During the ensuing month Minseok saved Luhans life nearly on a daily basis. As a matter of fact he prided himself on only having to draw his twin bokken a handful of times.

Out of all the situations they had successfully overcome Minseok felt helpless for the first time under the dark sky of the new moon. He couldn’t do a single thing as Luhan wept bitterly as the last breath left the previous CEO’s body.

Mr. Lin had doted on his only daughter, and subsequently had cherished her only child even more, spoiling Luhan even after he had grown up.

Over the past year Mr. Lin’s health had progressively declined causing every branch of the family to try and shift power in their favor. The decedents of Luhans great-uncle, who had passed away before his elder brother, and the other fourteen great great-aunts and uncles were fighting vehemently for the position of third generation CEO.

Minseok could protect Luhan from the assassins and thugs sent by these family members, but he was woefully unable to shield him from the way they said his family name, Lu, like it was dirty and unworthy just because his father wasn’t a Lin.

Standing in a quiet corner of the executive room at Ming Gu Hospital Minseok clenched his fists so tightly his relativity short fingernails dug deep enough to draw blood.

He couldn’t do a damned thing for the beautiful creature hunched over the hospital bed calling for a loved one who would never answer. Minseok desperately wanted to close his eyes, he wanted to cry, he wanted to hold the grieving man in front of him in his arms, he wanted to pat his hair and kiss away the tears. But he couldn’t do any of that, all he could do was silently listen to Luhans voice become hoarse from screaming, for the rest of his life Minseok would remember the way his beautiful voice broke on two syllables repeated over and over.

Waigong, a word Minseok had never heard before but would be imprinted in his mind forever. Later on, after this whole ordeal was over, he would ask Seong-ssi what it meant, he was sure he would be able to recount the inflections to the translator perfectly.

Minseok dutifully waited hour after hour until Luhan had passed out just as the first rays of sunlight peaked over the horizon, even while unconscious his face was pinched and tears still leaked from his eyes.

He took the time to bow respectfully to the white shrouded body lying motionless on the hospital bed situated at the center of the larger than normal room.

With minimal effort Minseok hefted Luhans sleeping form into his arms, taking a moment to reposition Luhans head against his shoulder so it wouldn’t loll about on their trip to the car. Luhan had been roused enough with the movement to settle his arms around Minseoks neck but seemed to drift right back off, his steady breathing against Minseoks neck both comforted and seemed to torment him all at once but he chose to ignore the shivers coursing down his spine in deference to the tears hitting his skin.

After exiting the automatic doors the personnel who had quietly shuffled out of the room shortly after Mr. Lin had been pronounced dead just as quietly stepped back inside to finish whatever they needed to.

With a reserved countenance Minseok made a point to incline his head as best he could to each and every medical practitioner that had been a part of the team that had looked after Luhans grandfather over the past year.

One of the kind nurses even hurried over to the elevator to call it up to the top floor and politely waited for it to arrive so she could press the ground floor button for them. She bowed as Minseok stepped inside and had a small sad smile on her face when he turned around. Her eyes lingered on Luhan bundled securely in Minseoks arms before alighting on the Korean man’s face and smiled just a little bit bigger if not just as sad.

Minseok couldn’t see Luhans face from where it was buried against his neck but he knew it was splotchy and tear stained, what he didn’t know was that Luhans face had markedly relaxed while in his bodyguards reassuring embrace.

Even when the car pulled up Minseok was reluctant to let go of his charge so he plopped himself down and settled Luhan in his lap, cuddling the broken man closer to him while pressing his own face into the arm slung over his chest.

He was exhausted, physically and mentally.

The drive from the hospital to Luhans suit on the top floor of The China Hotel literal took five minutes but Minseoks eyes had taken the chance to slide closed surrounded by the warmth and scent of possibly the most attractive man he had ever met.

After arriving and settling Luhan into his too big bed Minseok partially undressed him and sluggishly laid out the suit the sleeping man would wear the next day at the funeral, Minseok would wear a matching one, then promptly passed out on the couch.