Disclaimer: I do not own SMEntertainment or Super Junior

Eunhyuk's got something heavy weighing on his mind. Who does he call and what happens? HanHyuk Friendship.

Notes: "Wei?" is the equivalent of the English phrase "Hello?" when speaking on the phone.

"Wei?"

"Hyung…"

"E-eh? Is this Eunhyuk? This is a surprise. What's up?"

"Can I come visit?"

"… Huh?"

"I need a break. Can I come visit?"

"… Are you okay? Sure you can come over… I'll try to make some time. But isn't it a bit far?"

"We have a week off since we just finished promotions. When's a good time?"

"Do you already have plane tickets or something?"

"… Yeah…"

"Haha, so you would have come over anyway. Okay, I'll pick you up from the airport."

"Okay, I land this Saturday at noon."

"Okay, see you then."

I leaned back in the seat. It had definitely been an impulsive trip, but I needed to go somewhere different, while still having someone or something close by that was familiar. Donghae and Siwon wanted to stay and home and rest, and the other members… well they had other plans.

The plane suddenly stuttered and the seatbelt light turned on.

"Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts. The plane will be coming in for a landing in approximately twenty minutes."

I was always surprised at how humans could make their voices sound so robotic, so artificial.

A familiar face in a swimming crowd of unknowns was all I saw. I felt like I was going to collapse with relief the moment I saw his face.

"Hankyung!" I cried, heading towards him, with my suitcases smacking my heels behind me as I ran. He smiled gently and extended his arms, pulling me into a quick hug.

"Hyukkie. It's been so long. How's everything?" His eyes searched mine, possibly looking for a reason for the sudden trip. His tongue suddenly seemed unaccustomed to the language he had once been speaking so often. It felt like he was taking unsure baby steps back into Korean.

"There's been so much going on…" I confessed, suddenly very aware of difference in tone and assertiveness when comparing his Korean to mine. "But really, everyone misses you. It's only been a short while, I know, but it feels like there's so much gone already. Heechul's been crying in concerts, and the members of Super Junior M keep getting reminded of your absence when the company continues to inform them of their canceled schedules in China, always delaying their promotional return trip."

Hankyung's smile shifted a bit, now displaying a tinge of sadness.

"I'm sorry…"

"E…eh?"

"I'm sorry." He repeated

"W-wait, that's not what I meant. Hyung, of course no one blames you. You did what was best for you. We're happy that you're out, as you wanted, but it doesn't change the fact that we all-" I gestured around me at the invisible members I pictured standing behind me and to my sides, "-miss you."

Hankyung smiled as he picked up one of my two suitcases.

"Thanks Hyukkie, that means a lot."

I still hadn't told him. It was big news, however, so I was sure he already knew… But still I didn't tell him. I kept it all bottled in, suppressing the anxiety and resentment that threatened to boil over.

"Is everything okay?" He had asked me. Of course not. But for some reason, those words never left my lips. In fact, I assured him that everything was fine. Even so, Hankyung kept shooting glances at me as he pointed out some of his favorite places on the taxi ride back to his apartment. I hoped he couldn't read minds.

"Hyung, you have a pool?" It was the first time I had been to his apartment in China. I thought it looked impressive from far away, but up close was even more mind-blowing. The towering, white, seemingly solid concrete building had turned into a calming, spacious interior, populated with healthy green plants and paintings, with a small pool in the outside terrace.

"Pros of living in a penthouse." Hankyung mumbled over his shoulder, brain focused entirely on the task at hand: the preparation of a welcoming dinner.

"Can I go for a swim?"

"Erm…" Hankyung chopped up a few carrots. "Hold…" He chopped up some onions. "On…" He dabbed his watering eyes with a small napkin. Hankyung tossed all the prepared ingredients into a wok. The sizzle echoed throughout the tiled kitchen. He laid a cover over the wok, wiped his hands, and turned to me. "Sorry Eunhyuk, what were you saying?"

"Can I go for a swim?" I asked again.

"Isn't it really cold outside?" He walked over to the sliding glass door and put his palm up against it. Hankyung shivered involuntarily before walking back to the stove. "If you go out now, you'll catch a cold. Come back when the weather's warmer and you can spend all the time you want in there."

He noticed that I was still standing there zoning out at the pool, so he came over and ruffled my hair.

"Come on, let's eat. I promise we'll have a pool party the next time you come."

I lay in the bed in Hankyung's guest room, staring at the simple but comfortable furnishings that popped out every now and then as my eyes continuously adjusted to the changing light due to the movement of clouds in the sky. Without looking, I flopped my hand onto the nightstand next to the bed and felt around for my phone.

The cold cover of the phone stood out particularly to me that night. I grasped the phone tightly in my hand, relishing the feeling of the cold spreading through my fingers and just slightly up my arm. I checked the time. It was three in the morning. I groaned a bit and turned over onto my side. I don't know what came over me.

I stood on the terrace, at the edge of the pool, in my pajamas, listening intently to the silence of the night. We were so high that even the noise of traffic didn't manage to make its way this far up. A soft breeze ruffled my hair and almost immediately, I shivered. Everything, at this altitude, was still.

I bent down, huddling into myself, staring at the reflection of the moon in the water, the reflection of the clouds, the stars, of my face. Maybe it was because of the moonlight, but my skin was whiter than usual, looking unusually grim in front of a backdrop of thickening gray clouds.

I touched the water, watching as the ripples distorted everything I could see. Suddenly, I felt the urge to slip into the water, and I gave into that impulse.

Even though I hadn't jumped in, the cold of the water knocked the breath out of me the moment I submerged my chest. Nonetheless, I slipped my whole body in, took a deep breath, and quietly slipped my head under as well. The cold was numbing, but comfortable.

It felt like I was in a bubble. I couldn't hear much, and what I could hear was extremely muffled. The scarce ambient sounds that graced the night were soon interrupted by a more rhythmic sound. Dazed and slightly curious, I surfaced to find that the clouds had started to release their weight. Rain was pelting everything around me, turning the once smooth pool water into a surface of constantly changing splashes.

I got out of the pool and stood in the rain, looking out over the side of the terrace. The blurring streetlights danced in front of my eyes. Suddenly, I realized I was on the floor, my legs shaking, and my body wracked with coughs. The chills had slowly begun to overcome the numbness and were spreading like icy fire throughout my body. I stumbled up and took refuge under the awning over the door. I grabbed the towel hanging on a hook next to the door and desperately tried to rub myself dry. Realizing belatedly that the towel would not sufficiently dry my clothes, I flung the towel back onto the hook and ran to my room.

The next day, the once open and airy room felt hot and stuffy. I bumped into Hankyung on my way to the bathroom and yawned a good morning. In front of the mirror, I noticed that my face was a little red. Disregarding it, I brushed up and put on the usual light makeup, then headed to the kitchen where Hankyung was cooking breakfast.

"Hyung."

"Good morning, Hyukkie. What do you want to do today?"

"What is there to do?" I grimaced at the slight hoarseness of my voice. It seemed the hoarseness didn't escape Hankyung's ears either.

"Are you feeling okay? You sound like you're starting to come down with something." His voice was almost suspicious.

"No, I'm okay." I said, clearing my throat. The hoarseness disappeared. Hankyung didn't look convinced. "Can you give me a more detailed tour? I want to see the places you pointed out yesterday close up." Hankyung smiled.

"Okay. But we'll take it easy today too. Even if you're feeling fine now, we should take precautions. Vacations aren't supposed to be stressful. "

Throughout the day, Hankyung kept shooting glances at me. I was beginning to feel a bit more feverish as well, as the day wore on. I started wishing time would pass faster so I could get back to his apartment and go to sleep. But I didn't want Hankyung to know anything was wrong. I was already imposing on him as it was.

When I finally got into bed, I breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a tiring day, but I think… I had managed to succeed in deterring Hankyung from thinking that something was wrong. With that thought relieving the worry in my mind, I drifted off into a heavy sleep.

I woke up on fire. My whole body was burning, drying up. My vision was hazy, and the air was thick, so thick I couldn't breathe. I wanted… no, I needed water. But the covers were so heavy, or perhaps I was so weak, that I couldn't move them. I was pinned to the bed. Instead, I tried making a sound, but my dry throat had constricted itself so much that no sound would come out.

I willed my neck to turn, so that my head faced the nightstand. A basin of water and a towel were sitting where my phone usually was. It didn't even occur to me that the objects were out of place. All I saw was the water. I desperately struggled against the sheets, only to fall to the ground. At that moment, Hankyung came running in with a glass of water.

"Hyukkie. Eunhyuk. Come on." He set the glass down and quickly pulled my limp body onto the mattress, setting me in a sitting position with my back against the smooth wood backing of the bed. He slowly tipped the glass of water into my mouth, feeling my forehead.

"As I thought, your fever isn't going down." He helped me lie down after I quickly finished the glass of water, relishing the cool liquid that flowed through to every inch of my body, temporarily relieving the heat. But it was as temporary as temporary could get. I could feel the heat bubbling up again, and I started to panic. I clung to Hankyung's hand like a lifeline.

But just when my head felt like it was going to explode, a cool towel was laid across my forehead. He always seemed to know what I needed.

"Hyukkie, calm down. You'll be okay."

An hour later, the burning had been replaced with fatigue. My fever had finally started to subside.

"H-hyung…" I forced out, my quiet voice cracking with every syllable. "How long have you been…" Hankyung looked at the damp towel in his hands.

"I came in to check on you at midnight. That was about five hours ago. I felt that you had gone to sleep a little early, and when I walked in, you were thrashing in your sleep. You had an intense fever. I don't understand. What did you do, go to the kitchen for a drink and fall asleep in the fridge?" To my tired mind, Hankyung's words were fading in and out.

"Mm… something like that…" I mumbled.

"What?"

"I jumped into the pool yesterday… and it started raining." Hankyung sighed exasperatedly.

"Hyukkie, I told you… Why did you do something like that?"

"Junsu…"

"Huh?"

"Junsu's leaving SMEntertainment." I wasn't sure if I said that out loud or not. Either way, Hankyung didn't respond.

The ringing of my phone woke me up. I slapped my hand onto the nightstand, but the sound didn't stop. I finally found the phone, after groping around blindly for a few seconds, and flipped it open.

"Hello?" It was my manager.

"Hyung…"

"Ah Eunhyuk, sorry did I wake you?"

"No…"

"You liar." He chuckled. "Hey, I'm really sorry to tell you this, but something came up and all the vacations have been cut short. We need you back in Korea by tomorrow night."

"Eh…"

"We'll pay for your ticket back and reimburse you for the amount you paid for your initial return ticket. I'll give you the flight information. Do you have a pen and paper?"

I glanced groggily around me. Nothing in sight.

"No… paper or pen. I'll remember it." I sat up and yawned silently. After repeating what my manager said over and over, and confirming that I wouldn't forget, we finally hung up and I wandered out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

"Good morning, hyung." I said as I walked in. Hankyung turned around rapidly and gave me a quick embrace before returning to the stove that was demanding his attention.

"How are you feeling?"

"A lot better, thanks. Hey, I just got a call from manager-hyung. They need me back in Korea by tomorrow night…"

"Really…? Did you manage to work everything out?"

"Yeah. They got me a new plane ticket. It leaves tomorrow at 7 in the morning."

"… That's so early. I do wish you could stay a bit longer though. It's really nice having company again."

"Hyung…"

"Hm?"

"Come back to Korea…" It was a selfish request, and obviously one that could not be granted. Both he and I knew that. I wasn't even sure if I was ever expecting him to agree to it.

"… Uh…"

"It feels like everyone is disappearing…" I pulled out a chair from under the table and sat down heavily. I didn't realize how tensely I was holding myself until I became aware of the strain on my muscles that disappeared the moment I sat down.

"You said yesterday that Junsu was leaving the company." I nodded. "Does it hurt?" Another nod. "Why?" I stopped nodding. It was a question that could not be answered. Where was the logic that made it okay to hurt? It's not like I would never see him again. We would still be the closest of friends. Him leaving the company couldn't erase all the years we had known each other. Hankyung watched me, as if he knew what I was thinking.

There was no logic. Even when Junsu was in the company, I didn't get to see him that often. We were in different bands, and both very busy with our schedules. There was no logic. I kept telling myself that.

"But it still hurts, hyung." I whimpered. Hankyung smiled. I suddenly realized that I had given away the debate going on in my head. But I was debating about whether or not it hurt?

"I know it does. But you'll always get to see him again. You'll have many chances to meet up. You could just call him out one day like you did to me, this time."

I still felt terrible about Junsu leaving, but Hankyung's observant words were the truth, and the sinking, lost feeling I once had was starting to dissipate.

"But you should tell him how you're feeling, Hyukkie. Go to him and tell him straight out. Make sure you don't leave anything unsaid. Spend as much time with your childhood friend as you can before he leaves."

I didn't say anything. After all, Hankyung was absolutely correct.

We had spent the rest of our time together sitting at his kitchen table talking, late into the night, about all our concerns and worries. I talked about Junsu, Super Junior M, Donghae, singing… Hankyung rambled about his family, legal issues, the other Super Junior members (especially Heechul, whom he missed to death), and acting. We went to bed, around four in the morning, both feeling a lot lighter than we had been before.

Even though Hankyung lived pretty close to the airport, it made no difference. Almost immediately after having gone to sleep, it felt like I was being rushed up to go. The trip to the airport was as quiet as it was dark. The sun had not yet risen, and we were both still quite tired.

As I was getting ready to board the plane, I suddenly started feeling pangs of loneliness and sadness again. Perhaps there was even anxiety mixed in. But as the feeling grew, I glanced back at Hankyung on my way down the tunnel towards the plane's entrance. His encouraging smile did not once fade or diminish, and I could feel that absolutely everything would be okay.

Author's Notes: Dedicated to raelynn gross, who very kindly reviewed almost all of my stories (if not all of them) and gave me a lot of encouragement!

Part of the 100 Fic Challenge. Topic 083/100. Fever, Hankyung/Eunhyuk.