Chapter Text
Namjoon groans when he wakes up. He looks around his room sleepily, trying to gather his surroundings. He blinks his eyes a couple of times and yawns, still too tired to be awake right now, rubs his eyes to get the sleep off them and looks to his closed window.
The sky is still dark outside, and even if he hadn’t just woken up he would hardly be able to see anything with the dim light that makes its way inside his room from the street lights. The sound of police sirens is faint in the distance.
Namjoon lays still for a moment, confused because everything else seems quiet and still so he doesn’t understand what woke him up on this perfectly peaceful night. He yawns again and rolls over to his side, intending to go back to sleep. And then he hears it.
“Shit, fuck, fuck,” Jungkook’s hushed cursing as he stumbles around, trying to make his way through the apartment. Namjoon sighs in annoyance, rolling his eyes. He pulls the pillow from under his head and uses it to cover his ears instead.
Namjoon and Jungkook have been roommates for a couple of years now and they get along very well. Jungkook is cheerful and cute, he’s attentive and gentle and sensitive and Namjoon might maybe possibly like him a little too much.
Jungkook is a wonderful roommate, he’s the best Namjoon could’ve ever asked for from this city, exactly what he was hoping for the moment he decided to rent the other room in his apartment.
Or at least he thought so until about the last year and a half. Since then it has become the norm for Jungkook to come home at unholy hours of the night, always knocking shit around as he makes his way to the bathroom, the kitchen or his room. And Namjoon honestly wouldn’t mind it if Jungkook didn’t come home beaten up most of the time, leaving blood in their sink, or stains in the walls where he holds onto them for balance. And he wouldn’t even mind that if Jungkook could at least make an attempt to clean it.
Namjoon sighs, snuggling more into his warm blankets. By now he knows not to leave his room. Jungkook always seems to come home in a bad mood. Namjoon doesn’t really blame him for this, not when Jungkook comes home looking like he’s been losing most fights. He frowns, taking the pillow off his head and holding onto it as he listens to Jungkook groaning in pain and dragging himself through the house.
Namjoon wants to help him, but Jungkook always gets irritated when he does. He knows trying to help Jungkook will most likely end up with them arguing, but sometimes it’s worth it. He doesn’t mind arguing with Jungkook some nights if it means making sure he’ll be able to wake up in the morning and go to class.
If Jungkook wants to get drunk and fight strangers that’s fine, but Namjoon would like him to at least let him clean his wounds. He would like Jungkook to let him be concerned for him. Of course Jungkook always looks fine the next day but it still pains Namjoon to hear him struggle in the middle of the night.
Namjoon closes his eyes when Jungkook quiets down. He is almost asleep again when he hears a soft “Namjoon…” and a quiet knock on his door. He opens his eyes again, staring attentively at the closed door. It was so quiet he isn’t sure whether he actually heard it or if his delusional brain, urging to comfort Jungkook, simply tricked him.
He waits, not daring to move a muscle. Namjoon feels like he’s been lying there for hours, barely breathing, until he hears a soft whimper from the other side of his closed door. He decides to risk it then. He is going to peek outside even if Jungkook yells at him for it. Tonight he doesn’t mind arguing with him as long as he gets to call him a dumbass for it.
Namjoon pushes the covers off his body and shivers when the cold air hits his warm skin. He grabs a hoodie that hangs from the back of the chair by his desk and puts it on, then slowly tiptoes to the door of his room and opens it carefully.
None of the lights are on so the hallway is dark. He leans slightly past the door, trying to spot any movement in the apartment but everything seems completely still. He takes a step outside and regrets it when he feels something wet and warm soaking his sock. His nose scrunches in disgust until he looks down and finds Jungkook laying on the ground in front of his door, and the substance he stepped on to be a pool of his blood.
Namjoon stands frozen for a moment, panicked as he stares down at Jungkook, unable to move or scream or react in any way.
“Ugh, Joonie?” Jungkook groans, clearly in pain, and struggles to raise his head enough to look up at him. Namjoon chokes back a whimper when he sees Jungkook’s face. It’s swollen, eye bruised, his lip tinted red with blood that drips down his chin. Jungkook’s voice wakes Namjoon up from his initial panicked surprise and immediately kneels down to help support him.
“Stop moving.” Namjoon scolds him, voice shaking. “I’m going to try to get you to the bathtub…” He tells him, attempting to sound calm. Jungkook nods weakly and Namjoon is thankful he is agreeing without arguing for once.
Namjoon carefully turns him around and puts his hands under his arms and around his chest to tug Jungkook’s body towards the bathroom. A trail of fresh blood stains the floor. Jungkook hisses and groans every time Namjoon tugs him and Namjoon’s heart breaks a little more with every pained sound Jungkook makes.
“I’m not that fat.” Jungkook pouts, letting his head fall back to look at Namjoon. He shakes his head, a content smile stretching over Jungkook’s lips when he closes his eyes. Of course Jungkook isn’t fat, he is all heavy muscles that make Namjoon’s knees weak in more ways than one.
Namjoon isn’t sure how but he manages to get Jungkook to the bathroom. By the time he does his arms are sore and he can barely lift one enough to turn the light on. As he stains their wall too with the blood on his hand he mentally curses Jungkook for being so goddamn buff and heavy.
“I’m going to take this off.” He tells Jungkook, already tugging his jacket off. As Namjoon struggles to pull the material off Jungkook he finally notices the rest of his outfit and his concern is tinted with irritation. It is one thing for Jungkook to be an aggressive drunk who wants to fight anything that moves, but it is another completely different one for him to be dressing as a Spiderman copycat and willingly getting into fights like this. Namjoon realises then — with what Jungkook constantly calls, much to his dismay, his big and juicy science brain — that he’s never seen Jungkook drunk, so he has no empirical evidence of his first assumption being true, on the other hand he has Jungkook bleeding against the bathtub dressed in a half-destroyed — high quality he must admit — Spiderman suit.
He looks so hurt, bruises and cuts covering so much of his skin Namjoon is surprised he is even awake right now. He would much rather be taking him to the hospital right now but he already knows Jungkook will refuse and even in the state he is in Namjoon doubts he’ll be able to drag an unwilling Jungkook anywhere. But although the dry blood clings to his skin Jungkook doesn’t seem to be bleeding much anymore, Namjoon hopes his experience in a paramedic camp will be enough for now.
“You’re so fucking stupid.” Namjoon says as he helps him inside the bathtub. Jungkook laughs at that, and then hisses at the warmth of the water. It’s unusual for Namjoon to insult him, always the sweetest, most patient one of the pair, so Jungkook finds the words funny and foreign coming from his favourite Hyung.
“You have no idea.” Jungkook replies, relaxing into the water, hands shaking as he attempts to hold onto the sides of the bathtub. Namjoon shakes his head and is careful to rinse Jungkook’s wounds. Tears burn in his eyes as he tries to get the blood off Jungkook, who whimpers when Namjoon presses a little too hard. He bites his lip as he pours water on Jungkook’s head and tries to wash his hair, the long strands sticky with blood and glued to his forehead. By the time Namjoon is done the water is coloured red, but Jungkook looks a little more alive.
Namjoon helps him out of the tub and carefully dries him with a fluffy towel. He uses every ounce of willpower in his body to not stare or say anything embarrassing. Namjoon can feel his cheeks burning, he feels bad about wanting to bite onto Jungkook’s inner thigh while they’re all bruised up, shaking and so weak Jungkook has to lean on him to stop his legs from giving out, but he can’t help it. Jungkook is just so… himself! Namjoon knows he needs to control himself but being this close to Jungkook is doing things to him, his own hands shaking as he pats Jungkook’s skin dry.
When Namjoon is mostly done, he hands Jungkook the towel, who painfully wraps it around himself. Jungkook complains in pain every step they take and leans against Namjoon for support as he guides them to his room.
Namjoon tries not to look at the stained floor too much because it makes his stomach churn, and only to avoid stepping on the blood and spreading it more through the apartment. He sits Jungkook on the bed and goes to close the open window. The police sirens are going off again outside.
“I’m going to go look for something to put on those cuts.” Namjoon tells him, when he turns around facing Jungkook’s back. He comes back with a first aid kit, and finds Jungkook drying his hair, now wearing shorts but still shirtless. Namjoon tries not to think about the way Jungkook’s muscles flex as he disinfects the wounds. Jungkook is so strong and hot and Namjoon really shouldn’t be thinking like this while Jungkook seems to be exhausted and struggling to stay awake.
He stands in front of Jungkook, between his legs as he gently tends to this open lip. He really wouldn’t mind kissing it better.
Jungkook gives him a gentle smile and Namjoon tries to stop looking at him because more tears are threatening to spill. Jungkook puts his hand on top of Namjoon’s on his cheek in an attempt to comfort him and get his attention.
“Don’t look so sad, Joonie. I’ll be okay, I’m a big boy!” Jungkook says, straightening up and smiling wide, bunny teeth in display. Namjoon laughs, his other hand covering his mouth in an attempt to hide his reddening cheeks. Jungkook is infinitely cute and Namjoon is beyond endeared. “Just...” A blush tints Jungkook’s swollen face when he gets shy and Namjoon gently caresses his cheek with his thumb. “Just stay with me tonight.” Jungkook finishes, looking at him with big hopeful eyes and Namjoon wouldn’t be able to say no even if he wanted to.
“Alright, I’ll just-” Namjoon gestures to his blood-stained sweatshirt and takes a step away from Jungkook but he pulls him back, still holding onto his hand.
“Just steal one of mine.” He says quickly, too fast for him to try and pretend to be smooth about it. Namjoon nods and steps away again. This time Jungkook lets him. He takes off his damp socks and leaves them in a corner along with his dirty sweatshirt and Jungkook’s towel. That’s a problem for when the sun comes up.
He can hear Jungkook laying down and getting comfortable in his bed. Namjoon tries not to turn around as he changes, self-conscious of his body after having just seen, and having practically had his face against Jungkook’s naked one for so long. He finds his favourite sweatshirt from Jungkook and hurries to put it on, not standing the burn of Jungkook’s gaze on the back of his neck and the coldness of the air.
“You’re so fucking pretty.” Jungkook mumbles sleepily but when Namjoon turns around surprised, unsure of whether he heard right, Jungkook already has his eyes closed. Namjoon hesitates for a moment, standing at the side of the bed and wondering if he should really get in. “Mmm! Come here already!” Jungkook whines, like he does when Namjoon can’t decide what takeout to order or what show they should watch. Namjoon laughs at Jungkook’s impatience and finally dares to slip under the covers next to him.
“You’re dumb.” Namjoon smiles when Jungkook’s hand finds his and intertwines their fingers. Jungkook hums sleepily in agreement.
“Mmm, but I’m baby.” He mumbles against the pillow, smiling when he hears Namjoon laugh.
Jungkook’s breathing becomes even and Namjoon lays awake wondering what it all means. He loves it, he loves laying down next to Jungkook, he loves holding his hand and feeling his breath on his skin when Jungkook presses closer against him. But he isn’t sure what it means. Is this Jungkook showing him he feels the same as he does? Or is it just him seeking comfort in his friend after a rough night?
Namjoon isn’t sure, and he doesn't know if he’ll be comfortable enough to ask tomorrow. What he knows, however, is that he needs to have a very serious conversation with Jungkook about where the limits of his admiration for Spiderman should be.