*** Min’s POV ***

I slowly wrapped my hand around the cool metal doorknob and pushed the door open to see Luhan leant against the sofa, sat on the ground with his arms wrapped around his legs that were pressed against his chest. His head twisted towards me and his gaze met mine as I cautiously stepped out from the doorway. Despite his dishevelled appearance, his tousled hair and grubby clothes, he seemed all so familiar to me. His aura, his eyes, they were the same as before he disappeared. They were not the same as the man who had attacked me the night before. Luhan looked so much more vulnerable in this state, his eyebrows furrowed in guilt and self-denial, wincing when he noticed the reddened skin on my face, where he had laid his hands on me, and tear stained cheeks. He jumped up into a slightly hunched standing position when I approached him, making me flinch in surprise at how fast which, in turn, made him stumble away from me in fear that he may have startled me. His gaze turned uncertain as I took more steps towards him closer and closer, until I was stood directly in front of him. He mst have though that I’d abandon him, that I would walk straight out the door, that I would never want to see him again. He was wrong. I hesitatingly took his hand and held it lightly in my own, his sharp intake of breath and nervous, recoiling posture not going unnoticed.

“I’m sorry Luhan …” I breathed out the breath of air I had been holding since I exited the bedroom, he looked confused and shocked that I would be apologising so I continued in the silence “… I’m sorry your father died … I’m sorry you had to deal with anxiety … I’m sorry you got caught up in the wrong crowd … I’m sorry you felt you had no other option … I’m sorry I wasn’t there when I should have been … but Luhan, I promise, you’re going to get through this, I’m going to help you get through this, you can, I know you can … you have to …” I spoke sincerely with sorrow lacing my words. I truly was sorry because, although I may have been scared and I may have been hit, I understood that that was nothing in comparison to what Luhan had been through. He had suffered so much; he’d dealt with the loss of his father which had obviously pushed him over the edge once again. I had never had to grief over the loss of a close loved one such as my parents and although we weren’t as close as some parents and children I knew that it would be unbearably hard to accept.

I gasped when he grabbed my hand and pulled me against him, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist. “No …” he murmured against my ear “don’t be sorry … just … stay” his voice was low and pleading. He needed someone right now and I was going to be there for him. His sturdy exterior was simply a layer of armour protecting the delicate boy beneath, he who was still trying to find himself, he who was struggling on his own, he who lost his father and was grieving.

“I’m not going anywhere” I assured him as we held each other, comforted by each other’s presence after such a long separation, one of my hands gripping the back of his shirt, the other his hair soothingly.

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Soon afterwards I suggested that he should get something to eat - I assumed he hadn’t been eating properly for a while. I went to the kitchen and started preparing samgyeopsal which I had remembered him mentioning some time ago as his favourite Korean dish. Because of the open plan apartment I could see him from where I was stood - he was curled up on the sofa in the living area resting, he was exhausted and I wasn’t planning on denying him rest but he had to get some proper food in him. I also left him with a fresh pile of clothes which belonged to Jongin who left a few outfits in Hyori and I’s apartment to change into; Luhan’s clothes were ragged and definitely hadn’t been cleaned. Where had he been staying ? Certainly not in his old (?) apartment, Jongin would have told me immediately. How long had it been since he came to Korea and left China ? Did he tell his mother he was leaving ?

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of the doorbell ringing and I switched off the cooker before I went to see who the visitor was, slowly and cautiously opening the door. I took a step back when Sehun pushed the door open completely with a sigh, rolling his eyes.

“What are you-” he started before his gaze settled on the red mark on my cheek (which I had forgotten to hide in any way). His line of vision flitted across the apartment before they fell upon the man sat on the sofa who was getting up as the doorbell rang. His eyes darted between the two of us before they stopped on Luhan and uneasiness spread through my body like a wildfire when I saw his face harden and he brushed straight past me towards the man in the living area. “You started again, didn’t you ? I warned you, did I not ? I warned you ! I told you not to hurt her. You gave me your word yet the first place you come to when you’re high is her apartment ! What were you thinking ?” He yelled at Luhan who, despite being obviously frightened, was trying to stay calm and not crumble in the tense atmosphere.

“Sehu-” I spoke quietly, trying to calm him down but he completely disregarded me in anger and he came face to face with Luhan.

“Don’t. Do you not know what you could have done to her ? What you did do ? You can see the red mark on her cheek. How dare you lay your hands on my younger sister !” He swung his arm behind him pointing in my direction as I hurried towards him. “What the were you doing ?” He shouted, pushing the younger so that his back hit the wall harshly and he winced at the contact. “You should be nowhere near her, nowhere near anyone ! You’re not safe. You’re not trustworthy. You have to leave, give her up !” He yelled again in fits of wrath, fuelled by protectiveness.

“I can’t” Luhan sighed in defeat before Sehun landed a hard punch on his lower jaw, pushing off my hands which were trying to restrain him; Luhan was too weak to defend himself much and his efforts weren’t proving very useful as he landed on the ground with a hiss of pain.

As Sehun raised his hand to hit the boy who was now lying helplessly on the wooden floor, I ran in front of my brother, shielding him, squeezing my eyes shut and preparing for the beating to hit me rather than him but it didn’t come. I warily opened my eyes to see Sehun stood, shoulders hunched and his hands hanging limply by his sides. The rage that had clouded his vision cleared. He was surprised, unsure as to why I was still willing to protect him despite the fact that he hurt me and had relapsed. The fact that he was a drug addict. He looked hurt, confused that I had taken Luhan’s side again and stood against him. I felt guilty that he was ashamed of me. Was I being naive ? I didn’t know. But I wasn’t going to back down. I wasn’t going to watch Luhan get beat. He was torturing himself enough as it was.

“Thank you. For stopping before you seriously hurt him.” I exclaimed to Sehun. I placed my hand on his shoulder but he just avoided eye contact with me and I was afraid that I was slowly losing my older brother.

“I didn’t do it for him” he spoke in a hushed tone, a bit aggravated by my assumptions.

“I know” I replied, meeting his gaze, in an apologetic tone, trying not to upset him.

“I’d better talk to you later …” He muttered, turning to leave. I didn’t want him to leave, leaving would mean that he would just get further and further away from me.

“Sehun -” I started but he interrupted me while opening to door to leave.

“I won’t say anything.” And then he was gone the door was shut and I let out a sigh of relief and exasperation. I knew that him keeping silent was a difficult thing to do; he not only was a police officer who’s duty it was to imprison drug addicts or people who were involved in that sort of business, but he was my brother who didn’t want me to get hurt or condemn me to any type of harm – physical, mental or psychological.

I quickly turned and stepped closer to Luhan, crouching beside him and supporting his weight as he stood up. I examined his squinting face and brought him into my bedroom, sitting him on the bed and fetching the medical kit from the bathroom before sitting myself beside him and switching on the light. I then tended to the bruises which were forming on his left check as well as a small cut which stretched from the corner of his lip to his jawline. I tried to be gentle and not hurt him but it was difficult indeed especially since I didn’t have to deal with incidents like this myself. Jongin had got into a few fights before but I had always watched Hyori treat his injuries. I then cleaned the injection marks that littered his arms but it took more mental strength to not break down as I wrapped them in bandages which were to stop the reminder of their existence more than anything else. I couldn’t help but notice Luhan’s face contort in shame as I had examined every mark along his arms but I just patted his knee in encouragement. When I finished I turned to sit facing him on the bed and looked at him in the eye.

“Don’t worry. I’m going to get you help. You’re going to get through this … We’re going to get through this … together … ”

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