THE BODYGUARD | JAEYONG NCT

11: Aftermath

Jaehyun swerved the car to the right, causing the car behind them and Taeyong to jerk. The shot had gotten dangerously close to the inside of the car at Taeyong's side, but instead had shattered the car's side, wing mirror on the exterior. Taeyong felt loud, uncontrollable ringing in his ears.

Jaehyun's knuckles had turned ghostly white gripping unto the steering wheel and he pressed his foot to pedal and sped up at a pace Taeyong was sure was beyond illegal. The car behind them had stopped driving so Jaehyun was alone in his high speed chase but he needed to get Taeyong back home as soon as possible.

He felt like he couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe. Taeyong was having another asthma attack. His body arched on the car's chair and his hands scrambled for the spare inhaler he left inbetween the two fronts seats. His chest was constricting and painfully so.

Jaehyun's eyes never left the road but as Taeyong took in rapid puffs to calm his running heart, he felt a hand being placed on his thigh and giving it a light squeeze.

"Calm down," Jaehyun tried to soothe him but his voice was so deep that it was scary for Taeyong. It didn't exactly help his nerves subside. Nonetheless, he wound his eyes shut and focused on breathing exercises. He could still hear the sound of a gun shot echoing in his head but he tried to drown it out by counting to ten repeatedly.

Jaehyun's hand remained steadily on Taeyong's thigh, doing his best to calm the panicky boy beside him. He wished he could stop the car to comfort him but they weren't safe even if that other car had stopped coming after them. The house posed the lowest risk so Jaehyun drove back quickly, a one hour drive had been cut into less than half the time.

Taeyong was too freaked to focus on the fact that the trees were whirring by at an alarming rate but all the motion hit him when the car parked with a jolt at the mansion. His body felt sickly and he opened the car door quickly, wanting to throw up.

Jaehyun unbuckled himself to be by his sid and Taeyong felt strong hands place themselves on his back and waist as he doubled over.

"Breathe in through your mouth and out through you nose," Jaehyun's hand rubbed circles on his back. In any other instance, Taeyong would have felt those lukewarm, familiar butterflies in the pit of his stomach, but now all he felt was his insides twisting.

He followed Jaehyun's breathing instructions and found himself calming down better than he did in the car. Maybe it was the exercise, maybe it was the air, but it was probably Jaehyun himself.

"Jaehyun, w-what was that?" He questioned, still hunched over with Jaehyun hand placed soothingly on his spine.

"It was a warning shot," Jaehyun's voice was stoic, more stoic and rigid than when they had first met.

Taeyong was bewildered. A warning? What warning? What would they need to be warned for? Taeyong grimaced as he pulled his body straight up, his hands on his waist to steady him. The fresh air was helping to cool his hot heart.

"Little one, is there something you're not telling me?"

Taeyong would have rolled his eyes from the irony if he had the energy. Jaehyun had called him by that childish nickname again yet his voice was so stern. Jaehyun removed his hand from Taeyong's back and despite how serious the situation was, Taeyong couldn't help but miss it, it gave him reassurance, it helped him feel safe.

"What would I not be telling you? And what warning? Why would someone be warning you?" His eyes met with Jaehyun's and he felt a shiver go down his spine. Jaehyun's eyes had gone icy and it was honestly making Taeyong a bit uncomfortable.

"We can talk about this later. Come, let's get you settled down," Jaehyun soothed his voice a little, noticing Taeyong's unease. This was exactly what he was trying to avoid, he didn't want Taeyong to be afraid of him.