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Jeongguk flops onto the floor of the dance room, panting hard. He gratefully accepts the cold bottle of water Hoseok hyung hands to him and presses it to his face, sighing as the cool bottle offers relief. He struggles into a sitting position, before opening the bottle and chugging half of it down in one gulp. Hoseok hyung eyes him warily.
“Guk…Maybe you should take it easy for the next couple of days. You look like you’re about to pass out,” Hoseok hyung says hesitantly.
Jeongguk scrambles up, ignoring the way the room seems to spin. “No way, hyung. The showcase is in two months, and I barely know half the dance.”
Hoseok hyung keeps looking at him weirdly, sort of like he wants to strangle Jeongguk, and sort of like he wants to hug Jeongguk (which isn’t going to happen, because Jeongguk hates hugs. Unless they’re from Taehyung. Then they’re okay). Jeongguk ignores his worried expression, walking over to his bag and shoving his towel and water bottle into it, before zipping it up and slinging it over his shoulder.
He isn’t going to admit it (especially when he had scoffed in Hoseok hyung’s face literally a minute ago),, but he does feel a little faint. Maybe it was those weird-looking nachos he shared with Jimin earlier (he always knew there was something seedy about that nacho shop, because honestly, no sane restaurant sells nachos for 5,000 won).
“Jeongguk, do you need a lift home? It looks like it’s gonna rain,” Hoseok hyung asks, peering out the window.
“Nah, I live like, a block away. It’ll be fine.”
“Okay. See you Monday? Take it easy this weekend, don’t do anything too strenuous. If you catch my drift,” Hoseok hyung winks, and Jeongguk rolls his eyes, turning away so he doesn’t see the blush making its way across Jeongguk’s cheeks.
“Oh god, hyung, please shut up.”
Hoseok laughs loudly, his laugh bouncing off the walls of the dance room. “No, but seriously. Take it easy.”
Jeongguk lifts a hand over his shoulder in farewell, hurrying down the stairs of the studio. He steps out into the cool night, and starts walking down the street. Hoseok hyung – bless him – is a good hyung to Jeongguk, and an even better dance mentor but honestly, Jeongguk thinks to himself snorting, he’s pretty stupid sometimes because the night sky is clear, and there’s no way it’s going to fucking –
An explosive clap of thunder jerks Jeongguk out of his reverie, and he shouts so loudly in surprise his voice cracks slightly at the end. Jeongguk whips his head around, ears burning, as he makes sure no one was there to hear his yelp, but thankfully the gods must be looking down at Jeongguk because there’s no one on the street (it might also have to do with the fact that it’s nearing midnight).
“Fuck you, thunder!” Jeongguk yells towards the sky, because why fucking not? Jeongguk’s in the prime of his youth, and he’s gonna do whatever the fuck he wants before he turns old and his ass turns wrinkled and saggy, thanks.
Blame it on his youth, but Jeongguk kinda feels liberated afterwards and maybe even a little smug, because fuck yeah, even thunder cowers in the face of mighty Jeon Jeongguk.
He spoke too soon because apparently, it doesn’t like being cursed at because one moment it’s dry and Jeongguk’s on top of the world, and the next it’s pouring rain, drenching Jeongguk head to toe (and suddenly, Jeongguk feels like a child who’s just received a scolding).
“Oh, shit.”
Jeongguk fumbles with the zipper of his bag, shoving his hand into his bag and rummaging around, desperately trying to find an umbrella. When his fingers brush against the distinctive plastic-y feel of an umbrella, he pulls it out triumphantly, but his face falls when he realises it’s the umbrella Taehyung had bought him after he had watched Confessions of a Shopaholic and was convinced for a month that he was, in fact, a shopaholic (Taehyung had then proceeded to go buy every fucking item under the sun that he deemed cute, and Jeongguk had cried a little inside every time Taehyung had come home with new shopping bags).
And Jeongguk loves his boyfriend – he really, really does – but seriously, there is no fucking way that Jeongguk is going to use a bright yellow umbrella with three dimensional cartoon fruits adorning it, no matter how hard it’s raining, and no matter how much Taehyung insists that it’s adorable, because Jeongguk is a fully fledged man. So he can’t really be blamed when he shoves the umbrella back into his bag and runs the entire block home, exposed to the torrential rain that’s gushing down.
×
Jeongguk sighs a breath of relief when he’s finally standing outside his apartment door. He’s absolutely soaked, drenched head to toe – he can feel (and hear) the disgustingly wet squelching of his Nikes every time he takes a step – and on top of that, he’s shivering so hard it’s like someone has gone and shoved a giant, vibrating dildo up his ass (which he isn’t opposed to, but right now when he feels like he’s on the verge of passing out, he realises that probably wouldn’t be the best idea).
He braces himself against the door, feeling light-headed and faint. Jeongguk’s coming to the slow realisation that he probably shouldn’t have run home in the pouring rain when he already felt like fainting. He’s also starting to regret foregoing the umbrella, because honestly, he hadn’t passed anyone on the way home, and at least he would’ve been dry (despite the fact he’d probably have to do fifty push-ups to regain the manliness he lost carrying the umbrella home).
He unlocks the door with shaky fingers, and is greeted with the warmth of the apartment and the familiar, homely scent as soon as he steps in. He closes the door quietly behind him, toeing off his shoes by the hallway, making a face at the squelching sound. Setting his keys down in the bowl that’s set up on top of the table before the threshold of the living room, he tiptoes across the dark living room, because no matter how light-headed he feels, he doesn’t want to wake up his dumb boyfriend, who’ll probably just panic at the sight of Jeongguk looking like a drowned cat (though right now, he kinda wishes Taehyung’s awake). He throws his bag down by the foot of the couch with a muted thump and starts making his way to the bathroom, when suddenly he’s met with an armful of a very wriggly, very awake Taehyung.
He staggers back, surprised at the sudden assault, but he wraps his arms around Taehyung instinctively, holding him secured against his chest as Taehyung wraps his arms around Jeongguk’s neck and kicks his feet off the ground (Jeongguk tries not to wince because seriously, he kinda feels like he’s about to pass out, but he’d rather use that stupid umbrella in front of the entire campus than let Taehyung fall).
“Jeonggukkie, you’re home!” Taehyung exclaims happily. Even in the darkness of the living room, Jeongguk can make out the faint gleam of Taehyung’s teeth as his lips curve upwards into a large smile, and Jeongguk can’t keep the dopey smile he reserves specially for his ridiculous boyfriend off his face.
Taehyung leans in, planting a huge, messy, open-mouthed kiss on Jeongguk, and even though their teeth clash and it’s kind of all over the place, Jeongguk feels like he could explode with happiness. It ends all too soon, when Taehyung breaks the kiss, leaning back and frowning.
Jeongguk reaches up with one hand to smooth the crease between Taehyung’s eyebrows with his fingers. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“Are…Are you okay, Jeongguk?” Taehyung asks, his voice laced with concern. Taehyung untangles himself completely from Jeongguk’s arms (and Jeongguk tries not to pout, because once again, he is a man).
“Huh? Why do you ask?”
“Well, you’re super pale – like, even paler than Yoongi hyung – and you’re soaking wet. And you’re shivering. And you’re swaying on your feet? Why are you wet? Did you get caught in the rain? I thought I packed that cute umbrella for you! Babe, are you okay?” Taehyung worriedly asks, peering up at Jeongguk, his face scrunching up.
Jeongguk starts to open his mouth to tell Taehyung he’s fine, when suddenly Jeongguk feels really weird. Like, really weird. He feels like he’s floating, and he can distantly hear himself groaning. Taehyung says something but Jeongguk doesn’t really catch what he’s saying because he’s too busy coming to the realisation he’s about to faint.
And then he keels face-first onto the ground.
×
The first thing Jeongguk realises is that he is fucking hot. And not in the sexy sense either, but more in the ‘wow I feel like I’m being roasted alive on a spit’ type of hot.
The second thing Jeongguk realises is that he feels like premium dog shit – that is to say, he feels like absolute shit. Jeongguk cracks an eye open, wincing at the sudden brightness from the sunlight streaming down from the window above their bed.
“Taehyung?” Even to his own ears, Jeongguk’s voice is tiny and croaky and pitiful. But Jeongguk can’t really help it – not when he feels dizzy even though he hasn’t moved a muscle, and feels as though he’s on the verge of vomiting out everything he’s eaten this past week (possibly this past month).
Taehyung’s head pops up in his peripheral vision, his face cutely scrunched up in a worried expression, and he hurries over to the bed, sitting down on the edge of the bed, before scooting close to Jeongguk. Taehyung brings a cool hand to Jeongguk’s sweaty forehead, stroking away the matted hair that’s flopped onto his forehead. Jeongguk’s eyes flutter closed at the cool, calming sensation of Taehyung’s slim fingers carding through his hair.
“It’s okay, Jeonggukkie,” Taehyung coos at him. And Jeongguk would roll his eyes at Taehyung – he really would – except Taehyung’s kinda right. The way Taehyung strokes Jeongguk’s hair comfortingly, his other hand creeping under the blankets to grasp Jeongguk’s hand, Jeongguk sort of feels like he’s floating on clouds.
Well, he would feel like he’s floating on a cloud, if it isn’t for the hotness that surrounds him like some cocoon, overwhelmingly suffocating and hot, and he wonders if he’s died and gone to hell (which, if he thinks about it, wouldn’t really make sense because Taehyung is literally an angel in Jeongguk’s sappy, overly sentimental eyes, so why the fuck would Taehyung be in hell with Jeongguk? It would probably make more sense if he woke up and Jimin was with him, seeing as Jimin is the literal definition of Satan). Jeongguk’s eyes open again, and he tugs on Taehyung’s hand.
“Tae?”
“Yes, baby?” Taehyung replies.
“I’m – I’m really hot.”
Taehyung ceases his hair stroking, looking down at Jeongguk with an amused expression. To Jeongguk’s exasperation and amusement, Taehyung winks exaggeratedly at him, biting on his lip in an (failed) attempt to look sexy and seductive (Taehyung just looks like a puppy and Jeongguk thinks that he’d want to hug Taehyung to death, except for the fact that he can’t really move his arms).
“And boy, do I know it,” Taehyung laughs.
Jeongguk rolls his eyes and with an extreme amount of effort on his half, he lifts his head – ignoring the painful throbbing behind his eyes – and holy shit, Taehyung had gone and placed every fucking blanket in their house on Jeongguk, bundling him up in a total of twelve thick winter blankets like a badly wrapped burrito. On top of that, Taehyung’s gone and placed their matchinghot water bottles (“shut up Park Jimin, they’re fucking cute”) on top of Jeongguk’s stomach along with seven fucking heat packs piled haphazardly on top of each other.
“What the fu–”
“Jeonggukkie, you’re super sick, you fainted yesterday! And you were shivering, so I made sure that you were warm. But don’t worry about being sick,Nurse Taehyung is here!” Taehyung raises his voice excitedly towards the end of his sentence, puffing out his chest proudly.
Jeongguk tries not to panic (well, he tries not to outwardly show it), but in reality, there are alarm sirens blaring loud and clear in his mind. Taehyung, his precious, adorable boyfriend who can barely take care of himself, taking care of Jeongguk? Jeongguk, who tears out his hair each day and develops premature wrinkles from worrying about protecting his boyfriend from accidentally killing himself every day, getting taken care of by his boyfriend?
Yeah, Jeongguk doesn’t think so.
Jeongguk turns his head towards Taehyung, opening his mouth to tell him “you know what, maybe I’ll just go to the doctors”, but he takes one look at Taehyung’s beaming, bright smile, so proud of ‘taking’ care of Jeongguk during the night, and Jeongguk, ever so weak against that damned smile, can’t bring himself to say no.
“Okay…Nurse Taehyung,” He hears himself say distantly, and inwardly curses every living thing on the planet of this earth for making him so emotionally weak towards the happy boy sitting next to him.
Signing his guaranteed death is somehow worth it, however, when Taehyung smiles hugely, his smile taking up most of his face, before he leans down and smacks a huge, wet kiss onto Jeongguk’s cheek (Jeongguk pretends to be grossed out).
“Okay, patient Jeongguk, breakfast time!” Taehyung chirps, getting off the bed and placing his hands on his hips. “What do you want to eat? Eggs? Toast?” Taehyung pauses thoughtfully, obviously thinking about something, when his eyes light up (in that ‘eureka!’ kind of expression Jeongguk’s grown to be wary of). “Doughnuts?! Babe, they’re your favourite food, right? Do you want doughnuts?”
And it’s true, Jeongguk does really love doughnuts, but even the mention of food makes Jeongguk swallow in an attempt to force the bile that’s rising up his throat back down again. Jeongguk really, really does not fucking want doughnuts – he just wants to sleep whatever the fuck this off, and maybe cuddle with his boyfriend for a bit before he goes back down to the dance room to practice their dance routine.
But Taehyung keeps looking down at him with that stupid, rectangular smile of his, with his hair all ruffled and soft-looking, a light pink flush on his cheeks, and Jeongguk’s powerless to say no because alas, Jeongguk is only a little snail within Taehyung’s greenhouse, so it’s not really his fault he can never really deny Taehyung anything.
“Oh, uh, yeah. Doughnuts are… Doughnuts are good,” Jeongguk awkwardly stutters out.
“Don’t worry, Jeonggukkie, I’m going to go right now and get your doughnuts, okay?” Taehyung says. He pauses as if suddenly remembering something, before dashing out the room. Jeongguk can hear Taehyung rummaging through some cupboards and then the running of water, before Taehyung returns holding, bless him, painkillers and a glass of water.
“Don’t go anywhere, okay?” Taehyung ignores Jeongguk’s snort (because seriously, he’s burrowed so deeply within this fucking sauna-burrito he’s probably destined to spend the rest of life within this little cocoon of hell).
“I’ll be back really soon, Guk,” Taehyung says softly, brushing Jeongguk’s hair out of his face before pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. “Just take these; they’ll make you feel better!”
And with that, Taehyung leaves the room and Jeongguk reaches over for the painkillers gratefully. But his gratitude slowly fades when he takes a look at the packet, his face scrunching up with confusion and semi-disgust, because honestly, what the fuck?
“Taehyung?” He calls out, his voice scratchy and sore. He can hear Taehyung fumbling around the entrance somewhere, putting his shoes on. “These aren’t painkillers, they’re –”
“Bye Jeonggukkie, love you! I’m going now!” Taehyung interrupts, calling out, before the door slams and Taehyung leaves.
“—pills for period pain,” Jeongguk finishes flatly.
Jeongguk honestly feels like crying, because why in the everloving fuck would they own pills for period pain? Why would there ever be a reason for two male, semi-broke college students to own period pain medicine (Jeongguk sort of wants to shout angrily at the sky and shake his fists in anger but he’s learnt his lesson from last time)? Jeongguk rolls back onto his head, wincing at the throbbing headache, and sends a prayer to any deity willing to listen to Jeongguk’s plights. Because honestly, God have mercy on his soul, Jeongguk can’t die now because not only does he have what might be the most important showcase of his life coming up, but Jeongguk also can’t die because he needs to protect his boyfriend (mostly from said person himself, but he still needs to protect him from other things like overly friendly salespeople and badly cooked nachos). Besides, Jeongguk thinks to himself petulantly, if he dies, it would probably be from being cooked to death inside this hell-burrito, which would be a pretty shitty way to die.
Or not being able to pee. (That would be kind of shitty too.)
×
Jeongguk’s on the verge of falling asleep, despite the fucking sweat dripping down his forehead and the fact that he feels like the world is spinning, when the door of their shared bedroom is suddenly kicked open with a loud bang, the door flying open andricocheting off the wall.
Jeongguk jerks awake, letting out a hoarse shout of surprise, his eyes flying open. Oh shit, oh shit, he thinks to himself immediately. I’m going to die, someone’s broken in and I’m weak and I’m going to fucking die, oh go— his rant is abruptly cut short when he realises that it’s just Taehyung, trying to struggle through the door.
Carrying seven boxes of doughnuts.
What the fuck.
Jeongguk tries to wriggle out of his burrito to help Taehyung, who is now struggling to shrug off his cardigan, whilst still holding the boxes. Taehyung catches Jeongguk trying to escape his burrito-hell, and his eyes widen in panic.
“Noooo!” Taehyung wails in distress. “How am I meant to take care of you if you’re helping me?!Get back in bed! Or else I’m going to really be annoyed at you! I’m serious!”
Jeongguk stops his wriggling, raising his hands above his head in surrender. “Okay, okay! I’m getting back in bed!”
Jeongguk pulls away the hot water bottles and heat packs, and untucks most of the blankets, trying hard to ignore Taehyung’s pout before he slides under two blankets (as opposed to the initial twelve), grateful that Taehyung doesn’t try and put the discarded blankets on top of him again. Jeongguk kinda feels like shit, and he knows he’s disgustingly sweaty and probably smells really bad, but the way Taehyung smiles softly down at him, impossibly fond and happy, kind of cheers Jeongguk up (he doesn’t care what anyone says, but if Jimin laughs at him Jeongguk won’t hesitate to send to send Yoongi hyung the photos Jimin uploaded onto his MySpace six years ago).
“Here! Eat this, okay?! It’s like a super, super late breakfast. I bet you’re starving, I’m sorry I took so long,” Taehyung sits down next to Jeongguk, and hands him an entire box.
“Uh…”
In reality, Jeongguk is still not starving – he doesn’t have an appetite at all and the sight and smell of the overly sweet doughnuts kind of makes him want to throw up.It must’ve shown on his face because Taehyung’s smile falters slightly, wobbling around the edges.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you want the doughnuts?” Taehyung asks in a tiny voice, his lips pushing out in a slight pout, a small crease appearing between his eyebrows, and Jeongguk’s stomach drops slightly, because he seriously doesn’t have an appetite, but Taehyung just looks so small and sad and rejected and Jeongguk wonders what kind of cowardice he must’ve shown in his previous life to be born so weak for a certain boy.
“No, no!” He says hurriedly. “I was just going to ask you to hand me one, actually!”
“Really?” Taehyung immediately perks up at that, his smile bright and cheerful again. “I knew that you loved doughnuts!” Taehyung looks so satisfied and happy with himself that Jeongguk tries not to laugh but he can’t help the smile that steals over his face as Taehyung hands him a glazed doughnut like it’s the most precious thing in the entire world.
Jeongguk swallows, his throat suddenly dry, before bringing the doughnut up to his lips. He takes the tiniest bite, trying not to chew it too much before he swallows it (he pats himself on the back for not throwing up there and then).
“Tae?” He asks, trying to look like he’s readying himself for another bite.
“Yes, baby?” Taehyung’s taken to rubbing small circles on Jeongguk’s arm with his thumb, and it feels so good Jeongguk doesn’t want him to ever stop, but he’s willing to make this sacrifice for the greater good.
“Can you get me some water, please?”
“Of course, my poor little ray of sunshine!” Taehyung grabs the empty cup from the bedside table and rushes out of the door. The moment Taehyung’s left the room, Jeongguk hastily leans over to the edge of the bed and chucks the doughnut into the abyss underneath the bed with a mental adios bitchachos, before arranging himself on the bed properly, waiting patiently for Taehyung’s return.
When Taehyung comes back, he hands Jeongguk the glass of water and notices the absence of the doughnut.
“Hey, did you eat the doughnut already?!”
“Yeah,” Jeongguk says, hoping his face doesn’t betray him (because Taehyung is really, really good at catching Jeongguk out and calling him out when he lies). Thankfully, the world decides that Jeongguk is suffering enough and Taehyung’s face remains oblivious and in awe of Jeongguk’s fast doughnut eating skills.
“You must’ve been hungry, huh? My puppy cutie boyfriend!” Taehyung coos, climbing onto the bed and pecking small kisses over Jeongguk’s face, the doughnuts all but (thankfully) forgotten. Jeongguk pretends to bat Taehyung away and tries to look annoyed, but he knows that Taehyung knows that he secretly loves it and is secretly pleased when Taehyung doesn’t let up, laughing and continuing to press small, butterfly kisses all over his face.
(Afterwards, Taehyung settles down next to Jeongguk, whispering to him about the things he saw on the way to the doughnut store like the little kid he saw wearing an iron man costume and Jeonggukkie, you would’ve loved it so much and Jeongguk secretly thinks to himself that he could spend the rest of his life listening to Taehyung’s voice.)
×
It’s nearly 5pm, when (Nurse) Taehyung has another idea.
Jeongguk had managed to convince Taehyung to make him porridge, because it seemed to be the only thing that Jeongguk didn’t feel like throwing up after he had eaten it. Jeongguk had suppressed the urge to press his hand to his chest dramatically when he saw Taehyung frowning slightly in concentration, the corner of his tongue poking out between his lips whilst he was cooking the porridge.
He would’ve been even more contented if he didn’t have such a splitting headache – Taehyung had caught glimpse of Jeongguk coming into the kitchen and had flown into a panicked flurry of limbs, pushing him back towards the general direction of their shared bedroom.
When Jeongguk had told him he was just getting himself some painkillers, Taehyung had told him to wait and that he would get them for him, and Jeongguk felt a pang of relief which quickly morphed into horror when he saw Taehyung returning with the fucking period pain pills again (it had gotten to the point where Jeongguk had just taken them in resignation, but obviously, they did absolutely nothing because Jeongguk didn’t fucking have stomach pains), but it was so obvious to Jeongguk that Taehyung was trying so, so hard and he just couldn’t bring himself to tell Taehyungthat no these weren’t painkillers and maybe it would just be for the better of the world if he went to the doctors.
After Taehyung had fed Jeongguk and cleaned up, Taehyung had climbed back into bed with him, which is how Jeongguk finds himself drifting in and out of sleep while Taehyung gently massages Jeongguk’s aching legs. The soft pressure feels comforting and Jeongguk finds himself on the verge of falling asleep, when suddenly the pressure on his legs are gone, and Jeongguk slightly opens an eye, ready to whine until Taehyung resumes his massaging, when he finds he’s face to face with Taehyung’s excited face.
“Uh, hi?”
“Hi” Taehyung giggles, a little breathlessly. “I just came up with the best idea, Guk.”
Jeongguk can feel his face pulling into the ‘uh-oh’ expression and he’s pretty sure Taehyung can see it too, but Taehyung opts to ignore his face, pushing even his face even closer.
“Do you want me to run you a bath?”
Jeongguk just wants to sleep, but Taehyung’s been running around all day, catering to Jeongguk’s needs, so he supposes that he can indulge Taehyung in a quick bath. “Um…Sure.”
So he lets Taehyung pull him from the bed and follows him into the bathroom. He sits on the toilet seat and groggily watches as Taehyung turns the knob on their ridiculously large bathtub (when they were apartment hunting, Taehyung had insisted that they had to buy an apartment with a huge bathtub). He can see the steam rising from the hot water and admits grudgingly that he supposes that it would be sort of nice to have a bath. But that changes into slight apprehension when he sees Taehyung rummaging in the cupboard under the sink for a while, before triumphantly extracting some bottle and pouring in the entire fucking thing into the bath.
Jeongguk watches with horror as the bathwater immediately starts to bubble, foamy bubbles beginning to collect on the surface. If he’s said it once, he’s said it a thousand fucking times, and he’ll say it again: Jeon Jeongguk is a fucking man and does not bathe in bubbles. But apparently Taehyung hasn’t received that memo during the two years they’ve been dating, because Taehyung’s nodding his head in satisfaction as the bubbles begin to grow (Jeongguk swears that they’re nearly the same height as him).
When Taehyung finally deems the tub to be full enough (it’s on the verge of overflowing), he reaches over for the tap, turning the water off. He turns to Jeongguk expectantly.
“Okay, clothes off now!”
Jeongguk complies, way too tired to protest. He tugs off his shirt first before shoving his sweats off and then his boxers, before kicking them up with his foot and catching them and folding them quickly. He catches Taehyung ogling at his bare ass in the mirror and smirks to himself, before deliberately bending over again to pick up a sock (he might’ve even wiggled his ass a bit) and he watches with a smug satisfaction as Taehyung’s eyes grow to the size of saucers, his eyes never once leaving Jeongguk’s ass. He turns around, his smirk full blown.
“Are you done staring at my ass?” He asks mischievously. Taehyung goes red and smiles sheepishly, before shooing Jeongguk in the direction of the bath.
“It’s not my fault you’ve got such a perky butt, Jeon Jeongguk. Now stop being so cheeky and get into the bath,” Taehyung replies, patting Jeongguk’s ass.
Jeongguk slides into the bath and at first, the water is almost too hot and he hisses slightly as he sinks into the bath. And Jeongguk doesn’t want to admit it – he’d rather have Jimin read out Taehyung’s collection of erotic manga to him every day for the rest of his life – but the warmth, the water, heck, even the bubbles feel good. Like, really good. He sinks in deeper, unable to stop himself from sighing a tiny breath of satisfaction, and he leans back slightly, resting his head on the groove in the bath that acts as a headrest. His eyes flutter closed when he feels Taehyung’s slim fingers tangling themselves in his hair, wetting his hair gently before massaging shampoo into his hair.
He can feel himself becoming drowsy again – the combined effect of Taehyung’s fingers scratching his scalp mindlessly as well as the soothing warmth of the water feels so good and Jeongguk ends up drifting in and out of sleep, edging towards unconsciousness.
He’s half aware of Taehyung’s shifting around the toilet quietly to fill up a bucket of water, and uses it to wash his hair gently. The next time he’s half awake, Taehyung’s washing his body, rubbing a wash cloth along Jeongguk’s arm, and Jeongguk finds himself about to fall asleep when suddenly he’s swallowing a mouthful of soapy water, and he jerks awake, his eyes widening as he splutters out the water.
“Sorry, babe!” Taehyung exclaims, his eyes widening in surprise, patting Jeongguk’s back hurriedly as Jeongguk coughs out his lungs.
“What the hell, Taehyung,” Jeongguk splutters weakly, and he can see the badly concealed mirth dancing in Taehyung’s eyes.
“I’m sorry, I accidently splashed your face while I was washing your chest,” Taehyung says apologetically. When Jeongguk looks miffed, Taehyung sidles up to Jeongguk, rubbing his hand across Jeongguk’s bare chest. “But baby, you’re so buff. When did you get so ripped? It’s so sexy.”
Jeongguk knows that Taehyung is playing dirty but Jeongguk can’t help feeling appeased, because fuck yeah, he is ripped as fuck. Taehyung laughs softly at Jeongguk’s smug expression and turns, grabbing a large towel.
“C’mon, you big baby,” He says gently, holding out the towel. Jeongguk gets up and steps out carefully (the last thing he wants to do is slip and end up doing the splits, naked, on the edge of the bathtub). Taehyung dries him off gently and helps Jeongguk back into his clothes, like he’s a child (though he’s not really complaining, because the bath has somehow drained a lot out of him and all he wants to do is sleep for a million years). Taehyung sits Jeongguk on the lid of the toilet seat and gently towels his hair while humming some pop song Jeongguk’s vaguely familiar with under his breath. Taehyung is gentle and deliberate with his movements; he doesn’t roughly ruffle Jeongguk’s hair but rather handles Jeongguk with care, almost as if he’s fragile.
Afterwards, Taehyung steers Jeongguk back towards the direction of their shared bedroom and tucks him into bed, smiling down at him fondly. Jeongguk can feel the corners of his mouth tugging up in reply, smiling the dopey smile he knows Taehyung loves so much.
Taehyung looks out the window above their bed and Jeongguk marvels at the red and oranges that paint Taehyung’s skin from the sunset, blending into his skin seamlessly, almost like the sun is a painter and Taehyung is its canvas.
“Look, babe,” Taehyung says, his voice muted and gentle. “The sun is setting already, huh. How are you feeling?”
“I feel better already, Taetae – you were the best nurse-boyfriend. Thanks for taking care of me,” Jeongguk replies earnestly.
Jeongguk, however, can’t help the rush of relief that courses through him, and he thanks the Lord for letting him live and get through the day mostly unscathed. But the white lie is completely worth it when Taehyung’s face lights up in the most brilliant smile that makes even the most beautiful and exotic sunset pale in comparison.
“So…” Taehyung trails off, twisting his fingers in the blanket. Jeongguk raises his head to look at him, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Do I get an award? You know, for taking care of you so well? I…I suddenly feel a little bit cold, and you know, your body is pretty warm, so…”
Jeongguk rolls his eyes at Taehyung’s hinting but he can’t help the smile that steals over his face. He lifts the corner of his blanket. “Get in, you idiot.”
Taehyung lets out a whoop, diving under the covers and wriggling his way towards Jeongguk’s chest, snaking his thin arms around Jeongguk’s chest. He nuzzles his head into Jeongguk’s chest and Jeongguk smiles fondly down at the older boy, placing a soft kiss on his hair and winding his arms protectively around him.
Jeongguk can feel sleep threatening to swallow him up again but before he surrenders to it, he pulls Taehyung closer.
“Love you.”
Jeongguk can feel Taehyung’s mouth curving up into a smile. “Yeah, me too.”
(Later that night, Jeongguk carefully extracts himself from Taehyung’s tight embrace and makes an emergency call to Jimin, asking him to bring painkillers. He breathes a sigh of relief when he swallows the tiny pills, ignoring Jimin’s amused head shake, because he knows that Taehyung means the best for him, truly, but Jeongguk doesn’t know how many more times he can pretend to swallow those stupid period pain tablets Taehyung hands to him.
A few days later, Taehyung is cleaning around the house and goes to vacuum under their bed. He doesn’t expect to find a crusty, nibbled-on doughnut shoved hastily under their bed.)