The Voice of a Leader (1/3)
Title: The Voice of a Leader
Word Count: 2811
Summary: Namjoon works through feeling like shit until he can’t any more.
Sickie: Namjoon
Caretakers: OT7
A/N: Written for this request. 0% proofread because my eyes are tired.
Namjoon has been talking a lot today.
He can always tell, because he starts to lose his voice, but today it seems far worse than usual– his throat is all scratchy and dry and every time he swallows he’s painfully reminded that he’s been in back-to-back meetings the entire day.
He’s always been a talker, and in his position, it kind of comes with the territory. He’s the voice of the group, after all, and that almost always means literally. Most days he doesn’t mind it, or even notice it, but then there are days like this when he gets home and he just wants to keep his mouth shut and get lost in a good book and not talk to a single person for the rest of the night. Namjoon’s voice is tired, and he’s tired, so tired he could sleep right now even though Seokjin has already announced dinner will be ready in an hour, and the fact that he had skipped out on lunch is the only reason he’ll be at the dinner table in one hour sharp.
He’s in the kitchen making himself a cup of tea after Seokjin goes to tell the others, mindlessly dunking the tea bag in and out of the mug, when a hand on his shoulder scares the shit out of him.
“Aish– ahh, Jungkook! You startled me!”
“Sorry, hyung! I said your name like three times.” Jungkook peers at him with shining, curious eyes. “You okay?”
Namjoon rubs at the base of his throat and nods. “Yeah, Koo,” he responds. “Just tired.”
He takes a sip of the tea and flinches when it burns his tongue, and Jungkook nearly flinches along with him, his expression immediately falling into a sad-looking frown.
Jungkook sets what’s he’s holding down on the counter and hurries over to the drawer to grab a spoon, then goes to the freezer, opening the door and scooping out two ice cubes from the ice maker. He carries them back over to Namjoon and carefully lets them both slide off the spoon and into the steaming mug, making sure not to let them splash any of the tea over the sides.
“There,” Jungkook says once he’s done. “Two ice cubes make it the perfect temperature to drink.”
Namjoon watches the ice cubes melt, and then lifts the cup back to his lips and takes a tentative sip. It feels heavenly on his throat, and it doesn’t burn him this time.
“Thanks, Koo. It’s perfect.” His voice is sounding hoarse now, and he clears his throat. “Want me to make you some tea too?”
Jungkook rolls his eyes and grins at him. “You know I don’t like hot drinks, hyung.” He grabs his water bottle from where he had set it down on the counter and lifts it up, patting it proudly. “Just gonna get myself some iced water.”
Namjoon smiles fondly and watches Jungkook carry his massive 64-oz. container that he calls a water bottle over to the freezer, filling it up with ice– so much ice. Too much ice, honestly. Namjoon takes another sip of his tea and shivers just watching him, a shudder running down his entire spine. Jungkook notices– he notices everything, always watching every step Namjoon takes– but he doesn’t say a word, simply lugs his tumbler out of the kitchen with him after topping it off with water, pausing only briefly to pat Namjoon’s shoulder as he passes by.
*
That evening after dinner, when Namjoon is in bed reading, he’s hit with how shitty he feels.
It seems so sudden– he’s far more tired than he should be, and he has a headache coming on that’s only adding to the weird, sore throat that he’s got going on from talking all day. He keeps having to clear his throat, and it’s becoming irritating enough that he closes his book and tosses it onto the nightstand, giving up on trying to read.
He slides down in his bed and pulls his comforter up to his chin, crossing his arms and clearing his throat for what feels like the hundredth time today.
There’s a soft knock at the door, and then it opens and Taehyung peeks inside.
“Hi, hyung. Can I come in?” Taehyung asks, not waiting for the answer before he comes in and crawls into Namjoon’s bed next to him. He’s in pajamas, hair damp from his apparently recent shower, looking sleepy and pink-skinned.
“Oh.” Namjoon takes a deep breath through his nose. “What do you need, Tae?”
Taehyung tucks himself against Namjoon’s side. “I have a question about a song.”
“It couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” Namjoon asks, frowning down at the younger man in irritation.
Taehyung shakes his head and drapes an arm over Namjoon’s waist. For a moment, he’s quiet, and Namjoon glances down to see that Taehyung’s eyes are closed.
“Taehyungie?” he asks, shaking him gently.
Taehyung opens his eyes and blinks up at him. “Sorry, hyung. You’re so comfy.”
“You’re working on a song?”
Taehyung nods against him. “Mmhm. I’m working on a song.”
After that, he doesn’t say anything further, and Namjoon finds himself losing patience very quickly. Normally, he’d take any chance he can get for cuddles, especially from Taehyung who’s always so warm and clingy and cute, but tonight he feels tense and irritated and his head is really, really starting to hurt.
“Tae,” he says sharply, causing his throat to twinge, and Taehyung gasps like he’s been startled.
“Huh?” Taehyung lifts his head. “What, hyung?”
“What, hyung– what do you mean, what? You came in here with a question. What’s your question?”
Taehyung fixes him with a look that reminds Namjoon so much of Yoongi it’s frightening. The two of them have definitely been spending too much time together.
“You seem kinda grumpy, hyung,” Taehyung says. “Are you okay?”
Namjoon closes his eyes. He takes a few deep breaths. He clears his throat and prepares to ask Taehyung to leave so he can sleep.
“Oh, hyung,” Taehyung says before he can. “I almost forgot to tell you. I started this new game with Jiminie today that I think you would really enjoy. It’s set in–”
“Taehyung,” Namjoon interrupts. “I was actually just about to go to bed.”
Nodding easily, Taehyung’s hand comes up to pat him on the chest. “‘Kay, hyung.”
But instead of leaving, Taehyung simply rolls over and turns Namjoon’s lamp off, and then scoots back over until his warm body is tucked against his side, curling up with his head on Namjoon’s chest.
“Oh.” Namjoon blinks in the darkness. As his eyes adjust, he hears Taehyung yawn. “Uh. Okay.”
“Comfy,” Taehyung murmurs. He sounds half-asleep already, and he yawns again, shifting and nosing his way up until his face is tucked in the crook of Namjoon’s neck.
Instantly, all of the irritation drains out of Namjoon. He wraps his arm around Taehyung and sighs. His head still hurts and his throat still feels weird but he just doesn’t have the heart to make Taehyung leave now. It isn’t long before Taehyung’s breathing evens out, and Namjoon closes his eyes and feels himself matching his slow, even breaths.
The last thing he’s thinking about before he falls asleep is how thirsty he is and how badly he needs a drink of water.
*
When Namjoon wakes up, it’s 6 a.m. and there’s a third body in his bed.
It’s Jimin. He knows without even really looking, but he can tell by the way he and Taehyung are wrapped around each other, taking up more than half of his bed in a tangle of limbs. He’s not surprised that Jimin gravitated towards his soulmate in the middle of the night, as he often does.
He is surprised, though, that he didn’t hear Jimin come into his room, nor did he feel him get into his bed at any point. It makes him feel nervous, and a little upset that he wasn’t more aware– he feels like he should be more alert as the leader of the group. What if there had been an intruder? Would he really sleep through it just like that?
Suddenly, his chest feels too tight. Anxiety swirls in his gut and the urge to cry overwhelms him so suddenly that he stumbles out of bed and nearly runs to the bathroom before Jimin or Taehyung can wake up.
As he gets ready for work, he feels somehow even shittier than the night before, and he grumbles to himself the entire time he showers and dresses, groggy and cranky. Surely, if he had gotten his bed to himself last night, he would have had a proper, full night’s rest and he wouldn’t be feeling so poorly. He doesn’t have time to feel like shit, though, so he pushes through and gets himself ready and makes it to work ten minutes early like usual, largely ignoring whatever it is that has him feeling so bad both physically and mentally.
It’s not really a conscious decision, but he goes throughout his entire day without responding to a single text in the group thread. It’s only when he’s ready to head home that he reluctantly opens his phone and sees all of the messages, the ones near the end full of questions and poorly disguised worry directed at him.
did u forget ur phone today hyung?
hello??? earth to namjoonie-hyungieeee
We missed you at lunch, Joonie. Where are you hiding today?
he’s forgotten all about us. maybe he doesn’t love us anymore :(
Namjoon-hyung did you cancel the meeting at 4 on purpose?
Sure, he’s usually more responsive in the group thread, and he’s always ready with answers for all of their questions, but surely they can get along just fine for one single day without him?
There’s a separate text from Yoongi, too, asking him if he’s doing okay. Namjoon only glances briefly at it before pocketing his phone, shoving it away like it will make the question disappear.
He grits his teeth and stares at his closed computer for about a minute, and then stands and takes his coat back off, hanging it up on the hook by the door before going back to his desk. His head is pounding, but somehow the thought of going home right now and facing everyone seems worse than finishing up a bit more work here where he can be by himself.
Opening his computer, Namjoon pinches the bridge of his nose and scratches out a to-do list of tasks for himself despite the fact that his eyes are burning and his throat is aching so much that it hurts every time he swallows.
*
Namjoon stays at work for two more hours after that.
When he gets home, he sees he’s the last one to arrive. He catches a glimpse of himself in the hallway mirror and freezes, mouth falling open at his own appearance. There are dark circles under his eyes, his face is flushed, his hair is a mess– but beyond all, he looks tired.
He makes his way into the kitchen, where he grabs a glass and fills it with water. He chugs it down in seconds and then refills it, clearing his throat several times as he watches the water fill the glass.
There are footsteps behind him as the others come in– he glances over his shoulder and sees six pairs of eyes fixed on him.
“Hey,” he says, immediately regretting it when he hears how horrible his voice sounds. He really needs to rest it every once in a while. He probably talked too much again today– but even as he thinks it, he remembers he’s been alone for almost the entire day and didn’t talk much at all.
Namjoon doesn’t miss the worry that clouds everyone’s expressions, and he can see them exchanging looks with one another, but he decides to ignore it and turns back to the sink, filling his glass with water for a third time.
“I’m hungry,” Jungkook announces, rubbing his stomach and pouting until they all chuckle at him.
“Okay, Jungkookie.” Hoseok wraps himself around the youngest’s back. “What do you want for dinner tonight?”
“What do you want for dinner, hyung?” Jungkook asks, turning to Namjoon.
The thought of eating makes Namjoon feel almost nauseous, so he shakes his head. “I’m not really hungry,” he answers. “You guys eat without me. I’m going to go take a shower.”
He turns and leaves without another word, but he can hear them all chattering quietly as soon as he steps out of the kitchen.
The bathroom feels too cold. Namjoon turns the water on as hot as it will go, because he’s suddenly shivering, and when he takes his clothes off there are goosebumps all over his skin. He gets into the shower quickly and nearly moans out loud at how heavenly the hot water feels as it pours over him.
Two separate times he’s hit by a strange feeling that’s almost like dizziness, and the second occurrence is accompanied with a feeling of sudden, intense nausea that makes him worry he might actually puke for a second. It passes just as quickly as it comes, though, and he hurries to finish his shower before it can happen again.
As soon as he turns off the water, his nose is running, and he swipes a hand underneath it to stop it from dripping, annoyed at the pressure he can feel in his sinuses that he assumes is from the change in temperature– he’s cold again now that the hot water is turned off.
He dries off, thankful his hair is on the shorter side so it doesn’t take too long to dry, and then wraps a towel around his waist.
Just as he’s about to leave the bathroom, there’s a knock on the door and he opens it to see Seokjin standing there.
“Hey, Joonie. Just wanted to see if you wanted to place an order. We decided to order takeout from the Thai place a couple of blocks over.
Namjoon shakes his head. “Don’t order anything for me. I’ll eat later. I had a late lunch today.”
It isn’t until he tells the lie that he realizes he actually didn’t have any lunch, for the second day in a row. As if reminded, his stomach makes a gurgling sound, almost like he’s hungry except for the fact that the thought of food makes saliva pool in his mouth uncomfortably.
Seokjin frowns, looking almost disappointed. “Okay.”
Namjoon steps out of the bathroom, lightly pushing past Seokjin and shuffling towards his room, but as soon as he leaves the steamy bathroom he has to stop to sneeze abruptly. The sneeze makes the pounding in his head worsen and he has to blink away the spots in his vision.
“Joon?” Seokjin’s hand is on his bare back. “Are you planning on joining us for movie night?” He asks as Namjoon recovers.
Namjoon sniffs sharply and blinks at Seokjin. He still has that goddamn frown on his face.
“Movie night?”
“It’s Friday,” Seokjin explains, his brows furrowing.
Namjoon nods, trying to figure out how it’s Friday already– he’s pretty sure he had spent the entire day thinking it was a Tuesday. A sense of relief washes over him when he realizes that means he doesn’t have to work tomorrow.
“We’re starting the movie in fifteen minutes,” Seokjin tells him. “If you don’t join us, at least take some cold medicine before you go to sleep,” he says, and then he goes back out to the living room.
Namjoon frowns. Cold medicine? Oh– just because he sneezed once, Seokjin must think he’s sick or something. His hyung is such a worrier, almost more so than Yoongi sometimes.
It’s not like he’s actually sick, though. He just has a bad headache, and he’d had that strange moment of dizziness and nausea while he was in the shower, but besides that and his nose being a bit runny it’s not like he’s feeling that bad. Mostly just tired. And his throat still hurts, still feels like he’s screamed for an entire day and used up every last bit of his voice, almost sore like when he has a cold–
Oh.
Oh.
There’s no way he’s sick sick. There’s no way he actually has a cold. First of all, he doesn’t have time to be sick, but on top of that he doesn’t feel like he has a cold so that can’t be it. Once he gets some sleep tonight he’ll be totally fine.
Now determined to show Seokjin and the others that he’s completely fine, he dresses in a pair of soft sweatpants and a hoodie, grabs a pair of socks, and stops back by the bathroom for some painkillers for his not-cold-related headache before heading out to the living room for movie night.
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The start of a new day brings me a fresh wave of optimism and that's all because of the success of my stand. It started as a random dream, a stray hope that maybe, just maybe, I could move forward into a new life and have it be fueled by a career driven by my passion and ambition.
So yes, I will start the day off with left over pizza because I simply deserve it!
There are a few things I must do before I can really get the day started. The usual chores of course. I cook so there's always dishes to be done and counters to be cleaned and of course there's always flowers to attend to as well. It's the dying days of spring with the coming of summer so I have plenty of gardening left ahead of me it looks like and that is work I look forward to.
Just when I think things are going well the day hiccups, putting before me a challenge, a problem to be solved in the form of a broken toilet. Yeah, I'm not going to worry about it and so I call the now usual repair service, my voice familiar to them by now, and let them know that something else in my house is broken.
I thought about trying to fix it myself but I do have things to do today and I do have somewhere to be as well.
And that somewhere? Pascal's.
I'm not going to dwell on what Simón and I shared earlier this week. I'll think of it as a book completed and closed. I've come to Oasis Springs to start a new life and that means starting new relationships which also includes those of the romantic variety.
So here I am before Pascal's place, large, big enough to house multiple people to be sure but its less than what I would have expected. He's an athletic prodigy, right? The next big thing? I'd think he'd at least live in a mini-mansion of sorts.
It's more than I have so who am I to judge?
Pascal is there to open the door for me and lead me deeper inside. Holding my hand on the way there, perhaps ready to direct me into this next part of my life or maybe he's just grabby? Either way, his presence is welcoming and his smile is inviting.
"You look amazing," he breathes out, bringing his lips to my fingers for a well placed kiss. Playing the role of gentleman, I suppose? The subtle action brings some warmth to my cheeks that is difficult to hide.
Pascal pushes every button for me. Physically, he's everything I could ever want. Mentally? Well, that is up for debate, isn't it? Mental faults are something you have to dig up to discover. Honestly, I feel fortunate that he finds me attractive at all.
"Love day is tomorrow," I remind him, already picturing another date with him, wondering if I should imagine a future with him at all.
"I know! It's just too bad I have a game that day," he says, sincerely disappointed, I think. "It is only a day, we have more than one day to spend together, don't we?"
"We do," I agree, two words fumbling from my lips and realizing that the language we are using right now assumes there is an 'us'. It's vague and really, too vague for my tastes. I want something more, something concrete, something I can rely on. Especially from a man like him. I chew on my lower lip, hesitating to ask the question I know must be asked. "When you say we..."
The laughter that comes from him is welcoming and the sound itself pushes relief through me. It's warm and jovial and comes before a confident nod of his head. "Yes, we! There should be a we, shouldn't there?" It was my turn to give a nod, I feel a little fluttery to be honest, thinking this relationship is advancing rapidly but feeling like there is no sense in getting in front of a speeding train. "Frida?"
"Y-yes, yes, 'we' sounds good!" Does that make it official? I suppose so. For a moment I think of Simon and then remind myself that he's a man from my past and not my future.
In the wake of our mutual agreement I can see that Pascal seems a little lighter, the smile on his face brighter with a vibrant look to his eyes. It's the look I imagine he has on his face after scoring a goal or making a crucial play while playing futbol.
Speaking of that, I find myself a little more curious about his world. I don't know much about it, if I'm being honest, next to nothing other than a bunch of people kick a ball around and try to get it into a goal, but the questions I ask him, about the basics and such, creates a shared energy between us. His passion for kicking balls around on a field is very infectious. "I should come! See you play-"
"It's an away game," he says, crushing that idea the moment I thought of it. "Of course you could travel. There's a wives club or something, they keep together sometimes but-"
"Yeah, pass," I reply a little harshly. I'm not a wife and I sure don't want to spend time with a gaggle of what I presume are stuck up and spoiled women who will certainly judge me for being just a girlfriend. "I can't any ways, my food stand is really picking up and I don't want to slow down that momentum."
"Your stand is so cute," he says, bringing energy back into the conversation. "And those waffles were amazing. I keep meaning to come back but my diet is pretty strict sometimes."
That I can understand. He's an athlete, after all. "I thought about becoming a full time chef. You know, work at a restaurant so that I can earn even more simoleons."
At this he frowns for just a moment. Quick enough for me to notice. He's also quick to explain himself. "If you're going to be with me you won't have to worry about simoleons."
"You can never have too many! Besides, I'd like some simoleons that I earn for myself. You know?"
"Yeah," he utters, but the word comes out flat, a tone that doesn't quite fit well into my ears. It's a disagreement then, one he's not ready to get into but what could be the issue? If we were to become official official, you know, living together and everything, what would be wrong with having more simoleons between us? "Give it a year, Frida, and I'll be one of the best players in the world. Simoleons will never be an issue for us."
He says it with such conviction and confidence that all I can do is nod my head. There is a clear determination in his voice and and a look in his eyes that tell me this is a future he's already seen. One promised to him or at least he believes it has been promised to him. This part of him is a little intimidating, the drive of a man that will not be stopped and will let nothing get in the way of his goals but that part of him is also exciting and admirable. Maybe it's because its a contrast to what Simón offered, a man who was happy to get what he could out of life, nothing more. Pascal, I can tell, is a man that settles for nothing.
I make it back home with more of a direction. I'm not single anymore. I'm not single! I don't know if this is a good or bad thing (because you know ladies sometimes its better to be single than miserably coupled) but it is definitely a thing!
I'm back in my kitchen, making waffles and baking cookies and decided to do something a little new. Fried chicken! It's one of those foods universally loved, who hates fried chicken? Other than vegetarians and vegans I suppose but I hope it will be a welcomed surprise for my customers!
The waffles and cookies disappear from my counter, dishes that are familiar to my customers by now, and the chicken is not far behind. Overall, a pretty breezy 700 or so simoleons are earned and that's enough alone for rent. I might outgrow my little place before I can even get settled into it!
The sun starts to fall, casting long shadows over the day and slowly but beautifully giving way to night. I don't like having my stand open at night because...duh, why would I? So I'm just about ready to close up shop until one more person lingers over to my stand.
"Hola!" I call out, catching his attention. One more sale won't hurt.
"Fryda?" He asks, his pronunciation all wrong. I nod my head any ways, impatiently wanting to make my sale and call it a night. "Closing up?"
"Yes, loong day but...one more," I keep it simple, Simlish still being new to me meant short sentences are better than longer ones and despite what others say I do not like my accent.
"Anything you would suggest?"
"Ummmm..." that's a question I don't get a lot so it makes me think for a moment. I look over the counter, most of the dishes are cleaned, my best offerings long gone leaving nothing I'd really suggest. "Pizza?" I wave a hand over it. It's not my best creation but he smiles, hands me his simoleons, and takes a slice.
"Can't go wrong with pizza! Thanks, Fryda!"
But little does Friday know that her last lingering customer was none other than Ray Booker. Infamous local food critic and one who was looking for any reason to leave a scathing review.
He happily made his way to a nearby bench in a neighborhood park, cleared of children thankfully, and signaled for his cameraman to pop out and start the show.
Once the lens fell on him he went into his usual motions. Playing up his chewing, making the same 'oooh' and 'ahhh' sounds as if his palate was so distinct that he could suss out every bit of flavor.
After finishing it, he gave his audience a knowing smirk, an expression they knew all too well as the precursor for a bad review.
"I've never had a slice of pizza so bad that it might make me consider having pizza ever again. Who makes a cream corn pizza, any way..."
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