He’s a newborn not even three weeks old is pushed until his control breaks, higher thoughts drifting off like during the frenzy of a full moon. There’s nothing for him to do but fight it. He’s trying, but he’s having a hard time letting go. A shiver glides down his body and spreads throughout his body, down to his very fingertips. His jaws tighten. His teeth grind. His tongue drowns underneath fresh blood.
Stop it, he’d said.
Was he talking to Baekhyun or himself?
Sunggyu isn’t sure if he can listen to his own pleading.
He’s always had the experienced members of his pack help calm him down. Whether through instruction or a gentle hand on his shoulder, they guide him through the storm. It’s like riding waves; he needs to fight until he’s finally floating in calm waters. But tonight, he’s the only person who can save himself.
Sunggyu feels his heartbeat pounding in his ears. almost burning with sensitivity to the city’s sounds. His jaws push harder and harder into the other’s arm. Why can’t he just let go? Why can’t he just stop?
Light reflects off the hunter’s fallen blade, which had clattered only inches away. The werewolf knows that it’s pure silver; he’s investigated all the tools and devices that Kimi stored in her apartment. He’s bad at paying attention – hell, he still thinks that wolfsbane is a type of spice. It’s only through experience that he knows the higher the concentration of silver, the more it fucks you up. That’s why he has to grab the knife.
Sunggyu wraps his hands around the hilt, squeezes tight, and hears his own flesh sizzling. His palms are burning – flesh melting and surrounding skin blistering as he holds on. He screams something a cross between man and monster, but he releases Baekhyun’s wrist. The werewolf throws himself backwards, as if fighting against the pull of a magnet. He presses his burnt palm against his chest and can’t tell if the throbbing he feels comes from his heart or hand.
What had his packmates told him when he gets like this? When he’s young and panicked and the voice inside his head is getting louder? Sunggyu’s shoulder roll in waves as he shivers again, holding back a transformation that’s on its way. Fear flickers in his eyes like fireworks. But no matter how scared he is, he keeps his gaze locked onto Baekhyun. “You’re going to get hurt!” he says. “Get away! Leave!”
People are going to get hurt if he doesn’t do something.
The tug-of-war game between his mind and body tears him apart, leaving nothing behind but a soul in shambles. He howls in pain – physical, emotional mental. It’s hard to keep a rational mind after melting your palms in order to stop biting someone. His nose twitches and nostrils flare at the pungent scent, which only sent him into more of a panic. “Get off your ass and go!” he shouts. “Do you hear me?”
With his undamaged hand, he points to the streets. If Baekhyun doesn’t leave now, he might as well be served to a hungry wolf on a silver platter. Sunggyu has always had poor control over his emotions, but now had another voice in his head to worry about. It promised it could teach him how to survive. It promised it could teach him how to thrive. Get aggressive, attack, lash out and everything will be fine. “I can’t stop it,” he says. “I don’t know how! I’m g-going to…”
Sunggyu can’t finish his thought. It trails off into another frightened cry riddled with grunting and growling. He feels ice picks hacking away at his skull, trying to split bone before he can stop it. By the time he calms down, there could be dozens of people injured or dead. This was it.
The werewolf’s panicked glaze flickers throughout the alleyway, pleading for some silver cage to lock himself up in. But, there’s no such enclosure among garbage and dried blood. There’s nothing around him but the bricks he’d been beaten into earlier. Bricks. If he saw stars when Baekhyun smashed his head against the wall, then maybe he’d be able to knock himself out cold. Against every instinct screaming inside his head, he pulls himself to his feet and stumbles towards the nearest brick wall.
He shuts his eyes.
He takes a shallow breath.
He smashes his head against it.
Names accompany every smack of flesh and crumbling brick:
“Kimi.”
BANG.
“Lim.”
BANG.
“Kimi.”
BANG.
Third time’s a charm.
The world ceases to exist.
Minutes go by, but he’s left with no concept of time – no concept of anything until a pounding headache brings him back into the world. His eyelashes flutter. His vision is blurry and his warm, brown eyes struggle to focus on what’s above.
A strangled cry made it’s way past the hunter’s lips as he felt the added pain of the other biting down more. Was he not going to let go? Baekhyun had already given up the fight, momentarily losing his place in this world. That was until he heard Sunggyu picking up his knife. Confusion stirred inside him, glancing over with narrowed eyes.
He was fighting. This wasn’t just a fight against him and Baekhyun, this was a fight with himself as well. As soon as his arm was released, the hunter pulled the injured limb close to his body, pushing himself up into a sitting position with his good arm. His still swimming in his own confusion, the pain from the bite not helping at all. He was almost completely lost to the world, shut out completely until the other’s yelling made him focus on what was actually happening.
Even the damn werewolf was telling him to run, and he knew he was right. Wincing as he stood, the hunter didn’t make a run for the nearest exit, he just stood there. Injured or not, he couldn’t allow a threat like this to go unattended. Baekhyun knew he couldn’t kill him, his own body would refuse him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t fight. He was down an arm, and though he would need both to even have a change against a rampaging wolf, he still couldn’t leave. It was his oath, he needed to protect the innocent, and if he ran to save his own life, he’d be going against that oath.
So, he’d stay. Even if it cost him his life.
Body tensing, there was a slight change of stance as Sunggyu stumbled to the wall. He was going to lose it, right? Jaw clenching the hunter got ready. He’d never fought a werewolf to just calm them down, it’s always been to kill. This was going to be different. Apparently, more different than expected. Jumping as the werewolf smashed his head into the bricks, Baekhyun held his breath. What the hell was he doing? Once... Twice... The third time had him out cold. Without a second thought the hunter rushed forward, catching Sunggyu before he slammed to the ground. Biting back a shout, cursing at himself for not thinking straight and using his injured arm to help support the other.
“What the hell were you even thinking?” He muttered, frowning down at the other before letting out a sigh. He couldn’t just leave him here to wake up alone. That wasn’t right. As much as he hated it, Sunggyu did a lot better at protecting the innocent than he did today. This was just like before. Even with all this training, he wasn’t good enough this time. No, he had to get that out of his mind. He’d worry about that later, right now he had a knocked out werewolf to take care of.
Honestly, he thought it was going to take him forever. With his injured hand it was slow at first, but then after a while he just got sick of the slow pace and just used his injured arm, making the process of moving Sunggyu a lot easier, and well worth the added pain. Taking as many backstreets as he could, he finally got to a park, setting the other in the grass under a tree the hunter took a break, sitting next to him.
Glancing down at the damage done, he didn’t even hesitate to start ripping at his shirt, using the fabric to wrap it up as efficiently as possible. When he got home he’d clean it and wrap it correctly, but for now he had to just sit patiently and wait. Zipping up his jacket, Baekhyun looked up at the sky, just watching the clouds go by. How strange, he hadn’t even realized just how beautiful today was until just now. Was it like this the entire time? Glancing over at the being beside him, a smile pulled at his lips at seeing Sunggyu start to open his eyes.
“You must have one hell of a headache.” He said softly, laughter soon following his statement. “Just try to suck it up and deal with it though, alright? I don’t want to end up going to a store to get you medication.”
