Double Life

Closer

Dance practice was harder today than expected! Fighting for the Ls! 😢🤕

#warwounds #choreographerwasmean #iguessimessedup #upallnightpractice

I post on my personal Instagram, my phone almost exploding with notifications. I try to touch my face but the sting of pain is too much. My half smiling selfie seems to be catching some attention, and the comments are blowing up my feed.

Who hurt Oppa like this???!!!?!? 🙅🙅👏🤐😖😖

He said it was their choreographer???😫😲 😵That's horrible!!!!😡😡😡😔😔😔😳😱

Maybe he just fell into a table or something smh.

OMG GREY OPPA WHO DID THAT TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACE????!?!?!?! 😵😵😷😷😢😢😩☠

OPPA ILL KISS IT BETTER 😚😚😚😏👅🙌

My eyes start to bug out of my head at the, erm, variety of comments rolling in. D.O. kneels in front of me, a cold ice pack in his hand. I force myself to keep my hands down as he gently holds my chin and presses the pack against my jawline. I hiss at the pain, wincing and taking the pack into my own hand.

"Grey, that was unbelievable clever of you."

Suho says, and I shrug, my tooth at the back feeling a little loose from the punch.

"Yeah well, you had to be clever where I came from, if you weren't you were dead."

And I gingerly set the ice pack against my cheek, closing my eyes and releasing a breath of air I'd been holding, a gentle rumble emitting from my chest.

"U-um Grey? Are you purring?"

Baekhyun says and I feel a slight blush creeping up my neck.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

He says, crouching down in front of me, and I refuse to reply.

"I mean if pain is like your kink or something I'm not judg-"

"Holy shit Baekhyun NO! I got a cocktail of genetics when I was created and the wolf is dominant, but I got a mashup of other things too most of which I don't even know. Purring releases endorphins that stimulate healing, and it's an uncontrollable reflex."

I yell the first part, trailing down to a mutter at the end as the rumble in my chest continues. I hear a muffled 'pfft' sound from someone, and notice Chen is snickering, his hand covering his mouth.

"The big bad wolf is only a little kitty cat!"

Xuimin says and I roll my eyes, knowing I'll probably never live this one down.

"Shut up Xumin."

I say, hauling myself to my feet as a barrage of good natured jokes get thrown around. We gather our bags and I gingerly press the ice pack to the side of my face, wishing the pain would stop getting worse. I sit in the very back of the second van on the way home, glad mother bird Suho isn't here. The throbbing in my jawline is getting worse. Xuimin seems to notice my discomfort and gently guides me to leaning onto his shoulder. I mutter something about how no one here respects personal space issues before closing my eyes, pressing my ice pack against my skin.

As the night wears on the pain gets worse, and I hate myself for being so weak. Before a punch like that mean nothing, we'd knock teeth loose sparing! But now, God it hurts so much, I roll over onto the opposite side on the couch and aspire to catch some sleep. Supper came and went and I didn't eat, instead sitting on the couch and occasionally looking in my camera to see the bruise is turning a deep purple, the insignia of his ring freshly imprinted in my skin. I take another selfie and send it to my boss, talking about how much I like posting my day to day life with Exo on Instagram and giving the exact details of what happened and how. I've scared off the members and they're all trying to be semi quiet in their rooms. I've decided to sleep on the couch, blearily watching the street lights of Seoul out the window. All my aching body desires is sleep but the throbbing in my jaw isn't helping to put me into the mood. I groan, rolling off the couch to grab a glass of water from the kitchen. Leftover plates from supper are still strewn about the countertop, and my eyes follow a fly happily sampling the crumbs off of each dish. The cold water sliding down my throat feels good, and I press the glass against my face afterwards. Groaning at the pain.