Woohyun looked between s and the direction that you fled to. Taking his chances, he stood up and trotted down the hall until he saw the yellow light spill from underneath the doorway of his room. Approaching the door slowly, he softly hit his knuckles against the door.

“_______, sweetie, may I come in?” Woohyun called you sweetly as you slowly stepped away from the door, you walked over to his bed and sat on the edge while your fingertips slowly drew over the burns on your palms, knowing you would have to tell him.

“Yeah. It’s open” You whispered with a defeated sigh.

Hearing the door open slowly, your boyfriend stood in the doorway before he closed the white door behind him.

“Can you tell me what is going on? I know you haven’t been yourself the whole night” Woohyun inquired gently as he slowly made his way over to your side, easing down gently on the bed.

“I’m fine” You brushed him off before his hand rested on your back as you quickly pulled away from his touch.

“Do you not like me anymore?” Woohyun questioned, retracting his touch from you not to make you more uncomfortable

“It isn’t that…” You whispered, dropping your eyes under your darkened visor.

“Then what is it?” Woohyun spoke calmly.

“I can’t tell you…” You sighed

“Why not?” Woohyun probed, you having all of his attention

“If I tell you, you might leave me” You whispered even softer but speaking words of truth.

“I promise I won’t leave you, just tell me. That is if you trust me to know” He patiently waited for your answer, whatever it might be.

“The reason is why I didn’t want to come over and I didn’t the other time you asked was because of my father. I didn’t want you to see my bruises that he gave me…” You glanced over at him as you could see the disbelief coating his eyes.

“I don’t see any bruises” Woohyun told you as you shook your head and took a deep breath knowing that you would have to show him for him to believe.

Lifting your hands, you slowly removed your ball cap, revealing the yellowish green hue around your eyes. Looking towards him, you saw him move his body back while his eyes focused right on the crescent bruise framing your eye. Letting him take a moment to look over your battered face, you dropped your eyes down to your covered hands. Slowly pulling back your sleeves, you spread out your fingers exposing the fresh flesh that slowly began to emerge underneath the deep and thick scabs that coated your hands.

“D-D-Did h-he…?” Woohyun stammered at a whisper, his eyes focused on the markings on your hands as you just nodded.

“That was about a week ago,” You took in a deep breath and let the words fall with your exhaled breath.

“Has he left others?” Woohyun questioned, his voice kind and understanding. With a nodding of your head, you felt the tears sting your eyes as uncertainty filled your heart.

“Do you really have to go back with him?” Woohyun whispered as he gently moved his hand closer to yours, brushing his fingers ever so lightly against the unhurt backs of your hands.

“Yeah… I promised” You whispered as you lifted your eyes to meet his.

“Do you have to go back tonight? Or can you stay here with me instead?” His chocolate eyes beckoned you to stay, just to spend the night with him.

Not replying for a good minute or two, you dropped your eyes back down to your exposed hands as he gently leaned over and pressed a soft, loving kiss on your temple.

“You think on it and I will be back” Woohyun stood up as he exited his room slowly as tears filled his eyes, covering his face with his hands, he walked back out to the living room to see most of the guys sleeping. Grabbing the first aid kit from the coat closet, he carried it under his arm before heading back to you.

Knocking lightly again, you sat up straight as you saw Woohyun slide through the door again, with a first aid kit tucked under his arm.

“Y-You don’t need to” You shook your head not wanting to be a burden or a bother

“I want to, I want to take care of you and I am sorry that you couldn’t come to me sooner and tell me” Woohyun whispered as he knelt before you before opening up the kit beside him and letting you choose which ones he cleaned and treated first.

Holding out your hands, he started with your left, gently cleaning the dead skin from your hands allowing the fresh skin to breath as he carefully popped the blisters and let them drain. Biting your lip with soft whines of pain from time to time, he allowed you to lay down on his bed as you held one of his stuffed figures between your arms. Carefully working on your hand, he applied some ointment and slowly wrapped your hands up, taping the edges gently.

Giving him your other hand, he proceeded to do the same routine as he lifted his eyes to see you fast asleep once he applied the ointment to your right hand. A smile carefully curled on his lips as he moved over and his bedside lamp before flipping off the overhead light. Returning to you, he wrapped your hand gently before sitting on the edge of his bed. Pushing back fallen strands of hair, he slowly applied some ointment on your bruises to try and coax them to heal.

“I guess you answered my question” He smiled as he cleaned up the kit and set it on his bedside table as you moved against his covers, your shirt slightly riding up to show the punch to your stomach. Turning back to you, he noticed a dark spot on your exposed stomach as he knelt down on the side of the bed.

Slightly lifting the hem of your shirt, he saw the darker coloring with even spacing as if they were imprinted with knuckles and rings on each finger. Brushing his thumb lightly over your bruise, you whined softly and tensed your stomach before he gently leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss on your stomach.

Sliding into bed behind you, he rested his hand on your hip, careful not to aggravate any past memories or spots of pain. Extending out his free hand, he laid it over your head as you then moved your head onto his arm, your body turned over and moved into his warm embrace as he pulled a blanket over you.

“I wish you would have told me sooner, so that I could have taken care of you” He pressed a soft kiss against your hair. “I promise I will get you out of that house sooner than later.”

“How do you plan on doing that?” Your words slurred together with sleep.

“Anything, even if I have to marry you so that you can live with me” Woohyun felt his heart pick up with nervousness yet the truth shined behind his words.

“I don’t want to push you into doing that if you are just pitying me” You told him softly, too tired to move. “I have a lot of baggage…”

“Your past doesn’t define you, it is what you plan to do in the future and the steps you are taking to get there is what counts.” Woohyun whispered into your hair. “I love you and it broke my heart that you couldn’t tell me what is wrong… especially something like this.”

“I didn’t know how you would react…” You confessed quietly, taking a deep yawn.

“Would you tell me again, seeing how I reacted?” Woohyun questioned honestly, his eyes falling closed with sleep as his head rested against yours.

“I think I would” You whispered gently, “Is that offer still open?”

“For you to stay here?” Woohyun questioned wanting to make sure that was the offer you were talking about.

“Mhmm” You hummed

“Darling, that offer will be forever and always open to you” Woohyun whispered as you began to get pulled back into sleep. “I love you, my little fighter.”

“Don’t you mean punching bag?” You corrected.

“No, you have never given up. That is what makes you my little fighter. Although I am going to sign us both up for boxing” Woohyun chuckled as his deep laugh resounded in the hollow of his chest.

“Whatever you think is best” You slurred softly before falling into a deep sleep.

“I just want to protect you, my love, now, forever and always.”