[Year 19 of Exile]

"The pool looks shallow."

Jongdae peered over the edge of the pool, his hands gripping onto the tufts of grass that grew around the large body of crystal-clear water. "Are you sure it'll fit all of u–"

Splash!

Whoops and guffaws of delight erupted in the clearing with Zitao and Sehun high-fiving each other, smirks on their elated faces. Only a single boy wasn't amused. The boy being Kim Jongdae, who was currently waist-deep in the pool with a deep scowl on his wet face. He slicked his fringe up and it stayed because well, he was soaked from head to toe.

I hid my smile behind my hands and darted behind Kris to let out a soft giggle.

"If you're going to laugh, at least do it in his face." I felt a pair of large hands gripping my shoulders and I soon found myself facing a fuming lightning user, his arms akimbo. "Now do it, laugh in his face Jen."

I plastered on a stoic face instead and the boy broke into a grin. "See, Jen wouldn't do what the rest of you guys would do!" He waded towards the edge of pool and rested his arms on the grass, placing his chin on the back of his hands.

"Care to join me in this lovely pool, anyone?" Jongdae batted his eyelids and shot inviting smiles at whoever looked at him. The smiles soon faded when none of the boys volunteered and he smacked the surface of the water huffily. "Fine! And to think I consider you guys to be my brothers..."

Baekhyun coughed pointedly and gave a side glance to Luhan who was trying to not laugh.

"I'll join you." I removed my shoes and sat at the edge of the pool, easing my legs slowly into the surprisingly room temperature water. "Oh? The water's fine."

"Told you so." Jongdae smirked and he peeled his wet shirt off, flinging it towards Tao who shrieked and dodged it expertly like the martial artist he was. "Now, c'mere Jen!"

He extended his hand towards me and I was about to slip my hand into his when a flustered Chanyeol rushed forward and dived head-first into the pool. The tall boy made a large splash that threw his same-aged friend off-balance and he fell back into the pool.

"Y-Yah!" Jongdae resurfaced, his hands wiping the water off his face. His fringe was plastered on his face and once again, the clearing erupted into bouts of mocking laughter. "The , Yeol?!"

Combing his hair back, the giant emerged from the water and he sported a wide grin that showed off his pearly whites. "Joining your pool party, of course! Unless you don't want me..." His grin changed to that of a pout and I willed my heart to stop pounding lest everyone hears it.

God, his hair... His wet shirt sticking to his lean and– gulp, are those abs...? And those biceps... And his face. Since when did Park Chanyeol have such effects on me!?

I darted my eyes to Jongdae instead as he crossed his arms and shook his head. "I don't need any of you since Jen has agreed to join me. So get out! And go away!"

He dashed towards me and wrapped his wet arms around me. They were cold to the touch and I shrieked softly when he rested his head on my lap.

The boys yelped and hollered in shock and soon, the pool was filled with males — eleven wild males.

Performing some sort of tribal dance and cheer, they gathered around the both of us and the numerous pairs of hands effortlessly pulled Jongdae off me. Xiumin then held his young friend in a headlock, on his face an evil grin that could give Kyungsoo's trademark smirk a run for the satan's money.

Water flew everywhere and laughter filled the air. The boys revelled in the cool crystal-clear body of water and shirts (with the exception of Kyungsoo’s) were soon strewn around the clearing; Zitao's shirt hung off a branch as the boy, even though trained in martial arts, had surprisingly awful aim.

I refused to budge from my position even though Kris and Yixing had kindly extended invitations to join the party in the water.

“No thanks, you guys go have fun yes.” I shooed them away, not wanting them to realise that I have no intention of wishing to be sandwiched amongst the eleven males. “Go! Luhan is calling for you two!”

They waded towards the rest of the boys with doubtful expressions but as soon as Chanyeol bodyslammed Kris into the water, the flier’s demeanour changed. I laughed as the taller of the two returned the favour and the two giants were soon engaged in a, rather childish, battle of splashing water at each other’s faces.

Oh the irony.

Tearing my eyes away from the 93-line who were wrestling each other (Kyungsoo was winning, duh.), I looked around at the disastrous 'war zone' and decided that someone has to clean up after them.

And who could that ‘someone’ be but me. I’m forever cleaning up after them, sighs.

Treading on the soft grass, I gathered up the soaked shirts and the heavy load proved too much for me as I began to stagger under the weight.

"You could use some help."

"And you could really use a dry towel.” I retorted sarcastically as I whirled around to find a grinning Luhan.

“Use your telekinesis already!" I whined jokingly, and he snickered. The numerous shirts in my hands soon floated and I shot him a thankful look.

"Still so pretty and cute, our Jen." He pinched my cheeks lightly and I pursed my lips. "Sheesh, still treating me like I'm your baby girl."

"But you are! You're still one of the youngest." He then edged his face close to mine and dropped to a whisper. “And you are my baby girl.”

He pulled away, a knowing smirk on his face as heat rushed to my cheeks and I slapped his bare arm, hard.  

"Stop teasing me and I'm older than Sehun, for your information!" I sulked. "Your rusty old brain must be faulty."

"Yes yes, I'm getting old." He pulled me towards him and I gladly snuggled into his embrace, resting my chin on his shoulder and wrapping my arms around his bare, lean waist.

The waists of these boys are seriously... I need to get exercising man.

We stayed that way for a few moments before a shriek rang out and the sounds of someone getting out of the pool travelled to my ears. That someone then unceremoniously pried us apart with a large pout on his face.

"I would say 'Get a room' but I can't because I want to get a room with you too, Jen." Baekhyun pulled me over to him, trapping me in a back hug and I could feel my shirt getting wet as the boy's bare, wet chest pressed against my back. As he spoke, it vibrated and I stifled snickers. "So hands off, Luhan-hyung!"

"Oh yeah?" My eyes widened in surprise as the boy telekinetically detached a single shirt from the floating ball of dripping wet fabrics and rolled it into a ball, and I knew that war was about to break out. "You and what army?"

"U-Uh..." I could sense the uncertainty and slight fear in Baekhyun's words. The remaining nine boys in the pool cackled and I stared at Jongdae and Chanyeol, thinking that they'd back up their same-aged friend.

But no, apparently twenty-one years of friendship and brotherhood meant nothing to them. Their arms were folded and their eyes glinted, clearly deciding to leave him in the lurch; and they were also leaving me in the lurch for the boy under attack then laughed evilly.

"I have Jen! She's the one and only shield I'll ever need!" He held me closer to him and I was too shell shocked to respond. "You'll never win, Luhan-hyung! Not when your weakness is this girl in my arms! MUAHAHAHAHA!"

I eyed the floating ball and gulped. I definitely do not wish to be hit by that painful-looking orb of doom. Craning my head back to look at the boy who got me in this mess, I mustered up my best glower and shot it at him. He shrugged with a silly grin on his face and began to walk backwards, pulling me along with him like the hostage/shield I had become.

“Byun Baekhyun… I swear if I get hit I will murder you in your sleep tonight!” I growled, my fists clenched to show that I might not be joking.

The kidnapper sniggered. “Psh, you won’t. I’m too handsome to have you warrant my execution. Besides, Luhan-hyung won’t even fir–”

Something whizzed past my right ear and it flew by so quickly, I didn’t have time to react to what had happened. My jaw slackened and my eyes went straight to the smirking boy in front of me. The smaller ball of a shirt was missing from the air above him and it was then did I know that Luhan had ing shot it at us. At me.

The nerve of this telekin–

“Oi!” Chanyeol yelled and he got out of the pool. Due to the weight of the water that his pants have absorbed, it dropped slightly below his hips, revealing the waistband of his underwear. “You seriously shot it, Luhan-hyung!?”

I reluctantly let my eyes stray away from the words sewn on the boy’s waistband (and his forming abs) to focus on his angry face instead. With his hair dripping wet, his fringe slicked back, and his bare torso glistening under the soft sunlight that bathed the clearing, the giant sent my heart into overdrive once again.

“So what if I did?” Luhan taunted the taller boy, another shirt rolling by itself in mid-air into a ball. “Are you going to fight me, Yeollie?”

The boys burst out into laughter as Chanyeol pinked, clearly embarrassed with his childhood nickname that his paren