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The sound of a struggle pulls Jungkook out of a rather sound sleep. It's the first time he's slept in his own room in God only knows how long thanks to their busy schedule and, perhaps to a smaller extent, his tendency to find his way into one of his hyungs’--mostly Jimin’s--beds instead of staying in his own.
His first thought, however unlikely, is that a crazed fan had found their way to the dorm and is currently in the process of breaking in. He grunts and pitches himself over the edge of his bed to reach the baseball bat he keeps hidden beneath it, but the floor cries out when he lands on it and he knows that isn't right no matter how tired he is.
The intruder, whoever it is, is in his room already.
“Yah...Jungkook-ah, that hurt!” the intruder whines in a voice that sounds oddly like Taehyung’s.
Jungkook scrambles awkwardly and somewhat painfully over the tangle of limbs and turns on his bedside lamp, filling the room with a dim yellow glow. Sure enough, Taehyung blinks blearily at him, looking none too pleased at the younger male landing on him. “Tae?” Jungkook mumbles, rubbing his eyes to be certain it's him. “What are you doing in here?”
It wasn't meant to be a trick question but Taehyung seems to freeze up in looking for a suitable explanation. His expression is self-conscious, a frown in place of his usual boxy grin.
He looks sad.
“Hyung?” Jungkook prods quietly.
Their relationship had been a little weird ever since Jungkook had awakened from his coma a couple months ago following the terrible accident they'd all been in. Everyone had been worried of course, but none had taken it quite as hard as Taehyung had.
Jungkook had thought they put all weirdness behind them for the most part, but apparently he thought wrong. There's obviously something still bothering him but the maknae can't for the life of him figure it out.
As much as he plays up his joking side, Jungkook knows that Taehyung is somebody that feels things incredibly deeply. There was perhaps nobody in BTS that could rival Taehyung in sensitivity, except maybe Jimin. But Jimin was more likely to show it than Taehyung, which made addressing this situation all the more important.
Without warning, Taehyung flings himself at the younger, clutching him tightly. Jungkook nearly topples into his bedside table at the unexpected hug, but moves to return it almost instinctively. “Hey, what's all this? Are you okay?”
Taehyung shakes his head wordlessly and Jungkook sighs. “C’mon, hyung. Let's get on the bed.”
It's a bit of a chore getting the gangly male off the floor. Although Jungkook has healed enough to perform for the most part, the young idol often aches in the night, especially after a busy week of almost constant movement, so dragging them both up is not easy. In fact, when he puts a little too much pressure on his previously injured hip, he can't quite cover his wince.
Taehyung notices immediately, quickly moving so that he's the one trying to support Jungkook. “I'm sorry, Kookie, are you okay? Do you need some pain medicine?”
Jungkook smiles and waves his hand dismissively. “I'm fine, hyung. Just a little sore is all. I'll be fine once we're in the bed.”
Taehyung seems unconvinced but ultimately they make it to Jungkook’s bed without further incident. “Now,” Jungkook begins when they’re settled beneath his covers, the elder male all but wrapped around the younger. “You going to explain why you were on my floor in the middle of the night?”
“I tripped over your stupid dumbbell,” Taehyung grumbles, sighing into the skin of Jungkook’s neck. “You could kill someone, leaving those things just lying on the floor like that.”
Jungkook can’t help but snicker. “Sorry, hyung, but I didn’t think anybody would be sneaking into my room. I’ll make sure to put up my workout equipment so burglars have an easier time of it.”
“Thank you,” Taehyung says. “It’s not a lot to ask, you know.”
“Right,” Jungkook agrees with a chuckle. “But seriously, what’s up? You seemed upset…”
Taehyung sighs and it’s quiet for a moment. Jungkook doesn’t push, though. He is accustomed to his hyung’s silences enough to know that he isn’t ignoring him; rather, he’s trying to figure out the best way to explain what he’s feeling. “You’re going to laugh at me,” he mutters after a while of this consideration.
“I won’t,” Jungkook says. Taehyung glances up at him doubtfully, arching an eyebrow. “Honest! I just want to know what’s going on.”
“…I wanted to check on you. Make sure you could still wake up.”
Jungkook doesn’t laugh, but he does glance at Taehyung in confusion. “Hyung…”
“I know, okay? I know it’s stupid and you’re better now. It’s just…I still have nightmares about it. You don’t know what it was like, seeing you like that. You were so cold and still, and sometimes, when you’re in a really deep sleep, I can’t help but worry that you’re like that again. Especially when you don’t wake up after the first few tries.”
“I’ve always been a heavy sleeper, Tae. You know that. You made a whole vlog where you made fun of me for it, tickling under my chin and my toes to try and wake me up. It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now. But that doesn’t mean I’m gone,” Jungkook soothes, reaching to pet Taehyung’s silver-tinged hair.
Taehyung leans into the contact. “Of course I know that, logically speaking. But when I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat after reliving that fucking nightmare over again, it’s hard to shake it. I just…had to come in and make sure you were okay.”
“Do you come check on me often, then?” Jungkook asks carefully. He wonders how many times he’s found him snuggling with Jimin in a way that wasn’t strictly platonic, whether he’d put two and two together about the two of them being in a secret relationship.
Taehyung shrugs. “Not really,” he says. “Just whenever I have the nightmares. Usually I just come in and poke you until you twitch or swat my hand away, then I leave.”
Jungkook is relieved at the words, though a bit of guilt swirls in his gut at that. His friend was expressing a very real concern for his wellbeing, and yet here he was, thinking about all the compromising positions Taehyung might have found him in. He and Jimin really only ever get intimate in Jungkook’s room, since his is the only one without a roommate and they can be reasonably certain that nobody will interrupt them. But if Taehyung had been coming in at random intervals, Jungkook wouldn’t know. He sleeps like the dead even now, especially after any kind of sexual act.
As much as he loves his hyungs, being caught with his literal pants down is not high on his list of things that he wants to happen. He’s grateful to the universe that Taehyung hadn’t caught him in one of those positions, or else he surely would have mentioned it by now…
“Although,” Taehyung continues, and this time his expression is devilish when he looks up at him from his place resting on his chest. “My favorite times are when I catch you and Jimin wearing practically nothing, all wrapped around each other in a post-coital embrace.”
“No,” Jungkook squeaks.
“Yep,” Taehyung says triumphantly. “I’ve got a whole series of photos on my phone now, in an encrypted folder titled ‘blackmail material.’”
“Tae,” Jungkook begins, trying to get untangled from the other. “Look, it’s not what you think…”
“That you and Jiminie are, and have been, in a romantic relationship that you’ve been trying to keep hidden from the rest of us for over two months?” Taehyung crows.
Jungkook freezes, turning his frightened doe eyes on the other. He doesn’t want to outright lie to his hyung, but he doesn’t want to admit that he’s been keeping this hidden either.
Taehyung holds his expression a moment before finally relenting, pulling the younger back down into the bed and snuggling him. “Don’t worry, Kookie. I won’t ever use it to blackmail you. I thought you knew me better than that by now.”
Jungkook sighs, holding tightly to the elder. “I know you wouldn’t. I’m just…a little embarrassed at being caught, I guess. How long have you known?”
“Please, give me some credit,” Taehyung scoffed. “I’ve practically raised you on my back, and Jiminie and I are soulmates. I knew from the minute it happened.”
“You serious?” Jungkook asked. “So all that sneaking around, and you knew all along.”
“Yep.”
Jungkook groans. “Now I’m even more embarrassed. Do the others know?”
“I don’t know what they know,” Taehyung admitted. “But I’m pretty sure all of them at least suspect. You and Jiminie aren’t nearly as subtle as you think you are.”
“Gee, thanks, I feel so much better now.”
“My pleasure.”
Silence encompasses the air and Jungkook is beginning to feel distinctly drowsy with his hyung’s arms tight around him. It had been far too long since he’d actually slept with Taehyung. At least part of the reason had been Taehyung himself insisting that he didn’t want to hurt Jungkook while he was healing, but now that he’s better…
As if sensing his thoughts, Taehyung squishes him a little tighter. “Jungkook-ah?” he murmurs.
“Hm?”
“Can you promise me something?”
“Of course. What is it?”
“That, no matter what…you and me and Jiminie will still be close. I don’t want to become a third wheel now that you guys are in a relationship, and if you two break up…”
“Tae,” Jungkook says, his voice firm. “We’ll never, ever stop loving you, or each other. Relationships grow and change, but this? What we have? It’s bigger than any normal bond. No matter what, we won’t lose what we have. I promise.”
“One more thing,” Taehyung says.
Jungkook chuckles sleepily. “What now?”
“Always be healthy. We…I…really missed you when you were in a coma. I don’t think I’ll ever really be over it, no matter how hard I try, but I’ll be able to rest easier knowing that you’re taking good care of yourself.” Taehyung’s words are serious, if a bit sleepy as his eyes drift closed, sleep obviously pulling at him.
“I’ll be good,” Jungkook promises the now-sleeping elder, pressing a soft kiss to his hair as his own eyes close in preparation for sleep. “Promise.”