Flower ||| Ateez

7

"Hwa..." A soft voice whispered, gently shaking the sleeping blonde. He just grunted in response. "Hwa, please, I need to show you something."

"Hm? What is it?" He said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Look." The other pointed slowly at the sleeping girl on the couch.

In her sleep, she had shifted just enough that her hoodie was pulled down, revealing the side of her neck.

Seonghwa gasped and placed a hand over his mouth, the ugly purple skin sent chills down his spine. "What... what could have caused that?"

"I don't know. I noticed it for the first time when San and I walked her home, but I thought I was just imagining it." Wooyoung said, rubbing the back of his neck. "No wonder she's always wearing this hoodie..."

"Her wrist is bruised too."

"What?"

The older nodded. "When I was putting the new brace on her today, I saw finger-shaped bruises, like someone had grabbed her."

Wooyoung felt his lip tremble slightly as he glanced at the girl. Even in her sleep, she looked troubled. Her eyes moved back and forth under her lids, as if searching for something.

"What does this mean, Hwa?" He asked as he leaned forward, brushing a few loose strands of golden hair out of her face. She shifted at the touch, leaning into it for a second before curling up into a tighter ball, whimpering slightly. Wooyoung withdrew his hand quickly, fearing he had woken her.

"I don't know, Youngie. But I'm worried. Has she revealed anything about herself to any of you?"

Wooyoung shook his head slowly. "Yesterday was the most she had really talked to any of us. She did seem different though. Happier." He paused. "Hwa, you don't think..."

"I don't know. But I'm going to find out." He quickly left the room to grab his laptop.

Wooyoung stood there for a long moment, just staring at the girl. She still seemed troubled. He made a split-second decision and leaned over the back of the couch, gingerly wrapping one arm behind her back and placing the other one under her legs to pick her up.

When Seonghwa came back into the room, he nodded in agreement and led the other to his room. The movement cause her to stir in her sleep, but she didn't wake. Instead, she leaned into Wooyoung's chest and started muttering. He thought he heard her say things like 'come back' and 'I miss you' before the last one made him pause. 'Help me'. She started shaking in his arms, and even in sleep, a tear ran down her cheek.

Seonghwa ushered for him to hurry, pulling back the covers on his bed. The younger placed her carefully on her back, but she immediately curled up into a ball again, as if trying to protect herself from something.

The two exchanged worried looks before the older gently ran a hand over her forehead. Again, she seemed to lean into it for a second before retreating into a tighter ball.

Biting his lip, Wooyoung took one of her arms and slowly pulled back the sleeve of her hoodie. He gasped and whispered, "Hwa..."

Dark bruises and healing cuts covered the arm. Seonghwa managed to coax her into laying on her back before he did the same with her other arm, hissing as he saw the same.

Her head started shaking back and forth. "No..." she muttered, pulling her arms to her chest. "No. No." She started shaking, violently, and lashed out. Her hand connected with Wooyoung's jaw, sending him stumbling back. "NO!" She screamed as she sat up. Her eyes were wide, and she looked around the room, starting to panic.