Hope ~ Taekook

Everything goes wrong again, very rapidly

22:37.

 Taehyung let the cigarette burn down to the filter without taking a drag. He didn't like the nicotine; he wanted the acidic smell to remind him of his father's flannels he used to wear, and the clouds shaped like mountains passing over the wide land. However, the loud music echoing from the club around the corner didn't allow him to concentrate on the memories. He could feel the bass all the way through the walls and his shirt. A sick shudder was sent down his spine.

Exactly here Tae met Jin and Hoseok for the first time. They had been friends since and still enjoyed coming here occasionally. He was a little early, he just had to get out of the house. Jungkook was back to his old behavior, ignoring him and only talking to this Namjoon on the telephone. Jimin said that Joon is someone important to Jungkook but didn't elaborate further, only raising more questions.

He glanced up at the sky, but the stars were washed out behind the glare of the neon signs. It might have been due to the dizziness he felt as well; he didn't take his medicine since he put it in his coat two days ago.

A door squealed open beside him, startling him from his thoughts and with a wide grin Hoseok, who just appeared, grabbed his arm and pulled him inside the building. They stood right behind the DJ booth and Jin was already swaying to the music but stopped as Tae and Hobi came closer.

"You look like a mess," Jin said, but smiled.

"It's my meds," Tae answered slowly.

"Did you take too many, or something different?"

Neither, but Taehyung wasn't going to admit that. He knew how concerned his friends were for his health and if they found out he skipped meds again, they would probably take him home right away. It wasn't that he didn't want to get better. Just sometimes the feeling of his happiness depending on some pills he was supposed to take every morning disgusted him and his desire for the feeling of freedom overwhelmed him so much. Experiencing withdrawal seemed like an acceptable consequence. The beer Hoseok handed him almost slipped through his sweaty fingers.

The dancefloor was already tightly packed, and the boys could feel the beat pumping their blood through their veins and hear their heart pound in the same rhythm. They didn't need to talk about what to do, in perfect understanding they worked themselves towards the middle of the dancing and jumping masses.

A shortness of breath overtook Taehyung. He still swayed to the upbeat music, his body being carried by the people around him. Every sip of alcohol felt like a punch in the stomach and in response the world spun in a sickening rush but before Tae could hit the ground, he grabbed Hoseok's shoulders. Usually withdrawal came much slower, but now with the alcohol and drugs eating through his system his heart pounded louder than the bass did, shaking him apart from the inside out. Bodies and lights blurred around him, making Tae nauseous.

He clawed bloody lines into Jin's arms. He didn't notice the other boy had grabbed him and now slowly pushed him in the direction of the main entrance. Tae stumbled more than once, unable to feel the ground beneath his feet until the cold air hit him like a blow.

Jin pushed him in direction of the bushes just in time. The vomit mainly tasted like beer and cheap vodka.

"What even? You didn't even drink that mu-" but as soon Jin saw the other boy's glazed eyes he knew exactly what was up.

"You are such an idiot," but Tae didn't have eyes for Jin.

Across the wide lawn he noticed something or rather someone. He spun right back around and the urge to throw up welled up in him again but this time it was a completely different kind of nausea. The kind he took his meds for. Or was supposed to take his meds for.

"That's my new roommate. Jungkook... with... with Namjoon," Jin didn't understand what he meant but Tae didn't care.

The blood pounded in his ears and his heart thudded in his chest. His hands shook. His feet tingled, and Tae's vision disfigured like he was looking through a fish-eye lens. He had to get away. He couldn't look at him like this. There was too much of a risk of Jungkook judging him and throwing him right back out. With a strong push he shoved Jin to the side and rushed around the next corner. He finally was out of sight. They would never know he was there. He watched the beer bottle he was holding, his hands wrapped around it tightly. He slid down the wall, breathing was hard. Really hard. The world crackled black, then came into too-sharp focus as Tae heard a familiar voice.

"Tae? Hey Taehyung!"

He looked up. He knew it was him even though he couldn't really make out his features.

"Jungkook..." He mumbled under his fast and snapping breath "please go."

"Are you seriously this stupid? I will take you home with me right now and then you will stop kicking at me and let me help you!"

Tae heard his words but was slow to understand them. He blinked at Jungkook in confusion, blinked again and again and again. "Home?"

"Yes idiot. Home." With that he lifted Taehyung off the ground and started carrying him in the direction where their car was parked.

Taehyungs mind kept on blanking and wandering off. He heard Namjoon and Jin and Hoseok but couldn't understand what they were saying; it was all just a blurred mix of sounds and lights and smells.

When he opened his eyes the next time, he sat in the passenger seat of a car. Soft music was coming from the speakers and he heard Jungkook quietly hum the melody to the song. Slowly he dozed off again. Tae could still smell the vomit on his shirt, even through the coat Jungkook put over him. He didn't know if it was his imagination, but the scent was so sick and sharp he could almost taste it. But all of that was overshadowed by the deep and rich feeling of comfort Jungkook gave off.

A/N I thought I would just post another chapter today. I am super self-concious about this one and I hoped you liked it! It is a little short again but the next one is already done and longer! (Should I post that today aswell?) 

Anyways I have gotten so much feedback and positive messages and it makes me so happy! Thank you :)