love, feel stupid, repeat (drabble)

[qiguai]

This was written for a challenge I posted on my personal journal. It's inspired by lyrics by Taiwanese musician Yen-J.

love, feel stupid, repeat
u-kiss, eli/soohyun, g, 900w

I don't want anyone to know that I'm in love with you But it's hard to hide my smile Smiling foolishly like this Love made us love until it's too much, until I forget myself, but I don't forget you Because I want to treasure you forever, my love -- "My Love 438" For five whole minutes, Eli stares at a door. For five more minutes, he stares at that door's doorbell. For yet another but the last set of five minutes, he feels very, very embarrassed by the items in his hands, so he hides them behind his back as he finally takes a deep breath and presses the bell. He hears someone shout from behind the door, and it takes almost a full extra minute before it swings open. Soohyun's mother looks apologetic and exhausted but still appropriately happy to see him as she pulls Eli into a brief hug. "Thank goodness you came," she says breathlessly as she runs back into the kitchen. "Everyone else is so busy and he's just miserable." He bites his lip and nods. He knows that everyone else is busy, because earlier he'd called every single one of them to see if someone else could do this for him. The small apartment is quiet, he glances nervously at the bedroom. "Is he asleep?" he whispers just in case. She sighs and shakes her head. "I wish." She returns to the sink full of dishes. "I got him to eat earlier despite his diet, but I've done all I can. It's amazing how one boy can be so stubborn!" She shakes her head again and waves him on. "Go say hello, please. Anything to improve his mood." Eli smiles to himself and tiptoes through the hallway. He puts his ear to the bedroom door, but hears nothing within. The door creaks as he cracks it open, but still no sound. "Hyung?" he calls out quietly. Deductive reasoning leads him to believe that said hyung is the giant lump in the bed, which rustles a little in greeting. All of his earlier nerves wash away and he sets the thermos on Soohyun's desk to bounce onto the edge of the bed. The lump-like Soohyun bounces as well, but in a very dejected fashion. "Anyone home?" Eli sings in English, prodding the side of the lump with one hand. With a sad little flop, the lump replies that no, there is no one at all at home. Eli grins to himself. "I brought you a present, he says enticingly. He grabs the lump around what he assumes to be the shoulders and gently shakes it. "It'll make you feel better." Soohyun the lump, however, doesn't appear interested in the least. If only he could speak to Soohyun the man; Eli has no experience conversing with piles of blankets. A plan pops into his mind, and it's not a very good one, but at least it's something. With a grunt, he leaps upon the lump, grabbing it in his arms and his legs. It bucks mutedly beneath him and he screams with wild laughter. He lets it throw him off and he rolls to the side on the bed. Finally, Soohyun emerges from within the lump looking very disheveled and very displeased. He opens his mouth to speak, pauses, and then closes it again with a frustrated furrow of his brow. "You know," Eli says thoughtfully, shifting to lean on one elbow. "As inconvenient as this throat thing is for our promoting, it makes hanging out with you much easier." And for that, he gets a pillow in the face. Soohyun almost returns to his lump state, but Eli pulls the blankets away and sits on them. Soohyun folds his arms across his chest and quietly fumes in Eli's direction. "You can pay me back later, okay?" Eli says, more kindly this time. Soohyun's expression softens a little and Eli notices the feverish flush. "I'm sorry," he says. He suddenly feels very foolish. "I should have let you rest. I just wanted to--" A hand touches him gently on the shoulder. Soohyun smiles at him and Eli blushes a little. He quickly rises from the bed and fetches the thermos. "I-I brought you some tea." The words feel idiotic as they leave his lips. He bites his lip and fumbles with the lid, then gives up. Soohyun accepts it with another smile and nods his thanks. Another sheepish smile sneaks onto Eli's face, but he can't stop it. It takes Soohyun a few seconds to force the thing open, and then he takes a few long, silent sips. He sighs and gives Eli a cheerful thumbs-up. The happy shine in Soohyun's eyes has Eli grinning from ear to ear. He glances at the door and hesitates. Soohyun shakes his head and pats the spot next to him on the bed, which Eli takes with more glee than intended. In his stupidly pleased state, he watches Soohyun drink the tea, and to fill the silence he chatters on about the tea, where he found it, how he heard about it, and really anything that happens to come to mind. He can't ever remember talking so much during a conversation. Soohyun appears genuinely grateful, too, leaning back against his headboard and nodding know and then to show he's still paying attention. Eli is still smiling when he leaves some time later, when Soohyun finally agrees to try sleeping again, and falls asleep before Eli has even left the room.