Shine Bright Like A Diamond

Chapter Five:

 “Hmm,”

Ji Yong shifted into the soft mattress, his fingers curling around the soft material of the bed. He softly groaned, as he opened his eyes and was faced with the bright light of the sun pouring down on him. His mind zoned out, and he wondered where he was. It felt as though he had just gone through something indescribable, and it felt good in a way. More than good really, so soft and warm that it was almost to delicious to give it a proper name. He shifted again, closing his eyes to the blinding light of the sun, before turning his body away from the light so he could see where he was. Once more, he opened his eyes and turned to face what seemed to be white walls.

So pasty and dead with no color and no mirth- and they saddened him. Where had all the color gone?

Ji Yong sighed, and finally moved his body to get up. He stretched in an elegant fashion, with the grace of a prince and all. He felt great, like he had just woken up from the most pleasant sleep of his entire life. His back curved a little, and he moved to get out of the bed, only to freeze when he saw that Seungri and Young Bae were asleep against each other, in a small loveseat that was set next to the bed.

Blinking at the confusing sight, he looked around him, and found that he was not sleeping in a bed alone, but was met with the dirty face of the slave he had saved some time ago…but how long ago? He really couldn’t remember having a sense of time.

Panic entered him, as he looked towards the heart monitor and sighed when he saw a strong and steady heart beat.

The man was alive.

Somehow, he was alive!

“Ji Yong,” he heard someone call his name, and he turned his head in time to meet his eyes with Daesung. Daesung was sitting in a seat alone, and was gapping at him. That didn’t bother Ji Yong, what did bother him was how tired his brother looked. It made him feel guilt that he was the one that had worried his brother so much that he had lost sleep. This was his fault.   

“Daesung?” he whispered gently, “what’s wrong?” he asked.

Daesung moved his mouth open and closed, before he gestured to the side of his face. “You….you have a…” he gulped, “a heart design marked around your eye.” He said, causing Ji Yong to look at him with slight confusion. Daesung gestured to the side of Ji Yong’s face this time.

Ji Yong got up from the bed, resolute. He walked over to the nearest mirror, which happened to be in the attached restroom of the hospital room. It was a small single room, with only a toilet, a sink, and a mirror. Ji Yong ran a hand through his pink and blue locks, as he looked at his reflection. His skin was as always pale and beautiful still, his lips still full and pink as ever, but there was one difference. It was the tattered tattoo on his right eye. It had small missing parts that looked like missing little squares, and at the bottom the heart bolted down like a ray of lightning. It almost looked as if it was bleeding. Was this what they called a bonded mark? Ji Yong wondered as he ran his fingers through it, wondering if it would flake off. Of course, it didn’t. It just felt like normal skin, as if it had always been there.

Well, there was no room for regret, now was there.  In the end this had been his decision and he stood by it.

But why did it have to be his face?

How was he going to hide this from his father!    

He turned to Daesung and offered him a smile. “It’s alright, nothing is wrong,” he said. Daesung didn’t look like he believed him. Ji Yong walked past him and looked at the still sleeping slave. “Has he woken up at all? Or moved, anything?”

Daesung shook his head, “Not at all. It’s been three days now since you as well were knocked out, neither of you have moved much. Well, until today,” he happily looked at Ji Yong, so glad that he was now awake. “Father and even Dong Wook have been worried about your sudden disappearance, but we managed to keep them at bay so far. I don’t think we can much longer though.”  

Ji Yong nodded and walked close to the slave, running his fingers through his skin and was pleasantly surprised to find it warm. He sighed in relief and sat beside him. Daesung joined him by sitting down on the chair that he had set beside the bed. He was careful not to move to fast, or even move to hug Ji Yong as much as he wanted. Gummy had said that it would hurt Ji Yong and right now that was the last thing he wanted to do. But still, he was so happy that Ji Yong was finally awake and moving!

“We should at least give him a sponge bath to clean him up. He can’t get better being all dirty,”

“That’s what Gummy-noona said, but we can’t touch either you or him for now,” Daesung said and Ji Yong turned a confused gaze towards him, “Since you two are bonded, it could hurt both of you to be touched by anyone else or something” he clarified. Ji Yong nodded his head, and tried to recall all he could when it came down to bonds. He knew they were complicated, attaching things, but he found that he would need to read on them to understand his type of bond to this man. But he was sure that with his permission he could hug and be around his brothers. But the slave couldn’t give consent so maybe that’s what Daesung meant…

“I’ll clean him then,” he whispered, but for now he didn’t dare move away from the slave. He wanted to stay as close as possible.   

After a while, Young Bae and Seungri both stirred and woke up. They thought they were seeing things when they saw Ji Yong awake, and also had the same reaction as Daesung when they saw the new mark on his face. “You guys really just need to calm down,” Ji Yong sighed, before he smiled at them. He wasn’t lying. He felt great, so he really didn’t see why they should worry. He could honestly say that right now he felt better than he had ever felt in his whole life!

Of course, he was going to have to think of a way to hide the mark before King Yang Hyun Suk finally demanded to come and see him. 

“I’m glad you’re okay!” Seungri cried, and moved to hug Ji Yong, but Young Bae pulled him back and shook his head.

Ji Yong looked at him with confusion. “It’s okay, he can hug me Young Bae,” he said, but Young Bae once more shook his head.

“Gummy thinks it’s best if no one touches you while your body gets used to the idea that you’re bonded.”  Young Bae pursed his lips “Even if it is with your permission, it wouldn’t be a good idea at all,”

Ji Yong frowned, and walked over to his brothers. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said as he reached a hand out to Seungri, only to feel himself get zapped, and Seungri get zapped as well. Sharp sparks of red seemed to flitter across the room, before buzzing out. “Damn, what was that,” he asked, looking perplexed at his hand.

Young Bae sighed; really it was too much to have to explain to someone as impulsive as Ji Yong. “It’s just a protection mechanism. The person you bonded with is your only contact for a while. It’s a phase of bonding” He said, “Something about boundaries, about another one encroaching on either of you,”

Ji Yong pursed his lips, looking slightly confused. “I thought that only happened if you were mated to that person as your lover, you know ually. I just offered some of my life to the slave, so he could live maybe to be a hundred, never anything else.” He clenched his hand and thought about how he wanted to stay close to this stranger.  

“That’s what I thought when I decided to read on bonds, so it made no sense at all either,” Daesung said, “Until Gummy  noona explained that sometimes you can tie your own life with a person, and it’s almost the same as committing a intimate mating. She said that it added no life to the human you gave it to, only that it would help him live beside you living off your life, but he still would die. And when he died it would hurt you deeply Ji Yong, so deeply because it’s like a part of you dying.”

“I don’t get it, how would that happen!” Ji Yong asked, still looking like he didn’t believe it. Had he unintentionally tied himself down to the slave?

“Well, it happens, but it’s rare. You had strong feelings towards the slave, and no hesitation to giving part of your life to ensure that he would survive and live that instead you attached him to yourself. Not to mention that the slave was as good as dead, it was taboo for you to even dare offer him another chance at life, so fate tied him to you-in a sort of mate fashion.” Gummy said as she walked into the room and smiled at Ji Yong briefly before looking at him seriously, “It’s good to see you awake, G-dragon ssi”

Ji Yong touched the mark on his face and glanced over to the slave. Well really, at the end everything was said and done and there was no room for regrets. He couldn’t regret this, because he had wanted him to live, he just didn’t think it would be this complicated…

Ji Yong sighed as he sat down, sadly recalling all the lessons he had ever had with Hung Jun, All of them revolving around how you…how…“You just don’t get attached to humans.”  All the rants about how humans were the last thing he had to ever care about. How they were never worth saving because of their cursed short life spans. And how they were like goldfish, worth ten cents and many others of them were still being born to replace those that had died. It was a race no one could save.

Now Ji Yong had foolishly committed a sin.

Gummy looked at him sadly and started to look over the patient. She had a suspicion that there was more than that to the reason why Ji Yong had easily been bond-mated to this being. After all her research and sampling, she was 60 percent sure he was not human, but no matter what she did with any of the blood samples she had taken, everything always came back inconclusive. She was thinking of getting the blood sent out to a different more professional lab to have it thoroughly tested against everything.

She was really interested in the biology of this creature and why he had such a strong reaction to Ji Yong, and vice versa. But for now, she would keep her opinions to herself and say nothing until she had all the answers. 

Just as she discretely and painfully took another vile of blood, the previously unconscious man opened his eyes.  Pitch black orbs that glared at her as she slipped the blood vile into her white lab coat. So dark, so fathomless that she had to keep herself from gasping as they blinked once, and then the man was sitting up, harshly tugging at all the tubes connected to him, and ripping them out as he moved to stand.

The heart beat monitor died, and everything came crashing down.

The others that had been worriedly looking at Ji Yong’s sullen face all became alerted and looked over to the man with shock. Seungri and Daesung were quick to hide behind Young Bae, and Ji Yong gasped, moving in to place a hand over the thrashing man’s shoulder to get him to sit down again. The man tried to push him away, but the fact was that he was still weak and Ji Yong managed to push him down and pin him to the bed, “It’s okay, we’re taking care of you,” he gently said.

The man looked up at him, the anger in his eyes ebbing as he looked at him with slight confusion.

Gummy moved in to try and look him over, but the man went back to glaring and wanting to get away. She sighed, and knew that it had to do with the bond. When she had taken his blood, she had jolted him awake as she had done it by force. Practically she had burned herself and him in the process, but she had not cared as long as she got what she wanted. Although now she was wondering if it were to be wiser to just have asked him what he was. Then again, she had not expected him to wake up so soon. She was sure that he would at least be in a comma while his body healed “Ji Yong, ask him something.” Gummy encouraged.

Ji Yong nervously bit into his lip and patted the man’s dusty hair. “Um…what should I ask?” he looked at her worriedly.

“Something general, like his name” she offered, and waved at him to do so.

Ji Yong nodded his head, slightly swallowing hard as he turned back to the now panting man whom seemed tired from all his previous movements. “Hey…um…so what’s your name?” he asked.

The man looked taken aback by the question, and seemed to struggle with what he was going to say as he opened and closed his mouth with no real sounds coming out of it. Ji Yong, nor the others knew it, but he was trying so hard not to say anything. Yet he could not even begin to comprehend why he felt so compelled to answer this pink and blue haired man, so he tried to lie and couldn’t either…he wasn’t…he couldn’t be…this odd man holding him down couldn’t be…”Choi Seung Hyun,” finally husked deeply out of him and he inwardly cursed.

Ji Yong found himself enthralled by his voice before he jolted out of his fascination. “Oh, I’m Kwon Ji Yong,” he then gestured to the people around him, “This is nurse Gummy and that over there is Seungri, Daesung, and Young Bae, my brothers.” That was the first time that he referred to Young Bae as his brother but he was to focused on the slave to care about the shocked looked that crossed Young Bae’s face.

Seung Hyun looked Ji Yong up and down, with calculating eyes. His eyes settled on the heart mark, confirming his previous thoughts, before they darted to look around the room. “Where am I?” he asked.

Ji Yong once again had to force himself not to get lost in the sound of his voice, and focused on the fact that his brothers and Gummy where here with him. The fact that the slave, Seung Hyun was cognitively functioning and asking questions was really exciting! “You’re at the medical ward of the Dark Castle,” Ji Yong answered him, “I saved you from almost dying at Patron Park Jae Sung’s slave shop,”

Slave shop, Seung Hyun thought to himself. That term was new to him, but not the last name Park. His previous owner’s last name had been Park.. What was going on? Much of what he could remember was learning that his old master had been killed, and he saw his chance for freedom when he learned that he had been left to his inept son, that man had been clueless about him. Right now though, he felt himself entangled again, newly bound to the earth, and by looking at this Kwon Ji Yong, he knew it was him.

He was his new master.

Damn it, he was stuck here once again serving someone- An incompetent vampire.

Seung Hyun had to say he was disgusted, not with the vampire, but himself.

That feeling vanished though when Ji Yong touched his face, and smiled so sweetly at him. It made him catch his breath at the beautiful sight before him. This man was so alluring, and he fought to tare his eyes from him. Away from his eyes, his lips, and the sweet voice that dripped from it. “Do you think you can stand up?” Ji Yong said, and grabbed Seung Hyun’s arm to tug him out of the bed.  Seung Hyun of course refused, and Ji Yong stopped urging him.

Everyone watched as Seung Hyun looked away and closed his eyes to once again fall asleep. Ji Yong sighed and Gummy moved in close to look at the sleeping face. “It seems like he is still exhausted.” She said “Give him time and a chance to get nourished before getting him to stand up” she smiled softly at Ji Yong whom nodded. “You should probably go get washed up and changed, so your father doesn’t worry though,” she added,

Ji Yong nodded, but still seemed reluctant to leave Seung Hyun alone.

“Come on Ji,” Young Bae urged, “Let’s go so you can talk to father,”

“Don’t worry, I will take good care of him,” Gummy promised and Ji Yong smiled thankfully at her for doing so much for him, and nodded. He then moved away from Seung Hyun and followed Young Bae, Seungri, and Daesung out the door, but not without giving Seung Hyun a final glance.

Gummy waited until Ji Yong was gone before looking towards Seung Hyun again and looked at his sleeping form. He really was sleeping, due to his even breathing, but something about him still bothered her. “I hope to God, that you won’t hurt Ji Yong, ever,” she silently said, “but there are no guarantees in life, and I sorely hope you really aren’t human. Humans die to fast,” she sighed, and finally walked away, determined to have the vile sent out and tested.

As soon as she was gone, a purifying light blue light briefly surrounded Seung Hyun before it vanished, but that same light would flicker around him every five minutes.

Ji Yong had bathed, dressed, and made his way over to King Yang’s office. He had to admit that he was a little scared at having to face his father. Yet, his brothers had told him that his father wanted to talk to him. Knocking lightly on the main office door to his father’s study, he waited until the door swung open and he was allowed inside. Slowly walking inside, and taking in the darkened corners of the room, and the candle light warmth of it, he made his way until he was standing in front of his father’s desk. “Father” he greeted, and then his eyes darted to the man behind the desk whom was looking at him with slight impatience.

“What is this of you falling ill Ji Yong?” His father went straight to the point, “You’ve had me and your mothers worried,” His father hummed, and Ji Yong shifted a bit, and nodded his head.

“Um, I just had a small faint, I guess, I’m alright though,” he smiled.

Before he had come into his father’s office, he had made sure that his hair was combed in a fashion that would hide the heart shaped mark that was now around his right eye. He kept praying that his father was not able to see it. Although he was sure the man was not able to see it as he sighed, and shook his head at him, before looking at him once more. “And what made you feel such a way?” he asked.

“I…” Ji Yong shrugged, “I guess I drank too much blood to fast. Seungri tried to warn me that it would all go to my head if I drank so much too quickly,” Ji Yong sheepishly smiled at his father whom chuckled a bit and shook his head.

“Yah kid, what am I going to do with you and your brothers,” King Yang sighed, and then moved about his desk, pulling out a box from within his desk. He then placed the box in front of his desk, before Ji Yong’s curious gaze. “Here, this is your present, from both me and your birth mother, since it is your twentieth birthday, and both of us hope that you have had in mind that it’s almost time for you to find a mate,”

“Father I...” Ji Yong swallowed hard. He had not been looking for a mate, and at this moment that made him feel like a disappointment.

“Ji Yong, as your father I know that you have not even thought about getting a mate. You’ve said it on occasions when turning down Prince Seven, but maybe, just maybe this might be the first push for you to start looking,” His father softly smiled and Ji Yong lowered his gaze.

“And…and if I don’t?” he asked, feeling oddly sad that he might let his father down on this. The pressure of finding a mate was starting to get to him and he no longer knew what to do. He didn’t necessarily felt like he needed one. King Yang noticed this, and stood up, and looked down at his son with a stern gaze as he did so, refraining from touching him when he noticed something out of place in his own son.

“Look Ji Yong, your mother and I both know that we can’t tell you when to find a mate, or anything, but we hope that someday you will. Even if it’s not this year, or the next, or the following one, we don’t care. We just care that you realize that someday you might find someone that will be special to you, so relax” he smiled warmly, “When the time comes you will know,”

Ji Yong smiled at his father, and nodded his head.  “Thanks father,” he politely bowed.

The King reached behind him and grabbed the box, handing it over to Ji Yong whom hesitated a bit, biting into his lower lip a few times before he actually grabbed the box and just blinked at it. King Yang smiled at Ji Yong as he moved to go sit down back at his chair. “You can open it and take a look you know,”

“Oh, ah yeah,” Ji Yong grinned, and opened the box. Inside he found two chain bracelets. One gold and one silver, obviously for couples. He glanced up and he saw that his mother was now standing beside his father. “They…they look so beautiful. Thank you father, mother,” he said, giving them a respectful bow, “I’m going to go show my brothers” he added, closing the box, and rushing off.

As soon as Ji Yong was gone, his mother turned towards King Yang with a slight frown on her face, “dear, you can’t tell me you didn’t notice the mark around Ji Yong’s eye” she inquired, making it clear that she was displeased that he didn’t question it.

“Come on dear, our son is twenty years old and obviously starting to hide things from us. I’m as curious as you are to know what he has been up to, but I want him to tell me on his own. Not with us prodding into his life as if he were still a child,” King Yang said, trying his best to explain his motives to his wife.

“I don’t know.” His mother said.

“Trust me” King Yang said, pulling his wife into his lap “If there is any real trouble, I trust that we have taught our children well enough to come to us when they can no longer solve the problem themselves. Let’s let Ji Yong be and see how he deals with things.”

The mother finally nodded, relenting a bit, but you could still see the worry shinning in her eyes. This was one of the reasons why he loved his wives so much. He couldn’t have asked for better mothers for his children.

But he had to admit, he was worried about Ji Yong as well, and sorely hoped that his kids, especially Ji Yong knew what they were doing.

Ji Yong was softly smiling as he made his way down stairs, his eyes focused on the box in front of him that he was surprised when he bumped into Dong Wook’s solid body. He was even more shocked when his body frazzled, and a jolt exploded between himself and Dong Wook, making the man flinch away from him, “Ouch, what was that?” Dong Wook asked. Ji Yong on the other hand kept silent, trying not to show the pain that had shot through him.

Damn bond.

Ji Yong took several steps back, eyes slightly wide as he tried to keep himself from hissing in pain from the jolt that still seemed to simmer through his skin. “Prince Seven, what a surprise to see you still here” he drawled instead.

Dong Wook slightly narrowed his eyes at Ji Yong, “Prince G-dragon, you are avoiding my question. What was that?” he asked again, rubbing his side where he had been burned.

Ji Yong shrugged, “I don’t know what you are talking about,” he evasively said, “Now please excuse me, I have something to show my siblings,” with that he dashed away, completely avoiding Dong Wook and rushed off. But Dong Wook was not ready to drop it, and had no doubt in his mind now that Ji Yong and his siblings were hiding something.

And he was determined to find out what.