A Dying Embrace [OT8]

029

Yeosang

My mind was spinning, even on the walk home. I couldn't believe this.

Mingi was a werewolf.

How did our simple lives turn so drastically? Wooyoung almost killed someone today because he was so angry. Mingi did kill someone. How was any of this okay?

I felt a little guilty with how scared I was. They were my friends and I loved them, but things were changing and it terrified me. Not to mention, I hadn't heard anything from the girls since yesterday. It's like they were all avoiding us like the plague ever since Wooyoung turned into a vampire. Maybe they finally decided they were done with this shit. Maybe I should do the same.

But even as those thoughts swarmed my mind, I still noticed the figure on my doorstep. Still saw the limp limbs and shallow breathing and it took everything in me to not run back to the publishing company so I didn't have to deal with this.

I let out a lot sigh and walked up the creaking wooden porch steps. They were in desperate need of fixing, and I knew one of these days, one of the boards would give out.

I crouched next to my mom, prying the beer bottle from her grip and I noticed a faint white powder under her nose. A part of me...a part so quiet that I tried to hide away...hoped that she just one day wouldn't wake up.

I swallowed, trying to push the thoughts away.

"Come on, Mama." I whispered, wrapping my arms around her frail body and pulling her into me. I dug through my pants pocket until I felt the house keys and I held her steady while I opened the door and walked her in.

Her eyes fluttered open and a sloppy smile twisted her features. Her weak hand tapped my cheek, "Aw! My baby boy! You're so good to your mama."

I ignored her comments and took her to the couch before plopping her down. I didn't speak a word to her as I took her heels off, tossing them to the side. I didn't care if they were expensive shoes, it's not like she didn't steal them anyway. I then peeled off her jacket and worked at her hair to take all 99 bobby pins out of it.

"Where's your sister?" She mumbled, a long sigh escaping her lips.

"Working." I said quietly, uninterested in continuing this conversation.

Her lips pushed into a pout. "Your sister works too much."

I bit down on my scoff, not wanting to start something but her words always annoyed me. Of course she works too much. She works too much because of you!

I finished undoing her hair as it swept down her back. "Okay, you can lay down now."

Not having any more hesitation, she fell against the worn cushions, her eyes shutting as soon as her face connected with the pillow. 

Another sigh escaped my lips as I watched her sleeping form. It was all too much and I decided...I didn't care if I was scared of werewolves or vampires. I was more scared of being stuck here and rotting away like my mother was. I refused to be like her. I needed more for myself.

I was done. 

Hongjoong 

Seonghwa drove Mingi home...which I'd admit terrified the crap out of me. He just learned how to drive like a few days ago if I was being honest. Just because he picked it up quickly, didn't mean the idea didn't scare me. 

Wooyoung was still attached to San's lap and I could tell that San was just as confused as the rest of us were, but we didn't question it. It wasn't that Wooyoung wasn't usually attached to someone like this, it was just not usually to this degree. He was gushing over San endlessly, to almost a gross and cringy degree but he didn't seem to mind it. 

Jongho had made a brief comment on how it was, in fact, cringy. In response, Wooyoung just sent him a death glare that normally would look like a cute kitten being angry, but the change in Wooyoung was evident because he even got Jongho to shut up. 

"What...what are we going to do about Mingi?" Yunho asked, his tone laced with anxiety. It was clear on his face, just how scared he was. "Is he going to be okay?" 

"He has Seonghwa." I said. "He will be." 

Jongho tsked and it made us all look at him in question. "Nothing, I just sometimes think it's weird how quickly we trust him is all. I mean, he hasn't done anything to make us not...it's just..."

"Scary." Yunho confirmed. "After Wooyoung and now Mingi, it's scary." 

Wooyoung seemed annoyed by their sudden hesitance towards Seonghwa. "Well, if you don't like him then fuck off!" 

I wiped my hands over my face, feeling so exhausted and drained. 

San was soothing a pissy Wooyoung and Yunho and Jongho were now exchanging glances and everything was just too much! 

Yeosang came back into the building and we all looked up at him alarmed. He had only left about an hour ago, saying he wanted to go home and pass out. 

"Where's Seonghwa?" He blurted. 

I slowly rose from my chair, feeling anxious. "Um, he went to take Mingi home, what's wrong?" 

"Nothing. I just need to ask him something." But his voice betrayed him because it showed how impatient he was. 

"About what?" Now it was Jongho who asked. 

Yeosang looked over all of our expecting eyes before landing on mine. 

"I want him to turn me."