Yongsun rested back against the headboard of Moonbyul’s bed as she gently ran her fingers through Moonbyul’s hair. Getting Moonbyul home had been a struggle, but she and the three NORA rebels had made it. They had a couple of near misses with just Minhyuk and Joong Ki fighting any monsters that stumbled into their path, but the boys had managed to keep Yongsun and Wheein safe as they carried Moonbyul between them. It had been slow moving but eventually the group stumbled into the home the best friend shared.

Relief was an understatement of what Yongsun had felt when they’d realised the place was empty. Eric had probably left not long after Yongsun herself had. She couldn’t handle another confrontation with him yet; her anger at the man was still past the point where she could have dealt with him calmly. Though dealing with Eric in a calm manner was the last thing Yongsun planned on doing for a very long time. Yongsun had always been a very gentle natured person but as she got a look at the huddled, sleeping figure of Moonbyul at the base of the pillar, tears still evident on her cheeks, she contemplated violence for perhaps the first time in her life.

If Moonbyul hadn’t been found, or worse she had been found but was too hurt, Yongsun wasn’t sure how she would have coped. A life without Byulyi wasn’t something she ever wanted to experience. Eric’s stupidity nearly made those fears a reality, and Yongsun vowed she was never going to let him come between her and Moonbyul again. No one could ever replace Moonbyul, and Yongsun hated that she had to go through the hard way to figure that out. If only she’d listened all those times Moonbyul had told her Eric wasn’t good enough. Those lists of his faults she would throw out in arguments were truer than Yongsun had ever wanted to admit.

“Hero, my .” Yongsun muttered angrily to herself as she moved to lay down behind Moonbyul, holding the sleeping woman tightly as if afraid she’d disappear should Yongsun let go.

***
Jackson tried once more to persuade Eric that his plan was not only going to fail, but it was completely the wrong thing to do. In these last months after the fall of Cocoon, when a civilization was trying to recover from so much loss, both of people and homes, the last thing anyone should be doing was trying to make a woman lose the only family she had left. Well really he reasoned to himself, it was wrong no matter what was going on in the world, not just now.

“Really man, I don’t think she’s going to let you just come in and start bad mouthing Moonbyul. Trying to come between them is near impossible. And... and it’s just wrong.” He knew Eric wasn’t going to listen but it just didn’t sit right with him to let Eric go through with the plan without making some effort to try and stop it.

“Relaaaaaax. I got this. No way is Yongsun going to allow Moonbyul to come between her and her hero. She just needs me to show her that Moonbyul isn’t worth it.” Eric was too confident in Jackson’s opinion.

“Just promise me that if your plan fails this time, you’re gonna drop it and move on.”

“No can do. Yongsun is mine. I’m not letting anyone take her from me, especially not some good for nothing woman. I’m a hero damn it!” Eric growled.

The ‘I’m a hero’ rubbish was really starting to piss Jackson off. Saving the world didn’t mean you got to act like a jerk. And it most definitely didn’t mean the world had to bow down and give you everything you wanted.

****

“Yongsun!! Yongsun GET DOWN HERE AND OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!” Eric's yelling was so loud Yongsun was almost certain the windows shook from its force. There was no doubt that the neighbours could hear him though, and she was positive they’d be complaining soon if she didn’t let him in to shut him up.

Pulling herself away from Moonbyul long enough to go down and open the door for him was proving to be a rather difficult task. The comfort knowing she was home safe and just the warmth her body was providing made Yongsun reluctant to get out of bed. The pounding on the door and yelling stopped before she could move. Voices down stairs reminded her that she and Moonbyul weren’t the only ones home and Yongsun quietly told herself off for forgetting Wheein, Joong Ki and Minhyuk had stayed to help deal with Eric when he turned up.

“No you can’t go up there.” Wheein’s voice was firm. Yongsun could just picture her with her arms crossed over her chest and a foot being stamped down to try and make her point.