Wildfire And Rain

Chapter Seven

He doesn't know when he fell asleep, or how. But when he woke up, he saw Soobin looking down at him with his eyes filled with concern. He flutters his eyes open, unblurring his eyesight. He looks around the room.

Kai is nowhere to be found. Only the streaks of blood of their floors and stains on Taehyun hands are a testament of what happened earlier that night. Through the window, Taehyun can see the start of a sunrise.

He's suddenly wide awake.

"Where is he?" He grabs Soobin's sleeve. "Hyung, He was right... "he points at the empty floor. Then he looks at his red hands.

"Hyunnie... "Soobin pets his hair. "let's wash you up."

A mix of emotions surges in Taehyun. Confusion, fear, concern. You name it. But even so, he feels numb. He lets Soobin take him by the hand to the bathroom where he washes his hands above the sink.

"How did I-" He breathes out, when did Soobin clean his hands? The sight of them bare and washed from blood makes him think none of this happened. He buries his hands in his hair, tugging it.

"Stop that." Soobin pries his hands away from his head. "you're in shock. Sit down."

Taehyun's eyes scan the floor, darting fast between all the blood stains. He shakes his head. Soobin hands him a glass of water.

He didn't know how thirsty he was until he took that first sip. He chugs that glass in mere seconds. A few drops trickle off his chin, he wipes them away.

"Care to tell me what happened here? Whose blood is this?" Soobin carefully asks. "Was it another student?" his tone is soft like a blanket; it makes Taehyun's brain hazy.

"I don't think I should say."

Soobin bites his lip. "What do you mean?" He tries to be understanding but there is a slight hint of frustration in his voice. "Their blood is on our floors."

"I haven't seen a thing."

"Taehyun." Soobin grabs his hand. "Look at me. Yes, you have. Whose is it?"

"We need to clean this."

"Taehyun!"

"I'll clean it." He shakes Soobin's hand off him and takes a package of wet wipes. Ge gets down on his knees and hands, scrubbing.

"Tae-"

"Hyung!" Taehyun screams at the floors, looking up with teary eyes. "Please... "he whispers. "I can't tell you. I'm sorry..." he continues scrubbing.

Soobin has known his best friend for over 8 years, all those years and he had never seen Taehyun like... that. There is not even a label to put on how distraught Taehyun looks and that scares Soobin to his bones. If he only knew what Taehyun had seen to grant such a reaction, maybe he could help.

Taehyun has always been secretive, carefully choosing the people he tells his secrets to. Sometimes even being the closest person to him, Soobin still feels like there is a lot he fails to know about his best friend.

It has never stopped them from forming a deep, meaningful friendship. Because Soobin knew that if Taehyun really needed to, he could confide in him.

Perhaps not anymore.

He pulls out a few wet wipes of himself and gets down on the floor next to Taehyun.

They don't speak a word while they silently clean the blood. Only the sound of the wipes against the tiles fills the silence.

................

A text saying. "Yeonjun lost his keys, bringing him home. Wherever you are, find somewhere else to crash" Is not what Kai wishes to see while in pain and already on his way home.