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The sound of gentle humming makes Taehyung smile, and he turns his head to find the source. He finds the familiar face of Jungkook, his sharp jawline illuminated by bright sunlight. He squints slightly in the light as his thumbs drum rhythmically on the steering wheel. It’s not until they pull to a stop at a red light that Jungkook acknowledges his gaze, turning to Taehyung with a slightly sheepish smile.
“What’s up?” he asks, his nose scrunching slightly. Taehyung resists the urge to stroke the boy under his chin, a habit he picked up whenever Jungkook did something cute. Instead, he merely laughed and ruffled his hair, sliding his large hand down to rest at the base of his neck.
“Nothing” he replied with a laugh, choosing to bask in this moment of bliss. One that he knows is about to be interrupted. Taehyung feels his heart clench painfully as the dark-haired boy gives him another smile, the genuine expression making his outer corner of his eyes crinkle. Taehyung takes a deep breath and drops his hand as Jungkook presses down on the accelerator.
It happens quicker than he remembers, noting that Jungkook hadn’t even turned into the main intersection when it hits them. Soon his ears are filled with a sharp ringing and the sound of glass shattering, his body being thrown so hard into the passenger side door that he can almost hear the sickening crack of his head hitting the window. Taehyung wonders how many times the car will roll, and he guesses at least four judging by their speed. He’s forced to go through the motions like a movie he has no intention of seeing, a show that he can’t turn his eyes away from no matter how desperately he wants to.
What he isn’t prepared for, is how much it hurts. The normal sensations were dulled, his mind’s way of somehow making it up for how often Taehyung had to experience this scene. This time is different, however, and the throbbing ache in his head is nothing compared to the suffocating feeling of something pressing on his chest. He blinks a few times and attempts to shudder out a breath, his eyes wandering to look for the one thing he cared about.
Amongst the quick movements of what he can assume are medics, Taehyung can just barely make out a familiar figure between the legs of a group of men in dark blue uniforms. His body is strewn about awkwardly, his head turned to face Taehyung. Dark brown eyes are round with shock, scanning around the premise anxiously with no real sense of direction. Taehyung wants to scream but whatever is sitting on his chest refuses. All he can do is stare at Jungkook, noticing the way the blood pouring from his temple is oxidizing on his tanned skin. Taehyung almost can’t look at him, his once-white shirt sullied with that same reddish-brown hue making his head spin more than it already is. Instead, Taehyung turns his face skyward and focuses on the ringing in his ears and the blaring of sirens.
There are hands working on Taehyung, but he feels the urge to shake them off. He barely registers a muffled voice describe how his lung has been punctured to another waiting paramedic. Instead, he watches in confusion as the crowd around Jungkook begins to dissipate. Desperate eyes scan the younger boy’s face, noticing that his eyes are now closed and his face is a vision of calm. Taehyung’s throat runs dry, his heart pounding in his ears as he waits for any signs of movement because he has to get up. Jungkook has taken this joke too far now and he needs to walk over and tell Taehyung that everything is okay with that familiar lopsided smirk and oh my God -
Taehyung produces something of a garbled whine as he watches a medic drape a stark white cloth over his boyfriend’s body.
The silence in the room seems much more oppressive as Taehyung’s eyes snap open, the sight of a familiar ceiling bringing him back to reality. He blinks a few times before gasping, the sudden realization that he is not alone. He props himself up on one elbow and looks to his left, taking in the sleeping frame. Jungkook’s dark hair is stuck to his forehead, and Taehyung can just make out his long lashes tickling his cheek.
He looks so much younger when he’s asleep
Taehyung thinks, reaching out a shaky hand to brush a strand of hair out of his eyes. The sensation makes Jungkook stir, and Taehyung feels only half guilty for it.
“Wassa matter?” Jungkook asks, his voice thick with sleep and his brows knitted together. Taehyung guesses he looks as shaken as he feels, so he doesn’t even bother to hide his exasperated expression.
“It happened again”.
With that, Jungkook nodded softly and lifts up his arm to invite Taehyung closer. “S’okay” he mumbles as the older boy snuggles into his chest.
“It was… different this time” Taehyung whispers after a moment. The steady rising and falling of Jungkook’s chest makes him worry that he had fallen asleep until his the sound of his voice echoes in Taehyung’s ear.
“Tell me about it” he responds simply, his words much clearer than they were only moments before. Taehyung takes a shaky breath, before pressing the side of his face into Jungkook’s chest. After a beat, the words fall out of his mouth like some deep-rooted secret.
“I… saw what happened after” he started, closing his eyes before continuing. “I couldn’t breathe and you were so far away from me and you were bleeding and no matter how much I begged you wouldn’t wake up and-”
Taehyung takes a moment before finishing.
“You didn’t make it”.
The words hung in the air for a moment, making Taehyung squirm slightly in discomfort. He was shaken from this by a soft hum from Jungkook. Before he knew it, he had pulled the both of them up into a seated position and was looking Taehyung square in the eye.
“Well I’m right here” he said simply, his voice unwavering. The hand gripping Taehyung’s shoulder loosened slightly as he trailed his fingers down tanned skin until Jungkook captured both of his hands in his own. The reassuring words paired with his boyfriend’s gentle touch crumbled any composure that Taehyung had, so it was no surprise that his voice came out in a quiet whine.
“Your head” he started, intending to describe the scene before the words escaped him and Taehyung found himself looking down at their entwined digits.
“Hey”
Jungkook’s gentle voice made him meet his eyes again, and Jungkook raised their interlocked hands to knock awkwardly on his temple. Taehyung couldn’t help but choke out a laugh at the gesture, which made Jungkook crinkle his nose affectionately.
“My head is very much intact, thank you very much” he replied with a smile, dropping their hands when Taehyung chuckled again. He expected Jungkook to release his hands and crawl back under the covers, so he was caught off guard when a sudden weight was pushed into his chest, making him fall back on the bed.
“Wha-” he yelped, but Taehyung soon found his words swallowed in an achingly tender kiss. In his shock, Taehyung barely managed to kiss back until a large hand threaded through his hair, pulling him closer. They parted just enough to take in air, and Taehyung couldn’t help but notice the subtle glow of Jungkook’s cheeks. In an attempt to hide his embarrassment, Jungkook began to pepper Taehyung’s face in light kisses. Taehyung squirmed, the sensation of his soft lips and hot breath tickling his skin.
“Knock it off!” he laughed, struggling to break free of a grasp that only held him tighter. Jungkook met his eyes with a mischievous smile and a glint in his dark eyes.
“Nope” he replied firmly, leaving a single peck on the tip of Taehyung’s nose before scrunching his own in satisfaction. “Sucks to be you”. His reply was followed by his lips attacking the skin where Taehyung’s jaw met his neck, and Taehyung had to clamp his hand over his mouth to keep from screaming with laughter. They continued like this for a while, until both boys collapsed against the bed in exhaustion. Jungkook rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palms before reaching out to pull Taehyung into his chest. The older boy struggled to suppress his laughter until a yawn overtook him, and he found Jungkook’s arm circling around him protectively.
“Sleep now” he spoke, his words firm despite his soft tone. He kissed the top of Taehyung’s head before letting his head lull back and his eyes slide closed. After a beat, a soft voice broke the silence.
“Hey, Kook?” Taehyung asked timidly.
“Yeah?” he asked, already starting to doze off.
“I’m glad you’re alive”.
Jungkook broke out in a smile, not even bothering to open his eyes as he pulled Taehyung even closer.
“I’m glad I’m alive, too”.