There was more than enough room on the bed but Ryeowook felt weird hunched in close as Himchan casually held him against his body.  He knew there was nothing romantic about the embrace and it was likely to make sure he stayed put but he wasn’t in the least bit comfortable, all things considered.  The clothes were too big, the bed was unfamiliar, and he still hadn’t settled down from the events of earlier that day.  Even with Himchan sort of being on his side, it was still far too overwhelming and he just wanted to cry…

                Sniffing quietly, he tried to shift as carefully as possible and flinched when Himchan’s voice murmured in modest annoyance behind him.  “Would you just go to sleep already, Wookie?”

                “I can’t,” Ryeowook murmured after a slight pause, his voice small and his body tense.

                “Ugh…” Himchan groaned, loosening his hold so he could pull on Ryeowook’s shoulder, laying him on his back to get a better look at his face in the very dim light.  Oddly enough, it was more than sufficient to see by.  “Why not?” he asked, one brow raised archly, his expression perturbed.

                Defensively, Ryeowook curled back up on his side and hid his face in the covers as he turned away.  “You wouldn’t understand.”

                Himchan snorted at the comment and patted Ryeowook’s arm in amusement.  “Really now?  I suppose you’re the expert on half-turned people like us then?”  His charge declined to comment and he sighed, the gust of air catching Ryeowook’s hair, sending a chill up his spine.

                “That’s not what I meant!” Ryeowook hiccupped, trying hard to keep the tears at bay.

                “I know,” Himchan murmured, rubbing his hand up and down the trembling arm in a soothing gesture.

                “Why don’t you guys just leave me alone…?” he whispered thickly, swallowing around the huge lump in his throat.

                Again, Himchan sighed and added a slow chuckle in as well.  “Because you’re one of us now.”  When Ryeowook was about to deny it, Himchan slapped his arm to keep him quiet and went on.  “There’s no getting around that fact and from what I’ve seen, if someone doesn’t watch out for you, you’re liable to get yourself hurt or killed,” he explained matter-of-factly.

                Personally, Ryeowook was still trying to figure out if the latter option wasn’t ultimately the best since he didn’t want to become a monster like Kyuhyun but then again… he didn’t really want to die either.  Unable to come up with a good response, he hugged himself tighter and finally took a shaky breath.  “Thank you for earlier.”

                “You’re welcome,” Himchan hummed, wrapping his arms around the slender male in a loose hug.  “Make no mistake though; they know full well what you tried to do.  They’re not stupid.”  Ryeowook tensed in his arms and he pressed his forehead against the back of his charge’s head.  “But neither are they heartless, much as they’d like you to think otherwise,” he chuckled softly, shaking his head at the situation.

                “But why…?” Ryeowook started to question, trying to look over his shoulder.

                “Do you honestly think you’re the first unwilling human a vampire has turned?” he asked, the question rhetorical in nature.  “The Chos, better than any others, remember all the possibilities.  Never forget that,” Himchan chided him shifting his head to rest his chin upon Ryeowook’s shoulder.

                For a long moment, Ryeowook mulled that thought over and just took one breath after the other.  At least he was still human enough for that.  In fact, the only things that seemed to change were his eating and sleeping habits, which could have been worse all things considered.  “Himchan?” he asked eventually, forcing himself to relax just a touch.

                “Ne?” the other male responded intently.

                “Is war really coming?” he asked, nervous about the prospect for more than one reason.

                Himchan laughed uncertainly, his tone dwindling down until he fell silent as he obviously debated his answer.  Ryeowook let him take his time, somewhat dreading the response.  “War has always been on the horizon,” he finally admitted pensively.  “But this time it might actually get to us.  The vampire clans certainly think it will.  And the wolves aren’t much better.”

                “I don’t want there to be a war,” Ryeowook frowned, reaching his hand to hold Himchan’s for comfort.

                “Only the extremists do,” the other male added immediately.  “But things have been getting worse in recent years.  I think I already told you they can’t hide as well as they used to.  Humans are more aware of our existence.  The Hunters try to deal with the half-turned idiots who buy the latest drug on the streets and those few rogues on both sides are hunted with extreme prejudice.  Some vampires sell their blood for money, but never offer a second taste,” he grimaced, the expression evident in his tone.

                A shiver ran through Ryeowook’s body and he felt Himchan hug him tighter for it.  He was grateful for the contact; the man was as human as he was going to find just then and he wanted nothing to do with that Kyuhyun at the moment.  “So the vampires are to blame for the worsening state of things?” he spoke bitterly, resenting his partial transformation further.

                “Hardly,” Himchan scoffed at the question, surprising his friend.  “Where the vampires are stupid opportunists on occasion, the wolves have so much more power.  Kangin wasn’t wrong when he said they were terrifying in their combat form.  You’ve seen a vampire’s speed and there are none who are faster, but a werewolf is stronger, with sharper claws and more powerful fangs.  The best ones require a small army to kill and that’s only if they’re lucky,” he warned in a strangely quiet tone.  “The humans I mean.”

                Unable to stand the other male’s breath on his neck, Ryeowook wriggled around so he could face him better and stared at him intently, chilled by the clarification.  He bit on his tongue and finally opened his mouth to speak.  “So what happens now?”

                Clearly surprised by the change, Himchan blinked and tilted his head to the side.  “What do you mean?”

                “I mean,” Ryeowook tried again, his expression becoming slightly uncertain.  “If war is coming and I’m stuck this way,” he sighed in disgust.  “What do I do now?”  He could tell that Himchan wasn’t quite sure what to think about his abrupt topic change; not that he could blame him considering he had been fighting this very issue since it came about.

                Eyeing him warily, Himchan chewed his bottom lip and hesitantly began, “Well.  Accepting what you are is probably a good start.”

                While he was still thoroughly unsettled by his predicament, Ryeowook took a quick breath and sat up, settling cross-legged on the bed.  He didn’t like what had happened to him, but if any of the people he’d met were to be believed, he couldn’t reverse the situation.  And if war did happen, that meant a lot of people were going to be in danger.  Personally, he could care less about the vampires right now, but his human friends and family were another matter entirely.  God he missed Henry.  Truly, he hoped the younger male was alright…  Right now, he didn’t know what he could do, but Himchan was probably a good person to ask.

                “So, like I am now, I need to drink a vampire’s blood every so often and stay out of the way of Hunters,” he offered for his own personal clarification, though he flinched at the food part.  He really didn’t like the idea of drinking blood.  Or actually drinking it for that matter…

                “Ne,” Himchan nodded, sitting upright himself as he continued to watch Ryeowook with a curious frown.  “Are you okay?” he asked, eyes narrowing when he reached his hand out to press the back of it against Ryeowook’s forehead.

                “I’m fine… but-” Ryeowook paused, not sure how to explain it without sounding too eager.  He saw Himchan looking at him uncertainly and he exhaled, wondering if it was better to tell the truth or try to lie.  He was such a bad liar though.  “I’m worried about my friends,” he rushed out in a low voice, dropping his eyes to the covers so he wouldn’t have to look at his companion.

                Himchan took a deep breath and shifted on the bed.  “You don’t have any friends the way you used to, Wookie.”

                “Yes I do,” Ryeowook stated firmly, looking up to stare him in the eyes, daring him to say otherwise again.  The look he got in response was enough to irritate him so he straightened his spine further and steeled himself.  “I do.”

                They both jumped when the door swung inward to reveal a bemused Kangin standing there.  “You poor, naïve child,” he shook his head, laughing under his breath.

                While Ryeowook shifted to hide behind Himchan, the bed creaking softly as he moved, the other male pursed his lips and rolled his eyes.  “It’s rude to eavesdrop you know.”

                “Eh,” Kangin shrugged as he stepped inside to perch himself on the edge of the bed, frowning at both of them.  “Himchan’s right though,” he added, focusing his gaze on Ryeowook.  He laughed at the way his target’s jaw firmed and grinned.  “But I like your spirit.  Most humans won’t accept you anymore.  Oh they might for a little while,” he explained, raising his hand to keep Ryeowook from interrupting.  “But it never lasts,” he finished with a somber shake of his head.

                “I’m not like you,” Ryeowook muttered from behind Himchan, using the other man as a tentative shield.

                “Not yet you’re not,” Kangin conceded, shifting his attention back to Himchan.  “While we’re here.  Go ahead and teach him.  He seems to like you at least a little bit,” he smirked, reaching out to ruffle Himchan’s hair in a purposefully irritating gesture.

                Immediately, Himchan swatted at the offending hand with a disgruntled frown and hurried to smooth the disturbed strands down.  “Well it helps if you’re not an ,” he retorted with sarcastic cheer and a plastic smile, toeing the line between being teasing or genuine.

                “Brat,” Kangin smirked in response, clearly not offended.  “Kyu will be down below with N for a while so you might as well get started.  Especially since neither of you appear to be sleepy,” he winked, standing up to disappear out the door, shutting it behind him before neither Himchan nor Ryeowook could say anything.

                “Ack!” Himchan fumed on the bed, mildly flailing in place.  “Why are the Chos so maddening sometimes?!” he demanded, not at all expecting an answer.

                He missed Ryeowook’s shrug as he was back to feeling incredibly uncertain, but he tapped on Himchan’s shoulder lightly and his lips.  “What did he mean about teaching me?”

                Himchan shifted around to look at Ryeowook again and rolled his eyes slightly.  “Well, you’re not a human anymore and some of the things about you have changed.  You just haven’t realized it yet because you’ve been freaking out about the situation on the whole.”

                Ryeowook held one finger up with a curious expression as he spoke, “So…  What can I do then?”

                Amused by the question, Himchan grinned and rubbed his hands together excitedly.  “Let me tell you,” he winked with an expression filled with untold secrets.

                If he thought resisting Kyuhyun had been tiring, Ryeowook was sorely mistaken.  While considerably more personable, Himchan was also a great deal more demanding in terms of what he expected and what he was actually able to get out of his charge.  Ryeowook’s indoctrination into becoming a full-fledged half-turned meant he had several toned down strengths that vampires did, all of which Himchan was determined to make him inordinately aware of.

                Over the next week, during which time Hyosung returned with news from the Shims, where they then conferred before N took flight to speak with the Songs, Ryeowook was pushed to the initial limits of all of his fledgling abilities.  As he was tested and trained, Kyuhyun remained close at hand, constantly observing him with a neutral expression on his face.  It was impossible to tell if he was satisfied or disappointed at any given time, not that it really mattered in the end.  At least not according to Ryeowook.

                Ironically, though he’d never been athletically inclined to any degree, he did suddenly find that he was faster and stronger than ever before.  Ryeowook could jump distances he would never have thought to attempt in the past, hold his breath longer than humanly possible, and was more resilient than he’d ever dreamed he would be.  The last revelation had been followed rather quickly by Kyuhyun actually attacking Himchan for inadvertently hurting him before Hyosung intervened aggressively.

                “Ow…” Ryeowook groaned, uncurling slowly on the ground as the uncomfortable ache in his chest faded away, allowing him to focus on the bristling trio before him.

                “Leave him be!” Hyosung hissed with her fangs bared, claws digging into Kyuhyun’s arms while her wings flared behind her, her diminutive form hardly threatening but for the anger that rolled off her in waves.

                Sparks flickered around Kyuhyun as he growled under his breath, eyes narrowed while he glared murderously at Himchan.  “Don’t,” he stated simply, the single word promising a world of pain if he dared otherwise.

                Himchan squirmed uncomfortably in place, looking like he wanted to retort but too nervous to do anything more than hold still.  “I’m alright,” Ryeowook interjected, coughing once as he clambered to his feet, walking over to the trio so he could try to pry them apart.  Surprisingly, he really was alright, even if the hit left him smarting, but he was well aware that if he’d been human, he probably should have been hospitalized.

                Hyosung tightened her grip and watched as Kyuhyun winced, her claws digging deeper when she refused to stand down.  “You asked him to do this, Cho.”

                “I’m good, Kyuhyun.  I was just surprised,” Ryeowook explained, frowning at the vampire.  He really didn’t know what to think about the weird mood swings the other male evidenced around him.  They were frustrating and frightening; then again the same could be said of Hyosung who was acting in a similar manner just now…

                “I didn’t ask for your pet to hurt him,” he hissed in an even tone, clearly unamused.

                Worried now since Himchan had become someone he regarded as almost a friend, Ryeowook swallowed and stepped closer, grabbing Kyuhyun and Hyosung’s arms before he shoved them both as hard as he could.  He gasped in surprise when his attempt actually had an effect and the pair stumbled back a step, clearly caught off guard.  “Umm…” he trailed off, blinking between them while Himchan straightened up in the middle, hands held at shoulder height on either side of him.

                While Hyosung looked slightly affronted at the interruption, Kyuhyun had a slow smile spreading across his face as he brushed at his gouged arms with measured .  “Well then,” he chuckled, nodding his head at Ryeowook once, obviously pleased, before he turned and walked out of the training room located beneath N’s house.  Fuming, Hyosung stalked after him, retracting her wings with a harsh rustle of sound.

                “What was that?” Ryeowook asked, pointing after the retreating vampires as he looked back at a slowly smiling Himchan.

                “That… was Kyuhyun’s approval,” Himchan chuckled, walking over to clap Ryeowook on the back in congratulations.

                “I’m confused,” he admitted with a crestfallen face, not at all understanding what was going on.  Just a minute ago, he was picking himself off the floor and now he was somehow in Kyuhyun’s good graces?  What?

                “That’s normal,” Himchan assured him with an emphatic nod.  “Come on.  That’s enough practice for today.  You’ve really made some good progress, Wookie,” he assured the shorter male with an encouraging smile.

                Ryeowook simply nodded in expected agreement and allowed himself to be guided back upstairs.  As suggested earlier that week, he took his new status to heart, though he still resented Kyuhyun and only agreed to train with Himchan, much to the vampire’s disgruntlement.  While he hadn’t realized he possessed as much strength as he did until now, the rest of his… alteration had been eye-opening.  In truth, the half-turned form, with access to a regular supply of vampire blood, was actually superior to both forms, human and vampire, in terms of having a decided lack of weaknesses.

                He could still spend time in the sun, had no limitations when it came to religious paraphernalia, and had no issue whatsoever with garlic, all of which affected vampires to some degree or other.  Conversely, he had been told he’d never get sick, didn’t need half as much sleep as a human, and had all the watered down benefits of vampires themselves, as he’d personally seen for himself today.  It was… odd, but gratifying in a weird, begrudgingly admired way.

                Despite having the news on in the house at almost all times, however, his own connection to the outside world was remarkably restricted.  After his failed attempt at running away, Ryeowook had not been allowed outside the premise for any length of time during daylight hours when a vampire could not accompany him.  He was still denied access to a phone or any communication device and was never left alone.  Ever.  And even when he thought he was, he wasn’t.  That part was irritating.

                But he did notice, even around his training, or what he would consider training at any rate, the vampires were getting nervous.  Hyosung had obviously brought news back and they’d discussed as much outside of his hearing, which had markedly improved in sensitivity, but they declined to let him know what the major results were.  As such, he was still in the dark about almost everything else and he was worried.  It was one thing to be able to see danger coming; another entirely to know it was on the way and have no idea how to recognize it.

                Ryeowook cleaned up like normal that night, taking his time in the shower as he always did.  It was one of the only places he was granted a measure of true privacy, if you could call a vampire on the other side of the door private.  He let the water fall over him in hot rivulets, the steam clouding the mirror which still mostly reflected his person when he looked in it.  His nails dug into his skin hard enough to leave red marks and he took a long, slow breath.  Ryeowook missed his family…

                No matter how much he tried to accept this life and become what they wanted him to be, for whatever reason, he missed who he had been.  The news rarely brought good tidings and the announcements only served to make him edgier.  No, he didn’t live with them, or even have a lot of contact with his parents or sibling, but he still cared and worried about them all, especially now.  It was a struggle not to let the tears fall; the knowledge they would do no good was the only thing that helped keep them at bay.

                Somehow, he would find a way to get back to them.  Ryeowook didn’t know how, but regardless of what the vampires said, he would do all in his power to make sure his family was safe if this stupid war they all expected actually broke out…  He finally had to bite his knuckle to keep from sobbing out loud and exhaled slowly, turning into the hot stream to turn the jets off, standing in the cooling air stiffly.  He would never forgive Kyuhyun for taking him away from everything he knew and loved…

                His eyes closed and he slouched in place when he heard a knock on the door.  “Wookie?” Himchan’s voice filtered through, his tone a bit odd, immediately warning the other that something might be out of place.

                “Ne?” he responded by rote, turning his head to hear better.

                “N just got back a minute ago,” he explained softly, clearly keeping his voice down.  “They want to talk to us.  As a group,” he added quickly, falling silent in the next moment.

                Blinking in confusion, Ryeowook stepped out and snatched his towel, brows scrunching in confusion.  They hadn’t bothered to include them before.  What had changed?  A sick feeling roiled in his stomach at the possibilities and he hurried to get dried off and into his clothes so he could join them.  He knew it couldn’t be good but if they were finally going to include him in something, he wasn’t going to miss the chance either.

(a/n: And... I'm back again!  Man school has been a pain lately.  -_-  I know not a lot happened this update but I'm still trying to flesh out the situation as it stands and especially Ryeowook's current position.  Yay defining elements of being a half-turned.  Don't worry.  We'll have more interesting events and hopefully some KyuWook - of some sort - in the next update.  I've got plans but I'm doing all I can right now to make sure I actually get something posted.  Thank you for being patient and I'll catch you guys on the next chapter!  <3)