BRUISES AND KISSES
Jeonghan was always protective of you, sometimes to a fault.
❧ PAIRING; jeonghan x reader
❧ GENRE; hurt/comfort, fluff
❧ TAGS/WARNINGS; established relationship, mention of a fight, mentions of injuries, hurt/comfort, fluff
Jeonghan sat on the worn-out motel bed with his knuckles split and crusted with dried blood. His bottom lip was swollen, and a thin line of red traced down to his chin where a fresh cut sat angrily against his skin.
Your hands were shaking as you reached for him, and your fingers hesitated just before touching his cheek. Your breath hitched. Your chest rose and fell too fast, too erratic.
Jeonghan tilted his head slightly as his bruised jaw tightened. “Baby—”
“Don’t,” you whispered, shaking your head as you tried to hold back the tears welling up in your eyes.
You practically watched it all unfold. The way the man at the bar smirked at you. The crude words he spat in your direction. The way Jeonghan reacted without hesitation.
You barely processed the insult before Jeonghan shoved his chair back with a loud scrape and his fists already flying. It was brutal — quick, ruthless and filled with an anger you rarely saw in him.
But now, as he sat there battered and bruised, he didn’t look angry. He looked at you the way he always did. A softness that made your chest ache. A small, lopsided smile played on his busted lips, and that broke you.
Finally letting the tears spill over, you let out a shaky sob.
“Baby, please don’t cry,” Jeonghan mumbled tenderly, though his voice was rough.
You sniffled and ignored him as your fingers hovered over his cheek before pressing against his jaw. When he flinched slightly, you flinched back in response.
Your heart squeezed painfully in your chest. “You’re hurt,” you whispered almost inaudibly.
Jeonghan exhaled through his nose, his fingers twitching against his thigh as if he wanted to reach for you. “It’s not as bad as it looks” he tried to reassure you.
But you shot him a look that told him you weren’t in the mood for his nonchalance.
“You always do this,” you said.
“You act like you’re made of stone, like you can take every hit without flinching.”
Your hands curled into tight fists against your lap. “But I saw you Jeonghan. I saw him punch you. I saw the blood.”
Jeonghan sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Y/n I love you, and I wasn’t gonna let him talk to you like that.”
Your throat tightened. “I know.”
And that was the worst part. You knew.
Jeonghan was always protective of you, sometimes to a fault. He would do anything to shield you, even if it meant breaking himself in the process. It scared you — this self-destructive need he had to take on the world for you sake. You loved him for it, but God, you hated it too.
You reached forward and gently cupped his face in your hands. His skin was warm in your palms as your eyes traced every bruise and every scrape.
Jeonghan just let you, and his body relaxed under your gentle touch. He always did.
Slowly, you leaned in and your lips pressed the softest kiss against the corner of his mouth — right where the wound met unbroken skin.
Jeonghan sucked in a sharp breath, and his body went still.
Your lips lingered for a second longer as a silent apology and a silent plea for him to stop putting himself in harm’s way for you.
You pulled back slightly, your eyes still glossy with unshed tears and your bottom lip trembling. “You scare me when you do this,” you admitted.
Jeonghan’s expression softened. He reached his hand out and used his thumb to brush away a stray tear from your cheek.
“I’m sorry baby, I don’t mean to.”
You let out a shaky laugh. “I know.”
For a moment, you both sat in silence. Then, Jeonghan finally moved. His fingers slipped under your chin and tilted your face up so you were looking at him again.
“Come here,” he whispered.
You hesitated for only a second before closing the space between you. Your arms wrapped around his shoulders as you buried your face in the crook of his neck. Jeonghan let out a quiet sigh, his arms coming around you to hold you close.
“You’re okay,” you mumbled against his skin, as if saying it enough times would make it true.
“I am now” Jeonghan pressed a kiss against your temple.
You pulled back and looked at him in the eyes intently. “Promise me,” you managed through a broken whisper.
Jeonghan knew what you were asking.
He let out a slow breath as his fingers tracer circles against your lower back. “I promise to try.”
It wasn’t the promise you wanted. But it was Jeonghan. And for now, that was enough.
You sighed and leaned in again, pressing another kiss to his bruised lip. It was softer this time, like you were trying to heal the wound with every touch. Jeonghan kissed you back just as slow and gentle, despite the pain it probably caused him.
When you both finally pulled away, Jeonghan gave you that same lopsided grin.
“You should see the other guy.”
You rolled your eyes as a watery laugh escaped your lips. “Idiot.”
Jeonghan chuckled, but winced slightly. “But I’m your idiot.”
And God help you, he was.
