daewon remembers adrenaline like an old foe. forgotten, discarded, hidden. he remembers it like something he doesn’t want to remember, or think about remember. those were the days when fear was something that shook the body and he couldn’t stop it.
he remembers it kind of like being sickly, not like being a different person. he is a different person but when this adrenaline hits it’s pricking. trying to find the space where it can still coil into his body and make him fear. he shakes, from the cold more than anything, the aftermath of the chase making his breathing rugged, his body uneasy. it’s why yutae’s presence isn’t distinguished. it’s why yutae is still something cutting off, breaking into the fight he’s having to shield his body from this regression.
this unnecessary regression.
he fights it as he fights instincts. listens to footsteps retreat and listens to the shuffle of yutae’s body off his. he breathes. he isn’t where he is by fighting. he doesn’t get old foes by not fighting. so he breathes again and pulls at his jacket. “you’re hurt.” if daewon’s bleeding anywhere it’ll go unnoticed. that’s what he’s like when he’s focuses and that’s what he’s like when he pushes. “i can move and that’s all that matters.” the jacket’s off, the tan is off and rolled into a coil. “if yours is just a flesh wound then we need to get going.” he holds the strip out, folded and tight enough to cover yutae’s arm. he’ll calculate later, but right now is all instinct, instinct, instinct.