There were few things Jungkook couldn't handle on his own, physically and mentally, and failure was one of them. "It's my fault, if I hadn't gotten carried away and gotten home in time, I wouldn't even have had to leave her alone" and the guilt that he failed to protect one of the people he cared about the most was just eating away at him like acid . "We're only two minutes late Jungkook, it's not your fault" Jin put a hand on his shoulder.

Jungkook couldn't take his eyes off Mei-Lin. The bruises on her face, the cuts left after Chen had hit her in the same spot, causing her tender skin to contract after it had become inflamed and swollen once, the thought of her blood on his T-shirt, her lifeless body when he brought her to the emergency room. His little lady was his responsibility and he had failed to protect her. No matter what they said, it was his fault that she was in this fucking hospital instead of at home, in his arms, burning with passion, and he didn't know how he was going to atone for that guilt in front of her.

"The doctor said that once she wakes up Mei-Lin can be discharged, most of her injuries are on her face, the few punches to her stomach did almost no damage, but she might be sore for a day or two" Jungkook nodded and Jimin looked at Jin , who just shook his head. "Taehyung will take Bam while Mei-Lin gets better, do you want to take her to the downtown apartment where she can feel better?" Yoongi asked and Jungkook nodded again. "Alright, I'll see to it that they stock the fridge and move your stuff in there, I guess you'd like Mei-Lin to stay with you?" Hoseok and Jimin looked at each other.

"Make sure Bam is in the apartment too, Mei-Lin loves him, he makes her laugh. Two giant pandas on either side of the bed, bananas, she likes bananas and menus from different pizzerias, prefers pizza when she's spoiled" Jungkook pressed her fingers to his lips. "Someone go and warn the university that Mei-Lin is sick and can't attend lectures, buy her a new phone and give Sue and Lily her number but warn them they can't see her yet, she'll invite them when she feels better" Jimin and Jin smiled, Jungkook was in protective mode and Mei-Lin was going to have a hard time getting rid of her crazy boyfriend.

"Anything else?" Jin asked and Jungkook nodded. "A car waiting for us, comfortable and wide in the back" Jimin chuckled and Jungkook looked over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. "Sorry," he mumbled and Jungkook turned back to Mei-Lin. "Why isn't she waking up, she should have woken up by now, right?" Jungkook looked at Yoongi like he was her doctor and he shrugged. "She'll wake up when she's ready, Jungkook, and now she needs some rest" Jungkook nodded and pulled his chair closer to May-Lin's bed, burying his fingers in her hair.

"I can walk alone Jungkook" he looked down and shook his head stubbornly. Mei-Lin sighed and rested her head on his shoulder resignedly. Ever since she'd woken up, her feet hadn't touched the ground, not even the floor of the car, as if Jungkook was afraid that if she let go, she'd dissolve into the air and disappear. "You're going to have to let me go at some point, you know that, right?" she looked around. "Where are we?" her eyes absorbed the luxury of the huge apartment they had just entered and whose living room Jungkook was crossing quite calmly.

"In my apartment in the center" he replied and pushed open the bedroom door with his elbow, being careful not to hit her head on the door frame, he headed straight for the king sized bed in the center of the bedroom and climbed onto it, leaving Mei-Lin to lie in the middle of it. "You have an apartment like that and you live in that little box?" her eyes widened like tennis balls. "I liked the view" he shrugged and got off the bed heading for one of the two doors to the left of the bed.

After a while he returned to her with one of her pajamas. "I'll fill your bath and take care of dinner, Taehyung will bring Bam over in about an hour and you'll sleep in the meantime" she raised her eyebrows. "Wow, since when do I have such a bossy boyfriend?" Jungkook placed her pajamas at the foot of her bed and climbed into bed next to her and pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry,little star" he whispered into the hair at her temple and Mei-Lin lowered her eyebrows. "For what?" she looked up at him and gasped.

"Jungkook, are you crying?" he shook his head but snorted and Mei-Lin let out a soft "awww" wrapping her arms around his waist. "It's my fault, if I hadn't been late the bastard wouldn't have laid a finger on you, I'm sorry my lady, it's all my fault" Mei-Lin sighed and moved on top of him cupping his cheeks. "Jungkook, it's not your fault that Chen is a jerk. I'm sure if you were there you would have protected me, I'm sure you didn't just let him go, but you can't blame yourself for something you didn't could have prevented. Chen would have found me sooner or later, if not in the apartment, then in the university, on the street, or in the store" she reached up and gently pecked his lips.

"That's why you're staying here with me and Bam. Those apartments aren't safe, there's a guard at the entrance here and I'll know you're safe when I'm not around or at work" Mey-Lin narrowed her eyes. "Are you inviting me to live with you?" he shook his head. "I'm telling you that you already live with me" he clarified and Mei-Lin shook her head, standing up. "No, Jungkook, we've only been together for a while and it's quite rushed, I don't think..." Jungkook stood up abruptly and pressed his lips to hers. "Be obedient my lady, we will discuss it again in fifty years" she stared at him in disbelief.

"Jungkook..." he kissed her again. "You're right, we don't have time for a bath, take a shower, the bathroom is this door on the right, and I'll take care of the food" he got off the bed and walked towards the door. "Jungkook..." he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Should I go into the bathroom with you, little star?" his gaze darkened and he smirked sinfully, Mei-Lin blushed dumbfounded and only managed to shake her head negatively. He walked back to the bed and knelt on the edge of it, propped up on his hands and just a millimeter away from her lips. "It's a pity, but we have time for that too" he winked at her, kissed her softly and she followed as if in a dream how he left the room.

"I think I'm the luckiest girl in the world, seven cool men are cooking me dinner and I'm just enjoying myself like some princess" Mei-Lin leaned on the kitchen counter watching Jungkook, Jin and Yoongi cooking. Jungkook turned, wiped his hands on his apron, handed the wooden spoon he was holding to Jimin, who took his place and moved to her side, lifting Mei-Lin onto the counter. "Hyung?" he looked over his shoulder and Namjoon tossed him a small box, which Jungkook caught deftly, watched curiously by Mei-Lin.

"We're back" Taehyung walked through the front door and Bam ran past him, heading straight for Mei-Lin and Jungkook. "Down buddy, the girl's mine" Jungkook snapped, settling between Mei-Lin's knees, who giggled at the dog's sad face as it retreated in defeat. Jungkook opened the box that Namjoon had handed him and dipped his finger into the mint paste, setting it aside, he gently cupped Mei-Lin's chin and their eyes locked.

"If it hurts, tell me, okay?" she nodded silently, captivated by the tenderness in his gaze and barely felt his fingers carefully applying the paste to the bruises and injuries on her face. "You're beautiful my lady" Jungkook whispered, looking away for a moment to take some more of the pasta. "The most beautiful night star in my sky" she bit her lip, glad for once that the bruises kept him from noticing how red her face really was, something her bruises weren't the fault of.

The others had stopped what they were doing, watching the couple melt into each other, eyes full of admiration. "They really do look in love, don't they?" Hoseok rested his head on Namjoon's shoulder, who nodded with a smile, proud of their maknae and his choice of a girl. "I've never seen him look at anyone like that, nor anyone else look at him like that" Namjoon looked at Jin, who even had tears in his eyes. Even Yoongi was smiling slightly. "And she could have been mine" Taehyung mumbled, standing next to Jimin, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I doubt it" he replied and Taehyung rolled his eyes but was smiling widely.