A Day In September - BTS Zombie au

35: Calm After the Storm

Mara awoke to the sound of knocking at her door. It was still early in the morning from what she could tell from the light that came through her window. Despite having fallen asleep fast the night prior, there was still an immense ache and fatigue in her body. Her scalp hurt from being grabbed by the hair and the burn mark had been stinging. The pain had lessened a bit overnight but the soreness hadn't.

There was another knock, this one louder than the last, and the girl sighed as she forced herself out of bed. She was prepared for Jimin to appear to tell her she was crazy for diving into the cave headfirst and alone. She hoped it was Jungkook that came to wake her up. 

What she didn't expect—or rather who—was Taehyung standing at the door, blinking stoically back at her. In one hand was a small box, and in the other a brown bottle with the dreaded label 'hydrogen peroxide'.

He raised a brow at her before letting himself in, closing the door behind them and setting everything up on the bed. He took out medication, patches, alcohol and other necessities as Mara simply watched from where she stood.

"Yoongi told me about the burn mark," he muttered, lathering his hands in alcohol.

Mara turned red,

"Okay?"

Taehyung sighed, "Let me clean it. I cleaned his. I assume you didn't clean it yesterday so I'm here before you get an infection."

Mara was in shock. One of the coldest members of the group was there to help...her? There had to be a catch, or at least something in it for him. At least that's what she believed his help had to stem from. It wasn't in his nature to be kind to her, not when all he wanted was for her to leave.

"I won't tell anyone," he muttered last.

Mara stood baffled, eventually nodding and slowly going over to the bed. She sat awkwardly at the edge, watching as Taehyung approached with a focused expression, eyes scanning her face. His fingers gently pressed down on Mara's swollen eye. She winced in slight discomfort and he moved to other areas of her face, inspecting the depth of every cut. 

"They got you pretty good," He commented. Images of Lilith's split and bloody eye resurfaced.

"She ended up worse," Mara mumbled. She cleared her throat, realizing how hoarse her voice sounded. She hadn't really spoken much since the day before, coming home to give everyone the silent treatment. She had been screaming up until then, and it didn't do her throat any good.

Taehyung's eyebrows raised, "Than this?" He motioned to her face, and the girl scowled, leaning back with slight offense.

"This isn't too bad," Mara argued, "At least I still have both of my eyes."

Taehyung blinked, eyes flashing with surprise. It didn't last long before he focused back on his task, retrieving the alcohol and wiping it over her cuts and scratches. Mara hissed at the sting, but took it well. She was already dreading having to do the same for the burn. It would hurt like hell, but if she wanted it to eventually fade and scar properly, she had to toughen up.

"That's gonna take a while to heal. Don't be surprised if tomorrow it looks worse," Taehyung warned, pointing at her eye. Mara's heart dropped.

Worse?

Taehyung placed ointment and Vaseline on the wounds all over her face, a new shine on her face making her appear extremely oily. Mara grimaced at the feeling, but she refrained from touching her face. He pointed to the hem of her shirt, "Is it okay if I lift your shirt?"

Flashes of the day prior crossed Mara's mind, but the girl gave herself reassuring thoughts. She appreciated him asking for consent, and gave it with only slight hesitation. She nodded,