Work Text:
Fights and arguments between family members are normal. It's normal between friends and in a romantic relationship or any kind of relationship. It also comes within roommates. Either in the form of another person, things, situations, situations that got out of hand, etcetera, etcetera. There are lots of things that could spark this certain problem and in terms of Beomgyu and Soobin, roommates, it came in the form of misunderstanding and a stressful night combined.
It has been two years since the two roommates have met, Soobin as the new tenant and Beomgyu's new roommate. It wasn't that hard to get along with the elder as he was a gentle giant, dubbed by Beomgyu himself. When he moved in with Beomgyu, he has no more than two duffle bags, a backpack and one medium suitcase, no furniture and no sentimental things to move in with him and for Beomgyu to rearrange his own things, he was glad about that, he wouldn't want to move his couch or his coffee table or his rug or basically anything that's been installed inside the apartment.
Soobin was shy when they first met, timid in Beomgyu's words, he was genuine too, thoughtful at the side and the tall boy's patience never once faltered, before, not until exactly a week ago. Beomgyu came home a little later than his liking, about 8 in the evening. Soobin, of course, came home even later than him, as usual, 11 to be exact. That time, the entire apartment had been cast out of light, there was only darkness aside from the harsh light from Beomgyu's laptop screen.
He was frustrated and angry about his partner in office that had suddenly fallen ill and left all the work to him. They divided the work and Beomgyu had finished his part but the said officemate never touched his work leaving Beomgyu to make it by himself. It was a long way to go as the left work was actually 60% of the overall project and the deadline was in three days. Three days isn't enough!
He felt stressed all of a sudden while typing all the needed materials on his laptop furiously. He would've cried if this was a project when he was in college but now he resorted to being strong.
Negativity. It was the equal cause of him forcing himself to be strong. He would literally come out as one but his mind would be full of negativity. What if I don't finish this in time? I'll definitely be a disappointment in my own family company. I'll be a disappointment. A damned disappointment. He's never felt this stressed over his work on their company.
When Soobin arrived, Beomgyu casted his usual comment, "you're late again."
"Why do you care?"
If it were another day, Beomgyu would've thought of it as a joke, like everytime Soobin would say that. But it didn't sound like a joke to him this time, like his ear picked it up the wrong way. So, he acted inappropriately, he harshly turned to look at Soobin, with brows furrowed and said, "alright, I won't care anymore."
Beomgyu was taken a little bit by surprise when Soobin chuckled at his remark and approached him.
"What is that?"
"None of your business." Beomgyu says. He wasn't looking at the elder but he knew Soobin had raised a brow.
"You seemed stressed." And seems like stress has taken over his mind and body as he came out harsh and salty at the following conversation. Making him look like a pathetic immature kid throwing a tantrum.
"Yeah, and what about it?"
"Can I help? To, maybe ease your stress a little?" Soobin's voice was soothing but the void of voice inside Beomgyu's mind was overpowering.
"No, you can't. Just go away."
The following words and tone from Soobin were of the same intensity as an electric shock.
"I was just asking, why do you have to be a brat?" There was a bite in his tone.
"I was just answering your question!"
"And you're answering it harshly like an immature teenager!" Soobin had raised his voice. And Soobin had never raised his voice on Beomgyu.
Something inside Beomgyu broke.
"I shouldn't have asked."
Definitely something had been broken when Soobin turned and walked away from him.
That night, Beomgyu had teared up more than a little and slept on the couch. He got no energy to even stand up from the couch as guilt and regret wash over him. He was up an hour earlier before his alarm even went off. He was off to work an hour earlier and decided to just spend his time in one of the cafes near the company. He was off the whole day, his mind was off, his acts were off, everything was off. He had only thoughts of regret, thoughts about how awful he acted that night, negativity just floods over his brain and consumes him. He goes home earlier than Soobin, that gives him the luxury to sleep early so they won't meet and cross paths. Just like how it was when they first met.
And this routine continued to go on for a week.
It consumed Beomgyu in a negative way. He had regretted what he did for a thousand times and he only thinks of how he can get Soobin to act the same way again, how he'll say sorry and just add the other negative things that turned him into a forgetful, stressed and anxious mess. His forgetfulness had turned bad that it came to the point that he forgets to eat either at lunch or dinner, sometimes both. A thing that would make Soobin upset if he had known about it and if they had no barrier between them. That would cause a consequence, of course.
Today, Beomgyu went home early, like the usual. That is when his stomachache attacked. He collapsed on the couch and held his stomach while he curled into a ball, groaning in pain. His meds and painkillers were placed on a pouch hidden in his closet, he doesn't have the energy to get it because if he stands and straightens his body, sure his stomach would cramp and that'll hurt like hell. So he chose to just curl in a ball and groan in pain to sleep.
• • •
It was thirty minutes of Beomgyu's slumber when the door opened to Soobin. The tall boy hadn't noticed Beomgyu lying on the couch as the boy didn't put on the efforts to turn on the lights. So, it shocked Soobin to see Beomgyu lying there when the light spread across the room.
He just shrugged it off and left the lights open.
When he came back, Beomgyu was moving in his place, facing the couch's backrest while groaning..... in pain? He wasn't sure but he is sure enough he has heard that same groan from before.
If it were another day where they aren't in the middle of a fight, he would instantly approach the younger and ask him, but he doesn't feel like doing it tonight when there's something going on between them, although he was itching to sit beside the younger and baby him like how he used to.
Damn, this is going worse.
It wasn't Soobin's first intention to sit at one corner of the coffee table, particularly the corner that was facing Beomgyu, but here he is anyway. He turned on his laptop and threw little glances over the younger. Soobin would be lying if he'd say his heart wasn't aching upon looking at the younger curled up in a ball. It has been a week and Soobin's aching to touch the younger. Ugh.
Ten minutes and Soobin has his eyes trained in front of his laptop when Beomgyu shuffled and groaned once again when he went to sit.
Soobin diverted his gaze toward Beomgyu as subtly as he could and watched the younger's face scrunch up, his eyes were still closed, still not aware of Soobin's existence. Beomgyu swung his legs up to hug it. Soobin's eyes never once left Beomgyu during the whole minute.
His heart was crushed when he heard Beomgyu's little sob. The boy raised his head to rub his eye, smearing his tears through his cheeks.
Why was he crying?
Soobin quickly stood on his feet and kneeled in front of Beomgyu, his hands hesitating on where he should put it until he decided to settle on the shoulders.
"Gyu?" He called as softly. Beomgyu opened his eyes and bewilderment was evident in his eyes and face.
It's like the sight of Soobin in specs while he kneels in front is something sad that made Beomgyu cry even more and it made Soobin's heart shatter into tiny pieces.
"Why are you crying baby?"
Beomgyu didn't speak and just threw himself on Soobin's arms making the both of them stumble backwards, Soobin landing on his butt. The younger wrapped his arms on Soobin's back and middle while he also managed to squish himself in between his thigh, particularly sitting on Soobin's left leg. And he was too warm than the normal body temperature.
There's only sobbing mixed with a soft groan, Beomgyu had soaked his shirt but he could only care less about it because he was still flabbergasted and confused as to why the younger was crying.
"Gyu?" He called once more that Beomgyu finally answered with a hum. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Don't lie, please."
Beomgyu shuddered and buried his face on the elder's shoulder.
"I'm sorry." Was what came out of Beomgyu's lips. "I'm so sorry, hyung. Please forgive." He continued as the sobbing resumed.
It felt like someone was squishing Soobin's heart each time he heard Beomgyu sniff and sob in between. Soobin held up his hands to caress the younger's cheeks and to wipe the tears off.
"It's okay, I'm sorry too, I didn't mean to come out that harsh." He says followed by little hushes when Beomgyu sobbed one after the other.
"No. I was mean, and—and I didn't think of what I was saying, I'm sorry, I won't promise but I swear I won't be as immature, never again—"Beomgyu paused as he caught his own breath.
He looked like a kicked puppy at the moment and Soobin doesn't want to do anything but to baby him.
"Okay, okay, stop crying baby and start to breathe in and out slowly, how about that?" Soobin says as he rubs gentle circles on the younger's back.
After about five minutes of Soobin soothing Beomgyu, the boy suddenly groaned and pressed his arms on his stomach. From there Soobin knew why he was groaning in pain and was curled in a ball.
"Stomachache?"
"Yeah." Beomgyu answered timidly.
"Didn't you eat earlier?" Soobin asked and was answered by a shaking of head. He, too, groaned at that, because of frustration. "Why didn't you eat?"
"'Already hurt when I came home, 'didn't want to move." Beomgyu uttered slowly.
"Ugh," Soobin could only groan at that, he could've seen that earlier.
"Please, don't be mad." Beomgyu whispered and tightened his hug. How can he be mad at that?
"You're warm too," Soobin raised his hand over to Beomgyu's forehead and felt it burning. "You need to take meds."
Soobin carried Beomgyu inside their room and made him rest on his bed. He made Beomgyu eat just a pack of bread before the younger had taken a pill and is now leaning on his headboard while he confesses everything to Soobin. From the first day he regretted and reflected on himself down to the part where the younger was really conflicted and bothered that he had forgotten to eat. He did it with all teary eyes and Soobin almost broke down on that.
"So, you're saying, you didn't properly eat these past few days?" Soobin asks as he crosses his arms beneath his chest. Beomgyu lowered his head and nodded slowly. "Why would you do that?"
"I really missed you and I was upset toward myself."
"That doesn't mean you should skip your meals."
"I was not skipping my meals, I just keep on forgetting it. And I was also thinking I don't deserve to e—" Beomgyu still has his head hanging low as he answered.
"Don't you ever think like that." Soobin uttered a little louder that starteled Beomgyu. "Our fight made you forget to eat?" Soobin sighs upon realizing that.
"I was just upset—"
"Okay, now don't be upset." Soobin cut off Beomgyu when he stood to close the bedroom door and turn off the lights, only leaving the bedside lamp on, he hopped on the empty space beside Beomgyu afterwards.
"You're not mad anymore?" Beomgyu asked and looked up to Soobin with glassy eyes, lips down-turned in a pessimistic manner. He looks so vulnerable and soft with the yellow light from the lamp. Soobin had to coo internally.
"I was never mad at you."
"Are you sure? What if you're just pretending because I'm sick but inside you really despise me?" Beomgyu talked like he was some five year old kid talking to his mother.
"No, 'was never." Soobin answered as he ruffled the younger's hair. "It's late, you should go to sleep."
Beomgyu shuffled under his blanket until he was lying down, Soobin did the same and the younger wrapped his arms on his middle as soon as he was comfortable in his place.
"You won't leave?" Perhaps, it's the fever that's making Beomgyu extra clingy tonight and Soobin doesn't and would not complain about that.
"No."
"Okay, don't leave." Beomgyu closed his eyes and pulled Soobin even closer to him banishing the nonexistent space between them. "Don't leave me."
"I won't." Soobin pressed a little kiss on top of Beomgyu's head.
Soobin turned off the lamp and darkness took over. He returned Beomgyu's hug and kissed the younger's crown once more.
"'Would never leave you."