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“ How many days do you have off? ”
Jimin’s voice rings out in the hotel bathroom, tinny over the speakerphone.
Rifling through the skincare products on the counter, Jungkook does a mental count of his upcoming days off in between his two work conferences. He’s sleepy, and it’s making him feel sluggish. “Uh, two. No– three. Three days.” He grabs his moisturizer and uncaps the bottle, bringing it to his nose to smell it.
“ So if I fly out tomorrow, we can spend all three days together. ”
Before he can respond, Jungkook feels a faint tickle in his nose, and then he barely has time to get his hand up to his face to catch a sudden sneeze.
Jimin gasps on the other end of the line. “ Was that a sneeze? ”
“Maybe,” Jungkook mutters, wiping his hand on the towel around his waist. He sniffles, and there’s a moment of silence during which he can perfectly picture the way Jimin is surely frowning now, maybe even pacing back and forth like he’s prone to doing when he starts to worry about something.
“ Don’t catch a cold, ” Jimin warns, his voice growing louder with concern.
“Yeah, yeah.”
“ I’m serious, baby, ” Jimin says. “ Make sure you dress warmly and take care of yourself. You know how easily you get sick! ”
“I don’t get sick that easily,” Jungkook protests, pouting in the direction of his phone.
“ Yes you do. Now, finish washing up and get to sleep. You need to be in good health so you can drive me around New York for a couple of days. ”
“M’kay,” Jungkook says, smiling. “I’ll go right to bed.”
“ Good boy. ”
Jungkook feels warmth on his cheeks, across his bare chest, and he bites his lower lip. “Don’t tease me when you’re in a different country,” he whines softly.
“ Okay, okay. Go to bed. I’ll see you very soon. ”
“M’kay. Love you. Bye.”
“ I love you forever. Rest well, baby. ”
The next morning, Jungkook wakes up with a sore throat and a stuffy nose and feeling the very opposite of well rested.
He tries to convince himself it’s the A/C– or the weird position he slept in during the night, or maybe just the hotel room itself– for the reason he feels like shit, but that lasts for all of thirty seconds before he realizes there’s no point in lying to himself.
He’s actually sick.
Pulling his knees to his chest, Jungkook reaches over to the nightstand, feeling around without opening his eyes until his fingers brush against his phone.
He texts Jimin, my throat hurts :( , and Jimin’s multi-text reply comes through less than a minute later.
OH NO
MY POOR BABY
is it a cold? flu? do you have a fever?
I’m already waiting for the plane I’ll be there as soon as I can tomorrow. get into bed and don’t move your ass until I get there!!!!!
Sighing, Jungkook turns his phone off and flops onto his back. He doesn’t want to get up, but technically he still has to work today and his first meeting is in less than an hour. He considers just not logging in, but it’s one of the few meetings he can actually do from his hotel room. Besides, it’s not even like he’s that sick– if he’s even sick at all. His throat really could just be dry from the cold air in the room.
As the day goes on, however, Jungkook can’t deny that he probably has a cold, and by the time he goes to bed he finds himself wishing for medicine– the nasty liquid stuff that would knock him out for the entire night.
He wonders if they have medicine at the front desk. With as much traveling as he’s done in his life, he’s never had to inquire about something like that. Jimin would know if they do, but Jungkook has already been avoiding his boyfriend’s questions about his health the entire day and he’s not about to change that.
The convenience store just around the corner from the hotel would surely have some. He’s still in his clothes, so it would be easy to make a quick trip down to the lobby at least. He’s so tired though, yawning every few minutes while he lies in bed and struggles to keep his eyes open for longer than a few seconds at a time. It should be an easy decision. Get up and go find some medicine, or stay where he is and potentially suffer through the night.
Jungkook falls asleep before he can make a decision, and he wakes to the sound of knocking at the door of his room.
A strange sound comes out of him– something that’s half a word and half a grunt– as he jerks awake, confused and feeling even worse than the night before. His head is pounding and his sinuses feel like they’re clogged with cement, but it’s his throat that’s in the most pain.
A buzzing sound draws his attention next to the bed, and he looks over in an attempt to find the source, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He realizes his phone alarm is also going off. It’s been going for twelve minutes now, apparently, and it’s vibrating away loudly on the nightstand.
The duvet is in a pile on the floor and he’s all tangled up in the bedsheet, so it takes a minute to free himself enough to get out of the bed. He’s still in his clothes the night before, a t-shirt and jeans that are now all rumpled and bunched up in strange places.
He stumbles as quickly as he can to the door and throws it open after what feels like an hour of fumbling with the lock.
“You’re supposed to be in bed,” Jimin greets him, face pinched with worry. He has his backpack slung over one shoulder and a plastic bag in his hand, and Jungkook can see a box of that blessed liquid cold medicine inside.
“Can’t let you into the room from the bed,” he replies belatedly, his voice hoarse. He clears his throat and sniffles, and Jimin is instantly up in his space, his palm against Jungkook’s forehead.
“I can’t believe you actually got sick,” Jimin whispers, his eyes searching Jungkook’s. He keeps his hand on his forehead for a moment longer, and then pulls away, apparently satisfied with Jungkook’s temperature. He is not, however, satisfied with the fact that Jungkook is still out of bed.
“We have time for a nap before we do anything,” he says, guiding Jungkook back across the room. “How long have you been up?” He asks, eyeing Jungkook’s jeans. “Did you not sleep well?”
“I fell asleep in these clothes,” Jungkook croaks, absently massaging the base of his throat. “And I literally just woke up. Slept through my alarm, sorry.”
“You poor thing. Let’s get you into something more comfortable.” Jimin grabs the hem of Jungkook’s shirt and tugs it up over his head, then reaches down and unbuttons his jeans, sliding them down his legs. Jungkook has to hold onto his shoulders to step out of them, suddenly feeling off balance.
When Jungkook is down to just his boxers, he shivers and wraps his arms around his bare torso. Jimin hooks a thumb into the waistband of his boxers and tugs him closer. “You feel a little warm,” he says, brushing his other hand over Jungkook’s stomach. “But I can’t really tell if it’s…” He trails off, moving his hand up to Jungkook’s forehead, pressing his palm against it for a second before sliding it down to cup the side of his face. “Hmm. Don’t think you have a fever. I wish I had a thermometer.”
One finger still tucked into Jungkook’s boxers, Jimin starts moving toward the bathroom, pulling him along. “Go pee and then we’ll get you tucked into bed.” He nudges Jungkook toward the toilet, then leans against the doorframe, arms crossed and brows furrowed.
Jungkook sits down on the toilet, not caring that Jimin is straight up watching him. He’s shivering a lot now, and he feels pathetic as he hunches his shoulders against the chill, rubbing his hands up and down his goosebump-covered arms.
While he washes his hands in the sink, Jimin brings a water bottle from the fridge over and uncaps it. As soon as Jungkook is done drying his hands, he lifts it to his lips.
“Drink up,” he instructs. “We have to keep you hydrated. Lots of fluids and lots of rest, okay?”
Jungkook drinks until the bottle is nearly empty. He licks his dry lips and shivers again, covering his chest with both hands when his nipples harden as his muscles contract.
“Oh no, are you cold, baby?”
As Jungkook nods, Jimin takes his sweatshirt off and helps Jungkook into it, and Jungkook nearly moans as the warm fabric envelops his torso. Jimin’s sweatshirt is small on him, but it’s the exact comfort he’s been craving since he first felt the signs of illness creeping in. His limbs suddenly feel heavy, and he yawns loudly, tucking his hands into the sweatshirt’s pocket.
Jimin makes a soft, cooing sound. “Oh, sweetie,” he whispers. “You look so sleepy.”
Without waiting for an answer, Jimin reaches into his pocket to grab one of his hands. He laces their fingers together and pulls Jungkook out of the bathroom and over to the bed. He grabs the medicine from the bag and pours out a dose, and Jungkook swallows it like a shot, grimacing in disgust as it slides down his aching throat.
“Picked that up before I even got to the hotel,” Jimin says, taking the little plastic cup from him and lifting the covers up. As soon as Jungkook is lying down, Jimin covers him up with the duvet, tucking it around him with a fond smile on his face.
“Do you want some socks?” He asks, brushing a strand of hair from Jungkook’s face.
He shakes his head. Putting socks on means he would have to move, and he’d rather not move now that he’s all warm and cozy.
Jimin grabs another bottle of water and sets it on the nightstand next to his head along with a box of tissues, then leans down to kiss his forehead, his lips soft and warm.
“Rest well, baby.”
Jungkook's hand darts out like it has a mind of its own. His fingers wrap around Jimin’s wrist, holding on with more strength than he thought was possible at the moment.
“Cuddle with me?”
Jimin’s expression softens. “Of course , love.”
He gets into the bed, crawling under the covers and tucking himself against Jungkook’s side. Jungkook closes his eyes with a contented sigh, and feels Jimin’s hand on his forehead again.
“I’m fine,” he insists without opening his eyes. “I don’t have a fever. Just a little sore throat.”
“I don’t like it when you’re this quiet,” Jimin whispers. “It’s not normal.”
Jungkook sniffles. As he feels the effects of the medicine take hold, he also feels guilt bubble up unexpectedly in his chest.
“I’m really sorry that you came all the way and I’m just…sick,” he whispers, burying his face against Jimin’s shoulder. He can feel tears stinging in his eyes, threatening to spill over. Maybe he actually does have a fever.
“All I care about is spending time with you, baby,” Jimin replies, his thumb moving back and forth against his cheek.
When Jungkook cracks one eye open, Jimin offers a smile, so much love and affection in his gaze that it makes Jungkook’s eyes burn with the threat of even more tears.
Jimin props himself up on one elbow. “Tell me what you want. Do you want to stay here in the hotel and rest for a few days? Do you want me to book us a flight back home tonight?” His smile fades slightly when Jungkook’s face falls in disappointment, and he’s quick to add, “Or, do you want to continue with our original plans and go stay in the cabin that I booked tonight?”
“Want to go to the cabin,” Jungkook croaks, squeezing his eyes shut again.
“Of course, baby. I think after a nap you’ll be feeling so much better. But even if you aren’t, I’m going to take such good care of you. Just like I always do, okay?”
Jungkook nods. He feels Jimin’s hand on his forehead again, but this time he moves it up to card through Jungkook’s hair, a soothing motion that makes Jungkook feel even sleepier. He lets himself drift off without fighting it any longer, falling asleep faster than ever with Jimin’s warm body against him.
When Jungkook wakes up from his nap, he feels like a new man.
“Hey,” Jimin says as soon as he opens his eyes, blinking against the light streaming through the window. “How did you sleep?”
Jungkook wipes the drool from his chin with the back of his hand and squints at Jimin, who’s sitting cross-legged on the bed, scrolling on his phone.
“How long did I sleep?” He asks, his voice even raspier than before. His throat is still sore, but it’s more of a dull ache than the sharp pain he had woken up to earlier in the morning. Clearing his throat, he looks around until he spots the bottle of water and the tissues on his nightstand.
“Four hours,” Jimin tells him while he chugs the entire bottle of water and then blows his nose.
Jungkook’s jaw drops open. “ Four ?”
“You were snoring so loud I thought we were gonna get a noise complaint,” Jimin grins. Then, narrows his eyes. “You sound terrible, though. How are you feeling?”
“I actually feel pretty good,” Jungkook says. “Like, way better than earlier. I don’t know how long it’s going to last, but I’m not questioning it right now.”
“I’m so glad.” Jimin reaches over and runs his hands through Jungkook’s messy hair. “I planned a small detour for this afternoon while you were sleeping. I wasn’t sure if you’d be up for it or not.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a surprise. But it will require a little bit of physical activity, so…” Jimin trails off, looking unsure, but Jungkook perks right up.
“I’m up for it. I’ll take some more medicine, but honestly, I’m feeling much better already. I’ll be totally fine.”
Jimin chuckles. “Okay. If you’re sure. Should we get packed up and get going now?”
Nodding, Jungkook hops up and starts gathering his stuff, shoving it haphazardly into his backpack while Jimin watches from the bed.
“You’re a disaster,” he says, but his smile is wide on his face, his eyes shining with excitement.
The hotel parking lot is mostly empty, just a few other cars around in addition to the shiny rental car Jimin picked up from the airport.
“You’re sick,” Jimin says, holding out his hand for the car keys. “I’ll drive.”
“You were just on a plane for fourteen hours. I’ll drive.”
Jimin doesn’t protest any further, more than happy to let Jungkook drive. Jungkook smirks as Jimin climbs into the passenger seat, the only place he’s even sat when they’re in the car together, as far as Jungkook remembers.
“What are you smiling about?” Jimin asks suspiciously as Jungkook gets behind the wheel.
“Nothing. It’s hot out here,” Jungkook complains, reaching for the A/C, but Jimin stops him.
“I don’t want you to get chilled,” he explains, waving Jungkook’s hand away from the controls. “Besides, it will make your throat worse.”
Sighing, Jungkook starts the car and resigns himself to a sweaty car ride.
“You’re going to get sick now too, you know. It’ll be hard to avoid when we’re in such close proximity.”
“I know. I don’t mind.” Jimin reaches for his hand, their fingers lacing together over the center console. “I would take your cold away from you and have it myself, if I could.”
Jungkook giggles, and Jimin squeezes his hand. They stay like that until Jungkook starts sniffling, his nose suddenly running, and he has to pull his hand away.
“Uh…do we have any tissues?”
Jimin finds a little travel pack of tissues in the glovebox and pulls a couple of tissues out for him, holding them up in the air.
“Want me to wipe your nose for you since you’re driving?”
Jungkook snorts out a laugh. “No, thanks.” He glances over. “But thanks for offering, I guess?”
“Of course,” Jimin replies, not quite catching the sarcasm in Jungkook’s tone. He leans over and presses a kiss to Jungkook’s cheek, tucking the tissues into his outstretched hand. “Just let me know if you need anything at all.”
Jungkook smiles as he wipes his nose one-handed with the tissue. “Thanks, baby. I appreciate that.”
They settle into a comfortable silence after that, listening to music and marveling at the beautiful scenery on their route.
“I thought I was supposed to be planning this trip, by the way,” Jungkook says after they’ve been on the road for about an hour. He tries glancing over at Jimin’s phone screen where he has the navigation pulled up, but Jimin has it angled just right so he can’t see. “Why won’t you tell me where we’re going?”
“It’s a surprise,” Jimin says simply.
The surprise soon becomes apparent when Jimin directs him to a small marina by the river, a cute little place with a dock lined with sailboats.
“We’re going on a boat?”
“Something like that,” Jimin says, wiggling in his seat, barely able to contain his excitement. “More like…kayaks!”
Jungkook gasps. “No way! I’ve always wanted to go kayaking!”
Jimin giggles, pleased by Jungkook’s reaction. “I know , baby. That’s why I planned it.”
Jungkook is like an untrained dog on a leash, pulling Jimin by the arm towards the docks with a strength that makes his shoulder ache. While the instructor fits them with life jackets, Jimin looks around until he spots a sign for the restroom, suddenly feeling bloated and uncomfortable– just like he always does when he travels and doesn’t eat proper meals. It’s not the best timing, but his stomach is starting to feel crampy.
“Let me just use the bathroom first,” he says, rubbing his stomach. “Be right back.”
Jungkook sits through the entire safety lesson before Jimin returns from the bathroom, so then he has to listen again while Jimin gets the rundown, and by the time they’re finally ready to get into the kayaks he’s practically vibrating with excited impatience.
The instructor helps Jimin into the first kayak, and Jungkook watches eagerly, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He climbs into his own kayak, holding onto the dock while he feels it wobble back and forth in the water. Jimin is already paddling away, laughing as he glances over his shoulder.
“Come on, Jungkookie! Let’s go!”
“I’m coming!” Jungkook calls back, dipping his paddle into the water and pushing himself away from the dock. The kayak wobbles again, and he scoots forward, trying to find a good spot to keep himself centered.
As soon as he’s facing the correct direction, he starts to paddle, and his kayak leans slightly to the left. He leans to his right, but instead of righting itself the kayak tips even farther to the side. His stomach drops, but before he can do anything he’s tipping too far to stop himself, and the next thing he knows he’s in the water, dipping beneath the surface before he bobs back up, sputtering and coughing and completely soaked.
Luckily, he’s not far from his starting point. He grabs his paddle and rights his kayak in the water, then gives it a little push towards the docks before swimming after it. There are now three people on the dock, and they help him out of the water.
“Are you okay?” One of the instructors asks him as he drags a hand down his face, coughing and shivering.
“I’m great,” he responds, right before he sneezes. He’s pretty sure there’s water up his nose, and his cold is certainly not helping things.
Jungkook sneezes again, and then a third time, his hair whipping up and down and sending water flying in all directions.
“We’ll make sure you distribute your weight a little more evenly,” the instructor says kindly, helping Jungkook stand. “Are you ready to try again?”
He gets in the kayak again, using a little more caution and ensuring he isn’t off balance. This time, Jungkook makes sure he’s more stable before paddling. He’s cold, all of his clothes sticking uncomfortably to his skin, but despite the little mishap he’s still excited to go kayaking and he’s determined to make the most of it.
If only he could stop sneezing.
“Jungkook!” Jimin maneuvers his kayak alongside Jungkook’s. “Are you okay? I didn’t even realize you fell into the water until I looked back and saw you sitting on the dock! What happened, baby?”
Jungkook sneezes and then pinches his nose to stop a second sneeze. “I’m fine,” he says, voice nasally. “Just went for a little swim. I think I got water up my nose, though.” He massages the bridge of his nose. His throat aches with every sneeze, but he pushes the pain aside, not wanting to end his first kayaking adventure before it even begins.
“Are you cold?” Jimin worries, watching Jungkook sneeze twice more into the crook of his arm. “We shouldn’t have done this while you’re sick. What if you get worse?”
Rubbing at his nose, Jungkook snorts and then sneezes a final time. “I’m fine, and I’m not going to get worse. Promise.”
Jimin narrows his eyes, his brows still furrowed in concern, but before he can say anything else Jungkook lifts his paddle into the air.
“Let’s race!”
With that, he takes off, paddling furiously and giggling so much he almost tips over again.
By the time they get back to the dock, Jimin is pretty sure his arms are about to fall off, but the look on Jungkook’s face is more than worth it.
“That was the best surprise ever,” Jungkook exclaims, his voice hoarse from both his cold and his excited shouting. He dries his hair off with a towel, yawning and shivering.
Jimin palms his forehead with a frown. “I just hope you don’t get sicker. I don’t think it was a good idea to stay in those wet clothes for so long.” He flips his hand over, pressing the back of it to Jungkook’s forehead. “Do you feel cold? Warm? Feverish?”
“I’m fine ,” Jungkook whines, ducking out of his reach. “Let’s go eat. I’m hungry.”
“Let me drive, at least.”
Jungkook pauses.
“You’re sick, and you’re exhausted. I’ll be okay to drive this once, I promise.”
Jungkook swallows thickly. He looks down at the keys in his hand. He does feel extra tired, the kind of tired that’s making him feel sluggish again.
“But…I should drive,” he says, reluctant to make Jimin drive when he prefers not to.
“You can drive for the rest of the trip,” Jimin offers, as if that wasn’t already a sure thing. He takes the keys from Jungkook and grabs his hand, tugging him toward the car. “Come on. We have a tiny cabin waiting for us.”
While Jimin takes his role as car passenger very seriously, he takes his role as a driver even more seriously.
Jungkook watches his profile as he drives, noticing how tense his jaw is, how tightly he’s gripping the wheel.
“Thank you for driving,” he croaks, coughing into his fist afterward. His sinuses feel awful and swollen and he desperately needs a drink of water, and his eyelids are drooping now that they’re in the car. “I know you don’t like to do it.”
Jimin doesn’t respond, an expression of intense concentration on his face.
“So,” Jungkook says, switching the subject. He doesn’t want to unnecessarily stress Jimin out. “Does this really count as camping? There isn’t even a tent or anything.”
A small smile forms on Jimin’s face. “There’s a campground, so I guess technically it counts.”
“I’m actually glad we’re not sleeping in a tent.”
“Me too.” Jimin opens his mouth like he’s going to say something else, but then he closes it again, eyes trained on the road.
They’re halfway to the campground when Jimin’s stomach starts to make weird noises.
At first, Jungkook thinks it’s because he’s hungry, but then Jimin starts rubbing his belly and grimacing and he starts to wonder if it’s something else.
“You okay?” He asks.
“Yeah, I’m good.” Jimin glances over. “You’re the sick one. Are you okay?” Reaching over to turn the heat on, Jimin frowns. “Is it cold in here? I want to make sure you’re warm enough.”
“My throat hurts a tiny bit, but otherwise I’m fine. I’m warm enough, though, so you don’t have to turn the heat up.”
But Jimin doesn’t move to turn the heat down, and Jungkook notices that he still looks uncomfortable– something beyond the stress from driving.
“I should have given you the next dose of cold medicine before we started driving,” Jimin murmurs, almost to himself. Then, he glances over, his eyes wide. “We packed the cold medicine, right?”
“I thought you packed it?” Jungkook says slowly, trying to remember exactly what he stuffed into his backpack back at the hotel.
“I didn’t pack anything! I was already packed!”
“Well.” Jungkook clears his throat. “I’ll be fine without medicine.”
They fall into silence for the rest of the drive. Jimin’s stomach rumbles loudly as they pull into the campsite, and Jungkook chuckles.
“You feeling hungry? I can get started right away on dinner.”
Jimin doesn’t answer. He parks, then sighs heavily, his shoulders visibly relaxing once the car is off. Jungkook reaches over and grabs his hand, giving it a squeeze.
“Thanks again for driving. Love you.”
The cabin is the tiniest, most well equipped cabin Jungkook has ever seen. There’s a bed and a kitchenette and a bathroom with a flush toilet inside, and outside there’s a picnic table and a fire pit.
“It’s so pretty here!” Jungkook exclaims, looking at the surrounding trees. The sun is just beginning to set, painting the sky with pretty pinks and oranges.
Jimin sits at the table, watching with a small smile as Jungkook explores the campsite and starts a fire to cook dinner. When Jungkook offers him a beer he declines, shaking his head with a little frown.
Jungkook is grilling meat over the fire when he hears Jimin make a strange sound behind him. He glances over his shoulder to see his boyfriend slumped over at the table, his head in his arms.
“You okay?”
Jimin makes a noncommittal sound, lifting his head just enough to peek up at Jungkook. He nods when he sees Jungkook still looking at him.
“Dinner is almost ready,” Jungkook says, turning back to his task.
“I don’t know if I can eat…I feel like I’m gonna puke,” Jimin suddenly groans. A second later, he sits up, back straight and face pinched. “Fuck, I think I am gonna puke.”
Jungkook spins around. “What? Shit, really? Do you think you can make it to the bathroom?”
Jimin is gripping the edge of the table with both hands, his knuckles white. “No, no. Never mind. I’m not gonna puke,” he says, like he’s trying to convince himself. “I just…” He swallows, his face still scrunched up. “I don’t know, I just feel a little nauseous, I think.” He swallows again and closes his eyes. “I don’t know.”
“How long have you been feeling like this?” Jungkook starts to ask, but before he can get the full sentence out, Jimin springs up from his spot and dashes inside the cabin.
He gives it a minute before he follows Jimin inside. It’s surprisingly quiet inside the cabin, and he listens at the bathroom door to see if he can hear Jimin throwing up for a moment before he knocks. “Jimin? You okay in there?”
“I’m okay,” Jimin says from inside, his voice strained. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
“Do you want me to wait in here for you? In case you need anything?”
“No,” Jimin replies quickly, his voice louder no. “I’m fine. I just need a minute.”
Reluctantly, Jungkook goes back outside, hurrying over to the fire when he remembers there’s food cooking over it still. He’s torn between wanting to give Jimin privacy and wanting to check on him, and he’s worried about how quickly this all seemed to have come on. He tries to think back to earlier in the day, but the only indication he can remember that Jimin wasn’t feeling well was after they went kayaking, when they were in the car. If Jimin is throwing up now, it might be a stomach bug– he only hopes it doesn’t get too bad.
Just as Jungkook is starting to worry enough to go back into the cabin to check on Jimin, the door opens and he comes out, looking pale and sweaty and absolutely miserable.
“Did you throw up?” Jungkook asks, rushing to his side. “Are you okay?”
“Don’t ask,” Jimin groans, his voice trembling. He has a sweater tucked under his arm, and he shuffles over to the table, sitting down with a low groan. When he senses Jungkook watching him, he plasters a smile on, one that clearly doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Is dinner almost ready?”
Jungkook isn’t sure if he should talk about food or not, so he doesn’t answer. “What’s with the sweater?”
“Oh.” Jimin blinks down at the sweater as if just noticing he’s holding it. “Put this on,” he says, holding it out.
“It’s not cold though,” Jungkook says, though he takes the sweater from Jimin and drapes it over his arm.
“But you have a cold.”
“Barely,” Jungkook counters. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine ,” Jimin snaps. Under his breath, he adds, “It wouldn’t kill you to admit that you’re sick.” He folds his arms on the table with an irritated grunt. “Just put the sweater on.”
Frowning, Jungkook sits down next to him. He puts his hand on Jimin’s back, between his shoulder blades, and he can feel the sweat soaking through his shirt.
“Sorry,” Jimin whispers after a moment. He’s starting down at the table, but Jungkook can see tears shining in his eyes. “I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.”
“I know,” Jungkook whispers back. He reaches out, covering the back of Jimin’s hand with his own, and when Jimin looks up at him he can see the exhaustion there, the struggle to keep composure even though he’s clearly not feeling great.
Anxiety fills Jungkook’s chest as he starts to think about what this means. Jimin never gets sick. Ever. And now they’re away from home, in a different country, staying in a tiny little cabin with unreliable cell service. And Jungkook is sick, too, because he always has to get sick at the most inconvenient times–
“Kook?” Jimin whispers.
Jungkook’s eyes snap back to Jimin. He takes a deep breath. He can do this.
“Go lie down,” he says softly, trying to keep his voice even. “I’ll clean everything up.”
He’s only a little surprised when Jimin nods and stands without a word of protest, shuffling toward the tiny cabin at a speed that’s half his normal one.
Jimin is in the bathroom by the time he gets inside, and not having a great time in there if his moans and groans are anything to go by.
“Jimin?” He knocks softly on the door, but doesn’t get a response.
He makes his way over to the bed and pulls out his phone. He looks up how far the nearest town is and contemplates driving there to buy some medicine. It’s not too long of a drive, but he’s worried about leaving Jimin here alone. However, he’s definitely not going to make Jimin ride in the car with him.
The faint sound of retching moves him from his spot. He hovers outside of the bathroom door, worry making his own stomach clench.
“Jimin?” he knocks on the door again. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes. I’m just going to run to the store in town.”
He doesn’t waste a minute, jogging out to the car so he can go and return as quickly as possible.
When he returns, Jimin is still in the bathroom.
“Have you been in there the whole time?” Jungkook asks through the door with a frown, but he doesn’t receive an answer.
A few moments later, the door opens and Jimin steps out. His face is even more pale than before, but his cheeks are flushed red, and his hair is damp with sweat and slicked back away from his forehead.
“Shit,” Jungkook whispers, mostly to himself. He presses the inside of his wrist to Jimin’s forehead, checking for fever even though it’s already pretty clear he has one.
Jimin is quiet as Jungkook helps him over to the bed. He’s quiet when Jungkook helps him sit, and he’s quiet while Jungkook grabs the bag from the store with the medicine in it.
The medicine is a bright pink liquid in a garishly bright pink bottle, and Jungkook sniffs it after he takes the lid off, surprised by the minty scent. He pours out a dose into the little plastic cup that comes with it and then brings it over to Jimin, who’s sitting on the edge of the bed, shoulders hunched with little shivers.
“Drink that,” he instructs, going to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.
Jimin is just sitting there holding the cup in his hand when Jungkook gets back to his side with the water, so he sits down on the bed next to him and eases it out of his hand. He lifts the cup to Jimin’s lips, and Jimin opens his mouth, tipping his head back to take the dose. He frowns at the taste, but doesn’t say a word, and Jungkook uncaps the bottle of water and lifts that to his mouth next so he can take a drink.
“Lots of fluids and lots of rest, right?” He asks quietly, a small smile on his lips.
Jimin nods, his movements sluggish.
“Why don’t you lie down,” Jungkook sighs. “Maybe you’ll be able to sleep this off.”
Once Jimin is settled, Jungkook gets ready for bed and quickly brushes his teeth. He makes sure the path to the bathroom is clear, and then he turns out the light, carefully crawling over Jimin to his spot on the bed next to the wall. When he lies down, he’s reminded of his sore throat and congestion, but he ignores it, hoping if he can fall asleep quickly enough it won’t be too much of a problem.
He can feel Jimin shifting around next to him while he waits for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Jimin is on his side, facing Jungkook, and he scoots over and hooks one arm over Jungkook’s waist.
“I’ll keep you warm tonight,” he promises, making Jungkook chuckle.
“Because you have a fever?” He teases, but he can’t help the pang of worry that hits him at how Jimin’s voice sounds, subdued and sleepy, but still noticeably strained with discomfort.
Jimin doesn’t answer verbally, just scoots a little closer, and Jungkook’s hand settles on his back.
“This sucks,” he whispers. “I’m sorry you’re sick.” He rubs Jimin’s back, feeling the heat radiating off of him, and as Jimin’s breathing evens out he feels himself growing more tired. He closes his eyes and keeps rubbing, snuggling closer, his chest rising and falling in time with the sound of Jimin’s breath as it evens out into sleep.
When Jungkook wakes up, the first rays of early morning light are just starting to filter through the small window above him. He rubs his eyes, groaning at the way his throat protests, scratchy and dry. His sinuses still feel congested, but he feels surprisingly well rested given the circumstances.
It takes him a moment to realize Jimin isn’t in the bed next to him. He sits up, panic gripping his heart for a moment until he spots Jimin sitting on the ground next to the mini fridge, leaning against the wall.
Jungkook is out of bed in a second, rushing over to Jimin’s side. He drops to his knees and shakes Jimin’s shoulder until his eyes open, and Jimin whimpers, blinking up at him in confusion.
“What’s wrong?” Jungkook asks, his voice cracking. “Why are you on the floor?”
It takes Jimin a second to wake up, and when he answers, his voice is equally hoarse. “My nose hurts,” he grumbles. He reaches up and prods tenderly at his nose, wincing when his fingers make contact.
“Your…nose?” Jungkook’s eyes widen. “What? Did you catch my cold?”
“No,” Jimin says. “You elbowed me in the face last night!”
Jungkook isn’t sure if he should be relieved or not, but a laugh bursts out of his throat. “I… what ?”
Jimin frowns grumpily at him. “It’s not funny. It hurts a lot.”
Jungkook cups Jimin’s chin and tilts his head up, inspecting his swollen nose. “Shit. I’m so sorry. Let me see if there’s an ice pack or something.” He gestures at the fridge, but Jimin shakes his head sadly.
“There’s not,” he says. “Last night I held a can of beer against my nose for about thirty minutes.”
“Is that why you’re sitting over here?”
Jimin sticks out his lower lip. “I didn’t want you to elbow me again. I don’t know what you were dreaming about, but I hope you won against whoever you were fighting.”
Jungkook laughs again. “God, I’m so sorry. What about your stomach? How are you feeling?”
Jimin narrows his eyes instead of responding. “How are you feeling?” He asks. “You’re the sick one.”
Jungkook rolls his eyes. “I have the sniffles. You have a fever and a stomach bug. That makes you officially the sick one.”
Jimin is quiet for a moment after that, his eyes dropping to the floor. “But I’m supposed to take care of you,” he finally murmurs, sounding so sad and so small that Jungkook inhales sharply, his heart breaking.
Cupping Jimin’s cheek with his hand, he settles back on his heels. Jimin’s face is warm and soft beneath his hand. “Not this time, baby. Let me take care of you this once.”
Nodding, tears in his eyes, Jimin leans into the touch. They sit there for a while, until Jungkook’s legs start to hurt and Jimin starts to scratch at his neck.
“What are you scratching yourself like that for?” Jungkook asks, frowning in concern as he watches the skin start to turn red.
“I think it’s a mosquito bite. They were eating me alive last night. Didn’t they bite you?”
Jungkook shakes his head and tries to hide his smile. “Nope. Guess I’m not as tasty as you.”
Jimin huffs out a sigh. “Maybe there’s some cream in the first aid kit.”
“First aid kit?” Jungkook tilts his head. “What are you talking about?”
“There’s one in here.” Jimin points up, at the wall between the tiny kitchen and the bathroom. “The red bag with the white cross on it?”
Sure enough, Jungkook looks up to see a small but very obvious first aid bag hanging on the wall, and he groans in frustration.
“Why didn’t you tell me that before I went to the store last night?”
JImin frowns, brows furrowing in confusion. “You went to the store last night? When?”
They stare at each other for a few seconds, and then Jungkook sucks in a long breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter now.”
He stands, grabbing the bag from the wall and carrying it over to the bed, and his jaw drops open when he unzips it and sees the contents inside. There are all kinds of medicine in there, even the kind he went out to buy last night. Most importantly, though, there’s a small tube of hydrocortisone cream that he can use for Jimin’s mosquito bites.
Something else catches his eye– cold and flu medicine, with sun and moon symbols for both day and night on the front. He glances over at Jimin to make sure he isn’t looking, and then eases the box open and pulls out the yellow pills indicated to be the daytime variant. Though it’s a bit uncomfortable without water, he sneakily dry-swallows the pills and then shoves the box of medicine back into the kit.
His nose is running when he stands up, and he hurriedly sniffles, swiping at his nose with his sleeve before turning to face Jimin.
“Found some cream,” he announces, watching Jimin sluggishly lift his head from the wall at the news. “Come over to the bed.”
Jimin takes his time standing, and Jungkook doesn’t hesitate to help him the short distance to the bed, one arm wrapped around Jimin’s waist. Jimin’s body is hot from the fever and Jungkook hates the pained look he gives him when he asks Jimin to take off his shirt, but he makes it up by taking his own shirt off and tugging Jimin against his bare chest.
“You got so many,” he marvels, brushing his fingers over the raised red bumps that are on Jimin’s neck and shoulders. “Holy shit.”
Jimin whimpers and nuzzles against the crook of Jungkook’s neck. “I know,” he whispers sadly. “They’re so itchy .”
His face is hot against Jungkook’s bare skin. As Jungkook uncaps the tube of cream, he kisses the top of Jimin’s head. “Tell me if anything hurts or you want me to stop.”
Carefully, he rubs the cream over each of the bug bites, counting as he goes– there are eleven of them total, mostly on Jimin’s neck and shoulders. “Those fuckers had quite the feast,” he jokes, and he smiles when he feels a puff of air across his skin as Jimin laughs weakly.
He gives Jimin another dose of the pink medicine for his stomach, and then gets him settled in the bed. Jimin demands to wear Jungkook’s shirt, the one he had slept in, and Jungkook feels something warm in the pit of his stomach when he sees Jimin pull the shirt over his head, the fabric draped over his smaller frame.
“Get some rest,” Jungkook whispers, tucking Jimin in.
He leans down to kiss Jimin’s forehead, and then Jimin rolls over onto his side, curled up into a little ball like he’s protecting his stomach. As he starts to drift off to sleep, Jungkook reaches down and rubs his back gently, waiting until he can hear Jimin’s breathing even out to stop.
Jungkook feels a sudden tickle in the back of his throat and in his nose, so he quickly grabs himself a new shirt and hurries outside before he wakes Jimin up. He barely makes it out of the cabin before he has to let out a cough, followed directly by a harsh sneeze, both of them scraping at his throat and bringing tears to his eyes.
“Ouch,” he whimpers, swallowing painfully.
He tugs the shirt over his head and makes his way over to the picnic table. He wishes he had brought a book out here with him, or even something to eat, but he’d rather not risk waking Jimin up by going back inside the cabin. Instead, he sits down and resolves to spend some time relaxing and enjoying the surrounding nature. It’s peaceful outside, and the weather is perfect. He finds himself wishing they can come back again sometime soon, when they’re both healthy, just so they can enjoy it properly.
After a while, he spots a frog hopping around on the ground and decides to take a closer look at it. He snaps a picture of it on his phone, knowing Jimin will think it’s cool, and then he follows it for a few minutes until it leads him to a pile of rocks at the edge of their campsite.
The rocks give him an idea, and soon he’s building a tower, stacking rocks on top of each other until the tower is the height of his chest. When it’s done, nice and sturdy and perfect, he kneels down and bows his head.
That’s how Jimin finds him, on his knees in front of his creation, so focused that he doesn’t even hear Jimin coming up behind him. His hand on Jungkook’s shoulder startles him from his thoughts, and he looks up to see Jimin blinking down at him, hair mussed from sleep and cheeks pink.
“Hey! Why are you out of bed?”
“Mm.” Jimin wraps his arms around Jungkook’s shoulders, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of his head. “What’re you doin’?” He lets out a soft sigh. “Is this for me?”
“Yes. Look how tall I made it.” He turns in Jimin’s arms, smiling up at him. “I made a wish for your health to improve quickly.”
“My sweet Jungkookie,” Jimin beams, leaning down to kiss Jungkook’s cheek.
Jungkook stands, brushing the dirt from his knees. “How are you feeling now, by the way? Did the nap help?”
“I’m feeling a little better now. Thank you for taking such good care of me.”
“Do you think it’s a stomach bug? It happened so fast.”
Jimin shrugs. “Yeah, I guess so. I was completely fine until we were done kayaking yesterday. Probably caught something on the plane.”
Jungkook reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind Jimin’s ear. “I was thinking we should drive back and sleep at the hotel tonight. But I’m worried that riding in the car will make you feel worse. What do you think?”
Jimin wrenches away before he can answer, nearly stumbling as he takes a step backward, and sneezes three times in quick succession, blinking in surprise afterwards.
“Oh no,” Jungkook exclaims, listening to Jimin sniffle.
With a shaky inhale, Jimin sneezes three more times. He clutches his belly afterward with a loud groan of discomfort when the action jostles his upset stomach.
Jungkook’s heart drops. “Oh no, oh no, oh no .”
Jimin’s eyes go wide. “Are you fucking kidding me?” He curses, scrubbing at his nose. “You gave me your cold?!”
Jungkook looks at his rock tower. He looks at Jimin. And then, he kneels back down on the ground and reaches out a hand.
“Come here,” he says, tugging Jimin down next to him. “We have some more wishes to make.”