-Shinhye’s POV-

Birds. I could hear them singing outside. My eyes were still closed, but I knew I was awake. I felt sore all over especially my arms and I knew my lower lip was puffy and dry. After that bout with the purist leader the previous morning, I was bound to be hurting. I’ve fallen with quite a crash against a tree trunk before falling down onto the soft ground and bumping my damned head on the protruding roots of another tree. It was a terrible experience and I would admittedly say that I was out of breath for some time before I regained my composure, but oddly enough, I felt well and happy. It was like I was complete though I knew Jinhae was missing from my side.

I smiled to myself as I shifted slightly when I inhaled a familiar scent which left my senses as quickly as it appeared. I heard someone groan softly from above me. I frowned and I opened my eyes only to be met by a tuft of gleaming brown hair that was tousled and sticking out to every direction. Gorgeous hair. Hmm. I suddenly felt the urge to touch it, but I was making my hand crawl towards it, my pillow stirred and I realized that I was using someone else’s lap for that purpose. I almost forgot that I went to sleep somewhere else – D.O.’s room. I frowned and looked up. I was very surprised to see another person in his place. It was Chan Yeol, breathing evenly as he slept.

I looked to where my feet were and saw Suho oppa there, too. Whoa. I definitely don’t remember seeing them there before I slept. D.O. was on the bed while Baekhyun was sleeping on the floor, huddled with Kai by the feet of the person in front of me which meant that it was none other than Sehun. He lifted his head, slowly opening his eyes and I couldn’t help but smile at him. Anyone who would wake up in the midst of these boys was lucky and I considered myself very lucky. It was like being surrounded with fallen angels after a good night’s sleep.

Sehun smiled back and my daydream about angels just became fully realized. He had gorgeous bed hair and that sleepy smile was definitely y. I won’t even take that back. It was! Hm. Suddenly they all look sizzling. I found myself wishing to wake up every morning to this. It was a good way to start one’s day.

“Morning,” I said softly, glancing at the others.

He suddenly lifted his hand and ran his fingers at the back of my hand which had scrapes. “Good morning,” he whispered back.

I chuckled. “You actually slept here, huh?”

He nodded. “We’ve all heard that you can’t sleep.”

I momentarily shut my eyes. “Mm.” I scrambled off the couch, letting Chan Yeol and Suho oppa have it to themselves then settled just beside Sehun, leaning against the seat while I reached over to touch Baekhyun’s hair. He looked so adorable asleep like that. I smiled up at Sehun from under my lashes. They all looked like enormous kids with their serene faces, even Kai with that slight curling of his lips as if he was grinning in his sleep like he does when he’s awake. “Now I know why I had a great sleep.” I sighed contentedly, leaning my head against his shoulder.

“We can always sleep in the same room with you if you want. Just tell us,” he told me, pressing his cheek against my hair.

I closed my eyes, breathing in deeply. “I would like to wake up to this every morning.” I laughed slightly. “Maybe I’d like six kids, all boys, with pretty brown hair and cherubic faces.”

I suddenly felt him nuzzling my hair. “Are you suggesting something?” he asked me in that husky hypnotic voice of his meant for my ears alone.

I pulled back and looked at him much to my regret as he was leaning so close that the tip of his nose almost touched mine. I arched a brow at him. “What are you saying?” I reached over and ruffled his hair. “I won’t be taken by your y bed hair –” I stopped talking and bit my lower lip, fighting laughter. “You didn’t understand that did you?”

He arched a brow at me. “Half of it. You wouldn’t be taken with…what was that? y bed hair?” He shook his head slightly.

I grinned at him. He didn’t get it one bit. “It’s nothing.”

“What’s wrong with my hair?” He pouted.

I snickered. “It’s y?” At that, I really laughed, surprised when no one else woke up.

“What is that word?”

“I don’t have another term for it and I don’t know how I would explain it to you?”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “Is it bad?”

I shook my head. “No. Your hair looks gor – fine. Yeah.” I smacked myself on the head, regretting it when I remembered that I had a cut somewhere there. “Ouch.”

It was his turn to laugh. “You’re giddy.”

I shook my head. “Nope. I just really had a great sleep, probably the best one in years.”

“You jest?”

I shook my head. “No. Human life is problematic especially after appa fell ill. I’d spend nights either studying or just thinking about problems. I guess I knew he’d die eventually.”

He had that unfathomable look about his face, probably concern, and the next thing I knew, he reached over and hugged me closer to his side, my hair. “That must have been so difficult.”

I let him do as he pleased, but I shook my head. “It’s not even half as bad as what’s going on here. I guess I was trained to bear that before coming here so I would know what to do.” I shrugged. “Don’t worry. I still did well in school. I just wake up in a foul mood almost every single day.”

He glanced at me. “So you’d like to wake up with six children with brown hair and serene faces?”

At that, I shook my head. “That’s impossibility for me.” I smiled slightly, straightening up to pull the blanket over Baekhyun and Kai.

“I don’t see why that should be the case,” he said.

I arched a brow at him. “Oh Sehun, what are you getting at?”

He smiled innocently at me then slung an arm around my shoulder. “What I am saying is that there are six of us here who are capable of giving that wish to you.”

I laughed again. “Are you suggesting something?” I said, imitating his tone a while back. “Did you just say that?”

He nodded. “I did.”

“And how do you propose to do that?” I bubbled with laughter. This person was funny.

“I think you know how,” he said flatly.

I bit my lower lip and stopped laughing, caught off guard. “I’m not going to have the talk with you.”

“I was just saying.”

I grinned at him then quickly shifted my expressions to a withering one. “Say no more.” I shrugged and sank down on the floor beside Baekhyun, curling up into a ball. “Besides, with what I do and how I live my life, do you think I’d be a good mother to one child, much less to six kids?” I shook my head. “No.”

“Well, that’s a different scenario, you know.”

“Hm. I’m too selfish a person for that kind of commitment. Marriage as well as having a family of my own has never been a part of my future plans.”

“Since when? Since you found out what your situation really is?” he asked.

“No. It all started when I was a child. It didn’t make sense to me. I mean, why would you include other people in your life when you’re not even sure how you’d fair in the future? It’s selfish if you ask me.”

“Many find joy in it,” he mumbled.

“I’m not one of them. It’s misery. I’ve seen a lot of marriages end because it is.”

“So that’s why until now you’re not choosing among us?”

“I don’t want you guys to get so attached and neither do I want that to happen to me, but yeah. You’ll always be the best set I’d choose from. Don’t worry about that. If it makes you sleep at night then I’d assure you now that I won’t get married to anyone nor will I date anyone.” Except that I know I’m in love with one of you…Chan Yeol…or two…who knows? Maybe I’m even in love with you…or Baekhyun…or Kai or Suho oppa or D.O. Really. Who knows? I don’t!

“You’re cold that way,” he said.

I burst out laughing. “Believe it or not, I feel it, too. Frigid mind, frigid heart.”

“But you told us you were in love.”

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. Who knows? Maybe that’s just a theory or a tactic.”

“You were telling us that you were in love just for a tactic? Are you trying to play with us?” he asked, his words at odds to his calm and light tone.

“No, not playing with you.” I smiled bitterly. “I knew I was, but I would be a fool to believe in it again. It’s useless.”

He shifted uneasily on his seat. “It’s proving t be useful for the prophecy,” he stated.

“You’re right, but after that, no more.” I took his hand, giving it a light squeeze. “But don’t be so sad. I’d still love you all even if I’m gone.”

“I wish you’d stay,” someone suddenly said. It wasn’t Sehun and when I looked up, I saw Chan Yeol looking at me from where he was lying down on the sofa, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.

“Good morning,” I greeted him. I didn’t want to ruin the pleasant morning.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

I giggled. “Only because you were my pillow.”

Sehun rolled his eyes at me. I stuck my tongue out at him.

“That makes me really jealous, you know,” D.O. suddenly spoke from the bed.

I sat up and waved at him. “Annyeong~! How are you?”

“Jealous?”

I laughed. “You’re funny. I enjoyed your company, too. Don’t worry.”

“What about ours?” Kai grumbled.

Okay. Everyone’s awake. I scrambled over between him and Baekhyun, poking him on the sides. “Are you jealous, too?”

“No.” He laughed, shielding himself from my hands. “S-stop~!”

“Your laughter is so adorable!” I squealed in delight, tickling him more.

“Shinhye~!” he whined, getting up.

I grinned at him. “Can I touch your face now?”

His eyes widened. “NO!”

I laughed and reached over to touch his face, but he jerked away. “Ooh~! Kai is shy.”

He pouted. “No, I’m not!” He picked up his pillow and whacked me on the face without warning.

The whole room suddenly became silent when I froze in place. I took the pillow from my face and stared at him. “Oh no, you didn’t!”

He looked at me with an apologetic look on his face. “I’m sorry.”

“You’ve waged war,” I hissed playfully.

“Shinhye, I’m so sorry!”

I picked up the other pillows on the floor and began hitting him. “Pillow fight!!!”

Decode - Paramore

-Lu Han’s POV-

I breathed in the crisp evening air as I stared out into the dark indigo sky, my senses filled with the scent of the fresh orange blossoms that my mother placed in the urn on the nightstand of my bedchamber just that morning. The moon shone on me as I stood by the open window and I basked in its soft light as I closed my eyes, thoughts filling my head. As much as I hated to leave that soon, I had to. In time, Jinhae and the other nobles would have reached Orodia. I had to move as fast as I could to retrieve the emblem of the Elatian Nobles.

‘If you succeed, I see a bright future for you.’ Those were my mother’s words to me and one would be utterly idiotic not to follow the words of an oracle. She’d beaten sense into me through a calm conversation. It was a talent she had from the beginning. She didn’t have any trouble to pacify anyone and neither did she have any trouble making her point come across even with that sweet smile on her face.

If I retrieve it, I would have more time to create possibilities for myself…possibilities with Jinhae. It didn’t matter what h