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Jisung hasn’t felt this sick in what feels like years. Normally it is his boyfriend Jihoon who gets sick, often, and it is normally due to his many late nights and walking around in the cold with not enough layers on. However, this time, Jisung is the sick one and he hasn’t done anything that warranted catching a cold – and a bad one.
He remembers waking up in the morning, around three, and walking to the kitchen to grab some water. His throat had been scratchy and he thought that if he lubed it up with some water that it would do the trick. Apparently not. When he woke up later at around ten, Jihoon was busy pottering around the room.
“Oh finally, you’re up.” Jihoon is folding some clothes that had been strewn on the floor the previous night when they had given up on doing any more chores. The minute he lays eyes on Jisung’s face, he cracks up laughing but suppresses any further looks due to the dirty one Jisung shoots at him.
Jisung’s cheeks are slightly swollen, he has bags with dark shades under his eyes and he looks downright miserable.
“I think, I’m sick.”
“No shit, Sherlock. You’re definitely sick.” Jihoon comes to his side and places a hand against his forehead, to see if he has a temperature. Sure enough, his forehead is clammy and Jihoon shakes his head.
“Now, how did you manage this,” Jihoon says while trying to get Jisung to sit up straight, “should I take the day off?”
Jisung shakes his head furiously. Both of them are invested in their jobs, partly because they like not depending on each other for financial stability when their income combined is enough to support them individually and as well as a couple. It’s nice having it be a joint effort, and Jisung is always thankful for that.
“C’mon, I have so many sick days… I’ll just say I caught the flu off you.” It takes some cohesion, but Jisung gives in, only because Jihoon won’t back down. Their personalities are rather different, and some would say conflicting, but Jisung wouldn’t have it any other way. Even though their initial personalities were different, their star signs told another story. He remembers going to a fortune teller on one of their first dates and how the lady telling their fortune told them that as a Pisces and a Taurus, they end to have karmic ties and a deep empathy for one another. It had been somewhat of a pointer to them that relationship was going to prove a few people wrong. Their age difference is the only that always gets asked about their relationship. Jisung is twenty-seven, but Jihoon however, is the sweet age of twenty-two. It is again, fitting that Jihoon being the younger and the one who normally bickers and mucks around the most with his day to day life. Apart from that, the pair are madly in love and wouldn’t have their current relationship in any other way.
Jihoon leans over the bed and links his fingers through Jisung’s, effectively pulling him out from underneath the covers. Jisung wines from the loss of comfort and pressure from the many blankets, but it is soon replaced by Jihoon carrying him into their bathroom. He places Jisung down on the toilet seat (of all places) as he starts plugging down the bath and running the water.
“Is a bath necessary?” Jisung asks.
Jihoon nods. “Of course,” he pauses, “because you stink.” Jisung makes a move to swat at him and misses by far as Jihoon maneuvers himself around him. Jisung watches as the bath fills up, all bubbly from the bubble bath Jihoon had squeezed into it. Jihoon walks back over to him and motions for him to lift his arms up, and he does so. The younger of the pair starts undressing him, so gently that it tickles Jisung’s skin as the fabric rubs up against him. Jihoon being Jihoon, let’s his hands linger and Jisung throws his head back from the feeling. Jihoon abruptly picks him up and Jisung finds himself being submerged into the bubbly water.
“I’ll be back in a second,” Jihoon says, shutting the door behind him. Jisung leans back in the bath and lets himself enjoy the feeling of the hot water, and how he can feel his aching muscles relaxing already. He closes his eyes and can feel himself drifting off to sleep, but is woken up by someone else getting into the bath with him. He opens his eyes and sees Jihoon smiling back at him.
“Move over,” he grunts as he slides himself underneath Jisung. Jisung leans back and is comfortably situated between Jihoon’s legs, his head resting on his toned chest. Jihoon’s hands starting massaging Jisung’s neck, letting his hands knead out the strong knots that had formed there. Jisung lets out a soft sigh from the feeling of the knots coming undone, and lets himself sink further into Jihoon behind him. After what seems like forever Jihoon starts massaging down Jisung’s body, letting his fingers work on his shoulders, his chest. The younger of the pair lets his hands drop lower, stopping when they fall onto the top of Jisung's groin.
He starts tracing the skin under the water which elicits a small groan from Jisung’s lips. Jihoon kisses the top of Jisung's head and his hands slip to the side of Jisung’s hips, kneading and massaging like he had done to his neck. He peppers kisses up the side of Jisung’s jaw and as much of his neck that he can reach before he stops abruptly. He reaches for a loofah and starts scrubbing at Jisung’s back, and he can feel Jisung huff on top of him. Jisung, however, doesn’t care if Jihoon hears his grumblings, because if he could see the frown painted on his lips he’d probably receive the beginning of a lecture. Yes, Jisung is older than him, but he never uses his age as power over Jihoon – he would never feel right if one of them seemed more in control than the other – he prefers co-existing, being on the same level.
“Tease,” Jisung grumbles. Jihoon smirks and continues to use the loofah on Jisung’s body, despite Jisung’s grumblings.
Jihoon uses his toe to pop the plug to the bath and the water starts draining out. He lets himself out first and grabs a towel to start drying down his boyfriend. Jihoon never leaves a job half done, so even after he has finished drying and dressing Jisung, he even insists on brushing his hair and his teeth for him. Jisung isn’t going to lie – he loves being pampered. It’s not that Jihoon doesn’t pamper him daily – he does – but today it’s way more lengthy than usual and Jisung is thankful. Normally Jihoon’s pampering starts after he has been bratty, something that Jisung loves but it is also something that can cause the littlest of disagreements between the two of them. Perhaps now, since he is sick, is the perfect time to see how far he can press Jihoon’s buttons, see how he likes being on the other side of brat behavior.
Jihoon picks up the towel to start drying him off, however Jisung snatches it out of his hands to start drying his hair. “Hey, I’m drying you.” Jisung shakes his head at Jihoon and continues to wipe at his body. He hears Jihoon sigh loudly and when he looks up it’s at the face of the thunder. Jihoon has his hands on his hips, lip jutted out with an expectant look on his face.
“What?” Jisung asks. Jihoon makes a move for the towel but Jisung keeps it at bay. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” Jisung says. Jihoon huffs and slowly moves closer to Jisung. He darts his hand around his waist, securing the towel and starts to pat gently at Jisung’s hair. When he moves the towel down his body he grabs a hold of it once more. “Really?” The looks on his face is too much for Jisung to handle so he cracks up laughing, leaving Jihoon rather bewildered.
“Not very nice to be on the other end is it,” Jisung titters. “Of what?” Jihoon questions. They finish drying off, Jisung avoiding the question and continuing to act somewhat normal, quietly deciding when he should have a bratty episode. Jisung is dressed in full sick day clothing – a fresh sweatpants and jumper combo. Jihoon settles him down onto the coach in the living room, propping him up with pillows and covering him with blankets.
“I’m not going to freeze Jihoonie,” Jisung says as his boyfriend puts the fifth blanket on top of him. “But you want to be cosy, don’t you?” Jihoon counteracts. Jisung thinks he has a point and curls up underneath the warmth while Jihoon starts pottering away in the kitchen.
“Jisung, where do we keep the cookbooks?” he hears Jihoon’s voice yell from behind him. Jisung sighs. Typical, because Jihoon doesn’t really know how to make anything other than food from the convenience store. He gets up from his spot, blankets still wrapped around him, and makes his way into the kitchen. Jihoon has strewn pots and pans everywhere, just to hunt for a damn cookbook and he isn’t even looking the right place.
“Babe,” Jisung taps his shoulder. He had pulled his favourite cookbook from the shelf under the counter, thrusting it into his partner’s hands. Jihoon thanks him, and sets the book down on the bench top. He flips through the pages and settles on something he knows is Jisung’s favourite – fish cake soup. Jisung salivates just by the sight of the page and it gives Jihoon the confidence he needs to start gathering the ingredients needed together. Jisung hoists himself onto the side of the counter, so he can have a front row view of whatever mess is about to happen in front of him. And maybe because he knows Jihoon will try to scold him for sitting his sick ass where the food gets made. When Jihoon turns to find him sitting on it he rolls his eyes, and attempts to push his leg over with his forearm.
“Really Jisung?”
“Hey, I’m perfectly fine right here.” Jihoon rolls his eye, his hand moving to rest on his hip.
“Do you want breakfast or not?” Jisung huffs and swats his hand away only to move a few inches over so Jihoon can place the cutting board down next to him.
“You better not contaminate the food because I want to eat it too,” Jihoon mumbles, Jisung’s foot dangling off the edge and rubbing against his thigh. Jihoon slices up green onions, radish and garlic. The smell alone from those were enough to make Jisung’s stomach rumble and he has to tense so that Jihoon doesn’t know how starving he is. This is going to take forever. Jisung jumps down from the counter and opens the fridge. A chocolate bar stares him right in the face, calling him to open it up and take a bite. And so, he does.
Right in Jihoon’s face.
Jihoon drops the knife onto the cutting board and makes his way over to the fridge where he is standing. Without warning he hoists Jisung over his shoulder, the chocolate bar still in his hand.
“Hey, hey put me down!” Jisung squeals, patting his free hand on Jihoon’s back. Jihoon huffs as he walks over to the couch and places Jisung down underneath him. “That is going to spoil your breakfast…” he mumbles, busy tucking Jisung back in.
“Says who?” Jisung challenges. It’s normal, it’s the way they are, and it’s perfect. “Says your boyfriend who is cooking you breakfast,” Jihoon says. He plants a kiss on Jisung’s cheek before running back into the kitchen.
“You better hurry up then or else I’ll eat the whole bar!” Jisung makes himself comfortable, gingerly chewing on the chocolate. He busies himself by turning the tv on, watching anything just so that it drowns out the sound of his stomach. An hour later, and three cups of tea later, Jihoon has finally finished and calling Jisung to the table.
When Jisung sits down he is greeted by a bowl placed in front of him, the smell being omitted suspiciously delicious. He picks up his spoon and pulls some of the broth into it. He raises it to his lips, gently blowing on it before it slips into his mouth. Jihoon is looking at him in anticipation – eager to know what the end product is like even though he has his own serving in front of him. Jisung notices the way his eyes glisten and he can’t help but feel guilty for purposely being a brat. Like Jihoon.
He hums as the broth hits his taste buds, the taste just right. He’s surprised that Jihoon managed it so well on his first try, but it just confirms that the boy really is good at everything when his mind is put to it.“Well…?” Jihoon asks. Jisung places his cutlery to the side and stands from the table. He walks to Jihoon’s side and places his hands on his shoulders. Jihoon looks up and Jisung gives him a small peck on the lips cheekily. Jihoon lets his hands move up to linger around Jisung’s chin before his boyfriend pulls away from him, a sly grin marking his lips. It takes Jihoon a moment to realise, that he will now probably catch whatever flu or cold it was that Jisung has. He puts his face in his hands and laughs, laughs at the hilarity of it.
“You’re so mean,” Jihoon barks playfully. Jisung starts to eat his breakfast again, giggling to himself over Jihoon’s expression. “You said you’d call in sick so I guess you really are sick now,” Jisung sang. Jihoon scoffs, but yet picks his own spoon up to take a sip of the broth. His eyes light up with delight, clearly surprised at his masterpiece, and dives in for more of the good stuff in the bowl. They eat quietly, savouring the taste and warmth of the meal. Jisung finishes first and sighs loudly, with a now content stomach.
“Good?” Jihoon asks through mouthfuls. Jisung gives him a thumbs up, to which Jihoon pumps his fist in the air. “I’m pleasantly surprised,” Jisung fumbles as he moves from his seat. He moves towards Jihoon, and plants the second kiss of the day on his cheek.
“Thank you,” Jisung says. And he is thankful. That he has a partner that would take the day off work to play husband – make him food, make sure he’s warm, keeping him company. He doesn’t ask or expect any of it but Jihoon delivers, all the time. There isn’t a day where he doesn’t – even when he is being a brat. It’s what makes everything seem so much sweeter, even the fish cake soup he made for breakfast.