It's become a ritual.
Wake up, make some coffee, take a pill, start his day.
Every day, Taehyung tells himself the headaches are probably gone by now, I can quit taking these, but there's this craving that gets to him. What if the medication is giving him a false sense of security, and he really hasn't recovered yet? If he feels better taking them, then something must still be wrong with him. Tomorrow, if he wakes up feeling like roses and daisies, he can stop.
Tomorrow never comes.
His supply, however, is finite, because—as he had not been willing to admit to Zodiac for obvious reasons—they were heat suppressants, and he isn't an omega. The only omega he knows that takes them is Kalkaska, and he would stick Taehyung like a roasted pig if he tried to take any, so his only option is to return to Haneul. Which is why he's been helping on a project at one of Haneul's houses the past few days.
It's been a pleasant break from the suffocating atmosphere at the casino. But he hasn't quite worked up the nerve to ask for more suppressants.
Today will have to be the day, though, Taehyung tells himself as he brushes his teeth, casting a glance at the unmarked bottle on the counter. All his pussyfooting around has left him with a measly four pills.
Four days.
Maybe... Maybe he can wean himself off by then.
Taehyung drops his toothbrush back in its holder and gets ready to leave the hotel.
Suffocating is really the most accurate word he can think of to describe how it feels as he exits his suite and strides down the hallway towards the elevator. It's like someone closed all the doors and windows in a house and left it empty for two weeks during the summer—stale and hot. When Jeongguk isn't dealing with clients, which he's been leaving to Kalkaska and Dragunov more often than not anyway, he's holed up in his room. Taehyung has only seen Zodiac once or twice, very briefly; Dutch must be getting close to having the baby by now and they're spending time at their condo. He hasn't seen Jimin at all.
Why bother mating if you're gonna avoid each other?
Perhaps they finally realized the mistake they made. Taehyung twirls his keys around his index finger as he strolls across the parking garage towards his car. Why else would Jeongguk be so reclusive if he wasn't upset about something?
Unless he's building a bomb to try and blow up Haneul's house, or something ridiculous. Anything seems possible at this point.
His phone chimes just as he's getting into his car. When he checks it, a stupid smile spreads across his face because Yoongi responded to his good morning! text.
Yoongi:
too fcking early
you:
Working today :P
Yoongi:
yeah? doing what
you:
been helping Haneul with a house
he let me choose all the materials for the kitchen & I'm p proud of how it's turning out
Yoongi:
congrats
send me pictures when it's done
you:
:)
you got any big plans?
Yoongi:
a livestream tonight
