THE BODYGUARD | JAEYONG NCT

23: Unfamiliar Surroundings

Taeyong panicked when he opened his eyes but saw nothing and all he could feel was ice cold. He only calmed when he realised he wasn't actually dead and that there was in fact material covering his eyes, a blindfold to be precise. He lolled his head around languidly and moved to stand trying to stretch out his toughened limbs but found his legs weren't moving. In fact, his hands weren't either. He tugged at them again, harder this time but all he felt was thick, heavy rope around them.

And then it all came back to him at once, hitting him like a tone of bricks and a harsh slap in the face encompassed into one. Taeyong thrashed around in the uncomfortable, what felt like wooden, chair but to no avail. His first instinct was to scream but he bit down on his lip harshly, he couldn't attract attention to himself just yet.

His chewed on his bottom lip so much he tasted blood then he switched to biting the inside of his cheek, softer this time but still just as rapid. He changed from breathing through his nose to heavily from his mouth, it was easier to control. The last thing he needed was an asthma attack. He then realised, belatedly, that this wasn't just some sick prank and he had been kidnapped. Actually, physically kidnapped.

Okay Tae, think. Bathroom, mirror, men. Men, men... men!

"Fuck!" he cursed under his breath, rocking back in his chair with anger. It was, of course, the same sort of men from the beach and from the alleyway that had tried to kill him the last time. At least now he knew their intention wasn't to kill him but he didn't know if this was exactly much better.

Taeyong felt tears sting his eyes, but he held his breath and counted to ten. No, crying wouldn't do him any good. Not now. Not ever. He closed his eyes - which was fruitless as he couldn't see anyways - and tried to be as reasonable as possible even though the panic was eating him alive, calling at him to give in, cry, scream, wail until he would combust.

"Jaehyun... fuck, okay. What would Jaehyun do?" he mumbled to himself under his breath. Jaehyun was the only person that came to mind and the tears that had threatened to leave finally soaked into his blindfold.

Taeyong wanted to laugh at how painfully ironic it was, he didn't cry at being kidnapped, yet Jaehyun was the one to set off his waterworks.

Taeyong racked his brain for what the man would do in that moment but it came up blank. The training sessions he got were for basic defense not life or death, mind boggling situations. He was forced to go with his gut and his mind which probably wasn't in the best condition to make impulse decisions right now. Firstly, he needed his senses back before he could even attempt to go on.

He put his nose up and sniffed, the air smelled like burnt cigarettes and dust. Cigarettes meant smoking, smoking meant people, so somebody had to be near by. Taeyong swallowed his cottony mouth and exhaled shakily.

"Hello?" His voice came out as a croaked whisper. He cleared his throat before trying again. "Hello?" It still came out cracked but at least this time it was clearer.

"Hello?" he called out to nothingness for the third time but no response came.

Fear pricked and stung his skin as he waited for any faint sound, an affirmation that he wasn't left to rot alone in the dead of the night. Or day. He didn't know how long he had actually been sleeping for but if the exhaustion in his bones gave him any indication, he'd been there for awhile.

"Hello," Taeyong whispered feebly to himself again, dropping his chin to his chest. This time, though, there was a response.