apartment block.

@Byun Baekhyun /I honestly don't wanna worry you too much, but judging by the way you keep looking at me and the way you keep offering help, I know I probably just look horrible right now. When you ask if I want to lie down, I shake my head with a smile and gesture for you to sit down as well, wanting you to be a bit more comfortable/
/I look over at you once you've seated yourself beside me and I smile a bit to you, albeit tiredly, before pointing over to the TV remote controller and glancing over at the TV itself/
We can watch something... or if you're really.. curious, you can ask me about what happened..
/knows that you probably have an idea about what has happened to me, but also knows that you probably don't have the complete picture in your head since you've only witnessed me limping along with the smaller injuries I got/

@Park Chanyeol Alright.
/I nod silently, assuming your statement doesn't need any further comment from my side and I just follow you, occasionally taking sips of my hot drink before standing by the couch and observing your struggle with compassion painting my features into a gentle countenance.
Do you want to me to help you lie down?
/asking, I put down my mug on the coffee table and turn my head to you, somehow still hesitant on touching you in case I encounter a fragile spot that causes you pain. I treat you like a delicate treasure, just as if you were to crumble underneath the faintest of my finges' pressure and I await your reply, standing in case you agree and I have to help you maneuvering your bruised body.

@Byun Baekhyun /smiles when I walk into the kitchen to see you have my hot cocoa ready for me and I am sure that it would taste lovely since you made it and even though we both work at the bar section of the club most of the time which is filled with alcoholic drinks, it doesn't mean we can't make non-alcoholic beverages. So of course, once I'm handling the mug, I lightly blow it to cool it down a bit before I take a sip and smile at the sweet, chocolatey goodness of it/
/i follow your eyes as you seem to look around my place before you ask me the question and then hums in thought, wondering if it would be the best idea to drink hot cocoa in bed/
Let's drink these up on the couch and then after I can move to the bed
/suggests that as the bed option to go with and then goes over to the couch, setting the hot cocoa on the coffee table first before carefully sitting down on the couch with a slight groan/

@Park Chanyeol /once you disappear from my sight, I make my way towards your kitchen and look through the various cupboards until I come across the cocoa to indulge you into the hug in a mug that is the rich smooth warmth of the sweet drink. I suddenly remember the lazy Sunday mornings in the winter when I would treat myself with hot cocoa that never fails to blanket my heart with particular exuberance and I smile to myself whilst making the drink, catching myself putting some extra care somewhere along the way, the fact that my actions exude softness making me shake my head in amusement at my own behaviour.
/it seems like you have your own personal alarm clock and you know exactly when I'm done because the moment I lift my head from having admired my work ㅡ a mug filled with the brown liquid steaming, ornamented with the little marshmallows I managed to find while trying to find the cocoa ㅡ you're standing in front of me, looking eerily vulnerable in the oversized hoodie, so little and soft, almost tugging at my heart strings and reinforcing the protectiveness I feel towards you.
There you go.
/hums softly as I gesture to the mug, taking my own containing hot Earl Grey blend and sipping on it once before my lips clean and looking around, trying to figure out what would make you most comfortable.
Do you want to rest on the couch or in bed? How much does your body ache?

@Byun Baekhyun /hums and then notices the anger seemingly radiating off of you and gets a bit worried about you but then I see you trying to calm down a bit and smiled as I see you relaxing a bit, nodding as you tell me to go ahead and get changed/
Um, hot cocoa please
/smiles to you before heading in to where my bedroom is, not minding about the door as such since we're both guys and all. So, I go ahead, carefully taking off my work clothes without pushing myself too much as to hurt myself even more or even to provoke any pain to come back/
/after successfully getting myself back down to my boxers, I glance at my reflection, frowning a bit from the rope burns on my wrists and torso. I shake myself out of my little reverie and pull out a pair of sweat pants, pulling them on before I grab one of my big hoodies and slip into that as well before I make my way back out to the kitchen to go to you/

@Park Chanyeol Actual stuff...?
/I ask, my voice dispersing quietly as I follow you and it's only when you take your bandana off that I realise what you have meant ㅡ my earlier assumptions about the reason of your limping are confirmed and I can't help but to frown in disapproval, a scowl threatening to reign over my features as my blood boils in anger. I wasn't gentle either when it came to ual encounters but never have I mistreated anyone and to see the obvious lack of after care you should have been indulged into makes me want to rip off the head of the person who did that to you. Biting the inside of my cheek to stop myself from releasing a chain of curses and possible threats, I just brush my hair back, brown locks slipping past the empty spaces between my fingers, and glance up at you, attempting to ignore the bruised neck embodying what I would do to the person who treated you like this, choking and snapping their neck until they learn the lesson. Violent as always, Byun./
Go change. I'll occupy the kitchen and make you some warm tea. Unless you want hot cocoa?

@Byun Baekhyun /smiles as you assure me that you're doing this as a friend and not just because you're pitying me because of my rather vulnerable condition. I hate it when others are manipulative as it's just so morally wrong in so many ways, but I know that after being with you for the last couple of weeks as friends, and getting to know each other, we can both trust one another a lot more/
Wait til you see the actual stuff..
/sighs softly since I know you'll probably freak out about how many marks I have on my body. I enter my pin for my apartment and then open the door, letting out a soft grunt since the door feels heavier than normal due to my weaker condition/
/once we're both inside, I let the door shut and toe off my shoes, limping into the apartment to where the living room is and reaches up to finally take off the bandanna around my neck, revealing the outlines of fingers on my neck from a rather harsh session of breath play/
I'm gonna get changed into something a little more... comfortable...
Did you want anything to drink first though?

@Park Chanyeol No need to thank me. We're friends after all.
/simply shrugs in reply, trying not to sound too awkward as the situation I have found myself in is everything but usual. It's a novelty and I hope I can live up to the expectations you may have for me ㅡ after all, I simply want to provide you with comfort you need so much.
And man, you really look awful.
/it's just as if I tried to veil my worry with my attitude but I'm not sure if I manage to convey you as I am not even sure myself.

@Byun Baekhyun /i can feel the anxiousness and concern simply dripping off of you as we head into the building and I can really feel it as you keep casting your glance towards me. I hope I'm not causing you too much stress by letting you come home with me like this since I know it's very out of character for you to be this serious/
/we enter the lift and I press the button for level 6 and we're on our way up soon. I hold onto one of the handle bars in the lift, that odd pressure that we all feel when inside the lift making me feel just a tad bit off. However, once we arrive on the floor and I get off the lift, heading out to lead us both to my apartment/
Thank you for this, Baekhyun... and sorry for troubling you

@Park Chanyeol /parking the car in front of the apartment blocks, I release a sigh I didn't know I was holding, leaning back against my seat as I turn the engine off and snatch the keys, soon joining you on the sidewalk after having locked the car. I take a brief moment to look around, trying to guess whether I have been in the area before and I blink to myself upon realising that when I first moved to the town, I considered buying myself an apartment in this area. It momentarily brings me back to the memories and struggles I faced a few years ago and somehow I feel the time passing, keys in my hands now gripped.
/I follow you quietly, observing your movements and waiting with you for the lift before I glancing up at you, my gaze flickering between our shoulders as I ponder briefly if I should take your arm and help you walk. You don't seem to have such grand difficulties and I don't want to invade your personal space too much, therefore I just walk into the lift with you when the door slides open, waiting patiently for you to press the button with whatever number your floor is.

@Byun Baekhyun /smiles a little more at your rather playful comment and is relieved when you seem to relax a little bit more before you proceed to drive towards the apartments which I live in. I keep my eyes on the road as well, but I'm not focused on anything but keeping myself aware of the fact that I need to relax, knowing tension in my body will only lead to more pain/
/as I feel your hand caressing my thigh through my pants, I look over at you before looking up at the building which we are now in front of and hums along with a nod/
Yup, just park along here somewhere and we'll head inside
/waits for you to park the car somewhere and once you've done that, I undo my seat belt and open the door, carefully manoeuvring myself out of the vehicle, waiting for you on the sidewalk once I've shut the door. It feels a bit odd bringing you to my apartment, knowing that you have the intention of taking care of me in some way, though I don't exactly know how you're planning to do it, I trust you enough by now for you to take over the reigns, especially since the grip I have on them aren't all too great right now. Once you're out of the car and I know you've locked the vehicle, I lead you inside, pressing the call button for the lift/

@Park Chanyeol Of course you're not. Not on my ing watch. I can't go to jail for having corpse in my car.
/I scoff in reply, attempting to regain the reminiscences of my casual persona with the playful comment I allow myself in the seemingly tense moment but what truly helps is the palm I feel on my arm, exuding warmth that makes the muscles underneath the layers of fabric relax and a small sigh to slip past the subtly parted roseate flesh of my lips.
/thankful for the close propinquity between the current location and your house, I try not to drive too fast or too hurriedly despite the obvious urgence the situation holds ㅡ who knew what would happen, you could even faint and I couldn't afford myself another slap in the face by the stress. Hearing your tired sigh, I use the opportunity that is the automatic transmission and the lack of bothering with changing the gears to place my hand on your thigh, fingers caressing the clothed flesh reassuringly as I keep my eyes on the road.
Is it here?
/I ask eventually when I see the apartment block with the number you apparently live under, driving towards it and searching the spot to leave my car.

@Byun Baekhyun /as I wait by your car patiently, I keep shifting my weight from foot to foot as to not hurt myself too much. when I hear you approaching the car, I look up and I am so grateful that you're doing all this for me and I wonder how I could repay you in the near future for being so kind to me/
/once we're seated in the car, I look over at you and reach over to place a hand on your arm, a very slight smile adorning my face to try and get you to relax/
I'm not dying, Baek...
/I then proceed to tell you where I live, which is actually very close by and once you seem to be okay, knowing where we're headed, I take my hand off from your shoulder, letting out a slightly tired sigh/

@Park Chanyeol /I can't help but to ceaselessly worry about you when we part, wondering if you managed to safely arrive at the parking lot without being hurt too badly as I have noticed already your limping movements. It's an eerie storm of emotion taking my person so suddenly where worry, anxiety and anger conflates in the bitter blend I'm definitely not a fan of. I can only be thankful that there are no difficulties with me going out earlier, I have never missed a day at work despite some terrible hangovers that happened a time or two and I mentally pat myself on the shoulder for the impeccable attendance that finally came in handy. I almost run towards the parking lot, somewhat relieved to see you wait patiently and I unlock my car ㅡ nothing near the fancy vehicle the VIPs own but enough for someone like me ㅡ and help you take the passanger's seat before walking around the car to sit behind the wheel, fastening the seatbelt and starting the engine, driving out of the parking lot carefully.
Where do you live? Or should I take you to my house, ugh...
/I ask, glancing over at you briefly as one hand rests atop the steering wheel and the other pinches the bridge of my nose, too many thoughts and worries piling inside my head.