Chapter Text
“Ne, I’ll arrive soon.”
Ji An moved hastily about the apartment, taking only what’s necessary and pocketing them in her oversized cardigan. She only needed to bring the keycard because she won’t be going far.
“Ok, I’ll meet you at the entrance.”
“What? No need, it’s snowing. Just stay inside—“
She ended the call before he could finish the sentence. It was snowing and minus 10 degrees, uncharacteristically cold, even for Seoul winter.
Glancing out the frosted window, building passed by in a blur and the thick coat of snow covered almost everything in sight. He absently tried rolling his left shoulder and realised belatedly that it was the wrong move. Darts of pain shot along his chest and arm at the slight movement, his fingers twitching erratically at the sharp pain. Dong Hoon groaned softly.
“Oh Sajang-nim, you okay? Take it easy, we’re almost there.”
Seok-Bom heard the pained noise, and while he had to keep his eyes on the road since icy asphalt is prone to cause vehicles to veer out of control, he managed to glance at the slumped form in the passenger seat from the corner of his eyes.
“Yes, but I think the painkiller is already wearing off..”
Dong Hoon hissed softly at the steady pain radiating from his shoulder, at his own request the doctor only gave him a small dosage of painkiller. He didn’t want to be unconscious getting home.
As the car entered the residential area, Dong Hoon took shallow breaths to somehow manage his pain. He’d still need to get out of the car and make his way to his apartment suite after all. Just the thought of unfolding his upper body made him shudder.
His eyes zeroed in on the small form huddling her meager cardigan around herself, evidently trying to keep warm but failing miserably.
In the middle of minus degree weather.
With no proper footwear.
Not even a damn scarf.
Even in his addled state of mind, Dong Hoon felt anger steadily building up inside him. He saw the way Ji An hopped from foot to foor, rubbing her bare fingers vigorously. The anger simmered.
“Oh, Lee Ji An-ssi! Why is she waiting outside?”
Seok-Bom exclaimed when he finally saw the figure waiting for them on the sidewalk. He manoeuvred the car as close to the curb as possible, unlocked the door and swiftly ran around to the other side of the car. He shivered as the icy wind lashed at his face. It really was frigid and cold today.
Once Seok-Beom had the door wide open, Ji An immediately stood to one side while Seok-Beom gingerly looped Dong Hoon’s uninjured arm around his shoulder.
Ji An, who was focused on trying to grab ahold of Dong Hoon as they lifted him out of the car, hadn’t noticed the heated glare directed at her.
———————-
After what felt like hours, when in actual fact was less than 10 minutes, Dong Hoon was finally lowered onto the sofa. His breaths were deep and shallow, jaw clenching painfully at the effort of trying to hold in any sound of pain.
“I’ll get going then. Get well soon, sajang-nim.”
Seok-Beom, who had carried most of his weight during the arduous task of getting Dong Hoon into the apartment, bid the couple good bye and closed the door on his way out. No more than three seconds after the chime signalling the door locked, Ji An turned at Dong Hoon’s deep, raspy voice.
“What were you thinking waiting outside in the cold? I told you to stay inside!”
Ji An, who was gingerly lifting Dong Hoon’s legs onto the sofa, frowned at the deep disapproval lining his words. She unlaced his shoes and took them off gently, avoiding any unnecessary jostling.
“Seok-Beom couldn’t have carried you all by himself. He needed an extra hand.”
Glaring at the top of her head, Dong Hoon failed at reining his anger. Later he would realise the combination of drugs in his system, along with the irrational fear of seeing Ji An falling sick from the harsh weather because of him , deftly lit the fire already building inside him.
“But you’re not even wearing proper clothes! Where’s your gloves? Your scarf?”
“I was in a hurry..”
JI An, took out the thick fleece blanket from under their coffee table and laid it out across Dong Hoon. She had her head lowered and wouldn't meet his eyes and it made Dong Hoon even more angry, if it was even possible.
“That’s n-not an excuse! How long did you wait outside? Why couldn’t you just stay here, I’ll get up eventually! Were you even thinking—“
Ji An felt some of her own anger at Dong Hoon’s admonishment. He was slurring and breathing heavily, sweat breaking out across his forehead. She could see the strength it took out from him just to say his piece. Why couldn’t he just let this be? He’s making himself even more sick.
“I knew I wouldn’t be waiting long so I didn’t feel the need to dress properly. Look—“
“I asked you to stay—“
“I know, but I needed to help you. Seok-Beom said you fractured—“
“I didn’t need your help!”
Oh, now he was being unreasonable.
“Look, let’s talk about this later when you’ve rested.”
Ji An, made to get up from her crouched position at Dong Hoon’s feet. Just as she was about to pass him, she felt a weak grip encircling her wrist. Ji An glanced down at Dong Hoon, whose face turned even paler by the minute. There were deep grooves across his forehead, his jaw clenching and unclenching to suppress the pain.
“You.. you could’ve gotten sick. It was snowing h-hard.. and you weren’t even wearing..”
Ji An’s face softened. This impossible, silly man.
“I’m gonna be okay.”
She got on her knees again, all the while Dong Hoon’s light grip on her remained. She fitted the blanket more comfortably around him with her free hand. She noticed his eyelids drooping and head lolling to the side. Just before he succumbed to exhaustion, Ji An heard the softly spoken words.
“Just.. stay.”
———————-
Dong Hoon felt small fingers gently patting his jaw. At first he burrowed deeper into the soft palm but when the owner of said palm continued to pat him, and even added more force into it, he attempted to raise his heavy eyelids. His head throbbed painfully and his limbs were all achy. He grunted and made to sit up. Wrong move. Searing pain travelled along his arm. Now he remembered what happened.
"No, no, don't sit up that quickly. Slowly.. slowly.. Ommo, just lean on me."
Dong Hoon slumped his body towards Ji An's smaller form, making her huff under his weight.
"I need to give you your medicine. Seok-Beom already explained to me, I'll just need to follow the instructions."
Dong Hoon moved his head until it burrowed into the junction between her shoulder and neck. She smelled like coconut and vanilla.
"Ya, don't sleep again. You need to take all these pills."
Ji An managed to administer his meds with only one functioning hand as her other arm was wound around Dong Hoon to help sit him up.
There were six pills in total that he needed to take. She popped each pill into his mouth, then helped raise the glass of water to his lips. All but one pill was left to take when, all of a sudden, Dong Hoon felt the need to remove his socks. As he stretched out a hand towards his foot, the glass perching atop his lap slipped and he instinctively made to reach for it, unfortunately it was too late before he realised he had inadvertently pulled the stitches on his upper arm.
Ji An snapped her eyes towards his face when she heard the deep hiss he emitted. He had his jaw clenched and eyes scrunched shut in pain. Only a few seconds after, she saw the pool of red blooming under his shirt, right at the place where she knew he was wounded. With very careful manoeuvring, she helped him recline back against the pillows, taking extra caution not to jostle his injured arm.
Dong Hoon’s breath was fast and shallow, signalling the pain he’s trying to fight valiantly. Ji An’s thoughts ran a thousand miles a second, trying to figure out what she should do next. Staunch the blood. Put pressure on the wound. Yes. Do that.
Ji An grabbed the nearest piece of cloth she could find, which was the blanket pooled at his feet, and placed it firmly over the covered wound. Dong Hoon let out another shaky hiss at the pressure but didn't try to remove her hands. Now that he's not in danger of blood loss, Ji An reached behind her and blindly patted the coffee table looking for her mobile phone. Once found, she swiped the home screen and was on the brink of placing a call for an ambulance when Dong Hoon's uninjured arm reached out to cover her phone, stopping her from dialling the number.
"No need for an ambulance--"
Ji An gaped at him disbelievingly. Here he was bleeding profusely from splitting open his stitches and he's telling her not to call emergency? Is he mad?
"You need to go to the hospital!"
"No.. no.. call Dr Hae Won instead. He'll come and help me."
Ji An still looked doubtful but Dong Hoon pushed the phone towards her and nodded for her to make the call. She kept her eyes on him while opening his Contact and searched for a "Dr Hae Won". Once found, she immediately pressed the Call button. After three rings, a male voice answered and Ji An immediately put the caller on speaker. She explained the predicament they're in with short, brief sentences and Dong Hoon added a few remarks here and there when the doctor asked how he felt. After a few minutes, she ended the call and fixed her gaze on him, trying to offer him a reassuring smile, even if her heart was in her throat.
"He's on his way. You heard what he said, don't fall asleep. Just keep talking to me, arasseo?
Dong Hoon, whose face was clammy to the touch, nodded weakly at her. He felt all out of sorts, probably due to the medications currently at work in his system. He honestly wouldn't know what to do if she wasn't here to help him.
———————-
The doctor had come and go, re-applying the damaged sutures with nimble hands. Dr Hae Won was a long-time practitioner for the Park family and Ji An had met him once or twice during the Parks family gathering. He had a friendly face and calm demeanour, Ji An immediately felt at ease the moment he entered their apartment. After reassuring her that there was no permanent damage done, and giving her a list of instructions on how to care for stitches, he went on his way.
Dong Hoon was knocked out cold from the pain medication, his jaw slack and snoring softly. Ji An brushed the hair that had fallen across his eyes. He looked younger like this, almost boyish, the lines in his face smoothed out in slumber. But.. he still needs a haircut.
She'll let him sleep for now, she'd need to wake him up in about six hours to clean and dress the wound.
———————-
Dong Hoon followed her movements with his eyes.
He had been roused awake at the feeling of gentle fingers patting his jaw. When he turned his head toward her hand and burrowed deeper into her palm, Ji An had patted a little harder until he was completely awake.
Ji An had gotten down on her knees and was carefully tending to his wound. Her small hands worked efficiently in removing the bandage, lathering ointment, and applying fresh gauze. She worked meticulously and would stop every time he grunted or hissed in pain.
He saw how she put all her attention on getting the job done, lips pursed in concentration and eyes squinting in focus. He watched how she put the final touches to his bandage, and once done, finally sat on her haunches. She appeared to sag a little into herself, and for the first time, Dong Hoon realised that she hadn't even rested since he returned home.
Maybe it was because he was delirious from all the medications coursing through his system or maybe, just maybe, it was the sight of her administering him, taking care of him, waiting on him like this, that caused a sudden wave of tenderness and affection to rush through his veins. He wanted to reach out and touch her head but at the position they were in, he was going to have to use his left side and he didn't want to risk tearing the suture open again.
She hefted herself up from the floor and was about to walk past him, when his voice called out.
"J-ji An.. wait."
Ji An glanced down at him, eyes searching for any sign of pain from his expression. Finding none, she asked him what he needed.
"Do you need a drink?"
"No, it's.. I just want to thank you."
Ji An tilted her head and gazed at him questioningly. Her expression one of confusion, it seemed like she didn't quite understand why he's thanking her. Seeing that openness on her face, Dong Hoon's gratitude increased twofold.
"You take really good care of me. Not just today.. but you've always looked out for me."
Living with Ji An has given Dong Hoon many new discoveries about his wife. Her face was more expressive when tired, the rise of one eyebrow usually meant she's sceptical about something, but the rise of both eyebrows meant she's caught unaware and curious at the same time. He smiled fondly at her.
"I mean it, Ji An."
She smiled in return. It was a tired smile but a content one nonetheless, affection shining in her eyes.
"I like taking care of you. And you know I hate seeing you get hurt so I'll always do my best to help you."
He didn't quite know what to say to that, and even if he did he wouldn't have been able to voice anything out because of the lump in his throat.
———————-
It was nearing midnight when Dong Hoon was awaken again. His eyes met those of Ji An's tired, bleary ones. She had changed into a set of sleepwear and her hair was gathered messily into a bun. She had dark circles under her eyes, yet she still graced him with a warm smile even as she had to forego undisturbed sleep.
After he had taken all the pills, she stood up and was about to walk past him when Dong Hoon, apparently having regained some of his strength, tugged her by the elbow until she was sprawled across his prone body. She gasped at the sudden contact and braced her arms in either side of him to avoid falling completely on any of his injuries. She wasn't entirely successful in dodging his injured arm because Dong Hoon let out a soft grunt. She scrambled to stand up but Dong Hoon's arms were faster, banding tightly and possessively around her back
Ji An distractedly thought that even injured his speed is unmatched. She tried again to rise from her sprawled position. He didn't need any more injuries.
"Jagiya .. let me go."
Dong Hoon's uninjured arm encircled her waist and pulled her even closer to him. She felt his hand travel slowly from her waist towards her shoulder blades and into her loose hair. He firmly but gently gripped her nape, pulling her closer to his face, and swiftly closed the gap between them. Their lips melded, moulded, slanted and danced like it always does. Dong Hoon tasted bitter from all the medication he's taking, but she didn't care. Nothing seemed to matter when he kissed her like this. Their lips sucked, massaged and lapped against each other, repeatedly, seekingly.
Since air was still a necessity, they broke apart but Dong Hoon still had his fingers tangled in her hair. Gazing into his lidded gaze, Ji An was struck by how much she loved the physical aspect of their relationship. It wasn't always there, not at the beginning, but slowly, steadily, her body yearned for him as much as her heart longed for his.
When Dong Hoon saw her gnawing at her bottom lip -- the glistening, swollen lip from his ministration-- he felt another hot flash of desire and thoughtlessly levered himself with his injured arm. Wrong move again . He wanted to rail at himself for getting involved in a workplace accident in the first place.
Ji An gasped seeing his face scrunch up in pain. She quickly scrambled away from him, lifting her weight off his prostate body, but his unhindered hand shot out to grab her wrist.
"Stay, sleep here with me."
"I don't want to accidentally jostle you in my sleep."
"The sofa is big enough for two. Just can sleep on my good side."
It was tempting but Ji An had to be reasonable, he didn't need any more injuries. She was about to firmly refuse, giving a speech about how it's best if he has more room to avoid getting his wound unintentionally hit by her, when he gave her wrist a squeeze.
"Please."
After a few moments debating with herself, Ji An lowered her body carefully on his right side. She re-arranged the pillows to accommodate Dong Hoon more comfortably, and gently laid herself in the circle of his open arm. Gazing down at his now closed eyelids, she quietly apologised for hurting him even further. Dong Hoon seemed to hear her words just fine because, without opening his eyes, he gently smiled ( or is that a smirk?).
"I don't regret it. I like being taken care by you. Like having my own personal nurse."
"Tsk, nurses are supposed to help you heal faster. And kissing patients would've been gross misconduct. "
Sighing noisily, Dong Hoon turned his face towards her and burrowed his nose into her hair. She felt more than heard the words murmured into her neck.
"Perhaps, but I would think being the nurse's husband comes with its own perks, no?"
———————-