For: meimei13

Partner: Up10tion's Sunyoul

Thanks for waiting! Hope you like it~

Screams spilled out of the dark house at the end of the street.

Mei retracted into fetal position and covered her face as her biological father kicked her.

"You worthless piece of ! You're the reason my wife is dead! You took my Jiyoung away from me!"

Tears ran down Mei's cheeks as she endured the beating her father gave her every other night as she thought about the car accident that ended her mother's life.

"Just die! You deserve to die!"

Mei screamed at the sound of glass breaking. Her father hovered over her with an empty beer bottle in his hand.

Her eyes shook in fear as he raised it up to slash her. "Die!"

Mei shut her eyes, too sore to move, as she waited for the physical and mental pain to be over.

"What the hell-" The sound of the glass bottle breaking again made her open her eyes.

She gasped, "Wooshin!"

He was pulling her father's arm behind him, making the old man yell in pain. The glass bottle was broken on the floor.

Wooshin gritted his teeth as he fought to hold his uncle down. "Go. Get out!"

Mei sat there on the ground, frozen in fear and shock. I was about to die. 

Wooshin huffed and punched his uncle square on the jaw, making him pass out right on the spot. He grabbed Mei's shoulders, helped her up, and ran out of the house. Wooshin had his arms around her the whole taxi ride back to his dorm.

"Why are you bringing me here? I-I have to go back. My father is going to wonder where I am and-"

"Mei."

"-and I'm going to get in trouble if I stay out."

"Mei!" Wooshin shook her shoulders and glared down at her.

"You are not going back there. Not now, or ever. He's just going to hurt you again. Why don't you understand that?"

His eyes softened when he saw her frightened state and he sighed, releasing his strong grip on her fagile body.

"Listen. You're not going back there. I'm not letting you. For now, stay at my place. You'll be safe, I promise."

Mei nodded as her eyes welled in tears. Wooshin protectively held her and brought her up to his apartment.

"Did you bring the chicken- Mei?"

Sunyoul got up from the couch and walked over. His eyes widened as he scanned her torn and bruised body.

"W-What happened?"

"I'll explain later." Wooshin turned to Mei, "Go wash up. I'll put spare clothes outside the door."

Mei absentmindedly nodded and walked to the bathroom.

Sunyoul dragged Wooshin to the couch and sat him down. "Was it her dad again?"

Sunyoul knew he was right when Wooshin stayed silent. "That bastar-"

Sunyoul stood up to go beat the life out of her father but Wooshin stopped him.

"I already called the police. They'll probably take care of everything. For now, can we let Mei stay here?"

Sunyoul nodded right away. Of course he would let her stay. They have been friends ever since junior high and her father was crazy. And his crush on Mei was still strong, ever since high school. He wanted to protect Mei as much as he could.

"She can sleep in your room and you sleep in mine. I would tell her to sleep in mine but my bed is bigger."

Sunyoul silently agreed and looked at the bathroom door. I hope you're okay. 

Sunyoul helped Mei bandage her wounds and Wooshin tucked her safely into bed.

Sunyoul took one last glance at his bedroom door before turning off the lights in the living room and going to bed.

In the middle of the night, Sunyoul stirred awake with an urge to go to the restroom. He carefully slid out of Wooshin's hold and tiptoed to the bathroom. To his surprise, the lights were on. Is Mei awake too? 

Sunyoul knocked on the door, "Mei?" She didn't respond.

He knocked again and frowned when there was no answer. Why is she- 

His eyes widened as Wooshin's words from earlier played through his head. 

"Mei's really fragile right now, both physiclaly and mentally. I saw her cutting herself a few days ago. That old bastard keeps blaming her for my aunt's death. It's not her fault, but she thinks it is. Don't leave her by herself, unless she's sleeping. I actually went today to check if she was cutting again." 

Sunyoul almost kicked the door open and gasped.

Mei was on the bathroom floor with a small blade in her hand.

Blood was flowing out and surrounding her body as she sat there with her eyes closed.

Sunyoul crouched down and tried to help her regain her conscious. "Mei. Mei. Can you hear me? Mei."

Mei slowly opened her droopy eyes but didn't say a word. She opened to try to say something but he shushed her.

"Don't waste your energy." Sunyoul covered her arm with towels from the cabinet and thankfully stopped more blood from leaving her body. Sunyoul bandaged her arm and carried her limp body to his bed. He carefully laid her down and tucked her in. He softly kissed her forehead and turned to leave when she grabbed his hand.

"Stay." She whispered, and it was enough to make Sunyoul lie down next to her.

He held her in his arms and ran his fingers through her hair to calm her down. He suddenly felt something wet soaking his shirt and immediately tightened his hold around her. He tucked her head under his chin and whispered, "Don't worry. You're safe now."

Mei trembled as more tears flowed down her face and onto his chest.

Sunyoul kept caressing her hair and whispering "It's not your fault", softly against her ear. 

I'm going to protect you, no matter what. If that old man comes near you again, I won't hesitate to hurt him. I won't let him hurt you ever again.