Chapter 20

Everyone had already left for school by the time Kris got up. Chen and Lay were still asleep but his pack mate soon joined him in the kitchen as he started making breakfast.

“Why did no one wake me?”

“You needed your rest,” said Kris. “No one expected you to go to school today.”

Lay sighed and pulled up a chair at the table. He felt a lot better, having slept dreamlessly all night.

“Is Chen still asleep?”

He nodded. “I’ll heal him some more later.”

“Don’t tire yourself out. His injuries weren’t that bad right?”

“Just some bad bruising I think. He must have hit his head pretty hard to pass out like that though. I’ll check it.”

Kris nodded. He was eating quickly, not wanting his partner to be alone for too long.

“There was something else, Kris.”

“What?”

“When I found him it seemed like he was in heat again. You don’t think…”

“No,” Kris cut him off.

“But that could have been why someone attacked him, because they couldn’t control themselves. Or maybe he tried something like he did with Baekhyun and they fought back.”

“Stop it, Lay.” Kris dropped his spoon into his bowl and stood up. He had sensed his partner’s heat too but he didn’t want to think about it. He wanted it to just be a coincidence.

“I just think that you need to consider it.”

“Did you sense that he was… hurt that way?”

Lay shook his head. “But it’s hard to tell.”

“Then don’t say it. It’s bad enough that he was hurt at all.”

“Hyung, I’m sorry.”

Kris shook his head, dumped his bowl in the sink and left. He knew Llay was just trying to get to the bottom of what had happened but he wasn’t going to jump to conclusions before he had even talked to Chen.

He shut the bedroom door behind him a little too loudly and Chen shifted. Kris hurried over to him, lying down and taking him gently in his arms. “Shh, baby,” he soothed. “I didn’t meant to wake you.”

“Kris?”

Chen whined as the cut on his lip stretched when he spoke.

“It’s ok, it’s me. How are you feeling?”

“Like I was beaten up. Again.”

He felt guilty as he saw the pain his Kris’ eyes. “Sorry,” he said.

“Who did this to you?”

Chen looked down. His left eye felt tender and wouldn’t open completely. He blamed that on why it was watering all of a sudden.

“I don’t know.”

Kris wriggled lower and cupped Chen’s face so he couldn’t look away again. “Baby, please tell me. Was it Heechul or Kyuhyun?”

“No.”

“Was it that group who hurt you the first time we met? I thought I had scared them off.”

Chen sniffed and shook his head. “I didn’t see them.”

Kris sighed and collected his boyfriend to him, gently kissing his head. “It’s ok, baby,” he said, rocking him gently. “I just want to know so I can stop them. I’m supposed to protect you.”

“It’s not your fault,” Chen mumbled.

“I should have been there for you. I was so scared when you didn’t answer your phone.”

“I’m sorry.”

Kris’ heart tightened. “No, no, no it’s not your fault. I just… I just wish I could have been there.”

Chen sniffled and pressed his face against shoulder.

“You can tell me anything, you know. It’ll be ok.”

But Chen didn’t answer. He just let Kris hold him until his stomach rumbled and he had to admit that he was a little hungry. Kris rearranged the pillows and helped him into a sitting position so that he could eat. He made Chen’s breakfast in silence, his head full of thoughts about what his boyfriend hadn’t wanted to talk about. Maybe he was just embarrassed about getting hurt and didn’t want to talk about it yet. He hoped that was the case.

After Chen had eaten and Kris had showered, very quickly, he helped his partner out onto the couch to watch TV. Before Chen had a chance to pick something to watch, Kris wrapped his arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders and kissed the side of his head.

“Chen?”

“Mmm?”

“I want you to join my pack.”

Chen looked up, surprised. “What?”

“I want to be able to protect you. I don’t want you getting hurt like this again.”

“But… Tao hates me.”

He loved Kris and wanted to be with him but he didn’t feel like the rest of the pack wanted much to do with him. Suho’s pack on the other hand… He felt guilty just for thinking it.

“He doesn’t hate you. He was worried about you last night. He helped up look.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, everybody did. Me, Tao, Lay, Luhan, Suho, Chanyeol, Baekhyun, even Sehun and Xiumin.”

Chen’s mouth dropped open. He hadn’t realised he had so many friends. He wasn’t sure he deserved them.

“Please join my pack,” Kris practically begged. “I need you to be with me. We’ll all take care of you.”

Chen nodded. What other choice did he have?

Relieved, Kris pulled him close and hugged him as tightly as he dared.

Taehyung’s fingers picked at a loose thread on his sleeve, his teeth worrying his bottom lip. He had come in late the night before and barely slept so dark shadows lurked under his eyes.

“What’s wrong with you?” Jungkook asked.

“Huh?”

“I’ve been talking for five minutes here and you’re just staring at your desk.”

“Sorry. I didn’t sleep very well.”

“Is this because of whatever happened with Hoseok?”

“What?” His eyes went wide. “How did you…?”

“Jimin said something happened with you two and that’s why you went out for a walk in the rain like an idiot.”

Taehyung slipped down lower in his seat. “It’s not important.” He definitely didn’t want to talk about what Hoseok had said to him last night, and still not apologised for.

Tao came in, sitting in front of them. He had barely arrived before Sehun was leaning across and asking. “How’s Chen?”

“Not good,” Tao admitted. “He was still asleep when I left.”

“Do you have any idea who did it to him? He looked really bad when we found him.”

Taehyung straightened up. “W-what happened to Chen hyung?”

Tao turned around, surprised. “You know him?”

“I… no, just it sounds like something bad. I just, was wondering.”

“Someone attacked him last night, outside the dorms,” said Sehun. “He was unconscious when we found him. They must have just left him lying out in the rain for ages.”

“Will he be ok?”

“Lay healed him but he’ll still need some time to recover,” said Tao.

“How is Lay?” Sehun tried not to look too eager as he asked. “He looked pretty exhausted last night.”

“He just needs to rest. He’s not coming in today.”

Taehyung sat back, looking down as his desk again. It was a few moments before he felt Jungkook watching him and he glanced up apprehensively.

“You ok?” Jungkook whispered, eyes narrowing. Jungkook always noticed everything.

Taehyung nodded too quickly. “Fine.”

“You don’t know anything about Chen hyung getting hurt, do you?”

Taehyung shook his head, too quickly again. His pack mate looked at him for a long moment and then sat back.

“Ok,” he said, but Taehyung knew it wasn’t over.

Sorry if this isn't very good. I've felt ill all day. x