Harsh reality 🖤💔
Stars in the sky, appearing with patience mark the time for the toddler's sleep. Jungkook takes her to bed, reads her a good bedtime story for her to have a peaceful sleep, and kisses her on the forehead as a goodnight. His baby is unaffected by all the turmoil going in their lives. Ambling through his way he reaches the bedroom where he spends the night. Opening the door very silently, in order not to wake up the other person if he is already asleep, he enters the bedroom tiptoed, breathes taken in, and released out with caution. Tae was always a light sleeper. A light sound, a mosquito buzzing nearby, a kid laughing at a distance, and his sleep cycle is broken. Thus, caution is necessary.
Tae: "You look like a thief entering a room to steal something." The melodious tone of the older announces the cognizance to Jungkook. Posture now relaxed, the guard let down he reaches the bed where the older is seen smiling at him, a book half-read in his hands, his glasses sitting perfectly on his high nose bridge.
Jk: "I didn't want to wake you up. It's late and you should be asleep."
Tae: "I can't sleep without you, Mama."
Jk: "Hey! Stop there!"
Tae: "How can I? You are acting like the strict mothers in the movies! You know that's the only impression I have of mothers right?"
Jk: "It doesn't matter! I'm not your Mama!"
Tae: "We'll see that. Now come." Tae smiles as he extends his arms to the younger. His invitation is accepted. The younger reaches him to get embraced in the older one's arms, melting in the warmth after a stressful day. His head settled in the crook of Tae's neck, taking in the intoxicating and calming smell of vanilla. His nose rubbed on the taller's scent gland.
Tae: "You have been working too much for the past months,"Tae states his worry to the younger, stroking his chestnut hair tenderly.
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Lifting his head to face the older, changing their previous position, he sits up straight, cradling the submissive alpha's face in his large hands.
Jk: "Do you want me to be with you dear? I can take leave if you want." His eyes project concern, brows slightly furrowed, his thumb stroking the other's face softly.
Tae: "I want you to have some rest. Look at yourself properly. You are exhausted from all the hard work."
Jk: "No, I'm not. I am young and green. I don't get tired easily. Someone is having thoughts like my grandpa I see."
Tae: "Don't call me grandpa."
Jk: "When did I?" The two continue to bicker as time passes by. The night ages with grace, the two alphas find themselves laughing, smiling, and enjoying their time. Peaceful as it is, it seems too perfect. kook is afraid of the future. When cherishing the present he fears perishing in the future, he fears the life to erode, to disappear, he is afraid of losing peace and happiness.
How he wishes he could stop the time. All of them are happy, content with everything they have now. But, it is never possible, never likely to happen. Tae pulls the blanket up to his chest, his mind unexplainably at peace hearing the rhythmic breathes of the younger sleeping beside him, their bodies resting close, face to face, his waist encircled by the younger, subconsciously in his sleep. Exhausted after the whole day kook has fallen asleep before the older.
Staring at the handsome face of the younger, Tae traces signs of stress in him. Hollowed cheeks, dark under-eye bags, complexion, paler than usual. What is he so stressed about? His ruts? Why bring such a worrywart for unscheduled ruts?
He extends his hands to touch the younger's face, caressing it with his thumb. A small smile forms on the lips as the younger relaxes more, his free hand subconsciously holding the warm hands of the older. Tae leans forward to kiss the sleeping figure, a simple expression of love, a simple touch of lips, a great impact on his heart. "Goodnight dear."
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The morning arrives, the night now preparing for the next arrival after 16 hours. Tae sits with Jiyi at the dining table. Jiyi has been acting so mature lately, Tae wonders if his health problems are indirectly affecting her childhood. He doesn't want that to happen.
Tae: "Baby, how's school going?" He asks the little girl in a cheery tone while he finds his hands busy in setting her stray hair on her forehead.
Jiyi: "It's good! The teacher taught us very hard maths yesterday...." And the rant continues. Tae smiles, chuckles and remarks some words in between the conversation trying to make up for all the times that she couldn't spend with her taetae.
Jungkook is long out for work. The man now sleeps late as wakes up early, works through the day, and comes home to care for tae.
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Tae: "You don't need to do it, you know. You can ask Jackson for help, or keep someone keeping a watch on me so that you don't tire yourself out."
He had stated once as he felt guilty of exhausting the younger out for his problems.
Jk: "Jackson needs time with neyeon. They have just found each other! Do you want to become a pain in their ass?"
Tae: "That would lessen the pain in neyeon's ass."
Jk: "Dirty. I am innocent."
Tae: "Right."
Jk: "And I don't trust anyone when it comes to you. They might fall in love with you. What if they are perfect. I don't want the competition. And I want to be with you. Do you not?"
Tae: "Stop emotional blackmailing, will you?"
Jk: "I am not! I am stating facts."
Tae: "Fine!"
Jk: "Good boy!"
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With Jiyi out for school with neyeon who drops her on her way to the hospital, Tae is alone for a few hours. Having no work in their hands he roams around the house a bit, moving his jammed body parts. His steps lead him in front of Jungkook's workroom. A space that was turned into a working place for the time Jungkook stays here.
He shakes his head internally. The younger is out for a few hours and he is already missing him, craving for him more. He enters the room with small steps, the room a bit messy. Jungkook was never a very organized person. But, his focus is snatched by the strong smell of sandalwood in the room. His nerves calmed down to a bare minimum. He feels peace in this room, comfortable and at home.
The table looks too messy to his eyes. If not for the sake of cleanliness, he proceeds to clean it for the sake of his self-proclaimed OCD.
Books, papers, notes, songs, diaries, contacts..........prescription? Tae furrows his brows as his orbs find a bundle of prescriptions stapled together, kept a bit separated from the rest of the documents. His prescription.
His eyes trace the words, reports, and results present in printed form and his eyes widen in realization.
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Eyes watering in torment, lungs feeling stiff, suffocating air around him, he remains gazing at the paper in his hands. The results of his final check-up.
"You're okay."
"You're healing."
"You're having great improvements!"
"You will be fine, the doctor assured us."
He has been hearing the words for the past two months, healing, health, okay, improve, he didn't get to make any sense out of these words. He doesn't remember being sick, except for his ruts to become tardy. And, the worst part of it, he finds to be that he never tried to make much sense out of it. He was taken care of, he was being loved, he was being pampered. And, up to the done point, he enjoyed it.
He loves it when Jungkook comes to him running, at the end of the day. But, this?
Weak immunity? Unstable mind? Confusions? These weren't his mistake after all....................fighting with death? And it was hidden? By the two most trusted people on this Earth? His tears find their way to his eyes, crudely cascading down to his cheeks. What will he make of it now?
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His hands fist the papers tightly. The last results were kept on top. He is close to his complete healing procedure.
A few courses of medicines and he is supposed to be fine, just like new, elegant and agile. But, when the present pressures him down with grief? How can he?
🥺
Author N-Tk 𐤀