Work Text:
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Jungkook gave a tight-lipped smile despite Jimin’s inability to see. The older boy’s voice was thick and croaky and Jungkook couldn’t help but feel for him as he switched his phone from his left ear to his right.
“Of course not.” He assured, his voice low.
Admittedly, he was a little irritated he wouldn’t be spending his day off how he had hoped — namely playing too much Overwatch for his own good — but Jimin never called in sick. In fact, Jungkook had been working with him the past few days trying to urge him to do just that. Now it finally seemed like he had decided to take the younger man’s advice.
“Okay…if you’re sure.” Jimin sniffled. Jungkook winced at how the noise gurgled in his ear. “Thanks, Gguk.”
“No worries!” He chimed. “I hope you feel better soon.”
“Yeah.” Another sniffle. “Me too.”
Jungkook clicked off his phone with a heavy sigh and collapsed back onto his mattress. He loved his job, he really did, but there was just something about going in on his scheduled days off that left a sour taste in his mouth. Not that he blamed Jimin for that, of course. People got sick sometimes. Even people like Jimin who always tried to pretend everything was fine until they were so unbelievably stuffed up they could hardly breathe — let alone serve people food. Jungkook cringed at the thought.
He rolled himself over with another groan and glanced at his alarm clock. It was already half past eight meaning if he really planned to get up at 4am to open then he desperately had to get ready for bed. He wished Jimin had called him earlier, but deep down he knew the older boy had probably put it off in the hopes he would start to feel better. His heart went out to him, but he still made a mental note to hassle him the next time he saw him.
With another small huff Jungkook pulled himself from his bed and trudged his way to the dorm’s bathroom to start getting ready for the night. If he took a shower now then he’d get to sleep in just that much longer in the morning, and to Jungkook, that extra time was priceless. No matter how many open shifts he worked he swore he’d never get used to the shrill sound of his alarm pulling him back to consciousness while the rest of the world soundly slept. 4am was too early for anybody. Jimin was lucky he liked him.
*
The next morning, when the dreaded sound of his alarm pulled him from his dreams, Jungkook truly thought it was the worst sound he had ever heard in his life. For some reason, it just sounded worse this particular morning — more shrill, more irritating, more horrible. Each buzz and chime made his head pound in protest, and he couldn’t reach over fast enough to get it turned off.
With a half-asleep groan Jungkook pushed himself into a sitting position and cleared his throat into a closed fist. He lazily reached for his cellphone and squinted down at the bright screen, still not quite awake enough to comprehend anything he was seeing as he scrolled aimlessly through his social media. He vaguely registered a dull ache lingering behind his eyes and sniffled quietly against the back of his free hand.
He really needed to get moving or he was going to be late.
Throwing his legs over the edge of his bed, Jungkook trudged his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth and throw on his uniform. He was a little slow-moving, but he simply chalked it up to staying up too late. He felt another twinge of annoyance about Jimin’s last minute phone call, but ultimately brushed it off. He wasn’t going to let himself dwell on it. Jimin really did look like death the last time he saw him and it was honestly a good thing he had decided to call in before someone else ended up in the same boat as him.
Jungkook coughed lightly. None of that really mattered now, anyway. He needed to pick up the pace.
He made a grab for his keys before rushing to tie his shoes. He debated hunting for his bus pass but ultimately decided against it after double checking the time. He wasn’t too far from the café to begin with and if he really hustled, he figured he might even have enough time to heat up a breakfast wrap before the first customers started trickling in.
Throwing a light jean jacket on to combat the chilly spring air, Jungkook stumbled his way out of his dorm room and down the steps onto the street. He hurried himself along with purpose and did his best to ignore the way his sinuses stung with each inhale of fresh morning air. He was feeling strangely groggy, more so than usual, and brought the back of his hand up to scrub absentmindedly at his nose. At least he’d soon be able to make himself a cup of coffee. That thought alone kept him going.
Rounding the last corner to the café Jungkook quickly fumbled around in his pocket for his keys. He pulled them out swiftly, ready to unlock the front door when the sudden urge to sneeze caught him by surprise. He sucked in a desperate breath and snapped down hard into his elbow, dropping his keys in the process as two rapid sneezes toppled their way out of him.
He groaned in annoyance and bent down to retrieve his keys, rubbing his nose aggressively into his sleeve as he did so. He always sneezed when he got to work — so much so that it became a running joke between him and his coworkers — but he hadn’t even stepped inside yet, so how could the smells be affecting him?
Jungkook shook his head and fiddled his key into the lock with a thick sniffle. He pressed his shoulder into the door and shoved hard, tumbling his way into the dark café. He did his best to hold his breath as he scurried into the back room, determined to not let the strong smells get to him. Of course, the moment he let himself inhale, the various smells quickly overwhelmed his sensitive nose and he pitched into himself with another pair of uncharacteristically messy sneezes.
“EESH’hiuu!’ huh’ESSHhiUu!!”
Jungkook rose back up with a groan as he flipped on the café lights. He pressed his nose into one of his sleeves briefly before wiggling himself out of his coat and throwing it onto a nearby hook. He sniffled hard, annoyed by how runny his nose was becoming as he headed back towards the front counter to start preparing for the inevitable morning rush. He allowed himself a few moments to whip up a cappuccino and toss a breakfast wrap into their warming oven.
Now that he wasn’t rushing to get to work, he was becoming increasingly more aware of how run down he was feeling. Granted, he was always a bit tired and groggy at the start of any opening shifts, but today just felt worse. He sniffled again and sighed at the sound it made. He just hoped that he’d begin to feel a bit more lively when customers started arriving.
*
The clock had yet to strike 7am before a line had already formed from the front counter to the door. Normally, Jungkook could handle these types of situations, and even liked them to a certain extent. He fed off of the adrenaline it gave him and enjoyed the rush he’d get as he made drink after drink. Today however, any type of adrenaline he’d normally get was instead replaced with anxiety as he occasionally messed up orders and ran behind.
He was in the middle of making his 12th latté of the morning when the overhead bell of the front door jingled, signaling to Jungkook that yet another customer was making their way inside. Too busy to look up, he tried to ignore the way his hands trembled as he did his best to pour steamed milk into some type of design for the incredibly patient customer. He sniffled thickly as he did so, feeling sweat accumulate behind his bangs. He was nearly finished — only had one more delicate pour to complete — when his breath began to falter. Without much warning, Jungkook scrambled to set the milk and latté down, spilling half of the drink’s contents in the process before he shoved himself backward and fell into his shoulder with a harsh, sudden sneeze.
“hHuh’EEKSHhh!—godi’msosorry…” His apology came out on his shuddering exhale as he hurriedly cupped a hand around his face and stared in horror at the drink he’d ruined. He was about to stutter out some sort of offer of compensation when a familiar deep voice caught his attention.
“Yikes, not on your game today huh, Gguk?” Taehyung chuckled lowly as he bustled his way behind the counter. All Jungkook could offer back was a dumb stare and a thick sniffle — he had forgotten that Taehyung usually worked mornings with Jimin.
Jungkook felt himself relax a little as Taehyung hastily slipped out of his coat and began to tie his apron tightly around his waist. He shot the disappointed customer a warm, boxy smile and immediately fell into his barista role with minimum effort.
“Sorry about that, ma’am.” He apologized as he mopped up the spilled drink with a towel, “I’ll get started on a new one for you right away.” He turned his attention to Jungkook briefly and gestured with his chin towards their espresso machine. “Gguk, would you mind pulling some shots for me, please?”
Jungkook nodded a bit dumbly again and scurried his way towards the machine with a sharp sniffle and a rub of his nose.
Now that Taehyung was here, the older boy was quick to take control over the stressful situation and Jungkook was just as quick to let him. They fell into a rhythm together easily, and before too long had nearly emptied out the café — much to Jungkook’s relief.
“I didn’t realize you were working today.” Jungkook murmured with a tiny sniffle as he topped off one final drink with a dollop of whipped cream.
“I could say the same about you.” Taehyung retorted a bit coyly as he popped a plastic lid onto a travel cup. “Though with how awful Jimin looked the last time I saw him then I guess I’m not too surprised.”
Jungkook hummed in response, but the sound was audibly nasally and rounded. Taehyung raised an eyebrow.
“Coffee beans still bothering you?” He asked as he set down a finished drink. “You’ve been here, what…two and a half hours? Three? Usually you’re good to go by now.”
Jungkook hummed again, this time with more uncertainty, and followed it up with a sniffle.
“I’m…not sure what my deal is.” He forced a tight smile at a customer approaching the counter to retrieve their drink before continuing. “My nose is just…”
Taehyung waited patiently for the adjective that was sure to follow. Stuffy? Itchy? Sensitive? When he heard none, he stole a glance at Jungkook expectedly, but what he saw made his face instantly soften.
“Hh! hA’KSHhhiuu!” Jungkook bent at the waist and caught his sneeze into cupped hands. He groaned almost immediately afterwards, but the sound was muffled by his palms.
“Sneezy?” Taehyung offered with a scoff before reaching out to place a hand briefly onto Jungkook’s back as a sign of acknowledgement. “You alright there, Bun?” He couldn’t help but ask as Jungkook snuffled against the back of his hand.
Bun was a nickname Jimin and Taehyung had branded upon him during his training days. As time went on, the nickname was used less and less (instead getting replaced by more ridiculous things like ‘Hulk Hogan’ and ‘The Muffin Man’) and only really came out on special occasions. Taehyung felt like now was one of those times. Bun was an easy way to set the tone, and he knew the younger knew this.
“Because…” Taehyung continued as he folded his arms across his chest. “I’m starting to wonder if Jimin gave you more than just his opening shift. You worked with him all week, yeah?”
“I…yeah.” Jungkook sighed as the realization dawned on him. It was riddled with the sound of defeat. “Shit. Goddamn it, Jimin.”
Taehyung snorted out a laugh and passed a napkin to Jungkook who very graciously accepted it. Taehyung watched him shake it open before bringing it up to his nose and blowing. He turned his body away from Taehyung slightly, but it didn’t do much to stop the productive sound from reaching both of their ears.
“I’m gonna call you an Uber.”
“Wait— you’re what?”
“I’m sending you home.” Taehyung’s tone left no room for argument as he retrieved his phone from his pocket. “What’s your address? You live in the dorms, right? The ones nearby?”
“I— well, yeah, but—” Jungkook shook his head in protest. “You don’t need to— gosh. I don’t want to leave you alone for your shift, it’s going to get busy again, and—”
“Gguk, who trained you?” Taehyung cut in, eyes still glued to his phone as he typed in the café’s address.
“…Jimin?”
“Yeah, and who do you think trained him?” Taehyung chuckled and re-pocketed his phone. “Your ride’s on the way. I’ll be fine, you need to go home. Can’t have all three of us sick, can we?”
Jungkook knew he was right and he hated it.
“I could’ve just walked…” He grumbled. He was slightly embarrassed and he didn’t know why. “How much do I owe you for the Uber?”
“Owe me?” Taehyung laughed. “You owe me one clean bill of health. How about that?” He reached out to poke Jungkook’s shoulder but the other swatted his hand away sheepishly. “Oh, come on, Bun. Don’t be like that.”
Jungkook frowned deeply and brought the knuckle of his thumb up to swipe against the underside of his nose. It was wet to the touch and made him grimace. Taehyung was quick to pass him another napkin.
Jungkook had every intention to thank him — not just for the new napkin but for everything he’d done since the moment he walked in — but the chime of the door stole away his opportunity. Snapping his mouth closed and shoving the napkin into his pocket, Jungkook made to step towards the register but Taehyung stuck an arm out to stop him.
“I’ll take it from here.”
“But—”
“You’re sick, Gguk.” There wasn’t much room for argument. “Did you bring a coat?”
Jungkook nodded slightly, and Taehyung almost missed it. Jungkook was refusing to make eye contact.
“Alright, go grab it — your ride shouldn’t be long. Get some rest for me, okay?” He smiled and added a quick, whispered, “Feel better soon.” As the cafe’s new customer approached the counter.
Jungkook hesitated for only a moment as Taehyung happily began taking the order. He wanted to object again, to tell Taehyung to let him stay, but he knew deep down that the decision had been made, and there would be no way Taehyung would accept any other outcome aside from him going back home. With another sigh of defeat, Jungkook started to undo his apron and headed towards the back to retrieve his things.
He really owed Taehyung. He owed Taehyung big time.
*
“hA’PSSH’iew!—Shit.” Jungkook rocked to the side with a sneeze that made him fumble the controller held tightly in his hands. It wasn’t that drastic of a movement, but it was enough, and he watched in horror as his character on screen died dramatically. It wasn’t the first time this had happened (in fact, it had been happening all afternoon) but that still didn’t stop Jungkook from throwing his head back and groaning.
Sniffling sharply, Jungkook set his controller down beside himself and made a grab for the tissue box he had stationed in front of him. This had been a recurring cycle ever since he’d gotten home, and the used tissues littering the floor around him reflected that.
He blew his nose harshly, doing his best to empty it out completely before throwing the used tissue down with the rest of the pile (that he kept telling himself he’d deal with later). He was about to pick back up his controller and continue his cycle of sneezing and dying when a sudden knock at his door nearly made him jump out of his skin. He wasn’t expecting anybody, and for a split second wondered if he had maybe just been hearing things, when a second, softer knock sounded through his small dorm.
Jungkook stood up hesitantly and tightened the blanket he had wrapped around himself as he shuffled his way over to the door. He reached for the knob a little cautiously, and opened the door just a crack.
There, with a warm, welcoming smile on his face and a plastic bag held tightly in one hand was none other than Kim Taehyung. Jungkook had to fight every urge in his body to not slam the door closed out of sheer embarrassment.
“Hey, Bun.” Taehyung’s voice was just as warm as his smile, maybe even more so, as Jungkook felt his cheeks begin to flush red. “I thought I’d drop off some soup. It’s just from the café, but…” He shrugged. “My shift was over and I figured it was better than nothing. Are you feeling any better?”
Jungkook opened and closed his mouth, trying to find the right words. Instead, he ended up blurting out “HowdoyouknowwhereIlive?” Which most definitely wasn’t the right thing to say, but he was too far gone to stop himself. To his surprise, Taehyung threw back his head and laughed.
“You told me earlier, remember? When I asked?”
Oh. Jungkook thought. That’s right. He felt his blush deepen.
“I just texted Jimin to grab your room number. He feels awful, by the way.”
Jungkook winced. “You told him?”
“Sure did.” The older boy hummed back, shoving his free hand into his jacket pocket. “He asked why I was dropping by, so I told him. Was I not supposed to?”
“Oh, no!” Jungkook quickly shook his head. “No, it’s fine! I’m just…sure he feels bad.”
“Well, you know him. If he does, he’ll get over it.”
Jungkook nodded and the two fell silent for a moment before Taehyung lifted the bag of soup containers slightly into view.
“Anyway, can I come in? I can reheat this for you.”
Jungkook’s mind immediately went to his mountain of used tissues and he dropped his head with an embarrassed sniffle.
“My dorm’s a mess.”
“So’s mine. All part of the college experience.” He was smirking now, and Jungkook wished his blanket could turn him invisible. “If that’s your only reason to tell me no then I gotta say — that’s pretty weak.”
As he had slowly learned throughout the course of the day, when Kim Taehyung had made up his mind about something, there was no use arguing. Defeated, Jungkook stepped aside and let him in, desperately trying to push back down the increasingly nervous feeling that was starting to creep up his throat.
Taehyung reached out to ruffle the bit of hair that stuck out from beneath Jungkook’s blanket as he stepped inside. He immediately made his way into the kitchen like it wasn’t his first time over while Jungkook waddled along at his heels. He pulled himself out a seat and plopped down as Taehyung began to rummage around his cupboards for a pot.
“You didn’t have to do this.” He ended up murmuring as Taehyung emerged from a cupboard triumphantly, pot in hand.
“I know.” Responded the other as he popped open the containers of soup. There was a pause like he intended to say more, but instead he just began to dump the contents of the containers into the pot.
“Well, I…thank you.” Jungkook uttered after a moment, bringing up a corner of his blanket to scrub into the side of his nose. “I appreciate it, Taehyung. Really.”
The older boy looked over his shoulder and smiled, and Jungkook was surprised to find a blush sitting high on his cheekbones.
“Hey,” His deep voice was smooth and sweet like melted chocolate. “Don’t mention it, Gguk. Now—” He gestured with his chin towards the television in Jungkook’s living room where his game’s loading screen continued to play on an infinite loop. “Why don’t you pick out a movie? I could stay to watch with you once the soup’s done? Only if you want to, of course.”
Jungkook smiled. He couldn’t help it. Maybe taking a sick day wasn’t so bad, after all — especially if he got to spend it with someone like Kim Taehyung.
“That sounds great, Tae. Action or comedy?”