Pray for the Wicked | ATEEZ

23.

At least the single bed was put to good use as Wooyoung and Jongho managed to get San settled on top of the covers, the auburn-haired of the two carefully placing a couple of pillows underneath his head.

"I'll get him something to drink," Hongjoong mumbled, already heading for the bathroom when I exclaimed, "No, don't," and hurriedly stepped in front of him, forcing him to halt.

"Dahlia, I get that we can't get him the medical treatment he needs, but I'd like to see you try and stop me from making sure he doesn't suffer from dehydration as well."

"Don't act like I'm the stupid one here," I frowned, about to say something more when the demon caught me to it.

"I get by now that you and I will always end up arguing, and, honestly, as long as we get the Lunar Flame back within the next three days, I'll bear it. But you are not going to stop me from caring for my subjects, my friends, just because we're in your home court."

"But if he has hyperthermia then the last thing he needs right now is something to drink. We need to lower his body temperature-" I tried, knowing that the hostility was undoubtedly a direct result of my behavior from before, already regretting it.

"Well, what do you think the water is for?" the son of Lilith deadpanned, drawing nearer as if his closeness would make me back down.

I wasn't having it.

"But it's not even cold," I heard Wooyoung mumble, him and Jongho simply standing in silence as they studied the two of us with slightly concerned looks in their eyes as if they had already moved on from San and the crisis on hand.

"That's hypothermia, you ape," Jongho sighed. Wooyoung immediately whipped his head around to face the younger, his jaw visibly going slack, but one look from the son of Mammon was enough to make him back down.

"We should immerse him in water, not pour it down his throat," I told Hongjoong, not minding the others.

"If you hadn't noticed, we don't have the facilities for that," he sneered, gesturing behind me with a look of barely contained anger on his face, "There isn't a bathtub in that shabby bathroom-"

"Shabby?" I scoffed, "What- is it not to your standards? Is that why you wanted two beds rather than one?"

"What does the bed have to do with this? He's dying you white-winged-"

"I dare you to finish that sentence," I said, lowering my voice as I cut him off, "I dare you to look me in the eye and say whatever you were thinking, see where that gets you."

Hongjoong fell silent as a low groan echoed through the room and San stirred a little on the bed.

I didn't even spare the blue-haired demon a second glance as I hurried over and sat down next to the son of Satan, furrowing my brows as I carefully placed a hand on his forehead which was burning hot and damp to the touch.

"If you can bear it, get back in that armor and head downstairs for some ice, lots of it, actually," I said, forcing myself to look at Hongjoong as I added, "Preferably you. If you can manage, your highness, get out of my sight."

Another attempt at pushing him away, feeling a little hurt despite having brought all of this upon myself.

I didn't waste another second as I reached for San's shirt which was soaked with sweat, and began to pull it over his chest only to freeze as I felt a rough hand on my shoulder. And then I lost it.

In less than a heartbeat, I was back on my feet, glaring into the eyes of the demon I had both come to despise and to care for, knowing that the embers within their darkness were nothing compared to the fires in my own as I backed him up against the wall and heard his breath catch.