j_v_tae (ao3)
Even when his exhaustion is clear to everyone around him, Kim Taehyung is nothing if not stubborn. Jeongguk can only watch as his boyfriend pushes himself further and further past his limits — but Bangtan is a team, and they catch each other when they fall.
~
"You okay, Tae?"
The question instantly rouses Jeongguk from his half-slumber over his bowl of cereal. It's Jin that asked, and when Jin asks one of them if they are okay, they're usually not. Their oldest hyung is observant like that. So Jeongguk's immediate response is to turn to the boy next to him, squeezing the hand he'd absentmindedly been holding underneath the table.
Taehyung blushes bright red under all the attention — all of his hyungs' eyes, and his boyfriend's are on him. The red cheeks are in stark contrast with the rest of his pallor: his skin has a grey tint to it, apart from the dark purple bags underneath his eyes. His eyes are still puffy with sleep — as are everyone else's, but Taehyung's are the sort of puffy that the maknae's eyes get when he simply can't wake up — and it's been a good few months since the last time Jeongguk allowed himself to get that bad.
"I'm okay," Taehyung replies, breaking the tense silence that has fallen over them. "Tired, is all." Tired seems like the understatement of the century. Observing his hyungs' concerned expressions, Jeongguk is certain he isn't irrationally worried (as he has the tendency to be when it comes to his boyfriend) when he thinks Taehyung looks like he's about to keel over.
"Are you sure?" Namjoon asks carefully. He's sat opposite Taehyung and ducks his head to look his dongsaeng in the eye, but Taehyung stubbornly avoids his gaze. "If you need to rest up that's okay, yeah? We don't overwork ourselves." After a few near-fainting scares in their first couple of years after debut, all seven of them had sat down to talk about the dangers of pushing too far. It was then that they decided to watch out for each other more, and that they would not allow each other to overwork. From then on, they started taking better care of each other. Jeongguk himself has been on forced bedrest more than a few times since then — it felt like hell, resting while the others went to rehearsals and dance practice, but it was a necessary sacrifice in the long run.
"I'll let you know if it's too bad," Taehyung says dismissively with a wave of his hand, before shoving another spoonful of cornflakes into his mouth. The expression he wears tells the other six that Taehyung is done talking about this, so they move on. Taehyung has always been stubborn — attempting to persuade him would more than likely yield the exact opposite result. But Jeongguk doesn't miss the worried glances the older members exchange — they may drop the subject for now, but Taehyung isn't getting off the hook that easily. He squeezes Taehyung's hand again: silent reassurance, and a silent warning.
—
They are rehearsing for an upcoming concert today. It's the first full run-through, more songs than they've ever performed. There's no telling exactly how tiring it will be, and Jeongguk can't help but worry about whether or not Taehyung will be able to cope. The drive to the concert hall is too short for a nap, so Taehyung is staring ahead blankly, head on Jeongguk's shoulder as he blinks rapidly to stay awake.
Jeongguk is burning to take Taehyung home — to beg him to take it easy, to cuddle him and rub his feet and draw him a bath. But he knows that doing so much as bring up the subject again will cause Taehyung to be even more insistent to keep going. So he does the next best thing: wraps his arm around his boyfriend's shoulders and presses a kiss on the top of his head. I'm here, it's okay, he means to say.
And he achieves the desired results when Taehyung relaxes into his form, turning his head to press his nose against the column of Jeongguk's neck. If he can't make Taehyung rest, he'll do whatever he can to make this day as easy as possible for him.
