@taekangs
taehyun is pretty much gone. hwanhee can tell from just looking at his face. and considering the fact that his brother isn't that much of a lightweight, he's now left wondering just exactly how many drinks taehyun has had to put himself in this state. or, to put in plainer terms, he’s left wondering who is controlling the hand that keeps throwing back and reaching for more alcohol. as much as his brother might try to convince him otherwise, hwanhee knows him too well to fall for any halfhearted excuses; taehyun is bothered by someone, maybe even pissed off, and attempting to drink away his negativity.
of course, it’s a bit of a joke coming from him. with the world spinning from underneath his feet, his body sunken into the sofa of one of the vip rooms, fingers unsteadily gripping whiskey in an ornate glass, hwanhee, too, is gone. he’d managed to keep a straight face and a clear head for a few hours, but a blown up argument with his girlfriend and a couple of introductory shots later, he’d found himself being unable to resist stronger liquor. all things should come in moderation, but hwanhee didn’t work that way. he didn’t think in steps. it was all kept bounded by one corkscrew: pop the lid off, and everything burst. like a dam. an immense flood crashing through a wall that held up for the beginning of the event, but toppled as it neared the end.
“we really should stop drinking,” the words tumble out from his mouth uncontrollably. they’re barely coherent, accompanied with un-hwanhee-like chuckles and flushed cheeks. they’re also insincere. fuck sobriety. he can’t remember the last time he’d hung out with his brother like this, and it’s a nice change from having to save his ass from their tyrant of a father. growing up had come with its share of problems, and one of them had been a subtle but definite strain in their brotherly relationship.
he can think of one particular name, in fact, but hwanhee won’t bring him up. not for the guy’s sake, but for his own. this time, right now, is just about them. the two kang brothers, and no one else. he spots taehyun’s empty glass and fills it up.
instead, steering away from complicated love lives, he says casually, “hey, you know, i’m thinking of maybe competing. racing, just for fun.” it’s no secret to taehyun that hwanhee had found a recent newfound passion for it, but it’s the first time he’d brought up anything professional. and despite their close relationship, despite the reality that hwanhee seems to be more of an adult than his older brother is, he still cares too much about what taehyun thinks about him. it’s cheesy, but how taehyun sees hwanhee, that means the world.
it’s also why he needed to liquid courage to tell him. drinkable fire for the feeble heart. it had been a while since they’d set aside time for a heart to heart conversation (and hwanhee was so busy that he barely saw his brother’s face, save for the hotel) that every slow passing, hazy minute seemed (ironically) fleeting.