Bonded || SHW

10: Big Mac

"I wanna know," Wonho said as he watched Ophelia's covered figure leave the gym. She was wearing the standard brotherhood-sized hoodie that reached below her knees and obscured her body and face, and a pair of black leggings and black soft soled ankle boots that all the servants wore (they were comfortable, quiet and left no marks on freshly cleaned floors). "What she looks like under those clothes. Why does she cover up like that?"

Minhyuk grunted at he lowered the bar back onto the stand without Wonho's help. He was supposed to be spotting but was distracted as usual.

"She's beautiful," He said, "But she isn't here for you to fuck, my brother,"

Wonho huffed out a laugh, "I know. No sex with the staff. But still, she didn't have to work here, maybe-"

"If you want a female, go out to the clubs Wonho,"

Both males looked up as Namjoon came into the gym, "She has enough PTSD without you chasing after her and bugging her,"

Wonho hummed, "You're right. Also, I'm guessing you're here to tell us that you have no news?"

The Doctor nodded, "Nothing. Kihyun and I have been searching all the forums and places he could have gone but there's no trace,"

The room lapsed into tense silence. Shownu had been missing for ten months but they had exhausted all possible routes to locating him. They could feel that he was still alive, his echo in their blood faint but present, but they didn't even have an inkling to where he was.

"Shit," Minhyuk muttered, snatching a clean towel off the shelf, "We cant even do Dia's ceremony without him here. She deserves to be put to rest but instead she's waiting in the inbetween for him,"

They had spent enough time looking to know that Shownu didn't want to be found. They wouldn't give up hope, but they still had a job to do. Regardless of whether Shownu was with them or not, Hunters were still trying to eradicate Vampires and the Brotherhood still had to fight to keep their race alive.

Namjoon sighed and headed back for the door, "You boys should go to bed now, it's already Noon. Ophelia is trying to do her work but you're making her uncomfortable, so hit the showers and go back upstairs,"

—-

By three in the afternoon, the brotherhood mansion had finally gone quiet. Even the Doctor and the other staff had gone to bed and Ophelia was finally alone.

The last load of laundry had finally finished and she had folded the towels and sheets and placed them in neat piles, ready to be put away once night arrived.

She quite enjoyed her job but it could be quite hard on her ankle. In fact, after the attack from the human male, the pain had started radiating up her leg all the way to her thigh. She suspected that she might have had some nerve damage but she wasn't medically trained. All she knew was that she was in pain.

Her limp was getting worse as she headed down the corridor towards the stairs that led to the main house, and she couldn't help but eye the door that opened to the olympic sized pool as she passed it.

She paused, contemplating to herself. It was the middle of the day and everyone was asleep so there was no chance of anyone seeing her - if someone did come down to this area of the house, her keen ears would pick up the sound of the door in the corridor opening and closing.

Namjoon and Yoongi had both told her that she was welcome to use any of the equipment down here, and that included the pool.

Ophelia wasn't sleepy yet, so she made the bold decision to go inside. Stripping out of all of her clothes (she didn't want her underwear to get wet and there were no swimsuits for females in the cupboards), Ophelia stepped into the crystal clear water.

She let out a sigh of bliss as she suddenly became weightless. The warm water soothed her pains and she relaxed, floating on her back with her eyes closed.

The only sound was that of the almost-silent pool filter and the gentle sloshing of the water against the sides as she disturbed the surface.

It was heaven.

—-

The male was weak and half mad from starvation when the bright light of the sun inched into the cave he had been using as his home for the past however many months he had been gone.

He welcomed it, rolling over onto his back with his eyes closed and hidden by his ratty hair. The only reason he hadn't killed himself already was because of that rumour that he wouldn't be able to join his Mate on the other side.

If it was the sun and he was too weak to get cover, it would be fine. He would be free and he would be with his beloved.

The light got brighter, bringing a comforting warmth with it instead of burning agony. Except for his stomach.

A crippling cramp rolled through him as the smell of food hit his nose and he opened his eyes.

It wasn't the sun to come and end his pain. It was a familiar face to cause more of it.

"Miss me, you miserable motherfucker?" The face grinned, crouching down next to him, "I brought you a Big Mac, you better be grateful. Put those chompers to good use, it's time to stop wallowing in your pity and go back to your piss poor excuse for a bunch of warriors,"

The male turned, not believing that fate could be even more cruel.

"Option two it is," The figure said.

The Male saw a fist draw back, and then he was seeing stars. After that, nothing. Pure, blissful nothing.