Bravery DH

I was sitting next to the fire, which I hurriedly made after the fight, leaning against the rock. Eunhyuk was lying on my lap, sleeping soundly. It was already morning but I couldn´t sleep a wink. I felt responsible for both, me and him, even though the wolves were not likely to come back. Yesterday I didn´t do much, just standing there, hopeless, letting my friend fight for us both. But I swear, it´s not going to happen again! I´ll protect you the next time, Hyukkie.

"Ummh," Eunhyuk was waking up. He scrunched his nose and slowly opened his single lidded fierce brown eyes. We were staring at each other for a while when he opened his mouth.

"Wipe that snot, idiot," a whisper but definitely impactful. Seriously? I looked at him disbelievingly. Eunhyuk just growled and wiped my nose with his sleeve. Before I could grasp the situation, he was already up, rummaging through my rucksack.

"Wait. Sit down, I´ll find it," finally I woke up from the shock and made the hungry, not wolf right now, sit down again.

I pulled out salted beef meat and hard bread and put it for a bit above the fire on a stick I found. Eunhyuk was impatiently glaring at his breakfast, sometimes his lips. When the bread was slightly baked and the meat warm, I handed it to him and he immediately started inhaling the food. He choked on it at least three times, but I didn´t say anything, because he skipped the dinner yesterday and with his appetite, I wouldn´t be surprised if it was his starving stomach, that woke him up from the slumber.

I breathes a sigh of relief when Eunhyuk was feeling better, judging from the comeback of his nagging humour earlier, I decided to a step two. Treating his wounds. I´ve already noticed, he doesn´t really care for blood or pain. He would usually just his wound or stretch his aching muscles, denying any kind of help. But he won´t get away today!

Now was the best chance, when Hyuk was busy compressing his breakfast in to his mouth. I snatched a bottle with water, some bandages and a little container with my mom´s homemade ointment, ready to catch my friend. Creeping from behind, quietly.

"What do you think you are doing, Donghae?" A monotonic voice said. Yeah, try to surprise someone, who possesses animal instincts.

"You need to be treated, Hyukkie," I said, trying to sound firm. I shouldn´t have used the nickname. It didn´t sound serious enough.

"I´m fine," as expected Eunhyuk declined.

But I wasn´t ready to give up so soon. I took the food from his mouth and held it behind my back. I´m becoming braver here! Or maybe too daring? Because Eunhyuk first looked very surprised, with his mouth still open he looked completely adorable. But it didn´t last long before his face contorted and standing up, he looked at me furiously: "I´m warning you, Donghae!"

"No!” I stood my ground. “Your palm is bleeding and you have several other bruises. And don´t say, it´s not true, I checked last night! Now you sit down here on this blanket, stay still and feed yourself, while I attend to those injuries! If you dare protest, I´m throwing the jam away!" I don´t know, where did my courage come from, but I said it all in one breath without even stuttering and I kept my eyes locked on his. I´m insane.

To my astonishment, instead of blowing up, Eunhyuk calmed down. He closed his eyes and sat on the blanket his hand reaching out. Suddenly scared, I gave him the bread and meat quickly. He started eating, but I still wasn´t sure if it was safe to come closer. Eunhyuk looked at me and nodded his head. I don´t know if it was because of his stuffed mouth or if he just decided not to talk to me anymore, but I took it as a signal to start with the treatment.

I cleaned his wounds, most of them didn´t need to be bandaged. I knew precisely their location, because last night, when I couldn´t sleep, I checked the damages. Rush of blood went to my cheeks when I remembered that I confessed that to Eunhyuk. But he wasn´t someone to comment on things, especially embarrassing ones. At least for something is that timid nature of his good.

I had to wait until he finishes his meal to take a look at his palm. I could tell the wound was deep, it was made by that wolf leader. Well, I think it was the leader, because Hyuk was staring at him all the time. When he´s in a better mood, I´ll ask him. I brought his hand between mine and started cleaning it with a wet cloth. Eunhyuk hissed, but didn´t say anything. Fast I proceeded to put the ointment on it, massaging it carefully in the wound. The injured hand was abruptly pulled out of my clasp and I looked at the owner disapprovingly. But seeing the man, I had to hold back my laugh. Eunhyuk was curiously sniffing the substance and then he gave it a . He raised his eyebrows, eyeing his hand amazed. I took it again and added some more ointment, hoping it won´t be eaten this time. Lastly, I bandaged it thoughtfully to prevent infection.

"Thanks," he just mumbled. Heroic act.

Soon we were ready to continue deeper to the mountains. Eunhyuk walked to the harness and was about to take on his deer form. But I had to stop him, at this rate he will just open his wound. And he was in no state to carry all the stuff and in no way together with me.

"Don´t even think about it!" I must have eaten some bravery for breakfast because I went against Eunhyuk for the third time this morning.

"Donghae," Eunhyuk tried to protest but he was easily overpowered by my newly gained unbeatable self. He looked at me and I saw some guilt in that stare. Without any other word, he just put most of the stuff on his back, walking ahead but leaving something for me too. Victory.

I would have celebrated my today´s performance but sadly I got to understand it soon. The reason Eunhyuk was acting so subdued. He felt guilty. I´m sure, he holds himself responsible for yesterday´s events. But I had no idea, how to explain to him that his reasoning is wrong. I kept glancing at him, my face adoring the same sad and painful expression as his. Out of the blue I remembered something that could change the pace and I hoped it would work.

"Hey Hyukkie," he was startled by my sudden call.

"Mm?" came the half-hearted answer.

"You know, yesterday," Eunhyuk tensed, "you called me by a nickname." Confused face was now decorating the guide´s face.

"What?" He frowned confused.

"Yeah, you said ´Hae´! I was contemplating if I should let you call me like that,” I said nonchalantly, “but I call you Hyukkie too, so why not?" Eunhyuk stopped in his tracks watching me with you-are-kidding-me face. What a sight.

"I said I´m fine with it, Hyukkie," turning around and walking again, I was hiding my utter amusement. My friend´s face was as red as a tomato. When he began walking again, he was still silent, but this time I knew, no sadness was tainting his embarrassed face.