TASTE | KTH

equilibrium

Getting Taehyung mobile proved to be a challenge. Their first thought was to put him in a hot bath, but Hoseok pointed out that his body could go into shock, and that was the last thing they needed. So, they opted for coaxing hot tea down his throat and wrapping him up in blankets. They heated up warm compresses and plugged in heating pads in every available outlet. Jimin kept his arms wrapped around him all the while.

"This is useless." Jungkook mutters, holding both of Taehyung's hands between his own and trying to use friction to rub warmth into them. Taehyung is still unable to move, and they've been at this for an hour. He simply watches his friends wear themselves out even more as time passes, watches their hope with each new idea deteriorate as their new ideas prove to be ineffective.

"Well, we're fresh out of options." Hoseok deadpans, ever the realist. They're all sufficiently exhausted, to say the least. This is the third sleepless night in a row, and they're all growing extremely tired of dealing with the problems they can't seem to solve. "We're lucky I even managed to get ahold of the specialist this late. He was kind of pissed, but he agreed to see Tae and Yura first thing in the morning."

"It's all for nothing if we can't even move Taehyungie." Jimin sighs, stroking his best friend's hair. They all know he's right. Taehyung's joints are stiff and immovable, his muscles frozen and cramping. There's no way he'd be able to make it to Daegu, let alone the train station. In order to make the appointments with the specialist at 9, they need to catch the 5 AM train. It's 4, and they've made absolutely no progress.

"Well, there's one thing we haven't tried." Namjoon speaks up from where he leans against the wall. The three others follow his gaze to the one person who has been quiet and obedient this whole time: Yura. After Jimin's outburst, Yura deemed it better to just make herself useful than defend herself. She knew protesting would get her nowhere, and Taehyung would hate to hear her argue with his best friend, despite how Jimin's words stung. She had busied herself by making Taehyung's tea and wetting towels with warm water, but now, Yura freezes at the sudden attention on her.

"What are you suggesting?" Hoseoks asks skeptically, though he has a feeling he knows exactly what Namjoon's intending.

"Well, Taehyung's extremely cold, and Yura's extremely hot." Namjoon begins, but Jimin hates the idea from the start.

"Nope, no way. They're polar opposites, how could putting them together possibly go well?" Jimin states firmly, holding Taehyung tighter, protectively.

"They could balance each other out." Jungkook says softly, and Namjoon nods, a glimmer of new hope in his eyes. Jimin, however, has the opposite reaction, looking baffled and hurt that Jungkook would even suggest such a thing. Yura shifts her weight from foot to foot uncomfortably. "Equilibrium." Jungkook states more firmly this time, looking directly at Jimin to emphasize his point. Jimin's bitter glare softens when he looks into Jungkook's doe eyes now.

"I still don't like this." Jimin says truthfully. "Yura could have another reaction to Tae, and then we might just have two people unable to get to the specialist."

"Well, it's the only thing we've got left. Might as well give it a shot, right?" Hoseok sighs, tiredly dragging his hand over his face.

"Are you up for it?" Namjoon asks Yura quietly, walking over to her and setting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Yura swallowa dryly, nerves on edge. She has already made up her mind. Seeing Taehyung in pain is worse than any pain she had felt before. It hurts in a different way, one that's beyond skin deep. Yura nods.

Jungkook walks over to Jimin and helps him out from under Taehyung's body, where the freezing man had been laying on his chest. Jimin is hesitant to let go, and Jungkook has to pull him into a firm embrace--one of comfort, but also assurance that he won't attempt to stop Yura. Yura walks over to the now empty side of the bed. Shakily, she manages to move so that she's in the same position Jimin was. Taehyung's head is nestled into the crook of her neck and her arms are wrapped securely around his middle, his long legs and torso to one side of her legs.

The room as silent as they watch, wait for something, anything, to happen. Yura realizes how cold Taehyung truly is then, as the coolness seeps into her own bones through his skin. His beautiful espresso eyes look up at her, and despite his alarmingly low temperature, his eyes are still overflowing with warmth. She can feel the fondness he has for her so tangibly, and though there are four other sets of eyes on them, it makes her feel like they're the only two in the room.

Yura brings her hand up to caress his cheek, to let her thumb brush over his chapped lips, to trace his strong brow bone and sloping nose, his prominent jawline and lilac undereyes. And then, she feels his tense muscles relax, melt into her. The surprise must show on her face, because the others crowd around then. The intimate moment is shattered, but she doesn't care, a wide smile blooming on her lips as happy tears fill her eyes. She continues to hold him tightly and let her warmth soak into his features through her fingertips.

After a few minutes, Taehyung manages to curl his lips up into a weak smile. Jimin and Jungkook embrace once more, and Hoseok jumps for joy. Namjoon just stands there with pride on his face, sighing incredulously. And then, Taehyung ever so slightly tilts his head so his face is invisible to the others, and Yura feels his breath on her neck, followed by whispered words. "You're so brave."

Yura smiles to herself, the others completely oblivious to this exchange, too caught up in their own relief and celebration. She knows he's referencing the fact that she might have suffered the excruciating heat again if this hadn't been successful. She just smiles, bringing her hand up to cup the back of his neck, playing with the hair there affectionately.

"I'm not." She murmurs back. She feels Taehyung manage to shift his weight even more, moving to his chest is pressed up against her side, his face still buried into the crook of her shoulder.

"You saved me. Thank you." He says softly, and Yura just smiles.

"I've got you." She uses his words on him for the first time. Taehyung is silent for a splitsecond, but then he dips his head a little more and presses his lips gently into the skin of her neck. Yura can feel the outline of his smile against her skin as he kisses her neck sweetly. He only leaves one kiss, but once is enough for her to feel his gratitude.

"Okay, not to break up the celebration or anything," Hoseok speaks up, "but your train leaves in half an hour. Get moving, lovebirds! You've got a specialist to see!"

this is short and kinda ehh but i have big plans for the next chapter so stay tuned hehe

lmk your thoughts :)

r