pretty boy | taekook

ring

chapter fifty ;; ring
taehyung's perspective
°☆.。.:*・°☆

Just because Jeongguk has a high advantage of beating the leukemia doesn't mean he still wouldn't feel it in him. Today didn't seem like one of his golden days, waking up at my side while sweating yet shaking at the same time. What a terrifying and saddening sight, pulling a drenched body closer to me, to only receive whimpers and a beg for the pain to go away.

I wish I could understand what he was going through him, hold empathy and not just mere sympathy. That's what Jeongguk needs, someone who understood, not someone who could try and help. But I was all he had. It caused my teenage heart to break even more while handing two pills for a fever.

He begged for me not to call a doctor, an almost terrifying and dark undertone to a usually calm and quiet voice. It was a new side I hadn't seen, but I obediently listened and put my cellphone down once hearing such a strong plea. This is what he warned me about, begs to be cured, begs for it all to end. Yesterday was such an amazing day, a night spent in such ecstasy and celebration for new found hope. Now, it was all easily crashing down, with the eager cries to be fixed.

Now, my arms were circling around the poor boy next to me on a plush sofa. Jeongguk wanted to leave the proximities of my bedroom, wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket. Even with a grumpy face and snapping words, he remained precious. The absolute world in my eyes. It was just one corrupted day out of many to come. I was only getting started in the process of nursing the one I love once again, almost starting back from square one.

"I love you." I quietly said at one point, as Jeongguk had pushed me off him, complaining of being too hot. He only sighed, pushing his sweat covered head further into the blanket wrapped around a small body, "I said I love you." My voice speaks again, coming off in a firm and louder tone. A heartbeat had begun to pick up in fear. Clammy hands and sad eyes turned cold, finding a new source of aggravation that shouldn't really be used, "Fine, be like that. Take care of yourself. I'm going back to my bedroom." But I didn't hear the cracked cry, not until the plush sofa was two meters away, pace being quick and somewhat stomping. Jeongguk's muffled sounds had just barely been picked up, slowly turning around to watch what appeared to be a bundle of blankets wavering. While turning down the flatscreen tv's volume, my unsure and guilt-filled actions presumed by crouching down next to Jeongguk's side, "Guk-"

"I- I- I'm s-s-sorry please d-on't," he loudly hiccups whole body wavering and chest heaving up and down, "l-leave me." Loudened sobs only continued.

"I'm not," I whisper, running my hands through Jeongguk's damp fringe, "I- I'd never leave you, Gukkie." My hands reached out, encircling around and bringing his small body closer to mine. He crawled closer, pushing into me, while I slowly sat back up on the sofa.

"I love you. I love you. I love you." He mutters in some sort of endless loop, concerned eyes meeting with confused mint hair.

Yoongi- who had trailed down the hallway with Jimin when hearing the commotion -could only gulp, adam's apple clearly bobbing and mouth moving to Jimin's forehead for a sweet and comforting kiss. They exchanged a short conversation glancing over towards the restless boy curled up against my lap and slowly calming down, with the feeling of my fingertips running across his scalp, "I know you love me. I love you too."

"N-No, I do love you. I love you a lot, and I'm scared to leave, because if I do then I won't be able to love you anymore, and I don't want to do that." My throat was going dry at his sad words that came out in almost a string of mumbles, already half asleep and falling deeper.

With tears and a prominent lump seeming impossible to swallow, I leaned down and placed a soft kiss onto his head, noticing long eyelashes displayed from lids, which were already fluttered shut. Jeongguk's lips emitted soft snores, obviously drained of almost everything and unbelievably tired. I should've payed attention to all the tossing and turning he was doing last night.

"Today's not a good day." I sniff, tears freely falling but being quickly wiped away with the back of my hand, "It's one of his worsts." Yoongi and Jimin both walked over, Yoongi taking the lead as always.

Small and slim fingers were being drawn through my own brown and green locks. My older brother looked at me with worried eyes, taking a seat next, Jimin following next to him, "Sleep, Taehyung-ah." Yoongi says in a low tone, laying me down and making it so Jeongguk and I could both comfortably lay together, "Jimin and I will watch the house while the two of you get some rest." Even though I was undeniably taller, Yoongi always acted like a protective parent, almost simulating a better guardian than Mr. and Mrs. Min could be.

"I'm sorry that Jeongguk's acting like this." Jimin sadly says, looking down at his stubby hands before back up and towards the two of us now laying in opposite directions, my face right in front of Jeongguk's but body laying in the other direction.

I let out a soft sigh, running a light finger to trace small lips, eyes falling more and more to close, "Does Jeongguk know about the ring yet?"

"No."

"Are you still going to go through with it? You're extremely young, Tae." Yoongi softly says, trying best not to sadden me any more.

"It's just a promise ring." I remind him, "Except it's different because of our circumstances, a-and I know we're young, but the way that Jeongguk's been lately, it's just...I'm scared." My eyes trace all along the pretty boy's tired and shining face.

"I know you are, but there's such a high chance all will be well." Yoongi smiles slightly, "That and I want to propose to Jimin before you can propose to Jeongguk." He jokes, mint hair flying slightly as a loud laughter fills. Jimin smacked his arm, as I hushed down the loud sounds so the the small one laying could peacefully sleep.

"It'll be like what Joon and Seokjin had, right?"

"Has." Jimin corrects, resting his head onto Yoongi's small shoulder, eyes closing as well.

"Right..." I whisper, eyes still focusing on pale skin. My brain felt cluttered. Oh so cluttered. The overwhelming ache in my temples and chest from simply starting at Jeongguk alone was enough to make my fingertips tremble, "How-... How did I end up here? Everything is so difficult. I was supposed to graduate high school with a football scholarship, not fall in love and go through one of the most emotionally traumatizing times in my life." Thinking out loud had begun.

"Well, none of us expected any of this to happen." Yoongi reasons, "I didn't expect to fall in love with an orange nor almost lose my best friend...but I feel like it needed to happen, and I feel like Jeongguk deserves all the credit for this chain of events. I don't want to blame him for the bad but instead praise him for the good. He really means no harm."

A small smile forms on my face, "Yeah..."

"I'll leave the two of you to rest now." Yoongi announces after moments of silence, "Jimin's tired anways, and you're starting to act weird, bye." He takes ahold of Jimin's hand and guides the sleepy boy with him, feet lazily dragging along.

That's when my eyes decided to close, hearing two happy lovers trot upstairs while giggling and sharing short conversations. Now, the atmosphere was silent, and my mind only drifted to the small, black velvet box and the pretty- beautiful -boy next to me.

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