messing with my head â im jaebeom
genre: hospital!au, fluff
pairing: neurosurgeon!jaebeom x baker!reader
description: he always care for everyone, but no once cares for him. until you show up.Â
Itâs a condition in which there is an over-accumulation of fluid in the brain⊠surgery for a shunt⊠potential brain damage⊠some complications can occur⊠if not, heâll live a normal, happy life⊠timely surgery⊠fatal.Â
                                ââââââââ
The day your little brother was born was the happiest day of your life. Eight years ago, little Taehyung gave you a sense of purpose. You were now a big sisterâ you had someone to love and protect. You had someone to teach, and someone to learn from. As a daughter, you might not have been the best; you rebelled and partied for a while; insisted on bad decision; hung out with the wrong people. But that all changed once you turned 16, and Taehyung turned one. You still remember the moment that the change happened. It was his birthday, and he looked as tiny as ever in his little overalls and fuzzy socks. Just as you were about to blow out the candles for him, he giggles and points his chubby finger at you.
âY/N!â He screeches, laughter following. âY/N! Y/N!â
Your mother looks at you, eyes wide and tearful. âThatâs right, Taehyung-ie, thatâs your noona, Y/N.â
âY/N!â He screams again and wiggles out of your fatherâs grasp, crawling to you.Â
You pick him up, hugging your little brother close. Tears fall on his head and you let out a gurgled laugh, allowing your parents to hug their children. After that dayâ the day that Taehyungâs first word was you,â you promised to be better. For your parents, for Taehyung, for yourself. It was time for improvement. You started looking for part-time jobs, stopped hanging out with those bad people, and only attended parties every once in a while. You were lucky your grades never slipped, so you kept up with your studies easily.Â
One day, after school, you were walking back home with a friend when you passed by a small, white bakery. No name, no advertisement, nothing but a small we sell delicious baked goods! on the window.
âYou go ahead,â You tell your friend as you walk to the bakery. âIâm gonna check this out.â
âIâll go with you,â Hyejin says, smiling. âMoral support and all.â
Out of all your friends, Hyejin is the only one you knew to be realâ she was unforgivingly herself, and you admired that a lot. Sheâs always been by your side, supporting you and calling you out on your shit. Her friendship is one youâll never give up on.Â
You two walk in, arm in arm, and initially you see no one, but then you hear a pained grunting from behind the counter and you lean over, looking at an elderly woman trying to carry a box that was visibly too have for her.Â
âLet me help you, maâam,â You smile, walking around the counter and easily picking the box up. âWhere shall I put this?â
âAh, thank you so much,â She says smiling, and once you notice how her eyes almost disappear under such bright and wide smile, you feel something inside of you telling that you belong in that place. âIâm getting too old for thisâŠâ
âNot at all,â You joke. âI just eat a lot, so Iâm freakishly strong.â
She laughs at that and you already feel oddly fond of that woman.Â
âYou remind me a lot of my grandson, young lady,â She says and start moving around, grabbing things; first a plate, then a cup. âSit over there, sweetie, Iâll get you and your friend something to eat.â
âOh, you donât have to,â Hyejin says, smiling kindly.Â
âPlease, let me do at least that,â She says, and you two sit down, keeping an eye in case she needed any more help. She brings you two pieces of cake and iced tea, and you are sure you saw stars when you took the first bite, humming in appreciation. âAh, Iâm going to miss thisâ the look on your faces just made my dayâŠâ
âAre you leaving, maâam?â You ask frowning in disappointment. You had just found out about this placeâŠ
âUnfortunately, I might have to close the bakery,â She sighs, looking down at her feet. âIâve been running this place for almost forty years, with some help here and there, but now Iâm old, and I canât do the things as fast and efficiently as I used to.â
âHave you been working here by yourself, maâam?â Hyejin frowns.
âMy grandson used to help me when he was in high school,â She smiles proudly. âI had to practically kick him out of here so that heâd go to college⊠but ever since, itâs been just me.â
âLet me work here.â
The request comes out fast and strong and you think thatâs what makes the owner consider, looking you up and down.
âAnd why would a young, beautiful girl like you want to work with an old woman like me?â She laughs, dusting her hands in her dress. âYou should be enjoying your youth, little girl.â
âDone that already,â You smile, following after her with your used plates and cups. âI want to help my parents. I want to be a good daughter. And I want to be happy while doing so. Let me work here⊠please.â
âWhat makes you think youâll be happy here? Look around you, sweetheart; this place is run down. Customers barely come, anymore, and all I have left are my recipes and good memories. I canât pay you much, and itâs a very time consuming job, I donât thiââ
âI donât care about the pay,â You smile, leaning over the counter. âMaâam, this place is incredible. My motherâs been backing ever since I was born, so I know a thing or two. I see how happy she is when sheâs baking and I see how happy you look in here⊠Iâm sorry if I sound crazy, but please. Let me work here. I can come everyday after school, and even before if you need help prepping ingredients andââ
She raises her hand, silencing you in the process. She has a stern face, observing you. Your smile falters.
âIâm sorry,â You mumble, suddenly embarrassed. âI didnât mean to press you or disrespect you.â
âCrazy,â She says, squinting. âMight just be what I need⊠can you start tomorrow?â
And thatâs how it all begun.Â
                                ââââââââ
Seven years after that, you now manage Sweet Dreams alongside Ms. Im. At first, your parents were a little unsure about you working at the bakery, afraid that youâd not handle the weight of school and work very well, but you proved them wrong with each day that passed, improving not only your grades, but also helping out at the house. They refuse to let you help with expanses and told you to put all your paychecks in a saving account, so that you could go to college comfortably. You are now 23 and although you have plans for college one day, you just canât seem to leave Ms. Im and the bakery behind. The amount of work you put into the place made it your home; you named it, painted it, fixed some of it. Ms. Im has been your mentor ever since you were sixteen and leaving her behind would be like leaving familyâ and youâd never leave your family.Â
Especially not right now.
âHowâs the little guy?â Ms. Im asks as you arrive, the sky outside still dark. You had to start prepping the ingredients and baked goods early in the morning, waking up before the sun and observing as it rises along with your cakes.Â
âSleeping a lot still,â You mumble, sounding as worried as you feel. âHe complains about headaches all the time and heâs always sick⊠Iâm really worried about him.â
âAre your parents working today?â Ms. Im asks just as you are about to put your apron on.Â
âYeah,â You sigh, suddenly getting a headache yourself. âHeâs with grandpa right now, and we think that Advil has been helping, but we canât keep pushing it much further⊠itâs been four days already.â
âTake that apron off,â Ms. Im demands and you do it without questioning. âWeâre not opening the shop today.â
âWhat?â You shriek. âBut Friday is one of our busiest days!â
âAnd one of the mellow days at the hospital,â She winks. âLetâs go, Iâm driving you.â
âMs. Im,â You follow her outside, shivering as you havenât had the time to even put your jacket on. âI can take Taehyung myself, you donât have to bother, really!â
âYou walked into my shop seven years ago begging for a job,â Ms. Im says as she starts driving to your house. âNot only I gained a reliable worker, but I gained a daughter. Now stop complaining; Taehyung canât see his sister freaking out like that.â
âThank you,â You smile, wiping a few stray tears away. âThank you so much.â
âNo problem, dear,â She chuckles. âI promise it will be quickâ if Iâm not wrong, heâs still at the hospital doing an early shift.â
In seven years of working for Ms. Im, you are pretty sure youâve heard about her grandson at least twice a day. She is incredibly proud of him; he went from a trouble maker to a very successful doctor, itâs all you remember. You are not sure what he does exactly, but you always noticed the tinge of sadness in her voice when she talked about him. In seven year, you heard about him everyday; but in seven years, youâve never seen him at the shop.Â
âGo get the kid,â Ms. Im says pulling up to your house. âIâll wait here.â
You manage to not wake up you grandfather in the process, but you make sure to leave a note in the fridge telling him that youâre taking your brother to the hospital.Â
âWhere are we going?â Taehyung asks, groaning as you pick him up from his bed.
âWhere going to the hospital, baby,â You say soothingly. âRemember how I went to see a nice doctor when I was in pain and then I felt good? Iâm going to take you to see a nice doctor, too.â
âOkay,â Taehyung says and lays his head on your shoulder, drifting back to sleep.Â
You text your parents from the car and you promise to keep them updated in case they have to go to the hospital too. Ms. Im parks the car and guides you through the maze that is the hospital, walking as if she owned the place. Some doctors stopped to say hello but sheâd keep walking, marching with a purpose, almost.Â
âMs. Im,â You plead, looking around nervously. âWe have to get in line, or maybe talk to a nurse, I donât think weââ
âYa!â She shouts, waving her small arms above her head and getting everyoneâs attention. âYugyeom!â
If you could hide, you would; but at the same time, youâd never been more thankful towards her, whoâs done so much for you as it is. A tall doctor looks around, looking for the source of the ruckus, and he smiles widely when he sees her, jogging his way over.Â
âHalmoni!â He shouts and hugs her tightly.
So this is him?, you think to yourself, holding Taehyung tightly against yourself. Is this the famous grandson?
âY/N,â Ms. Im calls. âThis is Yugyeom. Or Dr. Kim, as he is known around here. He is one of the best pediatricians in the city, so I am sure he can help. Heâs friends with my boy.â
âHello, itâs nice to meet you,â He smiles gently. âWhoâs that little guy?â
âOh!â As if you have just awaken from a trance, you bow to him as best as you can while holding your brother. âItâs nice to meet you too; Iâm sorry for the sudden visit, Doctor, butââ
âWill the nice doctor help me?â Taehyung asks, looking at the tall man.Â
âYes, I will,â Yugyeom smiles. âWhatâs your name?â
âTaehyung,â He yawns, and then raises both his hands, putting down both his thumbs. âAnd Iâm eight.â
âAh, youâre a big guy already,â Dr. Kim says. âFollow me, please. We can talk better in my office.â
While Taehyung played with an alien stuffed doll, you explained the situation to Dr. Kim Yugyeom; your brother has been sleeping a lot these days, and complaining of headaches and dizziness. Heâs been sick and crying and you are desperate.Â
âAh,â Dr. Kimâs face changes and he looks almost in pain. His brows are furrowed and he looks at Taehyung with worry. âWould you mind if I called a colleague here? I want a second opinion on something and he might have a better understanding of it than meâŠâ
âOh, yes, of course,â You mumble, hands fidgeting.Â
Ms. Im stands by your side, and she puts a hand on top of yours, silently promising support. Sheâs been there for your first heartbreak; sheâs been by your side through arguments, and fights, and birthdays, and celebrations. The fact that she is with you in that moment made things less hard; it made you believe that everything would be okay.Â
âExcuse me,â Someone calls from the door. âHello, Iâm Dr. Iââ
âYa, Im Jaebeom, you ungrateful child!â Ms. Im shouts and you jump from your seat a little, surprised with the outburst. âDo I have to come all the way over here and bother your friends to finally see you?â
Ah, you think, holding a chuckle back. This is him.Â
The man blinks, lost and confused, before smiling wide. That was the confirmation you neededâ the way his eyes disappear under his wide smile was exactly the same as Ms. Im.
âGrandma!â He hugs her tight. âIâm sorry, halmoni, things have been crazy here in the hospitalâŠâ
âYou couldâve called,â She pouts and hugs him back. âBut weâll talk about that another time. Dr. Kim called you here for another reason.â
âIs everything okay?â He asks, looking at his grandmother. âAre you eating properly? Do you have any joint pain? Backache?â
âIâm strong as a bull, child,â She laughs. âItâs Y/N that needs your help.â
You respectfully bow to him. âNice to meet you, Dr. Im. Iâm Y/N, and this is Taehyung.â
He looks at you and bows back. Dr. Im Jaebeom looks a little taken aback and you move uncomfortably under his gaze, bringing your brother closer.Â
âSo you are the crazy girl that my grandmother talks so much about,â He says, and there is a certain something in his voice that you just canât seem to graspâ an edge that made you shiver. âWhat can I help you with?â
âItâs the boy,â Dr. Kim says in a soft voice. âHeâs only eight and heâs been experiencing strong headaches. He sleeps a lot and is always dizzy and sick⊠all symptoms seem to add to hydrocephalus, but I wanted to consult with you before diagnosing him. Can you take a look?â
âOf course,â Dr. Im moves quickly and efficiently, crouching in front of Taehyung. âHi there, buddyâ would you mind if I touched your head really quick?â
The consultation goes by quick and you donât understand any of it; they talk in medical terms and when they finally take the time to talk to you, your brother is already being admitted to the hospital. You numbly sign all the necessary paperwork and when you come back to your senses, you are standing outside of Taehyungâs room, and Dr. Im is moving his lips, but you canât hear a thing.
âIâm sorry,â You sigh, frustrated. âCan you repeat that? I donât know what happened, I justâ I donât know. Iâm sorry.â
He frowns and you feel like hiding again. His gaze is burning on your skin and can only wonder how dumb he must think you are.
âSure,â He clears hi throat. âTaehyung-ie has a condition called hydrocephalus, in which the over-accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid inside the skull causes pressure on the brain. This is why he is having headaches and dizziness. When did this start?â
âAround four days ago,â You choke on your words. âIs it dangerous? Can you treat him?â
âAll conditions have potential to be dangerous, but you did good in bringing him here as early as you could,â Dr. Im says, nodding to himself. âUnfortunately, this is not something that just goes away with time, nor something that can be medicated. The only solution is surgery.â
âSurgery?â You whimper, letting your shoulders fall in defeat. âWhat is the success rates of this surgery, Doctor?â
âThe shunt surgery has a higher success rate for children,â He explain carefully. âBut that doesnât mean it doesnât have risks. Because we will insert a shunt inside of him to help with the circulation of the fluid accumulated in his head, things like shunt failure or infection can happen, but thatâs why weâll keep him in the hospital for an observation period.â
You nod, processing everything heâs telling you.Â
âAlright,â You whisper. âOkay. What are the next steps?â
âYouâll have to go to the Financial office to talk about the expenses,â As he talked, you could only fixate your eyes on the embroidery of his coat. Im Jaebeom. âWeâll schedule the surgery for tomorrow. The sooner we do this, the better. We only need his mother to sign the consent form.â
He extends some papers and a pen towards you and you look back at him, suddenly at a loss of words.Â
âI⊠uh, I-Iâm not his mother,â You smile tightly. âIâm him older sister.â
âOh, I apologize, I assumed thatââ
âHavenât I raised you right, Im Jaebeom?â Ms. Im asks, coming with two cups of coffee in hand, and you frown alongside her grandson. âNever assume⊠tsk, for a doctor he is really stupid, isnât he, Y/N?â
You chuckle. âYou must think weâre all idiots here if you intend on drinking that coffee, Ms. Im. You know itâs not good for you!â
She laughs. âThis is for you two,â She gives one to Jaebeom and the other to you. âTo keep up the energy.â
âWhen my parents arrive Iâll ask my mother to sign the papers,â You turn to the doctor, still too intimidated to look him in the eyes. âThey should be here soon, so you can schedule the surgery for tomorrow.â
You donât even see him leaving, allowing your body to fall on a waiting chair. You are not sure if you fell asleep or simply gave up, but when you open your eyes again, you are on the couch inside your brotherâs room.
                                ââââââââ
Taehyung was prepped for surgery and you couldnât even look. You held his tiny hand, but your eyes were fixated on Dr. Im Jaebeomâs. He looked at you as intensely as you looked at him, and although you had a weird feeling that this man hated you, his piercing eyes on yours were the only thing holding you together. You couldnât cry in front of Taehyung, and you couldnât cry in front of Dr. Im. Simple as that.Â
âWeâll take him now,â One of the nurses tell you and you nod, walking behind them and behind Ms. Im and her grandson. You feel alone at that moment, with your parents supporting each other, with the Imâs chatting together, and with your little man going into surgery. Heâs the one that walks with you, and you feel as if you failed him.Â
Dr. Im turns around and looks at you. âThe surgery will last from about an hour to two hours. If it takes a bit longer, donât worry, it just means that weâre doing our best to make everything right. I prefer to take my time and have a successful surgery than to rush things. A nurse will keep you updated so that you are aware of everything thatâs happening in there.â
âTake care of him,â You say, voice strong, surprising everyone. âOr I will kill you.â
And for the first time, youâve seen Im Jaebeom smile at you. You mother slaps your shoulder, but you ignore the sting, maintaining eye contact.
âWeâll do our best,â He says chuckling. âThat is all I can promise you.â
âThatâs all I need,â You say and nod at him. âThank you, Doctor.â
You are not sure what happens in between, but Dr. Im comes out through the doors and in your head only thirty minutes passed; instantly you are washed with dread. You try to stand up but your legs give out and youâd be on the floor if not for his reflexes.
âMy brother,â You breath out, frantically looking into his eyes as he tries to talk to you. âTaehyung-ieâ is he okay? That was too fast, it was too quickâ what happened? Dr. Imââ
âThe surgery took two hours and heâs perfectly fine,â Dr. Im says, frowning deeply. Is he always frowning?, you wonder as he drags you to the nearest chair. âTaehyung is doing fine; heâs still asleep because of the anesthesia, but heâs under observation and heâs safe.â
âThank you,â You whisper, starting to cry. You slouch your shoulders forward and burry your face on your hands. âThank you so much, oh my god, thank you Dr. Im.â
âY/N,â He calls, pulling your face up. He looks at your eyes, puts a hand on your forehead, and frowns even more. âAre you feeling okay? You look like youâve been in and out of reality for the past two days⊠you feel warm.â
âIâm good,â You smile. âJust havenât eaten in a while. Iâll do it as soon as I see my brother.â
âNo, stay here for a second,â He says and leaves with long strides.
Heâs okay, you think to yourself, trying to stop the tears. Taehyung is okay. Pull yourself together, Y/N.
âDrink this,â Dr. Im puts a cup on your hand and gives you an energy bar. âAnd eat this.â
His eyes widened. âI-Iâll eat something laterâŠâ
âYou have to eat, too, Doctor, you look worn out,â You smile. âYou care about everyone, but yourself, huh?â
âYah,â He laughs, and you chuckle with him, suddenly feeling your energy coming back although you didnât eat yet. âYou sound just like my grandmother.â
âWell, she did mentor me for seven years,â You shrug your shoulders, with a fond look on your face. âYour grandmother means a lot to meâŠâ
âThe fact that you took care of her all these years means a lot to me,â He admits, looking slightly guilty. âAfter I left to go to medical school, I couldnât come back and check on her as often as I wanted. Then one day she called me, and she told me about this crazy, beautiful girl, who begged her for a job in her run down bakery and⊠well, I worried for a while, because she did say the girl was crazy, but then she tells me how good this girl is, how kind, and I know I can stop worrying all the time. I know sheâs not alone⊠I might have been jealous, sometimes, Iâll admit, but thank you, Y/N. For everything youâve done for my halmoni.â
You are at a loss of words. For someone who looks so cold and collected to sound so emotional and true was a shock.Â
âI am the one that should be thanking you,â You chuckle incredulously. âYou saved my brotherâs live.â
âBut thatâs my job,â He smiles, looking to the floor and then looking back at you. It is almost as if all the air in your lungs disappeared, and you suddenly donât know how to breath. âTaking care of my grandmother is not your job.â
Before you can say something his phone beeps and he gets up.
âTaehyung is awake,â He smiles and did he always have those moles under his eyebrow? âLetâs go.â
You let him guide you through the halls and you wonder if anyone cares for this doctor that cares for everyone else but him.Â
                                ââââââââ
âYou should go home,â Dr. Im says. Itâs been two days since the surgery and you were the only one that hasnât left the hospital yet. One of the nurses was kind enough to let you shower in their bathroom, but had to admit, just showering wasnât doing much. Youâve been wearing the same clothes and even your parents went home to sleep, but you refused to leave once they got back to the hospital.Â
âI donât want to leave without him,â You mumble, caressing Taehyungâs hand as he sleeps. âI promised I wouldnât.â
He nods. âFollow me, then,â And leaves.
You have to jog a bit to catch up to him, but soon enough you are in his office, and from behind his desk, he produces a duffle bag. Grabbing a few things, he gives them to you and tells you to go take a long, relaxing shower. Doing as he says, you take your time, asking a few nurses if itâs okay to take a shower since they are only starting their shifts and wonât need the shower for a while. Youâve become acquainted with a few of them and they all give you the okay. The sweatpants and t-shirt he gave you are obviously too large for you, but you like the way it looks anyways. Smiling at yourself, and at how stupid you must look, you stop by the vending machine to get a snack. You get two energy bars, knowing that Dr. Im will be with Taehyung when you get back. Said and done; Jaebeom is laughing at something that your brother is doing and you wonder if one day youâll get to call him Jaebeom out loud.Â
âHello there,â You say lightly, blushing a little at the way Jaebeom looks at you in his clothes. âThank you for the clothes, doctor.â
âNo problem, Y/N,â He smiles, and you donât fail to notice the redness in his cheeks.Â
âI got you this,â You say giving him one of the energy bars, and putting the other in his pocket. âYou need to eat to take care of other people.â
He laughs and one of his hands fly to push his hair back and grab at the back of his neck, a habit you notice he does whenever heâs embarrassed. âThank you.â
âEat it,â You squint at him playfully. âRight now.â
âI have to check on a patient,â He says taking a huge bite, finishing it almost in one go. âIâll be back to check on you, okay?â
âAlright,â You smile, and you donât call attention to the fact that he said heâd be checking on you. You like it. âSee you later."
You donâtâ see him later, that is. You are not sure what happens but Dr. Im doesnât come around anymore; another day goes by and even Taehyung notices the change, asking for his doctor to the nurses. She all just say heâs busy taking care of other people, but thereâs something off about them, too. One of them, Nurse Lee, asks you to follow her to the counter where you can sign the discharge papers so that you can finally take your brother home, and you hear a couple of other doctors talking.
ââŠyeah, they died,â A shiver runs through your spine with those words and you take a deep breath and focus on reading the papers in your hand. âJaebeom did his best, but not everyone can be saved.â
âYou know how he is though,â The other doctor sighs. âIs he alright?â
âNo,â They shake their heads. âDefinitely not.â
Signing everything, you tell the nurses youâll be right back, and you run to the office youâve gotten to know so well. During your brotherâs recovery, Dr. Im has been you friend, you dare to say. Youâve silently eaten with him in his office as he did some work and you read a book; youâve talked to him about his grandmother; youâve taken snacks to his office late at night. It was your way to repay him, after everything heâs done for you and your family. You went from thinking he hated you, to understanding how hard his job is on him. And right now, it was exactly one of those moments, in which the harshness of his reality is laid upon him, and you canât do anything but knock on his door and pray that heâll open.Â
His voice sounds harsh and used out. His eyes find yours instantly and they turn back into those scrutinizing eyes you first met.
âHi,â You say, suddenly uncomfortable. âYou didnât come by yesterday and today and Iââ
âI am too busy to attend just to you and your brother,â He snaps. âI have a whole lot of people needing me, too, you know?â
The coldness from his voice reminds you of the first time you met him, when you stood under his scrutinizing gaze.Â
âOr do you think I have nothing better to do than to have to waste all of my timeââ
âWith me?â You interrupt him. âJust so you know, you didnât have to spend your time with me, but I guess I should thank you, since you did, right?â
âYou donât have to worry anymore, doctor,â You sneer. âWe leave tonight. Here, this is a small thank you gift for wasting time with me.â
You give him the plastic bag with all snacks from the vending machineâ literally all of them. It wasnât much, but it would last him a few shifts, at least. All you wanted was for him to get better too; you werenât dumb, you could easily see the suffering in his eyes, even at that momentâ specially at that moment,â but you couldnât just let him walk all over you like that. You had to stand your ground, like you did ever since you met him.Â
âWhatever happened,â You say through gritted teeth. âItâs not your fault. Nor mine. Remember that.â
You leave him and you go back to Taehyung.Â
Fuck Dr. Im, you think, furiously wiping a tear. It seems as if all you do is cry, and you are tired of it. I have Taehyung, alive and well. That should be enough.
                                ââââââââ
Your days are back to normalâ you wake up, check on Taehyung, and go to work, where youâll spend hours and hours until you donât have to spend any more time in there but you do still, baking a fresh batch of a different good every night, before calling the delivery man to take it away.Â
Today, you make chocolate scones, using Ms. Imâs recipe just how she taught you years ago.
âStill baking?â She asks. âIs something wrong?â
âNot at all,â You smile, and put a scone in a take away box. âHere, for the trip.â
âThank you, dear,â She smiles. âThese used to be Jaebeomâs favorite.â
You smile and wave her goodbye, promising to close the store and go home soon. You do whatever task you have to keep you busyâ cleaning the tables, wiping the floor, washing the dishes, freezing the dough. Anything to keep you from thinking about him. But itâs impossible. You think about him even more now, having a face to the name. Im Jaebeom. Ms. Im still talks about him every day and thereâs nothing you can say or do that would justify the reason you want her to stop.Â
He saved my brotherâs life, and in the process he saved mine, too. He is kind and selfless and honest, but he is also tired and confused and overwhelmed. I want to care for him like he cared for me. Is this love?
No, you couldnât say that to her. Much less to him.
âExcuse me, are you still open? I heard you guys had chocolate scones and I just had to come get one.âÂ
You freeze, body already stiff from work now barely being able to move.
âWeâre closed,â You mumble, not looking at him. âBut I can get you some scones to go.â
âIf I take them to go,â He asks and you can see his feet, clad in black sneakers and tapping nervously on the floor. âWill you come with me?â
âIs this a pick up line?â You scoff.
âNo, I just want to have these with you,â He chuckles and you canât help yourself, you look at him, craving to see his eyes disappear when he smiles. âA thank you for all the food youâve been sending to the hospital every nightâŠâ
âIâm glad,â You smile tightly, taking the apron off and hanging it on the wall. You push the cardboard box towards him. âHere you go. Have a goodnight.â
His smile is gone in a second. âY/NâŠâ
âYou were very clear, Jaebeom,â You say sternly. âIâll call you Jaebeom now, since weâre not in the hospitalâ you were very clear, Jaebeom. You are wasting your time with me; patients are waiting for you, families, friends. Iâm just the girl that works with your grandmother⊠You have nothing to worry about, I wonât tell her anything, but itâs best if we stop this here.â
âStop?â He asks, eyes wide. âI donât think itâs that easy, Y/N. I missed youâ did you know that? Of course you didnât, but Iâm here telling you: I missed you, goddammit. Iâm a doctor, and Iâm always frustrated about something, and stressed, and tired, but for the week you spent there, I felt completely okay, because I knew that in the end of the day, Iâd have a constant thing in my life; Taehyung-ie and you, waiting for me with snacks. Asking me about my day. Asking me if Iâm okay. People donât do that, in the hospitalâ they have their own problems, and every day is a different surprise, but it felt good to have a constant, even for a little while.â
You say nothing, taking your time to process everything heâs saying.
âIâm sorry for being an asshole,â He chuckle. âI had just lost a patient; there were complications with his condition before surgery but we couldnât wait and I lost him⊠But you were right, itâs not my fault, and itâs not yours. You shouldnât have to put up with my anger, but I really, really hope you chose to put up with me despite my anger. I wonât lie, this happens a lotâ the angry part. It comes with the job, even though we try our hardest to hide, but I promise to try my best to never let it all out on you ever again⊠please forgive me.â
You sigh, walking to him. He was wearing casual clothes and he finally looked his age, the gray hoodie and blue jeans bringing out the youth in him.
âYou havenât been eating regularly, have you?â You frown, hands holding his face. Your thumb brushes his cheekbones and his eyes are shining with something unknown to youâ want, maybe. âI send you freshly baked goods everyday and you still look like youâve lost weightâŠâ
âWhat are you doing to me?â He mumbles, nuzzling his face in your hand and pulling you closer by the waist, resting his forehead on yours. âYouâre messing with my head, Y/NâŠâ
âNah,â You chuckle, kissing his nose. âThatâs your job.â
âThat is possibly the lamest joke someone ever made about my job,â He laughs, and ah! there it isâ cute little slits. The reason you love that so much is that it makes you all warm inside to know you can make him smile so hard that his eyes disappear. âBut I love it anyways.â
âDoes that mean I can make more of those?â You ask animatedly, pulling away slightly. âCause I have a bunch of neurosurgery jokes I can maââ
He shuts you up with a kiss and you instantly know he ate your scones before coming over, tasting the sugar and the chocolate in his mouth. It lasts long, and you prefer it that wayâ you want to take your timing discovering everything about Jaebeom. From the way his mouth drags over yours, chapped lips kissing you softly, to the way his hands find their way to your hair, your jawline, your waist. He pulls you closer, hugging you to him, and just as he is pressing you against the counter, you feel a vibration coming from his pocket.Â
âPlease tell me that your phone,â You snort a little, trying to hold your laughter in.
âHilarious,â He says, rolling his eyes but smiling nonetheless.
âDo you have to go back?â
He nods. âYeah, one of the patients needs surgery sooner than we thought⊠Iâm sorry.â
âDonât ever apologize for saving lives,â You frown, pecking his lips. âText me when you get home?â
âAbsolutely,â He kisses you deeply. âIâll see you soon.â
He sees you sooner than he thought he would. The next day, when he texts you his shift is over in thirty, you go over to the hospital, with croissants and tea. When he sees you waiting by the main entrance, he canât help but laugh out loud.
âYou said that having a constant was nice,â You shrug as he kisses your face allover. âIâll be your constant from now on.â
âIâd love that,â He says. âLove you.â
âLove you, too,â You smile. âI think.â
âYou think?â He shrieks, pulling you to his car by the hand.Â
âYeah⊠can you take a look inside and find out for me?â You say tapping your head.Â
He just looks at you, no emotion.
âIf I ever get a song stuck in my mind,â You say, buckling up when Jaebeom starts the car. âCan you get it out for me?â
âOh my god,â He lets his head fall on the wheel. âIs this what I signed up for?â
âAbsolutely,â You giggle, and he turns to look at you. âRegret it yet?â
âNo, but Iâm sure youâll get me there by the end of the night.â
âI told you,â He grabs your hand, laughing. âYou mess with my head. Crazy girl⊠tsk, gonna me crazy too.â
âBy the way,â You start. âHow will we break it to your grandmother?â
âWhat do you mean,â Jaebeom laughs. âShe knows. Sheâs known for about seven years, now.â
âWhat?â You shout, head turning to look at him. âWhat do you mean?â
âI donât know about you,â He shrugs. âBut sheâd talk about you a lot. Good things onlyâ such a pretty girl, so kind, so nice. Ah, Jaebeom-ah, you remind me of Y/N⊠you two would get along so well. Iâm pretty sure I fell in love with you before even knowing you.â
âOh my god,â You gasp. âMs. Im is a love genius.â
âI had to take after someone, you know?â Jaebeom brags.
For the rest of the night, you two bicker, laughing and kissing in between, and even though you promised to be his constant, barely did he know heâd be yours.Â
hello lovelies! I decided that I will now post a new part of the General Hospital series every weekend, so here it is Jaebeomâs story! He is my ult bias and I love him so much so i really hope you all enjoy it â€ïž please leave a comment and share it if you like the story! It really means the world for us writers when we get feedback :P Love you all and thank you for your endless supportđ