setsuuestsu

[setsuuestsu]

Eyebrow Piercing (drabble)

Sickie: Jungkook

Word Count: 352

Notes: My attempt to try and get back into writing lol it sucks a bit

“Are you ready?” his piercer asks, his gloved hands skillfully balancing a needle while also squeezing Jungkook’s eyebrow, making it awkward for him to keep staring at the piercer.

He nods, or, attempts to. It doesn’t work, considering the whole “eyebrow squeezing thing” but the attempt was made. One couldn’t argue that he didn’t try.

“Ready.” he says, pumping a fist in front of him instead. That doesn’t get a reaction out of the piercer so he lowers his fist and fiddles with his fingers. This guy must not understand jokes …

“Okay, close your eyes and when I say so, take a deep breath in.”

As instructed, he shuts his eyes and oh god, he’s not scared of needles but this thing is so close to his eye and why, why, did he refuse to let Jin come with him to this thing?

“And done.” the piercer states, quickly moving his hands and reaching for the mirror.

Oh, that wasn’t bad. He didn’t even feel anything—

“If you see here, I dotted the location of the piercing with the purple marker. That’s where it’s going to be, is this ok? The breathing thing was so you know what to do, haha.”

Jungkook scrunches his nose. This guy is so silly. But alas, he nods because the sooner this is over, the sooner he can show it off to his hyungs.

The piercer squeezes Jungkook’s eyebrow again. “Okay, as we practiced. Deep breath in …”

And there’s a sharp pinch.

Oh my God oh my God oh my—Wait that wasn’t bad.

And then there’s a sudden tickle in his sinuses and he’s sneezing so hard that the piercer shouts in surprise and nearly loses his grip.

“I’mb so sorry!” Jungkook exclaims, afterwards frantically sniffling to try and clear the sudden congestion in his nose. “Whe’d mby eyebrows are plucked, I always ha’b to sdeeze.”

The piercer, regaining his breath, tightens the barbells. “It’s okay. Just surprised me.”

The rest of the piercing session goes normal and if Jungkook leaves a couple extra dollars in tip, well, no one needs to mention that.

[setsuuestsu]

Road Trip (2/2)

Title: Road Trip (2/2)

Word Count: 4,520

Summary: Jungkook and his hyungs are about to move across the country. In the days leading up to their move, Jungkook comes down with a cold. His go-to hyung to cuddle with at night when he’s not feeling well is Hoseok. What could possibly go wrong? 

A/N: IT’S FINALLY DONE WOW. next time I’ll try to stop myself from posting fics in parts so I don’t lose motivation to finish lolll

Part 1/2

Hoseok drifts in and out of sleep, his head resting on Jungkook’s shoulder. He’s grateful for the chance to rest, but the backseat is cramped and uncomfortable, and his whole body is starting to ache terribly. On top of that, the congestion in his sinuses is giving him a major headache. What he really wants to do is blow his nose, or even let himself sneeze normally to relieve some pressure, but he’s too stressed about the others finding out he’s sick and doesn’t want to draw attention to it for as long as possible.

By the time they stop for lunch, he wants to cry with how much pressure there is in his head

“Looks like we have two choices,” Seokjin announces as they pull off the freeway. “TacoTaco, or Mr. Burger.”

“TacoTaco!” Jungkook shouts immediately, perking up. 

“I’m fine with that,” Taehyung agrees, and Namjoon and Jimin nod along.

“I’ll eat anything,” Yoongi says. “Does TacoTaco have coffee?”

Hoseok’s stomach rolls at the thought of eating greasy fast food. He’s not even hungry, but not eating would only cause suspicion, so he resigns himself to eating a soggy quesadilla or something equally questionable.  

As the seven of them shuffle inside the fast food restaurant, Hoseok pauses just inside the door to muffle a cough into the crook of his elbow. His vision swims for a moment and he blinks rapidly to clear it, frowning when he sees that Jungkook is looking back at him in concern.

He hurries over to the counter where everyone is ordering food and mumbles something about grabbing a table. 

“I’ll order for you,” Jungkook offers.

The restaurant is completely empty inside. Hoseok pushes two tables together and sinks into a chair, quickly grabbing a paper napkin from the dispenser to wipe his suddenly runny nose. He’s grateful when Jungkook plops down beside him and sets a water cup on the table in front of him.

“Thank you,” he murmurs, gulping down half the water in one go. 

The food is awful. Hoseok barely manages a few bites, watching with near-awe as Jungkook scarfs down an unreasonable amount of tacos next to him. Which, Hoseok supposes, means that Jungkook is feeling a lot better, so he’s happy to see it.

He could really go for a dose of cold medicine to help relieve his symptoms, or even just a pack of tissues so he doesn’t have to keep sniffling and surreptitiously wiping his nose with napkins when no one is looking in his direction. As he’s picking at his quesadilla, he feels a sneeze coming and quickly grabs for his napkin, getting it up to his face just in time. He tries to pinch his nose and stifle the sound, but it still bursts out of him, loud and squeaky-sounding.

“Bless you, hyung,” Jimin chirps from across the table. 

“You sure are sniffling a lot over there, Hoseokie,” Seokjin comments, narrowing his eyes. “Did you catch Jungkook’s cold?” 

Hoseok freezes in place. Everyone is staring at him now. He looks over at Jungkook, and the younger man takes his panicked glance as a query for him to answer. 

“Yep. Hyung is being stubborn about it, though,” Jungkook says, his mouth full of food. 

The table goes quiet. Hoseok’s heart is racing, but he keeps his expression as neutral as he can. 

“I think it’s just the dust,” he says, his heart thundering in his chest at the lie. “We kicked up so much dust when we were moving all of the boxes–”

“He’s sick,” Jungkook cuts him off. “Definitely not allergies. Sorry, hyung,” he adds, turning to Hoseok with a sheepish look. “But if you’re not going to tell them, I have to. I’m worried your brain will explode if you keep trying to hold in your sneezes.” 

For a horrifying second, Hoseok thinks he might cry– but then he feels a hand on his back, and Jimin is reaching across the table to gently grasp his wrist, his thumb moving back and forth across the back of his hand.  

“Don’t be embarrassed, hyung,” he murmurs softly, smiling when Hoseok looks up to meet his eyes. “And Jungkookie is right– please don’t hold in your sneezes.” 

“We’ll stop by the closest convenience store and see if we can find some meds,” Namjoon decides. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and starts searching for locations.  

Taehyung yanks a few napkins from the dispenser. “Here, hyung,” he offers sweetly, holding out a stack once he’s folded them up neatly for Hoseok. “You’re probably gonna need these.” 

“Jungkook, how are you feeling?” Yoongi asks, peering at Jungkook’s face. 

“Kinda full,” Jungkook replies with a groan, rubbing his belly. “I think I ate too many tacos.”

“I meant your cold,” Yoongi snorts. “You seem like you’re feeling a lot better, though.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s not too bad now. I’m still a little stuffed up…but mostly I just feel really bad that I got hyung sick.” 

Hoseok frowns guiltily and clutches his stack of napkins to his chest. “Don’t worry about it, Kookie. I’m sorry to worry anyone…” 

His apology is lost to the chaos of everyone deciding to stand and start cleaning up all at once, knowing they need to hit the road again soon. They shuffle off in pairs to use the restroom and clear off their mess from the table, and Hoseok sits there for a moment, still frowning, feeling somewhat relieved now that he no longer has to hide his symptoms.

“We’ve got a pretty long stretch ahead of us,” Seokjin announces as they head toward the exit of the restaurant. “Has everyone used the restroom?” After receiving six nods, he turns to Hoseok. “Hoseokie, do you want to sit up front for a bit?”

“I’ll just stay in the backseat,” Hoseok replies. “I’ll probably just try to sleep anyway.”

“I’ll sit with hyung!” Jungkook offers.

They all end up back in their original seats. Hoseok prefers to be in the back where he’s not so visible. And he’s glad for the comfort of having Jungkook beside him. He won’t have to worry about spreading his germs to Jungkook, at least. 

After they find a convenience store, Hoseok settles once again into the backseat, his limbs protesting at having to get back into the car after only a short stop to buy some cold medicine. 

He’s feeling achy and sore– and he doesn’t recall Jungkook feeling achy and sore from his cold, so he’s not sure if it’s the illness or the road trip. 

The A/C is blasting and although it’s taken some time for the cool air to reach him and Jungkook in the backseat, the second it does Hoseok feels goosebumps rise on his arms. He shivers a little and wraps his arms around himself.

“Are you cold, hyung?” Jungkook asks, and Hoseok feels himself blush when everyone else turns to look at him.

“I’m fine,” he tries to insist, but Yoongi is already turning the heater on and Jimin is offering his sweatshirt. 

Everything goes downhill from there. 

Less than ten minutes later, Hoseok starts to feel warm. Too warm. He doesn’t want to say anything about it, though– Yoongi had just adjusted the temperature because he had been feeling too cold.  

His nose has also started to run nonstop, which means he’s going through the one small pack of tissues Namjoon found at the convenience store at an alarming rate. The plastic bag at his feet is already full of crumpled up napkins and tissues and he feels his face heat up in embarrassment every time he has to shove another one in there, the bag rustling loudly. 

On top of that, his stomach is uneasy from lunch, just as he had predicted it would be. Nothing seems to make it feel better��� every time he drinks water to soothe his aching throat, every time he tries to adjust his position in the cramped backseat, every time he lets a sneeze out, it just feels worse instead. 

Hoseok tries his best to keep as many of his symptoms to himself as he possibly can, because he already hates that everyone is worried, and hates that Jungkook keeps apologizing for getting him sick. He’s so physically uncomfortable and exhausted that he wants to break down and cry, but he can’t. 

As he’s squirming around in his seat, attempting to find a less uncomfortable position and preparing to go through another round of tissues, he feels Jungkook’s hand on his thigh and looks over to see he’s being watched. 

Jungkook frowns. “I’m so, so sorry I got you sick, hyung.” 

“I don’t feel that bad,” Hoseok fibs. “And I promise I’m not upset. Please stop apologizing, okay?” 

Jungkook nods, though there’s still a pout on his lips.

“You can rest on me if you want,” Hoseok offers, shrugging his shoulder. “Here, do you want to blow your nose really quick?” 

“Thank you, hyung.” Jungkok accepts the offered tissue, blows his nose, and then wiggles down in his seat so he can lean over and lie his head on Hoseok’s shoulder comfortably. 

The sun is just starting to set as they start on the last leg of their journey for the day. There’s just a couple of hours left of driving until they reach the hotel for the night, and knowing that is a huge relief for Hoseok. He leans against the window, crossing his arms and closing his eyes, and hopes that it goes by quickly. 

*

“Who’s sleeping where?”

“There are four beds total between the two rooms,” Namjoon tells them. “Seokjin-hyung should get his own bed, since he’s the oldest.”

“I’ll share with Jiminie,” Taehyung says immediately, looping his arm through Jimin’s. 

Namjoon nods in approval and turns to the others. “Hoseok and Jungkook should share a bed. I know we’re probably all doomed anyway, but it’ll minimize the spread of germs a little bit…hopefully…Yoongi-hyung and I will share a room with you two.” 

Hoseok and Jungkook both stare at the floor, looking guilty, but it’s the arrangement that makes the most sense. They all disperse to their assigned rooms and beds and start lining up for the shower. 

Hoseok sinks down onto the bed, yawning, and turns down the offer for the first shower, opting to go very last instead. As he slides under the thin hotel blanket, he feels like crying. All he wants to do is crash and sleep for a week. But even as he pulls the blanket up over his head, so tired that he can barely keep his eyes open, he feels too much discomfort to be able to fall asleep. His limbs feel heavy and weak, and his hands are shaky, and his throat hurts. But worst of all is the congestion, settling in his sinuses and making breathing a struggle– especially when he’s all the way under the covers like this.

When it’s his turn for the shower, he’s too tired to lift his head from his pillow, let alone get up.

“Hyung,” Jungkook whispers, shaking his shoulder gently. “You should wash up before you fall asleep.”

Hoseok is glad to hear that Jungkook sounds much less congested after his shower. He’s sure the hot water and the steam would do wonders for him too, and would probably feel really nice– but the thought of getting up and walking the short distance to the bathroom just feels like too much right now.

Instead, he falls asleep to Jungkook’s hand on the back of his head, petting his hair as he whispers something that doesn’t quite make it through the haze that’s enveloping his entire body.

*

That night, Hoseok cannot stay asleep for the life of him. 

He keeps waking up because he snores too loudly, or because he can’t breathe well, or because his body is too uncomfortable. Having Jungkook lying next to him is the only comfort, but Jungkook is a bit restless too, and Hoseok feels guilty that he’s probably keeping him up by tossing and turning so much.

Even though Yoongi had practically forced him to take a dose of cold medicine before they all turned out the lights and went to bed, it feels like it’s done nothing for his symptoms. On top of that, the A/C in the room is making his throat dry and his sinuses drippy, and as he watches the bright digital display of the clock on the bedside table approach 2 a.m. he’s pretty sure he’s running a low-grade fever, at the very least. 

As Hoseok is lying there, staring up at the ceiling and willing his throat to stop tickling because he doesn’t want to cough and wake everyone up, it occurs to him that he’s not in his own bed and he won’t be ever again– at least, not his old bed, the one he’s been sleeping in for the past four years. It’ll be the same bedframe and mattress, sure, but it will be in a different room, in a different house, and it might not be as comfortable. 

He suddenly feels so homesick that it’s like there’s a pressure in his chest, and he blinks back tears, swallowing repeatedly even though it feels like his throat is on fire. 

The first sob is loud and pitiful, tearing out of his chest. The sound echoes in the hotel room and it makes Hoseok want to curl up into a ball of shame and embarrassment. He slaps a hand over his mouth and does just that, drawing his knees up to his chest. He starts to cry harder, unsure if he’s actually as quiet as he’s trying to be, because he can’t hear anything past the stuffiness in his ears and the sound of his own pathetic whimpers. 

Hoseok lies there crying for what feels like an hour before he’s startled by a hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey,” Yoongi whispers next to his ear. “It’s okay, come here.”

He hears quiet, low voices nearby and realizes that Jungkook is climbing into bed with Namjoon across the room. He tries to lift his head to look, but it feels impossibly heavy.

Yoongi is pulling him against his chest, his arms wrapping around him in a warm hug, and Hoseok continues to cry. He presses his face against the front of Yoongi’s shirt, and cries until he finally, mercifully, falls asleep. 

*

Morning comes far too early. Hoseok wakes up to a loud sound that he realizes is his own snoring, cut off with a cough as he jerks into consciousness. 

The hotel room is eerily quiet. Hoseok’s throat hurts, and his nose is stuffed up, and he can barely keep his eyes open as he turns his head to see that Yoongi is sound asleep, one arm draped over Hoseok’s waist. He shifts slowly away until he can climb out of bed. He gets up and slips into the bathroom to take a shower.

There’s cold medicine on the counter, so he takes some while he waits for the water to heat up. By the time he’s done showering, everyone else is awake and getting dressed. He pauses in the doorway of the bathroom as Namjoon, Yoongi and Jungkook all turn to look at him.  

“How are you feeling?” Jungkook and Yoongi ask him at the exact same time. 

Hoseok shrugs one shoulder. “I’m okay. Just took some medicine, and the shower really helped a lot.” 

Namjoon walks over and squeezes his shoulder. “That’s good. You let us know if that changes, okay?”

Taehyung is driving for their first leg, with Namjoon as his copilot. Hoseok tries to take the backseat again, but Jimin and Jungkook climb back there before he can, so he sits in the middle seat with Seokjin and Yoongi instead. 

As they pull onto the freeway, Jungkook leans forward and hooks his chin over Hoseok’s shoulder. His hands thread through Hoseok’s hair at his nape and Hoseok leans back into the comforting touch, smiling softly.

“Hey, hyung,” Jungkook murmurs. “Did I mention that I’m really, really sorry I got you sick?”

“You did,” Hoseok replies. “I wish you would stop apologizing, though.” 

Jungkook sighs loudly in his ear. “Okay, hyung.”

Hoseok tries to get some sleep in the car, but he can’t seem to get comfortable again. This time, it’s because he’s so tense, worried about getting everyone else sick because they’re all stuck in the van together. He can’t stop sneezing, and now he’s coughing, too, and his nose is raw from how many tissues he’s gone through in such a short amount of time. 

Their first stop for gas is in a little town in the middle of nowhere. They make it a quick stop, and soon they’re all piling back into the van– everyone except for Jungkook, who’s nowhere to be seen.

“Is he in the bathroom?” Jimin asks from the backseat, unbuckling his seatbelt in case he needs to go in and find Jungkook.

“There he is,” Namjoon says, pointing toward the tiny little store that’s attached to the gas station. 

“What the hell is he carrying?” Taehyung snorts.

Hoseok looks out the windshield and sees Jungkook approaching the car with a large stuffed object in his arms. He can’t quite make out what it is, but it’s yellow and green and almost half the size of Jungkook.

“What the fuck is that?” Yoongi asks, looking mildly alarmed as Jungkook wrestles the big yellow plushie into the car. 

“It’s corn,” Jungkook explains. “His name is Cobby. He’s the town mascot here.” He turns to Hoseok and holds out the stuffed corn cob. “It’s for you, hyung. To cuddle with.” 

Hoseok is so stunned that he doesn’t even realize he’s crying at first. Jungkook’s expression turns from excitement to horror, and he glances around, looking for reassurance from his hyungs.

“Are you…upset?” Jungkook asks timidly. “I can go return it.” 

“No, I’m not upset,” Hoseok blubbers, “I’m just really touched.” He drags his sleeve down his face, sniffling and trying to get his emotions in check. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever bought for me. I love him.” 

Hoseok is pretty sure he hears Taehyung snort again from the front seat, but he doesn’t mind. He buries his face against the massive corn-cobbed plushie and squeezes it tightly.   

Jungkook hops into the backseat, looking pleased with himself. “I knew you’d love it, hyung.” 

“The nicest thing, huh?” Seokjin murmurs, reaching out to feel Hoseok’s forehead like he’s checking for fever, but he has a fond smile on his face. 

Hoseok sniffles back the last of his tears. He hugs the large plushie to his chest, shifting it to one side so he can also use it as a pillow against the window. With a recent dose of cold medicine in his system and Seokjin’s sweater draped over him like a blanket, he finds himself growing drowsy quickly and gratefully closes his eyes, drifting off to sleep within minutes. 

“Finally,” Seokjin murmurs, watching Hoseok as his breathing evens out. “He’s asleep.”

Namjoon glances in the rearview mirror, and then pulls out a paper map from his pocket. As he starts to unfold it, Taehyung glances over at him in confusion.

“Hyung, it’s 2025. We have GPS on our phones now.”

“I know,” Namjoon murmurs, squinting down at the map. “Take this next exit.”

Taehyung frowns, but signals to change lanes so he can follow Namjoon’s directions. 

“Where did you even get that?”

“The hotel front desk. After you take the exit, turn right and keep to the right. We’re going to make a small detour.”

*

The sound of quiet chatter fills the air. Hoseok can hear it, but it reminds him of how things sound when you’re underwater, muffled and far away. 

It’s hard to wake up. His body protests, and he longs to fall back asleep, but he can tell they’re not driving anymore and he’s curious. 

When Hoseok finally gets his eyes open, he’s surprised to see that they’re parked in front of a restaurant– a diner, to be more specific. He blinks sleepily, almost wondering if he’s still actually sleeping, until Jungkook notices that he’s awake and reaches a hand over to fix his hair.

“You’re awake,” Jungkook murmurs, smoothing down Hoseok’s hair where it’s sticking up on one side. “How do you feel?” 

Hoseok starts to lift a hand up to rub his nose when he remembers he’s holding something in his arms. He looks down at the plushie and feels emotional again– it’s not as intense, this time, but he still has to blink back tears. He hugs the plushie to his chest and looks up. 

“What are we doing?” He croaks out, squinting at the diner through the windshield. 

“We stopped for an early dinner,” Namjoon explains from the front seat. “This diner is apparently really popular around here. They have a soup bar!” He exclaims excitedly. 

“A soup bar…?” Hoseok drags a hand over his face. “Dinner? Do you mean lunch? I thought we were just gonna go through a drive-thru or something,” he mumbles, still trying to wake up.

“You’ve been sleeping for a really long time, hyung,” Jungkook tells him softly. “We already stopped for lunch like three hours ago.”

Yoongi reaches back, a fond smile on his face as he tries to smooth down Hoseok’s hair that’s still sticking up on the side. “You love soup, Seokie. You feeling up to eating some?” 

Hoseok nods. He actually doesn’t know if he can eat anything, but he does love soup, and he’s sure it will feel so much better on his throat than whatever fast food options there are.  

Seokjin gently guides him toward the bathroom once they’re inside the diner. “We’ll grab a booth. Go wash up,” he instructs, and Hoseok nods and stumbles toward the bathroom.

He immediately goes to the sink and starts washing his hands first, and when he glances up at his reflection in the mirror he gasps out loud. He looks like an exhausted mess. There are dark circles under his eyes, his nose is comically red and chapped, and his hair is sticking out in all directions. 

Hoseok glances around the empty bathroom before he quickly dries his hands and scurries into a stall. With a long length of scratchy toilet paper, he blows his nose, embarrassed by how the sound echoes throughout the bathroom. When he gets back to the sink, he washes his hands more thoroughly and then tries to fix his hair, using water to flatten it back down. 

Just as he’s finishing up, he has to sneeze, and then his nose is stuffy again. He blows his nose once more, washes his hands, and finally makes his way out into the diner. 

When he sits down, there’s already water and tea at his spot, along with a steaming bowl of some broth-based soup. 

Jimin and Seokjin, who are sitting on either side of him, both shift a little closer as he settles into his seat. 

“They have little crackers, hyung,” Jimin tells him, pushing a small bowl of said crackers toward him. “And ten types of soup!”

Hoseok dips his spoon into the bowl in front of him and brings a bite of soup to his mouth.

“Ohh,” he moans softly as he swallows the first spoonful. “This is amazing.” 

It’s just what he needs– something hot and comforting– and he’s so focused on eating that he doesn’t even register everyone’s conversation happening around him, finishing his first bowl of soup in record time.

When his nose starts to run from the warmth of the soup, he looks up, sniffling, to see Jungkook handing him a napkin across from the table.

“Here, hyung!”

Hoseok wipes his nose with the napkin. “Thank you, Jungkookie.”

“Are you ready for more?” Seokjin asks Hoseok. “Do you want me to go get you something, or do you want to go?” 

“Uh, I kind of want to see what there is for myself.” Hoseok glances around the diner. “I didn’t bring a mask, though” he mumbles, shrinking down in his seat.

“That’s okay,” Seokjin reassures him, rubbing his back. “You can come pick out what you want and hyung will get it for you. C’mon.”

The soup bar is impressive. Hoseok has never seen such a wide selection of soup all in one place before. There’s tomato and rice soup, five-bean chilli, vegetable beef stew, clam chowder, chicken noodle soup– and he wants all of them.

“Which ones first?” Seokjin asks, chuckling when he sees the look on Hoseok’s face. 

After Hoseok makes his choices, they go back to their booth. Again, Hoseok is not quite up to trying to keep up with the conversation, his head too stuffy and his brain too tired to focus on anything other than his soup and the countless glasses of water Seokjin pushes in front of him.

Across the table, Jungkook is getting similar treatment, though he looks and sounds so much better that Hoseok finally feels like he can stop worrying about him so much. 

Eating so much soup makes him feel warm and sleepy, and though it also makes his nose run a lot, it’s a small price to pay. After his belly is nice and full, he props his head up on his hand, elbow on the table, and closes his eyes. 

At some point, Hoseok dozes off without even realizing it. When he wakes up, everything sounds far away again, and his throat is dry. Blinking slowly, he wipes drool from his chin and sits up straight, stretching his arms out in front of him as he looks around the table.

Taehyung has both of his arms around Jungkook, holding him tightly, and Jungkook looks adorably content to be held in such a protective way, his eyes closed and his head resting against Taehyung’s chest.

Seokjin and Namjoon are looking at something on Namjoon’s phone, Jimin is smiling down at his own phone, and Yoongi is, apparently, just sitting and watching Hoseok.

“Oh,” Hoseok blinks when he finds Yoongi staring at him.

“Hey,” Yoongi smiles. 

“Time to hit the road?” He asks reluctantly, and Yoongi nods, looking down at his watch. “Yeah, pretty soon here.” 

That seems to be everyone’s cue to start cleaning up and getting ready to go. They pay their bill, take turns using the bathroom, and then start shuffling out to the parking lot to pile back into the van.

“Your turn for the front seat, Hoseokie,” Seokjin declares. “You can recline the seat a little and take a nap with Corny.”

“Cobby,” Jungkook corrects him.

Hoseok lets himself be ushered into the front seat. He wraps his arms around his plushie and rests the side of his face against the cool window, his eyelids heavy and his stomach comfortably full of soup. As Seokjin pulls the van out of the parking lot, Hoseok closes his eyes, and as he drifts off to sleep he thinks about where in his room at the new house he’ll display his new gift from Jungkook.

[setsuuestsu]

Sea Sniffles (Merfolk AU)

Title: Sea Sniffles 

Word Count: 1,952

Summary: Jungkook– the youngest in a pod of three mated merfolk who live together in a cozy little den in the mythical Aquarelle Sea– ventures too close to the surface one day, and suffers the consequence of his actions when he catches a cold from above water. Luckily, he has his mates Jimin and Taehyung to nurse him through it. 

A/N: this is just a short section of a bigger story I’ve written with these three mer-mates. I hope to share more of this world someday, but it probably won’t be anytime soon :) 

A/N 2: please enjoy this banner I made it in gimp, which I have been using to create mediocre digital art since the year 2011 (no I will probably never improve but it’s a fun hobby of mine)

A/N 3: I changed some characters from nonbinary and female to all male, so if you see an off pronoun that’s why. also, I think it would be a lot more satisfying if I had changed their tail colors to match their microphone colors but oh well I’m too lazy so I’m sticking with what I originally wrote lol.

Namjoon=gold/orange tail, Seokjin=iridescent pearl tail, Yoongi=light green tail, Hoseok=purple tail, Jimin=peach/silver tail, Taehyung=emerald green tail, Jungkook=iridescent turquoise tail 

A/N 4: there is one tiny mention of blood in the story (at the end) but no active injury to any of the tannies

“Jimin! Taehyung! Jungkook!”

Through the calm waters of the den, a loud voice rings out; Jimin recognizes Hoseok’s voice immediately and swims out to meet him at the entrance, curious what the fuss is all about. 

Hoseok nearly crashes into him. 

“Slow down!” Jimin laughs, his hands coming out to brace their impact. He grabs onto Hoseok’s forearms. “What in the seashells is going on?”

“Humans,” Hoseok gasps, his chest heaving as he sucks in frantic gillfuls of water.

Dread settles in the pit of Jimin’s stomach. They haven’t heard about any human activity for a long time, not in these parts of the water. 

“Humans?” He repeats, glancing over his shoulder when he senses Taehyung swimming up behind him. 

“A nearby pod sent a swimmer– they said it was a mer! Someone got caught up in a fishing net, and no one knows who it was, and–” 

“It’s no one from our pod, though, right?” Jimin gulps, his voice rising rapidly in pitch. 

Hoseok lets out a shaky exhale. “I’m checking it out now– you’re all here, right? All safe?” 

“We’re here, we’re fine. What about the others? Yoongi? Namjoon and Seokjin?”

Hoseok nods. “Yes, they’re checking on everyone else.”

“We can help,” Jimin says. “We can–” 

“Jimin!” Taehyung interrupts sharply. “Jungkookie isn’t here!” 

Both Jimin and Hoseok turn to stare at Taehyung in shock.

“What do you mean, he’s not here?” Jimin shrieks, at the same time that Hoseok asks, “When was the last time you saw him?”

Jimin doesn’t wait for Taehyung to respond before he takes off swimming like a sailfish.

“Jimin!” Taehyung calls out, immediately swimming after him. “Jimin, wait!”

Jimin doesn’t wait, but Taehyung is faster and catches up to him within a minute. He settles his hand on the small of Jimin’s back as they swim, almost like he’s helping propel his mate forward– though he’s never seen Jimin move so quickly in his entire life.

They swim in tense silence, side by side, faster and faster until Taehyung feels like his tail might fall off. As they near the surface, Taehyung pushes ahead, swimming straight for the light even though he leaves Jimin behind in just seconds. 

The air above water hits him like a slap in the face. It’s freezing cold, and he has to duck back underwater for a quick breath before he goes back up. There’s a snow-covered beach a short distance away, but no ships in sight– Taehyung’s heart sinks as he realizes the humans are likely long gone by now.

Before he can panic, he catches sight of something that makes his heart flutter like a butterflyfish’s fins.  

“Jungkook!” Taehyung yells into the frigid air, his arm outstretched toward the figure lying on the icy shore as soon as he spots it. 

Next to him, Jimin emerges from the water like a mackerel skyrocketing for food; the peachy-silver scales of his tail catch the fading sunlight and Taehyung looks over sharply, momentarily distracted by the sparkling display.

“Jungkook!” Jimin echoes, rushing to their youngest mate’s side.

Jungkook is completely unconscious. Jimin runs his hands all over his body, down his iridescent turquoise tail and along his fins to check for injury. His long dark hair is limp without the ocean’s current to guide it, fanned out around his head like the tentacles of a jellyfish, and his skin is cold and dry. But what really makes both Jimin and Taehyung pause for a moment is the sight of Jungkook’s lips, slightly parted and a dreadful shade of purple.

“We need to get him back underwater,” Jimin urges, turning to Taehyung. “I don’t– I don’t know how long he’s been up here in the cold air–”

“It’s alright, love. We’ve got him now.” Taehyung’s voice trembles slightly, giving away his worry despite the confident set of his jaw. “It hasn’t been that long. Come, you can carry him and I’ll lead us back home.” 

Jungkook doesn’t wake until they’ve been swimming for what seems like hours. Jimin feels him stir in his arms, and he cranes his neck to look down at Jungkook’s face, slowing down momentarily. 

“Is he waking up?” Taehyung asks hopefully. He slows too, swimming closer until he can reach out to touch Jungkook’s cheek with his fingertips.

Jungkook makes a small snuffling sound. A little shiver runs down his spine and his fins flutter when it reaches them.

“He’s shivering,” Jimin announces, concern thick in his throat as he tightens his hold around his mate. “It was so cold up there…” 

“hh’shoo!” Jungkooke suddenly twitches as a sneeze bubbles out of him, his face pressed into the crook of Jimin’s neck. 

“Blessings!” Jimin gasps, peering down at him. “Are you awake, then?” He cards his fingers through Jungkook’s wavy locks until he’s met with his eyes fluttering open slowly. 

“Cold,” Jungkook murmurs, his hand settling at the base of his throat. Then, he sneezes again, sending a small flurry of bubbles in all directions. “hgsh’oo!” 

“Blessings,” Jimin whispers. He cradles the back of Jungkook’s head with one hand, keeping him as close as possible. 

Jungkook’s fingers move up to touch the tip of his nose. “Hurts.”

Taehyung lets out a startled-sounding laugh. “Yeah, I bet. You took in quite a few gillfuls of air up there, baby.”  

Jungkook scrunches up his nose and sneezes once more. “hh-ghhsh!”

Jimin frowns. “Goodness, little starfish. I don’t like how much you’re sneezing.”

“I don’t like it either– HGSH’oo!”

“We’re almost home,” Jimin reassures Jungkook, beginning to swim again. “It’s just that someone decided to swim leagues and leagues away from the den, and get caught up in a fishing net–”

“hgsh’oo! hh-HDGSH’shoo!”

“Oh, Poseidon! Bless you!” Jimin exclaims, slowing to a stop once more. 

Behind him, Taehyung frantically waves the resulting burst of bubbles away from their face. “Baby, sneeze in some other direction, please.” 

“I’m not sneezing in any direction!” Jungkook insists, sniffling pitifully. “Swim uptide if you’re so bother’hhh…”

“Oh seashells, not again…”

“hh’shoo!”

Jimin sighs and rubs the side of Jungkook’s tail soothingly. “Blessings.”

“Feels like there’s seaweed tickling up my nose,” Jungkook whines softly. 

“Well, we can check once we’re home. I’m going to swim a little faster, alright?” 

After Jungkook nods his head and tucks his face back into the crook of Jimin’s neck, Jimin starts swimming again. Taehyung surges ahead, throwing a worried glance over his shoulder that turns to amusement as Jungkook snuffles wetly and snorts water out of his nostrils in an irritated huff. 

When they finally reach the den, Jimin carries Jungkook straight to their nest and settles him down, tucking a blanket made of woven kelp around his body. 

“He’s caught a cold, I’m sure of it,” Jimin says to Taehyung, as if Jungkook isn’t right there next to them. “He might still have some air trapped in his sinuses too. We’ll need to keep him warm and make sure his gills don’t get stopped up at all.”

“Think it’s too late for that,” Jungkook mutters, one hand rubbing at the side of his neck where his gills are starting to take on a pinkish tinge. “Feels– hhhgsh’oo! Erg, I feel like a sea slug.”

Jimin is at his side in an instant, smoothing a hand over Jungkook’s forehead as he visually inspects his gills. 

“Close your eyes and get some rest, little starfish,” he instructs, lying down beside Jungkook.”You’ll feel better when you wake up.”

Taehyung settles on Jungkook’s other side, worrying at his lower lip with the tip of his tongue. He presses a kiss to Jungkook’s temple and tucks the end of his tail under the kelp blanket alongside Jungkook’s.

Jungkook seems to be exhausted from the journey. As soon as his eyes are closed, his breathing starts to even out– he sniffles a few times and then his face relaxes, the crease between his brows smoothing out once again. 

“Don’t worry so much, my pearl,” Jimin murmurs into the quiet, once Jungkook has fallen asleep. 

Taehyung gives a sleepy snort; it’s Jimin who’s been the worry-fish, not him. 

“This isn’t the first time Jungkook has gotten the sniffles. He’ll be fine when he wakes up.” He doesn’t know if he’s trying to convince himself, or Jimin. 

When Jimin doesn’t respond, Taehyung closes his eyes, adjusting his tail next to Jungkook’s. He lets himself drift off, not too deeply, but enough to recover from the swim.

He’s asleep for just a short while before Jungkook spins around, rolling onto his back and then onto his front again. His tail is restless and Taehyung wraps his own tail gently around his fin.

“How are you feeling?” He asks Jungkook, sitting up to see that Jimin has done the same on Jungkook’s other side.

Jungkook sniffles and presses his knuckles against his gills. “Feel kinda– HDGSHH! HGSH’oo!”

Two sudden, powerful sneezes catch him off guard. Taehyung reels backward to avoid the burst of bubbles.

“Blessings,” Jimin coos. “You poor thing.” 

Jungkook’s mouth is open, lips curling up like he wants to sneeze again– but then Jimin gasps loudly when he spots a flash of red coating Jungkook’s front teeth and Jungkook shivers lightly from the unfulfilled urge.

“Jungkook! Your teeth! You’re bleeding!” 

Jungkook frowns, lifting a hand to his face. He presses his fingertips against his gums for a second before his eyes widen with realization. 

“Oh, it’s not mine,” he says hoarsely. “I bit ‘em.” 

“You bit whom?”

“The fisherman,” Jungkook explains. “When he came to check what was caught up in his net. I bit him so I could escape.” 

A grin spreads across Taehyung’s face. “That’s my feisty little tiger shark,” he praises, pulling Jungkook into a tight embrace. 

Jimin, however, doesn’t look so excited by the news. “You bit a human?” He gasps. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?” 

“Relax, dear,” Taehyung says, rubbing his hand up and Jungkook’s arm. “He got away, didn’t he?”

“hgsh’oo! Yeah,” Jungkook pouts in between sneezes. “huh’ESHH! I got a–ahh’hg-shoo!”

Jimin floats closer, murmuring a blessing while Taehyung leans away slightly and waves his hand through the water to clear the sneeze-bubbles. 

“Sorry,” Jungkook sniffles apologetically, snuggling up against Taehyung and burying his face in the crook of his neck. “Can’t stop.” 

“Again– if you would just not sneeze in my direction, that would be great,” Taehyung grumbles, but he keeps his arms wrapped around Jungkook’s still-shivering frame. 

In response, Jungkook sneezes again– this time, it’s a handful of them, coming out rapidly in a flurry of bubbles, each one sounding high and desperate. They’ve never heard him make such a noise before, but the sneezing fit is over almost as soon as it begins and Jungkook whines congestedly as he sags against Taehyung in apparent relief. 

“You sounded like a dolphin,” Taehyung giggles.

“I really don’t like how much you’re sneezing, baby,” Jimin frowns. He taps his chin with one finger. 

“Come,” he says after a moment, linking his arm through Jungkook’s. “We’re going to take a swim over to Namjoon’s and Seokjin’s den. They’ve got that warm pool in that back cave that would do wonders to warm you up.” 

“Good idea,” Taehyung agrees. 

“Can I have ride?” Jungkook asks, fluttering his eyelashes as he rubs a palm against his irritated gills. “Please, ‘Min?”

Jimin nods, unable to resist his youngest mate’s adorable charm– especially not when he’s ill. 

“Alright, climb on,” he smiles, turning his back to Jungkook. 

Once Jungkook has latched onto him like an octopus, he begins to swim, and Taehyung comes up beside him to link their fingers together as the three of them make their way to their neighbor’s den, Jungkook sniffling and sneezing all the while.

[setsuuestsu]

Bread Bowl

Title: Bread Bowl

Word Count: 818

Sickie: Jungkook

Caretaker: Taehyung (romantic)

A/N: almost forgot I have this silly little drabble to post. inspired by this bread bowl text tiktok

“I have to go to work, baby.” 

Taehyung tries to tug his arm free from Jungkook’s grip, but his boyfriend doesn’t let go. Sighing, he sinks back down onto the edge of the bed and leans over to press a kiss to Jungkook’s cheek. He can’t help but smile when Jungkook leans into the touch, huffing out a stuffy little sigh of contentment.

“I promise it’ll go by fast. Just stay in bed and get some rest, and I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Don’t leave me,” Jungkook pouts congestedly. “I’m sick.”

“I know, baby. I’ll bring you something to eat during my lunch break, okay?” 

Taehyung knows he’s said the right thing– food is always the right thing, when it comes to Jungkook. 

“Soup?”

“Of course. Anything you want.”

Jungkook thinks about it for a moment. Taehyung uses the distraction to pull his arm free. He stands up and carefully tucks a tissue box in Jungkook’s grasp instead, holding back a laugh as Jungkook immediately clings to it instead, his arm curling tightly around the box.

“What’s that one kind of soup you always get? The one inside of the bread? I want the soup bread.”

“The bread bowl? Okay! Do you want chicken noodle soup, or broccoli cheddar?”

“I want the bread one.”

“You can get any soup in the bread bowl, baby. How about chicken noodle?”

Nodding, Jungkook’s pout returns to his face. “As long as it has the bread bowl.” 

“Noted. Bread bowl for my cute sickie-poo.” 

Taehyung chances moving back toward the bed so he can tuck the comforter around Jungkook’s shoulders, and then leans down to kiss him on the forehead. “Rest. I’ll see you at noon.”

Jungkook doesn’t look very happy about being abandoned, but he’s also too sleepy now to do much about it. He nods at Taehyung, eyes half-lidded, and sniffles softly. “‘Kay. See you.”

*

*

Taehyung is just returning from lunch when his phone vibrates in his pocket. He pulls it out and ducks into an empty conference room, in case Jungkook wants to talk on the phone– but it’s just a text message from his boyfriend. Still, he settles into a chair and quickly types out a reply.

*

All of the lights in the apartment are off when Taehyung gets home. He quietly toes off his shoes and takes the plastic bag he’s carrying into the kitchen, setting it on the counter before he makes his way toward the bedroom. He can hear the sound of Jungkook coughing as he approaches, so he returns to the kitchen to grab water first.

Jungkook is lying in bed scrolling through his phone when Taehyung pushes the door open. He has one sleeve of his hoodie pressed against his mouth and nose, and he sneezes once, coughing again afterward as Taehyung climbs into bed next to him.

“You sound worse than you did this morning,” he comments, reaching out to press his palm to Jungkook’s forehead. “How are you feeling?” 

Jungkook doesn’t give an answer. He just sniffles, wipes his nose with his sleeve, and squints at his phone. 

Sighing, Taehyung cards his fingers through Jungkook’s hair. “Are you mad at me?”

Still no response. Taehyung glances over at the nightstand, pleased to see that there’s an empty water bottle among the mountain of tissues. 

“It’s not that weird, you know,” Jungkook suddenly says. He’s pouting and Taehyung has to resist the urge to lean down and kiss him. 

“What’s not weird?”

“Eating bread. With soup. It’s a perfectly normal lunch.”

“Right. If that’s what you want to eat. But usually people would just get bread in normal form, and not bread bowl form, if they’re eating it like that.”

Taehyung panics when he sees tears well up in Jungkook’s eyes. “I’m sorry, baby, I was just teasing! Don’t cry, I got you another one!” 

Jungkook sniffles wetly and blinks up at Taehyung, his chin quivering. “Another what?”

“Another bread bowl. I’ll be right back!”

He leaps out of the bed and hurries out to the kitchen, returning with the plastic bag. 

In the time he’s gone, Jungkook has sat up and is now sitting cross-legged in bed, his phone discarded on his pillow next to him. 

“Here. You can have a do-over. I got broccoli cheddar this time, though.” Taehyung pulls the food container from the bag and holds it out to Jungkook.  

Now Jungkook is actually crying, but Taehyung is pretty sure it’s a good thing. 

“Will you pour the soup in for me?” Jungkook croaks out, reaching for a tissue so he can blow his nose. 

“Of course. Do you want me to feed you, too?” 

Jungkook nods, his eyes shining over the top of his tissue. 

Taehyung leans over and kisses him on the forehead, smiling fondly. “Okay. You’re so cute. I love you, sickie-poo. Now, get ready for the best bread bowl of your life.” 

[setsuuestsu]

IM GOINF TO I SWEAR

HAPPY JUNE 15TH, EVERYONE!!! Here is the official Sicktember 2025 Prompts list!

Here are some helpful links to help you get started:

Event FAQ: https://www.tumblr.com/sicktember/785439209109454849/sicktember-faqs-for-the-2025-year?source=share

Past Prompts: https://sicktember.tumblr.com/prompts

How to Submit Your Work: https://www.tumblr.com/sicktember/760549128005615616/content-promotion-reminder?source=share

Sicktember 2025 AO3 Collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Sicktember_2025

Text List of 2025 Sicktember Prompts:

Sicktember Prompts Text Version:

“It’s the middle of the night, why are you up?”

Forced to go to school/work while sick 

“Why are you so sweaty?” 

Pneumonia 

Worst possible timing 

The boy who cried sick

“There’s a frog in my throat,” 

Aches and pains 

“Get your butt back in back!” 

Red eyes 

No known cure 

“You’re adorable when you’re sick,” 

Chronic Illness 

Bedridden 

“This is the worst headache of my life,” 

Misery loves company 

Infection

“We’re going to the hospital,” 

Stomach ache 

Fever Nightmares

“I’ll make you some tea,”/tea 

Sobbing 

Overdoing it 

“I feel like I’m dying,” 

Medicine

Slow Recovery Time

“I’m sick, not stupid!” 

Ghostly Pale

Came back worse/round two 

“You’re too sick to (blank)

Alt Prompts:

Gentle Back/Belly Rub

Warm Bath

“I want my (comfort item),”

Lullaby

“I love you,”

[setsuuestsu]

heyyy everyone! I’m so sorry updates have been taking so long… I actually just finished high school (i was a year older than everyone) so i’m preparing for college and I have a lot of stuff to get done but now that i’m out of school, I’ll hopefully have more time to write!

[setsuuestsu]

my birthday but two of my cats took MY bed …

edit: it’s their bed now

[setsuuestsu]

15

AHHHH IM SO SORRY I DIDNT SEE THIS!

15. your favorite hairstyle on your bias(es)?

J-Hope’s brown hair, also his red hair, and his platinum! and his orange hair, also when he goes back to black ….. i love hobi ….

[setsuuestsu]

7, 27, 48?? - @darl-ingfics <3

Wait wait wait did I not answer this (the kpop ask game)????? I am SO SO SORRY i literally just logged in to tumblr on my computer instead of my phone and INBOX stuff just popped up. Again, I am soooooo sorry.

7. which song/group introduced you to kpop?

Mmm … Honestly I think I’ve been listening to it my whole life (starting with Girls’ Generation) but I didn’t TRULY get into it until BTS’ BS&T in 2016

27. your favorite vocalists?

Jungkook, for obv reasons, literally any of SVT’s vocalists, and Lily of NMIXX. So hard to choose tho…

48. a kpop group whose concert you MUST attend in your lifetime?

BTS UGHHHHHHH

[setsuuestsu]

Maybe Jungkook with coughing and water bottle?🙏

jungkook | coughing | water bottle

word count: 166

💦 Water Tiny Drabbles 💦

Yoongi follows the sound of Jungkook coughing down the hall, through the bedroom door, over to the bed where Jungkook is bundled up and shivering. 

“Try drinking some water,” Yoongi suggests, “It’ll help with your throat.”

He feels a bit like he’s lying to Jungkook– the poor guy has been doing nothing but drinking water, and still his cough persists. 

Jungkook seems to feel the same way. With a weary, brief glance at the bottle of water on the nightstand, he covers his mouth with his sleeve and coughs again but makes no move to sit up. After the cough sputters out into a series of throat clears and irritated, hoarse grunts, he squints up at Yoongi with a pout on his lips. 

“Don’t wanna move,” he croaks out, his eyes flitting to the water bottle again. 

Yoongi sighs. 

Jungkook sighs back at him.

“Okay,” Yoongi finally says, failing to keep the corners of his mouth from turning up in amusement. “I’ll go grab a straw.”

[setsuuestsu]

Glad to see you here!🌻how about jungkook | congestion | ocean?

jungkook | congestion | ocean

word count: 211

(a/n: so much for only writing 100 words 😂 oh well!)

💦 Water Tiny Drabbles 💦

Panic grips Jimin when he wakes to the sound of a door closing; he reaches out and feels only an empty bed, the sheets still warm.

He finds Jungkook out on the balcony, wearing nothing but shorts and a t-shirt as he leans against the railing and stares out over the ocean. 

There are a lot of things he bites back as he wraps the comforter around Jungkook’s shoulders, a lot of scolding words and worried reprimands that don’t actually need to be said, no matter how hard they claw at Jimin’s chest in an attempt to get out. 

Instead, he tucks himself against Jungkook’s back, an added layer to the comforter, his arms circling around Jungkook’s arms to hold him tightly. 

“Doctor said it’s fine,” Jungkook murmurs, knowing exactly what’s going on in Jimin’s head. “Better. For my lungs.” 

With his chin hooked over Jungkook’s shoulder, Jimin looks at the vast expanse of water before them, noting that Jungkook’s congestion has improved significantly. He’s still stuffy– but not struggling, not wheezing, not all crackly like before. 

“Could’ve at least worn a coat,” he mumbles, but he smiles and presses his hands against Jungkook’s chest, and thinks about how he’d still be doing this even if Jungkook had worn a coat.

[setsuuestsu]

For the random asks!

- Can you share a picture of your cat? ❤️

- favourite type of bread?

- share a line from a quote/poem/song that you love? :)

- sicktannies 🌹

Thank u 💕💕💕

-here’s my kitty!

-hmmm … i really love milk bread 🥺🥺🥺

-ughhh i’m trying to think! but i love literally anything Namjoon has written lemme spin a wheel

Alr from Wildflower (i put the eng translation under the Hangeul

목소리만 큰 자들의 사회

A society that is for those with loud voices

난 여전히 침묵을 말해

But I still speak silence

이건 방백, 완숙한 돛단배

This is an aside, a sailboat that came to full bloom

모든 오해 편견들에 닿게

To reach and face all the misunderstanding and prejudice

반갑지 않아 너의 헹가래 [hengarae]

I don’t enjoy you throwing me in the air

내 두 발이 여기 땅 위에 [wie]

My two feet stand on the ground

이름도 없는 꽃들과 함께

with flowers that don’t even have names

다신 별에 갈 수 없어 I can’t

I can’t go to the stars again, I can’t

발밑으로 I just go

Underfoot, I just go

목적 없는 목적지로

To the purposeless destination

슬픈 줄도 모르고

Not even knowing my own sadness

그림자마저 친구로

Making friends with my shadow even

I be gone

[setsuuestsu]

random asks:

what is your favorite ice cream flavor?

2. do you like to do karaoke and if yes, what is your go-to karaoke song?

3. what is one thing that made you smile today?

Thank you 💕💕💕 I’m so happy to see you back!!

1. I think strawberry cheesecake or matcha … but it’s really hard

2. I LOVE karaoke hahaha! My friends and I always do Broadway songs

3. Hmmm … my cat was being silly!

[setsuuestsu]

Hello please reblog this if you’re okay with people sending you random asks to get to know you better

[setsuuestsu]

oh my gosh, i literally love all that you’ve written for the prompts!!

could you do either prompt 1 or 20 for jhope???

love you so much <3

It's little, it's baby, just it's done. I only did prompt 20, and I hope that's okay <3

“AHHHHGGHHHHH!”

“A-HA HA HA!!!”

“YOU DIRTY CHEATER!!!!!!!!!”

“Hey.” All commotion stopped and Jimin quickly hit the pause button as all eyes flew to the entryway to the kitchen where Hoseok was leaning heavily against the wall, looking like he’d just risen from the dead. “Can you guys keep it down just a little bit?” he asked, holding up two fingers to indicate the exact measurement of ‘a little bit’. 

“Yes, of course!” Jungkook exclaimed. Taehyung hissed and smacked his side, a warning to lower his voice as he was shouting and Hoseok was wincing in pain. “We’re so sorry,” Jungkook apologized in a dramatic whisper. “We’ll stop playing…”

“No, don’t stop. Just…” Hoseok held up the two finger marker again, “a little bit.”

“We’ll quiet down, hyung,” Jimin said with a nod. “Go back to sleep.” Hoseok held up a thumbs up and slumped back to his room, closing the door behind him. At the time when they’d arrived at the vacation cabin, Hoseok had been happy to take the first floor bedroom: sure, it was smaller than the others, but it was right in the action. But then the headache and the sore throat and the exhaustion had set in, and he’d admittedly somewhat regretted his choice. He’d carried on with his brothers’ shenanigans as long as he could, before his body had had enough and he said he was off to take a nap. He had no idea how long he’d been out before the maknae’s video game tournament woke him… and it felt entirely unfair to him that he now felt more run-down than earlier. 

As Hoseok collapsed face-first onto his bed, the door creaked open behind him. “Hobi-ya?”

“Whaaaat?” Hoseok groaned into the quilt. 

A soft snicker echoed in reply. “Just wanted to check on you post nap.”

Hoseok lifted his head and turned just enough to blink tired eyes at Yoongi. “I wish I was still napping.”

Yoongi nodded. “You sound like you're catching a cold.”

“Says who?”

“Says me.” Hoseok scoffed, letting his face fall back against the quilt. Sure, he did feel somewhat under the weather, but that could just as easily be post-travel exhaustion. “You always get extra sleepy when you’re getting sick.”

Hoseok lifted his head again. “I’m not sick. We’re on vacation. That’s not fair.”

“Germs don’t care about fair.” Hoseok pouted exaggeratedly before shifting around on the bed so he was laying facing Yoongi. “Are you going back to sleep?”

“Probably.” Hoseok trained his best puppy eyes towards the older man. “Cuddle me?”

It was Yoongi’s turn to scoff. “And risk catching whatever you’re having? No thank you.”

“Rude.”

[setsuuestsu]

살아 (alive) - Lutz part 2

Summary: Yoongi and Hoseok go out for dinner. Namjoon causes mayhem.

Word Count: 2167

Notes: Sorry, this one is a bit rushed I think and I feel like Yoongi may be a bit ooc. It’s taking all my willpower to not just write one big sickfic and actually put some plot. Honestly … I might just write a really big sickfic set in this universe once it’s done. Also if anyone has any suggestions to where the story should go…. I’m open LOL

“How’d I do?” the brunet, or Hoseok, asks when Yoongi heads over to the kiss and cry with Hoseok’s jacket and bag in hand. (And wearing a pair of gloves that he found on the ground, but it’s not his proudest moment)

Yoongi shrugs and says, “It was alright. I’ve seen better.” even though he, in fact, has not seen better and it’s taking everything in his willpower not to jump Hoseok’s bones at the moment.

He snickers when Hoseok lets out a gasp and raises a fist as if he can punch Yoongi and inflict damage with his delicate hands. “You … you take that back!”

Yoongi holds up his gloved hands in a ‘don’t shoot!’ manner. “It was pretty good, alright?”

The male frowns, his siot growing. Yoongi’s heart pounds in his chest. He wonders briefly if he should go get checked for palpitations.

“Did I do well, Yoongi-hyung?” Jeongguk asks, skating to the edge of the kiss and cry.

Yoongi shrugs, giving him the same response as Hoseok. However, the younger male only grins, his front teeth sticking out more than the average humans. He resembles a bunny, or a large rabbit of sorts, making Yoongi confused by his own thoughts.

The brunet seems to scan over Yoongi, and then remember something. Or maybe Yoongi has cake on his face. Either way, he feels himself fidgeting under Hoseok’s intense gaze.

“Can I have my jacket back?” Hoseok finally asks, after an awkward moment of staring. “I’m cold.”

The tension bleeds out of him. Oh thank god it’s not something embarrassing.

Wait … he’s cold…? Isn’t he an ice skater? Shouldn’t he be used to the cold?

When he voices this thought to the skater, Hoseok guffaws. “So? A swimmer is still prone to drowning even though they’re really good at swimming!”

After a few moments, the skater sniffles a couple times and then rubs at his nose. “My nose is really cold, can’t you see how pink it is?”

Before Yoongi can even contemplate what he’s doing, he’s reaching his arms up and cupping his gloved hands around Hoseok’s elegant nose.

Hoseok’s eyes widen but he doesn’t pull away. “Oh, this feels nice.”

A few awkward moments pass and Yoongi pulls away as if he’s been burned.

“So … that was hot.” Hoseok finally says. “I mean—you’re hot.”

His eyes widened. “No, that’s not what I meant! I mean–you are hot, but in like, a dad way! Wait … no oh my god i’m going to shut up now!”

Yoongi is rendered speechless. Then he remembers Jeongguk is also standing with them and sneaks a glance at the younger. Jeongguk is grinning at Hoseok and then is dragged away by a child who skates around the ice.

“Dinner after?” Yoongi finally asks, feeling flushed.

Hoseok nods almost robotically, entire face bright red now and Yoongi knows it’s not just from the cold.

“Great.” Yoongi says and then goes silent for a minute. “Are you going to get changed? I’ll wait for you outside.”

There’s shouting from across the rink coming from Jeongguk, who is trapped underneath a pile of five-year-olds. “Wait! Yoongi-hyung, you’re my ride home!”

Yoongi pays him no mind and follows Hoseok in the direction of the locker room.

“Wait out here!” Hoseok exclaims, shoving his jacket back into Yoongi’s waiting arms. “I’ll only be a few minutes.”

Except, it’s been ten minutes now and there’s no Hoseok in sight. He rotates between sitting on a bench, laying on the floor, and banging his head against the wall, ignoring the stares from other skaters, but there’s still no Hoseok.

Maybe he’s being stood up. Maybe there’s a window or something on the all or ceiling of the locker room and Hoseok crawled out or something and ran away with another man and–

“I’m ready, Yoongi-ssi!” Hoseok calls, then pauses. “Wait, I think that’s your name. That’s what Jeonggukkie called you, at least. But is that like, a first name or a last name?”

Yoongi blinks. “You are Korean, right? That’s …”

Hoseok pouts. “You can never be too sure, alright? Also, I’m one-eight French, did you know?”

Well how is he supposed to know that? He only met the skater today …

“Anyways, let’s go!” Hoseok cheers. “I’m actually starving.”

︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶

“Italian?” Hoseok asks, once Yoongi pulls up to the curb of a restaurant he saw while waiting for Jeongguk’s haircut.

Yoongi nods, feeling a little self-conscious. Does Hoseok not like breadsticks or something …?

Hoseok trips over the curb as he gets out of the car and Yoongi silently starts to wonder if this is really the same guy who skated so elegantly across the ice.

They’re greeted at the door once they enter the restaurant and immediately ushered to a table, which Yoongi quite likes. He was never one for chit-chat, really.

Hoseok’s eyes are wide. “It smells so good in here.”

Yoongi agrees. It’s Italian, so of course it smells really good, and Yoongi is ready to shove at least three breadsticks down his throat.

As they approach the table, he is struck by the thought that he should maybe pull Hoseok’s chair out for him. As he does so, he stubs his toe into the chair, one of the chair legs having gotten caught on one of the table legs.

“Fuck!” he shouts, earning a few stares from other diners in their vicinity.

It does make Hoseok laugh, however, and Yoongi supposes he doesn’t mind stubbing his toes continuously if it means he gets to see the skater’s heart-shaped smile each time.

Eventually, he manages to free the chair leg from the table leg and he makes a gesture, probably not unlike a gang sign, to Hoseok for him to sit down.

The waiter walks over and once he starts talking, Yoongi freezes. He recognizes that voice …

“Namjoon-ah?” Yoongi dares to ask. He looks up

The clumsy male’s eyes widen. “Oh, Yoongi-hyung! How are you?

Yoongi glances between Namjoon and Hoseok, who is most definitely eyeing up Namjoon’s biceps, which are slightly bulging through his white button-up shirt.

“Thirsty…” Hoseok murmurs. “I’m parched.”

Namjoon’s eyes widened. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll be right over with some water.”

As Namjoon scurries away, Hoseok’s gaze immediately goes to Yoongi. “You know him, right?”

With Yoongi’s nod, Hoseok continues. “Does he have any tattoos?”

A nod.

“How much can he bench press?”

“Uhh, why would I know that?”

“Because! Just look at him, my god.”

“I do look at him, and all I see is a dork.”

Hoseok gasps. “He rides a bike, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah.”

Hoseok’s eyes gleam. “What model?”

“Bicycle.”

Hoseok facepalmed. “I should have guessed.”

Yoongi snorts. “He’s dating my hyung anyways. My hyung is the one who told me to drive Jeongguk-ssi to the rink today. I still don’t know what their relationship is …”

Hoseok hums. “Would his boyfriend happen to be that guy over there?” He points to a suspicious looking male indiscreetly staring at Namjoon, who seems to be having trouble with filling a jug of water.

Yeah, that checks out.

“Yeah. Don’t ask questions. That’s Seokjin. He’s an asshole.”

“Oh! He’s Jeonggukkie’s roommate. I’ve met him before!”

“Seokjin has a roommate?”

Hoseok cackles, heart-shaped smile on full display. “How long have you been friends with Jin-hyung?”

“Sixteen years. He ran me over with his bike when we were kids. That’s how I got this scar.” He pulls up his sleeve.

There’s no actual scar. He just wants Hoseok to look at his biceps.

The brunet’s lips form another siot. “I don’t see anything. Did it disappear?”

Yoongi nods. “Yeah, must’ve.”

Finally, finally, Namjoon returns. He has a jug of water in his hands and it’s wobbling.

Oh shit. Yoongi thinks and he’s right to have that thought because just a second later, Namjoon spills the entire jug of water all over Hoseok.

︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶

“I’m really sorry.” Yoongi apologizes, bowing his head slightly as he leads Hoseok to the car.

The younger is wrapped in a spare tablecloth the restaurant had gifted them on behalf of Namjoon’s clumsiness (along with enough breadsticks to feed half of Daegu), which, apparently, isn't the first time that this has happened. The manager had explained that the only reason Namjoon hadn’t been fired yet was because Seokjin was too scary and had threatened to “burn down the kitchen” or something similar to that.

Yoongi didn’t doubt it.

“I swear I didn’t even know he worked here.” Yoongi continues. “If I had known, we would have gone to a restaurant entirely in another city.”

Hoseok giggles, though he shivers afterwards. “It’s okay, I coach children sometimes. These things happen.”

“Still,” Yoongi starts with a frown. He looks at Hoseok, who is shivering in the tablecloth (which with any other person, would be a hilarious sight, but this is Hoseok) and sniffling every few seconds. His hair is still damp and little wisps of hair are starting to curl and freeze to his forehead.

He opens the car door and helps Hoseok inside. Now that it’s dark (and the younger is drenched), the brunet is much quieter. Or maybe he feels awkward that he’s wrapped in a tablecloth, since his jacket and shirt had been soaked. He’s also dressed in a pair of tight leggings he had miraculously found in his skate bag.

Yoongi can’t take his eyes off Hoseok’s thighs.

“Do you have a tissue?” Hoseok asks, a slight stuffiness to his voice. “My nose is running ’cause it’s cold.”

Yoongi has never moved into a task so fast. He scrounges around his car, but all he comes across is a sketchy looking McDonald’s napkin. He contemplates ripping off the stain but ultimately decides it’s in Hoseok’s best interest if he forgoes the napkin altogether. “Sorry, Hoseok-ah.”

Hoseok laughs softly and then sniffles. “It’s okay, can you just drop me off at home? I think I want to take a hot shower.”

“Of course, which way?”

As Hoseok yaps off the directions to his apartment, Yoongi listens intently to his voice, to how he pronounces his words, to how he giggles, to how he—

“Hyung, pedestrians!”

Yoongi swerves off the sidewalk and back onto the road, cursing and yelling as he does so.

Hoseok’s eyes are wide and he’s breathing heavily. “Shit, I would’ve said that guy would be worth 50 points, but that was a little too close for comfort.”

Eventually, they pull up in front of a well-lit apartment building.

“Do you live on your own?” Yoongi asks as he parks in a no parking zone.

The skater shakes his head. “No, I have two roommates. One of them is also a skater. The other one is a painter. They’re also dating so I always feel like I’m third-wheeling a little bit.”

Yoongi pats him on the shoulder. “Well, maybe you can share the breadsticks with them.”

Hoseok blushes. “I had fun tonight. We should do this again.”

There’s an awkward silence.

“Oh!” Hoseok exclaims. “Let me give you my number.”

He holds his hand out for Yoongi’s phone, which the elder immediately gives to him, ready to commit each number to memory and be ready to recite it flawlessly by the next day.

Hoseok thinks. “Sorry, I’m a little dyslexic and I also kinda forgot my number.”

“Oh … I’ll put my number in your phone then.”

Hoseok nods and hands him his phone. There’s a picture of a dog wearing a sweater vest staring at him from the home screen.

The brunet must notice him staring. “Oh, that’s Mickey! I’ve had him since I was young, though he lives with my sister part-time.”

Hoseok sniffles again and takes his phone back from Yoongi when the elder is done. “Well, this was really fun, but I’m really cold. I want to see you again soon. Can you come to the rink tomorrow?”

Yoongi blinks. That was straightforward. “Sure… I would really like that.”

As Hoseok gathers his stuff, he leans over the car’s console and wraps his arms around Yoongi’s back.

It’s … nice.

Yoongi’s not one for hugs, but Hoseok’s hugs are different. It’s not the choking attempt one would get from Seokjin, or the accidental rib cracking from Namjoon.

He feels like he’s found his person.

After another minute, Hoseok must realize he still has his arms around Yoongi. He jumps away, making the elder mourn the warmth.

Hoseok sniffles, rubbing his nose with the corner of the tablecloth. “Sorry, my parents always said I’m a hugger. They’re always like “Hoseok-ah, mind your personal space.” or my friends turn it into a dirty moment or something.”

He turns to shut the car door but Yoongi grabs his wrist.

“Oh?”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay …”

Hoseok smiles. “Okay.”

He grabs his bag out of the backseat and takes his wet clothes off the ground. With a whoosh of tablecloth, he’s gone.