It's Hee's Lift Now | An ENHA + TXT Fic

Chapter 36: Bonus 10 [Jake]: La Fée Verte

TW: alcoholism

"Jake... When Ni-ki said we made out at Jackson's party, he was just joking, right?"

"What?" Jake turned to face Kai as they walked down the hospital halls.

"I mean-" Kai laughed nervously. "I can't really remember, but I don't think we did."

Jake felt his heart crack a little. He stared at the older boy. "You really don't remember anything from last night?"

Kai tilted his head from side to side. "Eh. Parts. It's more like I can't tell what happened last night from what happened at other parties."

"I wasn't at other parties."

"My dreams get mixed up a bit, too," Kai admitted. "Don't know if I imagined it or not. We talked on the balcony, though. Right?"

Jake turned away, pretending to be interested in the rooms they passed. "Don't worry. Nothing else happened."

The older boy nodded with relief. Jake kept his head down as they walked down the sterile hallways. He flipped his phone over and over again, trying to occupy his busy mind.

Kai glanced at him. "Hey, you good?"

Jake pursed his lips. "Yeah, I'm just worried about Taehyun..."

You don't remember our kiss.

"...nervous about our debut..."

Our first kiss.

"...and a bunch of other things, I guess."

Kai smiled warmly. "I get that. There's a lot going on right now."

He touched Jake's arm, grinning. "I know something that'll help."

A pair of glass double doors slid open automatically as they neared an exit.

Jake frowned as Kai's pace sped up. "What are you-"

"Run!" The older boy broke into a sprint, laughing as he disappeared down the lamp post-lit street.

"Kai!" Jake shouted, racing to catch up. "Physical exercise does not make me feel better!"

"Hurry up!" Kai's voice echoed from a distance.

The city seemed oddly silent, save for the thudding of the two boys' sneakers against the pavement. Jake stopped running, looking around uneasily.

"Kai," he called. "We should probably go home."

The older boy didn't respond, instead letting out whoops of joy as the wind whipped at their faces. A dark storm approached the city from afar, but it didn't carry a sense of hopelessness or despair. Instead, each lightning flash reminded Jake of a perfect imperfection. Something beautiful that broke the continuous cycle of sunny and shadowed skies.

He smiled, staring up into the clouds. "Really. It's time to head back before it rains."

Jake loved storms. He longed to be like one, fearless and uncontrollable. Alas, he knew it was impossible. Firstly, there was a reason why the world was the way it was. Day and night worked. Logic, math, and science kept the Earth spinning, not hopes and dreams. No matter how much he wished for it, there was no room for color in a black and white world.

"Jake, do you know how rare it is to get time to yourself as an idol?" Kai breathlessly turned to face him. "This literally never happens. We can't just waste the night at our dorms."

Black and white wasn't bad. It didn't necessarily mean no fun and joy; it simply meant balance. There was work, there was play, there was more work, and there was more play. Jake often found himself having to explain this to his adversaries. One of the reasons he and Sunghoon got along so well was because they were alike in this manner. They agreed that the world had no tolerance for a surplus of feelings.