Kyungsoo seethed as he walked backstage, his anger palpable. He grit his teeth as he pulled off his stage wardrobe and changed into his "inconspicuous" street clothes. Sending a certain dancer a glare, he gritted out, “I’ll be going first,” and sat in the back of the van. Armed with earbuds, he ignored the rest of his group, alternating between glaring out the window and glaring holes at a certain tousled cranium.

 

When they got back to the dorm, Kyungsoo went straight to his room; he slammed the door and locked himself in. The other members glanced at each other dumbfoundedly. “Just leave him to cool off, he’ll come out of there eventually.” Suho announced. “I'll order some food. Everyone feelin' chicken, yea?" Suho asked as he whipped out his messenger pigeon (SM was on a budget to supply EXO's chicken addiction), retreating away from the noise to write their order in neat calligraphy.

 

Jongin sat at the table with Baekhyun. He had confusion written all over his face. Literally. "You do know you don't have to do that, right?" Baekhyun said as he wiped the text off Jongin's face.

 

Jongin sighed. "It's like, it just calms me. Like it makes me feel better if everyone knows how I'm feeling."

 

"I guess I can see that," Baekhyun warily side-eyed Jongin.

 

Jongin whipped out an eyeliner pencil and drew a big question mark on his forehead.

 

"No, I don't know what's wrong with Soo. Maybe he's just tired? Maybe it's time for his yearly molt?" Baekhyun glanced at his schedule. "I think he's about due for that," he muttered, furrowing his brows.

 

"Do you think I should talk to him?" Jongin inquired. He was genuinely worried about his favorite hyung. His favorite hyung that always loved spending time with him. His favorite hyung who loved spending time with him that suddenly didn’t want to spend time with him. Something didn’t add up.

 

"Nah, like Suho said, he'll cool off. Especially since the heater in your guys' room is broken and it’s like 2°C in there. Man, will he cool off." Baekhyun went back to his schedule, all the while chuckling to himself.

 

Jongin decided to pass time by watching something with hunhan, from how intent they were staring at the screen seemed like the movie was pretty good. Until he actually looked at the tv. “Wait, are you guys just casually watching intense workout videos?”

 

Sehun sighed monotonously, Luhan was anything but. “Of course! I’m already dripping with extreme testosterone, I watch these videos for fun. It’s laughable to watch mortals put so much effort in trying to attain the unattainable. To watch these plebeians and their privy foolishness. One does not merely become godlike, one must be born a god; shaped by their god parents’ god hands.” Luhan was getting that crazed gleam in his eyes, the one Baekhyun warned him to run from should it ever surface. Jongin headed out to the rooftop. He opened the door and inhaled the fresh air, which quickly turned to a coughing fit. He looked around only to find Lay and Kris draped across each other, high as a private jet.

 

Jongin clapped his hands twice to let his presence be known so they wouldn't pounce him. "H-hey guys. Its me, Jongin. Me friend, me good." Jongin tentatively took a step forward.

 

Lay turned to him, his eyes nothing but slits (but honestly they were always like that). "What if you and I blinked at the same time, every time? Like we’d never see each other. But we’d be able to hear and like feel each other. You’d be like a ghost or like a powerful imaginary friend. Jongin, are you real?” Lay inquired. Beside him, Kris grunted.

 

"Uh. Yeah. Of course I am. Oh, Suho's calling me. Gotta go!"

 

"Wait!" Lay jumped up and grabbed Jongin's arm. He was ready to violently push the druggie away when Lay blurted out "talk to Kyungsoo!" Jongin stared at him. Maybe Lay wasn't as crazy as he seemed. But then he said, "The sun! It’s falling out of the sky! Oh no what do we do?! What do we do?! We gotta catch it!!" He was pointing to the sunset.

 

Jongin freed himself from Lay's grasp and took off for the dorm. He rushed inside, not bothering to close the door. (which could actually be pretty dangerous. Who knows what kind of sasaengs could just fly in?) Jongin ran to his and Kyungsoo's room and began banging on the door. "Kyungsoo!" He yelled between the pounds. "Let me in! Let me in!" But Kyungsoo never got the chance as the door fell off its hinges, the power of Jongin's fists proved too mighty.

 

Jongin looked down at the defeated door. "Hmm, guess the power of my fists proved too mighty."

 

From within the room came an exasperated sigh. "Come in, Jongin. And pick up that door!" Jongin haphazardly propped it against the frame.

 

“Wow, Baek was right. It’s freezing in here.” Jongin shivered."Did something happen? Did Chen-hyung call you bow-legged and said you walk like a pregnant woman again? He doesn't mean it, you know he’s just projecting his insecurities. Did-did I do something?" Jongin took slow steps toward Kyungsoo and sat down beside him.

 

"No, it wasn't Chen. And it wasn't you. Well, not completely. But it's ok,” Kyungsoo ruffled Jongin’s hair. “I'm gonna fix it. Hyung will make it all better." He got up and grabbed his purse, the leather one with the buckles that said successful business woman not the rainbow one that said girl’s night!  Kyungsoo moved the door out of his way and stood in the threshold. "Jongin, SHINee is on the third floor, yes?"

 

"Y-yeah. Are you going to visit hyungs?"

 

"I just need to speak to one of them. I'll be back, Jongin, and everything will be better."

 

 

 

EXO was watching TV, all crowded on the one couch they had. (Technically it was more of a loveseat) Hunhan and Suho were sitting on the couch, Chanyeol sat on one armrest with Baekhyun on his lap, Kris on the other armrest with Tao on his lap, Lay was laying across the headrest, and Xiumin laid across the trio on the couch. Chen sat on the floor in front on the couch. Jongin was pacing behind the sofa. It had been an hour and Kyungsoo hadn’t come back. He wasn’t sure why but he just had this bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Like he accidentally ate a rock and it was stuck in his stomach. He hated when that happened.

 

“Why hasn’t Kyungsoo come back, guys? Do you think he left us to join SHINee? Do you think he thinks they’re better looking than us?!” Jongin began to worry and tug at his hair. Baekhyun hopped off Chanyeol’s lap to stop him.

 

“Jongin, Jongin, stop! You know your hair is brittle from the cheap bleach used on it. One good tug and it’ll slip right off like a Party City wig.” He guided Jongin to sit on his lap on Chanyeol’s lap and rubbed circles on his back. “Now what’s all the fuss? Just ‘cause Kyungsoo is spending some time with SHINee sunbaes doesn’t mean anything. He’s probably talking to Jonghyun and Onew-sunbae about singing techniques so he can be a better singer. . . Wait a minute. What if he gets better than me? Excuse me,” Baekhyun knocked Jongin off to rush to his bedroom where his vocal technique books were.

 

“Jongin, nothing is wrong. Like Baek said, Kyung is probably just rehearsing. He’s very dedicated to the things he loves.” The deep timbre of Chanyeol’s voice was like a hypnosis and instantly soothed Jongin’s heart rate.

 

That is until the fire alarms went off.

 

“EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!!” Tao threw elbows as he scrambled to get to the door before everyone. “I’M TOO EXPENSIVE TO DIE A POOR MAN’S DEATH!”

 

Exo began tumbling for the door, stepping on each other and clawing to be first. Baekhyun came running out of his room, singing as though he were an ambulance’s siren. Chen crawled as fast as he could. Luhan was the last to get up, he was chuckling and muttering to himself, “a simple fire cannot bring down a god.” Sehun cat walked to the door, the chaotic mob of EXO parting for him like the Red Sea. Once in the hallway, Jongin immediately began searching for Kyungsoo. He pushed past people and fought his way through the crowd but couldn’t find him. “Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo!” Finally a small, warm hand took hold of Jongin’s. He knew who it was before he even looked. Jongin's grin quickly turned to a look of shock when he caught sight of Kyungsoo. His eyes were watery and irritated, his lips chapped, and were his clothes burnt? “What happened to you, Kyungsoo?!”

 

Kyungsoo coughed a few times before replying. “I’ll explain later, we just need to get out of here.” Kyungsoo tugged him toward the exit.

 

Once outside Kyungsoo threw himself on the ground and flopped like a fish, eyes wide and mouth agape. “Fresh air, fresh air.” Jongin sat on the ground and patted him. His hyung was really strung out.

 

“Are you ok, Kyungsoo? What happened? Why are your clothes charred, do you need a doctor??”

 

Kyungsoo’s flopping slowed until he was at a dull rocking motion. “No, it’s ok, Jongin, I’m fi-”

 

“OHMYGODKYUNGSOO!” Baekhyun somehow vaporized in front of Kyungsoo, he was seen before his voice was even heard. He held Kyungsoo tight, so tight in fact that it kinda looked like his face was turning blue? And he seemed to be saying something? ‘Helmph?’ Oh, ‘help!’

 

“Baekhyun, you’re hurting hyung!” Jongin pried off his grabby little hands.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry but look at him! He looks like garlic roasted chicken! Mmm with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy and, mmm, biscuits and- wait. Didn't Joonmyun put in an order of chicken? I swear,” Baekhyun rose to his feet, rolling up his sleeves. “If he ate all the chicken by himself again, I’ll rip it out of his stomach with my bare hands..”

 

Jongin turned back to Kyungsoo. “Are you sure you’re alright? Do you want me to get you some water? Here,” He took off his jacket and bunched it up. “Lay down and tell me, Soo, what happened? Did the fire start on your side of the building? Your shirt looks like you caught on fire, are you sure you don’t want me to get a doctor?”

 

“Jongin, I’m really fine. Where and why the fire started isn’t important, just the fact that we’re all safe.”

 

“What about SHINee hyungs? Did they all make it out ok? What about Tae-hyung?”

 

Kyugsoo’s expression darkened. Here he is, charred and gasping for air, and Jongin is still asking about that synthetic maknae. “Jongin, who do you like more?”

 

Jongin was dumbfounded. “What do you mean? ‘More?’”

 

“Between Taemin and I, who do you like more?”

 

“I like both of you! Just in different ways.” Jongin’s face started heating up.

 

“Different?”

 

“Yeah, like Tae-hyung is like a brother to me. And you’re like um,” His face was a fireball now. “You’re like warm cuddles and butterflies. And Your face is soft and your laugh is so nice and,” Kyungsoo put a finger to his lips.

 

“Jongin, will you put the Kai in kaisoo?”

 

Jongin smiled so big his cheeks hurt. He took out an eyeliner pen and wrote “yes” on his forehead.

 

--

 

A few nights later

 

Exo was relocated to a temporary flat since the wing of their old building was nothing but ashes and charred remains. Kaisoo lay snuggled in their (comfortably tempered) new room. They didn't have any activities in the morning and were looking forward to cuddling till 1pm (or until Baekhyun started banging pots and pans together, they really needed to hide them better). Jongin ran his fingers through Kyungsoo's shorter locks, the burnt ends snipped off just a few hours prior. Which reminded him.

 

“Hey hyung? What did happen that night?” Jongin loved the feeling of freshly cut hair and wandered briefly if he ran his hand through a freshly mowed lawn would the feeling would be the same?  

 

“Taemin was getting too close to you so I had a few words with him and ended up setting his hair on fire. But it's his fault for having such dry, flammable, processed hair, really. Flicking around a lighter was something I saw in a Yakuza movie but I didn't expect to lose control. Nor did I expect Taemin to hit such a high note when his hair caught fire; but it was even higher  when he stopped, dropped, and rolled then the carpet caught fire. But this is what happens when you mess with someone's- Jongin?” When Kyungsoo got light snores in reply he looked down to see a snoozing Jongin. “Mood. I'd fall asleep the moment someone mentioned Taemin too.” Kyungsoo brought the blanket up to their shoulders, gave Jongin’s forehead a peck and drifted to sleep.

 

“Kyungsoo, you set Taemin’s hair on fire?!”

“Yes, Baekhyun. It's 9am now shut up before you're next.”