Used to the Darkness || DoTae

Chapter Four

Please refer to the end of this chapter for trigger warnings if you require them.

Saturday, April 9th 2158, 03:17.

Cheongnam, South Korea.

It was still the dead of the night when Doyoung was stirred awake by the sound of his ringtone and buzzing from the coffee table. He'd fallen asleep on the couch once he'd returned from Lim Kangdae's apartment, distraught and intoxicated after he scrubbed himself clean of all of the tactile memories of his rendezvous with Taeyong. Doyoung couldn't help but consider what would have happened if he hadn't pulled away from the kiss as he stood underneath the warm water in his steamy bathroom. He'd left Lim Kangdae's apartment more provoked by Taeyong's brief action as he'd have liked to admit, and let himself indulge in his thoughts about the older man until he came in his hand and was immediately horrified at himself and begged for forgiveness before the bronze cross on his wall under the moonlight.

Doyoung picked up his phone and found Taeil's contact displayed on the screen. Without a second thought, he accepted the call. Taeil never called him, not without ample reason. Doyoung yawned as the call connected and slumped back against the couch. "I'm assuming there is a good reason why you're calling me at 3 AM, Taeil."

"Sorry, I know you have work early tomorrow, but I needed to talk to you. Do you happen to know where Taeyong is?"

"Taeyong's not in Moonlight? I thought he was staying in your clinic until his stab wound was beginning to heal?" asked Doyoung, furrowing his brow. "He told me that he was going to return to Moonlight alone. Shit, I knew I shouldn't have left him alone. What if he was swarmed by Namjeong Clan men? They already knew we were in Lim Kangdae's apartment."

"Wait, back up a second. You had a run-in with the Namjeong Clan? Are you okay? Is Taeyong okay?"

"We're both fine. Well, I suppose he wasn't exactly fine. Did you intend to tell me that Taeyong is a sexual sadist, or where you waiting until I found out on my own?" asked Doyoung as he heard a sigh on the other side of the line.

"I assumed that you'd already figured it out. Taeyong doesn't exactly hide his hypersexuality, so I'd hoped that you'd notice the signs. You can't blame him for it, though. If I had to take a rough guess, I'd assume it was Lim Kangdae who conditioned it into him rather than a birth trait," said Taeil, and he paused. "You haven't done anything foolish, have you?"

Doyoung gulped. He hadn't considered that Taeyong's rather excitable response to violence was something that Lim Kangdae manipulated into his personality, and the thought made his skin crawl. That's what Taeyong must have meant when he mentioned that Lim Kangdae became violent. Doyoung was still disturbed, but he began to regret some of what he'd said. Taeyong was just a damaged man who needed help. "No, but I couldn't exactly ignore his reaction. He almost killed a man, Taeil. He almost strangled him to death and he got a thrill out of it."

"I know it's surprising when you first encounter something like that, but don't be too hard on him. If I had to guess, I'd say that Taeyong is probably out drinking himself half to death right now. I don't think he's been abducted—he can fight, and you know it. I've been waiting in Moonlight all night and he hasn't returned, I'm worried. Ilchul is closed, but Eclipse should be open. He might be there."

"Let me guess, you want me to find him?" asked Doyoung, shaking his head as though the older man could see the action. "If you know where he is, why don't you go and find him?"

"He's your responsibility, Doyoung. You wanted him to help you investigate and now he's probably beating himself up over something that he can't control. It should be you who goes to talk some sense into him," said Taeil, and he hummed. "You know Eclipse, right? It's that huge nightclub near the entrance to Neo City."