Work Text:
Namjoon has been talking a lot today.
He can always tell, because he starts to lose his voice, but today it seems far worse than usual– his throat is all scratchy and dry and every time he swallows he’s painfully reminded that he’s been in back-to-back meetings the entire day.
He’s always been a talker, and in his position, it kind of comes with the territory. He’s the voice of the group, after all, and that almost always means literally. Most days he doesn’t mind it, or even notice it, but then there are days like this when he gets home and he just wants to keep his mouth shut and get lost in a good book and not talk to a single person for the rest of the night. Namjoon’s voice is tired, and he’s tired, so tired he could sleep right now even though Seokjin has already announced dinner will be ready in an hour, and the fact that he had skipped out on lunch is the only reason he’ll be at the dinner table in one hour sharp.
He’s in the kitchen making himself a cup of tea after Seokjin goes to tell the others, mindlessly dunking the tea bag in and out of the mug, when a hand on his shoulder scares the shit out of him.
“ Aish – ahh, Jungkook! You startled me!”
“Sorry, hyung! I said your name like three times.” Jungkook peers at him with shining, curious eyes. “You okay?”
Namjoon rubs at the base of his throat and nods. “Yeah, Koo,” he responds. “Just tired.”
He takes a sip of the tea and flinches when it burns his tongue, and Jungkook nearly flinches along with him, his expression immediately falling into a sad-looking frown.
Jungkook sets what’s he’s holding down on the counter and hurries over to the drawer to grab a spoon, then goes to the freezer, opening the door and scooping out two ice cubes from the ice maker. He carries them back over to Namjoon and carefully lets them both slide off the spoon and into the steaming mug, making sure not to let them splash any of the tea over the sides.
“There,” Jungkook says once he’s done. “Two ice cubes make it the perfect temperature to drink.”
Namjoon watches the ice cubes melt, and then lifts the cup back to his lips and takes a tentative sip. It feels heavenly on his throat, and it doesn’t burn him this time.
“Thanks, Koo. It’s perfect.” His voice is sounding hoarse now, and he clears his throat. “Want me to make you some tea too?”
Jungkook rolls his eyes and grins at him. “You know I don’t like hot drinks, hyung.” He grabs his water bottle from where he had set it down on the counter and lifts it up, patting it proudly. “Just gonna get myself some iced water.”
Namjoon smiles fondly and watches Jungkook carry his massive 64-oz. container that he calls a water bottle over to the freezer, filling it up with ice– so much ice. Too much ice, honestly. Namjoon takes another sip of his tea and shivers just watching him, a shudder running down his entire spine. Jungkook notices– he notices everything, always watching every step Namjoon takes– but he doesn’t say a word, simply lugs his tumbler out of the kitchen with him after topping it off with water, pausing only briefly to pat Namjoon’s shoulder as he passes by.
That evening after dinner, when Namjoon is in bed reading, he’s hit with how shitty he feels.
It seems so sudden– he’s far more tired than he should be, and he has a headache coming on that’s only adding to the weird, sore throat that he’s got going on from talking all day. He keeps having to clear his throat, and it’s becoming irritating enough that he closes his book and tosses it onto the nightstand, giving up on trying to read.
He slides down in his bed and pulls his comforter up to his chin, crossing his arms and clearing his throat for what feels like the hundredth time today.
There’s a soft knock at the door, and then it opens and Taehyung peeks inside.
“Hi, hyung. Can I come in?” Taehyung asks, not waiting for the answer before he comes in and crawls into Namjoon’s bed next to him. He’s in pajamas, hair damp from his apparently recent shower, looking sleepy and pink-skinned.
“Oh.” Namjoon takes a deep breath through his nose. “What do you need, Tae?”
Taehyung tucks himself against Namjoon’s side. “I have a question about a song.”
“It couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” Namjoon asks, frowning down at the younger man in irritation.
Taehyung shakes his head and drapes an arm over Namjoon’s waist. For a moment, he’s quiet, and Namjoon glances down to see that Taehyung’s eyes are closed.
“Taehyungie?” he asks, shaking him gently.
Taehyung opens his eyes and blinks up at him. “Sorry, hyung. You’re so comfy.”
“You’re working on a song?”
Taehyung nods against him. “Mmhm. I’m working on a song.”
After that, he doesn’t say anything further, and Namjoon finds himself losing patience very quickly. Normally, he’d take any chance he can get for cuddles, especially from Taehyung who’s always so warm and clingy and cute , but tonight he feels tense and irritated and his head is really, really starting to hurt.
“Tae,” he says sharply, causing his throat to twinge, and Taehyung gasps like he’s been startled.
“Huh?” Taehyung lifts his head. “What, hyung?”
“What, hyung– what do you mean, what ? You came in here with a question. What’s your question?”
Taehyung fixes him with a look that reminds Namjoon so much of Yoongi it’s frightening. The two of them have definitely been spending too much time together.
“You seem kinda grumpy, hyung,” Taehyung says. “Are you okay?”
Namjoon closes his eyes. He takes a few deep breaths. He clears his throat and prepares to ask Taehyung to leave so he can sleep.
“Oh, hyung,” Taehyung says before he can. “I almost forgot to tell you. I started this new game with Jiminie today that I think you would really enjoy. It’s set in–”
“Taehyung,” Namjoon interrupts. “I was actually just about to go to bed.”
Nodding easily, Taehyung’s hand comes up to pat him on the chest. “‘Kay, hyung.”
But instead of leaving, Taehyung simply rolls over and turns Namjoon’s lamp off, and then scoots back over until his warm body is tucked against his side, curling up with his head on Namjoon’s chest.
“ Oh .” Namjoon blinks in the darkness. As his eyes adjust, he hears Taehyung yawn. “Uh. Okay.”
“Comfy,” Taehyung murmurs. He sounds half-asleep already, and he yawns again, shifting and nosing his way up until his face is tucked in the crook of Namjoon’s neck.
Instantly, all of the irritation drains out of Namjoon. He wraps his arm around Taehyung and sighs. His head still hurts and his throat still feels weird but he just doesn’t have the heart to make Taehyung leave now. It isn’t long before Taehyung’s breathing evens out, and Namjoon closes his eyes and feels himself matching his slow, even breaths.
The last thing he’s thinking about before he falls asleep is how thirsty he is and how badly he needs a drink of water.
When Namjoon wakes up, it’s 6 a.m. and there’s a third body in his bed.
It’s Jimin. He knows without even really looking, but he can tell by the way he and Taehyung are wrapped around each other, taking up more than half of his bed in a tangle of limbs. He’s not surprised that Jimin gravitated towards his soulmate in the middle of the night, as he often does.
He is surprised, though, that he didn’t hear Jimin come into his room, nor did he feel him get into his bed at any point. It makes him feel nervous, and a little upset that he wasn’t more aware– he feels like he should be more alert as the leader of the group. What if there had been an intruder? Would he really sleep through it just like that?
Suddenly, his chest feels too tight. Anxiety swirls in his gut and the urge to cry overwhelms him so suddenly that he stumbles out of bed and nearly runs to the bathroom before Jimin or Taehyung can wake up.
As he gets ready for work, he feels somehow even shittier than the night before, and he grumbles to himself the entire time he showers and dresses, groggy and cranky. Surely, if he had gotten his bed to himself last night, he would have had a proper, full night’s rest and he wouldn’t be feeling so poorly. He doesn’t have time to feel like shit, though, so he pushes through and gets himself ready and makes it to work ten minutes early like usual, largely ignoring whatever it is that has him feeling so bad both physically and mentally.
It’s not really a conscious decision, but he goes throughout his entire day without responding to a single text in the group thread. It’s only when he’s ready to head home that he reluctantly opens his phone and sees all of the messages, the ones near the end full of questions and poorly disguised worry directed at him.
did u forget ur phone today hyung?
hello??? earth to namjoonie-hyungieeee
We missed you at lunch, Joonie. Where are you hiding today?
he’s forgotten all about us. maybe he doesn’t love us anymore :(
Namjoon-hyung did you cancel the meeting at 4 on purpose?
Sure, he’s usually more responsive in the group thread, and he’s always ready with answers for all of their questions, but surely they can get along just fine for one single day without him?
There’s a separate text from Yoongi, too, asking him if he’s doing okay. Namjoon only glances briefly at it before pocketing his phone, shoving it away like it will make the question disappear.
He grits his teeth and stares at his closed computer for about a minute, and then stands and takes his coat back off, hanging it up on the hook by the door before going back to his desk. His head is pounding, but somehow the thought of going home right now and facing everyone seems worse than finishing up a bit more work here where he can be by himself.
Opening his computer, Namjoon pinches the bridge of his nose and scratches out a to-do list of tasks for himself despite the fact that his eyes are burning and his throat is aching so much that it hurts every time he swallows.
Namjoon stays at work for two more hours after that.
When he gets home, he sees he’s the last one to arrive. He catches a glimpse of himself in the hallway mirror and freezes, mouth falling open at his own appearance. There are dark circles under his eyes, his face is flushed, his hair is a mess– but beyond all, he looks tired .
He makes his way into the kitchen, where he grabs a glass and fills it with water. He chugs it down in seconds and then refills it, clearing his throat several times as he watches the water fill the glass.
There are footsteps behind him as the others come in– he glances over his shoulder and sees six pairs of eyes fixed on him.
“Hey,” he says, immediately regretting it when he hears how horrible his voice sounds. He really needs to rest it every once in a while. He probably talked too much again today– but even as he thinks it, he remembers he’s been alone for almost the entire day and didn’t talk much at all.
Namjoon doesn’t miss the worry that clouds everyone’s expressions, and he can see them exchanging looks with one another, but he decides to ignore it and turns back to the sink, filling his glass with water for a third time.
“I’m hungry,” Jungkook announces, rubbing his stomach and pouting until they all chuckle at him.
“Okay, Jungkookie.” Hoseok wraps himself around the youngest’s back. “What do you want for dinner tonight?”
“What do you want for dinner, hyung?” Jungkook asks, turning to Namjoon.
The thought of eating makes Namjoon feel almost nauseous, so he shakes his head. “I’m not really hungry,” he answers. “You guys eat without me. I’m going to go take a shower.”
He turns and leaves without another word, but he can hear them all chattering quietly as soon as he steps out of the kitchen.
The bathroom feels too cold. Namjoon turns the water on as hot as it will go, because he’s suddenly shivering, and when he takes his clothes off there are goosebumps all over his skin. He gets into the shower quickly and nearly moans out loud at how heavenly the hot water feels as it pours over him.
Two separate times he’s hit by a strange feeling that’s almost like dizziness, and the second occurrence is accompanied with a feeling of sudden, intense nausea that makes him worry he might actually puke for a second. It passes just as quickly as it comes, though, and he hurries to finish his shower before it can happen again.
As soon as he turns off the water, his nose is running, and he swipes a hand underneath it to stop it from dripping, annoyed at the pressure he can feel in his sinuses that he assumes is from the change in temperature– he’s cold again now that the hot water is turned off.
He dries off, thankful his hair is on the shorter side so it doesn’t take too long to dry, and then wraps a towel around his waist.
Just as he’s about to leave the bathroom, there’s a knock on the door and he opens it to see Seokjin standing there.
“Hey, Joonie. Just wanted to see if you wanted to place an order. We decided to order takeout from the Thai place a couple of blocks over.
Namjoon shakes his head. “Don’t order anything for me. I’ll eat later. I had a late lunch today.”
It isn’t until he tells the lie that he realizes he actually didn’t have any lunch, for the second day in a row. As if reminded, his stomach makes a gurgling sound, almost like he’s hungry except for the fact that the thought of food makes saliva pool in his mouth uncomfortably.
Seokjin frowns, looking almost disappointed. “Okay.”
Namjoon steps out of the bathroom, lightly pushing past Seokjin and shuffling towards his room, but as soon as he leaves the steamy bathroom he has to stop to sneeze abruptly. The sneeze makes the pounding in his head worsen and he has to blink away the spots in his vision.
“Joon?” Seokjin’s hand is on his bare back. “Are you planning on joining us for movie night?” He asks as Namjoon recovers.
Namjoon sniffs sharply and blinks at Seokjin. He still has that goddamn frown on his face.
“Movie night?”
“It’s Friday,” Seokjin explains, his brows furrowing.
Namjoon nods, trying to figure out how it’s Friday already– he’s pretty sure he had spent the entire day thinking it was a Tuesday. A sense of relief washes over him when he realizes that means he doesn’t have to work tomorrow.
“We’re starting the movie in fifteen minutes,” Seokjin tells him. “If you don’t join us, at least take some cold medicine before you go to sleep,” he says, and then he goes back out to the living room.
Namjoon frowns. Cold medicine? Oh – just because he sneezed once, Seokjin must think he’s sick or something. His hyung is such a worrier, almost more so than Yoongi sometimes.
It’s not like he’s actually sick, though. He just has a bad headache, and he’d had that strange moment of dizziness and nausea while he was in the shower, but besides that and his nose being a bit runny it’s not like he’s feeling that bad. Mostly just tired. And his throat still hurts, still feels like he’s screamed for an entire day and used up every last bit of his voice, almost sore like when he has a cold–
Oh.
Oh .
There’s no way he’s sick sick. There’s no way he actually has a cold. First of all, he doesn’t have time to be sick, but on top of that he doesn’t feel like he has a cold so that can’t be it. Once he gets some sleep tonight he’ll be totally fine.
Now determined to show Seokjin and the others that he’s completely fine, he dresses in a pair of soft sweatpants and a hoodie, grabs a pair of socks, and stops back by the bathroom for some painkillers for his not-cold-related headache. He grabs his soft fleece blanket he usually keeps draped over the back of his desk chair before he goes out into the living room, wrapping it around his shoulders to combat the sudden chill that runs through him.
A sneeze sneaks up on him right as he nears the end of the hallway, and he’s barely able to lift the blanket to his face before it explodes out of him, so abrupt and wet that he feels the result of not covering his mouth and nose in time as a mist settles over his right arm.
Gross. So, so gross.
As he recovers from the disgusting, disorienting sneeze, shaking his head and blinking against watery eyes, he hears a soft, “ Bless you, hyung!”
Jungkook is staring at him over the back of the couch, eyes wide with worry.
“Thanks, Koo,” he murmurs, walking the rest of the way into the living room. He sits down in the spot next to Jungkook, feeling completely embarrassed by the way the younger man is staring at him in concern.
“Jiminie hyung picked out the movie,” Jungkook whispers before snuggling up against his side, a giant bowl of popcorn cradled in his lap.
Namjoon tenses when Jungkook leans so heavily against him, but he forces himself to relax when Jungkook leans his head on his shoulder with a contented sigh. He realizes that Jungkook is a nice, cozy warmth against him, and it puts him at ease to have him cuddled up so affectionately.
Fortunately, the painkillers finally kick in about ten minutes into the movie, which is when Jungkook lifts his head from Namjoon’s shoulder and leans close to his ear.
“Want some popcorn?” He offers sweetly, and Namjoon is both shocked and touched because it’s Jungkook’s popcorn– a giant bowl that he usually devours completely by himself despite it being twice the amount of what the others share between the six of them.
He’s honored, honestly, so he takes a handful when Jungkook tips the bowl toward him, tossing it into his mouth without a second thought even though he’s not at all hungry.
The popcorn irritates his throat before he’s even finished swallowing it, making him cough until Seokjin appears in front of him with a glass of water.
“Thanks,” he croaks, blushing when he sees the movie is paused. “Sorry. You didn’t have to stop the movie.”
Seokjin ignores him. “I’m getting drinks from the kitchen, who wants what?” He glances at Namjoon. “I can brew some tea or something.”
“How about hot cocoa instead?” Taehyung suggests hopefully, and Seokjin laughs.
“Hot cocoa it is.”
Seokjin disappears into the kitchen. He soon comes back with a few beverages– a Sprite for Hoseok, water for Jimin and Jungkook– and then he goes to the kitchen and returns a few minutes later carrying a tray with four steaming mugs on it. He passes one out to each Yoongi, Taehyung and Namjoon and keeps the last for himself.
It feels nice to sip on the hot cocoa, and Namjoon feels it soothe his throat from where the popcorn had irritated it. Jungkook eats the rest of his popcorn long before Namjoon is finished with his drink, so when he sets his mug down on the coffee table Jungkook is waiting to latch onto him, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his head against his chest.
“Comfy?” Namjoon chuckles when Jungkook yawns into the front of his shirt.
“Very,” Jungkook replies.
Between the warmth in his belly and the warmth of Jungkook on top of him, Namjoon finds himself growing very sleepy very quickly. Each time Jungkook yawns, it triggers a yawn for him too, and soon his cheek is resting on top of Jungkook’s head, his own head feeling too heavy to hold up. He feels warm, almost hot, but not enough that he wants to move, and before the movie is even halfway through he can feel himself nodding off.
Soon, Namjoon is so tired that he can’t keep his eyes open a second longer, and he falls asleep sitting up, only vaguely aware of Jungkook reaching up and rubbing soft circles on his chest as he drifts off.
Namjoon is shaken awake what feels like five minutes later by Hoseok, whose face is so close to his that it makes his eyes hurt when he tries to focus on him. They’re the only two left out in the living room, the room dark and quiet. The only light in the room is coming from the dimmed lamp in the corner.
“Huh? Time is it?” He asks, feeling entirely confused about where he is and why his mouth and throat are so dry– almost painfully so– and why his sinuses are prickling the way that happens sometimes when he’s around too much dust.
He coughs once, bringing a fist up to scrub at his eyes, then his nose. Suddenly, Hoseok leans far back, almost flinching. Namjoon is about to question why when the prickling sensation in his nose intensifies and a sneeze barrels out of him, tearing through his throat.
“Sorry,” he rasps, coughing once and dragging his forearm under his nose. “Fuck.”
Hoseok is back in his space, his brows furrowed and his lips pursed. He touches Namjoon’s forehead with his fingertips, carding his hands through his short hair afterward. “Bedtime,” he says, sounding pretty cheerful for someone who looks so worried.
Namjoon ducks away from his hand and pushes himself up off the couch. He still feels like he’s half asleep. When he stands, his legs shake and his stomach flip-flops, and he can’t help the faint whimper that escapes his lips.
“Joon?” Hoseok says, a soft inquiry that conveys his concern, but Namjoon can’t make himself look over.
“Bedtime,” he manages to say. “Yeah. I’m gonna head to bed.” He swallows thickly, heart pounding as he pushes the sensation down and wills himself to make it to his bedroom without Hoseok noticing or worrying more about him than he already is.
And as soon as he gets to his room, he shuts the door and nearly collapses on his bed without bothering to change into pajamas first, and promptly passes out.
When Namjoon’s alarm goes off on Saturday morning, he jerks awake, a tangle of limbs and sheets as he twists around to try to find his phone.
He manages to silence his alarm, and then he sits there for a moment, looking down at his clothes from yesterday that he’s still wearing in confusion. As he scrubs at his eyes and tries to remember the night before, he stares down at the phone, reading the calendar notification for a meeting in one hour with a growing sense of dread. So much for a day off to sleep in. He can’t believe he nearly forgot about his Saturday morning meeting that had been scheduled, and he’s grateful he remembered to set the alarm days ago.
Namjoon sighs and tries to resist the urge to climb back under the covers and fall back asleep. His cheeks are hot but the rest of him feels cold, and there’s a headache just behind his eyes. For some reason, his nose is a bit stuffy, and as he clears his throat he wonders if he slept with his mouth open or snored the whole night with the way it feels so dry.
The whole time he’s getting ready, Namjoon feels disoriented. He puts on clothes, adding an extra sweater to combat the chill that’s enveloping his whole body, and then brushes his teeth and splashes cold water on his face. Before he leaves the bathroom, he decides to take a painkiller, and then he spends one more minute staring in horror at his reflection in the mirror because he honestly looks like shit. It both looks and feels as though he got two hours of sleep instead of seven.
When he exits the bathroom and makes his way down the hall, he sees that only Yoongi and Taehyung are awake, eating breakfast together in the kitchen.
“Morning,” Yoongi says, smiling at him, but Taehyung gasps.
“What happened to you?” He asks, looking at Namjoon with a mixture of surprise and concern in his expression. “Did you get any sleep last night?”
“Rude,” Namjoon says– or, he tries to, but it comes out as a hoarse whisper that makes Taehyung’s eyes widen even further.
“Are you going somewhere?” Yoongi asks, a little more subtle with his concern but now looking at Namjoon with a frown.
Namjoon sighs. “Work,” he tries to say. He clears his throat several times, but when he attempts to answer again his voice doesn’t sound much better. “Sorry,” he croaks. “I think I talked a lot yesterday.”
“You talk a lot every day,” Taehyung says, eyeing Namjoon as he goes back to his cereal.
“Isn’t that an optional meeting?” Yoongi asks. “You should skip it.”
But Namjoon can’t just skip it. He feels like he’s expected at meetings like this whether it’s explicitly stated or not, and he doesn’t want to disappoint anyone by not showing up.
Instead of responding, Namjoon fills a glass with water and gulps it down, hoping to clear the frog in his throat before he has to head to the meeting. He glances down at his watch, resigns himself to the fact that his voice might be a little hoarse for the day, and then drinks one more glass of water before he heads out the door.
Namjoon’s voice is completely gone by the time he gets home.
The thing is– he doesn’t remember how he got home, only that he’s here now and that he feels like he could collapse as he unlocks the front door.
In the entryway, he looks down at his shoes and tries to judge if he’ll be able to take them off without bedding down, and then stumbles as soon as he takes a step, barely catching himself on the wall. He squeezes his eyes shut, swallowing thickly and trying to regain his sense of balance.
“Why are you hugging the wall?” A voice behind him asks.
Namjoon cracks one eye open. Jimin approaches him, and he reaches out, his palm settling between Namjoon’s shoulder blades. His hand moves up, cupping the back of Namjoon’s neck before he slides it up to his cheek.
“Oh my goodness, you’re burning up!” Jimin gasps. “Seokjinnie hyung!” He calls, turning his head towards the hallway. “Yoongi hyung!”
Seokjin gets there first, and before Namjoon can process what’s going on he and Jimin are on either side of him, guiding his arms over their shoulders and leading him down the hallway towards his bedroom. He feels like he’s weighed down by sandbags and the only thing that’s keeping him upright is their support.
They lead him to sit on his bed and Jimin kneels down in front of him, sliding his shoes and then his socks off his feet.
“Oh,” Namjoon croaks. He can’t believe he wore his shoes through the house and didn’t take them off when he got home, but now the memory of getting home is too hazy and he’s confused.
Seokjin reaches down and grabs the hem of his sweater, tugging it up until Namjoon lifts his arms. He pulls it over his head and tosses it onto the end of the bed.
“Should we take his pants off too?” Jimin asks.
Namjoon feels a whine building in his chest as he begins to protest, knowing that he’ll be cold if they take all of his clothes, but his voice seems to be done and nothing comes out.
Yoongi comes in then, holding a blister packet of medicine, a fever patch, a thermometer and a cool cloth folded over lengthwise.
“What symptoms does he have?” Yoongi asks, and Namjoon opens his mouth to reply only to realize that he’s asking Jimin and Seokjin, not him.
“He has a fever,” Jimin answers. “He’s burning up and he almost passed out when he got home!”
Suddenly, everyone is in his room, crowding around the bed as they all chime in.
“He didn’t eat dinner last night,” Hoseok tells them.
“I was suspicious he might have a cold,” Seokjin adds. “He was sneezing last night and I suggested he take cold medicine, but I don’t think he ever did.”
“Oh, that’s why his breathing sounded so stuffy last night,” Jungkook realizes. “I thought he felt a little warm, too. And he was really tired. He never falls asleep during movie night.”
“He looked so awful this morning,” says Taehyung. “Maybe he has the flu?”
“How did he get so bad so quickly?” Hoseok asks, frowning.
Yoongi drags a hand down his face. “I don’t think it was very quick. I think he’s just been hiding it.”
Namjoon scoffs. The sound comes out hoarse and it makes him cough. He can’t believe they’re all standing around talking about him like he’s not there while he shivers on his bed. And he hasn’t been hiding anything. He tries to make his unhappiness known by coughing again, but then he can’t stop.
His head is too heavy and every cough hurts as it seems to reverberate throughout his skull. After a few moments, the coughing fit gets more intense and his stomach lurches, each cough making his abdomen clench uncomfortably and his ribs ache. Suddenly, no one is talking about him anymore and everyone is listening to him cough, and Seokjin– who has always been good at anticipating things– scrambles to grab the small trash can from under Namjoon’s desk.
He gets the trash can up to Namjoon’s face just in time for him to get sick, both hands braced on his knees as he hunches forward and half-coughs, half-vomits up the meager contents of his stomach.
“There you go,” Seokjin whispers soothingly as it subsides, rubbing Namjoon’s back. “Better out than in, yeah? Think you’re all done?”
Namjoon’s entire body is trembling. He nods his head, and Seokjin stays for a few moments longer, rubbing his back before he stands to go clean the trash can out, Yoongi following him from the room. Hoseok takes his place, rubbing soft circles between his shoulder blades.
When he tries to talk, nothing comes out but a raspy squeak and his throat is so inflamed it sends a sharp jolt of pain when he swallows. He looks over at Hoseok in surprise at the state of his voice, and sees Hoseok wince in sympathy.
“Okay, obviously don’t talk. You need to rest your voice. You can text us or write it down if you need something,” he says, patting Namjoon’s pocket where his phone is.”Why don’t we get you changed into some more comfortable pants and you can lie down for a bit?”
Namjoon tries to answer, but again nothing really comes out, and he clutches at his throat when the action makes it throb with pain. He swallows gingerly and allows Hoseok to help him change into pajama pants.
Meanwhile, the others make quick work of setting up his nightstand with an array of items; his phone, a glass of water, a box of tissues, the medicine and thermometer are all placed within reach. Namjoon gets under the covers and lets them fuss over him for a minute, squeezing his eyes shut against another wave of nausea and shivering when he feels something cool against his forehead. He cracks open one eye and is met with Yoongi’s intensely worried frown as he smoothes a fever patch over his forehead.
“Make sure you keep drinking plenty of water,” Yoongi says when he realizes Namjoon is looking at him. He straightens, reaching out to pull the covers up to Namjoon’s chin. “I’ll find you something light to eat with the medicine.”
“Who do you want to cuddle with first?” Taehyung asks, standing next to Yoongi and helping him get comfortable under his blanket.
The question makes Namjoon feel a pang of guilt. Now that he’s accepted that he’s well and truly sick, he realizes that there’s too much attention on him and he’s suddenly uncomfortable with everyone’s eyes on him, worried about how close they all are, worried that he’ll get them all sick if they stay.
He picks up his phone with shaky hands and types out a message.
no cuddles. germs :(
Jungkook chuckles and starts to get into the bed. “Oh, I’m not worried about germs, hyung. I never get sick.”
“Like hell you don’t!” Jimin grabs him by the back of his shirt and pulls him backward. “Jungkookie, you are the only one in this room who is guaranteed to get sick.”
“Yeah,” Taehyung adds. “You’re sensitive, remember?”
This earns an indignant squawk and a pout from Jungkook.
Seokjin raises an eyebrow. “You were literally just sick. Do you not remember?”
“I don’t mean sensitive in a bad way,” Taehyung amends, rubbing Jungkook’s arm. “We love that about you. But,” he says, reaching out and poking the very tip of Jungkook’s nose. “You’re the reason we have no tissues left in the entire house.”
Jungkook crosses his arms and glares at all of them. “Well then,” he says. “By that logic, if I’m already guaranteed to get sick, and I already cuddled with hyung just last night, then shouldn’t I be the only one who gets to cuddle with him today?”
With a smug expression, Jungkook climbs into the bed next to Namjoon, lifting the covers and tucking them around them both as he snuggles up to Namjoon’s chest.
“I’m so sorry you’re sick, hyung,” he whispers, rubbing Namjoon’s arm soothingly. “I hope once you take some medicine and get some rest you’ll be feeling better.”
“Okay, that’s…” Seokjin trails off, pinching the bridge of his nose. He sighs, then mutters, “I guess he’s technically not wrong.”
“We’ll have to go to the store and buy a lot more tissues,” Taehyung sighs.
As Jungkook looks at him, Namjoon is hit with how young he appears sometimes– any lingering feelings of wanting to be left alone dissipates immediately because damn , why is Jungkook the sweetest thing on the entire planet?
Namjoon clears his throat loudly and blinks away the sudden tears in his eyes. He’s feeling miserable and he wants so desperately to talk, and not being able to do so is beyond frustrating.
He reaches for his phone and types something out, even though looking at the screen is making his headache worse.
I’ll cuddle with Koo
it’s his decision about germs I guess
don’t want to eat anything right now because I might throw up again
just want to sleep
With a sigh, Seokjin looks back and forth between Namjoon and Jungkook, and then he sighs again and leans forward to press a kiss to Jungkook’s forehead.
Yoongi tips a pill into his palm from the bottle on the nightstand, extending out his hand toward Namjoon, but it’s Jungkook who takes it from him and passes it the rest of the way to the sick man.
Namjoon sighs, pops the pill into his mouth, and swallows it down with water, wincing at the raw feeling in his throat. Then, he settles back against the pillows, and Jungkook lays his head on his chest, and as everyone else turns out the lights and leaves the room Namjoon closes his eyes and tries to let himself fall asleep.
Namjoon wakes up to Jungkook sprawled out on his bed, one arm and leg on top of him pinning him down as he snores away without a care in the world.
He’s immediately hit with a strange sensation in the back of his throat, one that coupled with the churning in his stomach signals that he might be about to puke.
Namjoon is determined not to let that happen. He swallows repeatedly, jaw clenched as he fights the awful sensation. He feels shivery all over his body, skin prickling with goosebumps even though his face feels like he’s been in the sun too long. He shudders violently and then squeezes his eyes shut until the feeling of nausea passes.
Eventually, it does, and Namjoon begins to work on freeing himself from the tangle of limbs. When he manages to ease himself out from underneath Jungkook’s weight, he sits up, and the shift of congestion in his head makes his nose prickle uncomfortably. With Jungkook blocking the way, he can’t exactly reach the tissues, so he pulls the blanket up over his face instead and hopes for the best.
The three resulting sneezes come out hoarse and scratch roughly at his throat, bringing tears to his eyes. As he winces and brings a hand up to massage the base of his throat, he hears a soft sniff and looks over to see Jungkook blinking sleepily up at him, rubbing at his eyes and nose with the sleeve of his shirt.
“Oh no, hyung,” he murmurs. “Those sounded bad.” He yawns and pulls his arms against his chest, rolling onto his side and curling up so small in contrast to how he was spread out before. “Are you okay?”
“I’m–” The word comes out as a croak and Namjoon stops abruptly when he realizes he still can’t really talk. He clears his throat, frustrated at not being able to use his voice, and more tears well up in his eyes when Jungkook yawns and grabs his phone off the nightstand for him.
Namjoon swipes the back of his hand roughly over his eyes, hoping Jungkook didn’t catch a glimpse of his tears, and looks down at his phone. He types something out and tilts the screen so Jungkook can see.
I’m okay
how did you sleep?
Jungkook yawns, and then smiles tiredly up at him. “How did you sleep? You were snoring so loud the whole night, hyung.”
Guilt courses through Namjoon like a jolt of electricity. His hand clenches around his phone as he tries to type out an apology, but Jungkook seems to know without even seeing his phone screen what he’s doing.
“Don’t feel bad about it, hyung.”
He says it so simply that Namjoon relaxes a little, his shoulders slumping. He drags a hand down his face. His body is heavy, and the pain in his throat is amplifying with each waking moment. He watches Jungkook yawn again, and feels sad knowing Jungkook will probably catch this from him and have to go through this misery next.
As if sensing his distress, Jungkook reaches over to squeeze Namjoon’s hand, and then he sits up and stretches his arms above his head. He scoots over so he’s sitting next to Namjoon, resting his head on Namjoon’s shoulders and wrapping his arms around his waist. Jungkook yawns so loudly that Namjoon can hear his jaw pop, and then he moves his hand to his stomach and begins to rub soft, soothing circles, almost absentmindedly, the touch making Namjoon relax even further.
“I let Seokjin hyung know we’re awake,” Jungkook says around another yawn. “He’s gonna bring you some medicine and breakfast.”
As if on cue, the door opens, and Seokjin comes in holding a tray. He has water, a bowl of dakjuk and a bottle of medicine, but Namjoon is mainly interested in the water. He gratefully accepts the glass and gulps it down, the cool water soothing his sore throat.
It’s touch-and-go with his stomach the entire time he’s eating, his discomfort alternating between faint nausea and his burning throat. While Namjoon eats, Jungkook leans against him with his head on his shoulder, quiet as he scrolls through his phone.
As Namjoon finishes the last bite of food he can manage without making himself sick, he glances over at Seokjin and sees that his eyes are glued on Jungkook’s face, smiling fondly at the younger man. Namjoon moves his gaze down and sees that Jungkook has fallen asleep, his head resting on his shoulder and his lips parted just slightly. He hands his bowl over to Seokjin, trying not to jostle Jungkook, smiling as he reaches up to cup the side of Jungkook’s head to hold him steady.
“Are you up for a bath?” Seokjin whispers. “Or a shower? It might help with the congestion a little.”
Namjoon grabs his phone, still holding Jungkook against him.
idk if I can stand in the shower but goddamn I want a really hot shower so bad right now
Seokjin bites his lip. “I don’t know about a hot shower,” he says. He presses the palm of his hand to Namjoon’s forehead, then slides it down to his cheek. “You’re already so warm.”
Namjoon frowns.
plzzzz
a hot hot hot bath?
Seokjin frowns right back.
Namjoon glares down at his phone and opens the group chat.
Yoongi hyung, would you mind if I borrow one of your bath bombs for a HOT bath?
Yoongi texts back immediately, responding that he’ll start the water right away, and Namjoon smirks triumphantly as he types out one last message: extra hot pretty please since I’m sick :(
“You’re impossible,” Seokjin whispers as he watches the message come through, but there’s a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Namjoon’s phone buzzes again, and the sound wakes Jungkook up with a start.
“Huh?” He smacks his lips together and looks blearily back and forth between Namjoon and Seokjin. “What?”
Namjoon chuckles, which comes out as more of a squeak, and shakes his head, mouthing an apology to Jungkook.
Seokjin reaches out and brushes a strand of hair from Jungkook’s forehead. “I’m gonna borrow Namjoonie for a bath,” he tells Jungkook. “There’s food in the kitchen if you’re hungry.”
When Namjoon gets out of bed, he feels heavy and has to blink against a wave of dizziness before he can begin to walk. Seokjin sticks close to his side as he guides him into the bathroom, where Yoongi is already waiting. They both help him out of his clothes, and he doesn’t miss the way they frown at each other when he shivers violently at the loss of warmth.
“Want me to get in with you?” Yoongi asks, his hand resting on the small of Namjoon’s back.
Namjoon nods, knowing he’s probably too weak to do everything by himself, and Yoongi quickly strips down to his boxers and climbs into the tub with him.
The hot water feels incredible, warming him instantly and helping to soothe the aches in his muscles. “ Fuck ,” Namjoon croaks blissfully, barely making a sound. He clears his throat and winces at the pain, but he still attempts to speak because he needs Yoongi to know how grateful he is. “Thank you for actually making it hot,” he whispers hoarsely.
“Stop talking,” Yoongi scolds, “You’re going to make it worse.”
Namjoon doesn’t know how it could get any worse, but he closes his mouth and presses his lips together. Yoongi’s expression softens, and he rubs Namjoon’s arm.
“Sorry,” he says with a sigh. “I know it must be frustrating.”
Namjoon lets his silence be his response. He closes his eyes, and Yoongi sighs again and begins to wash his hair for him, taking time to massage his scalp before moving down to his neck and shoulders. Namjoon falls asleep twice, drowsy from the hot water and the gentle, comforting ministrations, and when he’s woken by the sound of the water draining he groans in disappointment.
“I know, I’m sorry,” Yoongi murmurs apologetically. Somehow, he’s already out of the tub and changed back into his clothes. “I’ll let you get dried off and dressed,” he says, handing Namjoon a towel. He gestures at Namjoon’s phone on the counter. “Text us if you need anything.” He leaves, closing the door behind him, and Namjoon wraps the towel around his waist, shivering slightly now that he’s out of the warm water.
As he steps out of the bath, a wave of nausea washes over him, and he sits down heavily on the edge of the tub, wrapping one arm around his midsection. For nearly ten minutes he sits there, uncertain if he’ll actually get sick or not, but not wanting to leave the bathroom or even stand up just in case. He’s cold now, shivering and achy, and the longer he sits there the more tired he feels.
There’s a knock on the door, and Namjoon blinks back tears he hadn’t realized were there.
“Hey?” The door opens and Seokjin sticks his head into the bathroom. “Everything okay in here?” He eyes Namjoon, still sitting on the edge of the tub, and then the pajamas still folded in a neat stack on the counter.
Without a word, he helps Namjoon get dressed, towel drying his short hair and helping him brush his teeth and freshen up afterwards.
“Do you want to go back to bed?” Seokjin asks. “Or would you prefer to lie on the couch?”
Namjoon points to the living room.
“Good,” Seokjin chuckles. “Because Jungkook fell asleep in your bed again and he’s literally taking up the entire bed. He’s like a starfish.”
Namjoon chuckles soundlessly along at that, easily imagining Jungkook sprawled out on his bed like he had been earlier.
After Seokjin helps him get settled on the couch, Namjoon finds himself drifting in and out of sleep, unable to do much except lie there. He feels it when his temperature climbs again, making the achiness in his body worsen and his chills increase until he’s shivering under his blanket, jaw clenched to fight against the chattering of his teeth.
That’s how Jimin and Taehyung find him when they return from their trip to the store, arms loaded with bags full of throat lozenges and ice pops and enough tissues to last the seven of them a couple of months at least– or a couple of weeks, if Jungkook gets his hands on them.
“Oh, hyung,” Jimin tuts, pressing the back of his hand to Namjoon’s overheated cheek. “You’re burning up.” He helps Namjoon sit up so he can drink some water with another dose of medicine.
Taehyung finishes unpacking the groceries in the kitchen and then returns with three ice pops, handing one to Namjoon and one to Jimin.
The ice pop feels soothing on Namjoon’s sore throat, and he closes his eyes and he sucks on it, half sitting and half lying against Jimin.
“He’s falling asleep,” he hears Taehyung say, his voice sounding far away and distorted, and then he feels someone taking the half-eaten ice pop from his hands.
Something cold touches his forehead, making him shiver, but then he’s wrapped up in a blanket as Jimin and Taehyung ease him back into a reclined position, warm hands soothing over his arms and carding through his hair until he falls asleep.
Later, when he wakes up drenched in sweat, Hoseok is there with a fresh change of pajamas. Hoseok sits on the couch with him and puts on a documentary they’ve both been wanting to watch. He stays at the other end of the couch, mindful of germs, but he pulls Namjoon’s feet into his lap.
Even though Namjoon can feel himself dozing off again less than fifteen minutes in, he’s grateful for Hoseok’s presence, knowing that his friend will happily rewatch the documentary with him when he’s feeling better. The last thing he feels before he succumbs to sleep is Hoseok pulling the blanket over his feet, making sure he’s properly tucked in so every part of him stays warm and comfortable.