already turning red again.
"I just decided to change my look. You have a problem with that?"
Keng smirked. "No problem at all."
The way he said it made Ping's stomach flip annoyingly.
And then- Ping's eyes drifted downward accidentally.
Toward Keng's arms.
The sleeves of his shirt were rolled slightly upward now from carrying the boxes, revealing toned forearms flexing naturally with the weight.
Ping's brain short-circuited instantly.
"Oh my God."
Ping lowered his head immediately in embarrassment.
"...Ping, you're really hopeless," he muttered quietly to himself.
Unfortunately- Keng heard him.
And the smile that spread across his face afterward lasted the entire day.