"𝐼𝑛 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠,
𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑙𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒,
𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟'𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑𝑠"
❛ 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒏𝒈
❛ 𝒕𝒘𝒔: 𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒄 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔
❛ 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔: 1249
***
He finds him in the bathroom. As he opens the door, he notices that the cramped space doesn't even have lights on, the only source of light now flooding in from the open door.
He's glad the door unlocked.
He knew this was going to happen. He anticipated it the whole time. Still he didn't do anything to prevent it from happening.
He gulps down the guilt and ignores his heavy heart that squeezes painfully as he sees the younger boy's state.
He's curled up in himself, forming a little, shaking ball and leaning on the bathroom wall. It must be awfully uncomfortable sitting on the cold tiles.
He has his knees pressed to his chest and head buried in his folded arms. He's whimpering lightly, as if in pain.
Maybe he is. It doesn't matter wether it's physical or mental.
Minho gets into action. He steps fully inside and closes the door, locking it. He takes careful, slow steps until he's crouched next to the trembling ball.
"Jisung?" he asks, voice barely above a whisoer. He isn't sure if the other heard him or even notices his presence but Minho doesn't want to scare him further. Not when he's obviously already scared and anxious.
"Hey" he says and hesitates for a moment wether to touch the other or not to. His hand hovers unsurely in the air.
The younger boy doesn't seem to be calming down, his breathing unstable and shaky. Minho doesn't want him to pass out, he needs the other to breathe. He knows though that Jisung is rather sensitive when anxious or panicked.
The bad feeling swirling in Minho's stomach isn't settling.
"Hey, Sungie" he says, a little bit louder and places his hand gently onto the other's shaking shoulder.
This seems to get a reaction out of the other since he finches rather violently and jumps back a bit. He shoots his head up and after his eyes wander for a moment, they land on the intruder next to him.
Or his savior.
Looking for a moment into the younger's tearful, red rimmed eyes Minho almost loses it and starts crying as well. Suddenly, he has his arms full of Jisung.
The younger seems to cry out even harder, sobbing into the older's shoulder. He grips Minho's leather jacket in an iron grip. Minho can't find himself caring about a piece of clothing now though.
Minho shushes him and rubs his hand up and down on the younger's back, trying his best to calm him down.
"Shh, you're safe now, you're okay, please don't cry"
This continues for- it feels like time has stopped but at the same time it feels like years have passed.
As Minho kind of expected, the younger drains himself out completely and goes limp and quiet in Minho's strong, firm arms. Minho continues his shushing and petting even after Jisung had fallen asleep.
His hand smoothing the other's matted brown hair doesn't stop. It kind of soothes Minho as well.
After some time there's aggressive knocking and kicking at the door. There's also some angry sounding calls.
"Hello!? There are people who need to use the bathroom as well, you idiot!?"
Minho holds himself back from kicking the door to the assholes face and knocking them out. The audacity to be unable to give people their time and space makes Minho angry too.
He has his priorities though.
Minho maneuvers the other's limb, small body onto his back and leaves the disgusting bathroom.
There's a group of teen girls just behind the door and Minho has to excuse them to get through the snickering girls who don't seem to know how to give other people space. Minho couldn't care less if his elbow "accidentally" stabs one of them.
He has better things to do and much, much more meaningful people to take care of.
The place isn't as crowded as before. Either people have gone continuing the partying somewhere else or they have passed out. It's quieter as well, except for the music playing still and the bass shaking the whole house. Minho can also make out some talking, laughing and more weird sounding noices somewhere further from the house.
In addition, the smell of alcohol hasn't disappeared. It's disgusting.
It was a mistake from the beginning, to get invited to the house party and accepting the offer. Lastly offering Jisung to come with him. His best friend who he knows suffers from social anxiety and in occasions like this in general.
There are people on the yard as well and after Minho preparing himself to walk for fifteen minutes to his apartment with his younger friend on his back, he gets stopped.
"Minho!" he hears a call from behind him.
He turns around and spots his other, tall friend.
"Hyunjin? I thought you left with Felix earlier? Where even is that kid?" Minho questions.
"Minho, he kissed mwe and then- then I panicked and didn't knwow what t' do and he looked swo hurt and I-"
"Okay, woah, hold on, easy" Minho shushes the other. Hyunjin must be quite gone already, taking into account how he's slurring his words and swaying on his feet.
"How much have you drunk?" Minho questions but before the other can get his mouth open, Minho continues. "Don't answer that, you need to go home, okay? I'm taking Jisung with me, do you think you can do that?" Minho asks and readjusts the boy on his back.
It's fortunate the younger doesn't weigh much and Minho's built firmly.
"I think I can- can do 't" Hyunjin says. "Hey, there's my friend!" Hyunjin shouts suddenly, making Minho flinch from the sudden volume. Then Hyunjin isn't standing in front of him anymore but stumbling towards a group if guys.
They look familiar to Minho but he can't get their names into his mind right now. He's sure Hyunjin should be okay with them since he's seen the younger with them before.
He makes a mental note to text his friend, and Felix as well, when he gets home.
Minho turns around once more and starts walking.
He has no idea what the time is but he guesses between 1 am and 3 am. It's dark and chilly but he's actually feeling kind of hot and sweaty at the moment. He speeds up a bit realizing Jisung has only a thin long sleeved on him.
They get safely at Minho's apartment after twenty five minutes. Even after having some trouble with grabbing his keys and opening the door.
Minho sets Jisung on the couch and tucks him in under two blankets. He situates him on his side and gets a bucket next to the couch on the floor.
Minho sits next to him and shrugs his jacket off, throwing it somewhere on the floor. He leans back and sighs.
He feels extremely guilty and stressed out. He shouldn't have left Jisung alone, he knew what would happen, yet he did it anyway. He's such an ignorant and indifferent friend. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
He feels sorry.
It feels like all the panic, stress and anxiety of Jisung have transferred to him.
However, what he can do right now is just trying to get some sleep or at least some rest, then apologize properly in the morning. He hopes the bad feelings won't eat him alive- although he'd deserve it.
