Rub His Back | A JJK Sickfic

chapter six: let him sleep (part 2)

Not wanting to waste any time on the winning streak of the maknae's lowering fever and keeping down half of a water bottle, Jungkook had been moved to the kitchen for a change of scenery and a bowl of steaming chicken noodle soup. Jin had put a new shirt on himself and on Jungkook that was fresh out of the dryer; Hobi was still walking around shirtless and proud of it, choosing Taehyung to follow around and pester, trying to get his restless and cooped-up dongsaeng to laugh some.

Yoongi and Jimin had apparently finished cooking dinner, but no one had actually eaten yet. Jin had found that to be odd, but Yoongi explained that they'd all been too worried to eat. So Jin gets busy in the kitchen, re-warming soup (tasting to see if it meets standards) and plating up kimchi and rice. He serves Jungkook a bowl first before getting back to work, looking back occasionally to make sure Jungkook hasn't fallen off his barstool or that he's still eating. Jungkook keeps shooting him weak yet comical faces so the eldest doesn't have to check again so quickly.

He likes that the house is now buzzing with life compared to how quiet it was in the bedroom. The TV's on and utensils are clinking in the kitchen and Hobi's got coffee going and the boys are chatting and cracking jokes again.

Jungkook chews on a few spinach leaves and sips up half the broth in his bowl but leaves all the noodles before stopping altogether. His stomach was already full after the water alone, so the soup doesn't feel necessary. It sits heavy in his belly and sloshes every time he shifts in his seat. He pushes the bowl to the side and puffs some air out. The fullness makes his throat constrict and he hiccups, laying his head down in his arms on the cool polished granite of the kitchen island.

Jimin hovers close. Jungkook can feel his small hand start patterns on his back before his stomach suddenly unfurls with a loud gurgle. It carries into a whine and Jungkook coils, spine jutting along Jimin's palm.

"You okay, bun? That didn't sound very good."

Jungkook just nods his head, still hiding his face, biting his lips and wrapping an arm around his stomach. The pressure staves off the beginnings of what could have been a nasty cramp, but it also pushes up sour air that he's not too keen on burping up with an audience around. Swallowing hard pushes the burning air painfully back down into his stomach, and had it always been this bloated and hard? Jin turns around, looks like he's about to say something, but stops himself when Jimin puts a finger to his full lips.

Jimin should have known Jungkook would say he's okay when he's not. Even as his tense posture makes it clear that he's in distress, the maknae's determined not to worry anyone.

"You know, Jungkookie, I think it's been well established that you're not feeling well," Jimin murmurs. "Just tell us what hurts so we can help you, baby. Okay?"

Jungkook just nods again, not answering. Jimin keeps rubbing his back. After a few seconds, Jungkook lifts his head, face flushed and lips tight. He doesn't feel well; the soup and the water want to come up but he's fighting the feeling. He can't have medicine until he's kept the food down. The nausea's starting to swell in waves again, but the last one that hit is gone, so he smiles unconvincingly at Jin and takes Jimin's hand to squeeze it reassuringly.

"I'm okay."

x

Everyone decides an all-nighter is in order. Jungkook feels too sick to sleep and too stir-crazy if he can sleep, so Hobi distributes mugs full of coffee. Jungkook looks so guilty as they down their mugs; they were staying up for him.

"Turn that frown upside down, kiddo!" Jin cheers in his best dad voice. "All-nighters are essential for vacation. It's a must, you know."

"That's right, hyung!" Taehyung chirped. "Time to turn up!" Taehyung starts butchering cypher lyrics, bouncing on his heels and dabbing. Hoseok humors him, joining in and mimicking his moves. Yoongi jokes under his breath that Taehyung could've done without the extra caffeine.

There's a jacuzzi out on the deck of the bungalow. Bright pink and orange flower petals from all the bushes nearby cover the deck and float in the steaming water, casting beautifully in the moonlight. They strip Jungkook down to his boxers and Jin lowers the maknae's aching body into the hot tub. Yoongi has some music playing on the Bluetooth speaker once everyone's settled in.

Jungkook stays curled into Namjoon as the leader scrolls idly on his phone, sandwiched by Jin while he continuously scoops warm water into a cup and pours it carefully along Jungkook's neck. The boy shudders each time the water hits his skin, sensitive still, but the way his eyes flutter shut each time, they know it feels good.

After a while, conversation builds among the group as they all muse about memories and reflect on favorite moments from their tour. There's always plenty to talk about; Namjoon even reads aloud some entertaining twitter posts from their fans. He shows Jungkook some memes he knows will make him laugh, but Jungkook seems too blissed out to give much of a response.

The warm water loosens up the air Jungkook had kept fighting to swallow all this time. It starts to hurdle out without warning. The first one rumbles past his lips while his chin is hooked on Namjoon's shoulder. Namjoon feels it as it gurgles from deep in Jungkook's stomach and forcefully exits in a loud belch. Jungkook opens his eyes, staring ahead, surprised the sound had come from him. Color had already burned bright in his cheeks, but now his ears are blushing too.

"Sorry," It's poignant how sincerely apologetic he sounds.

"That sounded like it needed to happen. No big deal, babe," Namjoon comforts. He stays preoccupied with his phone so Jungkook can see that he isn't fazed by the sound. Jin's hand starts an upward motion on his spine.

"I wish you wouldn't swallow your burps, ahgi—no wonder you're so crampy." Jin gently nags. He brings a hand around to feel Jungkook's belly. It's tight and convex, a hard dome under his fingers. He clucks his teeth with a disapproving tsk, working his hand on the maknae's back with more purpose. He pats—lightly at first—between Jungkook's shoulder blades, making Jungkook squirm before he belches yet again over Namjoon's shoulder.

Mortified, Jungkook starts to lift himself, to be considerate to Namjoon, but the leader's hand guides Jungkook's head to rest back on his shoulder. "I'm more gross than you, JK, deal with it," Namjoon quips. Everyone except Yoongi snickers at the comment.

"It's just how life works," Taehyung says with a shrug. It's been an inside joke between him and Jungkook since a few nights ago, when Taehyung accidentally knocked his glass of water over at a restaurant and some spilled on Jungkook's pants.

"Yeah, Tae burps like fifty times a day." Jimin reveals.

"Hey!" Taehyung cups his hand in the water to squirt a mini geyser toward Jimin, whose arm is slung around him. Jimin playfully shoves him away. "I do not—when have you ever heard me do it?"

"Yah, you're telling me you don't burp? You let loose the minute we're alone. I just act like I don't notice, and you don't know I count them," Jimin bites both his lips, eyeing Taehyung carefully. Taehyung is blushing from the exposure. They both look about to burst out laughing.

"You're such weirdos," Yoongi says under his breath, but he still looks amused, laughing a little when Jimin jabs him with his elbow. He rests his arms out along the headrest of the jacuzzi, leaning back. The night sky is clear, the stars are out, and the waves are crashing along the shore in the distance. It's truly beautiful out. Thank God they get to be schedule-free for a few more days.

"I could've done without the coffee. What I really want is some wine," Jimin muses. He lifts his head up, at Jungkook looking briefly serene between their hyungs under the light of the moon. "Wine's good for achiness, right? Would that be good for Kookie?"

Namjoon smiles from his phone. Jin contemplates. "It might. I'd actually give him some if he'd had a cold or something, but I don't think he'd be able to handle the bitterness if I gave it to him right now. Anyway, it's probably too hard on his stomach."

"Oh, okay," Jimin says, leaning back again. Taehyung joins him and they watch stars and look for constellations and everyone dips in and out of conversation, enjoying each other's company under water jets and bubbles. Jungkook is seemingly relaxed, save for the times he jolts and presses quiet hiccups into Namjoon's back, or the times he steers an airy burp away from everyone. His body is putty under Jin's light finger massages along his arms and across the back of his neck and into the small of his back where the tension might be gathering most. Jungkook's eyelids are heavy; he looks relaxed. Jin hopes Jungkook's fever is finally starting to taper off.

Maybe this is working.