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Taehyung didn't know what to expect upon walking into the room. How conscious would he be? How would he look? How would he feel? Is he well enough to talk? All of these anxious thoughts passed through his head as he turned the handle and stepped inside the room.

Taehyung immediately sighed in relief as he saw Jeongguk propped up on the bed, an IV drip attached to his arm and a small smile playing on his face. He was okay. There's no need to be worried.

"Hey," Taehyung whispered, quietly shutting the door behind him without taking his eyes off the younger.

"Hi," he smiled. Gosh, did Taehyung love that smile. "Come here," he said softly, patting the spot next to him.

Once settled down into the stiff bed, he wrapped the younger into his arms, squeezing him tight. He felt like he could finally breathe.

"I'm okay, Tae." He rubbed his back before pulling away so he could look into his eyes. They were sad, distressed, tired. He imagined his didn't look much better.

"You don't look okay," he pouted.

"Well I am. I will be."

Taehyung humphed before wrapping an arm around Jeongguk. He placed his hand on his head, allowing him to rest it against his shoulders. They laid in comfortable silence for what felt like seconds, but was really minutes.

"Besides me passing out, how did you like the stage?"

Taehyung leaned his cheek into the soft locks of the younger and stroked his shoulder in a lazy line with the tips of his fingers. Jeongguk moved into the touch, getting impossibly closer.

"It was really good...you looked really good."

"Did I now?" He sounded cocky.

"Yeah, you did." But Taehyung was just proud. Proud of his perseverance through such a tough time and proud of his ability to see the light at the end of the tunnel. He knew it was just a short period of time he'd be working his ass off so he pushed through to the end. The light just wasn't as great as he thought it'd be.

"The fans didn't see me go down, did they?" he asked. "Hyungs said they didn't but they could've been lying to protect my feelings. I get it, I'm in a hospital bed but it's not like I'm dying."

"No one saw. I didn't know until we were told back stage."

"That must've been hard for you...I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be sorry, Gguk. I just wish you'd take better care of yourself."

"I thought I was shaking from nerves. That I was light headed because I was anxious for the stage, that I'd mess something up," he snuggled further into his neck, closing his eyes. "Guess I was wrong."

"Yeah, I guess you were," he whispered. "Have you heard from your manager? Are they releasing a statement?"

"Namjoon got a text while he was in here. Said they were going to release a statement saying I was unwell after the performance and would be given a period to rest. All interviews and music show performances are cancelled for now."

"I'm sorry," he empathized. He knew how much the younger loved to perform for his fans. "I'm sorry that you won't be able to do what you love but I'm not sorry that you're being forced to rest. You need it. You deserve it. There's no reason you should do as much as lift a finger after you leave this hospital."

Jeongguk chuckled. "How will I be able to do anything?" he asked. "Are you gonna take care of me?" It was just a joke. Taehyung didn't have time for him, he was a college student.

And yet, "Yeah. I will. If you want me to, anyways."

Jeongguk lifted his head off his shoulder, keeping down a little shiver as the warmth faded from his skin. "You're not serious, are you?"

Was he? Yeah. He was. "If you need me, or even just want me there, I will. I'll be with you. I'll help you."

"What about your classes?" There's no way he'd be able to miss those.

"I can ask my friends for notes and I'll pick up my homework every day. And Jiminie won't mind my absence. He'll prolly redecorate the place and kill all my plants but it's fine. I'll sacrifice."

The smile on his face lifted Jeongguk's mood tenfold. He suddenly couldn't feel the pounding in his head or the ache in his bones. "If you're serious..." he shook his head. "I would love to have you over."

"Awesome!" Tae said, resting back on the pillows and bringing the younger's head back on his shoulder, Jeongguk wrapping an arm around his slim waist. "I'm gonna cuddle the crap out of you this week." He kissed the top of his head before playing with the locks, twirling them around his fingers. "Also, when the hell did you get an undercut?" he exclaimed. "It's sexy as hell."

———

A/N
If there are any typos just let me know, I didn't reread and autocorrect is a whore.

And y'all are literally the best for waiting so long. Written chapters are just hard to write sometimes. I'll try my best to update more frequently and get back on schedule! (And ofc get plenty of rest so you guys stay happy😌)