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Jimin drags his sore feet over the humid pavement, not even bothering to raise them higher so his steps won't resonate around him. It's like his mind has completely separated itself from his body as his legs carry him home after a long, exhausting day.
Once he reaches the building's main entrance, he presses his key against the sensor, waiting for the green light to turn on and the beeping sound to let him enter the building. He barely remembers how he got inside the elevator, his eyelids closing and opening every few seconds as his head rests against the mirror of the elevator. A robotic voice informs him that he reached his floor, so he wills himself to detach his body from the wall and walk towards his apartment's door. Without really seeing what buttons he's pressing, he inserts the code and the door unlocks.
Jimin takes off his shoes, hangs his coat on the coat rack next to the entrance, and puts on his slippers. Silence surrounds him as he walks through the hallway and enters the living room, finding Jeongguk already there sprawled on the couch with a book in his hands. The younger instantly hears the shuffling of Jimin's slippers over the wooden floor, eyes shifting from the pages to the threshold. He first notices Jimin's tired face, then the few water droplets that have fallen on his hair after it started raining barely a few minutes ago.
"Hi, baby," he greets him with a soft smile, closing the book and getting up from the couch.
"Hi," Jimin slurs, eyes half-closed.
"You look tired," Jeongguk points out, standing in front of the older's slumped figure. His shoulders are down and there are eye bags under his eyes. "Everything okay?" He rubs Jimin's arms up and down.
"Mm, just had a long day," he murmurs, coming closer to Jeongguk and resting his face sideways on his chest, his cheek squished.
The younger coos, fully wrapping his arms around Jimin's petite, energy-drained body. "Wanna take a bath?" he asks. One of his hands comes up to pet his head.
A yawn escapes Jimin's mouth before he nods and says, "yes, please."
"Alright, baby. I'm gonna run you a warm bath and then we'll have dinner. Sounds good?"
He gets a hum as a response.
"Okay, go get undressed while I fill the tub."
They walk together towards the en-suite bedroom with Jimin clinging to Jeongguk's side as he guides him through the apartment. Once they reach the bathroom, the younger doesn't waste a second in plugging the tub and opening the tap, the sound of the water filling the silence.
Meanwhile, Jimin strips from his clothes, though he gets stuck when he tries to pull off his sweater.
"Jeonggukie," he calls out softly, "help."
Jeongguk chuckles when he turns around and sees Jimin with his arms up and his head trapped in the sweater. He wordlessly untangles him and manages to take it off, dropping it on the basket of dirty clothes. Then, he starts searching through the cabinets until his eyes land on the item he's searching for — a lavender-scented bath bomb, Jimin's favorite.
Some minutes after, he kneels over the tub and dips his fingers into the water, judging if the temperature is as wanted. A sizzling sound comes out of the tub after he drops the bath bomb on it, purple foam growing around it, and the smell of lavender taking over the bathroom.
"Smells nice," the older man says as he sits on the edge of the tub, now fully naked. He lifts his gaze towards Jeongguk and frowns when he sees that he's still fully clothed. "Aren't you joining me?"
"Do you want me to?"
"Of course," he replies with the softest look on his face, the one reserved for Jeongguk and him only.
The younger doesn't hesitate to start undressing himself, adding his clothes to the growing pile. Soon after, they're both completely bare while they wait for the foam to cover all the water. In the meantime, Jeongguk walks up to Jimin from behind when he sees him shivering and drapes his body over his back. Autumn is starting to make itself present, so their bodies are getting used to the colder temperatures. The older has been shivering ever since the first raindrop hit his head when he was walking back home from work.
Jeongguk rocks them slightly from side to side, face hidden in Jimin's neck and leaving tender kisses on the pale skin.
"It's ready," Jimin says.
He raises a leg and slowly dips his foot into the water, a sigh escaping his lips when he feels the temperature. With Jeongguk's hand supporting his weight for balance, he fully submerges his body — the foam almost reaching his shoulders.
Jeongguk follows him, settling behind him and resting his broad back on the tub. With little effort, he pulls Jimin towards him by his shoulders, careful not to move the water too much or else it could spill.
Jimin hums contentedly once he's fully covered by the younger's body, feeling the rise and fall of his chest with every intake of air.
"This is nice," he whispers. His body is beginning to relax now, always so comfortable around Jeongguk. Moments like this make him feel complete, happy, even though he's extremely tired.
"Had a rough day at work?" Jeongguk asks.
"Yeah, I did,” Jimin sighs. “My boss came into my office after lunch and told me about an employee messing up the paperwork and asked me to fix it and explain to them how to do it correctly." He explains while the younger listens attentively. "That wasn't the hard part, because I don't mind helping, but it shouldn't have taken me as much time as it did, so I was behind on my own work. Then, around 3 pm, the project manager told me about some client complaints that only made me more stressed because they’re so stupid," a frown appears in between his eyebrows as he recalls his day at the office. "I'm too old to be dealing with so many stupid little things. I wish someone else could do it for me while I do my actual job, you know?"
Jeongguk hums. "You could always tell them you're too busy to help," he replies. "And you're not too old, don't be silly."
That earns a soft chuckle from the older. "I know, I know. But I feel bad whenever I say no."
"You're too nice sometimes," Jeongguk comments, leaning forward to kiss the back of Jimin's head. He spots the loofah next to them and quickly grabs it and a scentless soap. Dipping the sponge inside the water and painting it with soap, the younger starts tracing it over Jimin's arms. Ever so tenderly, he scrubs his body as Jimin's head rests against his shoulder. With his free hand, he scoops foamy water from around them and spills it on other of the older's body parts.
Being taken care of is something Jimin needs once in a while. With every day that passes, stress and overall life complications start to weigh on his shoulders, slowly bringing him down to the point of exhaustion. But knowing that he has someone like Jeongguk to massage his shoulders and lift him up whenever he's down makes Jimin unconsciously smile, chest filling with warmth. The younger is so attentive to the little things that he even notices things Jimin himself hadn't noticed before.
It happens the other way around as well. They are each other's rocks, someone they can go to for anything. Some days it's emotional support, and others it's being physically there to comfort the other — like today.
Spending a rainy evening taking a bath with the love of his life after a tough day is wonderful. It's a type of comfort that makes butterflies hit their wings against Jimin's stomach. Every touch on his sensitive skin leaves him pliant under Jeongguk, completely lost in him, in his soothing words and caresses.
"Thank you," Jimin says after Jeongguk washed his hair and his own, now letting the older straddle him as his hands rest on his waist.
"For what?" Jeongguk asks softly, his voice barely above a whisper, not wanting to break the serene atmosphere they created.
"For being here. For taking care of me," the older answers as he flushes their chests closer together.
A smile grows on Jeongguk's face. That lovesick smile that Jimin always manages to pull out of him. Tilting his head to the side, he presses his lips to Jimin's cheek, leaving a kiss on one of his moles. "I'll always be here for you, Jimin."
"I love you," he says in a state of pure bliss, eyes closed as he breathes in the smell of lavender mixed with Jeongguk's natural body scent.
"I love you too," Jeongguk replies.
Eventually, the water turns cold and makes them come out of the tub. They cover themselves with comfortable clothes for dinner. After debating whether they should cook or order take-out, they settle for ordering their favorite dishes from a nearby restaurant. Time passes by as they satiate their hungry stomachs while they tell each other about their days.
It feels natural when they snuggle under the warm blankets, legs tangled together and their breaths slowly evening out. Before he entirely falls asleep, Jimin gets hit by the feeling of being home, because here in Jeongguk's arms, he will always feel that way.