When Sehun woke up the next morning, he felt cold. Given the loss of blood he had been experiencing his body was naturally cold since his blood flow was poor. However, this was different, he was cold for a different reason. He was cold because the warm body that had taken residence beside him in these past few months was gone and it felt cold and lonely, especially since they had started sleeping in the same bed and had realized just how much they did love each other. 

Sehun felt panic rise up in him and choke him. He felt like he couldn't breathe, it could be. It couldn't be. It can't... He prayed that Jongin had not just left him. Despite Jongin's reassurances Sehun was terrified that he would just leave him, Sehun was dying after all and it made no sense that Jongin would fight for a dying love. 

They had thought their love was like an iron, slow burning but a brand for life, yet it seemed like the embers of their love was dying out, dying with Sehun. Sehun wouldn't blame Jongin if he left, but he also couldn't lie. It would hurt and it would hurt even more now that Jongin had defended him and said what he said to his parents. 

Sehun got off the bed as quickly as he could trying to search for Jongin. Unfortunately, the two twin beds were still pushed together and in his haste to get up, he pushed the other bed away and wound up falling rather painfully. 

He made a small sound of pain, but it was loud enough for anyone passing by the room to hear and Jongin suddenly opened the door with a tray in hand. Food and blood for Sehun.

Sehun could feel his heart warm at the sight of this, but he couldn't keep the wince from showing in his expression at the pain his body felt. Everything hurt, typical of someone who's cells were attacking each other. Sehun's body was literally at was with himself and no matter what happened it seemed like he was losing.

No, that wasn't entirely true. He wasn't losing fully, he had Jongin and he shouldn't have had any reason to doubt him. He was insecure and hurting both physically and mentally. Emotionally he knew he loved Jongin and that Jongin loved him and he wanted to grasp that and hold onto it and never let it go. A brand, even when the heat faded, the mark would forever stay. Unlike a candle or a flame that would eventually go out. 

"Sehun-ah are you okay?" Jongin sounded panicked as he carefully but quickly placed the tray of food on the bed and then rushed over to Sehun to help pick him up from the floor and get him settled again.

"I love you Jongin." Sehun said, voice heavy with sincerity as he gazed deeply into Jongin's eyes. "I love you too." Jongin said without hesitation and met Sehun's gaze unwaveringly, reaching his hand out to caress Sehun's face. 

He then leaned in and pressed his lips gently onto Sehun's. He slotted their lips together and gently kissed Sehun's lip, it into his mouth ever so softly before releasing and then it back in. They stayed like that, gently kissing before Sehun began to quickly run out of breath. Both from the kissing and from being sick. 

Jongin pulled back resting their foreheads together and pulling Sehun in for an embrace. "I'm not going to let you go. This disease is not going to kill us. Kill you. I will fight for us, fight for you and fight to keep you sane. We will not lose to this, never."

Sehun smiled up at him. "Never." He allowed himself to echo the word and feeling the form belief Jongin held within his voice and eyes resound deep within him. They would fight this. "Together." He said. 

"Together." 

"Sehun you need to eat now, we'll be hitting the road soon. I was getting everything we need ready for the car. I have a general idea of where we need to be headed. The ancient ones live in mountains and caves generally, and there are many vampires in this area so we should head for the western mountains and see if we can get any clue then. I've got food packed and bunched of blood bags in the car, of course there's always me as well." Jongin said making Sehun's heart beat firm and steady. 

Jongin didn't make his heart race fast, no Jongin didn't make him nervous. Instead Jongin gave him the surety and steadiness he needed, he helped his heart to continue beating firm and strong and kept it from withering. Sehun only hoped to do the same in return. 

"You must have been up since early. That's why the bed was cold. Why I was cold." Sehun said sadly and slightly embarrassed at how needy he was but he felt no need to hide his true feelings from Jongin. In face he knew how much Jongin wanted to know all that he felt both good and bad and he in turn asked for the same. 

They prided themselves in having complete honesty in their relationship so far, it's what made them so trusting of each other. Lies never benefitted anyone in the long run. 

"Yeah, I wanted to make sure we could get going early. The sooner we go, the sooner you regain your strength and can go back to kicking . Well I don't really watch when you kick , I mostly just watch your . It's just such a nice looking ." Jongin teased and it felt good, normal that Jongin could maintain a teasing attitude with Sehun. If anything it only proved more and more that Jongin believed in Sehun and that Sehun would recover. 

"Yeah. I need my strength. So I can kick your ." Sehun replied sassily.

Jongin grinned before handing Sehun his food and walking out the room saying he needed to go finish packing the car.

Sehun ate slowly, not wanting to make Jongin wait and postpone the travelling since Jongin wanted them to go early but also not wanting to upset his fragile stomach and make the travelling difficult, well more difficult. He managed to get most of his food down, the nausea having most subsided with the help of the prescribed medication. He still vomited at least twice within a day, but that was less that before. He would throw up the moment he had anything in his stomach, and vomit blood when he had nothing. 

At least now his stomach could hold food down for longer and he could digest at least some of the nutrients he needed as well as lose less blood than before. 

Although this medication slowed down the effects of his disease they would buy him the much needed time to find whoever could help him and save himself. 

The medication gave him hope, more than anything else. Hope he could save his strength and reserve his time. Hopefully they would make it. 

Sehun finally finished his meal and headed downstairs and hugged Jisung for about 15 minutes. Every time he tried pulling away, Jisung refused to let go and held him closer, breathing in his scent and looking like he was seconds away from bursting into tears.

"I want to come. I want to help you." Jisung pleaded. "I know baby bro, and while I would love your company, the journey we're about to embark on is not only dangerous but isn't guaranteed either and I already don't want to risk Jongin so I'm not about to risk you as well. I love you and I want you to achieve all that you've ever wanted and to gain the happiness you so deserve."

"I love you. You come back. You get better and you come back, okay?" Jisung said while wiping his teary eyes. 

"Okay." Sehun said. 

After hugging Taemin and Jungwoo who had both looked sad. Taemin had even walked away after hugging Sehun because he had started crying and Jungwoo looked like he was barely holding himself back. 

He walked out of the house, heading to the fully packed car and a waiting Jongin. 

He walked out of the house, not as a weak and dying man who had no cure in sight but as a man who was strong and steady, as a man who was hopeful and ready, as a man who held love tightly in one hand and resolve in the other. 

He walked out of the door, of his home as a man who knew he would return and not as a man who thought he never would. 

A/N I really want to write a 8-10k chapter but I keep reaching good places to end the chapter. 

I have actually been busy working this week though. I've been getting home late so I wanted to make sure I'd get this chapter out before I got lazy and lost motivation to do anything more than relax. It's something I guess. 

I actually feel pretty happy about this chapter.