Xiumin was flopped back on the couch, waiting for Tao to get home. He’d had a bad feeling about the maknae outing, but he knew it was probably over by now, and Tao would be back any time. He reached out, absently grabbing a handful of fruit and popping the pieces into his mouth one at a time. He smiled softly as he bit into a strawberry, savoring the taste.

He’d gained some weight a few months prior, and while he had worked hard to lose it as quickly as it came, he made sure that the members knew not to leave out any fattening foods. He couldn’t help himself, really. If there was food around, he would eat it, or feed it to Tao. They had all been victim to his sticky fingers at least once, and no amount of apologizing and trying to control himself was going to change the lifelong habit.

Xiumin sighed, popping the last grape into his mouth and rolling around awkwardly on the couch. He wanted Tao to come home already. Even if their conversations were choppy and limited with their different native tongues, there was something about listening to him speak alone that made Xiumin so happy. He wanted his little explosion of aegyo back home, and he was prepared to go out and start looking if the boy didn’t come through the door soon.

Luckily, it didn’t come to that, because the door opened to reveal the oversensitive kitten Xiumin loved. The baozi-faced elder pushed himself off the couch, heading over to the doorway where Tao was holding himself up with a pitiful expression. Xiumin’s arms went around the maknae’s waist, and Tao’s knees gave out a moment later. Xiumin nearly dropped him in surprise, but managed to keep his grip and carry the trembling boy to the couch.

“What happened?” Xiumin asked softly. Tao whimpered, his eyes staying tightly shut as he shook his head. “Tao, come on. You gotta tell me.”

“M..Mir...” Tao said, his hand slowly moving up toward his mouth.

“Are you gonna be sick?” Xiumin asked, and Tao shook his head.

“C...can you get me some water?” Tao asked shakily, and Xiumin jumped to comply, rushing to the kitchen and running right into Chen.

“Why the rush, hyung?” Chen asked, looking at the elder with a strange expression.

“There’s something wrong with Tao.” Xiumin said, reaching into the fridge and grabbing two waters.

“W-what?!” Chen asked, his eyes huge.

“I don’t know. I’m trying to figure it out.” Xiumin said, his shaking hands struggling to close the drawer in the fridge. Chen shooed him away, closing the fridge up as Xiumin bolted back to Tao. The eldest boy bent down slowly lifting Tao into a sitting position, then sliding in behind him so Tao was leaning against his chest. “Can you drink it by yourself?”

Tao nodded shakily, reaching out to take the bottle in his trembling fingers and missing by a foot. If it were anyone else, Xiumin would have blamed the misjudged distance on the closed eyes, but he knew better. Something was wrong.

He twisted off the cap, bringing the bottle to Tao’s lips and pouring some water into his mouth. Tao leaned into the offering like a starving infant, drinking half the bottle in only a few seconds. Xiumin pulled it away quickly, and Tao panted heavily, falling back against the elder.

“What’s going on?” Kris asked from the doorway of his bedroom. Kai was peeking out behind him, looking a little out of breath himself, but for the most part he just seemed bored.

“I don’t know.” Xiumin said, forcing himself to stay calm. “Tao, what were you saying earlier? About Mir?”

“Mir?” Tao asked, seeming a bit lost. Suddenly, though, he grabbed Xiumin’s shirt. “Mir did something bad.”

“W-what?” Xiumin’s head tilted slightly, trying to look Tao in the eye, but his eyes were still clamped shut. “Tao, open your eyes.”

“I can’t!” He said, a few beats too late. A moment later, he buried his face in Xiumin’s chest. “I don’t wanna see it anymore. I can’t look at it anymore.”

“L-look at what, yeobo?” Xiumin asked, his own eyes watering.

“The bad things.” Tao said, his voice sounding innocent as ever. It was really starting to freak Kai out, and he had his face hidden in Kris’s back as the elder started scrolling through his contacts.

“Tao.” Lay said firmly from the doorway of his shared room with Chen. “What did Mir do?”

“I can’t talk about it!” Tao insisted, practically clawing at Xiumin’s shirt.

“Alright, alright.” Xiumin said. “It’s fine. You don’t need to talk about it.”

“He made everyone do it.” Tao said after a long pause. Kris swallowed hard, then hit the call button and pressed the phone to his ear. He had to wait through three rings before the line was picked up.

“Hey, it’s-” Kris started, but he was cut off.

“Don’t tell me. Mir did something to Tao.” Rain said, his voice not hiding the rage at all. Kris was stunned.

“Y-yeah.” Kris said. Rain all but hissed across the line.

“You’re at least the fifth call I’ve gotten.” He said. “I’m on my way over to the MBLAQ dorm now, and yes, I will let you know as soon as I know what the hell he did.”

Kris jumped in surprise when the line went dead. If there was one person in the entire world he never wanted to piss off, it was Bi Rain. Kai, who usually acted like he didn’t need anyone, was still clamped onto Kris with shaky fingers. The leader reached around, wrapping an arm around Kai’s shoulders and bringing the younger boy closer to him.

“He’ll be fine.” Kris reassured him softly, but Kai was still shaken.

“What about Sehun?” Kai asked. “They were both there. What did Mir do to them?”

“I don’t know. I just called Rain, and he’s on his way over to MBLAQ’s dorm.” Kris said, trying to calm him, and everyone else, down. Kai started digging in his own pockets, not stopping until he produced his cell phone and started flipping through his contacts until he found the pabo maknae of MBLAQ. It went right to voicemail, and Kai dropped the phone. Kris sighed, reaching down and grabbing the mobile device before shutting it and sliding it into his own pocket. “Sometimes I forget how young you are.”

“What does my age have to do with this?” Kai snapped, and Kris shook his head, ushering the younger boy back into the bedroom.

“Experience. Nothing more.” Kris said firmly. “Sit on the bed, ok? I know you’re upset, but just try not to break anything.”

Kai pouted slightly before heading over to the bed and collapsing on it. He didn’t want to be pushed away, but he knew Kris, and Kris wouldn’t have done that if it wasn’t for the best. Still, it hurt when the door closed, and he listened intently as Tao fussed on the couch. Just because Tao was his hyung didn’t lessen the fact that he was one of two maknaes, and Kai wanted to make sure they were both ok.

“Suho wants you guys to come to our dorm.”

Kai looked up at the door in surprise upon hearing D.O’s voice. He squirmed anxiously as he listened to the report that Sehun, Taemin, Ren, Kyuhyun, Jinwoon, Chansung, Sungjae, and JR were all acting similar to Tao. He was about to head out into the living room with the rest of them when Kris opened the door, holding out his hand the obviously shaken dancer.

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Anybody feel bad for Kai? I know I got a little sidetracked there, but I'm trying to show some aspect of all the relationships. It'll get there in time. Also, any guesses yet on what Mir did? >:3