Everyone in the office knew Taehyung was an avid fan of that all-girl restaurant across the street but they never believed he would literally rush there every single time the worms inside his stomach protested for their rights. Or just for a simple relaxing time after intense brainstorming session in the meeting room with his squad. It felt like Taehyung was addicted to that restaurant rather than being a normal regular customer there.

“He is not only a regular customer. He is a regular customer quadrate,” said Sehun to Woojin, the profiler from Team 3, while pouring hot water into the ramen’s cup. Soon, mouth-watering scent emitted, taking people’s attention here and there, except Woojin who now was sitting on Krystal’s desk right next to Sehun.

“I started working here two years ago. At that time, Taehyung-hyung was my mentor-” Woojin stared at the ceiling, letting his memory of two years ago flooded back into his young brain. He scrunched his face, clearly perplexed by the comparison that he made by himself, clicking his tongue and tilting his head briskly in discordance.

“Kim Taehyung today is not Kim Taehyung from the past,” affirmed the youngster proudly.

“Yeah, he is aged by now,” added Siwan who walked in carrying his journal, right when Woojin mentioned the quirky man. “He is like…. 27?”

“28,” Jonghyuk corrected while swiveling his chair to face the kids.

“Heh?? Taehyung hyung-” Woojin’s eyes widened.

“What? He has wrinkles already don’t you notice?” said Sehun casually before wiping the stew off his lips with a napkin, crumpling before tossing it into the trash bin.

“No?!”

“He is 28 years old just accept it,” Siwan smiled.

“He looks 19 to me?!”

“Are you questioning or stating?” Jonghyuk motioned his hand as demanding as his annoyed face.

“Both?!”

“You’re confusing.”

“I am?!”

“Stop it, Woojin.”

“Why?!”

“Is there any Taehyung here?” Jimin suddenly popped up from behind the sliding door, still wearing his lab coat and surgery gloves. His face showed mixed emotion when Woojin said, “No?!”

D O U B L E  T R O U B L E

Seokjin didn’t like Taehyung’s existence and we all knew it. The whole world from Atlantic to Arctic and back to Atlantic again knew how the chef detested the detective’s appearance. However, it was contracted, on a piece of paper, that Taehyung’s existence had to be needed until the whole debt was paid. Seokjin surely had to be patient until that day came.

Seokjin didn’t like the idea to be honest but he had no choice. He couldn’t stand seeing Taehyung every single day, wandering inside his restaurant, eating, slouching on the couch then spending hours only to stare at his Mario collection, saying nothing but he had to for Taehyung was responsible for the accident. Well, it was reasonable if Taehyung wanted to clear his debt as soon as possible but his behavior really got Seokjin thinking.

It was final, that their meeting would emit conflict but these days, Taehyung came in silently, ate silently, sat silently, he paid for the food and replied Hoseok’s a polite ‘thank you’ with a small nod then left silently. Seokjin tried hard not to notice, let alone cared about it, but he couldn’t. He never meant to be rude to Taehyung. And to ignore the lack of argument he usually had on daily basis with the alien. He strangely missed the headache he used to have when Taehyung was being jumpy, almost breaking dishes and furnitures. He strangely enough missed the sensation of being flabbergasted when the detective attempted to flirt.

“Hyung, can I ask something?” Hoseok turned around, leaving the other corner of the desk a little bit greasy and untouched by the wipe. Jungkook had gone home, saying he had a homework to do and Seokjin, with his motherly instinct, hushed the boy immediately. When he forced Jungkook to go home, he never expected an awkward conversation only with Hoseok like this. They were usually loud, talking about the latest group that just debuted and a playful, subjective argument between who was better than who in that group. Hoseok’s face was concerned though he tried to relax his muscle and not to leave any hints of worry.

“What is it, Hoseok-ah?” He replied, giving a smile in return.

“I don’t know if you notice this but-” The clerk paused hesitantly before continuing. “Did you notice how quiet Taehyung-ssi is these days?”

Seokjin froze at the mention of the detective. His hands which previously were busy wiping dish from food leftovers with sponge now became dormant. His mind twisted with an uncomfortable feelings. Did he notice? Or was he too busy to actually notice?

“I don’t think so. Why?” replied him carefully.

“Oh, as I expected then,” Hoseok shrugged.

“Why is it, Seok-ah?” Seokjin now really stopped from doing anything, only focusing on Hoseok’s rather worried face.

“No. Actually, it’s not a big deal.”

“Taehyung is a big deal,” Seokjin insisted which soon he regretted because his sentence was ambiguous, not simple enough for Hoseok to buy it.

“Huh?”

“I mean, here, Taehyung still has business with me, so…” Seokjin avoided Hoseok’s eyes when saying that, embarrassed for sounding so stingy and superior in his hate relation with Taehyung when his heart was smaller than a baby’s fist. Nonetheless, Hoseok only nodded.

“I think Taehyung-ssi becomes quieter and I’d say it’s not the atmosphere that I like, knowing that his quirk always makes my day. Not that I want you to argue forever but-” Hoseok looked up to Seokjin who hardly lifted his face.

“It’s nice to see you two. I know it’d sound so implausible to you this is based only on my personal thoughts.

“I think, you and Taehyung-ssi are just compatible in the most twisty and fun way.”

If it wasn’t for the said man opening the glass door (it had bells that chimed now) with a lifeless expression, Hoseok would know how sensitive was Taehyung’s topic to Seokjin’s cheeks, instantly.

D O U B L E  T R O U B L E

“Be careful, okay?” said Hoseok before waving for the last time and lost within the passengers. Seokjin sighed realizing he was alone now and had to clear the rest of the work by himself. He turned around to see the slumped figure on the couch who stirred another sigh from him.

He walked into the restaurant, passing by Taehyung whose eyes were close, to put the dishes back into the cabinets. Seokjin glanced at Taehyung once or twice to make sure the latter wasn’t dead on the sofa.

Seokjin, what are you thinking about??? You can hate him but you can’t wish that, said him silently while giving a mental slap to his face. He was back to the dishes, carefully sitting them on the dish rack to avoid having weird thought.

The silence was disturbing and annoying. Seokjin couldn’t bear watching horror movies because of its intense silence before the jumpscare. He never expected to experience this, how Taehyung’s stillness was scarier than being alone in EatJin.

Seokjin coughed, secretly seeking for attention after fifteen minutes, while peeking from his working area. Taehyung was inanimate. The detective who usually came in energetic, casting a wide grin and greeting Seokjin with a loud “NOONA!!!” was now lifeless, hopefully not breathless, and extremely silent.

Although a bit taken aback, Seokjin still ignored Taehyung, preparing to close the restaurant. He tiptoed to put cups of coffee back to the shelf.

“Hey, the restaurant is closed already, you know? So, I’m not cooking you any foods,” threatened Seokjin.

When the man really didn’t answer, Seokjin was panic-stricken. He quickly turned around to check if Taehyung really bite the dust on his sofa but met the sight of tired eyes and chapped lips instead. He almost screamed his lung out after seeing the one who he assumed dead now standing only a few inches away from him.

“Seokjin, can I-” The said man exhaled heavily, his lips quivering, and Seokjin realized something was not right happening with Taehyung.

“Tae-taehyung?”

“Can I have a glass of-”

Taehyung hadn’t finished his sentence before he felt his legs giving up on his weight, resulting him to collapse towards Seokjin. The chef, panic-stricken, wrapped his arms around the other’s waist, trying hard not to panic and lose his balance too so, no-one would get to kiss the floor.

“Taehyung?! Tae??!! What happened to you??” The silence only increased Seokjin’s alert in passing seconds, simultaneously speeding his heartbeat.

Seokjin tried his best supporting Taehyung’s body until they reached the nearest sofa. The collapsed man apparently didn’t blackout, only seemed to not having energy as he could move his frail legs for small, limp steps.

The chef lied Taehyung on the sofa, placing a cushion before he fully let go of the latter’s body. Taehyung didn’t show any indication of pain so the other man assumed he had no sickness at the moment. Or was it Taehyung’s divine skill to hide his agony?

The chef placed his hand on the man’s forehead and soon his eyes were as wide as a saucer.

“Taehyung, you are scorching!” He said before rushing upstairs to find the box of medicine and coming down in a matter of seconds.

Seokjin quickly checked Taehyung’s temperature, immediately gasping at the digits (“39??!!”). He scurried to the kitchen, taking the nearest mixing bowl and filing it with lukewarm water. He pulled a fresh folded cloth from the cabinet and soaked it into the water.

Seokjin returned to Taehyung's side with the compress. He wrung the cloth before placing it on the latter's forehead. After that, Seokjin shoved a glass of water with a straw, fulfilling the man’s wish earlier. The last task was propelling the paracetamol into his mouth and Seokjin silently wished Taehyung wouldn’t transform into a five year old and be such a douche bag by refusing the medicine. He was proven wrong when Taehyung swallowed the sweet syrup obediently without raising his blood pressure purposely.

Seokjin was finished taking care of Taehyung, a half of his heart felt doleful seeing the detective’s condition. He admitted that jumpy Taehyung wasn’t his favorite, but sick and weak Taehyung was the least favorite view to him. The man was so pale and skinny under his shirt. Seokjin noticed how the detective’s face looked older and somehow a little bit drooped, weighed with stress and burden. Taehyung never looked so tired even though he was after an intense chase.

Leaving the dozing man, Seokjin progressed to his workplace while wondering the porridge recipe his mom always made when he was sick.

D O U B L E  T R O U B L E

“Taehyung, you have to eat more. Jimin told me you’ve skipped meals for days and you just merely eat two spoon of rice,” Seokjin persuaded the man gently only to receive a howled refusal. It’s the 30th attempt to get Taehyung eat the porridge but he just failed as much as he tried. He felt his patience was wearing thin as second changed to minute and minute moved to hour. Not because Taehyung became as what he expected earlier when he fed him the paracetamol but that Seokjin’s heart clenched nastily every time the latter shifted uncomfortably due to his fever. The memory of his conversation with Jimin still etched in his head, sending a wave of anger to the tip of his fingers.

“Hyung, is Taehyung there? We need him, quickly! The executives are here because Taehyung just open a big case.”

“Jimin, Taehyung can’t go there.”

“Why?? Something happened to him???”

“Yes. He is falling sick. He has a high fever and now he is being a brat because he doesn’t want to eat anything I offer him.”

“Lord, I’ve told him!!! Why is he being a stubborn , this is how he can give to me as a friend? Trouble??”

“What’s wrong? What happened to him?”

“He refused to eat! If I’m not mistaken he hasn’t eaten for two days, forcing himself to death to solve the case. He did but the moment he smiled at us, we all knew he was fatigued, heavily fatigued. The whole team had been persuading, even forcing him to eat, but he refused. Now, he couldn’t attend the meeting and caused another trouble. The time he is awake I will kick him on the chest, really.”

“Two days???”

“Yeah. Two days.”

“....”

“Hyung?”

“Tell the team Taehyung can’t attend the meeting. Forget about him and discuss other things than the case.”

“What? It’s not as easy as saying that, the executives are here!”

“You want him to faint in front of them and get blamed for not taking care of the team’s member or you want the discussion goes well tomorrow or the next two days?”

“.... I can’t see a sick Taehyung. He is too… ‘weird’ to deserve an illness.”

“Alright. Leave then and tell them that Taehyung has a problem with his health and is resting now. The agenda will be rescheduled to the day Taehyung’s ready.”

“... Okay. Please, take care of him.”

“He might not be the first person I want to help in this world but- I am not a mean person, Jimin. It doesn’t mean I’d leave him suffering and sick.”

“Yeah, I know, hyung. You are always a good person. When the meeting is over, we will go there to take him. Gotta go.”

Seokjin surfaced from his retrospection when he felt his sleeve was tugged. He looked at Taehyung in full alert, calling him softly so the younger could identify him. Taehyung never left his sleeve, as if his life was dependant on it.

“Jin…” called him faintly.

“Hm,” replied him with a hushed voice.

Seokjin pulled the blanket up to the man’s chin, carefully tugging the other’s limp hand into the cover. He was hesitant at the first time but eventually went to Taehyung’s hair. His hair was soft between Seokjin’s fingers, sending a strange comfort to his heart. Seokjin saw Taehyung’s eyebrow unraveled to his deed and it cued him to do more.

Seokjin sat next to Taehyung, his hair for minutes and hours and he hadn’t get to make Taehyung eat yet. Maybe more patience was needed when Taehyung wasn’t in his normal state.

His sufferance was paid when he asked for the nth time around midnight if Taehyung wanted to eat and the latter submitted to his request. Seokjin quickly got up from the floor and hurried to the kitchen to take a bowl of porridge that he made earlier. His phone buzzed in the midway indicating a new message from Jimin, saying that they might not be able to make it to the restaurant because they had another report from ECC relating to the case. The older didn’t reply, putting Taehyung as his first priority, hence shoving his phone again into his pocket and proceeded to the kitchen.

Seokjin was back with a bowl of porridge on the tray. He placed them on the coffee table before settling himself on the rug right next to Taehyung.

“Taehyung-ah, let’s eat, okay?”

Vehicles were still buzzing outside, the streetlight never flatlined blinking red, yellow, and green. While on the leeward of the hustle and bustle, EatJin was calm under the moonlight, as calm as Taehyung’s breathing and Seokjin’s heartbeat.

D O U B L E  T R O U B L E

Taehyung dreamt of Seokjin that night, nuzzling his face into Taehyung's chest and dreaming of a calm, golden prairie on his arm. His chest swelled in delight and his soul was at ease.

To Be Continued

A/N

When I don’t update, it doesn’t mean that this fic is dead…..

I RISE FROM THE DEATH

Okay maybe all of you have hated me for not updating in 9947583929918384930 years but here i am, recklessly having ideas and recklessly updating this fic. I’m sorry for my inconsistency, I deeply apologize. I hope you still enjoy the update.

A LITTLE FLUFFY FOR TWO FLUFFBALLSSSS

(Cus why not ;D)

From now on, taejin, jinkook and yoonmin will rise even more. AND SAY HI TO WOOJIN, IT’S PARK WOOJIN FROM WANNA ONE THIS RUDE CUTIE. He is gonna be as mad as taetae but in a less 4D way. Give him more love.

Also, I want to inform you that this fic is gonna be super slow in updating. I’m in my last grade before entering college and y’all know. It’s my close call.

So, I’ll still be updating but it’s gonna be suuuper slow. Please, bear my bad time management and ill fate. By the way, I’m going to major in criminology, I’ll be like taetae in less than a year (if I am capable enough HA)

I love you all, thank you for new subbies, MORE COOKIES FOR OLD SUBBIES WHOSE PATIENCE DESERVES AN AWARD. I love you guys :*

See ya in the next update!!! (A decade later)

(kidding ^^)