The Villain Saves The Male Lead

"Are you feeling better now?" Ren asked softly, rubbing Fang's back with gentle fingers once the younger man was finally done crying.

Fang gave him a bitter smile. "I'm sorry, I should be the one who should ask you that...I'm so useless."

Ren pulled him closer and kissed his brow. "Don't day that, my little darling. You're the most amazing person I know."

Fang was silent for a moment. Then, in a clear attempt to divert the conversation into another direction, he muttered, "I'm almost as tall as you now."

Ren let him shift the topic away and smiled indulgently. "When you're taller than me, should I call you my big darling?" he asked teasingly.

"Maybe I'll call you my little love instead," Fang murmured.

"I'll look forward to that," Ren said, kissing his boyfriend's cheek again.

Fang flushed.

The boy was just too adorable, Ren thought.

"The babies said that you had a small surge because your emotions were unstable just now," Fang whispered. "Did...did I cause that?"

Ren sighed. "I don't know how to answer this question," he said quietly.

"Why?" Fang asked.

Ren sighed again. "If I say yes, you'll feel guilty, and if I say no, you'll feel that I don't love you." He rubbed Fang's hair. "Fang - I'm fine now. My magic is stable, and I don't feel tired anymore."

Fang didn't reply.

Ren leaned in and rested his head on Fang's shoulder. "I need your help if we want to prevent too many of these episodes in the future, though," he muttered.

Fang perked up. "Anything you need, love. Absolutely anything," he whispered.

"You'll have to drag me out of bed and make me exercise for at least an hour each day," Ren said sadly. "This stupid body needs to be trained to at least average physical strength." He made a disgusted face at the thought of having to work out every day.

Fang nodded immediately. "We can start with walks and then take up more vigorous exercise," he said. "I'll plan it for you properly." He frowned. "And your diet?" he asked. "Doesn't that need to be modified as well?"

"Oh, heavens, no, please!" Ren begged. "I'd rather throw myself off the roof than go on a diet!"

Fang flicked Ren's forehead lightly. "You're a doctor yourself. How can you say something like this?" he demanded. "At the very least, you need more protein and less sugar, right? And more greens..."

"Fang, if you try to deprive me of my sweets, I swear I'll have another magic surge!" Ren threatened.

Fang bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. "But..."

Ren shut him up with his own lips, soothing the injury.

"Cut it down, you two! There are children here!" Pax yelled from a small distance away, picking up the three furballs and covering their eyes with his hand.

Fang pushed Ren away, his face flushed with embarrassment. He used a little too much force accidentally and Ren fell backwards with a thump.

"Oww," Ren moaned.

Worried, Fang knelt by his side and helped him sit up. "Did I hurt you?" he asked anxiously. "Let's go back to our room. Let me check once and then you can rest for a bit."

Ren shook his head, feeling a little dizzy again. He frowned. His magic wasn't surging; it was quite stable. He was not in bad health or anything, either - just the standard sedentary lifestyle person. Why was he suddenly so fragile, then? Had his magic eroded his body already, or...had Fang gotten exceptionally strong...?

Ren had a feeling that the latter was probably closer to the truth. After all, even if Ren's body wasn't combat trained, he was still a lively twenty year old with an average physique.

Seeing Ren in a daze, Fang simply picked him up in his arms and rushed to the house without waiting for an answer. He ran to their room at breakneck speed and deposited Ren on the bed. Then he immediately started pulling off Ren's clothes.

Ren finally woke up from his daze when Fang was unbuttoning his pyjama top.

"Fang? What are you doing?" he asked.

"Checking you for any injuries," Fang said and pulled off Ren's top.

The dark finger shaped bruises on his shoulders and arms stood out in stark contrast to Ren's skin. There were new bruises forming on his back now when he'd fallen.

Fang gritted his teeth and pulled off Ren's pyjama bottoms as well, despite the older man's protests. Large bruises were forming on his legs, too, and there were a couple of scratches which were bleeding in a sluggish manner.

Fang let out a cry of horror. "I...I hurt you this badly?" he asked Ren. "Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you hit me?!"

"Why on earth would I hit you?" Ren snapped.

Fang stared at him.

Ren examined himself as well, and found that the injuries were superficial and would heal naturally in a few days.

"Nothing serious," Ren murmured. "Fang...help me put on some cream please?"

Fang silently fetched the medicinal ointments for bruises and cuts and started applying them all over Ren.

"Thanks," Ren said, when he finished. He chuckled ruefully. "Clearly I'm in desperate need of that exercise hour..."

Fang silently helped him into his pyjamas.

"Fang?" Ren called in a gentle voice when he didn't speak for a long time, concern swimming in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Fang cried softly, kneeling on the floor in front of Ren. "I..."

Ren sighed. "It's not your fault," he said in a soothing voice.

"How can you even say that?!" Fang shouted. "I hurt you, Ren! I..." He burst into tears. "You should throw me out. I can't be allowed to be violent... especially not to you!!"

"Calm down," Ren said. "I'm reasonably sure that this is a side effect of the magic surge rather than you using brute force on me." He patted Fang's head.. "Don't be so eager to blame yourself."