Chapter Text
"You're going to knock that old man out!"
"I'm trying my best, stop screaming!"
"You stop screaming and find the brakes!"
"I'm doing that!"
They were about five meters away from the old man who was crossing the road. The car was coming at a fast speed of 40 miles an hour. They both were screaming. About a meter away, and the old man froze. The car almost crashed into him and—
Soobin pushed the emergency brakes.
And the car finally came to a stop, about a foot away from the poor grandpa.
They started laughing and panting.
"Lesson four: Keep your foot on the brake at all time, Taehyun."
"Lesson learnt, Soobin."
They made out in the car later.
Taehyun let out a sob. Memories kept coming back, he tried to suppress them, but they were there. No amount of loud hard metal could shut them down.
No amount of alcohol could shut them down.
Drunk driving right after he got his license was probably not the best decision, but Taehyun needed it right now.
Because he got his driver's license.
He had no idea where he was. It was dark outside, and he was somewhere in the middle of some highway surrounded by empty land.
But it was fine.
As long as it was away from the city.
As long as it was away from him.
"Who's he?"
Taehyun frowned while looking at Soobin's wallpaper, who was sitting in the passenger seat. He wasn't the type to get jealous, but this man was all over Soobin in that picture.
"Oh it's Yeonjun, we're childhood friends. He's a year older than me, but we still went to the same elementary school," Soobin said with a fond smile.
"You never introduced me to him."
"He doesn't like meeting new people."
"He seems nice."
"Thank you Taehyun, I'll tell him you said that."
"T-Taehyun, meet Yeonjun. R-Remember I told you about him?"
Taehyun was surely shocked to see the blond male outside Soobin's apartment, sitting in the backseat of Soobin's car with hims. Nevertheless, he sent a smile towards the older male.
"It's so nice to finally meet you, Taehyun, Soobin tells me a lot about you," said Yeonjun, making the other male blush.
Yeonjun was way taller than Taehyun, though still shorter than Soobin. He looked like he worked out, being all bulked up, making Taehyun's thin frame feel small. Sure, Taehyun worked out too, but this Yeonjun guy, who kept giving him that goofy smile, there was something different about him.
Taehyun didn't like him a bit.
Taehyun knew they both moved in together.
They were probably in love.
And surely not going around some abandoned road in a car all alone, barely able to see the road because of the tears, loud music blaring to mute everything around, alcohol reaching the brain and leaving this fuzzy feeling.
The same fuzzy feeling he felt when he saw Soobin.
The same fuzzy feeling he still feels when he thinks about Soobin.
But without all the pain.
Or maybe with more, he'll never know.
"Look forward Taehyun. Doesn't matter if someone texts you, you just need to keep watching the road."
"I am trying to do that, but you're not setting a very good example for me right now."
"What do you mean?" Soobin asked, looking up from his phone. He left the sentence he was typing midway, and Taehyun could see a text bubble appear on the screen.
Taehyun just gave him a blank look.
Soobin sighed.
He told Taehyun to park the car in the corner.
Taehyun did so, and Soobin pulled out a guitar kept in his backseat.
Surprising Taehyun, yet again.
"I wanted to wait until we get home, but with the way you drive, I'm not sure we'd reach there alive," Soobin said, earning a smack on the arm by the younger.
"But...I wrote a song for you Taehyun."
Taehyun stopped the car. He couldn't bear this.
A promise is supposed to be forever.
The promise of being a forever is supposed to be longer than that.
Taehyun eyed the notification on his phone.
Soobin had posted.
He could only see the caption.
'I promise, Yeonjun, we'll stay forever together, my love.'
"Taehyun, stop. These are a lot of drinks."
"M-More..."
"Sitting here, drinking in a bar won't help you forget him."
"Kai's right, you need to go home and sleep Taehyun," Beomgyu got up and went to inform the bartender to stop giving Taehyun drinks, even if he asks for it.
"Kai..."
"I'm right here Tyun."
"B-But I don't w-want you."
"We know you want Soobin."
"Y-You don't u-understand. H-He loves me."
"Yet he left you on your four-year anniversary."
Taehyun sobbed. Kai knew he was being harsh, but he had to make Taehyun get over it. He was done being sweet and polite, it clearly wasn't working anyway.
Beomgyu returned back to his seat.
"How long till he passes out?"
"I say, sometime about now."
It had been hours he had been driving. He didn't know where he was going, all he knew was that buildings were coming back in sight.
He stopped his car again and looked up.
Soobin's street.
"You better have something really important to say if you called me up at two in the fucking morning and told me to come to your house," Taehyun said in one breathe, panting for more air since he practically travelled three subway stations and then ran two yards.
"I still can't believe you came."
"You were screaming on the phone saying it was an emergency, so of course I came. Only to find you standing on the sidewalk."
"So, well, um..."
"Um...?"
"Taehyun w-we've been best friends f-for a w-while now and you see, it's like," Soobin fumbled, playing with the hem of his pajamas refusing to meet Taehyun's eyes, "You know, like—"
"I will literally kick your ass if you don't spit it out."
"I would rather have you in it."
Taehyun's eyes widened. Soobin went pale.
"I didn't mean to say that! I mean I somewhat did but," Soobin panicked again when he saw the younger's face. "Ah fuck I didn't mean to say it like that but I did mean to say that I think I'm in love with you and daily have unholy thoughts for you which is wrong since you're younger than me but I can't help it and I just wanted to ask if you would like to be my boyfriend and obviously messed it up and now I'm just rambling and I don't know what to do so I'll just close my eyes until you disappear." And he did that.
He opened his eyes when he heard a giggle.
"How are you older than me again?"
Soobin almost panicked again, but Taehyun shut him up with his lips.
If only he could drive with his eyes closed.
He wondered if he could do that.
He didn't want to see this street. He was dead sure about that.
And so he did close his eyes.
Dumb, yes, very dumb. But he couldn't bear to see it all again. It was too strong. He couldn't go through it all again.
He only opened his eyes when he heard a horn. He barely survived by opening his eyes again, only to see what he didn't want to.
Soobin's car.
With Yeonjun in the passenger seat.
He drove past the street without another thought in his mind.