Work Text:
His father laughs and slaps Guk's shoulder, oblivious - and uncaring , his mind hisses - of the pain he's in.
Taejoo has to dig his nails hard into the meat of his palms to stop himself from striding over and doing something that would end up with Guk getting hurt worse.
"Sharp work, Kang Guk!" he booms like his voice owns the room. Taejoo instinctively snaps up straight at the sound, making sure to force his face into something neutral. Guk's told him what he looks like when he's angry, and right now he's furious. Father doesn't like excessive emotion. Says it speaks weakness.
Somebody should really tell him that.
"I know I keep you around for a reason; the police have the fool in custody. Well done. I'll have you given a bonus this month, since you actually ended up with something to do, for once. Besides dealing with my son, of course!" he laughs.
Yeah, yeah, I'm a disappointment. Shout it a little louder, will you? I think the neighbourhood next over misheard.
"Thank you, sir," Guk says, the face of professionalism.
He gives Guk another slap, this one making him stumble forward, and a proud smile-- man, doesn't that itch --and is already walking away from them. Phone in hand, assistants at his heels. His stern voice echoing as they scurry like ants to keep up.
Taejoo waits for his father to leave the room, not moving a muscle until he hears the faint click of a door shutting somewhere off in the house.
The second it's safe, he's already at Guk's side.
He cups a hand to his cheek, tilting his head to face him. What Taejoo finds is… not great. Guk's gaze is milky; a little wet, a little distant. Taejoo bites his lip at the bruises he sees, the caked blood at his mouth.
The knife had only gotten him in the shoulder, he's certain of that much. Who ever the guy was, he wasn't a match for Guk even when he's half asleep like he was when he smashed through the window. The bruises must be from he pinned the fucker; they'd been out of sight for Taejoo when Guk got him down, but damn if the fight didn't sound rough.
But that doesn't matter right now.
"He's gone," Taejoo says. "He's gone, Guk-ah, you can--"
Before he can finish, Guk groans, long and breathless, and like his strings have been cut he slumps forward into Taejoo who stumbles under the weight.
The blood soaking through his shirt is sticky and wet against Taejoo's skin. He doesn't need to look to know it's staining his school shirt red. But not… too much. Not enough to be panicking. "Ah," Taejoo breathes shakily, "I feel like there's a rule against bleeding on your employer."
"S'only a little," Guk mumbles against him. "You're rich. You can just go 'n buy the dry cleaners. Buy all the dry cleaners. Don't complain, you fuck."
Taejoo snorts. Not dying, then. Though he feels like Guk could be on death's door and he'd still be biting back at him.
He shifts his hold on Guk, bringing the arm of his uninjured side over his shoulders. "Here we go, Guk-ah. Keep up."
Guk grunts in answer and they start their wobbling way to Taejoo's bedroom, and internally he thanks each and every god there is that he lives on the ground floor. He loves Guk, but damn if he isn't heavy. Or maybe Taejoo's just weak.
Mmn, no. It's Guk fault.
The struggle to his room is best left forgotten, and Taejoo settles Guk down on his couch, leaving him to search through the bathroom for his-- well, whatever number medkit they're on now. It's probably in the double digits. Fifteenth? Ah, who cares.
He grabs it and strolls back out and plops down beside Guk. Opening the kit and quickly taking out what he needs, using scissors to cut away the shirt clinging to Guk's shoulder. He's not as well practiced at this as Guk is, but by this point in their relationship he's far from an amateur.
"Tell me if anything hurts, darling," he says sweetly.
Guk sighs and rests his head back against the couch, closing his eyes and letting Taejoo work. "Don't call me darling," he mutters.
Taejoo hums, deftly cleaning the wound and bandaging it, not at all planning to stop. Be it today or in a decade.
There's not much he can do for the bruises save for letting them heal naturally, so he shoves everything back in the medkit and drops it to the floor, turning back to Guk. Looking at him quietly.
Taejoo skims the corner of Guk's lips with his fingers, thumbing at the blood caked there. He slides his hand up, never breaking contact, until he's holding the side of his face, tracing the edge of his black eye lightly. He smiles, just a little, when Guk leans into the touch unconsciously.
"Guk-ah," he starts.
Guk opens his eyes a sliver and grunts.
"Teach me how to fight."
Guk's eyes blink fully open at his serious tone, half pushing himself up and he weakly tries to push away Taejoo's hand. "No, Taejoo, you shouldn't--"
Taejoo catches his arm in a rough grip, tight on his wrist, and Guk's breath hitches. He stills in Taejoo's grasp.
He pounces on that hesitation and smoothly slides over onto Guk's lap, settling over his thighs and bracketing his hips with his knees. If Guk had a speech ready for why he shouldn't learn a martial art, it's left him. All wide eyes and hitching breath, a blush hinting his cheeks.
"Guk-ah," he continues, unperturbed, "you said that I'm your master, didn't you? Well, I'm not asking. Teach me."
"Why?"
Taejoo smiles softly at the look on his face. He leans down and rubs their noses together, laughing at the red flush that floods Guk's cheeks in a heartbeat. Always so blushy, his Guk. "Because I don't want my honey to get hurt when I could be doing something about it," he smiles.
"You don't--" Guk sighs and rubs a hand over his face, wincing when he aggravates a bruise. "I'm replaceable, Taejoo. You don't need to worry about me."
Ah, this. He hates this. Replaceable? Guk? When he's the only person who's ever--
"No," Taejoo slumps forward and buries his face in Guk's shoulder. If his arms slide around Guk's waist, clinging into the back of his shirt, neither of them say anything about it. "You really aren't. So don't say that." His voice trails off into a bitter, bitter mutter. A near hiss. "Don't you ever say that to me."
Guk sighs. "The whole point of me being-- of my job is to keep you safe. If you know how to fight, then why should I stay here? Keep living with you?" The sleep in the same bed as you and spend every waking moment at your side is left unsaid.
Taejoo bites his lips to keep the real answer quiet. Silent and dead where it belongs. Because I need you.
"Because you love me," Taejoo says instead. He doesn't bother to move, speaking the words straight into the skin of Guk's throat.
The world seems to freeze for a couple of moments. Silent and empty save for their breathing and a non-existent breeze that may or may not be his soul leaving his body. Taejoo doesn't know why but it feels like he's frozen, and his heart... it wants to beat out of his chest.
Pat. Pat. Pat. Guk pets at his hair the same way he does to Taejoo's arm or leg when he gets Guk pinned when they play. It's awkward. It's adorable. He loves it.
Taejoo relaxes under the familiar touch, melting into Guk with a happy wriggle, giggling when Guk sighs in annoyance. Reveling in the comfort and warmth he exudes despite it.
"You aren't going to stop bothering me until until I do, aren't you," he sighs.
Taejoo smiles, leaving Guk's chest to pat his cheek. "It's so nice to see you learning, my dear."
Rolling his eyes hard enough Taejoo is amusedly worried he might strain something, Guk shoves Taejoo off himself with a push of his knees before standing up, carefully, himself.
Taejoo pouts at him from the floor. Guk makes a face back at him. Dork.
"Get up. It's late. Let's go to bed, Taejoo."
Taejoo grins and bounces up to follow him, grabbing onto him and clinging like he always does, albeit a little more mindfully. If Guk is saying they can sleep together, then he's saying he's fine. If he was in pain, he'd do something dumb like try and take the chair, leaving Taejoo to drag him under the covers once he finally passes out. "Only if you let me cuddle you, Guk-ah! After trauma like that, I need my teddy bear."
Guk doesn't look at him, but leans into Taejoo as they waddle to the bed. "We can. Just be careful of my shoulder, alright?"
As if Taejoo would ever willingly hurt him. "Of course, darling. I call dibs on little spoon!"