Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“But I can’t break bonds…can I?” 

Heeseung looped his arms around Jungwon’s waist tighter, a memory pulling at the back of his mind. It was slightly fuzzy, grainy, like an old film, but he could feel the hand gripping the back of his neck, a knee digging into the small of his back, the hard ground under his face. He shuddered at the uninvited cold that swept through his body, and Jay’s fingers loosened in his hair, stroking softly rather than pulling now. 

Sunghoon cleared his throat, his hand covering Riki’s. “Let’s not test it, yeah?”

Riki’s eyes were blown wide, like he was picturing the damage, the chaos he could cause if he shared the same ability as Yoonchae. Heeseung took some comfort in the fact that Riki looked incredibly uncomfortable at the idea. 

Lips tickled his ear, but Heeseung found himself leaning into Jay’s warmth. “You okay?”

Jungwon tucked himself into Heeseung’s neck, still clearing the fog from his brain as he gently pet the mark on his throat, almost adoringly. “Hyung?”

“I’m fine,” he promised, “they just…weren’t my biggest fan.” 

“How so?” Sunoo asked, one hand resting on Riki’s shoulder.

Heeseung sighed, letting his head fall back against the couch. He didn’t want to rehash his past, especially not Yoonchae. Yoonchae, who was always so cruel, who enjoyed pain, who enjoyed causing pain. In hindsight, Heeseung understood why they were kept around in the Underground—their unwavering ability to get information where it was needed was commendable to some extent, but there was no one to protect him from Yoonchae.

“You’ll always be alone. I'll make sure of it.”

Heeseung buried the instinct to lock every door and window possible—to hire a witch, maybe, to set up a ward. But he knew it was useless. If Yoonchae, or Syrus, or the Underground wanted in, there was nothing Heeseung could do to stop it, nothing but plead for the lives of his coven. 

Still, he said, “I’m going to order better security measures.”

Jay’s hand slid from his hair to the back of his neck, his touch so light it couldn’t have been considered more than a caress, but it burned. 

And suddenly, Heeseung was back on the ground, his nose broken and bloodied, leaving him unable to drag clean air into his lungs, and his ribs ached, a dull, almost numb pain that came from an injury left untreated for too long. 

Because of course, Yoonchae wouldn’t let it heal, breaking them over and over, ensuring Heeseung was always weak, always destabilized. He felt the teeth closing around his neck, the instant fear that pumped enough adrenaline through his veins to ignore his pain and push himself away. He saw the blood that stained Yoonchae’s teeth, their grin as they tilted their head at Heeseung’s rare show of defiance. A new thing to break. He felt his throat, coarse with screaming and soaked with blood. He felt Yoonchae’s grip on his ankle, dragging him back, only to slam their fist into his face. 

A thought flickered behind his eyes as Yoonchae brought down another first, bruised at the knuckles. Maybe this time they’ll finish the job.  

But they never would. Because that was no fun.

***

“Hyung? Hey, hyung, look at me.”

Jay’s hand was no longer on the back of his neck. Heeseung wasn’t even on the couch anymore; instead, somehow, he was on the floor, and everyone crouched around him. Only Jake touched him, but Heeseung felt no pain, blood didn’t clog his airways, and the only thing that remained was the dull ache in his ribs, like an echo.

Slowly, his lungs sucked in full breaths again, and he swept the room with his eyes, searching for Yoonchae in the corners. But they weren’t there. All that remained was what he had helped build, something Yoonchae promised him he would never get to have. But Yoonchae was gone. He’d made sure of it. 

Jake’s thumb brushed just under his eye, and only then did Heeseung realize the grip he had on them. He released them, muttering a small apology under his breath and ignoring the worried stares of his coven as he stood up. He shrugged off Jungwon’s silent question, trying to shoulder past them when Riki caught hold of his sleeve. 

Heeseung paused. He could throw Riki off easily, but it was Riki. Riki, who had never looked so worried before, Riki, who was dumb, and brave, and strong, and so unfairly beautiful it made his chest hurt.

“Why did they hurt you?”

All the air Heeseung had worked to get back in his lungs was punched away. Not: did they? Not how? But why?

“They liked it.” He said, his voice flat, his back to Riki. “It made them feel powerful, when I begged, when I cried.”

He heard sharp inhales behind him and the unmistakable sound of Sunoo’s whimper, a broken, sad sound that Heeseung hated more than anything. 

Riki’s hand clenched around his. “You’re strong. For getting away.” 

Heeseung curled his spare hand into a fist. He didn’t feel strong, not when every cell in his body demanded he roll over, because a docile victim was less entertaining, less fun to break. He didn’t feel strong when he ran from city to city, never staying in one place for too long, but not for fear of the locals, but rather because he knew they were closing in.

“Did the rest of the Underground…know?” Jay asked tentatively, but Heeseung could hear the strain in his voice, feel the way he was practically vibrating.

Heeseung considered lying, even if to ease their minds a little. He sighed, rubbing at his eyes in frustration. He knew he’d have to talk about it sooner or later, explain why sometimes he woke with a start or glanced over his shoulder in a crowd, but that didn’t mean he wanted to. 

He tongued at his fangs, giving himself a moment to string the sentence in a way that would soften the blow a little. “They knew. I was offered to Yoonchae once it was clear I held their interest.” 

Jake and Sunoo looked stricken, but Jay and Sunghoon looked murderous. “They got to ‘let their steam out’ as long as they cooperated and did as they were told. Everyone turned a blind eye in return.” His lips quirked up, but nothing felt funny; maybe it was the irony. “The others even made sound-proof rooms, just so no one would have to listen to me scream.”

No one moved for a while, nothing but their ragged breathing filling the room. Until Jungwon uncrossed his arms, his steps were steady but slow as he reached Heeseung. Heeseung watched him silently, answering with a nod when Jungwon raised an eyebrow. Slowly, like he was giving Heeseung time to back out, Jungwon wrapped his arms around Heeseung’s neck, pulling his face down so his nose rested right over his mark on Jungwon’s neck.

Heeseung circled his arms around Jungwon’s waist, feeling how the other vampire shook in his hold. He straightened, lifting Jungwon off the ground slightly, but Jungwon didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he kissed over Heeseung’s mark, sending small shocks through his spine.

But Heeseung reveled in it. Every shock meant he was safe. That he belonged somewhere—no matter how hard Yoonchae had tried to take that from him.

“I’ll kill them. All of them.” Jungwon whispered against his skin; his words seemed like they’d be sharp, dripping with poison, but his tone remained soft.

Heeseung grinned in spite of himself, “I don’t think you can go up against an Original, Wonnie, much less a group of them.”

Jungwon hummed, the edges of his fangs scraping against Heeseung’s mark, and a shiver racked down his spine. “They’ve never pissed me off before.” He countered.

Heeseung, still grinning, set Jungwon back on his feet. Jungwon refused to let go for another moment before stepping back, but kept himself within the circle of Heeseung’s arms. “I won’t let them touch you.”

Heeseung’s chest felt tight. “I know.”

Jake inched closer, breaking the small bubble of tension. Heeseung finally looked away from Jungwon. Sunoo was tucked into Jay’s arms, tears dripping down his face and soaking the material of his shirt. Riki had his arm around the tight line of Sunghoon’s shoulder. He bent down to mutter something in Sunghoon’s ear that had him growling slowly until Riki elbowed him, and his posture relaxed just slightly. 

Heeseung’s heart lurched. Sunoo made a small hiccuping sound, and Jay swiped his thumb under his eye. He offered his hand silently, an offering Jay could take or refuse. Jay gave Heeseung a long-suffering look that told him they’d have a conversation later, but still he pulled Sunoo’s face away from the crook of his neck, his voice soothing as he handed Sunoo over.

The moment Sunoo’s skin brushed his, Heeseung pulled him close, his lips right next to Sunoo’s ear. “I’m okay,” he promised, “it’s all over now.” 

Sunoo made a horrible sound in the back of his throat that sounded dangerously close to a sob. He collapsed into Heeseung’s body, hands grasping at his shirt like he couldn’t pull them close enough together. Heeseung had a bad feeling he’d said the wrong thing because Sunoo was heaving out denials in between shaky breaths.

Heeseung squeezed him tighter, anxiety crushing his lungs. He was the reason Sunoo was this upset, and that fact gnawed at the back of his mind. 

“I won’t let them hurt you, baby, you’re safe.”

Sunoo only sobbed harder, and Heeseung felt something wet on his cheek. He blinked, suddenly aware of how blurry the room had become. He wiped at his eyes roughly.

“That’s not the point!” Sunoo’s hands landed on his chest, and he pushed hard. Hard enough that Heeseung stumbled back a step. 

Jungwon reached to stabilize him, but Heeseung shrugged him off, his eyes tracking Sunoo. Sunoo looked guilty for a moment before fury glazed over his face again.

“It’s not okay and it’s obviously not fucking over.”

Heeseung resisted the urge to simultaneously roll his eyes and scan the perimeter for threats. “Sunoo—”

“Are they the reason you get nightmares?”

Heeseung flinched, just slightly. But it was enough. Jay cursed, and all the progress Riki had made in calming Sunghoon was thrown out the window. 

He opened his mouth, and denials weighed heavily on the tip of his tongue; anything to erase the way Sunoo crumpled or Jay’s curse.

“Don’t.” Jungwon said, dangerously quiet. Heeseung turned to him, surprised. “Don’t even think about lying to us right now.”

 Heeseung’s mouth snapped shut, but he didn’t want to look at them, didn’t want to see the sympathy he was sure was written all over their expressions. 

He heard them shuffling around; they didn’t speak, but their thoughts were loud enough. Someone brushed his shoulder, a gentle warning that had Heeseung relaxing against his will, then pressed their hand firmly over his ribs. Right over the faint, white scar. It was nearly gone, nearly as faded as the pain it had brought. 

Riki’s fingers were gentle, tracing the scar's outline over Heeseung’s shirt. Heeseung let out a shuddering breath, part of him still shocked by the tenderness they handled him with, even after all these years. It was the same part that burned with the memories of pain, of having hands wrapped around his neck, of the sick smile he saw when the sounds of his bones snapping filled the room. It was the same part that kept him with one foot in the past, no matter how much he wanted to let go.

“Hyungie.” 

Heeseung’s breath caught. Riki hadn’t called him that before. He counted to three in his head, then slowly opened his eyes. Riki didn’t hold sympathy in his gaze; instead, it was something Heeseung couldn’t quite read. There was a tight line in his shoulders, one that nearly mirrored Sunghoon’s, but his posture was sad. His mouth was set in a smile, but something in his face twitched at the wrong moments. 

Riki removed his hand without acknowledging the scar that rested beneath it, and Heeseung felt his breath come out faster. “Don’t look at me like I’m fragile.”

Riki blinked for a moment, then threw his head back with a laugh that shattered the atmosphere. When he finally settled, his smile looked more genuine, but his eyes held wrath, enough that Heeseung startled at the sight of it. 

“Oh, trust me, I know you’re not fragile.” He said. “That doesn’t mean you’re not in pain. And that doesn’t mean we’re not allowed to be furious about what they did to you.” 

Now it was Heeseung’s turn to blink in surprise. A breathless, little sound escaped him, and even when he picked Riki apart, he could find no evidence of him lying. Jake tugged on the hem of his shirt, interrupting the small stare-down between him and Riki.

“Hyung, you don’t have to talk about it now, but—”

“—but you have to let us kill them.” Sunghoon interrupted. 

Heeseung glanced over with amusement, and Jake let out an exasperated sigh, muttering something under his breath about ‘not the time’. Heeseung let his eyes drag over Sunghoon. He was still tense, wound up so tight he was practically vibrating. Heeseung smiled, deciding to ignore the fact that Sunghoon had never killed anyone outside of the uncontrollable bloodlust from his fledgling days, and settled on:

“You can take down an Original, Hoon?”

Sunghoon made an aborted sound in the back of his throat. “You think Jungwon can?”

Heeseung shrugged. “It's Jungwon.”

Sunghoon looked torn between agreeing and being offended, but Jay wrapped an arm around his waist, his hand slipping up his shirt, and Sunghoon practically melted. Beside him, Riki shifted, almost imperceptibly, so that he was leaning against Heeseung, the weight of him comforting in a way Heeseung wouldn’t admit. 

Jake caught it too, though, if his little smile was anything to go by. He reached over to tug Jungwon closer to the group. “Okay, so let’s figure out the bigger problem.”

“What bigger problem?” Sunoo asked, his expression still mostly closed off, and Heeseung felt that pang of guilt again.

“The one where somehow Riki got weird ass abilities that we believe are tied to hyung’s abuser?”

Heeseung pressed his hand to Riki’s lower back to stabilize him as everyone turned to stare at him once again. “He couldn’t have gotten them from Yoonchae, they died nearly a hundred years ago.”

“Did you see the body? Personally?”

Heeseung winced. “No, but—”

Jake gave him a look. “And you trust the council?”

“No—”

“So we’re back to square one: we know nothing.”

“If he had his turn botched, everything else would make a little more sense.” Sunoo added. “The dependency, the possible bond, the abilities. If his turning was fucked it would make more sense as to why we’ve never seen this before. Especially if it was an Original.”

Riki frowned, looking down to pick at his fingers, a habit Heeseung was noticing more and more whenever Riki was nervous, but said nothing. 

“They don’t live.” Heeseung insisted. “I’ve watched fledgling burn out within hours. The ones that cling to an Original’s power die faster than those who starve themselves.”

“Well clearly not if Riki is standing right here.” Sunoo countered.

“Yoonchae is dead, I’m telling you.”

“Are you telling us? Or are you hoping?”

Heeseung flinched, feeling a small stab of betrayal at Jungwon’s words. “Stop it.”

Jungwon had the decency to look guilty as he leaned into Heeseung’s space. “Do you know with absolute certainty Yoonchae is dead? Is there no doubt in your mind that when you wrote their name on that list the council would take care of them?”

Heeseung wanted to say yes. He wanted this to be over with, but something in the back of his mind nagged at him. He wasn’t sure. He’d written down Yoonchae’s name and had washed his hands of it. But still.

“They can’t be alive.”

Sunoo looked confused. “Hyung—”

“They would never let me have this if they were alive.”

Jungwon blinked. “Let you have what?”

Heeseung gestured vaguely to his mark and around the room. “They hated nothing more than the idea of me having someone other than them. They only wanted my misery to themselves. They used to slaughter anyone I so much as looked at. They would never let me have a coven.” 

“I hate to say this, but do you think they’re…waiting? Plotting?” Jay’s voice was muffled by Sunghoon’s shoulder, and he bit down on the area when Sunghoon tensed again. 

But Heeseung was already shaking his head. “They were never the plotting type, it took too much patience. They wanted instant gratification, instant pain. They had no impulse control, that’s why I was given to them, so that most of the impulsiveness would fall on my shoulders.” Sunghoon hissed, but Heeseung ignored him. “I wouldn’t have you if Yoonchae was alive.”

Jay looked exhausted as he pinched Sunghoon’s side. “Okay so what if it wasn’t Yoonchae but Yonchae’s blood?”

Heeseung’s head hurt. “What?”

“One of Yoonchae’s closest descendants then, maybe? Or someone using Yoonchae’s blood?”

“How would that even work?”

Heeseung’s jaw ticked as he glanced back and forth between them. They’d fallen into this pattern too many times before—Jake dismissing, Jay arguing, the rest of them caught in the middle. Normally, he’d tune it out, but tonight his nerves were already raw, and their voices scraped across them like sandpaper.

Then Riki leaned back further against his chest, light but steady, and the tension in his shoulders eased almost without permission.

“What are they saying?” Riki asked.

It took Heeseung a beat to realize Jake and Jay had switched to English—their favorite language to argue in—and that he’d been so wrapped up in their noise, he hadn’t even noticed.

“They’re just arguing,” he murmured, voice quieter than before. “Jay’s convinced of something, Jake’s not.”

Jay squinted at Jake. “I don’t know, it’s called a theory for a reason. Maybe they collected Yoonchae’s blood before the execution.”

“Why would anyone keep that?” Jake asked, exacerbated. “And for what, to waste it on a random twenty-three-year-old?”

“Maybe not random.” Jay didn’t add any more, but the implication hung in the air, one that had everyone in the room tensing.

“Enough,” Jungwon said, low, but his voice carried enough to break through to Jay and Jake. “We can argue about motives all night, but it doesn’t matter until we know how Riki was turned in the first place.”

Sunghoon exhaled sharply but nodded. “So we start there. Trace the attack. That’s the first thread.”

“Then we pull it,” Jungwon finished.

Sunoo pushed off the back of the couch, face still tear-stained. “I’ll go back to the study.” 

By the time Heeseung moved, the door was already closing behind him. Heeseung’s hand clenched around nothing, and he fought the urge to sigh. He’d just started pulling away from Riki to go after him when Riki leaned back again, his voice quiet. “Is that where he goes at night? To the study?”

Jungwon turned to him sharply, eyes curious, “What do you mean?”

Riki frowned. “When he leaves in the middle of the night? Usually he just goes downstairs for a couple of hours, at least until Jay or Heeseung drag him back up. I didn’t know he was spending all that time in the study though.”

Something in Heeseung’s chest both warmed and caught at that. Ever since Hanni had first shown up, covered in rain and shivering from fear, they’d all been a little restless, but Sunoo more than most. They lose him to his own head more often now, and Heeseung has had to drag him from the study at ungodly hours far more times than he should have. But he didn’t know that Riki had noticed that. 

He and Jay were trying to get it under control, not wanting to worry Jake further or add something else to Jungwon’s plate, but Heeseung hadn’t even stopped to consider if Riki would be cataloging it. 

“I feel him leave, it wakes me up, but I usually go back to sleep if I can hear him. Sometimes I wait until Jay or Heeseung brings him back, though. Makes me feel better.” Riki said it with a shrug, casual, like Heeseung’s heart wasn’t tearing itself apart to fit Riki inside as well.

Everyone was staring at him again, and Heeseung could tell Riki was starting to feel the weight of it when he started fidgeting. Then Sunghoon, still wrapped up in Jay, leaned forward, his eyes holding a certain gleam. 

“You’re like a human ring-doorbell. You just feel it whenever we leave, huh?” He said. Then he paused. “Well, not human, but you get what I mean.”

Jungwon grinned and let out something close to a giggle, and Heeseung thought, for a moment, he was having a stroke. Jungwon reached out for Riki with one hand, and Heeseung only noticed how much he was leaning on the other vampire once he was gone. Jungwon jabbed his finger in the direction of the hallway, his grin softening into something gentler. 

“Jake-hyung, can you check on him? I’ll talk to him later but right now I think you have a better chance of not having a paper-weight thrown at your head.”

Jake hummed, leaning down to kiss Jungwon’s cheek like he couldn’t resist, and quickly, before he seemed to realize what he’d done, dropped a light kiss on Riki’s head as well. “I just think you're using me as a sacrifice.” He teased, but was down the hall and knocking on the door before Jungwon could answer. 

Once Jake disappeared down the hall, Jungwon turned on Sunghoon. “Can you come eat, please? I don’t think I’ve seen you feed properly in a while, and it’s stressing me out.”

Sunghoon, who looked prepared to fight back, dropped his defensive stance the moment the word ‘stress’ came out of Jungwon’s mouth and didn’t even protest when Jungwon led him from the room.

Heeseung went to follow, but Jungwon stopped him. He shook his head and pointed back at Jay, who didn’t look entirely surprised by the chain of events. 

Heeseung himself should’ve seen this coming, but that doesn’t mean he’s prepared to face the disappointment on Jay’s face.

“Jongseong…” He started, twisting his fingers. 

Jay looked pained, like he’d dropped all pretenses of being fine once he knew there were no witnesses. “I just—” He ran his hand through his hair roughly, “why didn’t you tell us? We’ve told you everything. Do you not…trust us?”

Heeseung winced. “No, Seong, it’s nothing like that, I promise.” He was relieved when Jay didn’t move away from his touch. “It’s just not a good part of my past and I didn’t…” He cut off, searching for a way to make it sound less pathetic to his own ears, “I didn’t want you guys to look at me any different.”

For a long moment, Jay didn’t move, didn’t even breathe, and Heeseung panicked, thinking he’d said yet another thing wrong today. But Jay just stepped forward, forcing himself into the circle of Heeseung’s arms and burying himself against his chest. 

Heeseung’s heart stuttered, stumbled over itself, trying to keep up as he wrapped his arms more firmly around Jay's shoulders, and he leaned his cheek on Jay's hair. He smelled of their shampoo and the cologne Sunghoon had gifted him years ago. It was familiar, a scent Heeseung had come to associate with home long before they’d become an official coven.

“Hyung?” Jay said, voice muffled by the material of Heeseung’s shirt.

Heeseung cleared his throat. “Yeah, love?”

“I’m scared.” 

Heeseung’s arms tightened around Jay reflexively. Reassurances bubbled to the surface. He wanted to tell Jay everything was going to be perfectly fine, that he had nothing to worry about, that Heeseung would take care of it. But he bit those back. Jay wouldn’t want to hear those, not really. So he swallowed his automatic responses and, for the first time that night, decided he’d be entirely honest. 

“Me too, baby, me too.”

Jay held him tighter. 

*****

Jungwon’s head fucking hurt. He had intentionally dragged Sunghoon and Riki far enough away that Jay and Heeseung were just a murmur in the background. They were eating now, Sunghoon making some sort of concoction with ingredients Jungwon wouldn’t have ever thought to mix together, and Riki was happily sipping on a blood bag Jungwon had offered him. 

Sunghoon plated his…food, if you can call it that, and speared some with a utensil to offer it to Jungwon, who declined. Riki, on the other hand, had no qualms and reached over to grab some before Jungwon slapped his hand away. Riki pouted. 

“Hey!”

“You can’t even drink other types of blood, human food is a no-go until I’m sure we’ve weaned you off of Sunghoon.” 

Riki crossed his arms over his chest, now glaring at the blood bag in his hands like it had personally wronged him. Jungwon reached over to gently run his palm from the back of Riki’s neck down to the small of his back, resting his hand there. 

“Why don’t we try it?” Sunghoon interrupted, turning back to the fridge. 

“Hyung—” Jungwon started, both surprised and afraid of what Sunghoon was going to suggest, until Sunghoon slammed open the fridge and laid out the different blood bags.

Sunghoon’s hand covered Jungwon’s to give it a squeeze as he laid it all out for Riki. “Do you want to try today?”

Riki hesitated, glancing back and forth between the bag in his hands and the bags on the counter. “What are we going to do?” 

“We’ll try one drop today, and if it goes well try more?”

Riki sent a nervous glance towards Jungwon, who rubbed comforting circles into his skin. “It’s your choice, no one’s going to make you.” 

Riki fidgeted for a long moment but nodded, and Sunghoon chose a blood bag. He took the one in Riki’s hand, poured it into a cup, and very carefully added a single drop of human blood. He slid the glass back towards Riki. The glass clinked gently when it came to a stop at Riki’s hands, but he didn’t move, didn’t even look up from the blood.

Jungwon was about to tell Riki again that he didn’t have to do this today, but Riki grabbed the glass, throwing it back and taking the blood like a shot, if a little shaky. He recoiled almost instantly and threw himself at Jungwon, hiding in the crook of the other vampire’s neck.

Jungwon blinked, patting Riki’s back as he slowed his breathing, pressing a kiss to his temple just like he would with the rest of his coven. Riki tensed at the contact before falling further into him. He shot a look at Sunghoon, slightly panicked, but Riki was pulling back slowly and tonguing at his fangs with his eyebrows furrowed. 

He lifted the glass again, staring at it, then at Sunghoon. Jungwon pulled at his arm, partly to get his attention, partly to use his own hands as a barrier in case Riki tried to rip at his skin again.

“Riki,” Jungwon whispered, “you okay?”

Riki set down his glass, eyes bright, almost excited. “Yeah,” he said, “I think so.”

Sunghoon squeezed Jungwon’s hand again and squinted at Riki. “You don’t feel…murderous? Itchy? Like you might start ripping your skin off again?”

Riki let out an awkward little laugh but shook his head. “It felt…uncomfortable, but not painful. Not like before.” 

Sunghoon let out a sigh that seemed to drain the life out of him as he sagged against the counter. Jungwon felt the tension winding out of him as well, and Riki was giddy, practically vibrating where he was standing. He made a quick grab for the blood bag Sunghoon was still holding, and before Jungwon could blink, Riki was draining it. 

“Riki!—” Jungwon slapped the bag away, and it landed with an unpleasant slap, sending splatters of blood all over the floor. Riki said something in a voice that bordered on a whine, but stopped when he started to sway in place. His face scrunched up, and the color drained from his face.

“Oh my god, you fucking idiot.” Sunghoon cursed, rounding the counter with quick strides to steady Riki. 

Jungwon waited with baited breath for Riki to snap, for him to double over, for the screaming to start again, for the tattered ribbons of his arms to return. 

Not again. He can’t watch him tear himself apart again. 

But Riki didn’t move. He didn’t scream. He just took slow, pained breaths through his teeth. Sunghoon held him, whispering words of encouragement that Jungwon thought could also double as insults, and Riki clung to him. 

Just as Jungwon was about to leave to go get Jay or Heeseung, Riki straightened up. He was still a little pale, but he looked…okay. Not fantastic, but not like they’d have to go through a repeat of his turning. His hands trembled slightly where he held Sunghoon, but he no longer looked moments from passing out.

Jungwon sagged against his chair. “What did we learn?”

“Too much,” Riki winced, “we’ll try again tomorrow.”

Jungwon nodded, still eyeing Riki to make sure he wouldn’t collapse. He looked okay. But for how much longer?

“What the fuck happened in here?” 

Jungwon turned, watching Jay and Heeseung pause in the doorway. Jay scanned over everyone, taking in the spilled blood and the way Jungwon and Sunghoon were still hovering. 

Riki grinned, bounding over to Jay and Heeseung, only slipping slightly on the blood. “Hyung! I can drink other blood now!”

Jay raised an eyebrow, grabbing Riki’s elbow to guide him closer so he wouldn’t slip again. “You can do what?”

“I can drink other blood.”

Heeseung blinked, accepting Riki’s hug of celebration. “That’s…good, right?”

Jungwon rubbed his temples. “We gave him one drop, then he tried to chug the rest of the bag.”

Jay slapped at Riki without looking. “Idiot.” He hissed before crossing the room to prop Sunghoon up on the counter and grab a wad of paper towels. 

Jungwon hopped off his chair to help, pretending not to notice the way Heeseung carefully inspected Riki, trying to reassure himself that he was actually okay.

He’d just finished throwing away the last bunch of paper towels when his phone buzzed with a message. He dug it free from his back pocket, flipping it so he could see the dull screen. Hanni’s name popped up on his home screen, an old photo of them staring back at him. He smiled at it briefly before he read her message. 

Another body.

The fifth in the past month. 

Heeseung’s hand landed comfortingly on his shoulder, which he squeezed when he also read the message. “We have to go.” He murmured.

Riki glanced their way curiously. “Go where?”

Jungwon sighed. He hated lying, but he hated the idea of getting Riki involved more. “Out, we’re needed somewhere.”

Riki, to his credit, tried to look unbothered, but Jungwon noticed the twitch in his stance. “Can I come?”

“No.” They all answered, and Riki flinched back at their sudden and immediate refusal. 

Jay winced and reached for him, whether to comfort himself or Riki, though Jungwon wasn’t sure. But Riki backed away, pulling into himself and refusing to look at them.

“Jay-hyung,” Jungwon called. “Can you go get Jake and Sunoo, please?”

Jay looked reluctant but left quietly to retrieve Sunoo and Jake. Jungwon turned back to Riki, “Do you want someone to stay with you?”

“No,” Riki said just as Sunoo and Jake appeared in the doorway behind Jay.

“Riki—”

“I’m fine, just go.” He pushed away from the island, storming past the others and straight upstairs. The door slammed moments later, and the entire house flinched at the impact. A part of Jungwon wanted to just bring Riki along; it was only a matter of time before this reached him anyway. But he couldn’t bring himself to drag Riki into whatever this was, especially when he didn’t know himself.

He vaguely heard Heeseung telling the others about the situation in a hushed tone; he could hear their heartbeats pick up speed. Jay was trying to convince Sunoo to stay behind, but he was refusing, saying something about not needing to be coddled, but Jungwon wasn’t really listening. 

“Enough.” Heeseung eventually hissed. “Anyone that’s going, get in the car.” 

Everyone filed out quickly after that until all that was left was Heeseung and Jungwon and the faint, stuttering heartbeat upstairs. 

“He’ll be okay, he’ll be mad as hell, but we won’t be gone for long,” Heeseung said, wrapping his arms around Jungwon’s waist, and Jungwon allowed himself to lean back into the embrace. 

“Yeah, I know.” He said.

Heeseung pulled away, tugging him by the hand towards the car. But even when the door closed and Jungwon had double checked it was locked, he couldn’t shake off the pit in his stomach, a raw, aching feeling that had him itching to run back in to check on Riki. So, he stared blankly as the house got smaller with distance, until he could no longer see it entirely.

***

The walls of Riki’s room felt suffocating. The scents that soaked his blankets were choking him, like barbed wire cutting into the skin of his throat. He watched the car disappear from his window, counting his breaths with the passing seconds. He didn’t know what he wanted or expected. To see the car turn around? For them to come back instead of leaving him alone in a house that now felt cold and unwelcoming?

Riki wasn’t sure how long he’d waited before he found himself downstairs, pacing between the front door and the back. He reached for the door, then ripped himself away. Over and over until he was sure he wasn’t in control of his own body anymore. In the back of his mind, he knew he shouldn’t leave, not when he knew the consequences. But…he just couldn’t stay. Not when he felt like the air was being ripped from his lungs. 

He let out a growl of frustration and pulled the door open, disappearing into the woods before he could change his mind. He blew past trees that all looked the same, took turns around corners until he could no longer see the house, until all the scents were as far away as he could physically manage. But he could still feel the echo of it in his bones, rattling louder than his heartbeat.

Some time had to have passed before Riki realized he had no idea where he was. All the trees that he had hated for looking the same moments ago still looked the same, and he’d taken so many twists and turns he couldn’t even take an educated guess as to which direction he’d come from. He cursed, kicking a tree with the toe of his shoe. It didn’t relieve his frustration nearly as much as he thought it would, and all he ended up with was a scoff on his shoe.

He couldn’t even call them if he wanted to—which he didn’t, because he didn’t need them—he’d left his phone in his room when he’d stormed off. He ventured a little farther, ducking under low-hanging branches and sliding past the bushes that reached for his ankles. It was…quiet. Not peaceful, like it was when Sunghoon had first brought him out, but like everything was watching him, mocking him as he turned in circles. 

The ground crunched beneath something, and Riki tensed, ducking behind a tree. His breathing came out in unsteady huffs that didn’t disturb the air around him. 

Another crack!  

Riki took off, running without direction until he slammed into something. It felt like someone had hit him with a sack of bricks, and he stumbled back, landing on the ground.

“Oh, sorry, Heeseung—” the wall of a man started, then froze. His smile slipped, the warmth in his tone snapping cold in an instant. Riki scrambled back as the stranger advanced on him, narrowly dodging when he lunged.

“Who are you?” The stranger hissed, straightening to his full height that well surpassed Riki’s own. 

Riki didn’t answer; he ran. As far as he could, as fast as he could, weaving in between trees and trying to lose the stranger by ducking past bushes. When he finally skidded to a stop, he heaved air into his starving lungs, pressing his back flat against the wide trunk of a tree. He pressed a hand to his chest, trying to calm his frantic heartbeat enough to listen to the surrounding woods. 

It was silent. 

Riki shifted his weight, gathering enough courage to peek around the tree, but he couldn’t see anything aside from the swinging trees. He’d just breathed a little sigh of relief when a hand tangled in his hair and pain bloomed by his temples. 

Riki screamed, twisting away, but the stranger slammed his skull into the bark again and again, until the fuzzy darkness in the corners of his vision pulled forward, and Riki slumped unconscious in the stranger's grip. 

***

The first thing Riki noticed once he regained his senses was that his head felt like it was moments away from imploding. He sat up groggily on the cold, cement floor, wincing when the movement caused nausea to roll in his stomach. He blinked past the dried blood that crusted his eyelashes together and pressed his spine into the wall. A quick sweep of the area told him he had no idea where he was, but the room reminded him of whatever Jungwon had called ‘Bloodlock’.

There was a steel-enforced door that separated him from whoever had brought him, and chains that hung loosely from the walls. Riki shot for the door, adrenaline holding back the dizziness, but he never made it that far. A metal collar of some sort tightened around his neck, slamming him back into the concrete. 

Riki coughed, and pain exploded in his head. He rolled onto his side, heaving up whatever blood he’d eaten just before. The room was spinning, moving in circles that had Riki swallowing down the bile that flooded his mouth, and all he wanted to do was go back. 

They’ll have no idea what happened to him.

Riki flinched, the thought somehow being more painful than his splitting skull. 

The door hissed as it swung open, and Riki put as much distance between himself and the door as the collar would allow. The stranger from the woods entered first, his stance tense, cautious, as if Riki could possibly be the threat in this situation. A second man followed, his hand resting on the stranger from the woods’ arm.

A woman strode past them, ignoring their attempts to grab at her as she headed straight for Riki. She stopped, crouching in front of him so she was at eye level. She didn’t say anything at first; instead, she studied him, and Riki took the time to study her back. 

Her skin was a rich brown, and she wore clothes that covered most of it. Her coily hair was pulled back from her face, but what startled Riki most about her was her eyes. They held…nothing. Not amusement, not confusion, not contempt, nothing. Like Riki meant nothing. 

“You’re bleeding.” She said, finally. It wasn’t a question; she didn’t even say it sharply, but Riki still pulled into himself.

“No shit.” He spat, and she smiled, all sharp, jagged fangs that terrified him in a way the his—the coven’s never did.

One of the men who followed her growled, lifting his hand up like he was going to strike Riki, and Riki flinched, trying to jump out of the way, but the collar choked him again, keeping him in place. 

The woman held her hand up. “Enough.” And almost instantaneously, the growling puttered out.

Riki relaxed marginally, muttering, “asshole,” under his breath.

The woman didn’t say anything, but one of the men scoffed. 

“Who are you, little fledgling? And why do you reek of Jungwon’s coven?” She asked.

Riki stayed silent, his eyes bouncing between the three intruders, trying to catalog each and every movement. 

“Matthew tells me he found you just on the border of our territory and Jungwon’s. Why is that?” She sighed at the lack of response. “Shall we call him? See what he knows about a stray fledgling that smells like he’s ransacked his home?” 

Riki’s eyes snapped to hers, and she grinned. 

“There we are, got your attention now, don’t I?”

Riki glared but refused to say anything more. If he couldn’t fight them, couldn’t run, couldn’t win—at least he could stay quiet. Silence was his last weapon, and he clung to it with claws. 

To her credit, she did try, rewording her questions over and over until she sighed, pushing off the ground with a: “Well, let’s see how some more isolation will do then.”

Riki forced himself to remain quiet as they headed to the door. Even when he felt like the walls of his mind were moments away from collapsing in on themselves, he stayed quiet. The door clicked shut with a finality that had Riki shuddering, and he leaned his head back against the wall to wait. 

***

When the door opened again, it was Matthew who walked in, by himself, carrying a glass. Riki tracked him with his eyes, too tired to actually do anything but watch him make his way over, crouching in front of him just as the woman had. He set the glass beside Riki, who merely stared at it.

“It’s water,” Matthew said. “Thought you’d be thirsty after all the running.”

Riki glared at him and threw the water back in his face. 

Matthew dodged easily and blinked in surprise. “That was childish.”

Riki threw the glass at him, too. 

“You don’t make friends easily, do you?”

“You bashed my head in, then chained me to a wall.” Riki pointed out, voice as cold as he could manage. “I wouldn’t say you’re the master of new friends either.”

Matthew laughed, sweeping aside the broken shards of glass with his shoe, far enough that Riki couldn’t reach any if he wanted to. “Stranger danger.” Was his only response.

Riki wished he had something else to throw.

Matthew sighed, like Riki was the one being unreasonable. “If you’d just answered her, you wouldn’t have to be here. I’m trying to make this easier on you.”

They sat in blissful silence for only a few moments longer until Matthew had decided he was bored.

“You know, you remind me of them in a way.” He laughed when Riki glanced his way. “Yeah, I thought that’d get your attention.”

Riki looked away again, but Matthew seemed undeterred. 

“You’re stubborn as hell, mouthy, absolutely like an Enhypen coven member.” He mused, flipping one of the larger broken shards in his hand.

Riki turned him out, even if the words spread warmth in his chest despite his best efforts. Matthew left eventually, and Riki was left to the stretch of endless time that only seemed to exist within Bloodlock. 

There were no windows, no clocks, and Riki had resorted to counting every time he blinked. He’d just reached 248 when the door opened quietly, like the person didn’t want to be noticed.

They made a rush for him, and Riki nearly screamed, jumping back as far as the metal around his neck would allow.

“Easy, pretty boy, I’m getting you out of here.” The person whispered, and Riki paused. He knew that voice.

“Hanni?” He asked cautiously, dropping his defenses.

“Yeah, it’s me.” She said, reaching for the metal collar around his neck. His body relaxed at the sound of her voice, but his mind didn’t. Not yet. Not here. But still, Riki bent down to give her easier access.

“What are you doing here?”

Hanni scoffed, “This is my coven that you’ve pissed off. Good going with the glass by the way.”

Riki could hear the disapproval in her voice and elected to ignore it. “He hurt me first.”

Hanni winced, hand coming up to gently probe at his head wounds, only succeeding in making Riki want to vomit. “I know, I’m sorry. Great, your skull’s a cracked melon. Jungwon’s going to love me for this.”

“Why isn’t it just healing?” He asked, blinking past the nausea.

Hanni looked at him like he was stupid—and maybe he was. “It’s a head wound. That’s like one of the two ways we can actually die. Our heads and our hearts are a lot more fragile, that’s why we’re cautious with them.”

Riki wanted to point out that Matthew was not, in fact, cautious with his head but decided against it as Hanni fiddled with the collar again.

“I tried to get down here earlier but Youngie wouldn’t let me down and then Matthew was already down here…” She trailed off, cursing softly when the collar wouldn’t budge.

“This is your coven?”

Hanni blinked at him, pursing her lips. “How hard were you hit? Do you have a concussion?” 

Riki shook his head, then immediately regretted the action when bile rolled in his stomach and he pushed Hanni far enough away to dry-heave.

She patted his back sympathetically. “Yes, this is my coven. The guy that knocked you out in the woods was Matthew, the other one was Youngsoo and the tall, intelligent, ridiculously hot woman was my leader, Nova—she’s like my version of Jungwon.” 

Nova’s eyes flashed before Riki’s mind, the cold, deadness behind them, and he shuddered. Riki remembered vaguely the outline of her coven, two men, five women aside from Hanni herself, so that left four blank spots in Riki’s mind. He was just about to bring it up when the collar tightened on his neck, cutting off his air supply. Riki choked, dropping to his knees to claw uselessly at his neck. 

Hanni yelped. She was saying something, her voice panicked, but Riki couldn’t hear her over the pounding in his ears. She stepped back, and the collar loosened, allowing Riki to pull in a sharp, desperate breath. 

“Hanni, my love, why are you trying to break out the rogue?”

It took Riki far too much effort to look, but he knew she was there. Hanni froze in front of him, turning to face Nova with a guilty look. “He’s not a rogue,” She insisted. “He’s Jungwon’s…foriegn exchange student.”

If Riki had the energy, he would’ve laughed at the absurdity of the statement. The least Hanni could’ve done while her coven was trying to choke the life out of him was come up with a believable lie. 

“Foriegn exchange student?” Nova repeated, doubtfully.

Hanni nodded. “He’s from…” She glanced at Riki for help.

“Japan.” He said.

“Yes! And he’s staying with Jungwon for a while.”

Nova raised an eyebrow at Hanni, then turned slightly to address Riki, “If you’re really his exchange student why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

Riki tried not to startle at the sudden Japanese, but some part of him was comforted by the sound of his first language. “You tied me to a wall, I wasn’t exactly in the mood to talk.” 

Nova tilted her head, and Hanni nudged him lightly, but Riki couldn’t tell if she was telling him to stop or if she just didn’t understand what they were saying.

“And you live with them?” Nova asked.

Riki glared. “Why do you think I smell like them?”

Nova considered him for a long moment, then stepped forward without warning, her hands at his neck. Riki flinched, but the collar snapped off. She turned to leave up the stairs without another word, allowing Hanni to reach out to steady him before following her up. 

Upstairs was far warmer than it was down in Bloodlock, and Riki felt a little like he had whiplash. The smoke alarm was going off, and he watched at least two women wave a towel in front of it, trying to ward off the smoke, and another playfully hit Youngsoo with a spatula.

“This is why you’re not allowed in the kitchen!” She gritted out.

“It’s not even that bad!”  

“You just set the stove on fire trying to boil water!”

Nova strode into the chaos, quickly disarming the woman of her weapon as she kissed Youngsoo on the cheek. “Baby, you know you’re banned from the kitchen.” 

Youngsoo pouted, his mouth pulling down, and for a moment, Riki thought he was hallucinating. This was the same person who had been seconds away from beating the shit out of Riki when he was in Bloodlock, and now he was pouting after being scolded. 

Matthew came barreling up behind Riki, and he had enough survival instincts left to jump out of the way as he ran through the kitchen, shouting, “My kitchen!”

Riki glanced around. Everyone was distracted. Maybe if he just backed away…

He turned and was promptly slammed into a wall, his head rattled, and the pressure on his neck grew. Hanni shouted, but the woman in front of him wouldn’t budge; if anything, she tightened her hold. 

Hanni tackled her to the side, and Riki crumpled to the floor in an unorganized heap. He clutched at his head, like he could keep it together by pure force of will. 

“What the fuck is he doing up here?”

Hanni ignored her, reaching gingerly for Riki’s head, but he pulled away before she could touch him. “He’s already injured, don’t damage him anymore.”

The woman looked at Nova who shrugged. “I let him out, Lay, it’s fine.”

‘Lay’ looked back and forth between Riki and Hanni before scoffing, “How do you know him, Hanni?”

“He’s Jungwon’s.” She said immediately and ‘Lay’ blinked in surprise. 

“I thought you said he was a rogue?” 

“If he’s Jungwon’s, he’ll prove it eventually.”

Riki ignored the rest of the conversation, too busy trying to keep his stomach from upending again, but Hanni was whispering names in his ear, “That’s Layla,” she pointed to the woman who pinned him to the wall, “And that’s Danielle, Jasmine and Haeun.”

Riki truly did not care to learn their names, he just wanted to go home. 

He only looked up when he was sure he wouldn’t vomit all over their floor, and he could see out of his peripheral vision again without feeling the weightlessness of being unconscious. Danielle was trying to salvage whatever Youngsoo was trying to make, who was sitting in Matthew’s lap by the island. Layla was still eyeing him suspiciously but she relaxed when Nova wrapped her arms around her. 

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. “Are all covens like this?”

The room froze and Hanni cursed him out under her breath. Nova cocked her head, curls bouncing around her face. “How old are you?” It was barely above a speaking volume but the room was so quiet that it carried over with ease.

Hanni jumped in before Riki could. “He’s only been turned for about a decade.”

Nova didn’t quite look like she believed Hanni but shrugged again, offering a quick, “All coven dynamics are different. Some do it for strength in numbers, a mark for protection, others for political appeal and some are bonded romantically or sexually, depending on the coven.”

Riki couldn’t nod without losing feeling in his fingers but he hoped she saw the understanding in his eyes. “Can I go now?”

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jasmine and Haeun inch closer to the door, like they were guarding it and Youngsoo tensed up. Matthew kissed his shoulder, and muttered, “I already called Jake, they’ll meet us at the border.”

Panic ran through his veins and Riki didn’t know if he wanted to cry tears of relief or try to run again. He hated how much he craved their comfort at the moment, for them to make the pain disappear. He didn’t want to be seen like this and he found himself wishing for a dark, quiet corner to curl up in, something far, far away from everything.

“Anything else?” Danielle asked, eyeing Riki like he might jump up and grab her at any moment.

Matthew made a face. “Something about him being untouched or whatever. I told him it was already too late for that. They were not happy.”

Hanni made a small distressed sound in the back of her throat and Youngsoo broke free of Matthew to wrap her in his arms, pressing her face into his neck. He glared at Riki like he was the direct cause. Riki leaned heavily against the wall, only managing to crawl a few steps away as Nova approached Hanni and Youngsoo.

“Hanni, baby,” She said softly, and the tone threw Riki off; he had no idea she could be so gentle. “Do you think he can be moved?”

Hanni pulled away just enough so that her voice was clear, “Not with his head, he shouldn’t move that much.”

Jasmine sighed, grabbing a set of keys off a hook Riki didn’t see before. “I’ll start the car.” 

Riki pushed himself to stand, but wasn’t fast enough to jump away from Matthews' grasp. The sudden jerk pulled his head to the side, and Riki gasped, his vision flashing white. He could feel the echo of the collar weighing heavily on his neck, like it was tightening, and then, he was falling.

***

Riki didn’t remember waking up; in fact, he didn’t even remember losing consciousness, but he must have because he sat up in the back seat of a car he didn’t recognize. There were voices outside, arguing loud enough that Riki’s head pounded in sync with the tones of their voices. He pushed open the door slowly, spitting the bile that had filled his mouth out onto the grass. Nova was standing in the center of her coven, arms crossed, facing what Riki could only make out to be a fuzzy outline.

“Hyung?”

Silence snapped around them, and the sudden lack of noise only intensified the pain in Riki’s head. There was a blur of movement, and then Jay and Heeseung were fighting to get a better look at him. Jay’s hands were so, so gentle when they grasped his face, but Riki bit his tongue until it bled, trying to keep in his scream. Heeseung was gingerly moving his hair out of his face, his hands cool.

“Hey, don’t move, baby, don’t move.”

Riki felt a tear slip down his cheek when Jay accidentally brushed against a particularly tender spot, and Jay looked both heartbroken and furious. “What did you do to him?” He hissed, keeping his hands on Riki like he was afraid that if he let go, he might launch himself at the Broods. 

“What I had to do, I thought he was a rogue and he ran, he could’ve been dangerous.”

Heeseung turned their way, his voice rising in pitch, and Riki tried to cover his ears. Jay chewed on his lip, and only then did Riki notice the tears that lined his eyes. He held up his finger. “Can you follow my finger, Riki?”

Riki tried, he really did, but now even the smallest movements took too much energy, energy Riki was using to try to keep standing. Jay gave up after a moment and practically carried Riki back towards the others. 

“Jay.” 

Jay froze in his attempt to get Riki into their car. “What do you want, Nova?”

“I would take care of your little problem before the council catches wind of him.”

Jay threw himself at her, snapping his teeth like he was going for her throat. Only managing to be stopped when Jungwon and Jasmine stepped in between them, pushing them further apart. “This is none of your business. Stay out of it.”

“You made it my business when you involved Hanni.” Nova hissed. “And she is mine just as Sunghoon, or Jungwon or Sunoo is yours. So you made it my problem.”

“Riki is mine, and you nearly cracked his fucking skull open!”

“Knock it off!” Jungwon snapped, pushing Jay back with a strength Riki didn’t know he possessed. He turned back to Nova, venom dripping from his voice and even Riki shuddered. “We are leaving with Riki, now.” 

Riki felt Jake grip his arm, he could hear Sunoo whispering something to him but he couldn’t take his eyes off of Nova, of the way she shifted and he knew the fight was far from over. 

“He’s not registered.”

His coven flinched as one and Heeseung growled low, threatening. 

Nova barreled on. “I’m trying to help,” she said and Riki thought she sounded genuine, almost desperate, “you need as many allies as you can get for what’s coming and you won’t have that if the council kills all of you for an unregistered, illegal, fledgling.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t I?” She jabbed her chin at Riki. “Does he know all the little vamps in America died?”

“Stop talking.”

“Hyung,” Jungwon softened slightly at the sound of Riki’s voice and Nova caught it immediately, “what is she talking about?”

“Nothing, baby—”

Nova laughed, a high pitched, shrill sound that had even her own coven shooting her looks of concern. “You’re lying to him. You’re fucking lying to him!”

“Nova—”

She turned to Riki like no one else was even present. “They did a little experiment, in America, the vamps had single-source dependency. Everyone died.”

Riki stumbled back into Sunghoon and regretted it immediately. His vision swam and he had to drag in deep breaths in an attempt to beat back the darkness threatening to consume his brain. “What?”

“You’re a liability.” She said flatly, and Riki didn’t even have the energy to flinch.

There was a beat of nothingness as her words sank in and no one saw Jake coming when he threw himself at her. They landed in a heap of claws and fangs and Sunghoon only let Riki go for long enough to grab Jake by the back of his shirt. 

“You don’t get to talk to him like that!” He spit and Riki swayed towards him at the sight of claw marks on his arms.

Sunghoon hauled him back and Riki reached for him, turning his arms over in his hands. “You’re hurt.” He managed then twisted to find Jay. “Hyung!”

Jay materialized by his side in an instant, peppering him with questions that Riki couldn’t keep up with. Riki grabbed his arm to stop him. 

“No, hyung, Jake’s hurt.”

Jay paused, then slowly turned his gaze to Jake. He gingerly took Jake from him, and Riki slumped back into Sunghoon’s arms, who kissed his temple gently. He heard Jay scold Jake lightly, kissing the scratches as they healed, not deep enough to leave a mark. 

Jake huffed, but Riki saw the way he leaned into Jay’s touch when Jay kissed his forehead. “I’m fine, but Riki…”

Warm breath passed over his neck, and Riki hummed weakly to acknowledge it. 

“I’m going to pick you up, okay? To take you to the car.” Sunghoon whispered, his voice a balm against the feeling of knives in his skull. 

“No, I can walk.”

Sunghoon’s arms tightened around him, and Riki couldn’t even move if he wanted to. “Don’t fight me on this, I’m not asking, I’m telling you so you can prepare yourself.” 

Riki considered protesting again, but Sunghoon was already bending down to slip his arm underneath his knees, lifting him so slowly that Riki didn’t even have to move his head. Sunghoon sat him down slowly, waiting for him to catch his breath before settling close, bracing his body over Riki’s without ever pressing his weight down. His hands were gentle on the back of Riki’s neck as he guided him to his own throat, thumb brushing tenderly against Riki’s jaw. 

Riki’s lips parted for Sunghoon’s skin, but it wasn’t until Sunghoon brushed his hands down Riki’s arms that Riki sank his teeth in. They were still fighting, the sound of it reverberating in Riki’s head. But it faded to the background, becoming mere static in the face of Sunghoon’s heartbeat. 

When he started to sway, Riki pulled back, closing his eyes. He heard the door open, and Jay’s hands pressed against his arm, forcing him to peel open his eyes.

“Did you feed him?”

Sunghoon sounded unsure of himself for the first time. “I had to. His head—”

Jay shushed him gently, “I know, love, it’s okay. We just need to keep him awake for a little while.” His hand swept through Riki’s hair, pulling it back slightly to check his injuries. 

He climbed in beside Riki, asking him all sorts of questions he didn’t really want to answer, but Jay got such a terribly worried look whenever Riki took too long to answer that he just kept up however he could. 

Riki only noticed when the rest of the coven joined based on that little warm feeling in the center of his chest spread. Sunoo was whispering reassurances, but Jake remained silent aside from the hand on his knee, which was a comfort enough. 

iThe door closed, and the car started, dragging them further away from Nova, Hanni, and the answers they carried. Jay’s arm never left Riki’s shoulders, but the way his gaze lingered on Jungwon in the front seat was sharp, accusing. Riki was too tired to ask what it meant, too tired to care. But even through the haze, he felt it—their bond stretched thin, humming with tension. Something was going to break.