Archive of Our Own ^beta

what an absolutely glorious day, the sun shining, the birds singi-

"taehyung, wake the fuck up!"

-ng, at bitch-ass-o'clock in the morning, where the first sight he was greeted with is jimin's beautiful bed hair.

lowering himself to the snoozing man's level, jimin flicked the other male's forehead, eyes scrunching up in annoyance. "oh my god, tae, you have work in like half an hour," he began to whine, diligently poking the other's cheek.

the only response he received was a grumble, before the brunette pulled the covers over his head to escape from the world. sighing, jimin rolls his eyes, before jumping on top of the lump and shaking it furiously. feeling his sides being pinched by stubby fingers, taehyung screeched, head hitting the back board of his bed. the lanky male looked up with teary eyes, hands flying to cup his injured head. throwing his pitiful puppy-eyed glance to his roommate, the brunette pouted, fully playing his guilty card. "but jiminnie," he replied hoarsely, running a hand through his unkempt hair. "it's too early."

jimin sighed, rubbing his eyes before staring down at the grumbling man in bed. he loved taehyung like a brother, but sometimes, the man can be a too much of a handful. the older man began to rummage through mahogany drawers, pulling out a striped tie and clean dress shirt. "taehyung, it's 7:30," jimin said calmly, feeling the déjà vu of the conversation. "now put on some decent clothes and then i'll drop you at the hospital."

the brunette slipped out of bed, dragging himself and his fuzzy socks along with him to the bathroom before brushing his teeth. "why did i even agree to this jo-" "oh, and taehyung! here's your schedule for today!" the shorter shrieked, whacking taehyung over the head with a stack of papers.

dazed, the younger man simply blinked, toothbrush hanging from his mouth. letting out a little grumble of protest, taehyung picked up his schedule eyes scanning over it before zeroing in on something that doesn't seem so familiar. he poked his head out of the bathroom door, careful not to hit his head on the ceiling like he did last week, calling after jimin. "who's joon jengcock?"

the latter, already having put up with the brunette's nonsense, flaunted over to the other male and ripped the schedule out of his hands, narrowing his eyes over the fine print. rolling the paper up into a tube, he smacked the younger man's temple, yelling out in frustration, "jeon jungkook, taehyung. please don't mess up his name. he's senior at the medical college around the corner and he volunteers with jin hyung in the pediatrician ward."

oh. well this is something new. "but jin hyung doesn't-"

"-let anyone touch his babies," jimin smiled fondly. "apparently this kid's special, or something. heard namjoon singing 'a whole new world' after the kid made them watch an entire disney marathon too cheer up seohyun."

taehyung's eyes widened, tugging his white coat on. "wait, what? seohyun? i thought she got released a while back."

the older man's eyes softened, and taehyung saw how tired jimin looked. "she was running around before she tripped over the sidewalk curb and fell. bleeding didn't stop so her parents brought her back. we'll keep her for a few more days just to make sure the cut isn't infected."

taehyung frowned, buttoning up the last pins on his coat before slipping his shoes on. "that's unfortunate. well, i guess i'll make a stop at her room and bring her those soda gummies she craves from the geriatrics ward," the younger hummed. "now let's go, you're the one who kept nagging me about being late."

jimin stared for a moment, eyes slowly dropping their gaze from taehyung's face.

"...you're not wearing any pants."

*

thankfully, they arrived just on time (right before jimin smacked taehyung on the head again and shoved him into a pair of clean slacks), meeting up with hoseok to sign in. the secretary looked up, flashing his brightest smile at the two men before setting two styrofoam cups on the counter. "my treat," he said, winking in their direction. "i knew you wouldn't have time to pick up a cup o'joe so i just filled some up while yoongi covered for me."

taehyung yelled a praise of joy and cradled the cup close to his chest, savouring the wonderful aroma it gave off. jimin laughed whole-heartedly, taking his cup and thanking the secretary. "please tell me that screech meant he was happy," hoseok said awkwardly, eyeing taehyung out of the corner of his eyes.

the brunette nodded vigorously, bringing the cup to his lips to sip the delicious nectar. "he's addicted to this stuff. we'll have to keep the coffee in a cage to make sure he can't get any," the shorter male hummed, ignoring the glares taehyung was throwing him. "anyway, i'll see you later, hobi hyung."

the secretary's eyebrows went up comically, and taehyung would have laughed if not for the judging stares he was starting to receive from passer-byers. "what about tae? you're not telling me he has another surgery during lunch time, right?"

taehyung snorted, finally putting the coffee down on the ledge, although reluctantly. "god, no. i have to meet some kid. jang jooncake."

jimin groaned, rolling his eyes - something he seemed to be doing a lot of when he was with taehyung - before flicking the other man on the forehead. "jeon jungkook. kim taehyung, you better get his name right."

hoseok's eyes lit up explosively (taehyung thought hoseok could be a professional clown if he didn't work in the hospital), smile widening. "oh, jungkookie!"

taehyung whipped around to stare at the secretary like he was mad. "he's such a great kid, always helping jin hyung with the babies and stuff. what business does our clumsy little tae have with him?"

the youngest male grumbled under his breath, pulling the coffee back up to his lips, and jimin sighed, resting his elbow on the counter. "the kid's volunteering here and tae's supposed to meet him up for lunch. mr. surgeon over here is going to show him around the place."

the brunette almost spit out his coffee when he heard that, eyes bulging and clutching to the counter before latching on to jimin. "lunch?" the youngest man roared. "you didn't tell me anything about having to eat lunch with him. the cafeteria food tastes like dog food! and i would know because of that one time where-"

"-you forgot to buy groceries for the week and resorted to stuffing your face with soonshim's wet food," the pediatrician said lazily, ignoring the horrified look on the secretary's face. "you made me buy you take out from that ridiculously expensive chinese place from down the street."

taehyung looked back to jimin pointedly. "that was the best xiao long bao i've ever had."

"that was the only xiao long bao you ever had."

"oh, shut it, shorty. be grateful that i accepted your peasantry offerings. what would have happened if you didn't feed me? ever think of those consequences?"

jimin sighed, taking one last sip of his coffee before chucking it in the garbage. "yeah, yeah, drama queen. now come on, i have an appointment with daehyun soon and you have surgery in 30 minutes."

"fine, but there is no way i'm eating the mystery meat kimbap or whatever they call it," the brunette grumbled. "bye hobi hyung!"

the secretary watched the two retreating backs, mouth hung open. "i've been scarred."

*

jimin swung the door to his office open, and taehyung barreled through, plopping down on one of the comfy chairs seated around jimin's office. the brunette sighed happily, sliding into the cushions and sipping at his coffee, or as taehyung liked to call it, the juice of the gods. jimin laughed, going over to his desk and picking up his clipboard. "maybe that idea of putting the coffee in a cage wasn't such of a bad idea."

the brunette growled possessively, pulling the styrafoam cup closer to his lips, almost caressing it. "don't you even dare. coffee is the only love of my life."
jimin gasped playfully, putting a hand over his heart. "i'm hurt, taetae. am i not worthy enough of your love?"

"no," taehyung huffed, turning his head away in annoyance. "anyway who takes my coffee away is in no position of my love."

the other man grinned, placing a quick peck on the brunette's forehead, jimin slipped his white coat on. "i'll see you later, tae. oh, and don't forget your date with the newbie, okay?" jimin winked, before dashing out of the room.

taehyung choked, hacking as he could hear his so called 'friend' cackling in the background. the brunette stared at the clock on the wall for a few minutes, closing his eyes to get the few minutes of sleep that he could, before struggling to get into his scrubs and waddling off to the surgery room.

*

the moment taehyung got out of surgery, he leaned back against the wall, eyes screwed shut. the patient had pulmonary hypertension and required heart transplant. the surgery had been one of the most mentally taxing things taehyung has ever done, and all he wants to do is go home and sleep. but he still had to meet up with that new volunteer. jung jooncock, was it? taehyung didn't even have a care in the world to remember. sliding down the wall, the brunette wrapped his arms around his knees and stuffed his head under his arms. the weight off having somebody's life in your hands really caused the man to become more and more exhausted, the eye bags becoming more prominent each day. sighing, the brunette heaved himself up, yawning and staring at the flashing numbers on his watch. "might as well find this newbie..."

taehyung continued to mope down the hallway, glaring at the watch as if it was taunting him, before he ran into something sturdy and strong. the brown haired male fell down on his ass, eyes going wide before he rested his head on the floor as well. "oh my god, i'm so sorry!"

was that god? taehyung thought. why does he have such a deep voice? suddenly, two burly arms lifted him up, making him face the magnificent being in front of him. jet black hair and piercing, dark eyes came into view as taehyung was pulled up. holy fuck, it is god. he's come to save me from my treacheries and miseries. oh, fuck, is it weird that i wanna bang him? no, taehyung, stop. isn't sex like a sin amongst the heavens and shit? fuck my life, maybe he's personally escorting me to hell.

"hey, you okay?"

the brunette blinked, bunny teeth coming into focus, and taehyung mentally cooed at the sight. bringing a hand up to his head, the surgeon nodded sheepishly. "oh, yeah. sorry about that, i wasn't watching where i was going."

the other man shook his head and held out an arm. "no worries. i wasn't paying attention either."
grabbing onto the other's hand, hot-bunny-tooth-guy (as taehyung had deemed him) tugged him up. the brunette dusted at his scrubs, noticing the stares he was receiving. chuckling, taehyung bowed. "sorry, i just came out of surgery. but i'm kim taehyung."

taehyung saw a flicker of recognition in the other man's eyes, before hot-bunny-tooth-guy flashed him a million dollar smile, bowing as well. "oh, so you're doctor kim. i'm jeon jungkook, the new volunteer! i'm supposed to have lunch with you."

taehyung froze, and he began to panic. fuck my life. of course the hottie is the new volunteer. don't fuck this up, taehyung. you should have listened to jimin when he said to remember this guys name. oh, fuck, he just told me! what was it again? oh, wait, it was-

"jungcock!"

-and you fucked it up again.

the volunteer blinked, eyes wide and jaw hung open before he smirked. leaning in closer to taehyung, the black-haired man whispered, "wouldn't you like to know?"

the surgeon immediately backed away, face turning red. "u-um...i m-mean we can talk...l-later?"

jungkook burst out laughing, shaking his before wrapping an arm around taehyun's shoulders. "aw, hyung, i was just kidding. c'mon, we gotta eat lunch now. you have a busy day ahead of you," the younger man said, dragging taehyung by his elbow towards the cafeteria.

"...but i don't want the mystery meat kimbap."

*

they ended going to the chinese place down the street from taehyung's apartment, and jungkook orders a hefty serving of noodles, fried rice, and xiao long bao. taehyung bites into one and frowns. they don't taste as good as he thought they would. stuffing his face with noodles, taehyung looks up, admiring the slope of jungkook's nose and his well defined cheekbones. snapping out of his reverie, the brunette clears his throat, hoping to make a normal conversation. "so, tell me a little about yourself, jungkook."

the bunny-toothed male hums, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "ah, well, i came over from busan in hopes to study medicine in this hospital sometime in the near future. i'm a senior at the medical university of seoul, so one of my free class spots lets me come to the hospital and volunteer here."

nodding, taehyung set his fork down. "ah, i went there, too. park jimin was my roommate, and we're still living together at the moment."

jungkook grinned, his large eyes becoming even larger at the new information. "you know jimin hyung? we used to go to the same high school back in busan. he always called me a brat, though. guess i'll see him later sometime."

grinning, the surgeon took a sip of his water, feeling much more relaxed than he was a couple of minutes ago. "most definitely. he works in the pediatric ward, so you'll see him soon."

"what ward do you work in, hyung?" the younger male asked, curiosity twinkling in his eyes.

"i'm a specialized surgeon," the brunette replied, fork digging into some fried rice. "i just came out of surgery when i bumped into you."

"what do you specialize in?"

"cardiac surgery."

the younger immediately began to cough, and taehyung scrambled to the younger boys side before slapping him on the back. handing jungkook a glass of water, the brunette furrowed his brows, hand still splayed across the younger's back. jungkook was still hacking before his body went limp, falling down into the booth. taehyung never would have thought his first aid training class would have come in handy, but with a situation like this, there was no time to think. the brunette turned the younger over, pressing his ear over the man's chest to listen for a heartbeat, before grabbing jungkook's face and pressing his lips over the other's.
taehyung began to blow air into jungkook's mouth, hoping for any signs of inhalation before an arm snaked around his waist, pulling him flush against the younger's chest. the brunette pulled away, almost shrieking when jungkook pressed his lips back against taehyung's, eyes wide open and dark. the younger pulled away slowly, a smirk plastered on his face, eyes bright and shining. "now how about we go back to the hospital and you can show me around, okay?"
taehyung nodded shakily, sitting up straight and patting his hair down. thankfully, nobody in the restaurant had noticed how hot and bothered taehyung looked as the pair exited (only after paying, of course; mama didn't raise no fool). the ride back was, plainly put, silent, and the only sort of interaction between the two was when taehyung gave the younger money to pay for the cab.

it was awkward, to say the very least.

*

taehyung had shown the younger around the hospital with minimal dialogue, still too flustered to even talk about what happened at the restaurant. walking towards the pediatric ward, with jungkook following closely behind him, the surgeon turned around, biting his lips. "would you mind if we go visit someone? "

the black haired male shook his head, shifting on his feet. "of course not. plus, i don't really have a choice anyway."

taehyung hummed, pointing down the hallway. "her room is down the hall on the left. there will be a bunch of ponies and flowers, you can't miss it," the brunette said, dashing off. "i'll be back soon. i just have to grab something from the geriatrics ward!"

the surgeon had disappeared from his sight before jungkook had time to reply.

*

taehyung takes his time going to the geriatrics ward, mind preoccupied with the kiss. it's not like he's never been kissed before, it's just that he's never been kissed by a stranger before. although jungkook isn't a complete stranger, he still barely knows anything about the kid. even worse is that taehyung already likes the other man, with his bunny teeth and child-like eyes. but the brunette should know that looks aren't always everything.

slipping a dollar bill through the vending machine, taehyung punches in the numerical code, watching soulessly as a packet of gummies falls through the machine. picking it up, taehyung stares at the different coloured teddy bears. they're just like all of the men in the world. they look different on the outside, but they're all the same on the inside.

sighing, the brunette smiles softly. his mother would have been proud of him.
*
when taehyung gets back to seohyun's room, he does not expect jeon jungkook to be playing my little pony with the 8-year-old. peeking through the small window on the door, the brunette gasps, the image of jungkook with pinky pie scarred in his mind. but he can't help but think of it as adorable, especially when taehyung can hear the girlish giggles and endless chattering from seohyun.

pushing the door open, the surgeon smiles softly, taking a seat by the little girl's bed. "hey, seohyunnie," he begins gently. "how're you feeling?"

the girl swaddled up in blankets grins toothily up at him, giving him a thumbs-up. "great, taetae oppa!" taehyung blushes at the use of his nickname. he should have known not to let jimin in seohyun's room. he's such a bad influence.

jungkook quirks an eyebrow up at him before taehyung turns back to seohyun, holding out the pack of gummies he bought from earlier. seohyun immediately brightens, her eyes scrunching up into little crescents. "thanks, oppa! these are my favourite!"

the surgeon smiles, almost triumphantly. "i know, hyunnie. that's why i got you them," he hums, eyes landing on jungkook. "did you have fun playing with jungkook?"

the little girl nods furiously, her chocolate curls bouncing up and down. "yep! kookie oppa played ponies with me and we had so much fun! oppa was pinky pie and i was rainbow dash!"

taehyung laughs so hard his chest begins to hurt, but the glares jungkook is sending him causes him to stifle his giggles. "that's g-great, seohyun," he replies, wiping the tears beginning to pool in his eyes. "kookie and i have to go now, but we'll come back tomorrow and play ponies with you again, okay?"

seohyun smiles, a tiny hand coming up to wave goodbye. "bye oppas! see you tomorrow!"

taehyung slips out of the room after pulling the blankets up to seohyun's chin and kissing her forehead, jungkook on his heels. taehyung can see the questioning in the younger man's eyes, and he sighs softly. "she has sickle cell anemia. she fell and the wound wouldn't close so they brought her back in."

the younger nods solemnly, eyes trained on the floor. "she's a good kid."

the brunette hums, smiling at no one in particular. jungkook stops walking, and taehyung turns, surprised at how shy the younger was being. "h-hey, hyung," the black haired man begins. "about what happened earlier today. u-um...can i m-maybe take you out later? to apologise?"

the relief that floods through taehyung's system relaxes the man incredibly. his smile softens, and the older man takes the younger's hand in his. "of course, pinky pie. we can try this out."

*

the first date turns out to be - as much as taehyung would hate to admit it - cute. jungkook takes him to the cat cafe in hongdae and taehyung gets to hold what looks to be grumpy the cat's twin brother. he also gets to see the horror tattooed on jungkook's face when a kitten licks the younger man's palm. he doesn't know how someone who works out and isn't afraid of anything can be afraid of fluff walking on legs.

("but they have these devil claws, hyung, just look at the little demons!"

"oh my god, jungkookie. it's a little kitty. it couldn't hurt a fly even if it tried.")

why bring him to a cat cafe in the first place if jungkook was terrified of cats? but taehyung doesn't dare question his beloved boyfriend.

that's right, boyfriend. just the sound of it makes taehyung giddy. they had gone out a few times after the kitty date, and taehyung just felt like they were bonded. the brunette had never stressed the fact that he was so alone, until he had jungkook. he'd never felt the affects of having no one other than jimin around him. sure, he had all his friends at the hospital, but with his parents no more and his brother gone, the brunette had felt an empty hole in his heart, as cheesy as that sounds. so when the bunny-toothed man came crawling his way to taehyung's heart, the brunette let him.

that's how the surgeon ended up on the younger's bed, snuggled up against his chest. a smile graces its way onto the older man's lips, and the younger can't help but smile as well. pulling the brunette up to lay fully on his front, jungkook hummed, gazing into taehyung's chocolate orbs. "what are you thinking about?" he questioned softly, a hand slipping around taehyung's waist.

taehyung grins, showing off his signature boxed smile, and jungkook can't help but melt a little on the inside. "nothing much," the older drawls, fingers tracing patterns against jungkook's bare chest. "how about you?"

"just how beautiful you look right now," the younger whispered, lips barely brushing against taehyung's forehead.

the older man flushed a deep scarlet, still not used to how jungkook would compliment his body so freely and easily. the younger's lips began to move down taehyung's face, pressing a kiss to the bridge of his nose, his cheekbone, and finally sucking the bottom of the brunette's lip. taehyung's eyes fluttered shut, hands gripping the younger's shoulders. jungkook nosed his way down the brunette's neck, leaving a path of burning hot kisses in his wake, before licking the other man's collarbones.

letting out an involuntary moan, taehyung wrapped his legs around the younger's waist, rocking himself back and forth on jungkook's lap. the younger in turn snaked his arms down to the brunette's ass, cupping and squeezing it as he liked. smirking, jungkook swallowed taehyung's gasps, shoving his tongue down the older man's throat. pulling away, lips shining with spit, the brunette blushed slightly, the red flush spreading down his neck and to the tips of his ears.
pulling the older boy snug to his chest, jungkook hummed happily, burying his face into taehyung's shoulder. taehyung had to strain his ears in order to hear what the boy was saying, but the impact of the words jungkook said caused him to become light headed and dizzy.

"i love you, hyung."

*

"so how's this boy-toy of yours?"

taehyung screeched at the top of his lungs, declaring war on his fellow roommate before jumping on top of jimin's bed and attacking him with pillows. crawling to the safety of the other man's bed, the older doctor couldn't help but burst out laughing when he saw his friend's tomato red face. "i'm kidding, taetae," jimin giggled, watching as a pout formed on taehyung's face. "jesus, can't you take a joke?"

bouncing on the bed slightly, taehyung sighed, burying his head in a stack of pillows. "jiminnie, please," his voice came out muffled. "can we not talk about it?"

"aw, but taetae, everyone at work wants to know, too! i have a bet against yoongi hyung saying that you two haven't fucked yet."

"park jimin!" the horrified man hollered, raining down another barrage of pillows on the other man. "i am not discussing my bed life with you!"

jutting his lower lip out, jimin huffed, rolling over on his back to stare at his fellow doctor. "but i talk to you about my sex life all the time! that's what best friends are for, taelien!"

the younger man groaned, putting his hands over his ears and shaking his head furiously. "i never voluntarily agreed to listen to that shit, though!" the younger whined. "you just start rambling and it's always impossible to get you to stop."

"but taet-"

the younger threw a pillow at the other's face, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. "no, jimothy. i know what i'm doing and i'm not going to tell you anything."
jimin emerged from the mountain of pillows, ruffling his hair and laughing. "yeah, of course," he hummed, crawling over and laying on the brunette's back. "i get it, tae."

the younger smiled, giving a small peck to jimin's cheek. "thanks, minnie."

"...but have you two fucked yet or no...?"

*

needless to say, yoongi owed jimin $20. somehow, through his intuitive skills ("it's called the power of friendship, taehyung!"), the little brat managed to weasel the truth out of taehyung. the brunette went to work that day with a permanent blush on his cheeks, eyes cast downward as he tried to avoid all the sly gazes. fate managed to crash him into his hunky boyfriend again, who sent him tumbling on his ass.

"oh, fuck, not again," jungkook whined, leaning down to hook his arms under taehyung's armpits and lift him on his feet again. "sorry 'bout that, babe."

taehyung dusted his pants off, going on his tippy toes to press a kiss to his boyfriend's forehead. "don't worry, kookie. you're always there to pick me up when i fall."

the brunette could vaguely hear the sounds of someone throwing up. whipping around, the surgeon almost fell again when he saw none other than park jimin a few feet away from him. marching up to his roommate, taehyung hissed at the other, burning his in the other's face with his intense gaze. "what the fuck are you doing here?"

jimin gave his friend the most shit-eating grin he could concur, eyes gleaming evilly. "i just wanted to question your boy-toy about a few things first," the other replied casually, pushing taehyung aside and grabbing an unsuspecting jungkook by the elbow. "we'll be back in ten minutes."

watching helplessly as jimin dragged his boyfriend into an office, the brunette groaned, mumbling to himself about having bad luck.

*

the interrogation between his wonderful jungkookie and the devil spawn that is park jimin didn't last as long as taehyung thought it would. other than jungkook exiting the room with a beetroot coloured face, there wasn't anything physically wrong with his boyfriend. scowling, the brunette grabbed the younger protectively, clenching his teeth as jimin skipped out of the room. "why is he the colour of my mom's fucking rose garden, jimin?" he hissed, eyes narrowed into slits.
giggling, the other doctor only whistled playfully. "why don't you ask mr. jeon jungkookie yourself? i'm sure he'd be happy to reply," jimin hummed, before retreating off to the cafeteria.

gritting his teeth, the brunette stared back at the young volunteer, slowly advancing on him like a predator would do to its prey. "what. did. he. tell. you."
the flustered man tripped over his words, mumbling out a quick "sorry!" before dashing away from taehyung. why was everything so complicated?

*
kookie
sorry hyung i cant come over

taetae
:( aww but why not
we were gonna snuggle and watch the new my little pony movie together

kookie
sounds great hyung but im busy
gotto catch up on some shit for my econ class

taetae
okay okay
ill see you tomorrow at the hospital right

kookie
uhhhhhh about that...
i dont think ill be coming for the next few weeks hyung

taetae
:o
too busy?

kookie
yeah i got finals coming up
anyway i gotto go
ttyl hyung

taetae
oh yeah ttyl
read 6:34 pm
love you gukkie <3
delivered 6:34 pm

taehyung frowned as he scrolled through the last of their messages, ruffling his hair while flopping on the bed. there was really no need for taehyung to get worked up; the boy must study for his exams and all. but there was just a notion pulling at his heart, telling him that he was losing the only thing close to him.
curling himself up on the pile of comforters and blankets, the brunette snuggled into the sheets, closing his eyes in hope of seeing his beloved boyfriend the next day.

*

taehyung is not pleased to find that his boyfriend isn't responding to his texts nor his calls. it's been a week since jungkook last texted him, and the brunette is starting to get a little paranoid. taehyung doesn't know any other contact information other than the younger's phone number and email, so the surgeon resorts to his last resort: park jimin.

taetae
jimothy
jimmybro
chiminnie
jimin

chimchim
wtf do you want
i was literally just about to score with the new guy in the maternity ward

taetae
ew gross tmi
do you have kookies email or his roommates number

chimchim
no omg
are you getting down and dirty today
use protection

taetae
fuck you no
he hasnt been answering my texts or calls
and he told he wasnt coming to volunteer at the hospital for a few days

chimchim
;a; oh my precious taetae
sorry bro but i dont have anything
...do you think hes avoiding you

taetae
unu i hope not
i havent seen him in a while so...

chimchim
aw tae i bet hes just busy with finals
maybe you can go check up on him at his dorm

taetae
mmmm okay
thanks bro
make sure you can walk tomorrow i need milk and its your turn to get the groceries

chimchim
omg okay ttyl
read 8:57 pm

jungkook did give taehyung his dorm address in case of an emergency, and there was no better time for taehyung to use it until now. swiping for his keys, the brunette jogged down the stairs, turning on the ignition of his car and slipping out onto the road. after what felt like hours of driving, the surgeon pulled up into the university, feeling the nostalgia the campus carried with it. taehyung himself remembered the days he roamed those paths, arm slung around jimin's shoulder. a small smile crept up onto his face, and taehyung sighed happily, walking over to wear jungkook's dorm area was.

when he knocked on the door, the brunette certainly did not expect a prepubescent looking teen to open the door. blinking, all taehyung could utter was a dumb "uh...".

the boy blinked as well, tilting his head slightly. "are you looking for jungkook?"

"yeah, he's sort of my boyfriend," the brunette said, biting his lip.

grinning, the fairy looking boy opened the door a little bit wider, showing how messy and unorganized his room was. "he's actually at work right now. i can give you the place he works at, though."

taehyung nodded, thanking the young man before gripping a small slip of paper in his hand and driving around what seemed to be the entire city of seoul.

*

bright, flashy lights and loud, blaring music normally appeal to taehyung, but definitely not in this situation. the brunette supposes that he is to be looking for his boyfriend, not some sort of pole dancing stripper. weaving his way through the crowd, the surgeon finally sets his eyes on his boyfriend.

who is currently enjoying a lapdance from a slim girl in what is meant to be the remains of a slutty dress.

taehyung can see the way jungkook bites his lip, he can see the way his eyes light up in lust. taehyung can see it all.

the brunette flips out, the amount of anger and hatred rising in his chest causing all the rational decisions he came up with before to fly out the window. the only thing implanted in the man's mind is to get that fucking slut off of his boyfriend.

stomping over to the couple, taehyung breaks apart the ring of people surrounding the two, and jungkook turns to face him, eyes wide with some akin to fear and grief. the younger boy stands up, pushing the girl away from him, grabbing taehyung's wrist before the man can run away. against his own wishes, taehyung is pulled into a room, isolated from the screaming music and obnoxious people. the only thing taehyung can focus on, is how incredibly frightened jungkook looks.
taehyung yanks his hand away, almost like he touched a flame, eyes narrowing into slits. "i will only give you one chance to explain what just happened," the older says, voice monotone and devoid of any emotion.

the younger erupts into a fit of tears, and it so unlike jungkook to just flat out cry, that taehyung is actually taken aback for a moment. it pains the brunette's heart to see the younger boy in such a sad state, but taehyung can't get the image of that girl out of his mind. "h-h-hy-hyung i'm sorry," the younger wails, raking his nails through his dark locks. "it's o-only for money, i swear. i'm a bartender i don't- i'm not- i wouldn't cheat on you, h-hyung. i swear to god she came o-onto me. i love you so much, please, taehyung, you gotto-"

"that's enough, jungkook," the elder sighs, looking down pitifully at the broken man in front of him, trying to contain his own whimpers. "i...i'll see y-you in the hospital, i guess.

jungkook doesn't have anymore time to apologize before taehyung has bolted out the door, leaving behind the fragments of his broken heart on the cold, hard floor.

*

taetae
jimin
i saw him today

chimchim
thats great tae!!!
whats got you so worked up?

taetae
i saw him right in front of me
he was right there
jimin please come home

chimchim
tae??
what happened

taetae
he cheated on me
and there was a girl
he doesnt care jimin

chimchim
wtf?!?!?
taehyunggie ill be over in a few
but what exactly happened??

taetae
i went to his dorms and his roommate told me he was at work
so i showed up at this club and
jimin i cant
he left me

chimchim
no taetae
dont think of him
ill always be here okay?
just sit tight hyunggie im unlocking the door right now

taetae
why did he leave
delivered 11:13 pm

jimin came home to the sight of a mound of blankets in the corner of the kitchen, and the older couldn't help but burst into tears the moment he saw taehyung's pathetic face.

*

jungkook encounters the scariest moment of his life only a few days after the incident. there is furious knocking on his dorm door at seven fucking thirty in the morning and jungkook is pissed. toothbrush hanging out of his mouth, mumbling nonsense to himself, the brown haired male swung the door open, read to cuss out whoever thought it was a good to wake him up so early in the morning.

unfortunately, jungkook doesn't have enough time to comprehend who is yelling at him before a fist comes flying to his face, punching him straight on in the eye. there isn't a word that can describe the amount of pain the man feels, in fact, he'd rather shrivel up and die than face the force screeching in front of him.
slowly, and surely, jungkook pries his eyes open, fear flooding his system as he is met with the infuriated face of none other than park jimin. jungkook immediately cowers, trying to shield himself from the other man's wrath, but he feels like crying to his mom when jimin throws an onslaught or curses and slurs at him. "you fucking asshole," the older man screeches, slamming the door behind him shut and squatting down so he can yell directly in the younger's ear. "do you even know what you've done?"

jungkook groans in pain, nodding his head and twisting his ears. "i know," he sobs, and jimin can't help but frown. "i didn't mean for it to happen it just did. i need the money a-and that was the only way i could earn some legally."

this surprises jimin a bit, so he decides to further interrogate jungkook. "what do need so much money for?" he questions, voice softer but still stern.

"my parents back in busan," the younger chokes out, sounding horrible and sad. "they don't have anough money to pay for my full expenses. s-so i took up a few jobs that paid well and i g-got stuck with bartending at a strip cl-club."

jimin sighs. how stupid can you get, jeon jungkook? "listen kid," he begins. "taehyung has a pretty insane past and he's freaking terrified of being left alone. long story short his mom passed away 4 years ago and his older brother and dad took off. he's terribly afraid of being left alone so you can only imagine how devastated he must have been when he saw you."

the younger freezes, and jimin begins to feel very uncomfortable when jungkook begins to cry. "i-i just love h-him so m-much," the younger sniffles, blowing his nose into his sweatshirt. "i wish i c-could have another chance to f-fix my mistake."

squatting down beside the boy, jimin pats his shoulder. "hey, jungkook," he hums softly, almost like he would talk to a child who was getting a shot. "tae's a forgiving person. just explain what happened and i'm sure he'll take you back in no time."

"r-really? you think so?" jungkook coughs out, and jimin can't help but look away at the sight of the younger's new forming black eye.

jimin smiles. "i know so."

("just don't fuck with my taehyunggie again, you bitch. next time i won't be so nice.")

*

jungkook
taehyung hyung
please answer your texts
i want to explain
you dont have to like me back anymore but i just wanted you to know

taetae
jungkook please stop

jungkook
im sorry hyung but i have to tell you my side
i...my parents cant pay for my college fines because my older brother recently passed away and they have to pay for the funeral
ive been surviving off of shin ramyeon packets for the past two months
i need to pay for food and clothes so i had to find a job
that job at the strip club was the only one available

taetae
oh jungkook
why didnt you tell me?
i would have been there to support you

jungkook
i dont know hyung
i didnt want to put more on your plate because i know you have a busy schedule
that girl
she was forced on me hyung
im so sorry
i never meant for this to happen

taetae
jungkook answer me this
do you trust me?

jungkook
with all my heart

taetae
then come over in exactly seven minutes
dont keep me waiting

read 9:32 pm

*

those seven minutes were torture for taehyung. he didn't know if the younger would come or not, but he was sure that he was still in love with jungkook. normally, the brunette would have distanced himself from people, but jungkook was the only spark he had in his life, and he wasn't prepared to extinguish it without a fight. unknown to taehyung was the fact that jungkook felt the exact same way, and his desire to see taehyung fueled the younger boy into driving crazily to the older boy's apartment. there was almost like an invisible force tugging at the volunteer's heart, too painful to resist the pull.

and that's how taehyung found himself staring at a very sweaty and broken looking jeon jungkook. sweet little jungkook, who is normally so great at upholding his confident and snarky cover, is bawling on taehyung's doorstep, blabbering out meaningless apologies of "i'm sorry" and "i love you". those words really hold no meaning to taehyung anymore. he's had enough of words. he wants to see how sorry jungkook is, and he wants to see how much the younger loves him.
"taehyung, i can't-" the younger gasps. "i'm so sorry. this wasn't supposed to happen and i wanted to tell you so badly but you're so busy with the hospital and i just couldn't bring mysel-"

sighing the older slapped a palm over the volunteer's mouth, trademark smile beaming on his face. "jungkookie, just listen, will you?" taehyung says, almost cooing at the younger as if he were a child. "i believe you. in this world, everybody needs to have a second chance, okay? now how about you show me how much you love me by doing something productive rather than sprouting nonsensical phrases," the brunette whispers, tugging jungkook in by wrist.

the black haired man's eyes go dark, hands moving to grasp taehyung's hips before pushing the older man up against a wall. fingers digging into the curvature of the brunette's waist, jungkook squeezed roughly, drawing out small little whimpers from the older man. bringing his lips down to just where taehyung's collarbone is exposed, the younger kissed a fiery path of love marks, nipping lightly at the brunette's lips. "i will," jungkook whispered, eyelashes fluttering against taehyung's forehead. "i'll prove to you how much of a treasure you are to me."

the younger slid his hands down to entertwine with the others', pressing gentle kisses to taehyung's knuckles. the older blushed, ducking his head into his shoulder to hide the fresh brush of red spread across his cheeks. jungkook smiled softly, cupping the older's burning cheeks and pecking the tip of his nose. "let's take this else where, shall we?"

nodding his head robotically, taehyung somehow managed to guide himself and jungkook to the bedroom, still entranced by how dominant yet careful the man is, almost treating taehyung like a precious pearl. the moment taehyung closes the door, the younger pounces on him, pushing down on to the bed before sticking his nose into the older man's neck, arms wrapped around the brunette's tiny waist. gently tugging on taehyung's lower lip, jungkook looked up, locking eyes with his lover. "you're sure you want to do this?"

there really wasn't much thought to jungkook's question, for the older had already decided that he was okay with trying again. after all, everyone made mistakes once in a while. but the fact that jungkook asked for his consent again just made taehyung fall in love with him all over again. "of course," he replied, lips grazing the shell of jungkook's ear. "i'm sure."

suddenly, the older's signature girl's generation ringtone could be heard from his pocket. quirking an eyebrow at the younger, taehyung mouthed a 'jimin' to the younger, pulling the mobile out and answering the caller. almost immediately did his face turn pale, sucking in his lower lip between his teeth before turning to look at jungkook with teary eyes.

"it's seohyun."

*

"she developed a clot in her pulmonary vein, so she had trouble breathing and her leukocyte count is borderline deadly. seokjin put her in the er and they're trying to use a blood thinner in her medication," jimin had informed them, normally bright eyes dull and dark.

"should have known," taehyung mumbles, head pulled in between his knees. jungkook can only hold the other close to his side, pressing light kisses to the crown of his head.

"taehyung, jungkook." the two look up to see jimin accompanied by a young couple, both the man's and the woman's face streaked with tears. "these are seohyun's parents."

taehyung gets up, tugging jungkook up by his scruff, and gives the couple a sad smile. "nice to meet you again, mr. and mrs. nam."

jungkook can only stare at the heart-breaking scene in front of him, when taehyung pulls mrs. nam into a hug, patting her back and soothing her. the younger's mind can only wander from that idea. does taehyung have to do this everyday? he wonders, eyebrows furrowing. breaking the bad news of death to the families of the patient? the dark circles beneath the older's eyes suddenly become more prominent, and his sunken cheeks make his face seem more angular and sharp.
this is the nightmare that taehyung relives every single day, and it frightens jungkook to no end. the younger snaps out of his daze, jimin shaking his shoulder softly before tugging him to the other side of the room, where cam watch taehyung whisper words of comfort to the sobbing mother.

turning away from the brunette, jungkook can only stare at the other man. the last time he had seen jimin, the volunteer earned himself a fresh black eye and a day of pain. but there's something in the other man's posture that assures him, jimin isn't here to fight anymore.

"jungkook, i need you to listen to me, and don't interupt what i'm saying. just let me finish and then you can talk," the older man puffs out, clearly exhausted from having to run around the entire hospital.

jungkook barely gives a light nod before jimin is off, locking eyes with the younger. "seokjin hyung said that seohyun won't see another day if she doesn't have surgery right now. as in right now."

furrowing his brows, jungkook can only bite his lip. "what does that have to do with me?"

jimin rolls his eyes. "i was getting there. you see, taehyung's the best cardiac surgeon in this entire city, and he's seohyun's only shot at making it. we need him to preform on her so her veins aren't restricting her blood flow."

with this information, the younger's eyes grow wide, immediately flaring with anger. "are you insane?" he hisses, looming over the doctor. "i will not let you do that to him. he's in such a fragile state right now and you want him to-"

"we have no choice," jimin bites back, voice rough and strained. "the entire hospital is sure that taehyung can help her survive."

"and what if she doesn't? what if she comes out dead and taehyung thinks it's his fault? do you even know the damage that it will cause on his mental state?"

"stop! i can't do anything else in this scenario. he's our only hope for this little girl to stay alive and you want to say no to that? do you see her parents over there? what will we tell them? what will we tell taehyung? jungkook, i've been that boy's best friend since the beginning, and i know that this is the best situation for him and seohyun. so please, just talk to him. he loves you so much that he trusts you."

it's like an arrow pierced his heart. there's so much pressure put on him that he can't even imagine putting taehyung into the surgery room at a time like this. but he must.

walking back to where the brunette has sat down, staring outside the window, jungkook slips into a seat, putting a steady hand on taehyung's thigh. "taehyung..."

taehyung turns to him, eyes glossy and lips quivering. "tae, we need you to do something. seohyun and i."

the older blinks, gulping before clasping his hands around jungkook's. "i'll do anything."

sucking in a deep breath, the younger shudders, closing his eyes to pray for a moment. "we need you to operate on seohyunnie. you're her only hope, hyung. we all trust you."

the older pales almost instantly, hands shaking. "b-but i ca-"

"shhh," jungkook hums, cupping the back of the brunette's head and stroking it softly. "you can do it, tae. we trust you. i trust you."

giving jungkook a watery smile, taehyung nods slowly, clutching the chair to get up. "i...i'll do it."

jungkook smiles widely, and there's never been another moment that he's been so proud of the brunette, it brings tears to his eyes. "i know you can do it, tae. now go save another life."

*

nam seohyun is pronounced dead at 3:26 am on october 17th.

*

the funeral is quiet and small, open to only close family and the doctors who had created ever-lasting bonds with the bright girl. heart surgeon kim taehyung is also invited. he does not show up. instead, the distraught man lays in bed everyday, as silent and still as a rock. jimin can rarely get the brunette to get out and take a shower, let alone eat some decent food or drink water.

jimin and jungkook are on good terms now. after spending so much time taking care of taehyung, the two have become close friends.
(but only after jungkook slaps jimin back for forcing taehyung in this position.)

jungkook slips into the apartment, closing the door behind him softly before sneaking into taehyung's room. situation himself on the bed, jungkook shakes the lump next to him, poking it continuously. "come on, tae. let's get you out of bed."

the younger doesn't get a reply, as predicted. but today is a new day, and jungkook has decided that it's finally time for taehyung to live again. so he rips the covers off the other man and picks him up, sliding one hand to his head and the other to support his lower half. taehyung buries his face in jungkook's shoulder, the younger already feeling a fresh patch of tears forming on his shirt. smiling sadly, jungkook begins to sing a lullaby, the one jimin told him taehyung had on his phone.

little star
눈을 감고 내가 하는 이야길 잘 들어봐
나의 얘기가 끝나기 전에 너는 꿈을 꿀 거야
little star
tonight
밤새 내가 지켜줄 거야
처음 너를 만났을 땐 정말 눈이 부셨어
너의 미소를 처음 봤을 땐 세상을 다가졌어
little star
tonight
밤새 내가 지켜줄 거야
내 품에 안긴 채 곤히 잠든 널 보면
나는 잠시도 눈을 뗄 수 없어
이렇게 예쁜데
숨이 멎을 것 같아
내가 어떻게 잠들 수 있겠니
나의 사랑 나의 전부 하늘이 내린 천사
나의 두 눈을 나의 세상을 모두 훔쳐버렸어
little star
tonight
밤새 내가 지켜줄 거야
내 품에 안긴 채 곤히 잠든 널 보면
나는 잠시도 눈을 뗄 수 없어
이렇게 예쁜데
숨이 멎을 것 같아
내가 어떻게 잠들 수 있겠니
눈을 감고 내가 하는 이야길 잘 들어봐
나의 얘기가 끝나기 전에 너는 꿈을 꿀 거야
little star
tonight
밤새 내가 지켜줄 거야
내 사랑 tonight
밤새 내가 지켜줄 거야
평생 내가 지켜줄 거야

taehyung still shakes in his arms, but he's no longer heaving for air nor bawling his eyes out. lifting the other up just slightly so he sits on his lap, jungkook smiles, pecking the other's forehead and nose. holding his palms out, the younger looks up at taehyung expectantly.

after calming himself down, the brunette, puts his hands on top of the other's, giving him the first smile jungkook's seen in days. it's small and wavering, but it's a start.

"we'll get through this together, taehyung. just you and i."