"oh don't give me that bullshit. you walked into that meeting soaked, crying, bloodied, and bruised. what happened?" hangyeol's voice was stern, that of a parent scolding their child. minho avoided all eye contact with him, stirring his spoon around his coffee cup in circles; he didn't want to drink it - granted he didn't want to drink anything after what he had just done. hangyeol reached over the table, however, gently placing his jewelry-clad hand over minho's own to pause the movement that was keeping him so distracted. the boy looked up, hangyeol's eyes were thin and sharp, his eyeliner more pointed than it ever had been before - his facial expression wordlessly telling minho to focus and talk to him.
"ok, fine," the blue-headed boy audibly sighed. his hands were still shaking. although he had calmed down significantly, what minho had done not even an hour ago was haunting him miserably. he gazed at the mother and her daughter sitting beside them in the cafe, the mom feeding the little girl multiple spoonfuls of strawberry cake. the sight warmed minho's heart, but it ached at the same time. his own mother used to do the same thing for him years ago, before he managed to ruin all of it.
"my roommates weren't in the apartment with me this morning. i was having terrible withdrawals and my head was literally trying to kill me. i was in so much pain and when i noticed their liquor cabinet was unlocked i just ... lost it. every single ounce of control in my body abandoned me and i felt like my old self again. i was already nauseous so i threw up almost immediately due to how in shock my stomach was with how quickly i was drinking. i knew i would keep trying to drink until it stayed down so i got up and left."
hangyeol nodded his head in understanding once he finished. he leaned back in the booth and minho's hand subconsciously began to swirl the spoon in the coffee again. "i want you to know i'm proud of you."
he stopped his hand, brows furrowed in confusion as he looked back up at hangyeol, "proud? proud?! i fucking drank! i ruined my sobriety streak and left the mess for one of my roommates to clean up!"
hangyeol only sat there calmly, trying his best to ignore the mildly angry stares of the mother next to them for minho's usage of foul language in front of her child. he kept his voice low and soft when he spoke as to not rile up minho even more, "yes. i'm proud - because instead of continuing to drink until your stomach had to give in and accept it, you left and came to a meeting. that's a huge step, min and i don't think you realize that. give yourself credit, man. i know i'm just as new at this as you are, but i've talked with so many other members, and the number one thing they will always tell you is that if you even have the slightest temptation to drink, get your ass to a meeting."
