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Wrapped tight in Taemin’s arms, safe against his boyfriend’s chest, Jongin represses a sigh as he thinks back on the past week. His friends and he had finally managed to scrape enough money up to go to New York, a treat for them all for surviving college for so long. They’d worked long hours in the library together to get their two week break homework all done to give them their holiday week free. They'd somehow managed to do it - Jongin still didn't know how they'd managed to get through it all - especially with Baekhyun and Lucas discovering the effects of too many coffees at once on them.
The hammering in his head reminds Jongin of the night they'd spent just getting drunk, exploring the bars and clubs near their hostel, trying to find a karaoke bar whilst Baekhyun couldn't walk straight and Lucas had to keep dashing into dark corner because I need to vomit- wait, never miiiiiiiiiiiind hey let's get pizza!
If Jongin had known how much damage to his skull he'd have sustained from goofing around with Baekhyun and trying to jump down the hostel stairs parkour style after depositing Taeyong in bed, he really would have followed Taemin, Mark and Ten to the elevators. He really would have, or maybe retreated back to his room, not really hungry enough for drunken two am food but following the movements of his friends.
All he remembers after his hand slipped on the banister was Taemin shrieking - definitely waking up the whole hostel - and Mark’s voice bellowing for help god please help us . He remembers Taemin holding his hand and crying, stroking his face and god Nini, baby, don’t go to sleep, don’t go to sleep oh my god . He remembers Ten’s shaky voice trying to explain to someone what happened, his English not perfect in the situation.
He’d been rushed to a hospital, Taemin being held back from following him through a set of doors and he’d woken up with the worst hangover of his life, groaning so load a nurse had rushed in looking alarmed.
But then, what the doctor had slowly said in English didn’t sound too bad. Parts of his skull needed repairing, removing and replaced in surgery but he can have whatever he wants in place of it? He had looked at the Korean translator who repeated it and Jongin knows that the American doctor really did say that.
That hadn’t been so bad, he supposed, and maybe he wouldn't have taken the elevator if he'd known this was going to be the outcome. It didn’t take him long to use the hologram in front of him to choose exactly what he wanted, excitement curled around his gut at the mere thought of it all happening.
His friends were forced to return to South Korea on the day of his surgery, unable to stay longer, the airline had refused to change anyone’s ticket but Jongin’s due to his inability to fly. Taemin had argued the entire three days before his flight, that Jongin was his boyfriend and he didn’t speak English and that he should be allowed the comfort of his partner in a country he doesn't know, but to no avail.
After a week at the hospital alone, the group chat constantly blowing up to make sure Jongin wasn’t lonely - and much to Jongin’s dismay and joy, Taemin staying awake until the much too early hours to keep him company - Jongin boarded a flight, alone, curled up in his much too large hoodie to return home.
Unsurprisingly, his whole college friend group was at the airport, holding up a sign saying welcome home from rehab Jongin! . Baekhyun and Lucas’ hands were holding it high, the grins on their face the definition of shit eating. Mark, Taeyong and Ten rolled their eyes at them, sipping their drinks that they've gotten from the apparent boba tea place the airport apparently now contained. Taemin rushed to him, lips on Jongin's in a second, arms around his waist. "Don't you ever do that to me again, Kim Jongin." His voice was tearful and scared, and Jongin just wrapped his arms around Taemin, squeezing him tightly.
After a few moments, Lucas and Baekhyun started gagging, causing Taemin to flip them off over his shoulder, but he finally stepped back. He took Jongin’s bag, half chucking it at Baekhyun with a scowl and the group started ferrying out of the exit into the much too large taxi waiting for them.
When they got back to their apartment block, Mark, Lucas, Ten and Taeyong yawned a goodbye as they shuffled to their first year accommodation on the ground floor, most likely looking forward to getting some sleep. Taemin likely made everyone wake up at the crack of dawn to welcome Jongin home.
Baekhyun hovered at the elevator door for the second floor, where the second years dorm. Jongin waved him off, half asleep against Taemin and really wanting to spend some time with his boyfriend after a week away.
It’s where Jongin finds himself now, curled up, almost asleep in Taemin’s arms as Taemin chews on some Red Vines that he’d half threatened Jongin to bring back with him, eyes glued on his laptop screen as he watches a horror movie on almost mute. Jongin isn’t sure how long they’ve been sat like this,
It's much to Jongin's dismay that Taemin deposits Jongin on his terrible student dorm bed and disappears back out his dorm. He comes back a little while later with some food on a tray, just cooked from the look of the steam and Jongin's prescription pain killers from his bag.
Jongin dutifully sucks his ramen down, taking his pills.
Taemin changes, stretching and yawning as he gets ready for his dance class, throwing a get some sleep Jongin over his shoulder, disappearing quickly. Jongin shrugs and puts the tray on Taemin's small bedside table, knowing the pain in his head won't let him sleep for a good hour or so before the pain meds kick in. A quick check on his phone tells him that Baekhyun is online on the PSN network and Jongin takes a moment to stand up. He finds the controller for Taemin's PS4 half kicked under the bed - a probable attempt at hiding it from Jongin's eyes - and logs on, switching profiles to his own.
Baekhyun immediately invites him into a game and he crosses his legs, leaning against the back of Taemin's way too nice for a college dorm work chair.
They've almost won their tenth round in a row, almost kicked out the server for how well they were doing when Baekhyun laughs. "Ha, you're in trouble."
Jongin blinks, confused, eyes rapidly searching the screen for any incoming enemies when he realises that someone is stood in his peripheral vision, and a quick glance tells him it’s Taemin, arms crossed and a face like thunder - Baekhyun must have heard the door open from Jongin's microphone.
"You're meant to be sleeping."
Jongin logs off, grinning sheepishly. "My head hurt."
"So you're playing games which will hurt your head... more?"
"You sound like my mother."
Taemin rolls his eyes. "Come on, come help me with lunch since you're so healthy now."
Jongin pouts but follows Taemin into the kitchen. "Where's Minho and everyone?"
"Minho is out of town doing his thesis, Kibum is currently working in a five star restaurant for experience, Jonghyun just disappeared probably off writing some more songs in that forest he loves to camp in, Jinki is... I have no clue, he told me but I kinda forgot to listen."
"And you lecture me for not listening."
Taemin flips Jongin the finger over his shoulder, chuckling. "Dry the dishes, I need the space and need to do the current dishes and what I use while cooking."
"Yes Sir!" Jongin salutes, making Taemin chuckle when he looks back and shake his head. Jongin grabs a dish cloth. "Hey, these are Minho's dishes!"
“Yeah, I haven’t done dishes since he left, but I’m not making you wash them so hush and dry.”
Jongin rolls his eyes and starts with the saucepans, bending down to put the first away. As he stands up, his hood falls down and Jongin hears the clattering of a spoon being dropped on the glass stove jop.
“Kim Jongin tell me that is a headband.”
“Huh?” Jongin looks around, confused as he brings his hand to his head to feel the small bear ears poking out of his hair. “Oh, oh yeah I forgot about these.”
“You… You forgot you had bear ears transplanted onto your skull ?”
“...Yeah, it hasn’t been hard. They’re just there.” Jongin wiggles them, smiling awkwardly. “They’re cute.”
“We left you alone for three days!”
Jongin pouts and Taemin’s shoulders slump. “Sorry… I think I’m in shock.”
He walks forward, mouth wide open, gently feeling them. “Holy shit, they’re actually real.”
“I’m offended you’d think I’d lie about having bear ears on my head.”
“I was half expecting it to be an electronic headband and you were pranking me.” Taemin’s face turns to awe as Jongin wiggles his left ear against Taemin’s hand, twitching under his fingers. “That is… surreal. And extremely cute.”
Jongin grins, leaning down for a kiss that Taemin gladly reciprocates.
They stay that way a moment before Taemin leans back, shaking his head. “Alright, enough distracting me, dry those dishes.”
Jongin doesn’t remember the last time his stomach was this full; Taemin had apparently learned new recipes from Kibum, making way too many things for the two of them to eat alone. The remnants of their meal were put away for later, Taemin had insisted on doing the dishes again, but now, they were wrapped up in bed, cuddled close. Jongin was almost asleep, the sound of the drama Taemin was watching becoming nothing more than background noise.
It suddenly stops and Jongin grumbles, cracking an eye open. Fingers dance over one of his ears and he looks up. Taemin is staring at them and Jongin can feel how he’s feeling over them. “This is amazing.”
Jongin sits up slightly so Taemin has a better vantage point to sit and fiddle with the fur. He gently eases a small matt out of the right ear and shakes his head. “I don’t know what to even feel about this, you know?”
“I know, it took me a while to even get used to seeing them.”
“Why did you go for them?”
Jongin shrugs and kneels, moving so he’s lying between Taemin’s legs, back to his chest. It gives Taemin a better angle to sit and stroke through his hair, thumb running up the gentle curve of his new ears.
“I guess I just felt like it. Besides, you always call me your little teddy bear.”
Taemin chuckles and finally drops his hands, wrapping them around Jongin’s waist. He buries his face in Jongin’s hair, wrapping his legs around Jongin’s, clinging to him. He squeezes a few times, gentle enough but strong, and Jongin lets his eyes flicker back closed. He tilts one of his ears, shifting it downwards to tickle Taemin’s cheek, getting a bout of giggles from him. “Hey!”
Jongin laughs and cuddles back, tilting his head to the side so that Taemin can kiss down his neck.
Taemin pulls back and shuts his laptop, stifling a yawn. “I think I need to go for a nap.”
Jongin nods and gets up, shirking his hoodie and jeans. “I think I could go for one as well.”
Taemin pulls his shirt and dance trousers off, putting his laptop on the bedside table before laying down and opening his arms. “Come here.”
Jongin smiles and hops back onto the bed, cuddling up to Taemin’s chest. He quivers his ears, letting them brush against Taemin’s chin, smiling wider at his giggle. They fall silent, chests slowing down slightly as they settle. Taemin’s hand moves from Jongin’s hip, curling in his hair, a thumb gently stroking one of his new ears. “Love you, Teddy Bear.”
“Love you too, Taem.”