When they were talking about physiotherapy what they actually meant was playtime. Physiotherapy was an excuse for E.X.O members to be let out of their cells and into the common ground, playing a little basketball, do some chit-chatting or even dance and sing a little. They were all born musicians. No matter what happened that small essence of them remained.

                Luhan was more than happy to see Kyungsoo back on his own two feet. He was healthier now as he joined his brothers, sitting down at a metal picnic table while Minseok and Yixing shot a few hoops.

                “Kyungsoo?”

                “You must be Luhan.” Kyungsoo stood up and greeted Luhan with a firm handshake and a 90 degree bow. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

                “I really didn’t do much.” Luhan blushed shyly. “I’m just glad to see that you’re okay.”

                “Of course he needs to make sure that we’re okay,” Jongdae scoffed. “If we’re dead he won’t be able to conduct his experiments on us.”

                “Jongdae stop it.” Joonmyun chided. “We have been through this.”

                “Yes indeed. The prodding. The scanning. Those stupid bottles of unknown liquid they inject in us. Surgery. Multiple times too. Did you know that I still have that scar from the spinal surgery that never healed?”

                “We know. You’ve shown us that scar so many times.” Sehun rolled his eyes.

                “Exactly. I am through with being treated like a lab mouse, so if pretty boy here is thinking about sticking me on cold table then forget about it.”

                “Nobody here likes what we went through hyung.” Sehun said. “But that doesn’t mean we should just dismiss Luhan like that.” Luhan looked at Sehun with warm eyes. He couldn’t believe the youngest was actually sticking up for him.

                “Sehun is right. Maybe he can help to find out what’s wrong with us.” Chanyeol said.

                “Jesus ing Christ how many times have I told you that we’re fine? There’s nothing wrong with us.”

                “If there’s nothing wrong with us then why are we down here?” Chanyeol snapped back.

                “Because they are afraid of us.” Jongdae sneered. “They are afraid of us, so they would rather kill what they fear than understand it.”

                Luhan’s skin shivered at Jongdae’s words. Sehun saw him shivering and pulled Luhan closer to him.

                “Stop scaring him the new kid. Look at him, he’s shaking.” Kyungsoo slapped Jongdae’s leg.

                “Wimp.” Jongdae muttered under his breath but Joonmyun shut him up.

                “That is enough. Jongdae you promised to be more civilised.”

                “I didn’t promise .”

                “I’m sorry about this Luhan.” Joonmyun apologised.

                “Don’t be. He has every reason to doubt me.” Luhan shook his head. “Yes, it’s true. I am sent down here to conduct research on you, but I’m not interested in fixing you. I just want to know what happened.”

                “What happened when?” Kai asked.

                “He’s talking about our riot.” Sehun said.

                “Gosh that day went by like a blur.” Baekhyun sighed, crossing his legs as he crawled atop the table. “To be honest I don’t remember that day. It was like everything went by in fast motion. When I came to, I was hospitalised and chained to the bed.”

                “Did anyone kiss you that day? Do you recall?”

                “If by kiss you mean Chanyeol slamming me to the wall and planting a huge St. Bernard slobber on me then yeah.” Baekhyun laughed, dodging Chanyeol’s punches. “He’s such a slobber sometimes.”

                “Hey, you never complain about my kisses.”

                “That’s because I drown in them.”

                “Guys come on,” Joonmyun laughed. “Just answer the question.”

                “All I remember was Kai kissing me, and then I think I kissed Minseok, and Minseok kissed Chen and then Chen kissed Chanyeol.” Kyungsoo said.

                “Then I kissed Baekhyun, Baekhyun kissed Yixing and Yixing kissed Joonmyun.”

                “You started the whole thing you know,” Kai pointed a finger at Sehun. “If you have to ask you should ask him.”

                “Were you kissed before by anyone else?” Luhan asked Sehun, turning around to face him.

                “Does it matter?”

                “Yes. If the kiss was contagious it must have been passed around. It’s unlikely you would have developed it first.”

                Sehun simply bit his lip and shook his head. “I was kissed by someone else, but you don’t need to know who.”

                “But this could…”

                “I said, you. Don’t. Need. To. Know.” Sehun uttered every word clearly, as if Luhan was deaf. Luhan raised his hands in defeat.

                “Fine,” he cleared his throat. “Do you all,” he tried continuing the conversation. “Do you still get relapses?”

                “Not really. It used to happen really often after the riot.” Yixing said.

                “Yeah, they told us that our bodies were wrecked, and were now producing dangerous side effects like those constant spasms, temper tantrums, and some even sweating and peeling of the skin.”

                “Peeling of the skin?”

                “One of the side effects of the skin whitener serum.” Chanyeol explained. “We would have our skin peeled off like a snake would moult. You could peel it off with a scraper.”

                “Bet you could make coats with it.”

                “Stop it Baekhyun that’s disgusting.” Minseok faked a gagging sound.

                “Do you still feel the effects of the modifications that were made in your body?” Luhan asked.

                “Not really. Most of the time we feel just fine.”

                “And you are all capable of emotions?”

                “Of course, why else do you think Jongdae got so snappy?” Sehun laughed. “Not all the days though. It comes and goes.”

                “I like it better now that we can feel stuff.” Kyungsoo grinned. “I like the feeling of butterflies in my stomach.” He took Kai’s hand in his and smiled warmly at the dancer.

                Luhan looked around a.O continued talking. They were all so close, like a real loving family. Kyungsoo and Kai were holding hands while Chanyeol and Baekhyun were making kissy faces at each other. Was the effect of the kiss contagious because they were so close? Because they had feelings and deep emotions for each other?

                Luhan wasn’t sure, but he was suddenly very anxious to find out. When Jungkook called his name and said visiting time was over, he wanted to bolt upstairs to record his findings but Sehun grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

                “Hey.”

                “Hey.” That was all Luhan could say. Sehun his dry lips as he loosened his grip on Luhan’s arm.

                “Could you get me some cake?”

                “Uh, sure. When do you want it?”

                “I’d like some for dessert tonight.”

                Tonight? Luhan wasn’t sure if he was allowed past working hours, but maybe he could be an exception to his case. He did have an all-access pass for heaven’s sake. What was the use of it if he couldn’t come and go as he pleased?

                “I’ll try.”

                “Okay. I’m really looking forward to seeing you tonight Luhan.”

                Sehun couldn’t wait to see Luhan. He couldn’t wait to talk to Luhan. He couldn’t wait to be with Luhan.

                If this was a date, Luhan would have leaned over to kiss those beautiful lips.

                Restraint Luhan. Restraint.

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

                Back upstairs it was just another normal day in the office. This time Luhan was back to doing more mundane activities such as taking observations for a new formula of vocal serum, to see who could hit the highest note. In addition to his own research, Luhan was expected to help out with the other experiments and do his assignments. He was really beginning to feel Professor Kim hated him. He gifted him with a rare opportunity, but asked him to suffer for it.

                “Okay it seems as if these new pills have increased your vocal range from five to five and a half,” Luhan read from his notes. He was taking observations for two N.C.T. members, Jaehyun and Doyoung. “Doyoung are you satisfied with the range you have now?”

                “No. I’d like for it to be six.”

                “Fine so I’ll put you on a higher dosage for another week.” Luhan took a small syringe as Doyoung handed out his wrist willingly. He must have done this so often he knew what to expect. Luhan injected the serum effortlessly.

                “Come back next week and we will do another range test.”

                “Thank you sir.” Doyoung tipped his head, holding the cotton bud in place of his injection wound.

                “Actually,” Luhan tapped his fingers for a bit. “Could you do me a favour?”

                “Yes sir. Anything.” The two of them were so eager to please. So much so it was a little dangerous.

                “Kiss.”

                That got their attentions. Jaehyun’s eyebrows shot up and Doyoung looked a little surprised, which was strange considering they both had Triple X, so how could they even feel anything? Jaehyun looked at Doyoung and back at Luhan. “Are you sure sir?”

                “Absolutely. Now kiss.”

                Jaehyun shrugged and closed his eyes as he walked towards his friend. Doyoung closed his and their lips touched.

                Once again, nothing.

                But then.

                Jaehyun’s knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground. Doyoung feel on his back and he was wheezing and coughing. His body started shaking while Jaehyun remained unconscious.

                “! Kim Doyoung? Kim Doyoung?!” Luhan tried to reach for him but Doyoung was writhing on the floor. Luhan ran across the lab, looking for some suppressants or some kind of knock out drug when he was slammed onto the nearest table and all the equipment fell to the floor. Jaehyun had somehow risen from his unconscious state like a zombie and was now pinning Luhan to the table, holding his wrist so tightly Luhan screamed in pain.

                “! Let me go!! Let me…” the look in Jaehyun’s eyes did not match his strong demeanour.  They were somewhat empty, as if his soul was stolen as he mumbled ‘kiss…kiss…’.

                “No no no don’t touch me! Don’t!!” Jaehyun leaned forward to kiss Luhan but the scientist kneed him in the groin and the young man fell backwards in pain. Doyoung was now crawling his way over to Jaehyun, his hands reaching for his friend. Jaehyun started screaming, yelling and kicking as Doyoung pinned him down and bought their heads together.

                It looked like he was going to maul him.

                The same action that was described in the witness report.

                Luhan found the suppressants and with two syringes and a lot of energy and focus, he plunged one in the back of Doyoung’s neck and another in Jaehyun’s arm. Both boys fell back in pain, groaning and whining away as the serum seeped into their veins, calming their muscles and draining their energy.

                “.” Luhan cursed when he saw what happened around him. Beakers were spoilt. The tables and chairs had fallen down and some were pushed aside. Doyoung and Jaehyun laid there on the cold lab floor, panting away.

                “Doyoung? Jaehyun?” Luhan called.

                “Jaehyun? Jaehyun where are you?” Doyoung turned, looking for his friend. “Jae…”

                “Hyung,” Jaehyun called out weakly. “It hurts…”

                “Jaehyun…Jaehyun…” Doyoung rolled himself to where Jaehyun was and pulled him close. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

                “Hyung…god hyung…”

                “Shhhh we’re okay.” Doyoung breathed, running a hand through Jaehyun’s hair. “We’ll be okay.”

                Then, they kissed again.

                Luhan could only look at them in shock. The kiss wore away the effects of Triple X. What happened to them was exactly like what happened in the riot. These two were originally lovers.

                A kiss, just a simple kiss, caused a fire that consumed lives and put 9 boys away in captivity. A kiss, a simple kiss, almost cost Luhan his life and two more.

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

                That night, after work, Luhan bought his cake down to the Hive and lucky for him, Jungkook was preoccupied with his TV shows he didn’t notice Luhan coming down. Luhan entered Sehun’s cell and the dancer stood up in glee.

                “My cake!”

                “You were right.”

                “About what?”

                “The kiss.” Luhan was breathing so hard right now he was almost shaking. “The kiss. It’s contagious.”

                “What are you talking about?”

                “I just…I…” Luhan breathed and gasped.

                “You need to calm down.”

                “I can’t calm down. I almost got two boys in trouble…I could have hurt them…”

                “Luhan please, it’s not your fault.”

                “It is my fault! I…I…” Sehun pulled Luhan into his arms and wrapped his long arms around him as tight as possible. Luhan was still breathing and heaving away as little droplets of tears escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek.

                “It’s fine. You’re safe now.”

                “I…can’t…what…if…”

                “Trust me. You couldn’t be safer anywhere else than here with the people S.M.E fear the most.”

                Luhan breathed, his chest rising and dropping fast.

                Then it slowed as Sehun his hair. He buried his face in Sehun’s chest and cried.

 

A/N: The plot thickens a little here as we go in deeper hahahahahahaha. Sorry for the late update , things have been a little unruly with my family so the next update might be a little late too. Thank you for all the lovely comments and do subscribe if you are looking forward to what happens next!