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Discomfort and soreness throbbed intensely throughout Yoongi's legs. It felt like a thousand wasps had stung him in rapid succession, followed by the painful feeling of pins piercing into his skin. If he looked down at them he was sure they'd be red, swollen and unsightly. So when Daddy very carefully dried him off and Appa carried him to the garden house to peel the rash guard off and change his dry albeit damp waterproof nappy into a regular snug one, cooing as he gently manoeuvred Yoongi's numb body into a tad too big onesie decorated with yellow trucks on them, and finally wrapped him securely and cosily into a fresh towel (they hadn't brought any blankets), Yoongi all but collapsed on Appa's lap, curled into the tiniest ball with his eyelids fluttering closed sleepily.
"Look, he's asleep." Yoongi faintly heard Jimin mumble delicately. It sounded like a mumble from Yoongi's cottony headspace, but from the day and half he had known Jimin, the strawberry hair hued man wasn't one to mumble. Squeals and delighted giggles had tumbled from him far more often, and certainly not delicately.
A thumb stroked across his puffed cheek fondly. "I'm not surprised." It was Appa, voice rich, velvety and honey dripping. Soothing. "Little thing was kicking in the water for an hour and half." A rumbling, bear-like chuckle came after, and Yoongi realised his Bear wasn't tucked into his hands— they were currently preoccupied fisting Appa's shirt.
Yoongi kicked his leg out blindly, desperately, a heart-wrenching whimper spilling from his pouty lips when a searing pain shot up his calf. Muted shushes from his abductors met his ears but Yoongi wasn't having it. Squirming relentlessly, he nearly stumbled from Appa's embrace but was caught swiftly and readjusted with hushed whispers of sweet nothings.
"Oh my, God," Daddy gasped, the sound shaky. The breeze of the imminent winter hit Yoongi's bare leg, the larger size having rolled up easily when he wriggled. It pulsated dully, as if one small movement could break his bone completely.
"What is it?" Appa worried, shifting. Yoongi cried out harshly at the arm of the deck chair brushing against his knee. The feeling was akin to having his skin peeled off at a agonising pace and then promptly having salt shaken over the open wound.
"His knee is swollen." Daddy's voice was strained and wobbly. Genuinely concerned. "Sit him forward, Joon. I need to see the other one."
Yoongi mewled, hot droplets of salty tears slipping from his eyes. Through the blur of his distress, he registered both Jimin and Jeongguk looking onward, their whispers muffled if they were even speaking at all— Yoongi couldn't tell at this point, too drowsy with pain. When Appa's hands curled under his armpits and very, oh so lightly, lifted Yoongi up and hastily turned him, back resting against Appa's chest.
Almost instantaneously a electrifying ripple of hurt bound around his legs and Yoongi wailed, not so sure what his trembling hands were gripping onto anymore. The embarrassment and fear he felt earlier in the morning about Jimin and Jeongguk witnessing his
