"So I'm guessing we're keeping this a secret from the others?" I waved my finger back and forth between us, watching Myungsoo turn his head around a little. He looked at my gesturing finger then at my face before he stopped walking, turned around, and walked towards me.
He took my face gently into his hands and gave me a short, but deep kiss. I could feel him smiling into it as he pulled away and continued walking forward.

Well that was weird...

"What was that for?" I caught up to him and grabbed the back of his shirt, making him stop walking, "And no, that didn't answer my quesion."
"That," he sighed and turned around, his eyes losing their usual playful shine, "was the last time we get to kiss for a while."
"So I'm assuming we are keeping this a secret?"
"Wow...you're not as stupid as I thought you were."

His eyes had completely clouded over.
Whatever was left of the Myungsoo I just spent two weeks walking through forests and town hopping with was gone.
He had returned to how he was before we left.

But I can still talk to you in here

I looked at the back of his head as we started walking again. He was talking to me through telepathy again.

I guess...
You sound upset.
Well duh.
Wanna tell me why?
You really don't know?
Not really...
I don't thi-
Hold that thought

Myungsoo suddenly stopped, resulting in me crashing into his back.
"Ow..." I rubbed the spot on my forehead were I had hit him, "Why'd you stop?"
"Something's been following us," he barely whispered.

It was dead silent in the forest.
You could hear the leaves rustle overhead as the wind blew through.
And a twig snap in the distance.

In a split second, Myungsoo stepped in front of me and pulled out his sword at the same time, shielding me with his body.
"Who's there?" he called out, his eyes scanning the forest. I closed my eyes and concentrated my magic to the ground, feeling the vines underneath the dirt start to move towards where the twig snap came from.

Locator vines.
Only accessible to those with earth magic.
I love my chara type.

"Myungsoo, I found the person," I opened my eyes and pointed at the tree two down from where we were standing. "I don't know who it is so be careful."
"Ok. Thanks."
"You want me to trap them?"
"That works too.."

He started inching his way slowly towards the tree, his footsteps literally silent.
I swung my finger upwards, watching the vines erupt from the ground, followed by a scream and the sound of something dropping.

"Hyung?" I heard Myungsoo's voice call out. 

Wait...
Hyung???

I ran over to Myungsoo and looked at the person who was currently stuck in between my vines.
Sunggyu looked back at us.

"Oh my gosh, it's you guys," he sighed in relief.
"Hyung..why the heck were you following us?" Myungsoo slowly put his sword away and nodded at me to lower the vines.
"I went to find firewood and was on my way back," he picked up the pieces of wood he dropped and walked ahead. "I honestly didn't even know you guys were in front of me."
"Sorry..." I bowed a little, "I could've taken your head off earlier. My bad..."

Sunggyu gave me a little smile then put his hand on top of my head. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you got back safely."
I returned his smile with one of my own. "Well we couldn't just leave you guys stranded."
"Yeah...that would've been a douche move."

Well aren't you two buddy buddy?

I looked at Myungsoo out of the corner of my eyes.

What? I can't talk to him?
I'm not saying you can't talk to him.
Then what're you trying to say?
Nothing. Nevermind.

Myungsoo followed behind us as we made our way back to where we had left everyone. He didn't say (or think) another word until Sungyeol jumped out of a tree and tackle hugged him to the floor.

I legitly almost had a heartattack.

"L!!!!! YOU'RE ALIVE!"
"Yeol-ah...I can't breathe."
"Oh right, sorry."

Sungyeol released him from his bear hug then helped him get up, brushing the dirt and dead leaves off his clothes.
"Took you guys long enough," Kai said as soon as we stepped through the bushes that hid the clearing where they had camped out.
Kris smacked Kai lightly on the head, "Shut it, Kai. We're lucky they came back at all."
"Yeah dude," Luhan nudged him on the shoulder, "so don't ruin it."
"I'm just saying," Kai got up and teleported himself onto a tree branch, leaning against the trunk, "I doubt the trip really took 2 weeks. They probably had a couple....detours along the way."

He gave me a look that basically read, "I know everything" along with a smirk that made my cheeks flush red.
"If you're gonna talk crap all the time, at least do it where I can get a good shot at your face," Myungsoo glared up at him, his gaze cold and piercing.
Kai scoffed then teleported right in front of me. Before I could pull back or even react, he put his hand under my chin, tilting my head upwards then leaned in, stopping just before his lips touched mine.

"Get your hands off her," I heard Myungsoo's voice behind me. He sounded pretty pissed.
"Why? It's not like you own her."
I watched as he grabbed Kai's arm and ripped it away from me as his free hand pulled out his sword and put the blade up to Kai's throat.
Exo scrambled to their feet.
Infinite blocked them.

"What the hell are you doing?" Tao yelled, "He's about to kill Kai, and you're stopping us???"
"Get a grip," Hoya retorted back while looking over his shoulder at Myungsoo, "He's not gonna kill Kai. It's against the rules remember? Getting all antsy and worked up isn't gonna do us any good."
"I'm not gonna kill him," Myungsoo pulled his sword away from Kai, who fell to the ground, gasping for air, "but if he touches Melodia again, I can't guarantee his safety."

I couldn't even say anything.
My knees gave out and I knelt on the floor, looking up as he walked by.
He didn't even look at me.
It was like I wasn't even there.
But he just saved me like 2 minutes ago.
For that moment in time, Myungsoo was back and L had disappeared.
But now...he won't talk to me.
He won't even look at me.

"Melodia!" Sungjong ran over, "You ok??"
"Yeah I'm fine," I mumbled out, giving him a weak smile as he helped me up. "Just a little....shocked."
"I don't blame you. Kai acted like a total . He shouldn't have touched you," Sungjong shot his own death glare over at him, "You sure you're ok?"
"Yeah," I gave him a tiny smile, "I'll be fine."

"Don't lie Melodia," Woohyun walked over with the rest of Infinite following him, "You're hand is still shaking. Trauma isn't something you can get over that quickly."
"Exo's definitely up to something..." Dongwoo looked over his shoulder at them then back at me. "I'm getting bac vibes from them."
"Exo's not up to anything," Sunggyu patted his shoulder, "You're thinking too much. Don't let one person's actions affect the image of the whole group."
"That doesn't make what Kai did any better," Sungyeol added in, taking my hands into his, "Poor Melodia's still shaking."
"I know," Sunggyu sighed, running his fingers through his hair, "which is why from now on, we're gonna take turns protecting her. Kai knows something that we don't, but whatever it is, it involves you."
Everyone nodded.
Even Myungsoo.

"Ok, since everyone agrees...Myungsoo," Leader Gyu pointed at him, "you take the first shift. Since you were so eager to protect her anyways, you might as well start..."

Author's Note

freshmen year of college is almost over! ^^
just 4 more days!

and i really don't have anythig against Kai xD his name was the first one that popped into my head lol

about the title: "i try to hold back again"~A Person Like Me