A soft knock  brought the attention of the two occupants of the room to the door opposite the bed. Jongdae looked at the direction of the noise warily as if waiting for something horrible to come barging in while Yixing looked at it with anticipation. Soon enough the doorknob is twisted and the door pushed open. Jongdae had expected it to slam against the wall or fall off unhinged but what he didn't expect is for a head of reddish brown hair to peek shyly inside. The said intruder scanned the room and immediately flashed a smile so bright it almost blinded Jongdae.

"Yixing!" Said stranger opened  the door fully and bounded inside the room after shouting the other man's name. It strangely reminded Jongdae of a five year old kid who just received a very huge lollipop. Jongdae couldn't help but notice how the new guy seemed to be oozing sunshine and rainbows through the very pores of his skin and as he saw Yixing reflect the same smile back at the stranger Jongdae thinks he is right.

"Luhan."

So this is Luhan.

Jongdae thought he should have recognized him by the voice as he remembered Luhan was just arguing with Yifan not too long ago outside the window. But then his voice had been strained and sounded exasperated not like now that it seemed to be dripping with joy and all things beautiful. Jongdae couldn't help but stare at Luhan. He was just so beautiful. And breath-taking. And Jongdae seemed to have lost the ability to speak as he inhaled the scent wafting from Luhan's skin. He smells of morning dew and blooming flowers and light breeze and rain. Jongdae really didn't know how to describe that scent. It was intoxicating and making him light-headed as if he was getting drunk with just a whiff of it.

Jongdae watched as Yixing got up from his chair to pull Luhan into a hug only to swat away few seconds later the latter's hand who has resorted to poking the dimple on Yixing's cheek. Luhan chuckled lightly and the sound reminded Jongdae of chirping birds. Jongdae thought that Yifan would have needed a heart of stone to be able to resist and say no to Luhan.

"Oh!" Luhan suddenly turned his attention to Jongdae who was sitting with his back to the headboard and his hands laying limp on his lap.

"Hello!" Luhan smiled at the patient on the bed. It was gentle this time, Luhan's smile, and it reminded Jongdae of the smile his mother used to wear whenever Jongdae called her name. He cleared his throat and swallowed thickly, thankful that the water and food had helped make his throat more relaxed.

"Hi." He tried to smile too but he wasn't sure if he succeeded at making the expression properly because it felt more like a grimace than a smile on his face. Luhan didn't seem to mind though as he continued to smile at Jongdae and proceeded to sit at the edge of the small bed just beside his legs.

"How are you feeling? Minseok said you broke your left arm and you have bruises at the back of your head. He said you shouldn't have a problem with healing though since you're young as long as you eat well and rest."

Jongdae only nodded and lowered his head. He didn't know what to think of his situation. He had been saved from the brink of death by his pack's sworn enemies. And now Luhan is reassuring him that he will be fine. How strange life can get sometimes.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't even ask you your name and here I was already blabbing. I'm Luhan by the way." Luhan extended his right hand only to retract it immediately after realizing that Jongdae's arms were wrapped in bandages and something as simple as a handshake could mean pain.

"I'm Jongdae. Kim Jongdae. Thank you for saving me." Jongdae said in a soft voice but it was enough for Luhan and Yixing to hear. Luhan smiled and was about to open his mouth to say something but was abruptly interrupted by a knock on the door which opened right after. All three occupants of the room turned to look at the opened door to see a man clad in white coat with a stethoscope dangling around his neck.

"Oh! You're both here." the newly arrived stated with a bit of surprise when his eyes fell on Yixing and Luhan. "And you're awake." This time he smiled widely at the sole patient in the room. Luhan jumped from where he was seated on the bed to pull the man into a hug.

"Minseok-ah play with me today." Luhan said in his melodious voice that sounded more like a whine than a request which earned him a chuckle from the doctor.

"Are you bored again, Lu? Why don't you go play with Yifan instead? You can see I have a patient, right?" Minseok's questions elicited a huff and a pout from Luhan who started mumbling something Jongdae couldn't hear except for the words "idiot" and "jerk" which he doubted was directed at the doctor who just chuckled in response. Jongdae chanced a glance at Yixing who had a blank expression on his face while looking at the bowl of food still in his hands. Yixing looked up when he felt the heavy stare that Jongdae was giving him. He was a bit surprised to find Jongdae looking at him so intently.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Yixing quirked an eyebrow as he tried to think of a reason why Jongdae was staring at him but before he could think of one, the other lowered his gaze and mumbled a barely audible "thank you".

"Oh. It's...I...Don't mention it. I just did..." Yixing didn't get to finish what he was saying when Minseok approached the bed to check his patient. It took at least twenty minutes of checking, prodding, and endless questions ranging from something as simple as his name to how he ended up where he was found and to whether he had someone he wanted to inform of his whereabouts. Jongdae tried his best to answer all the questions truthfully since he had never really been much of a liar. He denied having anyone that he wanted to contact and inform about his condition which was partially true anyway. He didn't think it would matter if his brothers knew where he was at the moment seeing as they didn't bother looking for him in the first place. It took another twenty minutes for Minseok to change the bandages on Jongdae's head, arms, and chest.

"You really are healing well, Jongdae-ssi. Some more rest and you'll be free to go tomorrow." Minseok said as he packed away his box of bandages, gauze, antiseptics, and ointments.

"Thank you, Minseok-ssi. I don't know how to...." Jongdae choked on his words. It wasn't that he couldn't express how grateful he felt that he was saved by the three people in front of him but he thought that they might not have bothered wasting their time and energy for him if they knew who he was. He doubted they would even allow him to stay if they knew...

"Jongdae-yah, you should call us hyung since we are older than you. And don't worry while you are recovering. We will take care of you." Jongdae once again was given the sweet smile from Yixing that he had come to like in the short span of time that they had spent together. It wasn't as bright and dazzling as Luhan's but it was endearing and made jongdae's chest feel warm that he thought it would be nice to see it more often. He felt overwhelmed that these three strangers had saved him and showed him genuine care in the few hours that they have known each other more than he had seen from his immediate family in all his twenty one years. Jongdae could only really recall his mother and father being so caring and affectionate  towards him and his father had made himself scarce after his mother had passed away that Jongdae felt like he had been an orphan all his life.

They all bade him goodbye after Yixing deemed that he was fed enough to aid in his recovery. Yixing and Luhan had promised to come back and visit him after they got off from their work in the town's Youth and Crisis Center as social workers. It was all too soon that Jongdae found himself alone in the spacious room. He sighed as the door was shut close. The food and warmth of the room was making him sleepy so he eased him self down the bed so he was laying on his back comfortably. He'd decided it would be better to just sleep and allow his body to heal than to worry about things that are still yet to come.

When Jongdae woke up the room was pitch black.

He wondered what time it was but couldn’t see the clock that he knows is hanging just above the door. He couldn’t see outside either because the windows had been closed. He didn’t know what time it was but it felt so cold it might be in the wee hours of the morning already. A mist seemed to have settled around the room as he looked around and found his vision to be hazy despite rubbing his eyes. He supposed he should just go back to sleep seeing as there was no one around and there was nothing for him to do. He was just about to lie back down when a sliver of light caught his eyes. There, right beneath the door the light flickered and dimmed for a moment as though someone had just passed by. Maybe Minseok was there.

Jongdae gingerly put his right foot down on the floor and tested if he would feel any pain upon contact with the hard surface. When he didn't feel anything but the coldness of concrete beneath he put down the left foot before he pushed himself to stand up. There was definitely something or someone behind the door because Jongdae thought he could hear some hushed voices talking in different states of agitation. His curiosity could not be held back anymore so he took the steps that he knew would bring him to that door and find out who the people were beyond it.

Jongdae felt like fainting as his heart started thumping wildly. Shivers ran up and down his spine in fearful anticipation of what he will be able to see beyond the door. His hand felt cold and numb as he gripped the doorknob and turned it clockwise before pushing it by an inch just enough to take a peep.

What he saw was enough to rob him of breath. There beyond the door were two women; one pale and sick looking, the other livid and menacing. Jongdae wanted to slam the door open and shout but he couldn't. As anger and fear washed over his entire being like tidal waves his mouth suddenly turned dry like parched land. His limbs felt numb and heavy like they were made of marble instead of flesh. He wished he was stronger or at least strong enough to move his body and do something....anything!  

He watched them with wide terror-filled eyes that reflects the same emotions from the pale woman. Jongdae wanted to rush forth and hinder the things that he is sure will happen as the seconds progress but the bandages around his chest and arms seemed to have turned into steel cages that bind him to his own body. He looked down and gasped in horror as a pair of thin small arms s its way around him from the back restraining from him from any movement possible. Jongdae wanted to protest, he wanted to struggle, he wanted to squirm away from the arms binding him but he couldn’t even breathe let alone make a sound. He was petrified! He watched helplessly as the menacing figure of the black haired woman approached the other with all the malice and evil intent Jongdae had seen in his life.

Jongdae felt the warm wetness that slowly dripped down his face as the scene continued to unfold before his eyes. Jongdae felt so much pain in his chest he thought he would burst. The injuries he acquired from falling off the cliff could not even compare to the agony of watching the two woman before him who have yet to discover his presence. He tried once again to open his mouth to say something….anything...but only a barely audible whimper came out. He tried once again to free himself from the arms that held him in a vice like grip but either he was too weak or the arms around him were too strong that he didn’t even manage to make the grip slacken. He felt his heart leap in his throat as the menacing woman advanced on the other while raising a glass of red liquid gripped firmly on one hand.

Mom!

Jongdae wanted to shout. He tried.

Mom!

He wanted to run forward. He tried to move his feet. He tried to free himself from the prison made by the set of thin yet strong arms.

Mom!

He watched as the red liquid was poured into the unwelcoming mouth of the sickly looking woman.

Mom!

Jongdae knew it was over as he heard the woman’s evil cackle.

MOM!

“Jongdae!”

Jongdae opened his eyes to the frantic look of Yixing’s face as Luhan hovered just behind him with an equally concerned look. Jongdae couldn’t stop the sobs that wracked his body nor the hot, salty tears that flowed unhindered down his face.

“Mom,” Jongdae whimpered into Yixing’s chest as the latter rubbed soothing circles on his lower back. Luhan and Yixing had come back to the clinic as soon as they got off from work and found Jongdae thrashing on the bed. He was whimpering and mumbling and despite all the words that he seemed to be saying all that they could really understand was that he was calling for his mother. Luhan and Yixing exchanged worried looks as Jongdae’s cries began to quiet down and they weren’t surprised that the injured man had fallen asleep once again. Luhan bit his tongue to stop himself from crying. Jongdae must have been through a lot to be this disturbed and to be in this much pain even in his dreams.

Morning came too bright, too soon for Jongdae. He woke up to the sound of the door opening and watched Yixing and Luhan come in with apprehensive looks on their faces. He remembered waking up to them last night and suddenly felt his face flush in embarrassment. But the two seemed like they didn’t want to bring up the subject just yet so he kept his mouth shut about it. Minseok had been true to his word. He sent Jongdae home, although he really didn’t know where that was anymore, after he gave him another check and changed his bandages.

“We hope you like our place, Jongdae-ah. It isn’t too big but it’s nice and warm. And you’ll have to sleep with Yixing because we only have two rooms.” Luhan was talking enthusiastically to Jongdae’s left as though what he just said didn’t sound a bit off making Yixing blush a nice shade of pink. They were on their way to Luhan and Yixing’s shared house where the two had invited him to stay.

“I can just sleep on the floor. Or on the couch. It would be too much of a burden to you if….” Jongdae wasn’t able to finish his sentence. Before he could understand what happened he found himself lifted off the ground and slammed against the tree that they passed by not a minute ago. A tall man with sharp eyes and a livid expression on his face held Jongdae by his neck, long fingers digging into his esophagus and practically cutting his air supply. The suddenness of everything that happened in that flash of a moment left Jongdae reeling. The hand around his neck tightened even more as he heard Luhan shout.

“Let him go, Yifan!”

“No!” Yifan didn’t even turn to look at Luhan. He stared straight at Jongdae’s eyes with so much animosity that made the smaller man cower.

“Not before he tells me.”

“Tell you what?” Luhan was now standing beside Yifan, his small hand gripping the tall man’s wrist.

“What is the son of Kim Jongwoon doing here?!”

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(A/N: First of all my apology for letting you all wait for so long. :(

You see your authors aside from being fails are also very busy people who lead very hectic lives. I sincerely hope you forgive us (mostly me) for making you all wait. But since I have a new laptop that replaces my old broken one and i have no major vacation to go to in the coming weeks we should be back to updating regularly.

Thank you!

And with that I do hope you enjoyed the cliffhanger :) Would Kris harm our little Chenchen?

Please let us know what you think.

<3