Wildfire And Rain

Chapter Thirty

Taehyun wonders why Soobin knocks if he had forgotten something at the dorm, he could just open the door. Perhaps he dropped his keys shortly after leaving.

Regardless, Taehyun is not too happy about needing to peel himself away from the sweet sleep he had already relished in, in favor of opening the door for his best friend. He toys with the idea of ignoring the 3 knocks, but he ends up getting up anyway, ready to hit Soobin.

"Kai." He takes in the sight of the dark-haired boy in front of him. His heart drops "Kai... "he brings his hands to hold Kai's face. "What's wrong?" He is hit with a sense of urgency and fear.

Kai does not even seem like he knows where he is. His eyes are empty, dead. He reeks of cigarettes. Not the gentle aroma of expensive tobacco but the actual decedent smell of ash. He looks down, his eyes piercing into Taehyun's soul.

His clothes are dirty, he's barefoot.

"What's wrong?" Taehyun chokes up. He looks up, searching for answers in Kai's face. All he can see is pure distraught. "...Kai, what happened?" his fingers hold Kai's cheek delicately, and he brushes the locks from Kai's face.

Kai opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. His entire body shivers.

"Okay... "Taehyun takes his hand. "Come in, first. Just come in." he drags him inside of the room. Kai follows wordlessly, like a ragdoll a kid drags behind him.

That is what he is. Just a shell.

He stands in the middle of the room, not sure how he got there in the first place, he does not remember parking his car.

Taehyun helps him out of his coat, and he hangs it on the handle of the bathroom door. "I'll get you some clothes." He digs in Soobin's closet, hoping the others won't mind.

His heart races and he is too occupied asking himself questions than caring about what Soobin has to say about sharing his clothes. He puts the folded clothes on his bed and shoves a towel into Kai's hands. "Can you shower?" he asks tentatively, but Kai is not providing answers. "Kai... look at me. Focus... please."

Kai gulps, his eyes trained somewhere on the wall behind Taehyun.

"Sometimes you need to fight fire with fire, Kai."

"Sometimes you need to fight fire with fire, Kai."

"Sometimes you need to fight fire with fire, Kai."

"Sometimes you need to fight fire with fire, Kai."

"Sometimes you need to fight fire with fire, Kai."

"Sometimes you need to fight fire with fire, Kai."

"Kai."

"Sometimes you need to fight fire with fire, Kai."

"Look at me... "Taehyun holds his nape and pulls him forward; face to face. He pushes him inside the bathroom. "Please, take a shower. I'll be right outside."

"Sometimes you need to fight fire with fire, Kai."

The door closes.

"Sometimes you need to fight fire with fire, Kai."

He does not know how long it has passed but feeling his fingers under his soaked gloves the texture of the wrinkled skin tells him it's been longer than a few minutes. He shuts off the faucet and leaves the bathroom with his bottom half wrapped in a white towel.

White, not black.

He should not spread his fire here.

Is he killing Taehyun with the smoke coming out of his lungs? Is he suffocating everyone near him?