3:54 P.M

Jongin has no idea how long he ends up sitting on the kitchen floor, but the next thing he registers is the sound of the neighbor's dog barking, which has him scrambling to his feet. For a second, Jongin can barely recall what on Earth just happened, but it's not until he takes in the emptiness of the room that he feels his heart throb. At this point, the whole house is pitch black, even with the ceiling light casting a dim, yellow glow across the walls, and Jongin has to pray he doesn't topple over when he gets to his feet ever so slowly. He doesn't even need to touch his face to know that his cheeks are littered with dry tears, but Jongin doesn't bother wiping them away as he tries to control the spinning in his head.

It's not until Jongin realizes that his duffel bag is still draped across his shoulder that he internally panics, because Krystal is no doubt waiting for him to call, just to verbally massacre him for not showing up. The thought is enough to make Jongin want to cry in frustration, but he manages to send her a quick text saying he'll be there soon. Even though his legs aren't feeling like jelly anymore, Jongin knows that he isn't going to make it through a single routine with his head feeling like mush, so he opts to stand awkwardly off to the side while Krystal practices her routine. 

Despite feeling like ten thousand tons have been lifted off his shoulders, the weight of the argument is threatening to make Jongin's knees cave in, and it's not until he realizes that he's still wearing Sehun's coat that he swallows the lump in his throat. A part of Jongin wants to hate himself for overrreacting, because he knows that he wasn't in the wrong for confronting Baekhyun in front of Chanyeol (and Sehun, for that matter), no matter how angry Sehun might be at him for it. However, the mere thought of Baekhyun is enough to make Jongin's head pound, so he figures that he might as well learn how to live without Baekhyun's friendship for the rest of his life starting from now.

Jongin figures that the clouding in his head must be his emotions right out of him, because he finds himself freaking out perhaps a little less than he probably should upon opening the front door and gazing at the black void before him. The biting cold immediately numbs his cheeks, and Jongin is glad that he's got Sehun's coat to keep him warm as he slams the front door shut and locks it behind him. It's not until he's made it three steps down the dimly lit street that Jongin clenches his jaw, because he knows that he should have told Sehun about what he did the second he came downstairs for breakfast, and the idea of Sehun avoiding him all over again is all it takes for a handful of tears to well up in Jongin's eyes. They disappear with the wind, leaving his face even colder than it was just a minute ago.

"Wait up!"

Jongin nearly twists his ankles whirling around at the sound of Sehun's voice, and he contemplates pinching himself when he sees Sehun walking towards him with his hands in his pockets. Despite the darkness, Sehun's face is evenly illuminated in the glowing moonlight, and Jongin hopes he doesn't die from the joy that swells in his chest when he scrambles to wrap his arms around Sehun's broad shoulders. For a second, all Jongin can think about is what on Earth Sehun is even doing here, since the latter should be packing to move halfway around the world right about now. Jongin dismisses the thought, though, when he feels Sehun's soft lips against his temple, which in turn nearly makes Jongin break into a sweat in the middle of the street. In a sense, Jongin hates the way his body flares up with heat, given that it takes him an embarrassingly long time to realize that Sehun has softened his grip, but he doesn't bother apologizing when Sehun brushes a lock of hair out of his eyes.

"What are you doing here," Jongin blurts out, immediately regretting it when Sehun his head to the side. "I mean, what are you still...you're supposed to be...never mind." Jongin is glad that the darkness conceals his reddening cheeks when he shoves his hands in his pockets. Something pointy touches his fingers, and Jongin nearly pouts when he realizes that he's just crumbled the leaf Sehun gave him earlier to smithereens.

A gust of wind blows Sehun's hair back when he sends Jongin a smile. "I figured I'd give you some...you know, some space," he says with a sheepish chuckle. "It's...you looked like you needed it." Even though he's keeping his voice down, his words are nearly deafening as they echo in Jongin's head. It's not until they fall into silence that Sehun clears his throat. "Is she mad at you?" he asks, gesturing at Jongin's duffel bag.

Jongin blinks. Frankly, he forgot all about his and Krystal's meetup, and he wouldn't be surprised if she's planning on breaking into his room tonight just to beat him up for it. As if on cue, his phone buzzes, but Jongin doesn't bother picking up when he sees Baekhyun calling. "Probably," he sighs, suddenly feeling awfully foolish for making Sehun wait for no reason. A cold gust of wind seems to bring him back to life, and the next thing Jongin knows, he's nearly spraining his tongue trying to get the words out. "I'm sorry, I should've-- Please don't be mad--"

Sehun blinks. "Why would I be-"

"It's true, I did it," Jongin blurts out, mentally cursing himself as he keeps his gaze fixated on Sehun's white hoodie strings, both of which are glowing in the moonlight. "This morning, when you were cooking, I just picked it up, and-- I mean, I thought it was mine and I just wanted to...and I read it," Jongin sighs, scrambling for Sehun's hand when Sehun doesn't say anything. "I wouldn't have if I'd-- I'm sorry, I promise I wouldn't--" Jongin is torn between bursting into tears and bolting down the road when Sehun goes on to embrace him a bone crushing hug. A part of Jongin wants to tell Sehun to loosen his grip, making him glad that he's got his chin rested on Sehun's shoulder after a handful of tears escape his eyes. Well, then.

The neighbor's dog barking nearly has Jongin squeezing the life out of Sehun when he flinches, but he doesn't get a chance to apologize before Sehun wipe his cheeks, which must be an embarrassing shade of red at this point. With the wind howling, Sehun wipes Jongin's eyes dry until Jongin hears nothing but his own frantic heartbeat in his ears. It's so deafening that Jongin fights an impulse to scream, and he blames the heat creeping up his neck for making him fly forward and close the space between them. The feeling of Sehun's warm lips against his own only enhances the dull pain in his jaw, which only makes Jongin tighten his grip on Sehun's shoulders.

Sehun immediately notices Jongin's wince of discomfort, and Jongin definitely doesn't miss the way Sehun's eyes flash in anger. "Does it hurt?" he lowly asks, gently running his fingers down Jongin's jawline.

Jongin blinks, suddenly feeling foolish for complaining when he sees the concerned look on Sehun's face. "It's fine, it's-- I mean, a little, but it's fine, I'll be fine," he mutters. Jongin sort of wishes that they'd change the subject completely, because the thought of Taemin is enough to make him want to cry. To his relief, his phone rings, which makes him aware of the heavy duffel bag still slung across his shoulder. He really is in some deep with Krystal, that's for sure.

Even though Jongin is physically aching to ask Sehun to come with him, or at least accompany him down the dark road, he opts against bothering Sehun with his question. Despite the expectant glint in Sehun's eyes, Jongin can't bring himself to open his mouth in worry of the pounding in his chest accidentally making him emit an unattractive, garbled scream. In fact, he sort of hates that he's unable to tell Sehun to go back home (where he must have left Vivi earlier) when a gust of wind passes, and a part of Jongin hates himself for wasting Sehun's time when Sehun ruffles his hair. The heat erupting in his chest is enough to make the jelly-like feeling in his legs disappear, and before Jongin knows it, he's turning on his heel after mumbling something along the lines of 'See you later'.

Jongin is so busy making a mental note not to die of embarrassment that it takes him way longer than humanly possible to register the soft footsteps behind him, which justifies his mini heart attack after he turns his head and sees Sehun walking next to him. At first, Jongin is unable to croak out a single word, but he figures that he doesn't need to when he grabs Sehun's hand, which is exceptionally warm in the biting cold. The black road sends a shiver up Jongin's spine, and he doesn't even realize how tightly he's clasping Sehun's fingers until they approach the first (working) streetlight. Its yellow glow does little to soothe the buzzing in Jongin's nerves, which is quickly replaced with a pang of guilt after they approach the bus stop.

Jongin nearly twists his ankles whirling around to face Sehun. "You don't...I mean, thanks for--" He gestures at the small bus stop. "You don't have to, you can leave if you like, sorry for-- Sorry for wasting your time." The thought of Sehun walking back alone makes Jongin want to cry, but he figures that it's more exciting than spending his evening watching Krystal dance for three hours. 

"You didn't," Sehun says with a reassuring pat on Jongin's head. The sound of large tires scraping against gravel fills the air before he rubs the back of his neck. "Listen, I was actually wondering if...if you'd be alright with--" He doesn't even get to finish his sentence before Jongin excitedly grabs his sleeve and practically drags him towards the open bus doors.

4:30 P.M

"Watch your head," Jongin says, saving Sehun a concussion at the last second as they walk in the door half an hour later. Despite the adrenaline rushing through his system, mostly over the fact that Krystal is probably waiting to verbally massacre him (if she hasn't already been kicked out), Jongin is more worried about falling asleep mid routine, considering that he's been trying to keep his eyes open even since Sehun gently shook him awake after they reached their stop (which Jongin didn't even notice, given that he was too busy apologizing for falling asleep in Sehun's lap). Nevertheless, Jongin keeps a tight grip on Sehun's hand as they approach the gray door leading to the men's changing room.

Judging by Krystal's response to his text, Jongin is at least relieved to find out that she's still in the building, and he does his best to squash his fatigue when he dumps his duffel bag on one of the benches. Majority of the lockers are empty, giving Jongin all the freedom in the world to choose whichever one he likes as he skips over to the one in the far right corner. Now, Jongin isn't sure if it's the wind howling outside or the fact that the old building is making every pipe squeak like it's about to burst, but he finds himself sticking to Sehun like glue as he places the contents of the bag on the bench, all while Sehun cards his fingers through his hair.

However, it's not until Jongin picks up his sweatpants that he suddenly feels his adrenaline disappear, and he hates the way his entire body explodes with heat when Sehun sends him a questioning look. Jongin knows that he shouldn't have any issues with undressing in front of Sehun, given their antics last night (little of which Jongin actually remembers), but he still finds himself awkwardly bolted to the floor as he hopes that Sehun will pick up on his telepathic attempts at communication. 

Thankfully, Sehun gets the hint, and Jongin definitely doesn't miss the amused glint in his eyes when he swiftly turns around and shoves his hands in his pockets. Even though their backs are facing each other, Jongin can practically see the amused grin on Sehun's face, and he fights the urge to launch Sehun into outer space as he wiggles his jeans off. 

Jongin nearly trips over his own two feet as he adjusts the hem of his sweatpants, and he barely registers putting on his shirt before he tosses his duffel bag inside his locker. After making sure to tell Krystal that he's changing, Jongin slams his locker shut, and it's not until he looks up and sees that Sehun is still turned around that he inwardly screams. He's so doing this on purpose. "I'm done, you know-"

"You didn't say anything," Sehun chuckles after he whirls back around. The spark that flashes in his eyes makes Jongin want to die, but it disappears as soon as it came when he sends Jongin a nod of approval. "So this is where you disappear off to every day," he hums, absently scanning the gray walls and tile floors. 

Fighting the urge to tell Sehun that he hasn't stepped foot in the building for at least a week, Jongin nods, all while he (in)discreetly attempts to make his shirt look less tight as it hugs every crevice of his torso. Despite the pipes creaking, Jongin doesn't even realize that they've fallen into silence (or that his cheeks are an unbearable shade of beetroot) until he looks up and sees the smile of adoration on Sehun's face.

"Sorry for reading it, I didn't mean to," Jongin blurts out, and he wholeheartedly expects Sehun to call him a weirdo and bolt out of the building when he mentally smacks himself. What the .

Sehun nods as he leans back against the mirror, barely avoiding bumping his head against the hair dryer on the wall. "It's alright, no harm done," he replies, adjusting the strings on his black hoodie. "It's-"

"I didn't know he'd-- I just got surprised that he'd actually...I mean-- Never mind, sorry." Jongin forces himself to shut up when he realizes that he's been absently staring at the cracks on the floor for an uncomfortable amount of time. Sehun's gaze is burning holes in his head and he sort of wishes Krystal would call him, because all Jongin wants right now is something to distract him the fierce pounding in his chest, which only gets louder when he averts his gaze and sees Sehun staring right at him.

Jongin doesn't really recall what happens next, but what he does recall is stumbling and nearly crashing right into Sehun after he takes a step forward. However, Jongin doesn't get a chance to apologize before one of them quickly closes the (nonexistent) space between them. The consistent sounds of pipes buzzing is drowned out by Jongin's own heartbeat when he finds himself scrambling for Sehun's shoulders, which nearly burns his palms despite the cold. Jongin hates himself for looking so desperate, but the dead silence of the locker room mixed with men's cologne, as well as Sehun's hand on the small of his back, ends up getting the best of him as he goes on to press their bodies together. The thought of somebody possibly opening the door hits him, but the thoughts melts away when he feels Sehun's warm lips against his ice cold neck.

"Jongin, did you die in here??? What's taking you so frigging long???"

Jongin nearly slams his back head against the wall when he flinches, and he barely gets a chance to process the fact that he's got his thighs wrapped around Sehun's waist, with Sehun peppering kisses all along his jawline, before the door swings open. Amid the pounding in both his head and heart, it takes Jongin an embarrassingly long time to take in Krystal's poker face as she gawks at them from her spot by the threshold.

Damn it.

Jongin almost topples over when Sehun carefully puts him back down, and he blames the fact that he definitely looks like a hot mess right now for erupting in a fit of incoherent squabbles, all while Sehun and Krystal exchange nods.

"Sorry, it's just-- You weren't picking up," Krystal mutters, waving her phone around. "If I'd known you were busy, I'd--" She cuts herself off while she gestures at Jongin's swollen lips and tousled hair while clearing . "Look, they're here and asking to see us, like, right now, and I just finished warming up, so if you'd...fix yourself, I guess." She tightens her ponytail, all while Jongin contemplates bashing his head against the nearest locker.

"Fine, that's fine, could you just--" Jongin mentally curses when Sehun simply ruffles his hair with a chuckle. "I'll be there, okay??? Just-"

"It's not my fault you chose to fu--" Krystal squawks when Jongin flies over and nearly rips her ponytail right off. She manages to free herself from Jongin's grasp when she threatens to take back her promise of bubble tea, to Jongin's dismay. Krystal fixes her hair again, and she's about to ask Jongin to come along when she blinks. "Wait, I think I ran into you," she says, pointing to Sehun.

Sehun raises an eyebrow, making sure to keep Jongin upright as the latter wiggles his sweatpants back on. "Where, exactly?"

"Like, near Jongdae's house," Krystal hums, adjusting her bra strap. "I mean, we were both in our cars, but I saw your face as I drove past, for like a second, I think," she adds before she impatiently gestures at the door.

Jongin only tightens his grip on Sehun's hand when he feels his chest swell with warmth, and it's not until Krystal proceeds to ask Sehun why he wasn't at the concert that Jongin quickly ushers her out the door and towards the main studio.

6:02 P.M

"...I mean, I'm just glad I'm not there, y'know? I'd probably kill myself if they held me back on a Friday," Krystal mumbles, promptly bringing her fifteen minute long rant about Jongin and Sehun's high school to an end, before she takes a long sip of her tea. Her long hair reeks of coconut shampoo, which only makes Jongin regret not showering an hour ago. "I mean, they should be used to seeing you there at this point, right???" She points her cup at Jongin, who groans.

Shrugging, Jongin picks up his own cup, which is nearly empty, and takes a sip. He's practically lying in Sehun's lap with Sehun his hair, and Jongin makes sure to ignore a handful of customers sending him strange looks as he swallows. "They barely even spare me a glance when I walk in the door," he chuckles. Come to think of it, Jongin figures that since nobody even bothers looking at him upon entering the detention hall, he might as well not show up at all. He makes a mental note to do so in the near future when Sehun bends down and kisses his temple.

Krystal grabs a handful of pink tissues before she carefully wipes . "You'll be there next week, right? I found this great stadium slightly north of Cali," she says, a serious glint flashing in her eyes when she sends Jongin a look.

Jongin clears his throat, knowing just how much he owes Krystal at this point. He figures that he must have forgotten to stretch his neck muscles after their routine, though, because he finds himself unable to nod. Instead, he sends Krystal a lazy thumbs up, to which she responds with a bright grin. As if on cue, a dull pain spreads through Jongin's calves when he moves his legs, and he makes a mental note to stretch properly next time as he lets Sehun take a sip of his drink. All the sugar must be getting to his head, because Jongin subsequently struggles to keep his eyes open as Sehun continues to rub his shoulder.

"You need to concentrate better next time," Krystal huffs, but the smugness in her voice gives her away when she sends Jongin a smirk. She grabs a small chunk of their shared chocolate muffin before brushing her hands together. Eyes roaming around the cafe, she absently nods her head to the romantic tune spilling from the speakers. "You'd think this place would be empty at six, huh?" 

It takes every fiber in Jongin's being not to remind Krystal that if her boyfriend were to watch her practice, she also would have tripped over her own two feet four times. Jongin doesn't say it out loud, and he goes on to fiddle with Sehun's silver ring. "Speak for yourself," he mutters, unable to hold back his grin when she rolls her eyes.

Krystal chuckles before she downs the rest of her tea and crosses her legs. They fall into silence before she pouts ever so slightly. "You guys're cute together," she mutters, a hint of envy in her voice as she gestures between Sehun and Jongin. She seemingly doesn't notice Jongin's face visibly reddening as she huffs to herself.

Sehun playfully flicks Jongin's cheek before he looks at Krystal. "Did you get a chance to talk to Taemin?" he politely asks, only to blink when Krystal's gaze hardens. "Sorry, I-"

"It's fine," Krystal sighs, absently gripping her mug tighter as she furrows her eyebrows. "I mean, yeah, I talked to him, but--" She shakes her head in exasperation. "Let's just say that the bastard ended up with a drink to the face." She takes a sip from her empty mug, missing Sehun's sympathetic nod when she curses under her breath. "Called me a ing-- God, I didn't even know he was capable of something so vile," she says after a few seconds, and she picks up her phone just in time to miss the way Jongin tightens his grip on Sehun's hand.

Jongin absently runs his fingers across Sehun's ring, all while Krystal tells Sehun to pose for a picture. Jongin honestly doesn't know if he should cry or laugh when Sehun goes on to wink while holding up a V sign, but he finds himself clinging to Sehun's free arm like a baby koala when a wave of fatigue comes over him. To say that Jongin doesn't even bother masking his pout when Sehun gets up to use the restroom five minutes later would be an understatement, and he forces himself into a proper sitting position as Krystal sends continues to text her friends on Line.

Putting her phone in her purse, Krystal smoothens her hair before she slides the remainder of their muffin over to Jongin, who practically inhales it. She waits until the bathroom door closes in the distance to speak (even though the loud chattering of customers would have drowned out her voice, anyway). "So, I guess Prince Charming got his princess at last, huh?" she chuckles, at which Jongin visibly reddens. "You two really are cute together, take my word for it."

Nodding, Jongin wipes the back of his mouth with his hand, trying to ignore the warmth bubbling in his chest as Krystal sighs to herself across the table. It's not until she frowns that Jongin clears his throat. "Listen, I...I might have told him," he lowly says, wondering if Krystal can even hear him over the noise. "Y'know, about your-- I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Jongin, it's fine," Krystal interrupts with a shake of her head. "I was bound to find out, anyway, right? Bastard deserved what he got, so I'm totally fine with it." She unapologetically shrugs before her smile melts off her face. "Listen, I know I told you this, but I'm sorry for...I just-- I knew you didn't want to be there and I spent like, ten minutes looking for you but there were so many people and-- I was hella upset, so I just left." A spark of guilt flashes in her eyes when she looks at Jongin. "But at least you got home safe and sound in the end, right?"

Jongin picks up a few crumbs with the tips of his fingers, all while he tries to ignore the frantic fluttering in his chest. A part of him wholeheartedly wants to thank Krystal, given the fact that he most definitely wouldn't be sitting here right now if it wasn't for her leaving him to fend for himself under Jongdae's roof. Jongin opts against it, though, and simply sends her a reassuring nod instead. I did.

Krystal exhales in relief. "Like, you have no idea how ty I felt afterwards," she chuckles, fiddling with her bracelet. "At least you didn't get plastered like most people did," she adds, to which Jongin doesn't even bother responding. One of the ice cream machines malfunctions in the distance, but she doesn't get a chance to look before Jongin clears his throat.

Jongin swings his legs back and forth under the table. Even though it's only been less than a day, he already wants forget that the after party even happened at all, and he's glad that the joy swelling in his chest distracts him from his internal screaming. "You didn't miss anything, it was just...everyone kinda just kept to themselves the whole time," he mutters, wishing Sehun would come back before he falls asleep sitting up. Something suddenly hits him, making him furrow his eyebrows. "There was this huge fight, like, in the living room somewhere, I...think." No matter how hard he tries looting through the vodka ridden memories, he comes up empty handed. "But like, other than that, you didn't really...I mean, I left afterwards, so I didn't...yeah."

Krystal raises an interested eyebrow. "Really?" her eyes twinkle before she curses. "Well, it's not like I would've stayed anyway, with that son of a around." She clenches her jaw. "Anyway--" She leans in after refreshing her lipstick. "How's Baekhyun holding up?"

Feeling his veins flare up at the mention of the redhead's name, Jongin simply shrugs. "Fine," he grumbles, fighting the urge to tell Krystal how little he actually cares when he hears the bathroom door opening. Jongin doesn't even bother masking his childish whine when he tiredly clings to Sehun like a baby koala, before the latter can even take a seat.

"Would you cut that out? You're making me sad," Krystal mutters, to which Jongin responds by chucking his balled up tissue at her. To say that Jongin regrets it when she gets her revenge by snapping a photo of him sleepily whining to Sehun, with his face in the crook of the latter's neck, would be an understatement.

7:00 P.M

Jongin is glad that he doesn't end up falling asleep on the bus on the way back, but he still ends up stumbling on the bottom step before it drives off. If anything, Jongin is just surprised that he also didn't end up leaving his duffel bag on the seat as he keeps a tight grip on Sehun's hand. With the path barely illuminated, Jongin makes sure to watch where he's putting his feet while the wind howls all around them. A part of him is glad that his and Sehun's houses are less than three blocks from each other, because the thought of Sehun walking home alone in the dark makes Jongin's heart cramp up. Despite forgetting to stretch properly after his routine, every muscle in Jongin's body is reduced to a pile of warm goop when they stop at the familiar intersection a minute later.

Running a hand through his hair, Sehun sends Jongin a soft smile that nearly glows in the dim moonlight. "I'll probably always say this, but you did such a good job," he chuckles, brushing a lock of hair out of Jongin's eyes.

Jongin blinks. For a second, he wonders if Sehun even paid attention, given that Jongin doesn't think that tripping every five seconds equates to doing a good job, but he doesn't comment on it. The warmth clouding Jongin's head makes him oblivious to his 'Thanks' after Sehun kisses his forehead. It's not until an ice cold breeze passes that Jongin realizes he's still wearing Sehun's coat, and he nearly breaks his arms trying to shrug it off before Sehun places a hand on his shoulder.

"Keep it," Sehun says, voice partially drowned out by the wind. It's not until Jongin goes on to gesture at his own patio a few feet away that the smile quickly melts off Sehun's face. "Listen, I don't-- I don't want to sound rude, but--" He runs a hand through his hair as he tightens his grip on Jongin's hand. "I don't know how I feel about...you know."

It takes Jongin a minute to process what Sehun is talking about, and he blames his slow memory on the sugar coursing through his system. "It's fine," he blurts out, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, he's probably crashing with Chanyeol's tonight." Even though Jongin wants nothing more than to bask in the warmth that is Sehun's house, he opts against saying it out loud in worry of being a nuisance. A thoughts hits him out of nowhere, reducing his brain to a blank slate. "Wait, I know he-- I don't feel the same way about-"

"That's not the point," Sehun interrupts, not even bothering to mask his concern when he gestures at the darkening lawn. "It's...I've seen what he's capable of and I don't want him doing it to you again-"

"He was just hungover," Jongin blurts out, feeing the bruising sensation returning to his jaw. As much as he wants to tell Sehun (since he remembers Sehun saying something about knowing about it), he restrains himself in fear of making the latter worry even more. "I think...I mean, I don't even think he's here, so it should be...never mind."

Sehun is silent for a while before he opens his mouth to speak, only to close it again. "Jongin, I know what he did to you," he sighs, tightening his grip on Jongin's hand.

Jongin blinks. "What do you-"

"At Jongdae's place," Sehun says, voice trembling with exasperation when he runs a hand down his face. "In there, in that ing room--" A spark of fury briefly flashes in his eyes. He's silent for a minute, all while Jongin swallows the lump in his throat. "So I don't want you staying with him, at least not ton-"

The loud sound of something crashing and breaking inside the house has them both whipping their heads aside, and before Jongin can process what he's doing, he's rushing towards the patio. The buzzing in his head is making him freak out a little less than he probably should at the fact that somebody has broken into the house, which also makes him oblivious to the fact that he should probably call the police as he flies in the door. The next thing Jongin knows, he's staring into the black abyss that is his hallway. The kitchen light turning on twenty feet away threatens to blind him. What the --

Thankfully, Jongin isn't met with the sight of a burglar raiding his kitchen, but he sort of wishes he had been when he sees Taemin staring right at him from his spot by the dinner table. It doesn't Jongin long to notice Taemin's electric guitar, which is cracked beyond belief and lying face down on the floor. To Jongin's relief, Taemin seems to have recovered from his hangover, given that he seems to be newly showered, and Jongin can only watch as Taemin wordlessly bends down and picks a few bolts and strings up off the carpet. 

However, it's not until Jongin feels the adrenaline seeping out of his system that he blinks. "The is-- What's going on???" he squawks, ogling the thick, white pieces of plastic scattered all around the floor with wide eyes.

Taemin is silent as he carelessly dumps the pieces in the trash can. "Yeol gave me the boot, that's what the 's going on," he says with an alarming amount of calmness, black bangs covering majority of his eyes as he sends Jongin a pointed glare. "So thanks for that, you utter head." 

Jongin blinks again, jaw nearly hitting the floor when he averts his gaze and notices the obvious dent in the wall. He's momentarily preoccupied with the thought of how and why Taemin deliberately slamming his guitar against the wall didn't wake the whole neighborhood, but he dismisses the thought when his stomach churns. "The hell do you-"

"If you would've just kept to your own goddamn business this whole time, none of this would've happened, I truly hope you get that through your thick head," Taemin dryly says, although Jongin quickly picks up on the sharpness in his voice. "Yeol wouldn't have kicked me out of the ing group, that wouldn't have stepped on my goddamn foot with her goddamn bloody shoe and Sehun wouldn't--" He cuts himself off with a low chuckle. "Y'know, sometimes I wish he'd beaten you to absolute instead, but hey, life's full of disappointments." Turning around, Taemin picks up his damaged guitar, which he proceeds to throw onto the table. 

Jongin gives up on responding when the lump blocking his airways prevents him from choking out the words. Even though he wants nothing more than to ask Taemin what the hell he means, Jongin forgets about it when his eyes land on the dark bruise surrounding Taemin's eye. As if on cue, Jongin's brain is flooded with the mental image of Sehun's red knuckles, and Jongin can't help the growl of irritation that leaves his lips.

Oh.

Of course.

A part of Jongin is screaming him to just bolt out the front door, which is sitting wide open, but he can't bring himself to turn around when he chuckles. "You deserved that-"

Taemin is silent for a minute, which only makes Jongin's urge to scramble out the door skyrocket. "You have some nerve saying that to the one and only person who still gives a about you," he says after a minute before he chuckles low in his throat, but it's anything but joyful as he runs a hand through his hair. The dim kitchen light only emphasizes the furious glint in his eyes when he sends Jongin a look.

Jongin rolls his eyes, figuring that if it wasn't for Sehun's warm coat melting his insides, he would have walked right over and put a dent in Taemin's head with his broken guitar. It's not until Taemin approaches him that the smell of whisky becomes overwhelming, and Jongin takes a step back when Taemin stumbles ever so slightly. "You're still ing drunk-"

"But I'm still right," Taemin growls with a pointed look at Jongin. "Do you have any idea how much you've humiliated me lately? And you're ing proud of that?"

"When did I say I was?" Jongin huffs, dragging a hand down his face.

"You sure act like it," Taemin interjects, "running around like you know everything about everyone." He winces and rubs his head (which only has Jongin wanting to yell at him to go to bed already). "God, I should've known you'd stab me in the ing back all-"

"You forced Sehun not to show up to the goddamn after party," Jongin blurts out, hoping he doesn't die from how much his head is throbbing. He doesn't even know why he's bothering in the first place, but he finds himself unable to keep his mouth shut when Taemin's eye twitches. "You threatened him just so you could take ing advantage of-"

"Wrong," Taemin growls and Jongin swallows when he goes on to slam his hand against the wall, "I did...that, cause I just happened to run into-"

"And that's supposed to make this better???" Jongin squawks, unable to hold back his chuckle when Taemin runs a hand through his hair. He wouldn't be surprised if a handful of random pedestrians are crowded around the lawn and gawking at them right now, but Jongin opts against slamming the front door shut upon feeling his gut coil in agitation. "You're out of your goddamn-"

"I was drunk," Taemin retorts, "like you keep reminding me-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses, I don't want to hear your bull, don't you understand?" Jongin shouts as he stifles the sob of irritation traveling up his throat. In a sense, Jongin is glad that Sehun didn't choose to come with him, because he's pretty sure that he would have broke down screaming if he did. "God, I don't even know what got into me moving in with you," he chuckles, peddling back and forth between shattering the nearest window and bursting into tears as he stares at Taemin's black boots on the shoe rack.

Taemin's eyes blacken. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You've never cared about anyone else but your goddamn ing self," Jongin hisses, not having the energy to raise his voice as he focuses on not tumbling backwards and down the patio steps. "Always, it's just--" He nearly jumps out of his own skin when Taemin growls in irritation.

"Did you even hear a word of what I told you?" Taemin seethes as he throws his hands in the air. "I'm the one who listens to you, I'm the one who gives a about you, yet you never seem to get it through your thick head-"

"Just get out," Jongin sighs, worrying that the heat bubbling in his chest will make him pass out on the threshold as he runs a hand down his face. "Get out of my ing-"

"-that I'm the one only one that ing matters."

Jongin barely even registers the first blow, but the next thing he processes is the sharp pain surging through his right palm, which is closely followed by Taemin stumbling backwards in a fit of curses. The adrenaline coursing through Jongin's system makes him unable to run out the door, and before he knows it, he's attempting to scramble to his feet after Taemin knocks him right off his feet. Despite Taemin's eyes being clouded over in his intoxicated state, Jongin easily notices them glistening with fury from his spot on the welcome mat. And, despite his lower body practically hanging off the top patio step, Jongin can't bring himself to get up, and he only squeezes his eyes shut when Taemin bends down and reaches for his hair.

To Jongin's surprise, he doesn't feel his skull subsequently being shattered by Taemin's guitar, and he forces himself to open his eyes when an all too familiar voice fills his ears.

"Stay away."

In the commotion, Jongin scrambles to his feet so fast that he nearly passes out from vertigo, before he ducks in the nick of time to avoid getting hit with what he assumes is a drinking glass. The loud sound of it shattering, mere inches from his face, snaps Jongin back to reality, and he nearly trips when he flies over and attempts to drag Sehun out the door before Taemin can fetch his guitar.

To Jongin's relief, Taemin doesn't move from his spot a few feet away, and he simply cradles his sore jaw as he grumbles to himself. "Great, this is just--" He exhales shakily, not even trying to feign sobriety anymore as he tugs on his black locks. He's silent for a minute as he sends Sehun a glare, which only makes Jongin want to give him a second black eye. "Think about what you're doing for just a goddamn second."

Sehun simply shakes his head while he stares daggers at Taemin, and Jongin tries to tug him out the door when he genuinely worries he might suffocate if he spends another minute under his own roof. "Sehun, let's get-"

"Run away like you always do," Taemin slurs, stumbling backwards when he shakes his head in disappointment. "You're all ing bull, you're bull, Jongin--" Leaning against the wall for support, he gestures at Sehun as he speaks, all while venom drips from his voice. "Something tells me you would've been better off with that goddamned redhead of--" His sentence ends in a pained growl when Sehun harshly grabs his hair and yanks him forward.

The pounding in Jongin's chest makes him unable to hear what Sehun goes on to whisper in Taemin's ear, and it's the spark of fear that briefly flashes in Taemin's eyes that makes Jongin tighten his grip on Sehun's sleeve, all while he prays that Sehun will get the hint. It's not until Sehun clenches his right hand, presumably to punch Taemin's lights out, that Jongin internally screams, and he nearly cries in relief when Sehun eventually loosens his grip, after Taemin goes on to vomit all over the hallway floor. However, Jongin doesn't get a chance to speak before he feels a pair of hands shoving him backwards, and the next thing Jongin knows, he's tumbling down the few patio steps.

Jongin barely registers the grass beneath his palms as the front door slams shut with a deafening bang. Amid the flickering in his head (and the dull pain in his hip), Jongin has to bite back a sob when he looks up and sees Sehun flying towards him, before he's carefully pulled to his feet. The spinning in his head is so intense that Jongin has to scramble for Sehun's arm before he can pass out on the ground.

The lock clicking into place only makes Jongin tighten his grip on Sehun's hand, which is so warm that he fights an impulse to cry as he exhales into the freezing night.