I was right about the shots hurting. There were three little bumps, pink and more itchy than any bug bite I've ever gotten, standing neatly in a row down my right arm. Kyungsoo stuck a kind of gel patch over them and they cooled, but not before they felt scalded from being touched. As soon as it was over, we were ushered into the same kind of strange clothing that the aliens wore. The fabric reminded me a little of the green fuel the pods required and I asked him about this.

“The pods can only either carry organic or inorganic matter depending on which setting we put them on. Everything else is generally left behind during the teleport unless there is a malfunction-”

“Teleport? That's what the pods do?” I asked, finding it getting easier and easier to talk.

“Yes. Don't interrupt. We don't have a lot of time.” He continued, “Back at Suho's house, there should be several piles of clothes and maybe even some metal piercings left behind-”

“I've been wondering where it went.” mused Luhan, bending his arm out and back in to test the fabric's range of motion. It didn't seem to hinder our movements in the least.

“You don't have any piercings.” I doubted this statement the second it came out of my mouth. In all those years with him as a friend, Luhan has never had holes in his ears, nose, eyebrows, or anywhere else that I could see...

He smirked up at me. “Don't I?”

“Where?” I gasped.

“No time!” Kyungsoo reminded us. “Chen, help pack up-”

“Little busy keeping us all safe here in the building in case you haven't noticed.” he retorted.

“I don't need the attitude.”

Chen spun around in his seat (which seemed to be made of the same material as the squishy bench). “You don't need the attitude?” Before he could say anything to get himself further in trouble, I stuck his cup of purple liquid to his mouth, effectively drowning out his complaints. Kyungsoo had needles and who knew what else at his disposal. It'd be better not to rile him up, I decided.

It turns out, the squishy bench me and Luhan had occupied opens up. This is where Kyungsoo started piling all his tools and more portable emergency supplies. Kicking Chen out of his seat, he did the same here, opening the top with a press of his fingertips and placing things inside.

“Wait, wait. Didn't Kris get into an accident a couple years ago?” Luhan asked me as he passed over a huge case labeled with strange symbols.

“Yeah, he got a metal plate in his head because of-” I stopped, realizing what he meant. “What happened to the plate in his head during the teleport?”

“Stop worrying; he's fine. Less talking, more doing.” Kyungsoo raced over to a third bench from behind the pods, stopping to backtrack and pull Chen into a rough kiss. “I'm sorry; I think it's the hormones. I'm not used to all this yet.”

“It's okay, dear-”

“D.O.”

“Right.” Chen smiled at him. “D.O.” He started to pull Kyungsoo in a second kiss, but the latter ducked away to get back to packing things up. “You get angry randomly, you make up randomly... I can't predict you anymore, D.O.”

“I can't predict me either. My brain is in the developing stage again.”

I stopped him in his tracks. “Again, why is that?”

“I told you, you were dying.” he answered, shrugging away.

“Of what?”

“There's no time!” Kyungsoo ran over to the far wall behind the pods and placed his whole palm flat against it. Symbols ran up onto the wall, and I realized that whole section of wall was actually a giant screen. “Chen, can you convert the language settings to an Earth one?”

“Ah! That's a good idea. Even if they somehow got in, they wouldn't understand any of it. Nice one, Kyung-D.O!”

“Why is it so hard for you to remember D.O? It's two letters.” he said, clearly ticked off again.

“There's no time.” I reminded him and he nodded begrudgingly.

“Hormones, you know?” he said, turning back and typing away on a set of keys that appeared onscreen by the symbols. A minute passed by and these symbols transformed into Korean characters. “Korean?”

“We don't have a setting for Chinese characters for some reason.” explained Chen. “I'll look into that, but Korean works for you, right?”

“Sure.” Kyungsoo typed away and a few words I recognized stuck out briefly before being replaced with more and more words. How did they read these so quickly? I felt dizzy just watching. I caught onto the word “lock” and wondered when I learned that word. This had happened before; after watching so many dramas, sometimes I'd pick up a word and not know it until I'd heard it somewhere else.

All the characters disappeared, replaced with a single word, “PASSWORD”.

After a glance behind him, Kyungsoo whispered, “Chen Chen!” A small beep sounded as the voice registered.

That's when the floor, plain and white like most of the room, started to vibrate. I didn't understand why until I looked around the pods to see all the instruments, glasses, machines, screens, and weird squishy benches that opened up disappear into the walls as if the room suddenly decided to become like quick sand.

Kyungsoo grabbed me and Chen grabbed Luhan and we were all running back towards the pods. I wanted to ask where everything went and if going back into the pod was such a good idea when I'd just gotten the use of my limbs back, but I swallowed my words, knowing they'd be ignored.

The red alarm light started up again as my strangely clothed feet hit the floor of the pod and Kyungsoo's fingers rushed over the buttons to bring us elsewhere. The world was turning a weird mix of red and gold that made both a beautiful sunset and a horrid world stained with blood before one by one my senses went out.

***

This time, becoming whole again was much easier and I found that I could move without any problems. Why was this? Why wasn't I falling all over myself like last time? As I wiggled my toes experimentally, the golden haze over my vision faded and I was looking at a wonderful, familiar face in front of me.

“Taozi!” Kai stepped in and hugged me, arms wrapped firmly around my shoulders. I couldn't even move my arms enough to hug him back. I was smiling until I spotted Luhan hugging Xiumin and realized how much of an age difference we had now. This was something to get used to.

“Am I eighteen now, Kyungsoo?” I asked, still being squeezed by my (now older than me?) alien pet.

“Yes, Zitao-”

“Excuse me,” interrupted Chen, dodging between us couples. “I have a building to defend.” He left for the set of computers that towered up high and curved all the way around the entire room where Sehun sat, typing with blurs for hands. There were more buttons than I could count here and after Chen messed with a few of them, a whole panel of these buttons turned around to reveal more buttons, levers, and dials.

“Why are we younger?” asked Luhan and I tore my gaze away from the complicated machines to listen.

“You were dying. Luhan had a heart condition that would have killed him in two to three years and Tao had a brain tumor that would have killed him in approximately eight and a half months without treatment.”

“What?” Eight and half months? If our alien friends had discovered how to recreate the fuel just a year later, I wouldn't have ever seen Kai again. I would have died before ever hearing his voice and seeing his happy glow. Kai's arms around me tightened uncomfortably and I buried my face further into his neck. I was so lucky, so very lucky. I had no idea about any of this.

Kyungsoo went on, “The pod notified us of your condition and took it upon it's self to cure you in the only way it knew how. It used the DNA information it had on you and recreated your bodies into an earlier, healthier shape. It did the same thing to me about half a year ago.” He pressed open a panel on the outside of a pod and began to close it down before walking over to the other to do the same, talking as he did. “Apparently they favor the bodies we had twelve years ago. We don't know why this is or how the pods do this yet. I was the first and only one like this until you two came along.”

“So my boyfriend is twelve years older than me?” I laughed nervously. This was really strange. Does Kai still like this version of me? Wouldn't he prefer it if my age matched his?

Kai released his hold on me and corrected, “I'm eleven years older than you.”

Eleven.

Eleven?

“You-” I yelped, cutting myself off before I could complete that thought. It didn't matter. It didn't. Age was but a number.

Luhan broke down laughing as he realized why I almost yelled out. “Kai was a minor. Tao, I kind of suspected you two were a little different when you came over for the last time. So you did lose your ity to him that day-Ack!”

Xiumin slapped him on the back. “That's not something you should bring up in front of everyone else."

“Minnie, everyone here is plenty old enough to handle a little talk. Including little Sehunnie over there,” The alien he indicated quickly ducked his head and focused harder on typing. “Sehun, you didn't even say hi to me yet.” Using the baby-face he had regained, Luhan pouted cutely and went over to torture his old friend.

“He's the same as ever.” laughed Xiumin, following him.

I turned back to Kyungsoo to ask him more questions, but he'd already disappeared down a long hallway that had been hidden by the pods. Now the two cubes were sitting on the ground in their small, dormant state.

Hands closed themselves over mine, strong and sure. “I'm sorry we suddenly turned you into a teenager without you knowing about it first.” Kai apologized.

“No, it's okay. If I was dying and all...” What was I going to say to my parents when I got back? They'd freak if they ever saw me like this.

His thumbs rubbed across the backs of my hands, back and forth in a little line, and I was suddenly struck with how real this all was. I wasn't dreaming. I wasn't imagining a better world in my writing. This was really happening; Kai was right here in front of me! My heart was pounding against my ribcage.

I didn't care about our new age difference at all anymore. I just wanted to feel close again, surprising myself by how badly I wanted him near. My hands were out of his and around his neck before I even made the decision to do so, pulling him into a needy kiss. The shock of glowing light that hit my eyelids was more than a little satisfying. It was warm on my waist where he held me. I thought I'd never feel that warmth again.

During a brief pause for air, Kai managed to say, “Tao-” before I crashed our lips together again. It was when he really started to kiss back that I noticed how different he'd become. I pushed him away, looking at him uncertainly.

He-

He kissed differently. My innocent alien pet had a lot of new techniques up his sleeve...

Has he... Has he had practice?

“Kai?” I was too scared to voice this question. What if I didn't like the answer? He blinked at me and leaned in for another kiss, but I turned my head and it landed on my cheek instead.

“Why is everything in Korean?” I heard Sehun speak up and I turned that way to see Luhan looking at me funny. He saw me avoid the kiss. As Chen wondered aloud why the language conversion was working here too, Luhan came over and asked that we be shown where our stuff was. I followed him and Xiumin down the hall instantly, glad to get away from the questioning puppy eyes while I gathered the courage to face this new information.

Did it matter if he did have practice? I was happy enough to have him at my side, but I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, I'd become something intrusive in his life. Twelve years is a long time. Even I broke down once and kissed Luhan, but Kai's lips spoke of more in-depth learning. His whole body had moved with more expertise and that was just one little kiss, a brief taste of what he now knew.

I heard my name whispered and I looked away from Xiumin's broad shoulders to see a worried Luhan. “Why the tears?” he asked quietly.

Tears? Ah, my eyes were watering, but I wasn't crying yet. I shouldn't cry over this. I was on the same planet as Kai. I should be ecstatic. Who cares if he had another relationship as long as he was with me now.

He was with me, right?

Did I just kiss someone who's already moved on and gotten another partner?

Now I really had to fight back tears. Luhan took my hand as we walked even though he didn't know what was up. We were so similar. Growing up together, finding alien boyfriends together, going to college together, almost dying and becoming young again together. This was something he'd never have to deal with though. Xiumin would never betray Luhan for anything. Those two were perfect for each other.

Not that this was a betrayal. Twelve years was very long time.

“Here it is,” said Xiumin, opening the entrance with a press of his palm against the automated door. The room he showed us wasn't too big, but it was comfortable enough for a few people to fit. “Our systems already recognize your handprints, DNA, voice patterns, and whatnot. You can move freely from room to room if you wish. You can sleep in here, the bathroom is just behind that door, and the others are staying in the room next door, but I think they're looking around right now. There's a lot to see and I'll gladly show you two around-” He'd been talking to the empty room, but he turned to face us and caught me crying. I wiped away the tears quickly and tried to gain back my composure.

“That's okay, Tao. Your just feeling the teenage hormones coming back.” explained Xiumin. “Kyungsoo gets mood swings just like this and his new body is even older than yours.” He pat my shoulder and ushered us in. “Maybe you two should rest and unpack. This is a lot to take in and it might be better to bring down your stress levels. We don't know if these new bodies come with any strange side effects yet.”

Maybe it is the hormones. My older, wiser brain insists that Kai having a relationship doesn't matter, but my body was reacting kind of like my teenage self would. My teenage self would have isolated himself away to cry, scream, throw and break things, do whatever it was reckless teenagers did to vent out their frustrations.

“They have doors that go whoosh!” burst Luhan excitedly when Xiumin left and the door indeed closed with a whooshing sound behind him.

I groaned and sat on the floor in front of my travel case, nearly snorting as I saw the bunk beds inlaid into the wall. It was like that one camping trip I'd been pulled into in elementary school.  “Glad to see that your face matches your maturity level again, Lulu.”

“Shut up. You look like a drowned panda.” he shot back, just as I pulled out the first item by it's slightly tattered paw. An image of Kai sleeping on my bed, hugging the panda plushie came to mind and I threw it across the room, tears welling up again. “- I didn't mean it, Tao.” He picked up the stuffed animal and brought it over, dusting it off a bit before handing it out to me.

I just stared at it without taking it. “Do you think they have on this planet?”

“What?” Luhan dropped the panda in his surprise. “What kind of ual fantasies are you dreaming up there, Tao Tao?” He asked, knocking at my head roughly with his knuckles. “You're disgusting. You are nothing like your old teenage self. You used to blush at the very mention of or to-” I hadn't stopped staring at the plushie and when he picked it up and held it out again, I hugged it to my chest immediately, curling up in a ball.

“I think Kai found someone else, Lu.” I finally admitted, telling him about how Kai felt different to me. “If he didn't learn by watching, that means he found someone else, right?”

He thought about this all before asking sincerely, “Do you want me to see if Minnie's noticed anything? He might know or suspect something. If I come up with nothing, then you should ask Kai yourself. I really think a confrontation would be best, but since you're all hormonal again, I guess checking it out first couldn't hurt.”

I nodded, sniffing and watched as he took his own case and dumped it upside-down. A small metal something rolled across the floor with a tinkling sound and I picked it up before he noticed. It was a piercing. “Okay, where does this go?” I asked, curiosity getting the best of me.

“Are you sure you want to touch that?”

With a yelp, I flung it back to the floor.

Luhan let out an irritated sigh as he turned over pieces of clothing. “I was kidding! Now I have to find it again.”

***

I protested when Luhan insisted I get some sleep since it hadn't even been all that long since we got here, but as I lay down on my bunk (after getting startled at the sudden appearance of a clear pane of plastic sliding closed over me), my body felt weighty and exhausted like I hadn't slept for days.

Which I hadn't, I realized. I worked so hard on Earth that I stayed up very late many nights in a row at the lab and had kept myself awake after the alien contact. Since then, I must've dozed off once or twice in one of Suho's armchairs while we waited, but I hadn't gotten a proper night's rest in a very long time.

When Luhan was comfortable in his bunk, the light in the room went out and it became pitch black. I panicked because now sleep would be impossible. I can't sleep in the dark.

Or maybe I could.

My hair gave off a small, golden glow like Luhan's had earlier, light glancing off the shiny plastic. I remembered our assistant's excitement at being marked like this in the name of science and I think I understood this feeling just little more. I had tangible proof that my life wasn't normal. I became part of a world that originally had no plans for me. I became more independent with the ability to sleep even during power outages.

Most of all, I held a small part of Kai's beauty that would stick with me forever.

But was this a good thing or a bad thing?

I told him long ago that I loved him, but I never heard it back.