Kris waited patiently for the sides of his pancakes to turn brown. He could hear Luhan washing up in the bathroom, and through the reflection of the glass cabinets, he could see Luhan’s skinny frame in the bathroom, putting on his shirt and struggling with his tie.

                “You did not sleep again.” He stated. Luhan emerged from his room, ready for work but the bags around his eyes and his pale lips gave him away.

                “Hardly. I think I had two hours.”

                “Are you sure you can go to work today?”

                “I’m fine.” Luhan took a swig of coffee, then guzzled it down as if it was water. His body was inhaling caffeine the way it would inhale air. “I just have something on my mind.”

                “I’m sure whatever it is, it’s not worth losing sleep over.”

                Kris was right. In retrospect, project E.X.O really wasn’t worth all of Luhan’s time, effort and sneakiness on. Yes, it was top secret, but now the secret was out. Luhan should have satisfied his curiousity and put it behind him, but now he realized that after he dug out the truth, he started yearning for me. He opened a Pandora’s Box, S.M.E.’s Pandora Box to be exact. The project wasn’t even active anymore.

                So why is he going through all of this?

                Luhan shook his head trying to think of an explanation. How could he justify it to his mentor and guardian when he couldn’t even justify it to himself.

                “It’s about project E.X.O, isn’t it?” Kris asked him.

                “How did you…”

                “I read some of your files that you left on the table. S.M.E.’s only terminated project.” Kris saw the lines on Luhan’s face droop downwards. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be prying through you stuff.”

                “No it’s okay.” He made a mental note to be more careful about them in the future. “It has been…bugging me.”

                “What is it all about?”

                “It’s classified.”

                “Were you granted permission to do research on them?”

                “Well…no…” Luhan didn’t want to admit he stole those files. “I’m working on it.”

                “I’m just concerned Luhan.” Kris sighed. “You have always been a nosy, curious kid who pushes his way into everybody’s business but this is unhealthy, even for you. You come home stressed and frazzled, you wake up looking like a zombie and you don’t seem to talk about anything other than work. What about your colleagues? Your seniors? How’s working environment?”

                “It’s all fine.” Luhan snapped a little, feeling irritated due to lack of sleep and proper concentration on anything.

                “What is this obsession you have with thi.O?” Kris said. “By any chance, you’re not attracted to one of them are you?”

                “HA!” Luhan scoffed loudly, his spoon hitting the table. “Kris, did you seriously think I’m that kind of person?”

                “I’m just asking. Luhan I don’t think…”

                “Why is everyone on my case about this?!” he finally snapped. “I can do whatever it is that I want I’m a ing scientist! A scientist does not choose his area of interest based on ual appeal!”

                Luhan got up and flung his fork back on his plate. “Fine, I admit, I am curious. Yes, I am nosy as hell, but isn’t that the whole point?! The very scientific nature is to be curious about everything! You think we would have known gravity if Newton wasn’t curious enough to wonder why the ing apple dropped down from the tree?”

                “I’m sensing a lot of stress from work.”

                “I just don’t understand why they don’t trust me.” Luhan groaned. “Read the files, read the files they say. That’s what I have been doing for the past week, reading files! Nobody answers my questions, nobody listens to my research opinions and I’ve been treated like a baby.”

                “You are one.” Kris pulled Luhan down. “You have only been at this for a week. You cannot expect them to give you a chance to do everything in just a week. You have to build their trust and confidence in you.”

                “Haven’t I done enough of that? I saved Mark’s life.”

                “I’m not the judge of that. They are. Now you have got to stop whining and acting like you know everything because you don’t. You are on somebody’s turf and you have to be play by their rules.”

                Luhan’s eyes casted downwards and Kris sighed heavily. “Finish your pancakes.”

                “I’m not hungry.” He pushed the plate aside and grabbed his bag. Kris watched him walk out having only eaten half a pancake and two cups of coffee. He felt his migraine coming back on.

                Oh the perils of parenthood.

***************

                Luhan’s testy attitude and bad mood was attributed mainly to his lack of sleep, so when he arrived at work he drank another two cups to make sure he would not accidentally snap at his colleagues, even if they didn’t care for him too much. That’s fine because he didn’t care too much for them anyways.

                When he arrived he saw them all huddled up, gossiping and whispering. He knew it would not be his day when they started looking at him and pointing, all whilst conversing among themselves.

                “What’s going on?” he asked.

                “It’s our turn to do The Deed.” Ricky, one of the senior lab technicians said.

                “What’s The Deed?”

                “It’s when you have to serve lunch to the Convicts down in The Hive.” Jimin said, her large hoop earrings hidden behind her short hair. “Usually the guards do it, but last night Jin here lost a bet with one of the guards and now one of us from our department has to serve them.” She glared at Jin with a straight face. “Thanks Jin.”

                “You make it sound like it’s my fault I lost the bet.” Jin retorted.

                “Why did you have to be on poker? You know your poker face was terrible!”

                “So it’s just serving lunch. How hard could it be?” Luhan shrugged, not understanding what the fuss was about.

                “It’s like a bloody prison hospital down there. We all hate going down.” Ricky said.

                “Well, we all work in a laboratory staring at cold metal objects with slides of freaky unknown substances on a daily basis.” Luhan laughed. “I don’t think we’re that much better off.”

                “Since you don’t seem to be afraid why don’t you do it?” Jin said.

                “Fine.” Luhan shrugged. “No harm.”

                “I’ll tell Jungkook you’re coming then.” Jin eyed Luhan, typing away on his phone carefully. The circle of gossip soon dispersed since a conclusion came to. Luhan offered to do what all his colleagues were afraid to, so they couldn’t help whispering about him behind his back.

                He’s new, so he doesn’t know anything.

                Is he trying to kiss up to get something?

                I bet he’ll never want to go down there again.

                Luhan tried to pretend they were flies and went back to his work.

*****************

                When Jungkook the guard came to fetch Luhan (who was pushing the lunch tray) and him down to the Hive, he was surprised to see the guard open a small panel on the elevator, revealing a hidden button. He pressed the button and it took them down, down, down, down , down until there was no phone reception and it was so dark he couldn’t see anything out of the glass elevator.

                “Have you ever been down here?” Jungkook asked him.

                “No. I’m new here.”

                “Oh, so you got stuck with this?”              

                “I wouldn’t put it that way. I technically volunteered for it.”

                “Good for you.” He laughed. “Most of the people on R&D are a bunch of , no offense to the ladies.”

                “Well…” Luhan resisted the urge to laugh. He was not supposed to laugh at his own department but some part of him can’t help but agree with Jungkook.

                They finally reached their stop and the doors open. Everything was painted in dark grey metallic shades, and it was darker here than it was upstairs. Luhan pushed the cart slowly, and he could see why they called it the Hive. It was shaped in one giant hexagon, with a huge circular middle that lay a table, some sports equipment and a random basketball hoop. 9 doors were found on the hexagonal walls, in pairs except a lone door at the end, closest to the exit and entry way on the other side.

                “We start here.” Jungkook pointed to his left. Luhan carefully wheeled the cart over and checked the menu list. He looked at the names and he felt his heart skip a beat.

                E.X.O. This is where the E.X.O members are held captive.

                “Kim Joonmyun?” Jungkook knocked on the door and lifted a small flap. “Lunch is here.”

                A young man with blue eyes stepped forward, his handsome face appearing through the small window of the door. Luhan slid his lunch through the flap, trying not to stare at the face before him. Joonmyun smiled wistfully, taking his tray away.

                “Kim Minseok?”

                “Yes?” a bubbly face appeared, big eyes with cat-like canines. He watched his food tray slide in and a smile crept on his lips. “Thank you!”

                “They all seem very nice.” Luhan commented.

                “It’s a good day. They are not acting up.” Jungkook nodded.

                “Do they get relapses?”

                “Each one of them reacts differently. Some of them get violent, some don’t. Minseok is one of the nice ones. When he gets relapses he just sits there quietly.” They walk over to the next room and Jungkook calls the next name. “Zhang Yixing?”

                Luhan could hear a muffled voice and clumsy footsteps. A sleepy face appeared in the window as Luhan pushed his lunch tray through. Yixing’s dimples made a small appearance as he yawned to get his food. He looked down at his tray and frowned. “I don’t like fish.”

                “Too bad. That’s all you’re getting.” Jungkook shrugged. “Let’s go.”

                “I’ll make sure you don’t get fish next time.” Luhan said, smiling reassuringly. Yixing smiled back in return. There was a twist in Luhan’s heart. He himself was of Chinese descent and it ached him a little to see a fellow Chinese be in a cell like this, especially since Yixing looked like he couldn’t kill a bug to save his life.

                “Byun Baekhyun?”

                “What’s up pops?” Baekhyun grinned. “Hey Kookie old boy. How’s that episode of Game of Thrones I told you to watch?”

                “Sick as hell. I don’t know why you like that show.”

                “It’s full of murder, , deception and flying dragons. Reminds me of the old S.M.E. dorms.” He laughed. He looked down at the lunch tray and picked up his apple. “Could you give this to Chanyeol?” he asked Luhan, his eyes warm and friendly. “He likes apples.”

                “Okay.” Luhan took back the apple and tried to exchange it for something else but Baekhyun stopped him. “Just give him the apple.” He said.

                They moved on to Jongdae, who simply gave a casual wave as he came for his food. When they got to Chanyeol, Luhan placed Baekhyun’s apple on his tray. “Baekhyun asked me to give this to you.”

                “Thank you.” He picked up the bread from his own tray. “Can you give this to him in return?”

                “Listen we’re trying to serve food not run a delivery business.” Jungkook groaned impatiently. Chanyeol’s face dropped when Jungkook refused him but Luhan took the bread anyways.

                “I’ll go.” He made a quick dash to Baekhyung’s door and handed him the bread.

                “Tell him I said thank you.” Baekhyun smiled, his fingers brushing against Luhan’s skin. Luhan nodded and headed back, but this time Jungkook was impatient.

                “Let’s go let’s go!”

                “There’s no rush Jungkook, just calm down.” Luhan sighed. He took one last look at Chanyeol and gave him a knowing smile before saying “Baekhyun says thank you.”

                The look that Chanyeol had in his eyes was enough to give his feelings away. Chanyeol and Baekhyun must be the ones who are in love.

                Do Kyungsoo did not come for his food, so Luhan left it there. Jongin was already waiting for his, standing at the door with eager hands poking through the flap. Luhan noticed a pink scar running down his face hear the bridge of his nose.

                “Here is your lunch.”

                “Thank you.” Jongin said. “Is Kyungsoo awake?”

                “I don’t know. He didn’t come for his food.”

                Jongin’s face grimaced a little and Luhan wagered he must still be in pain. Perhaps he hasn’t fully recovered from his injuries.

                “Now, the one in the last door is a little bit of a brat.” Jungkook warned. “If he starts acting like a little , just ignore him and move on.”

                “Okay.”

                “Oh Sehun.” Jungkook called. Luhan slid the lunch tray and two hands grabbed his. Luhan gasped at the contact and looked up. Another set of blue eyes stared right back at him, but the face that hosted the eyes was just…absolutely mesmerizing. Luhan had seen Sehun’s profile picture in the file but the profile was nothing compared to him in real life. Sehun was just downright hot.

                “You must be new.” He said. “I have never seen you before.”

                “I am new.”

                “Oh. That explains things.” He let Luhan’s hands go and pulled his tray back a little. He looked down and pointed at the chicken. “Give Yixing the chicken.” He pushed his tray back.

                “Kid, we don’t run a restaurant back here. We don’t return orders.”

                “I’ll do it.” Luhan picked up Sehun’s tray and ran back to Yixing’s door. He swamped the uneaten fish for the chicken and gave them back to Sehun. Jungkook pulled Luhan back and whispered in his ear. “We don’t serve the Convicts!”

                “Leave him alone. He’s just trying to be nice, unlike you who just sits there on his fat while we scream in terror.” Sehun said.

                “Shut up you brat. What I say and do is none of your business.” Jungkook released his hold on Luhan. “Let’s go. Lunch is over.”

                “Can you tell them to make dinner a little warmer? You’d think we deserve at least a hot meal down here.”

                “I don’t take orders kid.”

                “I’ll tell them.” Luhan said. He looked at Sehun through the door and watched the way his blue eyes glisten in the dim lights.

                “We’re done here. Enjoy your lunch.” Jungkook pulled Luhan with him and they pushed the lunch cart away. Luhan reached the elevator as Jungkook took the cart from him.

                “Your work here is done.”

                “Thank you.”

                Jungkook gave him a mini salute and sent him off, the elevator going back up to civilization. When he arrived at his floor, the lights shone right in his face, as if they were trying to melt his face.

**************

                “Luhan, you’re home.”

                “Yes Kris.” Luhan took off his shoes as he entered the apartment.

                “Luhan, I wanted to apologize for what I said at breakfast.”

                “No Kris, I want to apologize.” Luhan sighed. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. It was rude and uncalled for.”

                “I worry about you Luhan.”

                “I know.”

                “You know, when your parents died,” Kris could feel emotions building up inside of him, and he bit his lip to try and stop them from overwhelming him. “I promised them I would take good care of you.”

                “You did an amazing job Kris. You’re the father I never had.” Luhan fell straight into Kris’s embrace. “I promise to do better.”

                That night, Luhan decided to sleep early. His snappy attitude got him in trouble and he was very tired after all. Before he slept, he kept thinking about the Hive. About the people behind those doors. Baekhyun and Chanyeol swapping food. Sehun standing up for him. Sehun’s skin on his. Sehun’s eyes. Sehun’s face. Sehun’s voice.

                He fell asleep imagining that same voice calling his name.

 

A/N: I tried to portray Kris as a concerned parent here in this fic so I hope I did well, eventually he will play a more important role as time goes on! All of this is really the beginning! Also I'm sorry I had to portray Jungkook as an here, he's actually my bias in BTS TT