on patrol | vol. i ✓

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

Yoongi shifts his weight to one foot and crosses his arms in front of him. What in the world is his neighbor doing sitting in front of his apartment at ass o'clock in the middle of the night? He can't handle another mishap. He needs to go inside, climb into his bed and just sleep through the week.

"Yoongi...You're...you're alive," Hoseok lets out hoarsely, forcing his limbs to move and pull him up. He puts his hand against the cold wall besides him to help him up, and Yoongi watches the entire display with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, I'm alive...why?"

"I...I just...I thought you were..." Hoseok falters, remembering the footage he had sort of stumbled across while looking through vlogs on the protest. Most people might have missed it, but he couldn't miss the sight of his neighbor being dragged out of the angry crowd. He had replayed the footage over and over again, hoping he was wrong, but it was the officer, no question.

And Hoseok thought that perhaps Yoongi died from it. He looked up articles after articles, looking to see if any popped up about casualties related to the demonstration. None came up, which had Hoseok knocking on Yoongi's door anxiously every change he got and even waiting in front of the neighbor's apartment.

He knows it's borderline stalkerish behavior, but he had acted on guilt. Guilt that perhaps he'd gotten Yoongi into this situation. He had been nothing but trouble for the man, when all the officer has done for him was be kind and generous. He should've known this was going to happen. It's not enough that he gets into life-threatening situations. No, he had to be an idiot and befriend this kind man and try to ruin his life to. God, why had he been such a goddamn selfish idiot?

"Your head..." Hoseok continues in a hoarse whisper once he takes the oversized bandage on the other man's forehead.

"Got hit on the head. I mean, that's what everyone's telling me. It's a bit of a blur."

"You remember who I am though, right?"

Yoongi contemplates pretending to not remember his neighbor for the hell of it but decides against it, because he needs whatever this is to be finished.

"Of course I do. Why are you sitting in front of my apartment anyway? Did you need something?" Yoongi asks, his tone a bit softer as he takes in the other man's haggard expression. Hoseok looks pitiful and sad standing in front of him, his shoulders slumped and his teeth nibbling almost furiously at his lower lip. Yoongi has no idea why, but he's guessing maybe the man accidentally blew up his apartment and needs a place to crash. Again.

"No...I just...I should go," Hoseok replies hoarsely before briskly walking past the officer. Yoongi watches as his neighbor disappears into his own apartment. Normally, he might play with the idea of stopping the man and ask him what the hell is going on, but right now, he doesn't have the energy for it.

Tomorrow, maybe tomorrow if he runs into Hoseok he'll ask him about it. But for now, he's still struggling with his pain meds, there's still throbbing pain in his head, and he's been away from his bed for too long.

Except Yoongi finds out that Hoseok doesn't want to speak to him anymore.

.

Yoongi knows he has the week off. He's supposed to get well-rested and be prepared to fight crimes come Monday, but he can't bring himself to feel at complete ease, because he's run into Hoseok twice since coming back, and each and every time, his neighbor bolted the other way as if he's seen a ghost.