Chapter 21: The Healed

Jingfei sat silently on the ground, holding the stuffed animal tightly in his arms. He could feel the people around him staring at him, some in confusion, others in awe. But Jingfei didn't pay them much mind, continuing to hold the stuffed animal tightly. He curled into a ball, his head leaning on the cat's. Ying was the only one who walked up to Jingfei, placing a hand on the vamplings knee. "You left it in your room." Ying said softly.

Jingfei looked up at Ying, nodding. Ying smiled, standing up. Wei sat beside Jingfei, leaning a head on Jingfei's shoulder. "Ying, you really need to teach him how to hunt." Wei scolded softly, looking up at Ying, who stressfully combed a hand through his hair. Bambang looked up. "Hunt? That's against-" Yang gave Bambang a bored look. "No, not that type of hunt. It's not lethal for us." Yang informed. Bambang turned to the boy. "Shouldn't you be with your parents?" Bambang asked. Before Yang could say anything, Jingfei stepped in. "Enough." Jingfei mumbled tiredly.

The vampling slowly stood, looking down to the ground, his vampire stuffed animal still tightly in his hands. He looked back at Ying, reaching out for the other hand. "Can you..?" Jingfei asked slightly. However, as he reached out his hand, a small droplet of blood slid from Jingfei's hand, down to the wooden floor. Jingfei looked down, seeing both his stuffed animal, and his hand covered in blood. Jingfei's eyes widened, his cat plushie dropping onto the floor as he reached out his other hand, which was clean.

Jingfei's breath stood still as he looked up at Bambang, who stared down at Jingfei's hand with shock. "Did I…-" Before he could answer, Ying reached over to slightly turn Jingfei's head to look at him. Jingfei's eyes struggled to turn to Ying. Did Jingfei… hurt Bambang? There was Bambang's crimson blood, on his hands, on his shirt, on his cat. It was everywhere. Bambang's blood was everywhere. When Jingfei finally turned, looking into Ying's darkened eyes, they held both worry and fear. "It's not Bambang's blood, it isn't. It's yours, okay. Can you smell it? Can you smell food?" Ying asked.

Jingfei sucked in a breath, smelling the earthy wooden floors that he stood upon. Arranged in perfectly straight lines. He could smell the sweet fragrance of air freshener that had been sprayed earlier, it's scented particles still floating in the air. He could smell the mango scented shampoo he had used earlier today, when he was still at Wei's house. But he couldn't not smell the ripened scent of food, deliciously made with the hint of earthy iron. He couldn't not smell the scent that was made specifically for him from human blood, from humans themselves./ Ying was right.

Jingfei let out his breath with a deep sigh, his shoulders relaxing after such a tense situation happened within the walls of his mind. Ying sighed as well, reaching to lift Jingfei's hand up. Wei scanned Jingfei, looking at the slash. His eyes looked up at Bambang, who was looking back towards the door. "You said you didn't hurt him." Wei said harshly.

Bambang looked up at the way, his lips forming a thin line as he stared at the threatening vampire with ease. "I said I didn't kill him. But I had to warn him, if he didn't know that my knife was silver then he would have continued to fight me." Bambang explained skillfully, as Jingfei looked up. "You knew." Jingfei asked, though his voice was less of a question. It was obvious Bambang knew, and Jingfei had a feeling that he was a vampire hunter as well.

That was what he was hiding. That was why the girl called him a vampire. Was he planning on killing Jingfei? Was that the reason that he had the knife out? Was that the reason he was up so late with the girl? No, no that couldn't be. Why would he get mad at her? She must have, he must have- what's the point. He wasn't the one to make the first move.

"I'm sorry." Jingfei said simply, right as Bambang was about to speak. Bambang froze, staring at Jingfei. He seemed like he couldn't move, just as Jingfei was a couple of minutes prior. He seemed scared, worried, and in shock. Chan walked over, looking at Jingfei's wound. "He'll be fine. The most he'll need is some alcohol on the wound. Maybe some more blood to make it heal faster." Chan said simply. Wei nodded, beginning to pull Jingfei towards the kitchen.

Jingfei followed, with Ying slightly behind him. Ying lightly padded Jingfei's hair as they walked. "I know you're doing it." Ying sighed. Jingfei hesitantly looked over, obviously confused. "Doing what?" Jingfei asked as Wei walked over to the island. Jingfei sat down. "That face, that look on your face." Jingfei had been hearing that a lot from Ying, but unlike him getting used to things, he wasn't that mad about the words.

Jingfei laughed softly, looking down. Ying leaned on the island as Wei held Jingfei's hand up, wiping the blood off. "Sorry, I'll stop." Jingfei said with a smile. Ying shook his head, smiling coming onto his own face as well. "No need to. It seems you like the stuffed animal I got you." Ying pointed out. Jingfei slowly nods. "I do, a lot. It's really cute. It's also nice to have. Somehow it's comforting." Jingfei tried to explain, but Ying lightly shook his head. "That's good that you like it." Ying said simply.

The table went quiet after that, Wei lightly pressing down on the wound while creating a makeshift bandage from the napkin. Jingfei and Ying silently watched the nurse do his thing, tightening the bandage. He looks at Jingfei, before Ying. "As much as I trust Bambang,I want him to stay with us." Wei said, leaning back. Ying shook his head. "No, I don't think so. It was a one time thing, and we came just in time. We just need to change the when." Ying said. Jingfei was quiet, watching the twos conversation.

"We can do six instead of eight." Ying says, as Wei still looks obviously hesitant. But he's, I don't know, Ying. What if Bambang does something worse than just slicing his hand." Wei points out. Ying sighs, shaking his head. "He only did that as a warning." Ying pointed out. He leaned off the table, giving a steady look to Wei, before looking at Jingfei. "You think you can handle yourself?" Ying asked.

And Jingfei didn't know what to say.