⚠ Trigger Warning⚠️
The following chapter contains mention of blood. Please read with caution.
(chill, it's nothing serious but for the soft hearted peeps, a gentle warning)

***

"Yoongi! No, stop!" Her breathy giggles ring around the house they live in, bringing it to life as happiness shimmers through them both.

Lifting his head just a little to see her flushed face, he smirked. "I won't and there's no way your orders are going to affect me," he said, his voice raspy from sleep but his eyes alert as he sucked particularly hard on the one spot on her neck that he knew drove her crazy.

And promptly she gasped, her fingers carding through his hair, keeping his head where it was instead of pushing him away. She knew she should, knowing he was just trying to make her change her mind but she was too weak when it came to the way he made her feel.

They had talked the previous night and Yoongi had neither agreed nor disagreed with her decision to venture out alone to get some answers. He had thought long and hard through the night though, weighing the pros and cons of letting her be alone when they were not sure of the purpose of why they were being hurt.

And with those thoughts in mind, he was determined to change her mind, if not by words then with his touch. He knew what it did to her and he was going to take full advantage of it.

Detaching himself from her neck, his lips found hers, caressing lovingly as she moaned. The sound travelled through him, making him feel light-headed, his heart picking up its tempo knowing he was making her feel good. He wanted nothing else than that.

To make her feel good, to make her happy, to take care of her, to protect her...

And now he had failed at everything, the guilt eating him away.

Sitting on the passenger seat with his head clutched in his hands, Yoongi's body shook. Anxiety was hitting him hard, making it painful to even breathe. He couldn't help but curse himself.

I should have never listened to her. I should have kept her home. At least taking the brunt of her anger was better than losing her.

Thoughts of all kinds revolved in his head but at the center of it stood Heejae. There was nothing else in the whole world that mattered more than her. He needed to see her, he needed to feel her to know she was safe. If she wasn't...

Tears flowed down his face as he remembered the events that led him to this point. One moment he was observing her, feeling his heart drum against his chest as he thought about Seokjin's words. She had been smiling, talking with the bartender probably making jokes and he had wanted that moment to freeze just so he could see her laughing like that a little more.

But it all changed the next moment. She had picked up her phone and with her eyes widening in surprise, she bent down covering her head with her hands just as something cut the wind and shattered a bottle on the shelf of the bar. The bottle was right where her head would have been if she was sitting straight.

He had felt bile rise up at that moment, his body going cold as he had watched the scene unfold, unable to really comprehend what would have happened to her if she didn't get that call then.

He had seen her run away out of the back door and instead of running behind her, he had decided to bring the car to the back alley so he could catch her. But it seemed like he was always running behind. A car had already taken off before they could reach her and at the same moment, his phone had vibrated with an incoming message.

She was with Han Hyunwoo and he was taking her to her mother's house.

He was a jealous man, possessive even and he wasn't ashamed to admit that. He had expressed his dislike for the man that claimed to be his girlfriend's friend on several occasions. He had never met him in person but if he was to trust his feelings and the scowl Taehyung had directed towards the man's photo, he wasn't a good person. And knowing Heejae was with him hurt him physically.

He didn't want to think of anything negative, he didn't want to jinx it but he was worried beyond bounds. The scene at the bar kept replaying in his mind and no amount of reassurance from Seokjin could help.

He just wanted Heejae in his arms so he could messily make out with her and hug her till he was done with this life.

He jumped from the car hastily as soon as Seokjin parked in an empty spot. He didn't know what he was going to do, what he was going to say but he was already running inside, his eyes scanning the big sitting area. She wasn't here yet.

He felt his body turn cold, his breath getting heavier as he started to pace around, completely ignoring Hei Ryung and Heejung's worried questions. He couldn't be bothered to talk to them, not till he saw her again.

So, he kept pacing, trying to distract himself unsuccessfully as he tugged his hair with one hand while chewing the nails of his other. He would never be able to forgive himself if anything happened to Heejae. He didn't have much of a choice either way.

"Yoongi..." he heard someone say but he wasn't brave enough to stop and face them. He was such a failure. He failed to do one simple thing and it was undeniable but that didn't mean he wasn't going to be a coward and ignore the whole world.

He then felt a hand on his shoulder, a firm squeeze followed that had him stopping, his gaze turned downwards. "Son," he heard again and closed his eyes, tears running down his face when he realised the voice belonged to her father. The only man in her family who had been kind to him since the day Heejae introduced him and who showed faith in him.

"I'm sorry," he breathed out, his voice sounding broken and foreign to even himself. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect her, sir. I'm sorry I couldn't stop her from going there. I'm such an idiot, a fool. I should have done better, I should have paid attention, gotten more help but I didn't. I thought I could keep her safe but I failed!"

He was sobbing by now, his feelings all over the place as he covered his face with both of his hands. The older man's heart broke seeing him cry. As much as worry and fear flowed through him for his daughter, he couldn't bring himself to hate or blame the man who was bawling over her.

Taking a deep breath, he put his other hand on Yoongi's shoulder as well, shaking him a little as he spoke, "Heejae is a strong girl. She's smart and she knows how to handle panicking situations. I know it doesn't help much, believe me, I'm itching to go out and search the whole city for her but we can't. If she said she's coming here, she will. Trust her, Yoongi."

Yoongi was quick to shake his head. "I trust her but I don't trust Hyunwoo. She told me she doesn't feel safe with him, that he was behaving weirdly and that makes this worse, Mr. Park."

"Oh my God..." Hei Ryung let out brokenly, her legs giving away as she started shaking. She had put her daughter in possible danger with her own hands by introducing Heejae to Hyunwoo. This was all her fault and she knew she had to fix it somehow.

Her hands trembled as she dialed the number of the private investigator she had hired, telling him to get help. He was on his way, he told her. Distantly she heard her son, Heejung barking orders into his phone, to whom she didn't know and didn't care. Her daughter was in danger.

She mindlessly stood up, bare feet making no sounds as she walked out of the house, to the front door to see and wait. Surely, Hyunwoo wasn't a total dimwit to kidnap her when he knew Heejae had informed someone about who she was with. Or did he?

She shook that thought away. No, she wouldn't go down that lane. She will wait for her to reach home, she will wait to see her face and calm the storm that brew in her heart. She wasn't losing her child, not now, not ever. And she would pray that she was alright, if not for her own sake then for the man who cried in pain inside.

She couldn't tell how much time passed since she came out, leaning against the doorframe but it felt like an eternity for Hei Ryung before she saw a car get through the gates. There was no way anyone would be able to come through the gates of her home without her permission unless it was a family member…

It sparked hope through the distraught mother’s heart as she wasted no time walking the path, cutting the distance between herself and her child. It was as if in slow motion that she watched the doors of the car opening, her steps feeling sluggish as adrenaline thrummed through her veins, anger mixing in as she caught glimpse of the tall man she had once wished to marry off her daughter to. But seeing him now, she felt nothing but blinding rage and wished he would look up from his phone to understand the extent of trouble he was in.

“Mom…” a soft voice drifted to her at that moment, catching her attention and as relieved tears flooded her eyes, she let go of everything else. She needed to get her daughter inside where she knew it was safe.

Tears ran down Heejae’s face as well, seeing her mother standing there looking utterly devastated. It left a bitter taste on her tongue even as she ran to seek comfort in her arms. She had found none about a decade ago but as Hei Ryung called out to her, her arms spreading wide welcoming her, she felt her terror receding, knowing she was safe now.

But it was short-lived.

She felt a rough hand clasp around her arm, drawing an involuntary cry out of her mouth. Lifting her eyes up, she saw Hyunwoo, curses ready on the tip of her tongue but his face, shrouded in fear and uncertainty stopped her. He opened his mouth, a single syllable leaving his lips that had her blood running cold.

“Run.”

He didn't give her a chance to think about it, he pressed his hands between her shoulders and pushed her with all his might. Her heart dropped instantly, feeling her footing lose and the breath whooshed out of her. Her eyes closed, her arms coming around her lower stomach, instinctively in a protective gesture, sure that she was going to feel intense pain in a matter of seconds.

But it didn't come and it took her a moment to realise that she had fallen on her knees, her upper body held by a strong but warm grip. She gasped, perspiration coating her skin, her heart beating violently against her rib cage, and in the moment of clarity that followed, she realised how close she came to losing her baby.

A sob tore through her, she looked up into her mother’s glassy eyes and she broke down. Hei Ryung kneeled in front of her daughter as well, uncaring of what the stones beneath would do to her knees as she curled her arms tighter around the younger woman. She held her in her protective embrace, letting her cry as she soothed her, thanking the Almighty for the umpteenth time for keeping her daughter safe.

A loud bang echoed through the silent night, drowning the voices of men coming out of the house. The mother and daughter both flinched, their eyes directed to the man standing a few feet away from them.

Hyunwoo’s eyes were wide, shocked as he looked down, his hand shakily lifting to his chest as he touched what was supposed to be the white material of his shirt but it was instead red. A scream tore through the silence, Heejae had no idea if it was her mother or someone else. She couldn't think of anything except the smile he gave her a moment before he collapsed to his knees.

“Run, Heejae. H-Hide…” he stuttered out, “Please go, stay safe. Donghae… Donghae has crossed the line now.”

“No…” she whispered, her body making her move on its own accord as she stumbled towards the bleeding man. At least she tried to, until she felt strong arms around her middle, pulling her back into the house. She screamed and struggled against the hold even as another bullet tore through the air, landing dangerously close to her but she didn't care in the face of the man who despite everything had tried to keep her safe.

“Heejae, snap out of it, sister!” she distantly heard her brother say as he hauled her struggling body inside the safety of the house. She couldn't tear her gaze from Hyunwoo though. She had finally remembered him, remembered seeing him bullied, beaten, and robbed and she remembered his tears and blood that he had wiped with her handkerchief.

He didn't deserve to be left alone. For all the crazy he carried, he just needed companionship, he needed love. He shouldn't be left alone. No one should be left alone.

A/N:

So...
What do we have here?

A little bit of development in the mother daughter relationship and Hyunwoo getting injured. Was it worth the wait?

Tell me you didn't expect this cuz if you did Imma yeet myself off this place. (kidding XD)

I really hope you liked this chapter and thank you so much for being so patient with me.

Thank you for reading ❤️❤️