Such Great Heights. 

The winter was truly settling in on Seoul. Air cold and stale, Sehun shivered by the window looking over the city. Dull clouds loomed over tall sky scrapers and the people below them. 

"Your eyes are grey today Sehun" Luhan mused reading a book on his bed "got the winter blues I see" 

"It's so cold, that's why hyung" Sehun muttered back, not that he particularly disliked it, winter was comforting in a way the biting cold keeping people inside their homes with the fire going, curled up with a book and a cup of hot tea. Not that he's ever experienced that though.  He is a street walker after all. Sehun and Jongin had spent their winters holed up in the public bathrooms in Seoul, maybe they'd stay on the underground all night- if they could afford it, the stations were still scathingly cold. In the mornings they'd emerge into the morning sun, deceiving them as it was still freezing outside. The cold air going right through their cotton shirts and ripped jeans. Usually they could snag some leftovers from the morning rush down at the food market, some days though, they were left nothing. Being in poverty was not a joke, and as breathtaking as the city was, she was brutal. Spitting out the hopes and dreams of the population giving either boring office jobs, leaving people dirt poor, or even worse plasticising them into production line idols to sing about things they couldn't care less about. That was the horrible and honest truth. No happiness is to be found when the grey skies come rolling in. Somehow Sehun finds that comforting. 

"Do you want another layer? Or do you want me to crank up the AC?" 

Luhan looked over at Sehun staring out across the city. It was completely grey today he noted. No happiness today, he could imagine Sehun saying. Maybe that was why his eyes were a stormy grey today. It was beautiful how his eyes could change in a single moment. It let him see what Sehun was really thinking, it let them all see. However, Luhan wants to know without having to see. Maybe he just wants to know Sehun a little better. He motions Sehun away from the window. 

"Come here" he says softly, "staring like that will only ruin your mood". 

"I'm not in a bad mood" Sehun mused, his eyes flicking away from the window momentarily, before moving over to the bed scanning the title of Luhan's book briefly. "1984?" 

Luhan hummed in affirmation. Sehun had read this novel some time ago, perhaps last year. It showed dictatorship, ruin. Reminiscent of the reign of Stalin, or Chairman Mao. Dystopian society was a common theme in books. In this society those who were intelligent and artistic were condemned. Those who questioned their belief in Big Brother were killed. He thinks about Seoul today, they live in a relatively free and democratic society. It may not be perfect, there are huge flaws that come with an essentially right wing government after all they are capitalists. But as Winston Churchill so wisely said, 'Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.'. Humans can never live together in complete unison and harmony. Their simply not wired that way. Sehun hopes that their government isn't about to suddenly declare nuclear war on North Korea. Or maybe their planning something else that's equally as stupid and absurd.  

"People are terrible" Luhan says suddenly closing his book. 

Indeed they are Sehun thinks. 

His eyes turn dark and Luhan knows he agrees. 

---- 

"Can someone please explain what the we're doing here?" Baekhyun asks as he chomps on a piece of toast "Not that I'm complaining, if this is jail, it's damn nice"

"You're not in jail you imbecile" Jongdae pinched his nose "how many times do I have to say it, you've been hired by the government" 

"To do what?" 

"Well, we don't exactly know yet" 

"We don't know, you're telling me we don't know what we're gonna have to do, holy we're lab rats aren't we? their going to give us drugs or perform crazy experiments on us until we die, or are at least in a permanent vegetative state." 

"Chanyeol tell him to shut the up" 

"Baek what does it even matter?" Chanyeol asked him, "At least we have a roof over our head and reliable food to eat for a while" 

"How the did we get here" Baekhyun muttered quietly into his tea. 

Chanyeol sighed, Baekhyun had always been like this. Headstrong, aggressive, arrogant at times. Even back when they were kids. An onlooker must be asking how two twenty one year olds ending up being Korea's Bonnie and Clyde. The answer was boredom. In truth being science majors at university had allowed them to manipulate fire and light. It had excited them. Chanyeol supposed it gave Baekhyun a thirst for something more, something exciting. It didn't matter if it was good or bad. They used their knowledge not exactly for evil, because they weren't. But maybe you could say self interest. Maybe this was how they would finally atone for it. Baekhyun may seem like an arrogant fool to Jongdae, Chanyeol knows that. In fact Baekhyun will think the same of Jongdae. Once you got to know Byun Baekhyun though, he was fiercely caring, and loyal. While Baekhyun may believe this is a trap, Chanyeol doesn't, he's always been a bit more trusting. It's time for them to finally end this wild crime spree. 

"Baekhyun, I know you don't like being with us but I think it's good that your here, it's like a family you know?" Jongin waved his toast around "We have Jongdae the nagging father, Luhan and Sehun the love sick teenagers, Suho and Lay who are.... Suho and Lay, Kris who's the responsible uncle, me who is the irresponsible uncle, and now you two! I might just lump you in with the lovebirds- neither of you seem like mother material." 

"A nagging father?" Jongdae's jaw dropped "Jongin please, I don't nag, what is this nagging you're talking about? I've never nagged you in my entire life!" 

"You nagged Sehun the other day for not putting his plate in the dishwasher" Luhan mentioned reaching up in the kitchen to grab a mug. 

"He was getting crumbs on the counter!" 

"Hyung it's okay, I didn't mind you nagging me if that's what your worried about" 

"No! That's not the point! I'm only twenty one! How the have I become a nagging ajusshi already!?" 

"I believe the correct term is appa" 

"You're not my children you idiots" Jongdae screeched "you're just my friends who act like children" 

"So doesn't that make us your children anyway?" 

"Why is it that Kris is the only normal one around this place?" 

"Hyung I'd say I'm pretty normal too" 

"Yeah but- okay Sehun is normal too" 

Baekhyun watched as the men bickered over the breakfast table, laughing and joking around. He fought hard to hide his smile when Jongin accidentally spilt coffee on Jongdae, or when Suho tried to cook his toast in the microwave. So maybe he's a bit wary, maybe he's suspicious. But it's hard to be those things when there are these antics going around. Maybe it won't be so bad staying here, Baekhyun thinks as he finally joins in the fun and drops his toast on Jongdae's already stained pants. The winter might not be so bad after all. And perhaps they were all in this together, none of them knew what was in store for them. Not even Jongdae.