"Stop drinking, Tae. You're going to regret it tomorrow."

Jimin took the glass away from Taehyung who was clearly drunk after chugging too much alcohol.

"I'm not drunk. Give it back."

He reached for his glass, but Jimin was quick to move away.

"I'll tell Namjoon-hyung that you're behaving like a total lunatic right now." Jimin warned, but Taehyung just snickered before grabbing a bottle of beer from the table next to them.

"Tell him. I don't care." He aimed to drink the vile liquid in one go, but Jimin was way faster.

"This crazy bitch is out of his fucking mind!"

He grabbed the bottle and apologetically returned it to the people from the next table.

"Sorry about that. He's too drunk to even know what he's doing." Jimin uttered, bowing a little before dragging Taehyung by the arm.

"We're going home." He firmly stated, forcing the other to stand despite his hazy state.

"But I'm-I'm not finished!" Taehyung bellowed, struggling away from Jimin's grip but to no avail.

"Don't test my patience, or I'll drag you by the neck."

Despite the struggles and headaches Taehyung had caused, Jimin finally dragged him out of the pub before causing another scene.

"I can't believe this night would turn into a nightmare." Jimin huffed, drained from supporting a drunkard out on the street.

"Get your act together. I'll hail you a cab." Jimin said, leaving Taehyung sitting on the pavement with a bottle of water in hand.

His head was aching, vision hazy from the alcohol, yet his mind could only think of nothing else but Jungkook.

Still Jungkook.

He thought drinking away would let him escape from these thoughts, but it only made him feel worse.

"Fuck it... fuck it!"

The bottle slipped from his grasp, spilling the water on his clothes.

He watched as it rolled down the pavement and stopped in the middle of the street before a car ran over it, crushing it and draining the water until the last drop.

"Fool..."

Taehyung found himself laughing amidst the tears that fell from his eyes.

"What a fool."

There were few glances thrown his way, but he couldn't care less.

In his mind, nothing had registered. All he could think about was the announcement of Jungkook's marriage days ago.

It should've been him by his side.

"He loves me. I know he loves me still."

In the busy street and the loud noise, Taehyung knew he's convincing no one but himself.

As he was drowning in his own loneliness and regret, he felt Jimin's hands helping him up.

"Let's get you home." He carefully walked him to the cab and was about to get in with him, but Taehyung stopped him.

"I can manage, Chim."

"No. I'll send you home-"

"I've sobered up. I'll be fine."

Jimin stared at him for a long while before sighing in defeat.

"Call me once you're home, okay?"

A small nod was Taehyung's response before telling the driver the address.

"See you tomorrow." He uttered for the last time before the car went ahead.

The lights on the streets seemed to dance as Taehyung stared out the open window.

The cool breeze that touched his face helped sober him, but still not enough to wash away the thoughts in his head.

It was halfway through the long drive when Taehyung tapped the driver by the shoulder.

"Sorry, but please drive me somewhere else."

————

The loud ringing sound echoed in the silence of Jungkook's room which had him stirring in bed.

He groaned, lazily running his hand on the mattress to locate his buzzing phone.

"F-uck.."

The time plastered on the screen had him cursing but not as much as the name registered for the caller.

"Tae?" He murmured, brows turning into one line.

Why would Taehyung call him at such a time?

Though skeptical, Jungkook answered the call and was met by Taehyung's deep voice.

"Thought you're not going to pick up."

The crease on Jungkook's forehead deepened at the sound of his voice, slurred- probably from drinking.

"Are you drunk?" He asked and heard a chuckle as a response.

"Did I wake you up?" Taehyung asked instead.

His question only made Jungkook sigh. He couldn't understand what the other was doing.

It's odd enough to receive a call from him, much more to be talking about trivial matters like how close friends would.

"What are you doing, Kim Taehyung?" Jungkook asked, exasperated.

"Are you mad? Did I call at a bad time?"

Taehyung's voice turned soft before Jungkook heard sobs.

"Should I just... vanish?"

His voice was too low, almost a whisper as he said those words drowned in cries.

"Where.. where are you right now?" Jungkook asked, feeling a lump on his throat when he heard Taehyung's voice sounding desperate.

"I should just— just vanish.."

"Kim Taehyung, where the hell are you right now?"

He could feel his anxiety creeping in as the negative thoughts flooded his mind from Taehyung's behavior.

"Don't marry her. Don't.."

"Fuck it! Where are you?"

Jungkook was getting dressed as he hurriedly went out of the house and into his car.

"I'm coming for you. Tell me where you are right now."

There was a long silence on the other line which had Jungkook gripping the stirring wheel hard.

"Taehyung—"

"Our place.."

Before his response could register in Jungkook's mind, the line was cut off.

"Fuck!"

Jungkook tried dialing the number once more but the call didn't go through.

"Don't do something stupid, Taehyung." He uttered, gritting his teeth as he maneuvered the car to the only place he could think of.

Our place.

His heart was pounding in his chest for the whole drive as he thought about the implications of Taehyung's words.

He couldn't be thinking of...

"Fuck!" Jungkook desperately stepped on the gas and sped away to the place where everything started.

The place where he had the courage to ask Taehyung to date him and the witness to the memories of their past.

As he finally reached his destination, he ran uphill and felt his heart sinking when he saw Taehyung leaning by the railing overlooking the night scape.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Jungkook bellowed, grabbing Taehyung by the arm.

He turned his gaze on him and his heart sank at the sight of his swollen eyes.

"You came." Taehyung uttered with a sad smile.

"You really came." He repeated, looking like a mess.

"How much did you drink to be like this?" Jungkook asked, taking Taehyung on the bench as he settled him down.

"Not much.."

His answer was contrary to his state which had Jungkook snickering.

"I'll take you home."

Before he could grab his arm, Taehyung moved away from his grasp.

"Don't marry her... please."

Another frustrated sigh left Jungkook's lips.

"We're not talking about this, Tae. Let's get you home."

He tried to help him stand once more, but Taehyung insisted.

"You can't! Don't marry her."

"Taehyung! I—"

"What more do I have to do?!" Taehyung bellowed, tears cascading down his eyes.

"Should I use the media to my advantage again? Release our pictures once more and tell everyone we're together? Should I do it again?!"

Jungkook's brows met in a line as he stared at the other who was clearly desperate.

"What.. what do you mean?" He was caught off guard, not understanding the latter's outburst.

"I'll do it over and over again if it means stopping you.. please— don't marry her." Taehyung cried, losing all sense of what he's saying.

However, his words finally reached Jungkook's realization.

"You— you what?" Jungkook stared at the other with disbelief.

The article about them, the pictures that resurfaced— ones that only him and Taehyung have.

It all made sense how those things were published in public.

"It was you?" He was dumbfounded, realizing how everything made sense until now.

————
Love you 💜