Sooyun screamed as pain spread through her thigh as something bit down on her flesh.  She started thrashing about and Daehyun pulled her to him to keep her still while he kicked his leg out, detaching the source of pain and rolled onto the floor with him on top of her, protecting her from any further assault.  Sooyun clung to Daehyun, terrified and in agony as he called out to his hyungs for help.

 Yongguk and Himchan rushed into the room and took in the scene.

“Noona, I’m sorry.”  Zelo cried from somewhere nearby. 

Was Zelo the cause of her pain, had he bitten her?  When she saw him with Jongup pinning him to the floor, his eyes red and blood on his face, she knew he had.  But he had let go, why did it still hurt?

Yongguk quickly rushed to her and pressed his hands against her wound, making her cry out.  She tightened her grip on Daehyun, digging her nails into his back and biting his shoulder, causing him to hiss slightly.

“Youngjae, Jongup, get him out of here before I hurt him.”  Yongguk’s voice was a low, dangerous growl.  “Himchan, I need you.”

Youngjae and Jongup dragged Zelo away down the hall and into one of the rooms, while Himchan came to Sooyun to assess the situation.

“Daehyun, I need you to move out of the way.”  Himchan grumbled in frustration, trying to push the younger man off of Sooyun, which only made her dig in deeper with her nails and teeth.

Daehyun had protected her, he was the one keeping her safe, and there was no way she was going to let him go.

“Can’t.”  He groaned in discomfort.  “Not all the way at least.”  He moved his lower body off to her side, keeping his upper-half pressed against her protectively.

“I need to look at it.”  Himchan told Yongguk.

“She’s already lost a lot of blood.  If I move my hands you will have to work quickly.”  Yongguk growled, frustrated with the situation and not with his friend.

Himchan nodded.  “Tell her what I have to do then.”

“Sooyun, baby, the only way Himchan can make the pain go away is if he uses some of his blood.”  Yongguk explained to her. 

Sooyun released Daehyun’s shoulder from .  “Will it hurt?”  She heard all three of them sigh and knew that it would.

“He has to rub his blood all over the wound.”  Yongguk broke the news.

She trembled in Daehyun’s arms and he ran his hand over her head, causing her to look him in the eye.  “Just bite me if it hurts.  Take your pain out on me.  I can handle it.”

Sooyun could see the sincerity in his eyes and gave a small nod.  “Do it.”

Himchan opened his mouth, his fangs extending and readied his wrist in front of his mouth.  He nodded at Yongguk and the older man removed his hands.  Himchan quickly tore open his wrist and used his other hand to slather his blood all over the wound on Sooyun’s thigh.  Sooyun screamed in agony and Daehyun pressed against the back of her head burying her face in his chest.  She bit his chest and he grunted in pain. 

“It’s no longer life-threatening, but she will still need it wrapped.”  Himchan said as Yongguk once again pressed his hand against the wound to apply pressure until Himchan could retrieve the supplies needed to take care of her injury.

Himchan returned with a bag full of supplies and a bowl of warm water.  He pulled some towels out and used the water to clean her off.  He bandaged the bite mark and wrapped gauze around her thigh.  “There we go; it should heal quite nicely after another blood rub or two later on.”  Himchan declared.

“Sooyun, do you want me to take you to your room?”  Yongguk asked gently.  When she didn’t reply he called to her again.  “Sooyun?”

Daehyun looked down at the woman in his arms.  “She’s asleep, hyung.”

“She’s probably worn out from the trauma.”  Himchan stated.

“Here, I’ll take her to her room.”  Yongguk said as he tried to scoop her out from underneath Daehyun, but doing so only made her tighten her grip on him.

Daehyun hissed.  “Hyung, please don’t do that, my body has taken enough abuse.  Just leave her; I’ll take care of her.  You can stay with us if you want.” 

Yongguk stared at the younger man and then nodded.  “Alright, but I need you to pick her up and carry her into her room.”  He then shook his head.  “You’re going to need a new pair of pants.”  Yongguk stated looking at Daehyun’s blood soaked pants.

Daehyun grinned.  He held Sooyun against his body and lifted the two of them up off the floor.  “Himchan hyung, do you mind helping me change my pants?”

“Yah!  Why does it have to be me?”  Himchan whined.

“Because it isn’t going to be me.”  Yongguk said with a smile.

Himchan glared at the older man and went to find Daehyun a new pair of pants while Daehyun and Yongguk headed toward the bedroom.

Himchan entered the room not long afterward with a pair of sweatpants and helped Daehyun get them on.  “You owe me.”  He grumbled. 

Daehyun suppressed a laugh and bit back a grin, nodding in response as he settled on the bed with Sooyun in his arms. 

“I’ll be back, I need to have a chat with the maknae.”  Yongguk said.

“Is that wise?”  Himchan asked.

“I need to let him know that I’m not going to hurt him, I want to, but I won’t.”  Yongguk said with a sigh.  “I know he feels bad enough already.  I need to make sure he’s all right.”

“Appa Yongguk to the rescue.”  Himchan cooed.

Yongguk narrowed his eyes at the other man.  “Well, I guess you should come along too Umma.”  He said with a grin.

Himchan frowned and huffed as he headed out the door.  Yongguk chuckled and followed behind.  “I’ll be back soon.”  He said closing the door behind him.

Daehyun looked at the tiny woman in his arms, she still clung to him like he was the only thing keeping her alive.  He supposed he sort of was at one point.  If he hadn’t pried Zelo off of her she would be very dead right now.  He studied her pretty face.  Her soft pink lips formed a perfect, cute pout, begging to be kissed.  He watched as her eyes moved rapidly behind her eyelids and her long lashes rested against the tops of her high cheekbones.  He wondered what she was dreaming about.  He could probe like he had last night, but he didn’t dare at the moment, not with her hurt and helpless in his arms.  Her being in his arms was enough for him.  He brushed a hand across her cheek and she stirred in his arms, letting out a soft sigh and nuzzling deeper into his embrace, it made him smile.  He’d longed to be loved like this for so long, he’d waited a little over a century to find someone to love and now that he’d found her he would cherish her.

“She makes you happy.”  Yongguk called from the door with a smile.

Daehyun flicked his eyes up; he hadn’t heard his leader come in.  “I’ve waited a long time to be loved…by her.”

Yongguk’s smile widened and he joined the two on the bed.  “I know, I have too, we all have.”

Daehyun’s eyes became distant.  “Zelo almost took her away.”

Yongguk sighed and patted Daehyun’s arm.  “He didn’t though.  And try not to hold it against him, he’s young, you remember what it was like to be that young, besides he feels downright terrible about it.  He really thought I was going to kill him and he swears up and down that you will never forgive him.”

Daehyun looked at Yongguk his eyes widened briefly and then sadness filled them.  “That babo.  He’s my brother of course I will forgive him.”

Yongguk smiled in approval.  “You need to make sure you let him know that.”

Daehyun smiled and nodded.  “I will, hyung.”

“Good.”  Yongguk said patting Daehyun again.  “Now let’s get some rest, and I’m cuddling with the two of you whether you like it or not.”  He said wrapping his arms and legs around Daehyun, sandwiching the sleeping Sooyun between them.

Daehyun chuckled and wrapped a free arm around his leader as well.  “Just try not to enjoy it too much.”

Yongguk snorted and playfully slapped the back of Daehyun’s head.  “Yah, go to sleep, babo.”

Daehyun just smiled as he closed his eyes and nuzzled against the top of Sooyun’s head.  After a while he felt Yongguk move.  The older man must have thought he was asleep already.  Daehyun peered through his lowered lids and watched as his leader tenderly brushed his hand down Sooyun’s arm.  He knew his leader loved this woman, but to see this gentle side of him was something new; Daehyun found it quite endearing.  He watched Yongguk place a gentle kiss on Sooyun’s shoulder and he was startled to see a tear run down his cheek.  Yongguk never cried, never.  To see how affected he was by the near loss of the woman he loved pained Daehyun greatly.  He reached up and cupped Yongguk’s face, startling the older man.  Daehyun smiled at him letting him know that it was all right and he understood completely; he let him see it in his eyes that this would stay between them.  Yongguk smiled back and squeezed Daehyun’s arm in thanks before snuggling himself against Sooyun.  They held each other as much as they did the woman between them, comforting each other, and that was how they drifted off to sleep.