Kpop Sickfics and Hurtfics Part 2

Sleepless in the Sky (Taehyun)

The studio buzzed with energy, but it was the kind of energy that felt like it was on its last breath. The members of TXT had been rehearsing for hours, the weight of the choreography, the endless hours of practice, and the jet lag from a long flight all pressing on them in the same, heavy way.

Taehyun was at the front of the room, his movements sharp but strained, and his eyes too often drifted toward the floor, the fatigue catching up to him at last. His body knew the steps by heart, but his mind… it wasn’t there. His limbs moved without thought, his brain sluggish, heavy with exhaustion.

Beomgyu noticed first—always did. He saw how Taehyun’s body faltered, his footwork not quite lining up, the slight misstep as he lost his balance. It was barely noticeable to the others, but to Beomgyu, it was as clear as day.

“Hey,” Beomgyu whispered as they took a brief water break, sidling up to Taehyun. He caught Taehyun’s gaze as the younger boy wiped the sweat off his forehead. “You good?”

Taehyun gave him a quick nod, taking a long sip from his water bottle. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

Beomgyu knew that tone. It was the one Taehyun always used when he was too tired to admit what was really going on. It wasn’t just physical exhaustion; it was the kind of exhaustion that dug deep into your bones and whispered you can’t do this anymore.

“Taehyun,” Beomgyu said, his voice low, “You’ve been ‘just tired’ for days. You sure you’re okay?”

Taehyun smiled wearily, trying to brush off the concern. “Yeah, really. I’m fine.” But there was something about the way he said it—his eyes not quite meeting Beomgyu’s—that made the hair on Beomgyu’s neck stand on end.

Beomgyu wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t press. “Alright,” he said quietly, before giving Taehyun’s shoulder a brief, comforting squeeze.

But as the break ended, they were pulled back into the unrelenting rhythm of practice, and Beomgyu could see how Taehyun’s shoulders sagged with each passing minute.

The flight back from their overseas schedule was eerily quiet. It was the kind of silence that made Beomgyu uncomfortable because it was filled with the unspoken tension that had built up over the past few days. Everyone was exhausted, but it was Taehyun who seemed to be hit the hardest.

Beomgyu sat by the aisle, glancing across at Taehyun, who was curled up against the window, his eyes half-lidded, his face pale under the harsh cabin lights. At first, Beomgyu thought Taehyun had finally fallen asleep, but then he noticed the slight tremor in his shoulders.

Beomgyu couldn’t just ignore it. He leaned over and draped a blanket over Taehyun’s lap, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb the other members. “You should try to sleep,” Beomgyu said, gently.

Taehyun shifted, blinking up at him, his expression distant. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

Taehyun let out a long breath and turned his face back to the window. “I just can’t.”

Beomgyu hesitated. Then, with a small smirk, he pulled out his phone. “Okay, then. How about I help you pass the time?” He handed Taehyun the phone, which had an app open to the dumb game Taehyun liked to play—one that Beomgyu never understood.

Taehyun looked at the screen, then back at Beomgyu. There was a flicker of something—relief, maybe?—in his tired eyes. He accepted the phone with a small, grateful smile.

“Thanks,” Taehyun whispered, fingers tapping lightly on the screen.

Beomgyu smiled back, though it didn’t reach his eyes. He didn’t care about the game. He cared about Taehyun’s tired expression softening, even if just for a moment.