I reject Lay's hypothesis about me being in love with Xiumin for a whole two weeks before I start to see signs that maybe the man knows what he's talking about. Even though we've been best friends for years, I guess there are some things that best friends, especially ones of the opposite gender, usually don't do. Like snuggling up on the couch, holding hands sometimes when we walk places, and my perosnal favorite, wanting to tear out the hair of the pretty girl that's flirting with him at the counter.

What really makes my blood boil is when Xiumin actually flirts back.

"Are you jealous?" Chen asks me with a smirk as I stack some cups with more force than necessary.

"Why the hell would I be jealous of her?" I scoff watching girl flip her long, auburn hair behind her shoulder and flutter her eyelashes at Xiumin. "She's not even that pretty."

"I don't know," he objects. "She's pretty hot."

"Whose side are you on?"

"Who said I'm taking sides?!" I roll my eyes and he chuckles. "Wow, you got it bad."

"Shut your mouth before I show you my claws."

"Is that the only comeback you have?"

"What are you two fussing about now?" Xiumin asks with a grin.

"Nothing," I answer quickly,elbowing a snickering Chen in the gut as soon as Xiumin turns around.

It turns out that the girl gave Xiumin her number and that they're going out on Friday. I'm sitting at home watching a movie and texting Siwon when he's about to pick her up.

"Don't stay up too late," he tells me.

"Don't stay out too late," I tell with a weak grin. He nods and that's when I notice he looks nervous. "Min, you'll be fine. She'd be an idiot not to like you." He nods. "Have fun, but not too much fun." Xiumin chuckles before grabbing his keys and leaving for the night. I still deny that I have feelings for him when my stomachs knots around one in the morning because he's not back yet.

"Good morning Sleeping Beauty," a voice greets when there's suddenly a bright light in the room as the curtains are being opened. I wake up to Xiumin, clad in plaid pajamas, sitting on the other end of the couch.

"When did you get in?" I ask groggily, rubbing my eyes.

"Two?" I raise an eyebrow at him. "We went to dinner and then we went to some party one of her friends was throwing."

"So all in all a good night?" He shrugs. "What does that mean?"

"She's nice and everything, just not really my type." He shrugs again like it's no big deal.

"Maybe he just hasn't found the right girl yet," Siwon suggests when we're walking down an empty corridor in the hallway at the hospital. I decided to visit him on a lunch break because we haven't really talked since that night Luhan was shot. Granted, he'll tell me about it when he wants to, but I feel like it's something that should be addressed sooner rather than later.

"Maybe," I consider, leaning against the windowsill of the mostly glass walkway. "There's a lot going on and I just think that dating could be a good distraction." Siwon chuckles.

"You really love him don't you?" I know my heart shouldn't have jumped at that statement but I'm pretty sure I can feel it beating in my throat. He's quiet and I look to see him with his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "How long have you known about his...abilities?"

"Only for the last few years, actually. He was in a train accident after an argument of ours once. I knew he was keeping something from me, I just didn't know what it was. After the accident, he told me everything and we've been inseparable ever since."

"Does that change things between us?" he mutters quietly. "About me or my family?" It's not him honestly, it's his family and as wrong as I feel for thinking that, it's the truth. I don't want Xiumin to get hurt just because I'm twisted up with the wrong people. Siwon's a great guy, but if I had to choose between him and Xiumin, I'd choose Xiumin. Even though I should tell Siwon all this, I just shake my head and quickly peck him on the mouth.

Septmeber 6th, Siwon proposes to me at his parents thirty year wedding anniversary party.

I said yes.

The guys didn't take it well.

Xiumin has barely spoken to me in two weeks.

"Damn it, if I see one more person glare at me I'm putting cyanide in their coffee," I proclaim when Tao is whispering with Baekhyun and they both narrow their eyes at me.

"They're just upset," Chen explains in a cold tone, fixing himself an Americano.

"Well, they're not the only ones," I snap, punching keys angrily on the calculator as I total this last month's profits. "So, they can just shut the hell up and move on." Chen is quiet beside me and that's when I look up to see a glum expression on his face, but I also don't miss the glare Chanyeol shoots me from across the room. "Chanyeol, I got an A in college chemistry-"

"I didn't do anything!" he defends irritably. "Jeez, just because you ruined your friendship with Xiumin doesn't mean you have to take it out on the rest of us." There's an tense silence that falls over the cafe as Chanyeol's words echo through the air. I don't know how, but soon my feet are carryng me out the cafe and down the street until I stop at an alley a few stores down. My chest feels constricted and my knees feel weak as I fall to the ground with tears streaming down my face. I look up when I hear footsteps and Suho and Luhan are standing in the alley.

"Please don't," I sniffle. "I don't need anybody else scolding me-"

"We're not going to scold you," Suho interrupts calmly, but Luhan doesn't disagree. "We just came to check on you."

"I don't know why since you all want to burn me at the stake anyway-"

"Oh, come on! What has convinced you that we hate you?!"

"Everything!" I thunder, accompanied with a fresh wave of tears. "You guys have barely spoken to me since I told you about the engagement. You're avoiding me, glaring at me, talking about me. What other evidence do I need?" I sniffle and they're both quiet. "You guys obviously don't want me around so I'll just make it easy for you." I brush past them and walk back to the cafe, untying my apron. Chen's about to say something but I shake my head as I take off the apron and hand it to him.

"I can't do this anymore," I tell him in the strongest voice I can manage. His eyes widen in disbelief as I face on the rest of the guys who have all fallen silent. "You guys don't have to worry about me being around anymore." I turn to Luhan who's standing right behind me. "I'll be moved out by tonight."

"You're not honestly moving out are you?" Lay asks me later as I'm throwing clothes into a duffle bag. He takes the shirt out that I just packed and like a stubborn child, he takes it back out when I shove the article of clothing back inside the duffel.

"Damn it, Xing! Just leave me alone!" I finally shout. He looks at me with wide eyes. "You don't have to pretend you're on my side, okay?" Lay opens his mouth to argue but I just shake my head. "Will you let me finish packing?" With one last look he nods before leaving me to myself, closing the door behind him. I'm zipping everything up when I hear two voices arguing in the kitchen.

"You're just going to sit here and watch her leave?!" I hear Lay's voice snap in the kitchen. Who is he so pissed at?

"She already made her decision to leave when she said yes," another voice snaps just as fiercely. Xiumin. They fall quiet. "If she really loved the guy, I'd be fine with this but I know she doesn't. She shouldn't be throwing her life away just to stay on her parents good side."

"Why don't you tell her that?"

"Don't you think I've already tried?"

"Maybe, it's time to tell her something else," Lay suggests quietly. Xiumin's silent and I press my ear as close to the door as I can.

"If she's getting married that won't matter," Xiumin finally answers defeatedly. "I need some air. I'll be back in a bit." It's when he's gone that I decide to take my leave. I don't think I can handle saying goodbye to him.

I inhale the lavendar scent of my room back home. It's still painted a royal purple and nothing has changed. I sit my stuff down on the bed as Daniel drops off the rest of the luggage by the door.

"Are you sure about this?" he asks.

"It's only temporary," I tell him as I start unpacking some shirts into a drawer. "After the wedding I'll move in with Siwon-"

"You know what I meant," he cuts off, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I have to be," I admit quietly.

I throw myself into the wedding planning with my mom. It's nice being home, but there's this constant throbbing in my chest that isn't going away; like I left behind a piece of me when I left that day I quit at the coffee shop.

I come across an old shoebox full of pictures when I'm cleaning the basement one night. There's pictures of Xiumin, Chen and I. The time we went to Jeju island, the TVXQ concert, Disneyland, Tokyo, high school graduation. There's also pictures of me with the other guys. Pictures from that time Suho, Lay and I went to the beach; when Kris and Tao took me to Chinatown; when Kai and I went to a ballet and many more that make the pain in my chest even sharper.

It thunderstorms that night.

I've never cried so hard in my life.

It's the middle of November before any of them talk to me.

It's Chen who calls.

Someone vandalized the coffee shop.

"Who the hell would do this?!" Chen yells, stepping over busted up chairs. "Do you know how much money it's going to cost to get this all repaired?!" I catch myself when I trip over a chair leg. This place is destroyed. The chairs are basically splinters, the coffee machines are busted up and when Chen checks the cash register all the money is gone. "Xiumin hyung is going to have a heart attack."

"This would certainly cause one," the voice that I haven't heard in two months says from the doorway. I turn to him, glancing up quickly before settling my eyes on the ground. He still looks the same excpet that he dyed his hair a chocolate brown. It looks good on him. Suddenly nervous, I focus my attention on a plastic cup on the ground. "Chen can you check the supply room to see if they stole anything we had in inventory?" I feel all the air squeeze out the room when I hear the storage room door close. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"It's been a crazy couple months," I state, still refusing to look up at him.

"When's the wedding?"

"Second week of December." The tension in the air can literally be cut with a butterknife. Or even a plastic knife. "Look, you don't have to make small talk with me. I'm just here to check out the shop and then I'll be leaving."

"If that's what you really want," Xiumin replies. It's not, but it's for the better. "Better for who?" I look up at him, eyes wide and he chuckles. "You said that last part out loud." He smiles and I feel tears welling up in my eyes as he comes towards me and hugs me.

"I missed you," I sob as he rubs circles on my back.

"I missed you too," he tells me.

We end up grabbing some take out and heading to the apartment. I'm nearly tackled in the doorway by Lay and Luhan.

"I knew you'd come back!" Lay sings, twirling me around in the air. "Luhan, I believe you owe me some money." Luhan mutters something in Chinese that earns him a glare before he's crushing me in a bear hug and apologizing profusely. Xiumin and I end up straightening everything out that night over chinese food, dessert and even a few drinks. It feels nice to finally get all that stuff out in the open, but there's still one issue.

"Do you know how hard it is to call off a wedding?" I challenge Xiumin when he suggets it as we're kicking the ball around the next afternoon. It's autumn now, the leaves are changing and falling, everything smells like cinnamon, apples and pumpkins and it's still somewhat warm outside. My favorite time of year.

"Just say it's over?" he says nonchalantly kicking the ball to me. I scoff. "Come on, it's probably not that hard. You've only been planning for a month, how much could you have done?"

"Two hundred people have RSVP'ed and we just got a confirmation from the caterer," I answer. He whistles. "I don't even know two hundred people-sorry! Are you okay?!" I rush over to Xiumin as he holds the bridge of his nose. "I honestly didn't mean to kick the ball that hard...or at your face..."

"Better me than you," he chuckles, shaking his head slightly. "That does sound difficult now that you talk about it though." I nod as he picks up the soccer ball. "That's enough soccer for today. Let's go get some coffee."

"We should go to that cafe down the street," I suggest, looping my arm through his. "They have this new pumpkin cinnamon latte that I heard is really good." He scrunches his nose up in disgust. Xiumin doesn't like pumpkin. "Don't knock it until you try it." He rolls his eyes and I smile because even after being apart for the last couple months, we haven't skipped a beat.

It was probably easier building the Great Wall of China than it was telling my mom to call off the wedding. She absolutely refuses, even when I pester her about it for two weeks. She hasn't lifted a fingernail to stop the RSVP's, the floral arrangements and wedding gifts that have been coming in and it doesn't help that the only person that could help me call off the wedding is on a trip in South America participating in Doctor's Without Borders.

"It seems mean to do it over webchat," I confide to Chen and Xiumin when we're cleaning up the shop. We figured we could get rid of all the busted up chairs and tables and pick up trash, but the shop has to undergo some major cosmetic changes before we can open back up. And those changes are not going to be cheap.

"Well it's either Skype or at the altar," Chen comments as shoots a cup into the nearby trash can. I gape at him. "Harsh but true." I call Siwon to tell him that night to Skype me so that we can talk.

"We don't have internet connection," he tells me loudly over a bunch of voices speaking in what I believe is Portugese. "We barely have phone recep-"

And he's gone.

Well, this should go well.

"I always knew you'd make a beautiful bride," my moms says as she finishes pinning the little white flowers in my hair. I literally kicked and screamed the whole way here because I am not getting married today. Siwon didn't get back until last night so I didn't even get a chance to talk to him. "Smile, it's your wedding day."

"Yes I'm so happy," I mutter sarcastically under my breath. "Ow!" She just stabbed me with a bobby pin. I'm hyperventilating when I'm standing in front of the big oak doors as the 'Wedding March' is being played on the organ.

I can't do this.

I have no choice when the doors open and everyone is rising to their feet. I see Siwon standing at the altar. Of course, he looks great in a tux. But that's not the thing that catches my eye. Usually in movies, the groom is tearing up, or smiling like he's the happiest man in the world because he's marrying the woman he's going to spend the rest of his life with. Siwon shifts awkwardly from side to side and has a smile on his face, looking uneasy and dare I say, uncomfortable. At least he's now wearing a corset, I can barely breathe in this thing. I glance to the sides as our family and friends gathered to watch us devote our lives to each other. Confess to a love that isn't even there. I told the guys not to come because I don't want to them to see me turn my entire family upside down. Siwon smiles at me when I finally reach the altar. The pastor is just about to start speaking when the oak doors are swinging open and Chen comes sprinting to the altar.

"Chen, what are you doing?" I ask, trying to ignore all the weird looks I'm getting from the audience. That's when I take in how Chen is dressed like he's going somewhere. Like to a wedding. What is going on?

"Xiumin's missing," he informs. I feel like a glass of cold water was just poured over my head. Xiumin's...missing? H-how? Who would have taken them? It's when Siwon sighs next to me that we both turn our attention to him.

"My brother and father are missing," he announces with a shake of his head. He bows to the pastor. "Thank you for your services. Let's go." Siwon grabs my hand and leads Chen and I out the church where there's gasps and cries from the aisles. The three of us pile into Siwon's Mercedes and peel off before angry parents come after us.

"Where were you guys when he went missing?" I ask Chen, turning around in the backseat. He blinks and I wave a hand in front of his face before he smiles.

"You do look pretty as a bride," he tells me. I roll my eyes but can't help but blush at the compliment. "Ironically, he felt someone was following us because we were trying to find the church. Even though you told us we didn't have to come, he said he couldn't miss his best friends wedding." I fan my eyes slightly when I feel they might water up. When did I become so emotional? "He told me to walk in front of him, I heard some muffled yelling and then he was gone."

"I think I found them," Siwon says pointing to a black Mercedes parked on the edge of the road by the woods. I take my heels off and open the door as the other two give me strange looks.

"What?" I ask. "I can't run in heels." Or a wedding dress, but I'm not about to go streaking through the woods. There's screaming off in the distance and I gather the bottom of my dress and run as fast as it allows me. Well, at least it's a mermaid style dress and not a ballgown. There's more shouting and then all of a sudden a bullet is zooming past me. I hide behind a tree as one almost grazes my shoulder. I see Xiumin and it breaks my heart when I see him tied to a tree with his arms behind his back. His eyes catch mine and they widen and he frantically shakes his head. The two men above him both turn their heads when they see me.

"Wow, mom was right," Shin says with that same smooth smile as he approaches me. "You do make a beautiful bride."

"Let him go. He didn't do anything to you," I state. I keep my shaking hands behind my back.

"Xiumin himself may not have," his father points out. "But his species has done plenty, especially to our family."

"Our family is fine dad," Siwon says emerging from behind another tree. I see him make a small motion to Chen behind his back towards Xiumin. His father rolls his eyes.

"Don't be so nice Siwon," he sneers. "They're nothing but a bunch of dogs. Filthy, rabid, untamed dogs...and it's about time that these dogs get put down." I see Siwon's eyes glow red and Shin and his father both stop in their tracks.

"Including me?" Siwon asks. I don't know if I'll entirely ever know what happens, but somehow Siwon's father is grabbing him by the collar, Shin is turning on Chen and I'm sprinting barefoot across the damp forest floor over to Xiumin.

"Why the hell aren't you at your wedding?" he asks as I untie his hands.

"I came to save you of course," I answer with a grin as his hands start to wiggle around as the knot comes loose. I walk around around to the front and help him to his feet. He still looks surprised to see me here. "Chen basically crashed the wedding to tell me that somebody took you." Xiumin shakes his head before taking a long look at me as I guide one of his arms over my shoulders so I can hold him up.

"You look beautiful," he tells me. I feel all these butterflies in my stomach and my face heat up. I see Shin free himself from Chen and Xiumin is too busy looking at his injured leg to see Shin point a gun at him. It's an immediate reaction for me to jump in front of Xiumin just as the gun goes off. There's a pain tearing through my chest and I'm waiting for my body to hit the ground before I'm being caught. Xiumin's eyes are widened in disbelief as he looks down at the wound. "You have to stay with me okay?"

"I'd never leave you silly," I joke with a weak laugh. He smiles, but I can see tears b in his eyes.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Because... I love you..." 

The sound of a body hitting the floor has my eyes flying open and nearly jumping out of shock. I soon regret that when excruciating pain is shooting through my chest and shoulder. I look over the side of the bed to see Chen on the floor,asleep.

"What the hell are you doing on the floor?" I ask him. His eyes fly open and widen when he sees me peering over the side of the hospital bed at him. He's standing up so fast that he smacks his forehead into mine. "OW!"

"Chen, she doesn't need anymore injuries!" Luhan scolds as he comes to the other side of the bed. "Do you remember what happened?"

"I took a bullet," I answer simply, trying to sit up a little straighter in the bed. There's the faint echo of voices in the hallway until the rest of the guys are coming in with balloons, teddy bears and even a fruit basket. They're awfully chatty and I'm almost worried that a nurse is going to come in due to all the noise. There's eleven of them here and the one missing is the one I wanted to see the most. I smile when he stands in the doorway of the room, practically beaming at me.

"So, how are you feeling?" Xiumin asks me as he approaches the group. Some of them pulled up chairs to my bedside and he takes a seat in Luhan's lap.

"Fine," I sigh, wincing when even that hurts.

"You know, for a smart girl, you make some awfully dumb decisions," he chuckles. My jaw drops.

"It wasn't stupid-"

"It was kind of reckless," Suho scolds with a gentle smile. "At least Xiumin has accelerated healing. You're just a mortal."

"But they were going to kill him," I explain quietly. "I couldn't lose him."

"Well, we almost lost you," Lay points out and it's quiet. "Actually, we did lose you for a minute there..." I look up at him with a confused expression.

"They lost you in the ambulance on the way here," Kyungsoo informs quietly.

What?

I...died?

"You were legally dead for one minute and twenty eight seconds," Chen announces.

"The longest eighty eight seconds of my life," Xiumin admits setting his hand on top of mine. "And definitely the worst." The door swings open and who else would walk in but Dr. Choi Siwon.

"Good to see you awake," he greets with a smile. "Guys, can we have a minute alone to talk?" Xiumin pecks me on the forehead before all twelve of them shuffle out the room. "Quite an entourage you have there."

"They're the best," I confirm with a smile. "Siwon, about the wedding-"

"We should just call if off," he interrupts. I look up at him, wide eyed. "Don't look so surprised, you know you wanted to. You're just too nice to do so." I bite my lip.

"Are you mad?"

"Why would I be mad? I do love you...but only as a friend." I nod. "And if I'm not mistaken, you have a friend that you love as much more than that." My eyes widen again when I look up at him and he chuckles. How does he know all this? "You don't take a bullet for just anybody." I laugh and groan in pain when I do. "We can break the news to our parents once you get better, okay?" I nod. For a moment he breaks his doctor facade and kisses me gently on the lips. A goodbye kiss. "I'll check on you later okay."

Siwon bumps into Xiumin as they're both trying to enter and exit the room at the same time. Xiumin and I eat together, exchanging mindless chit chat with one another. However, there is something we need to talk about and I don't know how to bring it up-

"Did you mean it?" he blurts out, setting down his pudding and looking me straight in the eyes. "When you said...you loved me?" I nod. "Like just as a best friend-"

"More than that," I confess, taking his hand and lacing our fingers together. His cheeks flush pink and it has to be one of the cutest things ever. "I mean, you don't have to say it back. I just wanted you to know." He's quiet and I assume he's just taking this all in. His best friend just told him that she loves him...before she was shot. I guess that is a lot to swallow in about twenty four hours. Xiumin surprises me when he just simply stands up from chair, leans in and kisses me. It's just like the first one, except this time I don't have to feel guilty about it. There's whistles and catcalls from the doorway and we pull apart to see most of the group somehow squeezed into the four by six foot space. Xiumin shoos them away with a smile on his face. He turns to me as soon as Baekhyun is shoving the nosy maknaes through the door and closing it.

"I love you too," he confesses.

Two Months Later

"Welcome everyone to our Grand Re-Opening!" Chen shouts to the chatty crowd. It took a few months and a generous donation from Siwon to get the place back in order. Since we had to start over, we decided to make some changes to the place. There’s a chalkboard wall right behind the main counter with the menu written and designed in colorful chalk. Couches and comfy chairs are gathered around custom wooden tables and give a new cozy feel to the place along with the new hanging lamps that give off a soft golden glow. Black and white photographs of cityscapes that were donated on behalf of their friends Minho and Hongbin line the walls. We even had enough money left over to buy a stage  and now plan on holding poetry readings and Open Mic Nights during the week. "On behalf of the three shop owners, we would like to thank everyone who had a hand in helping restore the shop. Whether it was donating money, pictures or supplies, we really appreciate it and couldn't have made the place look this good without you guys." There's a round of applause and I smile at Xiumin next to me as we stand behind the main counter. I've been in a sling for weeks since it turned out that the bullet went more through my shoulder rather than my chest. It's been rough with phyiscal therapy and constantly taking pain killers, but the guys have been by my side the whole time. "So, enjoy the food and coffee and our first act will be up in five minutes. Thank you!" 

"The place really does look great," I state as Xiumin gives Tao his Americano. "I can't believe Siwon donated so much." 

"I know," he agrees. "He said he felt it was the only way he could make things right after what happened." It turned out that Shin and a few of his friends found out about Chen and Xiumin owning a coffee shop and trashed the place as some kind of warning. There's a new security system installed, but Siwon told us we should be safe for now. I'm stuggling to hand Chanyeol his scone and he takes it from me with a grateful smile. "You should really be resting."

"But it's the Grand Re-Opening. If anything, you shouldn't be working since it's your shop. You just hired Kyungsoo, Sehun and Baekhyun. Get one of them to work." He laughs but actually takes my suggestion as Kyungsoo and Sehun are relieving us from work five minutes later. 

After ordering frappuchinos, we find a couch tucked into the back corner where we can see the stage but won't be bothered. I feel my face heat up when Xiumin wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me close to him. 

"How's your shoulder, babe?" I chuckle slightly at the pet name because it took him three weeks to call me that without cringing or blushing. 

"Better. I just wish I could work more, you know? I still feel bad that I couldn't help more with the restoration."

"You handled all the finances of the restoration," he points out as he takes a sip of his mocha frappuchino. "You were plenty of help." I still pout but grin when he pecks me on the cheek. I take a look around as the first act makes their way to the stage. Siwon said he'd stop by after he gets off work and is bringing the girl he's been seeing the last couple weeks. My parents and my brothers came down and were very impressed with the new look of the coffee shop. The place is packed with customers, old and new, and Xiumin's friends are floating around socializing, preparing to take the stage later tonight or serving people .We laugh when we look at each other at the same time and the swelling in my chest is warm and fond. 

"I have something for you," Xiumin announces as he starts digging in his pants pocket while I take sip of my drink. "You've been my best friend for seven years, the girl I've been in love with for three years and my girlfriend for two months. Even though we've only been a couple for a short time, I know that I want you to always be in my life. So, with that I want to ask this..." I feel my heart triple in pace when we pulls a diamond ring out of his pocket. It's a round diamond on a silver band, simple yet classic and elegant. "Will you marry me?" His cheeks are pink when I look up at him and feel my voice catch in my throat before I can answer.

"Yes." I can't control the face-splitting grin as he slides the ring onto my finger. I pull him into a kiss but an eruption of applause startles both of us out of it and that's when we realize that there's a spot on us and all eyes have been on us. I hide my face in his shoulder as I hear him scolding Baekhyun to turn the light off before he gets fired. When I finally look up he’s glaring at a cackling Chanyeol on stage as his cheeks and ears are flush pink from either anger or embarrassment, most likely both.

“I swear I had nothing to do with that,” Xiumin declares as he’s motioning to Baekhyun behind the stage about something.

“It’s fine,” I chuckle. He gives a frustrated sigh and is about to stand up until I’m pulling him back down onto the couch. “Hey, don’t let them ruin the fact that you just got engaged to your best friend.”  When he’s still scowling I roll my eyes before I’m grabbing his collar and pulling him into a kiss. After the initial shock, he finally kisses me back. When we finally pull away its dark, the spotlight now on the stage and I hear Xiumin chuckle beside me. “I love you.” He looks at me and I can still see his smile in the dark.

“I love you too.”