The Tree of Life

[I didn't see it! *cries*]

Luhan giggled softly when the children rolled here and there, some of them occasionally waddled back inside the cabin, printing their small feet to the floor so Jongin had to clean it again. He took the twins into his arms as they tried to print their feet on the walls as well, floating around on their puppy forms.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and Jongin and Luhan had arrived in the fields around the Tree of Life. They had their second litter with them, and planned to return to the cabin they hadn't been to since the war, for a break. Jongin had wasted no time in cleaning out the dusty place, opening doors and windows to let the fresh air in. The children, all in puppy form, rolled around in the long grass, darting down to the water's edge.

===END===

@Jongin [http://ww4.sinaimg.cn/mw1024/6ee541cegw1e7ajbu18ivj20oj3hkx2i.jpg LUKAI :3]

Luhan smiled as he saw his children phased and sat quietly beside their father, ready to share their warmth like they did to him lately.
"They are grown up and dependable now." He helped Jongin to lie again and curled himself on the other side of Jongin, d his babies' fur fondly.

"You have no idea... how much I missed you... all of you..."
As though the babies could sense their father weakening again, they phased, tumbling in little furry balls onto the bed beside Jongin. They curled up obediently, prepared to sleep if their father was going to. The big wolf blinked in surprise at his children's astuteness and he reached out to pet them, sliding down on the mattress.

Luhan watched with amusement and a little bit curiousity as the babies calming down instantly after Jongin closed his eyes and frowned. The fairy was sure that the father just opened his special links with the children, soothing their conscious.
He cooed as Sehoon suddenly curled even closer to his father's chest and giggled, while Misun wound her fists around Jongin and Sehoon and Kangdae looked up with smile in his tiny mouth.
"Ah, they just missed their Daddy so much." He smiled softly and leant forward to kiss his mate's cheek lovingly. "Just like I did..." He caught his wolf's eyes and eyesmiled.

Jongin thoughtfully d his son's blonde hair, having missed the sweet innocence that came along with his perfect children.
"Daddy's sorry... that he had to g-go..." Jongin murmured, wishing he had enough hands to soothe all of his babies.
He shut his eyes for a moment and opened his link, finding each of his children and calming their wailing and tears that way, their minds becoming content and quiet once they heard their father's familiar voice.
When he opened his eyes, Jongin turned to Sehoon.
"Daddy's proud of you, son... you... did nothing wrong..." The alpha assured his youngest.

"Awww..." Luhan cooed at the father and children. The others smiled happily and then left them alone. After a while, Jongin winced and Luhan was worried until he saw what Sehoon did to the stitched. "Hoon-hoon, don't play with that, Baby. It hurt Daddy." Sehoon let the stitches go but his little face screwed as he looked up at his father, perhaps wondering what did he do wrong this time.
Luhan d the youngest hair. "He had been quiet during the war. It bothered everyone because Kangdae and Misun acted like we expected they would /according to their characters/ but Sehoonie turned 180 degree." He looked at the troublesome baby. "He didn't want to wail even when he cried."

Like a child at Christmas, a slow, dopey smile crossed Jongin's features as he felt the weight of his children in his arms. He couldn't believe how much they had grown... they made him so proud.
"Oh..." he gasped a little reverently as their little faces screwed up from the force of their cries. "Daddy... loves you..."
With fascination, the excited father watched his three children fist their hands on his bare chest, Sehoon innocently playing with a row of stitches.

[Mowwwwnnninnngggg :3 Replied on SeKai <3]

"Hyung... You still weak. Just stay here okay? I'll get them for you."
Luhan brushed the hair off Jongin's face when suddenly the door opened and both Krystal and Zitao came in with the babies.
Sehoon and Misun instantly wailed when they saw their father while Kangdae stared intently at Jongin.
"Sheeesh, babies. Daddy still tired. Careful okay?" He helped Jongin to sit against the bed post before placing the babies, all three of them, into Jongin's arms.

[replied in sekai too btw~]

[It's okay sweetiepie munchkin chops :3 Morning!]

"Don't c-cry..." Jongin murmured, softly brushing his lips against Luhan's neck. "I... did it all for you. And our... b-babies."
As if he had just realised, Jongin suddenly tried to raise himself from the bed, looking for his babies.
"My... children..."
He panted, trying to stand.

Luhan felt the tears that he had kept inside finally pouring freely as Jongin took him into his arms. "I don't either..." He said it weakly, still beating himself of what had been happened. "I love you so much Hyung, I will do anything to make you happy." He d Jongin's back gently as if he was his baby, humming softly to calm both of them.

@Jongin [Morning :3
The internet hates me T.T]

Jongin moved himself so he could stare contentedly at his lover's face, fingertips touching a familiar face.
"S-So... beautiful...," he croaked, gaze utterly transfixed with his smaller lover. "I don't... regret... anything..."
The wolf slung a long arm around Luhan's middle, pulling the younger male close and burying his nose in soft, blonde hair.

Luhan felt a soft tug on his hand and immediately opened his arms. While his body was resting, the fairy's mind had been wandering around their link, trying to be awake to ensure that Jongin was safe and content.
"Jongin?" He heard the weakly reply of his mate, repeating his request. Without thinking more, despited his worry and fear that he was not worthy for the alpha's attention, Luhan stood up and climbed the bed.
He thought he heard a door being closed gently, perhaps Bo was leaving them to have privacy time, but he didn't bother to look because when he finally lied beside Jongin, cradled the latter on his chest, everything else blurred. "I am here."

Jongin awoke many hours later with a much clearer mind, and instantly became aware of the weight dipping the bed at his side. He saw his precious mate curled beside the bed, and were it any other day (when he was stronger) he would have simply lifted the fairy up onto the bed beside him, but he was just too weak.
"Lu...han...," He managed to choke out, "C-come up... here..."
The alpha tugged on the small hand inside his, desperately craving the contact he had been starved of for a month.

=== LATER ===

Bo had done with her treatment a few hours before and now was sitting in the chair as she waited for Jongin to awake.
At least that's what she said to everyone, but the real reason she was staying was that she worried about her friends.
Luhan had been telling her that he was not the best mate for her alpha but the frail fairy refused to leave Jongin's side by sitting on the floor beside the bed with his head on the side of Jongin's face and his hand entangled the alpha's hand. Bo had told him to lie down beside Jongin and took some rest but Luhan told her that he had no right to do that until Jongin told him to.
Zitao told Bo that Luhan and Jongin were indifferent in terms of stubborness. /They both ready to sacrifice for the other when actually it was not necessary/ the vampire told her. So Bo let Luhan stayed like that and now he was falling asleep, still sitting on the floor, while cuddling Jongin's arm.

"I don't think I am a good mate." Luhan finally stood up from the chair and head off to bed. Stopping just beside the bed, he slipped onto his knees and stared longingly at Jongin. "I can feel how he is disappointed with me and I don't want to hurt him more." He brushed the hair from Jongin's face with adoration and love. "I never abandon him." He was surprised that even Bo thought he was abandoning his mate. "I am the one who is dependant on him, sometimes I think I am just burdening him because I can never be as good as a wolf mate." He looked at Bo and admitted finally. "How can I fix him if he doesn't trust me anymore?"

Once Bo had cleaned the wounds with her tongue, she took hot water and salve along with a needle, and began to patch up each and every wound individually and with care. In her mind, doing this helped repay the debt that had amounted when Jongin saved her and her child from being molested by other wolves.
She heard Luhan's statement.
"You will leave him?" She asked quietly as she stitched up a wound on his arm. "If you do that, he will die. He /is/ dying currently," She revealed. "A wolf needs his mate's love and reassurance. He is broken and the only one who can fix him is you. The further you pull away, the weaker he gets."
She tied off her work.
"Maybe he is dependant on you, but you're the only one he's ever truly smiled for. He needs you to show him why he fell so in love with you. Don't abandon him."

Luhan sat quietly but his tears were falling down fast on his cheeks as he read what was in Jongin's mind through their bond, the one that kept him alive and sane when they were separated. But somehow, the war separated them more than just physical. Luhan could feel that Jongin did not trust him as much as he used to. The wolf's fear of being abandoned and dismissed hurt him a lot. There was nothing that Luhan wanted more than to have Jongin back in his arms, to breath the same air and tangled his own cold body to Jongin's warm one.
He watched with jealousy and fear on how Bo so confidently treated Jongin's wounds by all the gashes around the alpha's body, a treatment that only other wolf could do to cure another wolf's wounds.
"I love you...so much. But I will let you go, if that is for your best."

Jongin was fast asleep by the time Luhan had left, an uneasiness settling over his heart that said mate would not stay by his side while he slept. He really had no idea what he done wrong to deserve the distance between them. He wanted to be reassured that he had done the right thing, not be dismissed and then abandoned. He loved everyone he had tried to save with his life, and only one seemed to repay the favour. He was afraid Luhan thought that he had failed, and that his beloved mate would break their bond in favour of a more suitable partner.
Fitfully, he chased a deeper rest.
Bo, on the other hand, still choked on her tears, so grateful to the man who had defended her and her newborn son in their time of need, and freed their people. She kissed the back of Jongin's hand, before she heard a hitch in his breathing and suddenly noticed all of the external wounds on his body had been left untreated, covered in leaf matter. Her eyes widened and she drew her knife, slicing the alpha's shirt down the middle and scrubbing at her tears as she saw the gashes littering his body.

Luhan watched the exchanged of the two best friends slashed ex-partners and felt a pang in his heart. Somehow he could feel that Jongin was dissapointed with him and he could not understand why.
The way Jongin brushed Bo's hand reminded him that as much as he tried his best to be one, he was never a real wolf.
"I let you two talk." He kissed Jongin's cheek, wanted to linger but he afraid he would cry. So he stood up and gave Bo a hug, retreated into the chair in the corner of the room.
And then was when Krystal came with the babies.

A wheezing sigh left Jongin's parted lips... he couldn't help but feel that Luhan's reply was a little... off. He had given his everything in defence of his lover and their young family but Luhan appeared unaffected. The wolf couldn't help but wonder what he could have possibly done wrong. He was about to allow himself to slip back into the comforting veil of unconsciousness, simply happy to be beside the one he loved more than anything, when he heard a wailing outside.
"Jongin! Let me see him!"
Bo's voice was too loud, overwhelmingly so, and Jongin winced, but he supposed his pack would be worried. From what he could observe through his blurred vision, Bo was crying at his side, her face pressing against his side.
"Thank you... thank you..." She sobbed.
Jongin's mouth was dry, having used up his energy promising his lover that he would never leave him, but he laid his hand atop Bo's head, eyes glimmering with tears of pain and gladness. 'You're free", he mouthed, steadily descending into sleep.

Luhan smiled softly back, caught Jongin's slipping hand into his palm and kissed it gently.
"I know Hyung. I know." He leant closer to kiss the alpha forehead. "I never let you go either." He noticed Jongin's shaking hand. "Now just rest. I will be here when you awake tomorrow." He lied beside Jongin, cuddled his arm*

Jongin wasn't really hearing Luhan's questions, but he could feel Luhan's face beneath his palm and it gave him strength like he had never felt before. His thumb jerkily pressed against Luhan's lower lip and the familiarity bolstered him.
"No one can hurt you now," Jongin whispered, almost too soft to be heard. "I'll never let you go."
He allowed himself a soft smile, arm shaking from the strain of being suspended in the air. His hand began to slip from his lover's face.

Luhan was crying his heart out pitifully when a familiar strong hand cupped his cheek. "Jongin? Hyung..." He stayed in the link but he opened his eyes to see Jongin's chest moved ups and downs steadily.
"Hyung..." He let out a weak smile as Jongin slowly regained his composure. "You're back?" He leaned forward to Jongin's hair.

A beautiful light suddenly filled Jongin's mind, the presence of which caused him to take a breath in pure shock. He remembered Luhan's soft eyes and he was slowly becoming aware of the steady beating of his own heart. He remembered the birth of his four children, and he remembered his promise to them.
He took another breath.
His vision was blurred with tears and a haze of pain when he finally opened his eyes, reaching a hand out for who he hoped to be his mate. Clumsily, the wolf palmed Luhan's cheek, shutting his eyes once more.