A healthy relationship is one that gives you the stability of roots and the freedom of wings. You feel at home and comfortable as your real, deserving self and you can also follow your bliss where it takes you.
~Diana Kirschner

48.

Tae woke up. He could see Kook lying down on his chest. Slowly, Tae untangled himself and went to the medicine cabinet to get a pain killer for kook. Surely, the younger would need it when he got up. No matter how hard he tried to be gentle, Kook was still going to be in pain. Tae hated himself for it. He placed the med on his bed table and got the hot water running. He put in the lavender essence in the tub. When the tub would fill slowly, the essence would mix the water. He switched on the essence diffuser in the room.

After he was done, he picked up the soiled sheet in the laundry basket. It would have to be taken care of later. And took out the new sheet as well as fresh clothes for himself and Kook.

The fight with Kook was a horrible time Tae. He didn't know how to feel or talk to someone. He had eomma and appa and even Jimin and Namjoon hyung had called. But Tae just didn't know how to process all of it. How could he stop feeling so helpless? He needed to talk to kook. Talking could solve anything. He decided and shoved the thought in a corner and sat admiring his husband.

He felt grateful that Kook trusted him enough to be so vulnerable with him. After getting intimate, their bond was only going to get stronger. He realised he could never live without kook and how much the younger really mattered to him. Sleeping without Kook in the arms meant no sleep at all. A day without Kook meant no smile at all. Everything lost its flavour and colour. Without Kook, World stopped making sense to Tae.

And honestly, since he had woken up he felt closer to Kook. It was like a string attached the two now. Even when Tae had been sleeping and Kook had changed his position Tae had known that subconsciously he had put his hand on kook keeping him steady so that he wouldn't cry out in pain unconsciously.

Tae snapped out of his thoughts and went to the washroom, the tub was filled as much as he wanted. He checked the temperature. Hot enough to soothe the skin but not scald it. Tae took out rose essential oil and added that too to the water along with a few petals of roses from the fresh flowers that were placed in his room. But still, the setting felt a bit clinical. He brought out the scent candles and lit them around the tub. He put in the lavender bath bomb.

Finally, it was time to wake up kook.

'Hey baby' tae said kissing kook softly on the cheeks.

'Hmmmm' whined Kook.

'Wake up baby' Tae said.

Kook slowly opened his eyes. He could feel himself half naked on the mattress. He shied away.

'Hey baby, here take this med and let's take a shower.' Tae said.

Kook nodded. He took the pain killer from Tae's hand and swallowed it with water.

'Ready?'

kook nodded. Tae wrapped kook's arms around him and picked him up. Kook blushed till sweet scents hit his nose.

Tae gently placed Kook in the bathtub and followed him using wall to rest his back and head as he pulled kook closer to him between his legs.

'Thank you hyung. This is just perfect.' kook said taking in how good the warm water felt on his skin. He was sore. He was grateful that Tae had thought of him.

'Rest baby.' Tae said as adjusted kook's head to fall on his chest. He felt Kook sigh, relaxing immediately. Tae started massaging Kook's thighs. He must have gotten cramps there.

'hmmmm' kook hummed in peace and bent forward letting Tae move his hands towards his neck and back. Tae slightly massaged all the knots present in his neck and back. The youngers's body was stiff from all the work, the crying and sex. Jungkook kept humming in between. He felt so good. He never felt so taken of. Slowly tae was massaging every part of his body and kook was falling asleep slowly. Tae smiled to himself as he felt Kook sleeping again. Tae got out of the tub and brought the scrub and gently started rubbing kook alternating it with massaging. Tae quickly scrubbed himself too and let the water out and before Kook could feel the difference he filled the tib with warm water again to take out of the soap. He took the hand held shower and cleaned himself and kook.

By now, kook was peacefully lying with his head on the back of the tub. Tae let him sit there in the fresh warm water for some more time as he went out and spread out the new sheet.

Tae was glad, the essence had worked. Kook was calm. The most difficult part was over. He picked up kook and kook somewhere in between got conscious but Tae asked him to keep his eyes closed. Slowly Kook was in a place where he was neither sleeping nor awake. Just extremely relaxed. He liked this. He hadn't realised he needed this.

Tae picked up kook again and placed him on the bed. He had already placed a towel on it. 'Turn around baby' Tae said as he helped kook get on his stomach. Kook was slowly getting more and conscious. But he trusted Tae so he let him do whatever he wanted to. He felt Tae's hands on his hips moving in a circular motion. He understood that Tae was applying some kind of cream on him so that he would hurt less. An unconscious smile graced Kook's lips. He felt lucky that Tae was so caring even when he had been so harsh and cruel.

Tae kissed kook on his nape and said, 'We are done baby. Let's get you clothed.'

Kook nodded and sat on the bed like a child waiting for Tae to clothe him. Tae smiled at Kook's behaviour. He picked up the T shirt he had chosen for Kook and asked him to raise his hands like he would to a child and put in on him. The same went for lower. Tae took the towel and wiped Kook's hair. He made Kook sit still so that he could dry his hair. All the while kook kept wrapping his arms around Tae's waist as he stood trying to dry his hair.

Tae kept smiling at Kook's antics. Never once losing patience. As he was done and wanted to go to replace the dryer at its place. Kook wouldn't let him go.

'No. I want you here. You are so soft. ' Kook said like a child.

Tae chuckled. 'Okay baby. Lie down. Hyung is coming and will hug you. You can cuddle all you want.' kook gave a goofy grin.

Tae sent a silent thank you to God. He had waited for someone who would throw tantrums and claim him as his. He was glad to live a day when someone as good as Kook was doing it.

As soon as Tae lay down, kook snuggled to Tae, 'My baby is not in pain right?'

Kook said, 'No hyung. I am feeling better. Thank you for taking care of me.'

Tae replied, 'Don't thank me baby. You deserve so much more.' and kissed kook's forehead.

Both of them sighed in contentment.

'Hyung?' Kook said hesitantly.

'Yes baby.' Tae said giving all his attention to his baby, if that was even possible.

'Can we talk more about what happened?' Kook asked.

'Of course baby. Tell me. Hyung is here.' Tae reassured.

'Hyung... I think we need to be friends.: Kook said.

'What?' Tae asked. His thoughts going to all the directions and none of them too pleasant.

Kook felt Tae's heartbeat increasing and realised how he had taken it.

'Aaaniyo. Nothing like you think. Here me out.' Kook said with an urgency.

Kook continued, 'Hyung we went from strangers to lovers... We never actually became friends... Maybe that's why I ran to Jin hyung when we fought. I don't want to leave our home the next time we fight. I want us to be friends too. And when we want to talk as friends we can start by saying I am talking to you as a friend and overtime we won't need to say this and we will understand better... Till we are best friends and lovers... Like, i know this sounds bizzare... But i don't want to ever again run to a third person again. Even if it is our loved ones. Let's work on us... What do you think hyung?' Kook asked nervously.

'You are right kookie. Let's be best friends and lovers. It would be better for us if we start relying on each other a bit more and find support from one another. I love you baby... These hours without you... I felt like a dying man Kook... I can't... I won't have that again. I will do anything not have a repeat of what happened...' Tae said emotionally.

'i am sorry hyung. Not just for making you worry and fighting but also i didn't seek your help when I should have.' Kook said.

'What do you mean baby?' Tae asked.

'I mean that I thought you would think of me as someone weak if I asked about your experiences when you started as a CEO. Of course, not talking to you only made things worse because you too wanted to talk but didn't want me to misunderstand. So tonight, we will talk about work, is that okay?' Kook asked.

'Yes baby. Today will be out first friendship date.' Tae smiled.

'Where will you take me to a date hyung?' Kookie asked mischievously.

'Somewhere very special baby.' Tae said.

'I look forward to it hyung.' Kook said smiling taken aback by the sincerity of Tae's tone.

Unknown to them, the angels that hovered over them smiled as they saw them keeping the foundations of a strong marriage.

An: I have 15 books to send to print in the next 6 days. Please forgive me if I don't update daily. It is a lot of work.

Thank you for being patient and loving the story. Please vote and comment.