Bound by Blood

Chapter 67- our hearts and souls ache as one

TAE POV:

It's with a numbness that I take Hobi hyung out, a sort of haziness that clouds my mind as I lead him to the bathroom. Slowly I peel away his clothes, eyes lingering on the dark stains on them, watch as they fall to the ground. My fingers shake as I undo the waist of his trousers, try to breathe and swallow past the lump in my throat which has taken refuge there since we've found her.

Since we've found (Y/N), it feels like it's difficult to breathe- even though it's been centuries since I lost that habit, it feels like my insides are being pulverised and all I can do is try and hold myself up, and stop myself from collapsing as a boneless heap next to her. The instinct to fall next to her, to cover her vulnerable body with my own is overpoweringly strong but still fails to penetrate the thick fog clouding every sense, dullening it.

I tug Hobi hyung to stand under the shower spray and step in after him, forgoing taking my clothes off as I help wash the red off him, watch the water discolour as it pours down the drain, lather him up slowly with a stiffness that permeates my limbs.

Hyung is shaking.

I reach out to draw him close, cradle his wet vulnerably body in my arms as he cries, loud shuddering gasps drawn in as he tucks himself into me.

"She...she...so hurt." he mumbles brokenly, wetly.

He shudders as I hug him, clings onto me just the way the sodden clothes hang on my frame.

"I know." I reply.

"She doesn't—deserve it." He cries, clutching at me tightly, almost hard enough for the force to actually hurt, but still aware that he's holding his mate, even in his pain.

"I know." I repeat again.

"I'll kill him." he swears vehemently.

My hands tighten around him, finally breaking the repetitive phrasing I've been dully echoing.

"We will." I promise.

Our tears mingle with the shower spray as the two of us cling onto each other, our bodies curve desperately into each other even as we step out, dripping water onto the tiles. Our hands shakily dress each other and towel each other off, and it's with the support of one another that we stumble back to her room.

The first thing I note is that the sheets are gone, the bloodstained white sheets have been changed, now they're dark and bitterly all I can think is that blood doesn't show on dark materials easily.

The second thing I note is that her blouse is gone, the light fabric that was seeped with her blood is gone, the shreds of it taken away.

The third thing I note is that the others have crowded around her, even as Jin hyung holds her- eyes showing that frantic desperation that if he doesn't he fears she'll slip away.

The Ims are huddled around each other, leaning wearily onto each other for support- literally too I note, seeing the exhaustion that lines red eyes, as if the incident has aged them all beyond measure. Eunwoo and MJ hyung are seated near Gyeomie, the two maknaes clutch at each other tightly, seeking desperate comfort from the presence of one another.

MJ hyung's are tired, drained but alert as they watch (Y/N), keep attentive eyes to spot any distress or pain.

The two of us are drawn into the circle of our mates, I lean onto Jungkookie, resting my achingly numb head onto his shoulder, drawing him close when he sniffles.

I watch (Y/N), see the exhaustion that lines her body even as she doesn't awaken.

I don't know how potent the tonic is, how deep she'll sleep and how long it'll take for her to heal but I'm already yearning so deeply, so painfully for her to open her eyes, for her to utter or make a single sound. It feels like time has trapped us within this agonising moment, seeping slowly like sludge, slow and heavy but also as if eons have passed since I last saw her smile, move...do anything.