sorry, now i know how to add pics, i can't stop. freakin crescent moon eye smile.

Rows and rows of blinding white sparked at her uneasy vision.
 

It gave her a blistering headache.
 

The chatter didn’t register in dull ears. It was medical jargon, but she didn’t know. Everything seemed so distant; it was as though she was listening from behind a fish tank. Her muscles refused to comply with the distressed signals her brain was jamming; like every nerve ending in her had been severed, each new signal shoving the previous one off the edge to nowhere. There was an acidic heat crawling up the veins in her forearm. A wave of numb tingles prickled on various parts of her body but never lingered any longer than a fraction of a second.
 

An unpromising hum before a definite answer.
 

“Can’t be saved.”
 

A man’s voice. It was rough like sandpaper, and it scraped unforgivingly at her cotton-wool mind. She tried to cry out, but nothing came of it. She was losing her grip, sinking further and further under until the weight on her chest grew too heavy.
 

She felt a single head spin and then nothing.
 

… …
 

“Sooyoung! Yerim!”
 

A wrought Seulgi limped through the doors screaming for the younger girls, doing her best not to buckle under Joohyun’s very nearly dead-weight.
 

Two worried girls took the weight off Seulgi’s shoulders, hooking each of Joohyun’s arms around their necks as they carried her upstairs to get her cleaned up. Seulgi collapsed into the sofa downstairs.
 

“Okay, you grab the legs,” Sooyoung instructed, having tended to the vampiresses’ minor wounds and focusing on getting her in bed.
 

With a well-coordinated heave, Joohyun was now comfortably tucked into bed where she’d spend the next few days in the deepest, deadest slumber. The three would periodically check on her, taking it in turns as they kept the house going; washing her healing wounds, keeping her company and the place occupied while she was alone.
 

Contrary to their current physical conditions, both vampiresses had reigned victorious. And relatively unscathed, at that; which was extremely uncommon when it came to the wars between vampires and werewolves.
 

Only two women remained upright by the end of it, standing in a sea of due justice. The crimson slathered on the walls of that room signified the beginning of a new peace; one less threat, no more monsters. Their hearts broke for all the others before Seungwan. Those who no one came for.
 

It was a massive victory, but an even bigger energy sap.
 

Especially for Joohyun, in her weakened state. It was incredibly dangerous, pushing limits she hadn’t realised were there for the first time, overriding her system the way she did when she ripped the unworthy hearts from each worthless abomination. But every last fibre of her being that day, she had ignited and torn out of herself in the name of protecting Seungwan; the only way it should and would ever be.
 

She spoke not once during the lengthy healing process. Her chest barely rose and fell with how still her breathing had become. It was as though she’d never wake up.
 

She eventually did, though.
 

It was during Yerim’s turn, and the girl instantly halted her wound care when she felt a finger twitch in her gentle grasp.
 

Not quite believing she’d just felt that, she trailed her gaze up. And sure enough, she was met with two eyes watching her softly, half-lidded and b with gratefulness.
 

“Uh-unnie…” Yerim voice cracked hoarsely, a teary smile forming on trembling lips as she ever so gingerly embraced her, “You’re awake. I missed you.”
 

Joohyun couldn’t reply, but mustered the strength she needed to curl an arm over the girl’s back, fingers twitching against it in an attempt to soothe her. She was overjoyed to see the other two girls not much later, after an excited Yerim had dashed out to call them upstairs.
 

The weakest trace of a smile momentarily brushed the fatigue away as she soaked in the company of her closest friends.
 

Thank you for taking care of me and Seungwannie.
 

Seulgi, Sooyoung and Yerim read the thanks in her eyes perfectly without having to hear a single spoken word. It was a lovely bond they shared. But the spirits dampened a little when Joohyun noticed Seulgi’s lips flatten into a straight line. Something had happened, but what?
 

The latter exhaled precariously, her expression a clear giveaway she was trying her hardest to work out how she was going to say what she was about to. Sooyoung put an arm over Yerim’s shoulder. It seemed like Joohyun had been last to be filled in.
 

An unexplainable unease surged at her.
 

Joohyun felt a dip in the mattress beside her as Seulgi sat down, threading her warm fingers through her limp ones. As much as she didn’t want to upset her unnie, she knew Joohyun would want to know.
 

The vampiress did her best impression of a scowl.
 

“So about Wannie…”
 

… …
 

Joohyun stirred, feeling a small rustle beside her. It was like muscle memory; as if on cue, the vampiress turned herself onto her side and only too naturally wrapped an arm around it, not having to so much as crack an eye open. The bundle responded by curling deeper into her front.
 

What? When did Seungwannie get home? How many days has it been... oh gosh...
 

This was no time for pointless questions.
 

Seungwannie, Wannie, puppy…
 

She let the names write themselves over and over again in her head. She’d waited too damn long for this moment and she was determined to bask in it for as long as she pleased.
 

But wait, wasn’t Seulgi just saying…
 

This couldn’t be, right?
 

Joohyun’s eyes shot open, praying to god this wasn’t the second time she’d hallucinated her happiness; made herself see the one person she desperately craved, made the time pass faster than it actually was. She’d stay afloat, only to drown at the realisation that everything she’d conjured before was just a defence mechanism to cope with the devastation.
 

God, please don’t be one of those times… please… let her be real, let her be here… I won’t be-
 

Her prayers were heard before she finished them.
 

A brief warmth spread over her chest.
 

A breath.
 

Oh it was so brief, but so beautiful. It was perfectly full of life. Just like she’d wanted.
 

Her puppy was alive, and she finally had her in her arms again.
 

“Seungwannie,” Joohyun didn’t dare raise her voice any louder than a whisper for fear of waking the girl.
 

It wasn’t her intention; she just needed to say it out loud. To feel that name roll off her lips like she was the only one meant to say it. It was an odd jealousy she would never disclose.
 

Joohyun blinked the remnants of sleep from her fuzzy vision as it settled on the pair of coffee-coloured ears flopped over one another from under the duvet. The vampiress’ mind swam with how much this felt like a distant dream, almost as though she hadn’t quite acknowledged this was real yet.
 

Oh she could cry.
 

The thought of spilling her feelings again didn’t faze her in the slightest.
 

At least the tears would taste of happiness.
 

But then she saw it, and it just grounded her once more.
 

The visible raised streak of broken flesh parting the soft fur of a floppy, triangular ear. It was an atrocity; a ghastly taint on her dreadful innocence and an ugly jolt to reality. It was, in Joohyun's punishing mind, a gruesome reminder of her shortcomings as a mother and protector. She brought her hand up, delicately tracing a quivering finger over the pale scar on Seungwan’s right ear.
 

“Oh, baby…”
 

Her breath stuttered, a single tear rolling down her temple and soaking into the pillowcase as she the scar between her fingers. Ever so delicately, handling it as if it possessed the fragility tenfold that of the finest glass; one wrong move and it would shatter beyond all hope of repair.
 

“Mummy’s so sorry…”
 

Little Seungwan remained blissfully unaware of the hurricane of emotions tearing through her mummy as she snored lightly against her collarbone. Feeling her puppy so relaxed as she reeled in conflict flipped a switch in her; Seungwan was alright so she should be too.
 

She shifted on the pillow, leaning in to pepper feathery kisses all over the afflicted ear. She was kissing the sadness away. The pain; their pain.
 

Seungwan must’ve felt it, because with one big ear flick, she was awake.
 

Seemingly oblivious to any of her injuries.
 

And beaming up at Joohyun with those endearing sleepy crescent moon eyes and puffy cheeks, rosy and flushed from the warmth of the duck down duvet and her mummy’s love.
 

Joohyun was so over a thousand moons she found herself almost at a loss for words.
 

“Baby? Wannie? You’re awake?”
 

The girl let her face be cupped by disbelieving, cold hands turning warm the moment they touched her.
 

“…missedyoumummy…”
 

Joohyun was on cloud nine. Seungwan would never know how much her little voice churned at the rusty gears of her dead soul. And the fact that it was currently the groggiest it could get, thick with sleep, made it all the better. There was simply no way on earth she’d tire of hearing it.
 

“I missed you too, Wannie,” Joohyun rasped, feeling the tears threatening to cascade already, planting a trembling kiss on her forehead, “More than you know.”
 

Seungwan shifted uncomfortably, causing the vampiress to glance down in concern.
 

“What is it, baby?”
 

A small pause.
 

“Wannie… made mummy hurt…”
 

The sentiment clawed at Joohyun. She wasn’t sure if the girl meant she’d angered or saddened her. The truth was she’d been both, though only at those monsters for daring to lay a hand on what was hers. It made her seethe. But she decided against dwelling on the subject any further. What mattered right now was cuddled up in bed with her; safe. Everything else could wait.
 

Seungwan mattered so much.
 

“No, baby,” she let her thumbs glide over anxious cheeks, watching them visibly relax under the touch, “Mummy’s so glad you’re safe now.”
 

Can this last forever, please? Is that too much to ask.
 

It evidently was, as the lovely moment was rudely cut short by two exasperated vampiresses appearing at the doorway, huffing and puffing, clutching themselves in frustration.
 

“Naughty!” Sooyoung pointed at Seungwan, who went stiff, knowing she’d been caught.
 

“Naughty puppy, you need to follow doctor’s orders… or… or else…” she proceeded to half-heatedly scold the puppy, trailing off at the sight of Seungwan, who did such a splendid job at acting remorseful that she couldn’t bring herself to keep it up.
 

The tallest vampiress threw her hands up in defeat, much to the amusement of everyone in the room.
 

“It’s not fair, unnie. Wannie can’t just get away with everything just cos she’s freaking adorable!”
 

Joohyun grinned, knowing full well she could. No one could tell her that, though. There was absolutely no bloody way they would ever let on. The world would be as good as assimilated; doomed, if Seungwannie knew just how powerful she was.
 

“Aish!” Yerim arrived last, kneeing the door shut, bottle of antibiotic lotion still in her hand, “Unnie, she’s too wriggly. Ran off right in the middle of cleaning her ear.”
 

“Stings!” Seungwan pouted, trying to escape by burying her face into the crook of Joohyun’s neck and prompting a chuckle from the vampiress.
 

“Yah,” she playfully chided, “Stop telling her off, guys.”
 

The girl craned her neck around to stick a pink tongue out at the three vampiresses who were now stood by the bedside. Her smugness dulled significantly when she met Joohyun’s stern gaze, however.
 

“Come, baby, you have to,” Joohyun gently pried the reluctant girl from her neck and guiding Seungwan’s wrist so they were cuddling each other.
 

“Be a good girl for mummy?”
 

The girl grumbled softly but complied anyway. Since mummy asked so very nicely. She rolled onto her back, offering her sensitive ear to medical attention. Joohyun felt her pyjama top balled up in a tight fist, reaching under the covers to pat the back of Seungwan’s hand as the girl prepared herself for the pain.
 

But it stung much less in Joohyun’s hold.
 

… …
 

Seulgi yelped in surprise when she felt insistent smacks on her arm. Joohyun was out of bed, leaving a giggling Seungwan wrapped in the duvet observing her mummy whacking the life out of poor Seulgi.
 

“Yah! Why did you make it sound so bad when you told me! You had me so worried!”
 

The younger vampiress scooted backwards, holding the other arm out in defence, but Joohyun just followed, demanding an answer.
 

“Okay, okay!”
 

The oldest eventually relented, waiting for the girl to speak, but warning with her eyes that it wasn’t over yet.
 

“I-I’m sorry, I just thought it was really bad… I mean the doctors! It was their fault, I thought they were going to cut the whole thing off!”
 

Joohyun cocked her brow in legitimate confusion.
 

Cut what off?
 

“W-what? Kang Seulgi, what were the doctors going to ‘cut off’?”
 

Seulgi sighed, beckoning to the girl on the bed, whose ears pricked up at the sound of her name.
 

“Come here, Wannie-ah. Show mummy your tail.”
 

The girl obediently bounded over, sitting herself down in Seulgi’s lap. The vampiress dipped into the treat bag Joohyun kept under the table and pulled out a biscuit, handing the tasty distraction to an eager Seungwan. Soft, satisfied grunts escaped the girl as Seulgi reached down to carefully untuck the fluffy appendage from under her. Seungwan’s eyes popped at the fingers around it, but she let her bandaged tail be held.
 

New concern rapidly ate away at the apprehension on Joohyun’s face when she saw tufts of Seungwan’s tail poking out from between the wrap. It was missing it's tip, now blunt and presumeably shaved under the bandage.
 

“Yeah,” Seulgi frowned, nodding unfortunately, “They couldn’t save it all. They had to amputate at the first joint. B-but she still has most of it with her… it-it’s just that little bit, don’t worry.”
 

Those bastards deserve everything they get in Hell.
 

"It must've gotten infected from that werewolf bite... and I can't say for sure, but I think one of them might've stepped on it, too."
 

Joohyun was b.
 

“But when she’s out, she’ll have the cutest little kink in it…?” Sooyoung offered nervously, trying to console Joohyun and subsequently snapping the eldest out of her murderous, hellish thought train.
 

Joohyun felt the anger fizzle when she reminded herself that everyone was safe and sound now, and that was the most important thing. She dropped the feeling and smiled at Sooyoung, patting her arm.
 

“It doesn’t hurt too bad, does it, Wannie? You’re okay, are you?”
 

Seungwan didn’t seem to care one bit, only too happy at the constant flow of biscuits she was receiving in turn for inspecting the damage. She nodded vigorously, ears happily flicking against Seulgi's lips, hoping that would earn her another treat. Which, of course, it did, along with a string of laughter from the four vampiresses in the room.
 

For Seungwan, life didn’t get any better than it was right this very second. Having been reunited with Joohyun was everything she’d ever prayed for since straying from home, and now she was back.
 

Back, and endlessly showered in kisses and affection from her four favourite vampires.

...

..

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soz guys, forgive the spelling and grammar errors. also, to those who are waiting on updates for my yandere wenrene fic, i swear i haven't forgotten. i'm just having serious writer's block for that and i'm still thinking about how to proceed. so please wait for me, i'll get there!