At first, Jongin has no idea what's going on, and he has to blink at least ten times to register what he's seeing. In the commotion, he forgets all about the front door sitting wide open before he practically flies down the hallway. "Whattheareyoudoinghere--"

For a full minute, Baekhyun is silent, expression resembling that of a deer caught in headlights as he scratches the back of his head. His hair is in serious need of a dye job, given that his brown roots are more visible than ever, and it's not until his shoulders tense that he speaks. "Guess you got my text," he mutters. ", you weren't...he said you wouldn't be-"

"What are you doing here," Jongin echoes, flailing his arms around everywhere. The whole house is dead silent, and he low-key wonders if Baekhyun must have broken in through one of the upstairs windows when he opens his mouth. However, he doesn't get a chance to speak before the sound of tires coming to a crawl makes him turn around, which is closely followed by a loud voice.

"I got those snacks y'all wanted," Chanyeol exclaims after stumbling across the threshold holding at least five grocery bags. He looks up and blinks when he sees Jongin staring right at him. "I see you've recovered since last night, jeez, you were in shambles," he adds before he grins. "I dunno if you remember, but that's the guy." He nods at Baekhyun before he goes on to unpack the groceries over by the counter. "Baek didn't think you'd come home, at all, so it's a good thing I got enough for all of us, right???" 

Jongin only watches as Chanyeol proceeds to stuff ten cups of chocolate pudding in the microwave, and the monotone beeping of the machine is drowned out by the blood rushing in his ears. Despite the rest of the house drowning in pitch blackness, Jongin immediately picks up on the way Baekhyun wordlessly fidgets with the hem of his shirt ten feet away. The silence only amplifies Chanyeol's loud voice when he goes on to joke about pudding being the ultimate hangover cure, and Jongin is torn between bolting outside and curling up on the floor in a fit of screams when he worries he might collapse.

The next thing Jongin knows, he's opening his mouth to speak. "Where were you? Y'know, yesterday," he mutters, nearly flinching at the sound of his own voice as he runs a hand through his hair.

Baekhyun is silent for a minute, and he doesn't even move a muscle when Chanyeol walks over and lovingly pinches his cheek. It's not until the microwave beeps that he shrugs. "Studying," Baekhyun mumbles and there's something about the way he's avoiding Jongin's eyes that makes Jongin want to smash the nearest window.

Ignoring Chanyeol offering him a piece of pudding, Jongin's eyes absently trail over the dark staircase twenty feet away. Despite the words filling his head, they all disintegrate on his tongue when he feels his brain blanking out. As much as he wants to walk over and sock Baekhyun in the jaw, Jongin manages to distract himself when he thinks of Krystal impatiently waiting for him at the studio, and the mere thought of disappointing her is enough for him to storm out of the kitchen without as much as word. The sound of Chanyeol opening up the kitchen window makes Jongin breathe a little easier, since he didn't even realize that he's practically gasping for air until he flies up the stairs three at a time.

To Jongin's surprise, the fatigue lacing his head seems to have disappeared without a trace, because he finds himself looting through the ocean of laundry and homework sheets on his bedroom floor with perhaps a little more force than necessary, after nearly breaking his wrist slamming it against the light switch. However, Jongin barely gets a chance to get on his knees and peek underneath his bed for his duffel bag when he hears footsteps scurrying up the stairs. Jongin internally screams, because the last thing he wants right now is for Chanyeol to pester him with his godforsaken pudding (even though his stomach is growling).

In fact, it's not until he hears the threshold creaking behind him that Jongin growls in irritation, and he's whirling around before he can stop himself. "I don't want your goddamn--"

To say that Jongin's words die in his throat when he's met with the sight of Baekhyun staring right at him would be an understatement, and for a second, Jongin is unable to think a single thought as he tries calming his vertigo. It's not until he feels his phone buzz with a call from Krystal that Jongin forgets all about the heat surging through his veins, and the next thing he knows, he's back on his hands and knees in search of his duffel bag.

Jongin doesn't get very far, though, before Baekhyun clears his throat, which makes Jongin shoots up like a bullet. With his search on hold, Jongin tries calming the frantic pounding in his chest to no avail. Now, Jongin doesn't know if he's got the stress over not being able to find his own things in his own room to blame, but the buzzing in his pocket is all it takes for him to fly over and slam his bedroom door shut. Chanyeol's loud voice downstairs is the only thing Jongin registers when he turns back around to continue his search, unaware of the fact that Baekhyun has blocked the door with his foot until he hears the threshold creak again.

Jongin legitimately worries that he might die of heatstroke (which only reminds him of the fact that he's still wearing Sehun's coat, but he doesn't slide it off in fear of it getting dirty) when Baekhyun clears his throat, and Jongin is seconds away from scrapping the idea of turning his mattress upside down when he's reminded of what he (accidentally) read this morning. The thought alone is enough to make his gut churn with both guilt and fury, making him unable to think a single thought.

"I swear to God, if you don't get the out of my house right this second, Baek," Jongin growls under his breath, all while he contemplates ripping the floorboards out. Where the actual goddamn is it???

Baekhyun opens and closes his mouth as he watches Jongin turn his room upside down looking for his duffel bag. It's not until the latter gets up, presumably to slam the door in his face again, that he puts his hands up. "Wait-"

"Not now," Jongin retorts, biting back a sob of frustration when he feels another splitting headache creeping up on him. Despite the heat surging through his veins, he ends up collapsing back down on the floor when he feels Krystal calling him again. In his peripheral, he clearly makes out the bright red mop of hair over by the doorway, and Jongin fights an impulse to shove Baekhyun down the stairs as he throws his closet doors open.

Sighing, Baekhyun makes a move to step into the room, only to recoil when Jongin sends him a murderous glare. "I can explain-"

"I highly doubt that," Jongin mumbles, worrying he might be going insane when he's unable to find his duffel bag anywhere. In fact, he's in the midst of contemplating tearing the walls down when he hears Baekhyun's voice again, and the sheer frustration makes him fly to his feet. "Look, I don't know know who let you in, but if you don't get the out of my room this instant-"

"I should've told you, I know that," Baekhyun interrupts, brushing back a lock of hair in exasperation as he seemingly peddles back and forth between remaining bolted to the threshold and entering the room. He sighs when Jongin mutters something incoherent under his breath, and the silence that fills the small room is quickly broken when Jongin goes on to raid his entire closet. "Look, I was planning on telling you in like, a week or-"

"Do you have any goddamn idea how much you've ed things up between me and Sehun?" Jongin hisses, not even bothering to keep his voice down after he flies to his feet and sends Baekhyun a glare. "And Taemin????" He immediately recalls the hard mattress on Jongdae's bed beneath his back, which makes him stifle a sob. Jongin doesn't even realize that his heart is practically breaking out of his ribcage, and despite the words traveling up his throat, he swallows them as he gestures at the door. "I don't-- it, I can't-- Just get out, I can't even look at you-"

"Look, I didn't think--" Baekhyun curses under his breath. "Okay, so, listen, like I said, I was planning on telling you, but you-"

"Telling me what?" Jongin scoffs. "That you were unable to cut ing ties with Sehun 'cause you'd be lonely for like a month?" He nearly chokes on his own words, and he does his very best to concentrate on locating his duffel bag as he keeps his eyes glued on the pile of clean laundry by his feet. It's not until Baekhyun audibly swallows that Jongin worries his cranium might shatter into a million pieces. "Take Chanyeol and get out already."

Baekhyun is silent for a minute, and even though his shoulders are tense, Jongin easily picks up on the spark of defeat flashing in his eyes. "That's..." He runs a hand through his hair. "That's not true, I-"

"I know all about how you wanted him to stay just so you wouldn't look like a goddamn loner while Chanyeol was off getting his goddamn promotion," Jongin grumbles, hoping he won't rip his clothes to shreds as he tosses them over his shoulder. He's thankful that the subsequent silence helps him think, because he quickly finds his duffel bag neglected in the farthest corner of his closet. However, he doesn't get a chance to feel relieved about it when he hears Baekhyun sigh.

"I obviously wouldn't have...you know, if I'd known you--" Baekhyun says after what feels like forever, all while he fiddles with a piece of peeling paint on the wall. "Look, I didn't know you liked him back, okay? I just-"

"You did," Jongin growls. "I-"

"I mean, I didn't, but okay," Baekhyun chuckles with a shrug. "I wasn't-- You weren't supposed to ki-"

"How about you save it and get the out of my house already," Jongin grumbles, making it clear that he isn't interested in hearing Baekhyun's response by slamming his closet doors shut. In a sense, Jongin is relieved, because at least this means that he isn't nearly as unsubtle as Taemin constantly says he is. Worried he might be sweating bullets in Sehun's coat, Jongin longs for some fresh air as he grabs a clean shirt and a random pair of sweatpants before slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Baekhyun opens and closes his mouth like a goldfish before he chuckles ever so slightly. "See, there you go again." He gesturing at Jongin, who only sends him a dark look. "Refusing to listen, as usual." He shakes his head in exasperation. "Never letting people explain themselves, like always, it's-- Man, you're hopeless, Jongin, hopeless."

Gripping the white straps to his duffel bag, Jongin stares daggers at Baekhyun until he physically feels his eyes ache, despite the fact that his chest is threatening to burst any second. The air suddenly grows exceptionally hot and Jongin momentarily contemplates scrambling to open the window. He doesn't get a chance to do so, though, when Baekhyun sends him an irritated look. He's really doing this. He's actually doing this.

"Fine." Jongin nearly flinches at his own voice as he runs a tired hand through his hair. "Explain why you let me believe I'd ed this whole entire thing up for all of us." He mentally slaps himself, but the painful churning in his gut prevents him from keeping his mouth shut. "Explain why you just watched me blame myself for ing things up between you two while you were running around having the time of your goddamn life with Chanyeol, while blackmailing Sehun into staying with your sorry self just so you'd avoid looking like a goddamn loner for a ing month." Jongin has to fight an impulse to lean against his closet for support when he worries he might pass out, and it's not until he looks up and sees Baekhyun's shoulders slump in defeat that he's torn between laughing and screaming. "So excuse me for taking your goddamn word for it when you said that everything was fine and dandy."

Leaning against the doorframe, Baekhyun shoves his hands in his pockets. He opens his mouth to speak, only to close it when a lock of hair falls in his eyes. It's not until they've stood in absolute silence for a full minute that he blinks. "Wait, who--" He clears his throat, confusion evident in his voice. "Who told you that? Did Sehun tell you?"

Jongin swallows the lump in his throat, a wave of guilt hitting like a bag of bricks when he clenches his jaw. "Chanyeol told me," he mutters, feeling his phone vibrate for the nth time. "About how you met at some-"

"Not that," Baekhyun interrupts with a pointed look at Jongin. "I meant, you know, the other thing."

Jongin feels his words die in his throat, and he figures that he must look foolish gawking like an owl when Baekhyun raises an expectant eyebrow. "I saw your texts," he blurts out, and despite the guilt making his heart ache, he can't bring himself to keep his mouth shut when Baekhyun's glare continues to hammer him down. "Yeah, I saw your ing conversation, how about it?" He pulls out his phone to reply to Krystal's texts asking him 'where the hell he is', only to shove it back in his pocket when he sees the look on Baekhyun's face.

Baekhyun is silent for a minute. "And Sehun showed you?" he asks, not even bothering to mask the knowingness in his voice, and it's not until Jongin visibly swallows that he chuckles. "So now you're looking through his-" 

"What's all that goddamn racket?"

Jongin looks up to be met with the sight of Taemin, seemingly newly awake as he runs a hand down his face and peeks his head in the room. His black hair is an unbrushed, spray ridden mess atop his head and his eyeliner is smudged all across his cheekbones. It doesn't take Jongin long to notice the obvious, albeit dull glint of hungoverness in Taemin's eyes, and it's not until Taemin moves his hand that Jongin's eyes land on the darkening bruise surrounding Taemin's left eye, as well as the redness lining his jawline. With an exhausted expression, Taemin stares at Baekhyun, who isn't even acknowledging his presence, before his eyes clear up the moment he sees Jongin glaring at him. At least that explains how they got in, Jongin thinks.

Taemin is silent before he clears his throat. "Could you get out and leave us alone for like, a second?" he lowly asks, gesturing at Baekhyun.

"How about you hop in the shower, ," Baekhyun scoffs with a grimace, but he doesn't get to continue before Taemin grabs him by the back of the shirt and forcefully hauls him right out of the room.

Jongin can only watch as Baekhyun grumbles to himself while making his way down the stairs, and he can't help but swallow the lump in his throat when Taemin wastes no time in silently closing the door behind him. Taemin seems to contemplate the pile of clothes strewn across the floor with an unreadable expression, before he shoves a hand in his pocket. Chanyeol and Baekhyun's loud voices fill the air downstairs, and Jongin would be lying if he said that he didn't wish they were in the room to join him when Taemin sends him a look.

Taemin's glare must have the fog right out of Jongin's brain, because the next thing Jongin knows, he's biting back the shameful sob trying to escape his throat after he reminisces Taemin's weight pressing him down and making him unable to move in the silence of Jongdae's guest bedroom. The wave of nausea that comes over him makes Jongin want to cry, but he restrains himself as they fall into silence.

Taemin simply arranges a lock of his hair until it's covering his badly bruised eye. His gaze lands on the bandage around Jongin's hand. "Rough night?" he chuckles.

Jongin nearly jumps out of his own skin at the sound of Taemin's voice, and it takes him a minute to process what he's hearing. "I cut myself," he blurts out, fighting the urge to smack a hand over his mouth when Taemin raises an eyebrow. "I could the same thing about you, I...guess," he adds and ignores the shame swelling in his chest. Get it together, moron!

Humming low in his throat, Taemin adjusts his leather jacket, which is still covered in patches of dirt. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself," he says, to which Jongin responds by glaring daggers at him. "Shame Sehun chose to miss it, huh?"

Jongin is so preoccupied with racking his brain for a response that he doesn't register Taemin taking a step forward until they're pretty much touching foreheads. The smell of old tobacco is overpowering and Jongin fights the urge to vomit right in Taemin's face. Despite the furious spark that ignites in his chest whenever he thinks of Baekhyun, Jongin sort of wishes that Baekhyun were here when Taemin wastes no time in leaning in. It's not until the smell of tequila tingles Jongin's senses that he harshly shoves Taemin away.

"You're still drunk, you utter asswipe," Jongin grumbles, figuring he must be right when Taemin nearly trips over the pile of clothes on the floor. It's not until the sound of the front door opening and closing, which is closely followed by Baekhyun and Chanyeol's voices fading, that Jongin wants to die, because the mere thought of being alone in his bedroom with Taemin drunk out of his mind makes him want to jump out the window. In fact, it's not until Taemin gets up and brushes himself off that Jongin hurriedly says something about needing to meet Krystal before he's scrambling towards the door.

However, Jongin barely makes it three steps before he feels a strong hand gripping his shoulder, and he's relieved that his spine doesn't shatter when it slams against the wall a second later. A part of Jongin wants to call Sehun, only to restrain himself in fear of being a nuisance, so he simply lets Taemin ruffle his hair, all while he fights the urge to knee the latter in the groin. "Would you get the away from-"

"It's funny, I didn't think you'd actually remember," Taemin chuckles before his eyes cloud over even more, if that's even possible. "I mean, now that I think about it, I'm glad you do." He playfully yanks on Jongin's hair, gaze wildly flickering as he hums something under his breath. "So I'm assuming you've gotten it through your head that I'm the only one you've got." His eyes darken when Jongin rolls his eyes. "And I heard you and Baekhyun just now, so don't you dare hit me with that bull." 

Shaking his head, which he makes sure to keep lowered to avoid inhaling Taemin's fumes, Jongin adjusts the strap to his duffel bag. As much as he wishes that Sehun was here right now, he has to dismiss it in fear of accidentally saying it out loud. "You're out of your bloody mind," he mutters, only to regret it when Taemin responds by grabbing a fistful of his hair. As much as Jongin knows he probably shouldn't, he squeezes his eyes shut after Taemin forces him to look at him.

"And you're cute, but you know that," Taemin hums, his childish smile melting off his face when his eyes land on Jongin's duffel bag. He's silent for a moment, tequila laced breath ghosting over Jongin's ear after he leans in. "You know what she did to me, right?"

Rolling his eyes, Jongin contemplates socking Taemin in the jaw, but he doesn't get a chance to when a sharp pain spreads across his scalp. For a second, Jongin is unable to think due to the fury coursing through his veins, and he's unable to keep quiet when he clenches his jaw. "Whatever it was, you know you deserved-"

"You need better friends," Taemin interjects, ignoring Jongin's words to the fullest as he softens his grip ever so slightly. "Someone who listens to you, gives a about you, y'know, that good ," he adds with a less than discreet smirk. He opens his mouth to continue, only to clamp it shut when his eyes turn black.  

At first, Jongin has no idea what's happening, but it's not until he comes to the spine chilling realization that he's still draped in Sehun's coat, which must reek of Sehun's perfume, that he finds himself uselessly thrashing around in Taemin's iron grip. The sound of voices downstairs is effectively drowned out by Taemin's deafening growl, and Jongin hates that the nonexistent space between them makes him unable to move his arms when Taemin only tightens his grip on his hair. By some miracle, Jongin manages to break free after Taemin stumbles over a book on the floor, and Jongin ducks in the nick of time to avoid Taemin's incoming fist before he blindly scrambles for the door.       

Jongin is thankful that he doesn't end up tripping and breaking his neck on the way down the stairs, and he barely gets a chance to process the fact that he's stumbled into the kitchen until he nearly trips on the bottom step a minute later. In the commotion, Jongin doesn't register that Taemin has already caught up with him, which momentarily makes him oblivious to Taemin gripping his jaw to the point of bruising. To Jongin's dismay, he hardly gets a chance to panic over the fact that he'd rather not die under his own roof before Taemin practically slams him down on the floor. Thankfully, Jongin narrowly avoids smashing his skull against the counter in the process, but it brings him little relief when he hears Taemin stumbling around above him.

Jongin doesn't get a chance to pull out his phone to text Krystal that he certainly won't be showing up to practice before Taemin is suddenly pulled to his feet by the hair, and in his hurry to scramble to his feet, Jongin only catches a glimpse of Taemin being slammed onto the kitchen table with a wall shattering thud. The loud sound is drowned out by the spinning in his head, which in turn makes Jongin oblivious to Taemin's low whine of pain. 

What the , what the , what the .

After he assures himself that he isn't at risk of passing out, Jongin looks up just in time to see Chanyeol rushing over and dragging Sehun away before the latter can shatter Taemin’s jaw, and Jongin finds himself unable to move when Taemin sinks to the floor in a fit of incoherent grumbles. In the commotion, Jongin almost fails to notice Baekhyun standing off to the side while watching with wide eyes, all while Chanyeol exclaims something along the lines of 'Stay back, you !' after Taemin attempts (and fails) to get to his feet to punch Sehun in the face. 

"Sorry," Sehun huffs, even though he doesn't sound one bit apologetic as he runs a hand through his hair in exasperation. "It's just...I heard you yelling--" He gestures at Jongin. "And I thought he'd...again--" Sehun's eyes visibly darken when they land on Taemin, who only responds with a chuckle.

Taemin rolls his eyes, clearly biting back a hiss when he massages his sore scalp. "What the actual are you talking about," he grumbles although Jongin easily pick up on the way his voice trembles.

"What do you mean?" Chanyeol groans in confusion. "The hell are y'all even talking about anymore???"

Jongin swallows, trying to control the spinning in his head so that he can open his mouth to speak. God ing damn it. He swallows the lump in his throat, hoping his head won't explode as he sends Sehun a pleading look. Jongin sort of hates that his calves feel like jelly, because he honestly doesn't think he'll be able to rush after Sehun if the latter were to turn on his heel and storm right out of the house. "It's...I mean...last night--"

"Jongin, shut the up," Taemin growls after getting to his feet, only shrugging Chanyeol off when the latter places a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"He tried--" Jongin clamps his mouth shut when Taemin sends him a look that could kill. Despite every pair of eyes being on him, Jongin finds himself unable to choke out another syllable when a wave of shame washes over him. It's so strong that he has to grab onto the counter for support, all while he sends Sehun an apologetic look. Don't run away. Please, for the love of God, don't run away. "Don't hate me-"

"I know," Sehun sighs, eyes glued on Taemin as he clenches his hands into fists. "I know about what he did."

Taemin is silent for a minute before he scoffs. "So Romeo did decide to turn up after all? How sweet," he chuckles, sending Jongin a look, to which the latter responds with a growl of irritation. "Y'know, I always figured he wouldn't want to." He shakes his head before Chanyeol goes on to ask them 'what the flipping they're talking about'. "Y'know, since you kept telling me all about how much you ed up and that you didn't know what the his deal was--" Taemin gestures at Sehun. "But what do I know, huh?"

Swallowing the lump in his throat, it takes every fiber in Jongin's being not to walk over and sock Taemin in the jaw, because if it wasn't for his feet bolting him to the floor, he would have added a second black eye to Taemin's face in a heartbeat. Looking at Sehun, Jongin nearly wants to cry when he sees the unreadable look on Sehun's face. ing .

"You forced him not to come," Jongin blurts out, blaming the fire in his veins for making forcing his mouth open. It's not until Taemin's gaze quickly flickers to the floor that he chuckles. "You thought I wouldn't find out? And I'm the goddamn airhead???"

Chanyeol blinks until his eyes flash. "Wait, yeah, I think I--" He immediately goes silent when Taemin sends him a look murderous enough to kill somebody on the spot. "Never mind, I guess-"

"I saw your goddamn email," Jongin blurts out, biting back a sob when Sehun sighs. He chuckles ever so slightly before he sends Taemin a look. "You thought spilling your ing sob story and kissing me was gonna change how I felt? Just to make me believe he hated me just so that you could take ing advantage of--" A sob loud enough to shake the roof escapes his throat, and Jongin keeps his eyes glued on his shoes in time to miss the murderous glare Chanyeol and Sehun send Taemin, who only curses.

Chanyeol clears his throat. "I mean, y'all are talking about the party, right?" he asks, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, wait, now that I think about it, I think I remember seeing you at some point." He points to Sehun. "Like, I think that was like, a minute after I told you--" He points to Jongin, who looks like he's nearing a mental breakdown. "--that Minnie specifically refused to invite-"

"Yeol, would you shut your ing mouth already," Taemin growls. "You were ing pissed out of your goddamn mind, you have literally no-"

"Wait, I think I remember now," Chanyeol hums, ignoring Taemin's words to the fullest as he places a finger under his chin. "Like, I think I remember seeing Sehun pushing past all those weirdos in that big crowd, and he was obviously looking for someone, and he kept asking everyone-- Man, he looked like he was this close to murdering someone." He emits a small chuckle before he pouts in contemplation. "And then he just...disappeared into that little room across the hall...I think it was the one Jongdae never uses??? I mean, I wanted to ask him what he was doing but I kinda fell asleep afterwards, so I don't really--" He chuckles sheepishly. "Point is, I'm like, absolutely 100% sure Sehun was there, but the hell do I know, right?"

Swallowing, Jongin's eyes automatically flicker to Sehun's swollen knuckles, and all he can think of is the earth shattering sound of knuckles against bone seconds after he no longer felt Taemin weighing him down. Despite the fog filling his head, Jongin can't help the warmth that fills his chest, but he doesn't get a chance to walk over and cling to Sehun like a baby koala before Taemin growls in irritation.

"I mean, I just thought it was weird, since Minnie told me a quadrillion times that there was this one jackass he wouldn't invite," Chanyeol chuckles, only to clear his throat when Taemin growls at him, which in turn has Baekhyun gripping his arm. "It's true, though-- I mean, , I thought I was hallucinating on those goddamn sacks, man-"

"At least I'm the one who listens to you," Taemin exclaims, not even bothering to keep his voice down (despite the front door sitting wide open) as he glares at Jongin, who only swallows. "Like, don't you get that? Don't you see that? Are you really that goddamn ing dense???" He promptly ignores Chanyeol when the latter tells him to 'just take a frigging nap already'. "Think about it, for just a second, all those hours-- All those hours I spent listening to you ramble out of your goddamn , even though you knew damn good and well I had feelings for you." Taemin clenches his jaw as he glares at Jongin. "Yet you chose to-"

"Don't you dare," Jongin hisses, fighting the urge to cling to Sehun when he genuinely worries he might black out. It's not until the realization that Krystal is probably freaking out at the studio hits him that Jongin feels his chest tremble with fury. God ing damn it. "You-"

"All those ing hours, all those hours," Taemin slurs, ignoring Chanyeol telling him to keep his voice down as he points an accusatory finger at Jongin. "When you knew-"

"I didn't ing know," Jongin exclaims, feeling himself grow hoarse when he sees Sehun running a hand down his face in expaseration. "God, could you just-"

"You even let me you--" Taemin barely gets a chance to break his fall when Jongin flies across the room and shoves him so forcefully that he stumbles backwards. "Don't ing touch me, you selfish ing imbecile--" He manages to grab a lock of Jongin's hair mid fall before Chanyeol drags him away by the back of the jacket, all while Sehun promptly wraps a protective arm around Jongin's shoulders.

Baekhyun watches as Taemin rolls around on the floor in a fit of drunken screaming, before he runs a hand through his hair. "Listen, I don't even--" He clears his throat before he tugs on Chanyeol's arm. "We can come back later, this is just-" His expression immediately shifts when Jongin scoffs.

Jongin is silent for a minute, the adrenaline rushing through his body as Sehun plants a reassuring kiss on his temple. Even though he knows that Sehun is indirectly trying to signal for them to leave, the mere thought of letting Baekhyun out of his sight is enough to make Jongin throw his hands in the air. "Wait, really?" Jongin figures that he must look foolish with his tousled hair and face the same shade as Baekhyun's locks, but he can't bring himself to care as he grits his teeth in frustration. "You're really doing that?"

Baekhyun blinks in confusion, but Jongin immediately picks up on the anxious glint flashing in his eyes. "The hell are you-"

"You're really doing this," Jongin sighs as he peddles back and forth between running out the door and smacking the false look of puzzlement off of Baekhyun's face. It's not until Chanyeol groans in confusion that Jongin shakes his head, all while he fights the urge to kick Taemin in the ribs when the latter tries to grab his ankles. "You're really gonna walk out the door when you know damn good and well this whole thing is your fault," Jongin growls, unable to raise his voice due to his throat closing up. "Real class ing act, Baek."

Chewing on his bottom lip, Baekhyun shakes his head ever so slightly. "Jongin, don't."

"The 's going on," Chanyeol mutters, not even bothering to mask the irritation in his voice as his gaze flickers back and forth between the four.

"It's nothing," Baekhyun quickly says as he attempts to drag Chanyeol towards the door, only to curse when Jongin chuckles. "Jongin, you're ing insane, I hope you-"

"Fine," Jongin sighs, putting his hands up. He automatically sneaks a glance at Sehun, wholeheartedly hoping that the latter isn't planning on dragging him out the door, as well. Despite the fact that he can't decipher the look on Sehun's face, Jongin finds himself unable to keep his mouth shut when Baekhyun sends him an irritated glare. "Why don't you explain it, then?"

Sehun grabs Jongin's hand to get him to calm down, but it does little to help when Jongin goes on to growl under his breath. "Jongin, you don't have to-"

"I don't know what the you're--" Baekhyun clamps his mouth shut when even Sehun proceeds to send him a less than apologetic look. "Explain what-"

"You blackmailing Sehun into staying with your sorry just so you wouldn't look like a ing loser while Chanyeol got his promotion," Jongin blurts out, the words rolling off his tongue before he can stop himself. He has to cling onto Sehun's arm to avoid collapsing when he immediately feels like a hundred tons have been lifted right off his shoulders. "Two weeks before your one year anniversary celebration, as well." He chuckles and shakes his head in expaseration. "Isn't that just-"

"Jongin," Baekhyun growls, which is closely followed by Chanyeol raising an eyebrow, "I'm telling you, shut the up-"

"So don't you dare stand there and pretend like everything's alright when you know what the you did," Jongin growls. "Before lecturing me about ing honesty under your own ing roof, and then you go on to tell me that nothing's the matter right to my face after avoiding me like the goddamn plague for a week???" Frankly, Jongin doesn't even know what he's saying anymore, all he knows is that his head is threatening to explode with each word, but he can't bring himself to feel one bit apologetic when Chanyeol's mouth falls open in confusion.

They all fall into silence, the only audible sound being Taemin's drunken grumbling from his spot on the floor, before Chanyeol clears his throat. "Wait, I...wait, what the --" He turns to face Baekhyun, who looks like he's on the verge of a breakdown. "'One year anniversary'??? The is--" He blinks as he gestures at Sehun. "That's why I saw him on your...wait, so this-- You--"

Sehun presses his lips together, and it's not until Chanyeol also looks like he's on the brink of a breakdown that he nods. "It's true," Sehun hums, making sure to card his fingers through Jongin's hair when Jongin curses under his breath.

For a moment, all Jongin hears is the frantic pounding in his ears, which drowns Taemin out when the latter drunkenly express his love for him from his spot on the carpet. Jongin sort of hates the silence that fills the whole house, and he grabs Sehun's arm when Baekhyun goes on to bury his face in his hands, all while Chanyeol seems to wallow in his own confusion a few feet away. A part of Jongin sort of wonders why Sehun isn't sprinting right out of the house under the guise of never wanting to see him again, and he can't help the shaky sigh that leaves his lips when Sehun runs a hand through his hair in exasperation. Taemin seemingly doesn't notice as he goes on to sob about how heartbroken he is, which makes Jongin fight the urge to drag him out by the ankles and dump him onto the street forever.

However, it's not until the adrenaline has worn off that Jongin immediately feels a cold shiver travel up his spine, which spreads to his whole body when he sees Sehun's eyebrows knitting together in wonder. As if on cue, Baekhyun clears his throat from across the kitchen, which nearly makes Jongin burst into tears.

"Okay," Baekhyun hums, seemingly reading Jongin's mind as he raises an eyebrow. "...And how do you know all this?" he asks and it takes every fiber in Jongin's being not to walk over and slap the smug smirk off his face. It's not until they fall into silence again that Baekhyun chuckles. "You have some nerve lecturing me about honesty and whatnot while going through other people's text messages like it's nothing, you know that?"

For a second, Jongin can't choke out a single word, and it's not until Sehun looks at him that Jongin scrambles to grab onto one of the kitchen chairs before he can pass out on the floor. The words in his mouth seem to melt together into one loud, drawn out wail of agony that seems to echo in the whole neighborhood, but Jongin doesn't hear it over the sound of himself collapsing onto the floor next to Taemin, who only sends him a drunken glare. The frantic pounding in his chest makes Jongin unable to hold back his loud sob before Chanyeol loudly curses. It's not until Baekhyun emits a shaky apology that Jongin doesn't bother restraining the warm tears that come streaming down his face. Damn it, damn it, damn it.

Jongin doesn't know how long he ends up sitting on the floor, but the next thing he knows, he's bringing his knees closer to his chest with his back pressed up against the nearest wall. The hammering in his temples is threatening to make his head implode, and Jongin doesn't even realize that he's opening his mouth to speak until he hears his voice echo in his hears.

"Get out--" Jongin makes sure to avoid looking at Taemin's clouded eyes as he tugs on his hair in frustration. "All of you, just get out--" His back pocket vibrates, but Jongin ignores it to the fullest as he runs a hand down his wet face. The sound of shuffling briefly fills the air, and it's not until the front door closes that Jongin can't bring himself to hold back his loud wail of agony.

Damn it all.