《stray together》

Withdrawal

Pitiful knocks echoed through the hallway down into the main room. "Expecting anyone?" Changbin asked Chan, who shook his head. The shorter male hummed, picking his gun off the table he was sitting at, opening the ammo to make sure it was sufficiently loaded, before standing and making his way towards the corridor to the exit.

"Careful Bin. Want backup?" Chan asked, tossing his head back toward the room where Lino was asleep in.

Quickly shaking his head no, Changbin continued walking. "Nah, let him sleep. He didn't get much last night. I got it." His voice had sympathy lacing it, knowing the cause of the other's sleeping troubles.

Sighing in response, Chan was saddened to hear that. "Again?"

"Unfortunately."

"Did he have to take something?" Chan questioned.

Just before his figure disappeared behind the wall, Changbin nodded. "That's the only way he's getting any sleep these days. I'd rather him have to, than be sleep deprived."

Chan just sighed, thinking of the man he hoped was getting some restful sleep.

By this point, the knocking had stopped, but Changbin still pursued the sound from before. Making his way to the exit, he didn't hear anything through the wall. He pulled the personally installed cameras' live footage up on his phone and saw a small figure sitting outside. The camera wasn't the best quality though, so the graininess and the distance made it hard to make out who was outside. He readied his firearm, and quickly flung the door open, immediately pointing the weapon at the unknown visitor.

"Who are-" his question was interrupted as soon as the small male lifted his head from his knees and looked up. "You again? The hell are you doing here?" Changbin immediately recognized the scrappy looking boy, and lowered his gun.

"C-can I... get more?" Han asked, his throat scratchy as if he hadn't drank anything in days, and his appearance looking worse than before. His face was covered in filth, and his eyes were puffy, as if he had been crying.

Huffing, Changbin relaxed his shoulders. "Seriously?" He rhetorically asked, earning a pitiful nod from the other, before squatting down to get a closer look at the well being of the frail looking male. "What happened to you?"

"That was t-the best I've h-h-had. I tried my other d-dealer a-and now he is out of st-stock. I was out of m-money th-though so I asked my hook up-p, but no work was avail-l-lable, so I was p-pick p-p-pocketing, and got c-caught. By th-the t-time I could move again a-and get enough money, withd-d-drawal st-started."

'That explains the bruises.'

Changbin sighed, weighing his options. What would Lino want? It was his drug business after all, so him making the decision to sell wasn't his place. But the weak boy looked like he was minutes away from fainting, and he was a stray. Chan always insisted on helping strays, they were like them, after all. "Can you walk?"

The shaking boy nodded, though he didn't have much conviction. Han tried to stand, getting light headed immediately, being caught by Changbin and lowered gently against the wall.

"Fu- just, don't move." Changbin told as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, dialing Chan, who answered instantly, assuming he was in trouble.

The urgency in his voice was apparent immediately. "Are you okay?! What's going on?!"

"Hey, don't worry." Changbin assured quickly, "I got that stray from a little bit ago, the one who stole. I ugh, I hate to ask, but can you get Lino up? He's in bad shape and I can't even get him inside."

"Bad shape?"

"Withdrawal. He's not looking good."

"Shit. Yeah, yeah. I'll get him. Keep the kid awake."