Lay felt like he was floating – the pleasant rocking, soft bobbing in his head felt exactly like floating in water. Then, the bobbing turned into flat out throbbing and he felt like he'd been hit by a ton of bricks. He barely managed to open his eyes and quickly shut them again as searing pain blazed through his head.

He tried lifting his arms to his head but another flash of pain seared through his chest, making him suddenly breathless. He put his arms down, inhaling shallowly and squinted around, trying to figure out what was wrong.

His eyes fell on the figure slumped in the chair beside his bed. Luhan.

'Hey…' his voice was a barely there croak.

Luhan looked as terrible as Lay felt – his hair standing on end, dark circles around his eyes, sadness and guilt evident on his pale face. He straightened when he heard Lay's almost croak and nearly dropped out of his seat in his hurry to get by his side.

'Oh thank God you're awake!' Luhan grabbed one of Lay's hands, squeezing it gently. 'I'm so sorry!' He leaned his head on Lay's stomach, sounding teary.

Lay, disoriented on his best days, didn’t understand what was going on; he tried to comfort Luhan nonetheless. 'It's okay!' He gently patted Luhan's head.

'Luhan,' Suho softly touched Luhan's shoulder. 'Please move, I need to check him.'

Luhan shifted his body to the side, not lifting his head or leaving Lay's hand. Suho sighed and bent over, peering into Lay's eyes. The pupils were dilated and he was slower than usual when Suho flashed a penlight in his eyes. Concussion. Thank God he'd woken up.

'Could've been worse,' Suho muttered under his breath, moving his fingers deftly along Lay's scalp.

Lay eyed Suho dazedly, wondering why everyone was gathered around him. He couldn’t see clearly, still too sleepy, but Sehun, Tao, Kai, D.O and Chanyeol were all circling around him. 'I don't understand…' he began but it ended in a painful howl as Suho's fingers pressed a tender spot on his head.

'Sorry about that.' Suho murmured, moving his fingers down the nape of his neck and continuing his exploration.

Luhan's face dropped even more when he heard Lay's scream, looking even more haunted. Blinking the tears out of his eyes, Lay patted his hand again. 'I'm fine… Suho'll fix me up.' He tried to smile and nod but winced instead. Suho was now probing along his ribs and, well, it hurt.

Ironic as it was, Lay couldn't heal himself. He could give new life to a nearly dead creature – long as it had the littlest life left in it – but he couldn't heal a single cut on his own body. Luhan felt guilt welling up inside him again. Unlike the rest of the Legends, who'd be healed quickly thanks to him, Lay will have to go through painful recovery.

He sniffed, willing his tears not to fall. He hated crying or showing weakness but his eyes filled easily, something he hated even more. Behind him, Tao was openly crying.

Suho straightened. 'Two ribs,' he told them, 'and concussion. Pretty good, considering.' He looked at Luhan. 'He'll need to rest up for a week, though.' They all healed faster than humans but broken bones needed time to mend.

'Why am I floating?' Lay asked in the silence that followed Suho's announcement. Despite themselves, they burst into laughter, relieved now that they knew Lay was out of danger.

Luhan slipped quietly out, not ready to feel happy just yet. He had done this to Lay – and her, his brain reminded him. He glanced at his fingers again, feeling the crusted blood even though it was long gone. 

They'd told him what had happened – how he had lost control and used his powers and all that. It sounded like a dream. He wished it were a dream but Lay was in the bed, thanks to him and who knew how much he'd harmed her. Tao and Sehun had assured him it was nothing, that she'd been perfectly fine when they'd left her, but he couldn’t forgive himself.

Wasn't the beast supposed to protect his mate? Why the hell had he attacked her?

Suho had tried explaining it to him. 'It's like the two instincts are at war with each other and one overpowers the other – or that's what Kris told me.'

Kris was the only one who'd actually experienced any of what Luhan was going through – the first fever, the instinctive need to mate, the blind rage, all of it – but he was away. And with Kris' history, Luhan wasn't going to trouble him with such matters.

He chewed on his lips thoughtfully, wondering what to do. Lay was alright – beat up, yes but alive. And random as ever. He'd kept himself in the HQs because of Lay, suppressing the urge to race to Mei's side and see if she was okay as well. But he was awake now. Surely he would understand…

Suho stepped out in the living room. 'Lay is saying you should go – he understands.'

That, more than anything, convinced Luhan that Lay was really okay. If the guy could do that weird mindreading thing, he was not dying anytime soon. Not needing any more encouragement, Luhan headed out.

………………………….

D.O. paced around restlessly, Chanyeol following his movements with his eyes as he leaned his tall frame in the doorway. They were still inside Lay's room – Suho, after wrapping Lay's head and chest up, had instructed them to keep him awake – and Sehun and Tao were chatting with Lay, Kai lounging against the wall.

Too many things had gone wrong in a single day – what with Luhan losing it and Lay injured and the Evil looming over their heads like Damocles' sword – and D.O. didn't like it. He didn’t like feeling out of control and right now, it felt like everything was slipping out of his hands.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Everyone quietened, looking at each other questioningly.

'Did anyone order?' Food delivery was the only time their doorbell rang.

'Chicken?' Kai looked ridiculously hopeful.

'Yay Chicken!' Sehun and Tao threw up their arms in celebration.

'Shut up!' D.O. told them, taking his wallet and making his way to the door. All others, except Lay, followed behind. Food was the strongest draw for them.

'Look, we don't even know if Suho ordered for us or not…' D.O. was telling them as he opened the door. And stared in surprise. It wasn't food at all.

It was Xiumin.

With a girl.

'Hey!' Xiumin smiled, looking ridiculously huge next to the tiny waif who was hiding behind him nervously.

'Come on in.' D.O. and the others backed up so they could enter.

Xiumin grabbed the girl's hand, smiling at her nervousness, and pushed her inside first. Soon as she was inside, Chanyeol pulled Xiumin back. 'Who's she?' He wiggled his eyebrows.

Seeing as it was the first girl to step foot in their house, their curiosity was understandable. Xiumin sighed at his obviousness. 'Angel, Lay's friend.'

'Only Lay's?' Chanyeol's evident innuendo made D.O. cringe.

'Shut up.' Xiumin told him and stepped inside. 'Relax, they're just a bunch of overgrown puppies…' He tried to put her at ease, putting a hand on her shoulder to steer her to the living room. 'Lay's in his room.'

D.O wasn't sure telling her they were puppies was a good idea – she looked positively terrified, hugging her bag tightly.

Just then Suho, who'd been in his room, stepped into the living room, 'Who is it?' he called casually before stopping short, taking in the scene in front of him.

His eyes rounded when they landed on Angel, then narrowed threateningly on seeing Xiumin's hand on her shoulder. D.O didn't miss the way his hands curled into fists or the red that suddenly flashed into his eyes.

………………………..

Suho normally didn't have a problem with anything Xiumin did. When he'd asked to move into his own apartment, over his shop, Suho had agreed. If Xiumin wanted to move back in, Suho had his room ready. If he needed anything, Suho'd willingly provide. In short, they didn't have any trouble. Suho respected his status as the oldest Legend, he respected Suho's privilege as the pack's leader and both Shadows lived in harmony.

But in this moment, Suho had a big problem with Xiumin – who'd lose his hand if he didn't take it off Angel's shoulders. Like, right ing now.

He knew he was over reacting, getting out of control over something utterly mundane. He understood, in a vague disconnected sort of way, that this was what Lay had meant when he'd told him worry about himself; that he was as close to losing control as Luhan.

But none of that mattered because she'd just placed herself behind Xiumin. Choosing him over Suho, giving herself in his protection.

His eyes flashed red, his teeth bared at his Shadow who'd dared to challenge his authority, tried to take his mate…

He moved without conscious thought and would've willingly pulled a Luhan, blasted Xiumin out of the way. But D.O. stepped in front of him, forcing him take his eyes off his target.

He felt his senses return a little and blinked. 'What?'

'We don't need any more casualties.' D.O. spoke under his breath, obviously mindful of Angel's presence. 'Please leave.'

Suho considered baring his teeth as D.O. as well, maybe demand his acquiescence to his authority but his now-rapidly functioning rational mind spoke up. He's right.

He still didn't have to like it. He nodded, his heel and returned to his room, slamming the door extra hard.

……………………

Layhan OMG!!! O_O 

Angel's kinda cute, isn't she? Angry Suho's hot :3