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In all honesty, he should’ve known.
A few days ago, Love Yourself promotions finished and the boys were granted one rare, precious day off to do whatever they wanted. Naturally, the seven of them spent it lounging around the house with a bag of chips or candy in one hand and a blanket in the other, shuffling between bedrooms and the living room couch without a care in the world expect finding an available member to snuggle and chasing down however stole the TV remote.
Taehyung had spent most of that day latched onto Jimin and Jungkook, alternating between dragging them down on any soft surface he could find for a nap and shoving every single diet restricted food into his mouth.
It was wildly unhealthy, but the boys had been working immensely hard, so fuck it all, they deserved it.
Except maybe… maybe it wasn’t the best idea to go running around in the rain in the middle of the night.
It was Taehyung’s idea. The rain came and despite having felt particularly weak during the last few days of promotion, despite the warm summer nights slowly being replaced by a chillier fall weather, Taehyung saw the rain and the puddles and refused any protest from his hyungs.
Most of his life was spent slaving away in the studio or on stage, he deserved this.
That being said, he also sorta deserved the subsequent flu the following day.
He should’ve known.
(he kinda did know, but like, he was exhausted and frankly he did not care anymore)
Expect now he was sick. Sick at the start of their new preparation season when everyone was pulled in different directions for individual coaching or projects.
Sick when there was hardly ever anyone in the house for more than a few hours at a time.
Which is why, when Taehyung woke up in the middle of the night, cold, dizzy, and shivering, immediately felt like crying.
Yesterday it had only been a head cold. But clearly, as a sudden wave of nausea made his mouth water dangerously, this was more than just a cold.
Just wait for it to pass, he told himself. Just a few seconds. It’ll pass.
Except it didn’t. His stomach was in his throat and saliva was gathering in his mouth at an alarming rate. He tried to swallow, but his nose was still stuffed from the head cold and every time he did, he couldn’t breathe. Taehyung parted his lips, panting in shallow breaths as spit drooled down his chin and onto the sheets clenched tightly in his hands.
Breathebreathebreathebreathebreathe.
There was a slight chance he could make it to the bathroom in time. His and Namjoon’s room was the closest. But with the way things were going, it was becoming increasingly clear that this would not be the case.
He gagged once, doubling over with a hand clamped over his mouth.
Nononononononono.
His breath came in short gasps now, mouth agape, eyes wide in fear.
Taehyung was panicking. He knew he was, but it didn’t stop the anxiety from running down his arms and legs, making his palms tingle and his toes curl.
A hiccup forced its way past his throat and made him jolt. Tears gathered in his eyes.
He needed someone to help him. Someone to rub his back and speak to him in a soft voice, whisper in his ear and tell him everything was going to be okay.
It just so happened, however, that tonight everyone was gone.
Except for Jungkook.
Rapline plus Jimin were in the studio. Sure, promotion period was over but that just meant a new turnover for a new comeback.
Jungkook, however, had tweaked his ankle in their last performance. It wasn’t serious, “nothing,” according to the headstrong maknae, but at a time like this it was crazy not to take advantage of a time to rest.
Taehyung whimpered behind his hand, squeezed his eyes shut.
He wanted Jin. Jimin. Hobi. Even Yoongi would know how to calm him down.
It wasn’t that he didn’t like the maknae. Quite the opposite, actually. But Junkgook was Taehyung’s only dongsaeng. He didn’t want to be seen like this. Not to Jungkook. Not to the only one who looked up at Taehyung like he hung the world and painted the stars.
Plus, the kid slept like the dead.
After finally regaining his composure, Taehyung swung shaky feet to the ground and slowly, slowly pushed himself upright.
He swayed.
Badbadbadbad bad idea.
His stomach lurched. Taehyung tried to move quickly, picking up his feet as best he could while half blind in the darkness and feeling so shitty and panicked he was near delirium.
Taehyung doubled over, both arms wrapped around his stomach as he gagged helplessly, dry heaving painfully.
His throat stung. His eyes watered. His stomach was both trying to twist in on itself and crawl out of his throat at the same time and everything hurt.
He barely noticed the hallway light flickering on, the tentative footsteps and creak of the door as Jungkook peered out of his room.
“Taehy- oh my god -”
Taehyung whimpered, head bowed shamefully as he gave up and settled on his knees.
“Taehyung? What’s wrong?” Jungkook’s hands were on his shoulders, now fully awake.
A hiccup jolted his body and he couldn’t help but let out a soft whimper.
He was about to warn Jungkook, tell him to move because he was sure he was not going to make it to the bathroom this time, maybe spare him the disgust.
But the universe really was not on his side at the moment, because in the next second Taehyung’s stomach revolted and forced a heavy burp past his lips, quickly turning into a heave and then he was throwing up all over himself.
“ Shit . Oh my god- okay, uhm.” Junkgook stood, thankfully free from any vomit on himself, but very visibly shaken. “Just, just wait here okay? I’ll go get-”
“ No , Jungkook-” Taehyung reached out, fingers closing weakly around Jungkook’s wrist. He burped again behind his hand. “Bathroom-”
The next wave came too quickly. Before either of them had time to react to Taehyung’s desperate warning, he retched loudly, vomit splattering down his shirt and pants.
“I’m-” he gasped, breath coming too fast, “S-s-sorry- Kookie, I-”
“No no no, it’s okay, hyung.” He put his hand on Taehyung’s back, strong and firm, rubbing up and down his spine to try to soothe him as best he could.
Taehyung was visibly shaking by the time he could breathe properly and Jungkook was able to reach under Taehyung’s arms from behind and lift him up, half carrying half dragging him to the bathroom just a few feet down the hallway.
Taehyung crumpled in front of the toilet, tears falling freely now as he burped and coughed over the bowl.
“Hold on for a second, okay?” Jungkook told him. “One second, I’ll be right back, I promise.”
“No, please,” Taehyung whimpered, head bowed and eyes squeezed shut. “Please- hic, I can’t-”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll be right back.”
He slipped out the bathroom door and skidded down the hallway, feeling incredibly guilty for leaving his hyung in such a state of distress.
He really only would be gone for a few seconds, a minute tops depending on how long it would take him to find the damn thing.
In a dorm of seven boys, where could he find a hair tie.
The stylists had instructed Taehyung not to cut his hair for the Love Yourself era, leaving it fluffy and long past his eyes when unstyled.
It was nice, soft. Jungkook loved it. But in the moment it was proving to be particularly inconvenient.
He finally found one, after tearing through Seokjin’s bedside table. When he returned to the bathroom Taehyung was still sick, arms wrapped around his stomach while he leaned over the toilet.
“Aish, hyung,” Jungkook chastised softly. “Told you running around in the rain wasn’t a good idea.”
He crouched behind him and began brushing the long, golden hair away from his hyung’s face with his fingers.
“You came with me,” Taehyung choked miserably.
Jungkook hummed, gathering the rest of Taehyung’s hair into a small ponytail and securing it with the hair tie.
For a moment it seemed like the ordeal was over. Taehyung slumped backwards against Jungkook’s chest, breathing heavily. Jungkook played with his hair that wasn’t tied back and squeezed his arms.
But clearly, his body had other ideas.
Taehyung’s stomach gurgled, making him whimper in discomfort and struggle weakly to sit up again. He almost didn’t make it. Gagging behind clenched teeth before Jungkook sensed what was going on and lifted him the rest of the way just in time.
When he was done he let himself fall backwards again with a broken sigh.
“Do you think you’re done now?” Jungkook asked softly.
Taehyung burped, face grimacing at the taste it left in his mouth, but nodded.
“Alright, c’mon then. “Jungkook stood, lifting Taehyung with him and leading him to the sink.
He lifted Taehyung’s shirt over his head, wadding it up in a ball and tossing it into the bathtub.
“Here,” Jungkook instructed, holding up a cup of water to Taehyung’s lips.
When he was finished, Taehyung turned around and buried his face in Jungkook’s neck. He moaned, stomach still gurgling.
“Are you going to be sick again?” Jungkook asked, slightly wary.
Taehyung shook his head. “Just feel really shitty,” he slurred. He wrapped his arms around the maknae’s shoulders, face buried in his neck.
Jungkook hummed, pressing the lightest kiss against his hyung’s temple. “I know,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”
He lead them out of the bathroom, carefully guiding Taehyung down onto his own bed - Tae’s bed being slightly compromised at the moment - and pulling the covers up to his chin.
Taehyung slipped in and out of consciousness. He was exhausted and Jungkook’s bed was warm and smelled good. He only vaguely registered the maknae slipping out of his bedroom, the light in Taehyung’s and the soft spray of disinfectant.
Sometime later he felt the bed dip. “There’s a trashcan next to the bed,” Jungkook’s voice whispered. “In case you need it.”
“Mm. How romantic,” Taehyung murmured half heartedly.
Jungkook scoffed, firm hands moving the elder so his back pressed against his chest. He ran his hands over Taehyung’s chest from behind, bare skin always so smooth and warm.
Taehyung whimpered. The nausea was still sitting somewhere at the bottom of his stomach, and he knew for sure he was going to get up in the middle of the night again.
Jungkook’s hands wandered down, fingers pressing gently into his stomach.
“Kookie,” Taehyung rasped, “what are you-”
“Shh, it’s okay,” Jungkook whispered, pressing another kiss behind his ear. “I’ve got you.”
Taehyung inhaled deeply, shuddered. His stomach still hurt a lot but Jungkook’s ministrations did some good. He did his best to relax, wiggling closer against the maknae and stuffing his face into the pillow.
“Hyung?”
“Mm.”
Jungkook’s breath fanned against Taehyung’s neck. Fingers intertwined, settling their hands gently over his bare stomach.
“I love you.”