Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 515
Genre: Angst
Summary: Who has the real addiction?
AN: Sorry for the drabble, I've never written GTOP before! For ymo1557 's challenge, prompt: addiction.
 

Blow after blow rains down on JiYong frail body as he cowers as best as he can on the cold ground beneath him. The metal wetness in his mouth turns his stomach, but when he spits, it’s replaced almost immediately. He feels the toe of a boot connect with a rib and he can almost hear it crack. Another wave of pain rolls through him, leaving him breathless as teeth clench down on raw lips, spilling even more blood. The pain clouds his mind and JiYong closes his eyes against the dizzying turmoil in his head. He braces for the next hit but none comes. He hears a ringing thud as something hits the metal railing beside him and he feels it when it falls to the ground.

Clutching at his side with a bloodied hand, JiYong lifts himself slowly, the excruciating pain hindering him. His free hand s for the familiar locks of black hair, feeling for contusions, before making its way slowly down the other’s chest and checking for a heartbeat. With both confirmed, JiYong drags himself through the door to the balcony and as soon as his cheek meets rough carpet, he passes out, waiting for someone to find him.

---

When JiYong next wakes up, a familiar somber face swims dizzyingly into view. The doctor looks at him in concern, not ready for the excuses that will soon be tumbling out of JiYong’s mouth, knowing full well that it was all lies. But JiYong tells them anyway, because he has to try. Besides, the doctor can’t do anything about it, so the doctor’s eyes narrow with every word that JiYong says.

JiYong learns that it’s worse this time. Bruises in unconcealable places, a split lip, and a broken rib. He feels weak just thinking about it. JiYong knows he can’t afford to take any more time off from work, but he can’t face the media and the fans looking like he just got jumped in an alley. There’s only so much songwriting one can do without recording or producing any of them. Which is impossible when one member is in the emergency ward at the hospital.

But no matter how many warnings the doctors give him, no matter how many threats from YG, no matter how many pitying looks from his ‘brothers’ are thrown his way, JiYong won’t stop coming back. Back to the abuse, the violent outrages, the drunken stupors, the nasty insults, the crying. It’s not TOP’s fault, he can’t help it, he says. ‘He’s addicted, it’s not going to help him if I leave. He needs me,’ he defends. No one really believes it though.

He doesn’t really even believe it himself.

Maybe it was because the lies would become truths if he had been talking about himself instead.

‘It’s not my fault, I can’t help it. I’m addicted, it’s not going to help me if he leaves. I need him.’

Maybe TOP’s not the one with the real addiction. Maybe it’s JiYong who has the serious problem.

Either way, JiYong’s not going to stop until he’s dead.