Rub His Back | A JJK Sickfic

chapter three: hold him in your arms (part 2)

Taehyung tiptoes out to the kitchen while Jungkook heaves his throat raw. All that comes out of him now is air and the faintest trickles of drool. He's been going at it for 10 minutes. It's distressing to hear the weak sound of pain after each paralyzing stomach convulsion. Jungkook's muscles are starting to cramp up in places other than his abdomen. He's dehydrated. Taehyung must get some water in him.

He comes back with an open water bottle and a straw, setting it aside and getting behind Jungkook to pry the boy away from the toilet. He practically fights Jungkook onto his lap. Jungkook is too weak to protest, but he tries anyway, twisting himself away from Taehyung and back toward the toilet. He's convinced he might get vomit on the floor, or worse, on Taehyung.

"Hyung, m'not—mmlk!" Jungkook launches himself over the bowl just in time to surrender to an empty guttural retch, so hard that his toes dig into the grout on the tiled floor, his spine a perfect "c" around the fixture.

"Kook-ah," Taehyung breathes sadly, scooting closer to support him just like before, unsurprised that despite the effort, nothing comes up. "Baby, listen," he whispers softly, because Jungkook is so done with being sick, coughing out little sobs and clenching shaky fists. He gives in to another of his stomach's impulsive urge to expel.

"There's nothing else in you. Hey—," Taehyung somehow manages to get Jungkook onto his lap yet again, after having to coax him away from the porcelain bowl with a few more reassuring words and some gentle circles on his back. The dry heaves finally ease after Taehyung makes Jungkook follow his breathing. He's winded from all the effort, cheeks burning and eyes red from tears forced out from vomiting. His chest jumps with an empty hiccup and his head lolls onto Taehyung's chest.

"Hyung. . .I don't think m'done," he slurs with a thick voice. His breath hitches like he's about to gag, but he swallows and grabs Taehyung's wrist, squeezing it. Taehyung can feel Jungkook's heart pounding through his skin. He holds him closer, tucking Jungkook's bare feet into his lap. He starts to rock, a slow sway, head dipping to look at Jungkook. His look is steady and reassuring and Jungkook is momentarily distracted from the nausea. Taehyung has big beautiful eyes; they stare back at him with an intensity that demands his attention.

"Relax," he hums, with a soft smile breaking just at the corner of his lips. Jungkook holds onto Taehyung's wrist with a grip that says he has no intention of letting go any time soon. He closes his eyes, and then his bottom lips quivers.

"Ohhh aigoooo—I know you don't feel good, bunny," Taehyung gushes, and he can't help but let a giggle bubble past his lips as he rubs his thumb across Jungkook's fluttering eyelids. He ducks to pepper kisses on Jungkook's cheeks, catching salty moisture with his lips, disregarding the fact that Jungkook is clearly pukey and smelly. But Jungkook never gets like this, and it's so rare that he's this vulnerable. He wants to cherish it all.

Jungkook sniffles and hides his face, shoulders hitching with a deep sob. Taehyung rocks him deeper, dipping again to press his lips into the maknae's hair.

"Shhh, baby, I know," he says, silently praying he'll stop. There's something in his voice that makes his sounds of distress too heartwrenching for anyone to hear (especially his hyungs), a broken breathy sound, like someone is twisting a knife into his chest.

He rocks him and rocks him, humming as he goes, until Jungkook is suddenly fast asleep.

Maybe the water can wait.

x

Jin is often the early riser, so he's sure to find that everyone is still sound asleep in the bedroom when he wakes up, but Taehyung and Jungkook aren't there. Already, he's assuming the worst, and why didn't Tae wake him up?