ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴘᴜʀᴘʟᴇ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ || ᴋ.ᴛʜ + ᴊ.ᴊᴋ ✔️

twenty-six: baby

At first, it had been a struggle to get him moving.

"Left foot, right foot, Tae."

But he managed.

Despite aching from head to toe, throbbing pain from bruises that had not at all received proper time to heal, Jungkook pushed the mere thought of showing pain to the back of his mind so that he could help Taehyung.

Taehyung. His boyfriend - at least that's what was implied.

He didn't need to hear it. He really didn't. And that's what he told himself, but deep down Jungkook would have given everything to hear Taehyung call him just that. To call him his boyfriend.

Or 'baby'. Or both.

Now isn't the time, Jungkook, get yourself together.

It was a bit easier to snap out of his daze once he and Taehyung had neared the apartment, and out of nowhere Taehyung began to whimper like a kicked puppy and triggered Jungkook's ears. But he didn't ask what was wrong. He knew the boy hadn't fully taken his mind off the car accident, nor from that nurse informing them that Jimin would be undergoing 'further examination', as she had called it. Jungkook didn't like it either. But he was a bit less paranoid than the other.

"The door's open, Tae. Just go in and lie on the couch."

"...foot...which-"

"Left. Are you feeling dizzy? T-...Tae, no, the door's already open, what are you doing...?"

He could see how hopeless things were going and soon resorted to simply picking Taehyung up and carrying him over to the couch to lay him down there himself. And it was there Jungkook took further notice of the boy's pale complexion. Taehyung really was getting himself sick over all this. The stress, the worrying, neglecting his own condition because he was more concerned with something else.

Pretty much exactly what Jungkook was doing. Except he was a bit more skilled at managing it.

"Tae, you're really warm." With his hand resting on the other's forehead, Jungkook sighed at the sight of Taehyung, breathing deeply, sweat on his face and neck. "Look at you..."

"Kookie-"

"Don't try to talk, Tae, you're just wasting the energy you don't have. I'm gonna get you some water, okay? You need hydration."

He started to do just that, turning from the couch so that he could head over to the kitchen to get him a glass of cold water. But a weak touch of the hand stopped him in his tracks - delicately, a soft, brushing of the fingers as Taehyung attempted to grab Jungkook's hand using what little energy he had left.

"Jungkookie..."

Even uttering a mere word, he sounded breathless. Jungkook feared he would pass out any second now - at the same time, it wouldn't be such a bad thing. Taehyung needed the rest. But right now he seemed to be doing everything to fight that urge to fall asleep.

"Jungkookie, you're hurt..."

Heartbroken. Taehyung's voice quivered with emotion. His eyes did the same.

"Your bruises, you were hurt so bad, Kookie-"

"Tae, I'm alright, it's not that bad-"

"Yes, it is, don't say that."

It was as though Jungkook could hear the boy's inner voice as well, blaming himself for Jungkook's pain all over again, like he hadn't stopped doing so since the incident happened, but now it was coming back to him full-force. So much had happened. So much since just yesterday.