A/N: Sorry about the slight delay in getting this chapter posted. I've hit a wall lately and writing has almost stopped. Chapters might be a little later than normal so please, be patient.
As always, comments and feedback are appreciated.
 

Jaejoong walked the streets of the human realm with his hood up and his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket. It had been a few hours since Junsu had left him to return to the dark realm and having witnessed the guards leave the warehouse with Leeteuk and Kyuhyun, Jaejoong could only assume the worst. Junsu had told the shapeshifter to lay low in the human realm after he had left and that if he hadn’t heard from the older demon within an hour, he should hide indefinitely. Jaejoong had guessed that by now King Kim would be aware of Junsu’s betrayal. He knew he couldn’t go home and that Junsu wouldn’t be returning to him anytime soon. He was alone.
Jaejoong sighed as he walked before he raised his hand to the collar around his neck. He didn’t want to believe what Kyuhyun had said about the collar but since the seeds had been planted, the doubt in the shapeshifters mind continued to grow. He slipped his hand into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out the ring that Junsu had taken from Leeteuk. His eyes narrowed a little as he looked at the ring before his fingers curled around it.
“I don’t know what to do anymore” Jaejoong muttered quietly and when he looked up he noticed a familiar area. Unknown to him at the time, he had been walking in the direction of the portal to the light realm and found himself in the area where he had originally met Yunho.
Jaejoong paced back and forth for several minutes before he sighed again. It was the first time in several years that he had been without Junsu. Several years since he was alone. He was scared, worried and didn’t know what to do or where to go.

“Jaejoong, what are you doing here?” A sudden and stern voice asked and Jaejoong’s eyes widened for a brief moment before he looked up to see blue eyes of Yunho staring directly at him. Jaejoong’s hold on Leeteuk’s ring tightened.
“I… I don’t know. I’m not sure what I'm doing anymore. I don’t know why I’m here.”
“Is it true?” Yunho asked and Jaejoong raised an eyebrow before he released Leeteuk’s ring and scratched his neck.
“Is what true?” He asked, making Yunho frown.
“Don’t. Don’t pretend you have no idea what I’m talking about. Emperor Lee was informed that Leeteuk and Kyuhyun had been found. Kyuhyun is in critical condition... But you already knew that, didn’t you, Jaejoong?” Yunho asked and Jaejoong swallowed hard as a sudden wave of butterflies fluttered in his stomach. There was something about the way Yunho would say his name that always gave him butterflies, regardless of the situation they were in. Jaejoong’s brow furrowed and he looked up to meet Yunho’s eyes.
“Critical?!” He questioned “He’s alive? But... he…”
“Yes, he’s alive. You seem surprised.”
“Junsu stabbed him… He should be dead… I don’t understand.” Jaejoong walked over to a nearby bench and sat down before he leaned forward and tangled his fingers tightly in his hair. “What happened?”
“We don’t know. Hangeng notified us after the rumours of Kyuhyun’s death reached us in Araqiel. All we know is that Kyuhyun is critical but alive and Leeteuk is as okay as he can be right now.”
“It’s all such a mess… Do you…” Jaejoong paused and touched the collar around his neck “Do you know how to take this off?” He asked and he looked up to see Yunho approaching. The angel walked over and dropped to one knee in front of Jaejoong before reaching out and touching his fingers to the collar. He shook his head.
“No. Magic might be your only option but I’m afraid I can’t help you. Why do you want it off anyway? I thought you liked wearing it.”
“Kyuhyun told me… he told me that Junsu was using this to control me and that this is the reason that I can never refuse him… Until he told me that, I never questioned it. Never questioned my feelings for him or why I always followed him, regardless of how I felt about it at the time.”
“Did you not have feelings for him before the collar?” Yunho asked and Jaejoong nodded.
“I did. I was in love with him long before he gave this to me. But now I don’t know what’s real anymore. I didn’t mean for all of this to happen.”
“But it did happen, Jaejoong” Yunho sighed and rested his hand on Jaejoong’s knee for a moment before he pushed himself to stand up. He turned around and crossed his arms over his chest. “You need to go home. You need to face up to what you’ve done and deal with the consequences.”
“They’ll kill me if I go back…”
“You tried to kill Kyuhyun, Jaejoong. He is the prince. I don’t think you realise how serious this is.”
“I do. I know.” Jaejoong stood up and stepped closer to Yunho and sighed. “I need you to do something for me.” He reached out to take Yunho’s hand and the angel froze for a moment. Yunho wasn’t used to being touched. He made a point of avoiding contact with others as much as he could but somehow, he couldn’t pull back from Jaejoong’s gentle grip. Jaejoong reached into his pocket before he placed Leeteuk’s ring in Yunho’s hand and curled the angel’s fingers around it. “Please make sure this is returned to Leeteuk… It should never have been taken from him. For what it’s worth, can you please tell them I’m sorry, for everything?”
“I will. Thank you, Jaejoong.”
“I don’t know if I’ll see you again. I hope that someday I will.” Jaejoong leaned forward and closed his eyes as he pressed his lips gently against Yunho’s. Yunho’s eyes widened a little but he found himself, rather hesitantly, returning Jaejoong’s kiss. Just seconds after Yunho’s eyes fell closed Jaejoong pulled back and brushed his hand over the angel’s cheek.
“Goodbye, Yunho.” He whispered softly and when Yunho opened his eyes, Jaejoong was gone.

*****

When Heechul and Hangeng reached the light realm Heechul’s eyes scanned the immediate area around the portal garden and he tensed. Araqiel was unlike anything Heechul had seen before with flowers, trees and beautiful architecture almost everywhere he looked.
“Are you okay?” Hangeng asked softly as he squeezed Heechul’s hand when he noticed Heechul’s ears flatten slightly against his head.
“I don’t feel right being here. It’s… strange. It’s like I can feel something pushing me away.”
“That would be the effects of the spell used to keep demons like you out of this realm.” A voice came from behind them and when Heechul and Hangeng turned around Hangeng smiled. Changmin was standing at the edge of the garden with two guards on either side of him. He had been sent by Emperor Lee to Heechul and Hangeng to the palace. “The spell has been lifted for you to allow you access to our realm. What you are feeling right now will pass the further away from the portal you get. You are not trusted here, Kim Heechul, you will be wise to remember that you are no longer in the demon realm. We have rules.” Heechul sighed and rolled his eyes as Changmin spoke and his tail flicked borely behind him.
“Are you finished? I don’t care about your rules or whether you trust me or not. I have no interest in harming anyone, I have no interest in feeding on anyone, I am no threat to anyone. I am just here for my brother's sake. He is the only thing I care about right now, stand in the way of that and we might have a problem.” Changmin frowned as Heechul spoke but he nodded his head. He knew the past twenty-four hours had been stressful for the royal family of Abaddon but it was his duty to protect the light realm, regardless of the situation.
“Nobody wants that, Heechul, you have my word. Follow me, I'll take you to see Emperor Lee.”

The walk up to the palace felt painfully slow for Heechul. He was used to people staring because of what he was but in a realm filled with pure beings, with only blue eyes staring back at him, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy about it. Changmin lead the pair through the grounds of the palace and inside towards the main hall before he pushed open the doors and stepped inside.
“My lords, Hangeng and Heechul are here” Changmin spoke softly with a bow and Heechul and Hangeng stepped inside. Hangeng released Heechul’s hand before he bowed and gave Emperor Lee and Sungmin a smile.
“Thank you for letting Heechul come with me, my lords. ZhouMi wouldn’t trust anybody else with this.”
“It’s not a problem, Hangeng. Kyuhyun is as much a part of this realm as he is your own, you know we would do anything for him” Emperor Lee smiled and when his eyes fell upon Heechul his smile faltered a little. Heechul’s eyes were fixed on Sungmin for a moment, making the younger prince tense where he was standing, but when Heechul’s eyes moved to Emperor Lee he frowned.
“Don’t expect me to bow or call you ‘my lord.’ I only bow to my father.”
“I understand, Heechul. Please take a seat. Siwon is preparing the blood you requested, he won’t be long.” Emperor Lee motioned to the empty seat opposite him at the table and Heechul hesitated for a moment before he sighed in defeat and sat down. Hangeng stood beside Heechul and rested a hand on his shoulder before giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“How is Kyuhyun doing?” Emperor Lee asked and Heechul sighed. It was a sigh that seemed to release the tension that Heechul was holding because he noticeably relaxed in his seat.
“He’s still critical, but he’s stable. He isn’t healing as he should be. ZhouMi is keeping him sedated for a few days, he’s on a ventilator to help him breathe and to take some of the strain off his body. He..” He paused and glanced at Hangeng before taking the younger mans hand. “There’s damage to his brain. He used a lot of his light magic when he was already too weak. We won’t know to what extent until he wakes up.” The room fell into silence as Emperor Lee, Sungmin and Changmin processed Heechul’s words. Nobody in the light realm knew what had happened fully, just that Junsu was responsible for it.
“His light magic caused bruising to his brain the first time it manifested” Emperor Lee spoke softly before he sighed. “We will do anything we can to help Kyuhyun, Heechul. You have my word. Do you mind if I ask what happened? I understand your uncle is responsible?” he asked and Heechul nodded.
“Thank you. Kyuhyun and Leeteuk disappeared after the party you held, the night of their engagement. We don’t know much, just that Junsu and Jaejoong were responsible. They drugged and held them in an abandoned building for days, tortured Kyuhyun, made Leeteuk listen through every scream. Junsu had a special knife made to inflict maximum pain on my brother and whatever drug he used took away Kyuhyun’s demon abilities, if he weren’t half-angel he would be fully human right now… Or probably dead. On the last day, not too long before we found them, they made him feed on Leeteuk and then Junsu used the knife to kill my brother. Kyuhyun somehow used his light magic to save himself and Leeteuk brought him back with his blood. That’s everything Leeteuk has told us. We’ll know more when Kyuhyun wakes up, if he remembers.”
“Where is Junsu now?” Emperor Lee asked and Heechul couldn’t help but smirk a little as images of Junsu screaming in pain flashed through his head.
“I wish I could say he was dead but my father wouldn’t allow it. He’s locked up in a dark basement cell hopefully still unconscious due to whatever Kyuhyun did to him” he chuckled and when Emperor Lee raised an eyebrow, Heechul cleared his throat. “After Leeteuk brought Kyuhyun back, and before he was rushed into surgery, he managed to get back on his feet and confront Junsu. He used his magic on Junsu just like he used it on my father’s guards all those months ago, but sadly it didn’t kill him. That, we think, is also what pushed Kyuhyun over the edge and fried his brain, so to speak.” Emperor Lee nodded silently as he processed Heechul’s words and Sungmin shifted in his seat.
“I hope Kyuhyun will be okay. How is Leeteuk?” He asked in a quiet voice but when Heechul’s eyes landed on him the young prince tensed in his seat. Every time Heechul looked at Sungmin he was reminded of what the younger prince had done to his brother back when Kyuhyun was first allowed into the light realm. His tail trashed behind his back as he tapped his sharp black nails against the table. Heechul rarely held grudges, but when it came to his little brother his grudges could hold for years.
“Leeteuk is fine. He’s exhausted and he lost a lot of blood but he’s resting in Kyuhyun’s room. Why do you care what happens to my brother? It wasn’t too long ago that you tried to have him killed” Heechul hissed suddenly and when the guards on either side of Sungmin reached for their weapons Hangeng put his hands on Heechul’s shoulders and squeezed.
“Calm down, my love, please” He whispered calmly but when Emperor Lee raised his hand the guards relaxed.
“I have apologised to Kyuhyun for that. It was a mistake and one I am not proud of. Kyuhyun and I have started fresh” Sungmin mumbled and Emperor Lee squeezed his arm gently.
“Heechul, I can assure you my son’s attitude towards Kyuhyun has changed for the better. There is no danger towards him here, I promise you that. This is a very stressful time for everyone, especially you and your family, so I will forgive the rudeness but please remember where you are.”

After a few minutes, the doors to the meeting hall opened and Yunho stepped inside. He looked flustered and when Heechul turned to look at him he visibly tensed.
“Yunho? What’s wrong?” Changmin called out from where he stood before he walked towards where Yunho was standing. Yunho was shaking slightly and his left hand was balled up tightly into a fist.
“Jaejoong… He came to see me when I was on my way back to the portal” Yunho mumbled and when he heard Jaejoong’s name Heechul stood from his seat and stepped closer to Yunho, making the angel step backwards.
“You saw Jaejoong? Where is he?”
“I don’t know. He ran off, I told him to go home and face the consequences of what he did but I doubt he will have listened. You’re Heechul, right?” Yunho asked and Heechul nodded. “He told me to make sure this gets back to Leeteuk and that he was sorry.” Yunho uncurled his fist and put out his hand. Heechul’s eyes narrowed when he noticed Leeteuk’s engagement ring before he reached out to take it. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him.”
“Thank you, Yunho.” Heechul smiled softly before he sat back down and slipped Leeteuk’s ring into his pocket to keep it safe. Yunho excused himself for the time being and gave Emperor Lee a small bow before he left the room.

“Heechul” Emperor Lee started and when Heechul looked towards him he smiled cautiously “Are Kyuhyun and Leeteuk safe?” he asked and Heechul raised an eyebrow.
“I've already told you that-”
“No, I mean, is there any chance that Junsu, Jaejoong or anyone else could hurt them again?” Heechul shook his head.
“No. Junsu won't be released from his cell for a very long time, if ever, so he won't be a danger again. The guards have orders to kill Jaejoong on-site so he would be stupid to step foot in Abaddon again, unless he has a death wish anyway. Nobody is allowed in the Palace without mine or my father's say so. There is a guard stationed outside of Kyuhyun’s hospital room. ZhouMi and Jaehyun are the only people allowed in other than myself, Leeteuk, Hangeng and my father. Anyone else needs permission. Leeteuk is resting in Kyuhyun’s room and again, there are only a few people who have the key but my father has a guard close by to watch over him too. Don't worry. He's safe. They both are. Junsu won't hurt either of them again and if he tries I'll break his neck and rip out his heart myself.” Emperor Lee nodded as Heechul spoke. Heechul’s words brought comfort to the Emperor but regardless of how safe Leeteuk and Kyuhyun were in the dark realm, a part of Emperor Lee still worried for the pairs well being after the events of the past four days.
The doors to the room opened a short time later and Siwon walked in clutching a bag tightly in his hand. As he approached the table he glanced between Sungmin, Heechul and Emperor Lee before he came to a stop and bowed.
“My lord, I have everything ready.” He paused and looked at Heechul again. “You’re Heechul, right? This has to get to Kyuhyun as soon as possible and what doesn’t get used needs to be kept locked away… Angelic blood in the demon realm will cause problems.”
Heechul stood from where he was sitting and approached Siwon before reaching out his hand and taking the bag.
“Don’t worry, we have measures in place to ensure nobody gets near this blood. ZhouMi knows what he’s doing. Thank you.”
“Thank you, Siwon.” Emperor Lee spoke softly and Siwon smiled. He glanced to Sungmin once again and the pair shared a small but rather hesitant smile before Siwon bowed and disappeared from the room. Heechul’s hold on the bag in his hand was tight and he sighed as Hangeng joined by his side.
“Heechul, we need to get back” Hangeng whispered and ran his hand comfortingly over the dark prince’s back and Heechul nodded. He took a step forward and looked at Emperor Lee before he bowed deeply, making Emperor Lee smile.
“Thank you, my lord. You have no idea how grateful we are or how thankful I am for this. My father won’t forget this and neither will I.” Emperor Lee nodded in understanding as Heechul spoke. He was happy with the obvious change in the demon prince compared to when he had first arrived in the palace. After refusing to bow or to address Emperor Lee properly, the change in Heechul showed that he understood and welcomed Emperor Lee’s connection to his brother.
“There is no need to thank me, Heechul. Kyuhyun is family and we protect our family. I will have Changmin you back to the portal. Both of you take care and tell Kyuhyun to stay strong.”

Changmin lead Hangeng and Heechul out of the palace and back down towards the portal. The guards that had originally been by Changmin’s side had remained in the palace, leaving Changmin to the dark prince and Hangeng alone. Heechul had proven himself to Emperor Lee and his council. He wasn’t in the light realm to cause harm and now that he had collected the blood needed for Kyuhyun, his business in Araqiel was over. Heechul and Hangeng walked hand in hand a small distance behind Changmin as Heechul’s tight grip on the bag remained.
“I have to say, Heechul” Changmin spoke softly as his pace slowed to walk alongside the pair. “You surprise me. You aren’t as threatening as people made you out to be. Kyuhyun is half-angel so I understand his soft-hearted nature, but you… It’s been a long time since I’ve met a full demon with your kind of restraint.” Heechul couldn’t help but smile as Changmin spoke before he let out a soft chuckle.
“I may be a demon but we’re not all evil monsters like Junsu. Unlike my brother I have no reliance on blood to survive, I can be around demons, angels and humans without an issue, providing nobody gets on my bad side.”
“You seem to care greatly for Leeteuk too, thank you for that.”
“I’ve never seen my brother as happy as he has been since he met Leeteuk… Again, I guess. Before Leeteuk was in his life Kyuhyun rarely made plans. He spent days in his room and when he left he was volatile and unpredictable most of the time. In the time that they’ve been together, I’ve seen his confidence grow, he’s grown as a person and he’s planning for the future, because he sees a future for himself now. My brother is my best friend, he means the world to me. I make a point to take care of the people Kyuhyun cares for. I’ve seen him broken one too many times already and if I can avoid that happening again, I will. Leeteuk is everything to Kyuhyun and I’m going to ensure that nobody comes between them or hurts them again.” Changmin smiled as Heechul spoke before the three of them came to a stop in the portal garden and he turned to face the demon prince.
“Thank you, Heechul. Knowing that they have you looking out for them makes me feel a little better.”
“I just wish I could have seen Junsu’s plan coming before it happened… I wish I could have stopped it from ever happening. I don’t know what lasting effects this ordeal will have on both of them. No matter how much Leeteuk says he’s fine, I know he’s just trying to stay strong for my brother. Kyuhyun may never walk again, but honestly, that’s the easier part to deal with. His mental health lately is the best it’s ever been, I don’t know how much that will change after he wakes up, I just know that it will.”
“I know that whatever happens, you will be right there to help him through it. Leeteuk won’t leave Kyuhyun’s side when things are tough so you don’t need to worry about that. He will do everything he can to get Kyuhyun through whatever hardships he might face in the coming weeks, and we will be here too.”
“Thank you, Changmin. For everything you have done and will do in the future for my brother. It means a lot.”

Changmin reached out his hand with a smile to shake Heechul’s hand. It was an unlikely alliance but both men were relieved to have brought it to light. After wrapping up their conversation Heechul and Hangeng said goodbye to Changmin before they made their way back through the portal, through the human realm, and returned home to Abaddon.

*****

The palace was quiet when Leeteuk awoke. He rolled over onto his back and stretched as he rubbed his eyes. His arms, along with the rest of his body ached but the exhaustion he had felt earlier was finally beginning to pass. When he reached out across the empty bed he frowned. ‘So it wasn’t a nightmare’ he thought to himself before he opened his eyes. The room was dimly lit via a single light on the ceiling and the lack of light shining through the curtains told Leeteuk that it was sometime during the night. He turned over onto his side and pulled the duvet up to his shoulders but when he noticed a needle taped to the bend of his left arm he frowned.
“Good evening, Leeteuk” ZhouMi’s voice came from the bottom of the bed and Leeteuk sighed softly.
“ZhouMi? How did you get in here?” Leeteuk asked as he pushed himself to sit up against the headboard. He followed the tube attached to the needle to a blood bag hanging by the bed and ZhouMi smiled before he sat down beside Leeteuk.
“I have a spare key in case of emergencies and I wanted to make sure you were alright. How are you feeling?”
“Everything feels heavy and my head is a little fuzzy but I feel better. When did you do this?” Leeteuk asked as he raised his arm a little before he noticed his engagement ring on his left hand. “Who found this? Where did they find this? The last thing I knew, Jaejoong had it. I don’t understand.” He raised his hand to look at his ring before he spun it around a little on his finger with a smile. ZhouMi let out a small chuckle.
“You have been asleep for a little short of twenty hours, Leeteuk.” Leeteuk’s eyes widened as ZhouMi continued “When Heechul and Hangeng returned with the blood I took care of Kyuhyun before seeing to you. You had lost a lot of blood yourself so a transfusion was wise for a full recovery. Heechul returned your ring but I will let him explain when you see him.”
“How is Kyuhyun?”
“He is doing well. He remains stable and his vitals are good. Heechul is with him so do not worry, he is not on his own. I am about to go and eat, would you like to join me?” ZhouMi asked as he reached down to gently remove the needle from Leeteuk’s arm before pressing a cotton ball to soak up any free-flowing blood. Leeteuk held it in place and nodded. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a proper meal and just the thought of food made his stomach growl loudly, making the pair chuckle.
“I don’t imagine you would let me say no so it’s a good thing I'm hungry. You said, good evening, what time is it?” Leeteuk asked and ZhouMi smiled as he stood from the bed.
“It is almost seven o’clock. I would never normally eat so late but tending to Kyuhyun is my number one priority at the moment. The chefs have made sure to prepare enough food throughout the day so that people can eat whenever they are hungry. There will be a selection of things to eat so you can help yourself.”
“Honestly I don’t think I'd care if there was only rice.” Leeteuk shuffled to sit on the end of the bed before he paused for a moment and raised his hand to his head as a wave of dizziness hit him.
“Take it slow, Leeteuk. There is no rush.”

Leeteuk followed ZhouMi from Kyuhyun’s bedroom to the dining hall. He pulled the sleeves of the sweater down over his hands and crossed his arms over his chest as they stepped inside and ZhouMi held open the door.
“Help yourself to anything you would like.” The older demon smiled and motioned to the long table to the side of the room. There were several metal trays covered by clear glass lids to keep the food fresh and protected. Leeteuk walked over and looked inside each of the trays. Noodles, rice, various meats and vegetables were the first foods Leeteuk noticed but when he reached a covered basket of pastries he smiled. He grabbed a plate and picked out four of the pastries before he walked over and took a seat at the large dining table in the centre of the room. ZhouMi set down two cups as well as his plate of food but when Leeteuk raised an eyebrow, ZhouMi smiled.
“Jasmine green tea. It is healthier than coffee and will help to boost your immune system while you are recovering.”
“Thank you.” Leeteuk took a sip of the tea before he picked up one of the pastries and began to eat.

As Leeteuk slowly ate his food, his mind wandered to Kyuhyun and he took a small sip of tea before he cleared his throat.
“ZhouMi, can I ask you something?” He asked in a cautious tone and as ZhouMi looked up from his rice bowl, he smiled.
“Of course, what is on your mind?”
“Kyuhyun and I have spoken about this a little from time to time but I still have questions about it. How come he isn’t able to eat like the rest of us?” Leeteuk set down his cup and picked up another pastry as ZhouMi smiled and put his bowl down for a moment.
“Each demon has… a weakness, I guess you could say. A weakness that vampires have for example is daylight, Heechul’s is dogs” ZhouMi paused and let out a small chuckle, making Leeteuk smile. “Kyuhyun’s is food. His demon side does not prevent him from eating as such, but it makes digestion of solid food difficult. How do I explain this... Because a large portion of Kyuhyun’s demon side comes from a mutation of the vampire gene, his body is built to survive on blood over anything else. You could say he is the most superior vampire alive, but he would probably kill you for calling him that.”
“Knowing Kyuhyun, he would” Leeteuk smiled.
“Kyuhyun can eat, because he is not a full demon, but depending on what he eats depends on whether it will make him sick. He can only eat easily digestible food or liquids, but cutting out solid food is easier for him than being careful about what he eats all of the time.”
“That makes sense. I’d like to cook a meal for him some time without worrying about making him sick, or take him to a nice restaurant for a special occasion.”
“And you can, but no fatty food and nothing too heavy on the stomach” ZhouMi smiled, shooting Leeteuk a small wink in the process.
“Thank you, ZhouMi. It’s nice to have somebody to talk to.”
“You are very welcome, Leeteuk. I am always here if you need to talk. Help yourself if you need anything else to eat” ZhouMi smiled and Leeteuk shook his head. All four of the pastries Leeteuk had taken to the table were now gone and as he held his cup tightly in his hands, he slowly sipped his tea.
“I’ll eat a proper meal for breakfast in the morning. I think I'm going to go and take a shower before I see Kyu. I didn't have the energy before I slept."  
"That is understandable. Do you know your way back to the Medical Wing?" ZhouMi asked and Leeteuk nodded slowly.
"I think so. I'll find my way though, I always manage to find my way back to Kyu” Leeteuk smiled and ZhouMi smiled fondly in return. “I won’t be long, I’ll see you in a bit.” Leeteuk finished the last of his tea and set his cup back down on the table before he made his way out of the dining hall and back to Kyuhyun’s bedroom.

After a quick shower, Leeteuk dried himself off and wrapped a towel around his waist as he walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. The hot water against the angel's skin had helped to relax his tense and aching muscles, making him feel a little more like his old self again with the addition of the earlier blood transfusion. He gently fixed a new bandage over the bite wound on the side of his neck and let out a small sigh. He dug through the bag Hangeng had brought and pulled on a pair of clean boxers and jeans before he turned and walked over to the closet. Leeteuk took a moment to look through Kyuhyun’s clothes before he pulled on a white v-neck t-shirt and a dark grey cardigan, the same cardigan that Kyuhyun had worn in the early days of their relationship. He wrapped his arms around himself and closed his eyes as he breathed in Kyuhyun’s scent before he slipped on his shoes and made his way back towards Kyuhyun’s hospital room.
Kyuhyun and Leeteuk had shared each other’s clothes on multiple occasions but the inability to be close to the young prince, to hold him close as the angel wished he could, meant that wearing Kyuhyun’s clothes was more important to Leeteuk than ever before.

**

Leeteuk ran his fingers gently through Kyuhyun’s hair as he studied the younger man’s face. From what he could tell from behind the intubation tube the colour was slowly beginning to return to Kyuhyun’s lips and cheeks, helping to reassure the angel.
“His colour is looking better already. He doesn’t look as grey as he did after surgery.” Leeteuk smiled and ZhouMi nodded.
“The blood transfusion was exactly what he needed. He needed angelic blood and just a few hours after Heechul had returned, Kyuhyun’s vitals had already improved. I believe he is over the worst.”
“Thank you ZhouMi. And thank you, Heechul. How did it go with my uncle?” Leeteuk asked as he took a seat beside the bed and held Kyuhyun’s hand gently. Heechul smiled before he let out a small laugh and ZhouMi lowered his head in a small bow as he silently left the room.
“Didn’t get off to the best start. Just looking at Sungmin made me angry.” Heechul spoke and Leeteuk couldn’t help but laugh. “I explained briefly to your uncle what had happened but I told him that everything would be explained properly once Kyuhyun is awake and you’re both up to it. One of your uncle’s guards came back, Yunho I think his name was?” Heechul questioned and Leeteuk nodded. “He brought your ring back.”
“How? Junsu took it and gave it to Jaejoong on the night they took us.”
“He said he saw Jaejoong and that he had told him to go home and face the consequences of what he did. He gave your ring back to Yunho and told him to tell you and Kyuhyun that, for what it was worth, he was sorry… He ran off though so we don’t know where he went.”
“Yunho and Jaejoong have had a run-in with each other before, it left Yunho pretty shaken but Kyuhyun made sure he was alright” Leeteuk smiled as he rubbed his engagement ring with his thumb but his smile soon fell. “You don’t think that Yunho will be in danger, do you?”
“I don’t know. I don’t feel like he would be, after all, Jaejoong did not attempt to harm him when he had the perfect opportunity,” Heechul shrugged but he understood Leeteuk’s concern.
“You’re probably right. He didn’t care about hurting anyone but us…” Leeteuk sighed and squeezed Kyuhyun’s hand gently before Heechul stood from where he was sitting and walked around the bed to squeeze Leeteuk’s shoulder reassuringly.
“You’re safe. Kyuhyun is safe. They can’t hurt either of you anymore, I promise. And if they’re stupid enough to try, they’ll have me to deal with. I have a couple of things to do before I head to bed for the night so I’ll see you in the morning. There’s a blanket and a pillow on the sofa in case you want to sleep here. I know you’ve not been awake long but try and get some more rest, okay? You need to take care of yourself too.”
“I know. Thank you, Heechul. Knowing that he’s over the worst and that he’s stable helps to ease my mind a little. At least now I know that he’ll be alright if I'm not right here every minute of the day to watch over him. I just like being here with him, I don’t like leaving him on his own.”
“Just another day or so and he'll be back with us” Heechul smiled as he gently hugged Leeteuk from behind “I’ll see you in the morning.” Leeteuk held Heechul’s arm briefly before the demon prince pulled back and moved to kiss Kyuhyun’s forehead, an action that made the angel smile. “You’re doing great, baby brother, keep fighting. See you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, Heechul,” Leeteuk spoke softly and when Heechul left, the room fell into silence except for the sound of the ventilator and the steady beeping of Kyuhyun’s heart rate on the machines beside him.