Real A**hole
"Breathe in."
Jeongguk presses the stethoscope just to the left of Taehyung's sternum.
"Breathe out."
His hand is pressed against Taehyung's back, and he can feel the heat radiating off the skin, even through the thin hospital gown.
"Breathe in," Taehyung's heart beat is rapid, matching Jeongguk's own, and he wonders why the hospital had to be understaffed now of all times. And his intern Yura had finished her rotation with him two weeks ago. He was on his own with this one.
"Are you going to let me breathe out or are you just going to let me die?" Taehyung asks irritably, and Jeongguk steps back, scrambling to remove the stethoscope from his ears and wind the cord around his neck.
Jeongguk draws his notepad from his pocket, fishing for his pen before scrawling in it. The less he has to talk to Taehyung, the better. After what had happened at the cemetery, they kept their interactions minimal, mostly communicating through terse short conference calls and a very confused Hoseok.
"Your heartbeat is abnormally fast. Have you sensed any arrhythmia recently?" Jeongguk looks up at Taehyung, face blank, and watches as Taehyung shrugs.
"How am I supposed to know?"
Jeongguk shoots him an annoyed look. "Do you feel out of breath often? Your heart feels like it's beating too fast? Tightness of the chest?"
"No."
"Alright then," Jeongguk writes this in his notebook, concentrating on the notebook in his hand and not the thick tension in the room.
"Your blood pressure is also above your normal range. Are you eating and exercising according to your prescribed health plan?"
The look Taehyung gives him is dirty. "I don't think it's my diet, doc. "
Jeongguk clears his throat, not liking the way Taehyung's gaze seems to sear through him.
"Emotional instability, then?"
"Holy shit, Jeongguk, you're a fucking asshole, you know that?" Taehyung laughs in disbelief.
Jeongguk clicks his pen and situates it back in the breast pocket of his white doctor's coat.
"Then you and I are one in the same," Jeongguk remarks, stepping over to the desktop computer and opening up Taehyung's electronic file.
Taehyung snorts. "What the hell did I do? You're the one who walked into my brother's grave and--"
"I could spend days talking about you, but I have another appointment to get to in ten minutes."
Taehyung's mouth snaps shut, and his face furrows in annoyance. He tugs at the material of the atrocious blue hospital gown he'd been made to wear. Could this get any worse, really?
All he wants to do is sock Jeongguk in the face, but he figures that would be detrimental to his health, considering Jeongguk is the only doctor who can treat his condition.
He couldn't believe Jeongguk had the nerve to walk in on him at Namjoon's tomb, talk so disrespectfully in a place of peace. Clearly Jeongguk had completely lost it. The man was insane.
How could he have even considered him attractive? And yet, he had to stamp down the shiver when Jeongguk's cold, gentle hand pressed against his back. He had nearly choked on Jeongguk's cologne and the man's proximity. It was embarrassing how he kept reacting to Jeongguk, despite everything screaming at him not to.
Regardless of how awful a person Jeongguk was, he was still a good doctor- an internationally acclaimed one, apparently (and no, Taehyung hadn't Googled him). He had saved a lot of lives, his research was revolutionary.
But it hurt , and it confused Taehyung terribly, thinking about the different sides of Jeongguk.
"Your valves sound good," Jeongguk says suddenly, snapping Taehyung out of his thoughts.
"Gee, thanks," Taehyung snaps. Jeongguk raises a single eyebrow, and Taehyung scolds himself for allowing the younger man to worm his way under his skin like that. Jeongguk was the picture of cool confidence, unreactive, no matter what Taehyung did.
Does he even feel?
"You need to get a few MRIs done soon. When do you want to schedule that?" Jeongguk asks, voice disinterested.
"Hoseok will take care of it."
Now, Jeongguk's eyes flash. He straightens up to his full height, slipping his hands into his coat pockets.
"Do you ever do anything on your own?"
Taehyung's face flushes with heat, and he opens his mouth to retort, but is cut off.
"I would guess you put your clothes on by yourself, but I can't put it past you to have someone dress you as well."
Jeongguk tuts, shaking his head. "You're just a puppet, aren't you?" Taehyung's entire body lights up, flaming with indignation and frustration. He wants to be mature about this. If Jeongguk is going to keep jabbing at him, he needs to stay calm. One of them needs to be an adult in this situation.
"How dare you."
"Oh, is that a threat, Taehyung ssi? Are you going to set your lawyers on me? I'm scared."
Jeongguk rolls his eyes, and Taehyung's fingers curl into a fist.
"Jeon Jeongguk, I would advise you to kindly keep out of affairs that are none of your business."
Jeongguk's lips tug up into a derisive smile. It makes Taehyung want to tear his hair out. "As you wish, Taehyung ssi," He even has the gall to give a small bow, before stepping towards the door, and Taehyung finally finds his words.
"There is something, come to think of it." Taehyung fights to keep his voice even. Jeongguk turns, eyebrows quirked in disinterest.
"The orphanage. Everyone was against me taking over it. Even Hoseok. I had to fight for it, know why?"
"Why?" Jeongguk's tone is frigid, adding to the already Antarctic chill in the room.
"Because those kids are fighting too. They have so much potential, so much happiness and love to give. They need to be loved, nurtured. I would hate for them to turn out like you."
The door slams shut, the sound ringing in Taehyung's ears. He knows he's gone too far. Once, a long time ago, Jeongguk had trusted him. Revealed all his vulnerabilities, his scars, the horrors of his life, and gone to Taehyung for support. For love. And Taehyung had just twisted the knife in further.
His shoulders slump, suddenly feeling drained, and he buries his face in his hands, groaning. He
wonders who the real asshole is now.
What have I done?
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