“You’re awfully quiet,” Kyungsoo comments, head rolling on the back of the head rest to stare at Jongin.

                They’d been driving for ten or so minutes now, after Jongin had helped Kyungsoo into his shoes and jacket, texting Baekhyun a speedy “I’ll be right back” before he half-carried the intoxicated boy out to his car. By this point Kyungsoo’s inner party animal had been stowed away again, giggles and laughter dying away into a more serious, albeit unfocused, gaze on Jongin’s solemn expression.

                “You haven’t been saying anything either,” Jongin reminds him.

                “You look upset.”

                “I’m not upset.” Which was a bit of a lie but Jongin wasn’t about to tell him.

                Kyungsoo stares some more. “You’re not drunk.”

                “No. I don’t drink anymore.”

                “How come?”

                Jongin pauses. He’s never actually talked about his recent drinking habits, or lack thereof, at length with anyone yet, not even Sehun, and he’s not sure if he’s ready to talk about it now, especially to Kyungsoo. A very intoxicated Kyungsoo, one might add.

                He decides to try and keep his answers simple. “Bad stuff happens when I drink.”

                “Like what?” Kyungsoo’s hand reaches over and settles on Jongin’s thigh, it with his thumb.

                Jongin’s grip on the steering wheel tightens. Kyungsoo’s palm print is burning against the fabric of his jeans, but he pushes the thought out of his head and gently takes the hand on his thigh before placing it back in Kyungsoo’s lap.

                “I lose things,” Jongin replies. “Important things.”

                After that Kyungsoo falls silent again, letting this information sink in. It doesn’t take long before they reach campus, and Jongin pulls into the parking lot before unbuckling his seatbelt.

                “I can let myself in—” Kyungsoo starts.

                “No. I’ll help you inside.” Jongin gets out of the car and hurries to open the passenger’s side. Kyungsoo nearly falls over when he steps out, and a hand quickly slams against the car to keep himself upright as he winces.

                “You okay?” Jongin quickly grabs onto his shoulders.

                “. Guess I did have a lot.”

                “No kidding. You never swear.” Jongin turns around and tugs Kyungsoo’s arms over his shoulders, and Kyungsoo takes the hint, hopping a bit to let Jongin hoist him onto his back. Jongin readjusts Kyungsoo so that he was situated more comfortably against him before carrying him towards the apartment.

                “What did you lose the last time you drank?” Kyungsoo whispers against his ear.

                Jongin swallows hard. He could feel his resolve slowly crumbling—even -faced drunk, he was embarrassed to admit, Kyungsoo had him wrapped around his finger. The boy’s chest was pressed flush against his back and he was nuzzling his face into the hair behind Jongin’s ear and the way he’d spoken to him, in hushed tones of sincerity, has Jongin wavering.

                Jongin swallows again, fighting the lump in his throat. “Dancing.”

                Kyungsoo pauses. “What do you mean?”

                “There was this party. Back in high school I used to be a lot worse off than you are right now when I went to parties. I didn’t hold back or watch for my limits. People had to stop me so I wouldn’t have to get my stomach pumped. I was always the one who got ridiculously smashed and did stupid that people talked about until next week’s party. But no one cared about the stuff I did no matter how outrageous it was. Everyone still liked me and wanted me around next weekend.

                “Then during my final year I started losing things. Small things at first, car keys or cellphone and whatnot. I didn’t really care at first. It was just one more thing people talked about. But then it started getting worse. I lost my best friend over this stupid fight we’d had, and I’d said something that I can’t ever take back now. I…I lost my ity one night and didn’t even know it because I was too smashed to remember—the girl had to remind me the next day. And then there was this party.”

                Jongin steps through the double doors of the building and waits until they’re inside the elevator before he continued. “I don’t remember why I got into this fight. All I know is that I’d pissed someone off, a lot. The thing is, that guy was from the same dance company I was from. And…and I’d beat him pretty badly that night. The company found out about it, obviously. It wasn’t the first time I’d got in trouble with them for my drinking habits or getting into a fight, but the dancer I’d beat up was in hospital two days before a recital. And that was the last straw for them. So they kicked me out.”

                Jongin steps out when the elevator doors open and silently carries Kyungsoo to his front door. Kyungsoo carefully climbs down and leans heavily against the door, staring up at Jongin.

                Jongin sighs. “I haven’t been to a party since, until now.”

                “Then why did you come today?”

                “Because you were going to be there,” Jongin admits, and he tries to smile but the pain of nostalgia curdles bitterly on his tongue and he just ends up grimacing instead.

                Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything, but after a stretch of silence he reaches out and slips his arms around Jongin’s neck again, pulling him in for a hug. This time, though, it’s one of comfort, and Jongin lets himself be reeled in, wrapping his arms around Kyungsoo’s waist and pressing his face into Kyungsoo’s shoulder and revelling in how perfectly they seemed to fit into each other’s hold.

                “Sorry about your dance,” Kyungsoo mumbles.

                “It’s okay.”

                They stay like that for a little longer, Kyungsoo reaching up to Jongin’s hair soothingly and Jongin closing his eyes and sighing gratefully, even though he knew that Kyungsoo was probably just extra touchy tonight due to the amount of alcohol he’s consumed.

                “Do you want to stay here tonight?”

                Jongin’s heart aches with longing at the idea, but he sniffs and shakes his head. “Not a good idea. I’m just going to crash at Sehun’s. And I was Luhan’s ride home anyway.”

                “Okay.” Kyungsoo pulls back and gently presses his lips to the edge of Jongin’s mouth, before placing a chaste kiss on his lips, making Jongin weak in the knees all over again. “Thanks for taking me home.”

                “You’re welcome,” Jongin replies, heart pounding. “Goodnight.”

                “Night.” Kyungsoo unlocks the front door, turning to give Jongin’s hand one final squeeze before stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

—∞—

                In the end, although Jongin had returned to take Luhan home like he’d wanted, Luhan and Sehun were already out cold in one of the guests’ rooms, having finished whatever business they’d attended to while he was gone (ew), and in the early hours of the morning more than half of the crowd had already evacuated and were stumbling together towards cars and bus stops alike. The couch is miraculously unoccupied, and Jongin inspects it for any sketchy substances before plopping down on it and falling asleep at once.

                When he surfaces again it’s around ten o’clock in the morning, and Jongin wakes up slowly, rubbing his eyes and lazily looking around the room to inspect what he’d been too tired to notice last night. Jongdae’s still on top of the dining room table, and Minseok is sleeping crouched over in his chair, arms crossed on the table and head resting on top. Tao is lying on the floor near the table with a half- angel in his arms, and Kris, of all things, was lying with them and spooning Tao, shirt nowhere to be seen, arm thrown lazily over his waist and his face buried in Tao’s neck. There were some other people Jongin vaguely remembered seeing last night lying on the floor as well.

                He needed to use the bathroom by this point but was a little frightened about what he might find inside them, so he goes for the next best thing—he gets up and looks for Baekhyun so that he could evacuate the bathrooms instead. Along the way he finds one girl curled up on top of the washing machine, one guy sprawled in the middle of the stairs like he’d tried to climb up but tripped over halfway and decided not to get up again, and a used on the floor.

                The door to Baekhyun’s room is open, and Jongin cautiously pokes his head inside, but luckily Baekhyun and Chanyeol are fully clothed and cuddling on the bottom bunk of the beds. Jongin decides he doesn’t really want to check if anyone’s on the top bunk.

                He creeps across the carpeted floor and shakes Baekhyun’s arm. Baekhyun groans and shifts in Chanyeol’s arms, before squinting up at him. “What,” he says in a hoarse voice.

                “Dude, I need to take a piss.”

                “Bathroom’s down the hall.”

                “But I don’t know what I’ll find in there. Check for me.”

                “The ? Check it yourself,” Baekhyun growls.

                “No, seriously, I am way too awake and sober for this. Please just come with me.”

                Baekhyun groans again before carefully dislodging himself from Chanyeol’s arms, who barely even stirs and just rolls over in his heavy drink-induced sleep, and half-falls out of the bed before slowly picking himself up. Baekhyun stands still for a few minutes as if to prepare himself, before slowly shuffling to check inside his bathroom, the door slightly ajar. He peeks inside for a moment before closing it, shaking his head, and beckons with a finger before he shuffles out of the bedroom, with Jongin silently trailing behind.

                Baekhyun moves down the hall, face scrunched up in his half-sleep, and opens up the door on the right, scanning the insides of it for one full second without any change in expression, before closing the door again. “Not that one,” he says simply.

                Jongin just nods.

                Baekhyun shuffles down the hallway again and tries the third floor bathroom. This time when he opens the door he scrunches his face up a little more in disgust before closing the door, swearing under his breath.

                Jongin doesn’t ask.

                They go back down the stairs again to the main floor, the last bathroom in the house, and when Baekhyun opens this one up he stares inside it for a long time. He closes the door again and turns to Jongin. “So there’s good news and bad news.”

                “Can I get the good news then?”

                “Well, this wouldn’t have really worked if you asked for the bad news first anyway but whatever. The good news is I’ve hired for few cleaning ladies to come clean this place up once I’ve thrown everyone out, and they’ve cleaned this place after a party before so they know what to expect and won’t complain. Especially since I’m paying them extra.”

                “And the bad news?”

                “They don’t actually come until twelve.”

                Jongin groans. “What are my options?”

                “You options are this bathroom and the one attached to my room, because the one in the second and third floor hallways should not even be considered options. The one in my room doesn’t have anyone in it but it’s…kind of messy. This one’s cleaner but you’ll have to step over two girls to get to the toilet, if you feel like risking them waking up to the sound of your piss.”

                Jongin groans again. “There isn’t anything else?”

                Baekhyun thinks this over. “There’s some bushes in the park nearby,” he offers.

                “Honestly, I think I’ll take that.”

                “When you come back you can help me kick all of these people out,” Baekhyun warns him as he trudges back towards his room.

                “Do I have to?” Jongin whines.

                “Yes, you do. Awake and sober, if I’m not mistaken?”

                “…Damn it.”

—∞—

                By the time Jongin and Baekhyun kick mostly everyone out, the only people remaining are Luhan, Sehun, Chanyeol, Joonmyun, Tao and Kris (the latter two whom were particularly disgruntled to find themselves in such close proximity when they woke up). Yixing, apparently, had taken some girl back to his place, and Jongdae had offered to drive Minseok home, who was feeling the worst of the effects from last night and was in no mood to do anything but go home and sleep off the day. The rest of them trudged to a nearby breakfast diner to eat while the maid arrived and took over the premises.

                “I honestly don’t know what impresses me more,” Kris says over his pancakes. “The fact that you didn’t have a single drink the entire night or the fact that you actually fended off Kyungsoo’s bedroom eyes.”

                “I’d say riding the night out sober is the more impressive. No alcohol in his system to impair his judgement,” Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “So, what, you just quit cold turkey after graduating high school?”

                Jongin nods, swallows his mouthful. The group was squished into one of the tables near the window, the sounds of utensils striking plates and coffee cups being filled intermingling with their conversation. “Pretty much.”

                “. That’s admirable.”

                “Nah, I’d say turning down Kyungsoo’s bedroom eyes is more impressive,” Sehun says, who has been sharing breakfasts with Luhan the whole time. “You’ve been pining after him for two months. That’s like, forever for you. And you’ve done worse with other drunk people.”

                “Okay, let’s just end that there,” Jongin raises a hand wearily.

                “Speaking of which, I saw you making out with about ten different people last night,” Joonmyun looks over at Kris. “Any luck?”

                “From what I can recall I think I got in bed with like three different people,” Kris says, motioning to the waitress for a refill on coffee and giving her a dazzling smile as she approached.

                “Male or female?” Luhan asks.

                “All female this time. None of the other guys looked particularly able anyway.”

                “Really?” Chanyeol makes a face. “Cause you were with a guy when I accidentally walked in on you in the bathroom last night.”

                “Didn’t him, though.”

                “Guys, come on, I’m trying to have my breakfast in peace,” Jongin complains.

                “You’re just cranky cause Kyungsoo put out but you had to be a gentlemen and turn him down.”

                “Shut the up Tao.”

                “Damn, you hit the nail right on the head,” Baekhyun laughs.

                “No, he didn’t. Look, Kyungsoo’s important to me, okay? I didn’t want our first time to just be some drunk , alright?” Jongin says defensively.

                “Aw, look at you,” Luhan reaches out and Jongin’s head in a maternal fashion, “our little baby’s growing up.”

                “Hey,” Sehun looks around the table, “how many of us are here? Eight?”

                “Yeah…”

                “Yo, this is exactly like that movie Reservoir Dogs,” Sehun says with wide eyes. “There were eight of them, right?”

                “I call dibs on Mr. Pink,” Kris says as he stuffs bacon into his mouth.

                “Dibs on Mr. Brown,” Baekhyun says right away, grinning. “Nobody gets Tarantino but me.”

                “Wow, what the . Those were like the only two cool people,” Chanyeol protests.

                “Not my point, I’m saying that we should go—”

                “If you end that sentence with ‘try and rob a bank,’ Sehun, I will personally you to the front doors of a mental institution myself,” Kris interrupts.

                “...I was just gonna say we should go up. You know, see how we operate under high-pressure situations, test our levels of trust in one another, maybe fire a gun or something.”

                “Was that supposed to be an improvement from what I just said?”

                “I’m debating whether or not I should order more food,” Tao says, staring at his empty plate.

                “Here, you can finish mine off,” Jongin shoves his plate towards Tao. “I just needed some coffee anyway.”

                “Haha, sweet!” Tao says, sliding the plate towards him.

                “Hey,” Kris says, reaching over with his fork, “share some of that.”

                “No way, Jongin gave this to me so it is now officially my food,” Tao shields his plate with his arm and uses his other hand to fend off Kris’ fork with his own. “And you still have pancakes.”

                “But I want more bacon,” Kris insists as he and Tao start sword-fighting with their utensils.

                “Not my problem.”

                “Boys,” Joonmyun says in a warning tone without looking up from his coffee.

                “Ugh, you’re so lame.” Kris stabs a pancake with his fork and throws it onto Tao’s plate.

                “Aw, yuss! Banana-nut!” Tao says excitedly, lowering his arm and allowing Kris to swipe a piece of his bacon.

                Jongin stares. “You do realize that you guys always end up trading food in the end, right? Why not just do that in the first place?”

                “I don’t share with this ,” Tao says through a mouthful of pancake while he jabs his fork in Kris’ direction, even as Kris starts pouring maple syrup on the same piece of bacon that was on Tao’s plate two seconds ago.

                “…Right. Whatever you say.”

a/n

to you-know-who: like hell you were waiting patiently

and now to the rest of you

wtf. 600 subs. what did i ever do to deserve you guys? why are you so amazing? why can't i hug you all?

in other news, started the wolf!au AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA you can find it here. although first chapter's not coming for a long while cause i'm waiting on the poster/background that i put in a request for at a poster shop lol

and now let us rejoice in the thing that is the "growl" teaser

praise