The Space Between [RanTaku] [MuneTaku]

t w e l v e

references to alcohol and alcohol abuse! if you're sensitive to this kind of stuff, be wary please!

Shindou didn't know how he had absentmindedly walked back to his house but the moment he crashed onto the sofá, he realised what had happened. He'd lost the two people he cared about the most in mere minutes. Thinking about what had happened only hours ago made his head hurt and fresh tears threatened to escape his eyes. Was it even possible to feel so low? He wanted to forget. Forget everything. His mistakes, his relationships, the entire day.

His eyes scanned around the elaborate living room, and finally rested on the liquor cabinet at the far corner of the room. He stood up, finding the picture of him and his parents from a few years back. He fumbled around behind the picture and his fingers felt the rough edges of a key. He pulled it into the light and sighed at it before turning back to the cabinet. He knew that his parents had hidden the key for the sheer purpose of him not finding it, but after stumbling upon it a few weeks ago when he practically turned the house over looking for something, he'd decided to keep his knowledge of its location a secret. His fingers traced the fine pattern of the cabinet before he pushed the key into the lock and turned it. The lock clicked open and Shindou opened the door, revealing all sorts of exotic and expensive looking alcohols and wines. Without thinking, he grabbed a bottle and locked the cabinet again, making sure to put the key back exactly where he'd found it. After grabbing a glass from the kitchen, he went up to his room, and sank into a chair, with the bottle on the table beside him. He stared at it for a few moments, contemplating his decision. At 17, he was definitely old enough to make his own choices and he knew that he once had a problem with alcohol about a year ago. It was during a really low point of his young life. And it had been Kirino who had found out and helped him through it, making Shindou swear he'd never drink again. It was something he'd been too ashamed of to tell Ibuki.

Kirino. And Ibuki. Shindou felt like he'd just been hit in the face. The thought of what happened earlier was painful to think of. He opened the bottle and poured a little into the glass in his hand. There was really no point, he had nothing to lose anymore, he thought as he downed it.

At first, the fiery taste and burning sensation seemed alien to him, having not drank it for almost a year. But after a few more glasses of it, it felt as if he'd never stopped. He eventually ditched the glass completely and turned to taking large swigs from the bottle. After finishing the contents of the bottle, he went back to the cabinet and grabbed several more. Each bottle was relief from his crappy reality.

It felt good to let go of it all.

It felt good to forget.