(No POV)

"You know, Xiumin, you don't have to do this," Kris pleaded with an uncharacteristically concerned voice. Luhan could old imagine what his face looked like beyond the corner. He was going to go to the living room when he had seen the two discussing something, so he quickly flitted back behind the corner. Thankfully, they hadn't seen him.

"That's my decision Kris, and you should make yours too," Xiumin's voice was hard, decision made and ready to leave.

"You've been done with him this whole time! We left for a reason!" Kris started to shout.

Luhan felt his breath quicken, heart beginning to thump madly against his chest. He put his hand over his mouth. They can't hear him, even if he wasn't supposed to be listening in he first place. He was too concerned about Xiumin, no matter how much he knew about him. He helped him and it was only fair that he returned the favor.

"And it was childish, he has nothing now, I should at least get my answers. Like, what happened? Why did he leave?" Xiumin's voice was uncertain and full of doubt.

"You don't have to know. He might just be a jerk, and still is," Kris held his ground, not wavering the slightest, "Xiumin, I'm worried about you."

"Kris! I can handle myself! You're not my parents, and after all, he's my grandfather," Xiumin's usually level voice was laced with anger.

Xiumin huffed, slowly quieting down second by second.

"Sorry, I didn't mean that. I know you're out for the best for me. You can come with me if you want?" Xiumin sighed and he could hear him run his fingers through his hair.

"I don't think I can do it. Not after what I said to him last, take Baekhyun," Kris suggested.

"He's too hot headed, I can't do that. He doesn't know enough anyway," Xiumin groaned.

"Then Luhan?"

"That'd be okay I guess, considering that he's been listening on us this whole time," Xiumin turned and waited for something to happen. Perhaps that was his queue. 

Luhan stepped out shyly, letting out a deep breath, revealing his face to the two. Kris was a bit surprised and Xiumin sat there with a knowing look, surprisingly not so disappointed.

"So, you've been listening?" Xiumin rested his cheek in his hand.

"Y-yes, but I didn't mean to! I swear! I just happened to walk by!" Luhan confessed, trying to redeem himself in any way.

"And you didn't mean to stay here for the rest of the conversation instead of walking away?"

"I... yeah, but I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to get yourself into any more danger," Luhan put his head down, not ready to see the look on his face.

"I think you'll do just fine then," when he looked up Xiumin was smiling right at him, considerate of his feelings, seriously this time.

"... can't," Luhan muttered, looking straight at the floor with a constipated face.

"What was that?" Xiumin didn't believe what his ears just heard. It just didn't process those foreign words of rejection that slipped from the younger's lips.

"I can't."

"I...," Xiumin stumbled over the word, an obvious sense of shock coursing through his body. He didn't even have to look to see that Kris' eyes were wide open in confusion, "I see."

Just like that Luhan walked away, leaving Xiumin with rejection in his hands. 

(Luhan POV)

My breaths were about to escape back up my throat, hard to breath as I struggled to escape the room. Nobody questioned my decision so I continued, briskly striding out of the room as fast as I could without looking urgent.

I didn't dare even look at Xiumin's face, but there was a tug of desire to turn anyway. 

Moving my upper body the slightest, I looked right around my left I was met by a pair of intense eyes. Kris' fierce eyes were wide, filled with confusion and... livid, livid with anger. Small lips twitched the slightest. Almost as if they were daring me to look further at the man beside him. 

Those eyes got to the best of me and I flicked my head back, thinking of what kind of expression Xiumin must have been wearing. Confusion? Anger? Sadness? Or something extremely different? Happiness? Relief? He couldn't even begin to think of the possible result.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't even noticed someone appear in front of me. 

"Luhan?" It was Baekhyun, "what's got your face all scrunched together?"

"This is my face?" my voice came out different than I remembered, strangely coarse and tougher. Not in a manly way, just a coward pretending to be a man. Exactly what I was at the moment. 

"No Luhan, your face is never constipated, maybe ugly, but otherwise never," Baekhyun deadpanned.

"I'm not ugly?" 

"Luhan, when you get excited your jaw disappears," Baekhyun laughed, "no offense. Not exactly ugly but you might as well be the new meme."

"Meme?"

"Just shut up and tell me what's up," I was trying to decide if I should just leave but he seemed actually concerned.

"It's nothing," 

"Luhan."

I sat down into a squat, the strength in my legs finally giving away. I rubbed my face sluggishly, a wave of fatigue washing over myself. Deeply sighing I wondered what I had just done.

"Luhan?"

Right, Baekhyun was still there.

"I just... told Xiumin I wouldn't help him."

"You... rejected the boss?" his voice rang in surprised judgment.

"I didn't want to at first. I didn't, but I couldn't say yes," I looked up, not knowing what I was expecting, but certainly not what I did see. Baekhyun just stood there, but with an angry stance, arms wrapped together in a power stance.

Was he mad too? That I disobeyed orders. 

"Luhan, what did you do." 

I stood back up, lowering my head in shame, ready for a scolding.

"No, why? Why did you do it?" Baekhyun unfolded his arms, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Well, I just couldn't!" I argued.

"Couldn't why? Aren't you always happy to do things for Xiumin! I thought you'd take it! You seem to like him?" 

"I do! I mean I don't... The first one! Yes! I just can't!"

"And why not? How about the second?"

"I can't handle it! Nevermind!"

"You always talk about Xiumin and trying to do things right, but you can't now?" Baekhyun started to become angry because I continued to dodge his questions.

"You don't get it! I can't handle seeing him get hurt!" I raised my voice, pursing my lips.

"So that's what it is?" I looked up to see Baekhyun squinting his eyes. 

"What?"

"So you don't want to see him getting hurt again, especially with a chance of it being your fault?"

"Yeah," it sounded weird being voiced out, by Baekhyun's rough voice no less.

"Luhan."

I looked into his eyes in response.

"Would you rather do that, see him come home, battered or even dead, when you knew you had a chance to protect him yourself?"

I had never thought of it that way.

"You have to actively protect people you love yourself, there is no assuming that they'll be better off without you," Baekhyun's eyes were serious, despite the cheesy comment.

"Love?" I thought.

"Well... love, like, care for, all the same," Baekhyun caught himself, "but I'll leave you to think about it, but don't be late."

He left and I stood there in the hallway, all alone.

(No POV)

Back in the room Kris was looking directly at Xiumin, seeing his eyes contort back and forth, with an unreadable expression.

"I guess I'll just go with you then," Kris wondered why, why in the world did he reject the command, not even an offer, even if Xiumin voiced it like one. 

"Yeah," Instead of getting up, he slouched in his seat, putting a finger on his temple, thinking hard.

"What are you thinking about," he carefully treaded.

"Just..."

"Are you mad?"

He expected a clear yes.

"No, it's not that."

Kris didn't believe it, how could he not be angry. He himself was angry for god's sake. 

"It's not that I'm angry, but," Xiumin's face turned to reveal his flushed face, "I'm embarrassed."

Kris was taken aback, seeing Xiumin's small fingers grip the arms of his seat. His tiny lips were pursed into a tight line and his brows were delicately pressed together. 

"You are?"

"It shouldn't matter! It shouldn't but, it's just that Luhan, he always seems to agree to everything I say or he will run up to me, but why not now? When I ask him he tells me no?" Xiumin let out a deep breath through his nostrils, "it's his choice of course, maybe it's because I over estimated."

"Xiumin-"

"Maybe I was too forward, even earlier, with the teasing in the car. I must've been out of my mind."

"Wait-"

"No, it's my fault, I shouldn't have done something like that from the start," Xiumin stated in a trance like state, eyes staring into nothingness.

"Xiumin," Kris shook Xiumin's shoulder with a firm hand. He looked right into his eyes, "Xiumin, think about this properly. Why did you do that earlier. If it was just for fun then I'll admit it was wrong of you, but please, if it's for something more, think about it."

"Are you telling me that I have feelings for the rookie?"

"I'm asking you that question," Kris argued, "don't take Luhan as just a joke or a rookie because he's currently romantically unexperienced."

"I know that, but at the time, it was fun after I started, but I don't know why I did."

"Let's at least get a move on, think about it when we get back," Kris stood, hoping his words wouldn't disturb Xiumin's focus.

Luhan continued to think, it wasn't something he had thought of before.

He just expected that things would go better without him being there. After all, with him around Xiumin almost died, Kris got hurt, and he continued to get everyone in danger.

All while trying to prove himself.

Now it was just a matter of deciding on his resolve. Was all of this just to prove himself for who he was before his amnesia? The cool character that was described on his file? Or protecting the person he cared about.

A picture of the leader's face appeared into his head. Although he was their boss, he couldn't help but see him more as just.. Xiumin. 

Of course he always has been aware of his own feeling for the older man. Something sparked, he hadn't known when, it could've even been before he remembered first meeting him.  He tried thinking about their first encounter.

The hospital? Luhan could acknowledge that he was beyond cute, getting all flustered from his every compliment and such, but something pulled him closer, something more. He didn't know if Xiumin felt the same, but Baekhyun had a point. 

If he liked Xiumin, he'd do anything to protect him.

Note: The story develops

You all wanted more Xiuhan? By the way, who's going to KCON this year?
And the Monster teaser? I think I'm going to faint... so good....