Incomplete love

In Sickness

Jin was home earlier than he planned to, and the note on the counter informed him their caretaker had left early as well. This meant no dinner was waiting for him. But he was starving. He rolled up his sleeves and got down to the task. Cooking was a safe haven, it was magical how the dish came together with a few movements. And delicious. The doorbell dinged just when he finished loading the dishwasher. 

'Gukmul! Appa missed you so much!' he cried taking the cage from his father. 

'Your mom sent some kimchi for you.' his father announced, placing the container on the countertop. 'Don't forget to bring the container tomorrow.' he warned watching Gukmul run on Jin's shoulder. 

'Okay Okay!' he exclaimed, playing with his beloved pet. 'Would you like some Samgye-tang? I made extra.' Jin asked watching his father hover near the kitchen.  

'Why did you cook extra? Is Taehyung coming over?' he asked fiddling with the coasters. Jin smiled to himself, his parents had come a long way since accepting he was gay and was dating a man, let alone one younger than him and a band member. He didn't know if they feigned it, but Jin never told them about their living situation. 

'Hmm, maybe. I asked him to come over because he was not feeling well.' He answered, and found a questioning look on his father's face. He put it on his lap and sighed. 'Taehyung has a cold, a very bad sore throat.' he answered. The moment he did, there was a clatter in the kitchen. He put the pet back in its cage and rushed to find his dad chopping garlic on the chopping board while the water sat in a pot on the stove. He was preparing cold medicine. His speed surprised Jin, but there was no doubt, he cared for Taehyung. This was an unsettled argument in their house, his father's medicine always cured them faster than their mother's. 

'Namjoon's father met me at golf today.' His father announced while Jin had returned back to feed Gukmul. 'What did he say?' Jin amused his father. 

'He mentioned an overseas shoot. Where are you going?' he egged for details. 

'Details are yet to be finalized.' he answered. This was his father's normal interrogation. It came from a place of love.

'Where is the honey?' he asked. Jin came back inside to hand him the honey. But then he was pointed to leave, unwelcome to watch the recipe. 'Will it be in the west?' He asked after a while. Jin sighed, even after he had just said no details were known to him, there were still questions about the same topic.

'I don't know. Probably Japan or Australia.' Jin answered taking a seat over the counter and watching him stir something in the pot. His father was always so secretive about the recipe. 

'Oh alright. Just carry lots of sweaters and thermals. It will be winter in a few weeks.' His father suggested, and Jin couldn't help but smile and nod. Then he watched his father struggle with the barstool for an entire minute. 

'Just sit on the pillows, will you?' Jin whined when he almost fell to his knees. 

'Don't point to the stupid pillows! Get some furniture on which one can sit!' he grumbled, throwing the apron on the counter. He was already walking out when he hesitated. 'Just put a lid on the pot while it simmers down.' he hesitated again. 'And let it simmer for ten minutes. TEN MINUTES!' he warned before walking out.

It was quite late when the front door clicked. Jin eyed his slumped shoulders shrugging off the coat, and dragging his feet through the corridor, he forced himself to go back to his script, convincing himself that his mind was probably blurry from excessive exhaustion when the usual greeting didn't come as soon as the door clicked. His eyes scanned through the same sentence thrice, while his ears and mind focussed on their room, the closet door clicking, the bathroom door opening, and then silence, he almost stood up to check on him when he heard the shower run after the longest moment. Sighing, he waited, scanning through the script, but nothing registered until he heard the footsteps approaching him, more like dragging on the floor. The usually playful eyes were droopy and red-tinged his neck and cheeks, he must have had a scalding hot bath and was probably feeling cold now. He had switched the AC off the moment Taehyung entered the apartment, but it was still cold. He put the script down, eyeing his boyfriend for the longest moment, and then opened his arms wide beckoning him.  The climbed in his lap to rest his head on the chest, wrapping his arms around him under the shirt, purely for the warmth 'My voice' he sniffled, in the coarsest voice. It hurt to see him frustrated with himself, and how he wished to help him feel better.