T h e    I n s t i t u t e

Chapter Six

‘So we have a lead.’ Master Chen never beat around the bush. Meetings with him were quick, concise and to the point. Shindong and the other three had barely sat down before he started talking. ‘When the regular agents were on patrol in the Troll Market, they reported that there has been a lot of talk about the Elves and potential sightings, though these haven’t been confirmed. Hyoyeon and Tiffany say most information can be traced back a to djinn called Choi Seunghyun.’

‘A djinn?’ Leeteuk questioned incredulously.

‘Guess we’ll never find out what he knows.’ Kangin got a frown from Master Chen for his sardonic tone.

‘I know they can be tricky bastards but we need the intel this guy has apparently got. Obviously we’re going to need you on the team, Kibum, to make sure he’s not lying.’ Kibum’s face contorted in slight frustration as he thought over what he’d have to do.

‘I’ll do my best. But djinn’s are infamous for mind games so there’s a chance I might be wrong.’ He said.

‘I understand, Kibum.’ Master Chen gave him one of his half-smiles then turned to Leeteuk. ‘I’m leaving you in charge of picking out the rest of the special agents for the team, though I’d recommend about four or five maximum and perhaps those of you who think before they attack.’ Kangin yelped in affront when he was tossed a stern glance.

‘I think I might bring ZhouMi since he didn’t get a chance at a mission with the vampires. He’s a empathy psychic which could be useful in detecting whether the djinn’s lying or not.’ Leeteuk said as he considered his options with the special agents.

‘Excellent. I really want this excursion to go as smoothly as possible, no messing around. If those vampires in Borneo knew about the Dark Elves’ plans then it’s extremely likely there’s going to be more groups of dark creatures in the netherworlds that are clued in also. The Institute is the main opposition and if those monsters are taking sides, we can’t afford to be making scenes in the Troll Market.’ Master Chen warned.

‘Don’t worry, I won’t take Donghae.’ Leeteuk assured with a chuckle. The others laughed.

‘So where is this guy?’ Shindong decided to interrupt.

‘Ah, right.’ Master Chen began, focussing back on the briefing. ‘He owns a magic lamp shop, of course, in the Eastern quarter of the market. It’s called ‘The Mysterious TOP’ and you should be able to find it just by the stench of opium. However, Hyoyeon and Tiffany will be going with you so they should be able to locate it. Which reminds me, I’m also sending Seulong and Jinwoon to keep an eye on things in the market while you’re interrogating Choi Seunghyun.’

‘Urgh great.’ Kangin muttered.

‘There’s no need to moan about the agents because you’re not going.’ Leeteuk snapped back at him.

‘What?! Why?’ The wolf protested.

‘Like Master Chen said, we need this to go smoothly.’ Master Chen gave half a smile once again.

‘So to wrap this up,’ He grasped his hands together with finality. ‘Find out what the djinn knows but don’t push too hard for information if he’s unwilling to give it. The last thing we need is a pissed off genie on top of this Elves threat. I honestly don’t know how much we’re going to get out of him. He could have just heard a lot of rumours floating around or he may be the best lead we’ve got.’

‘We won’t let you down.’ Shindong affirmed.

‘Yeah I’ve heard that before.’

Sungmin sat scowling in the café. He’d woken up earlier than usual that morning and had decided to use the time to make himself look extra especially nice in the hope that Siwon would be enticed enough for a sleepover later on. However, even with a tight skirt, smouldering eye makeup and brand new dip-dyed hair extensions, Siwon was unaffected. The only compliment Sungmin had received all day was from Kyuhyun and that counted for nothing.

‘Minnie, Hankyung’s coming.’ Ryeowook suddenly hissed into his ear and he broke out of his sulk. He flicked his eyes to the side where Kyuhyun was sat in the middle of him and Heechul on the sofa.

‘Get up, go.’ Sungmin ordered, grabbing the back of the other demon’s t-shirt and forcefully shoving him out of his seat. Kyuhyun put up something of a protest but ultimately let the other boy win; it was usually for the best.

‘Why am I being made to move?’ He questioned nevertheless. He didn’t receive an answer because now Hankyung had arrived. With the vacancy now available on the sofa, the Chinaman automatically shuffled over to fill it. Sungmin and Ryeowook grinned at each other and surreptitiously high fived. They wordlessly agreed to tune out of what Yesung had been trying to tell them before and instead, shamelessly eavesdrop on Hankyung and Heechul.

‘Did you sleep ok last night?’ Hankyung asked. The shifter had just picked up his coffee and so, whilst taking a sip, nodded shyly at the other boy. ‘Good. I, um, was worried about you.’ Heechul choked slightly on his drink.

‘I’m fine.’ He managed to gasp out, putting the cup down on the coffee table again.

‘Oh, heh, you’ve got some foam..’ Hankyung pointed out, awkwardly gesturing in the general vicinity of Heechul’s face. The latter went scarlet and immediately wiped away the mess off his face. ‘Missed a bit.’ Hankyung said with a chuckle but without waiting for Heechul to swipe it away himself, he reached over and gently brushed away the foam from the shifter’s bright red cheek. Sungmin and Ryeowook exchanged extremely fangirl-esque looks.

‘Thanks.’ Heechul said quietly, looking anywhere but at Hankyung’s face.

‘You’re welcome.’ Hankyung replied with a satisfied smile.

The decided team for the excursion into the Troll Market included Leeteuk – of course – Kibum, Shindong, Henry and ZhouMi who was particularly excited about being given a job to do. The five of them met the regular agents that would be accompanying them at the meeting point and, as a unit, they travelled down to the garage to load up into their chosen vehicle. Master Gong had assigned them one of the inconspicuous black vans which they piled into and waited for the driver to take them out into the streets.

The van moved through the tunnels leading out of the Institute and up to ground level where it rumbled along the winding path that would take them through the surrounding forest and across fields to the city beyond. During the journey, Leeteuk went over the plan and exactly how they needed to play this meeting with the djinn. No one had any idea what to expect, djinn’s were unpredictable, there was no way of knowing if this one would be friend or foe.

ZhouMi found himself looking out of the windows with some amount of awe at the views of the city as they sped through the streets. When you lived underground in a fortress of protection, there wasn’t much opportunity to go sight-seeing; he would take any chances to get a glimpse of his new hometown. The thought made his mind wander to China and he felt a little saddened, there was an ache from missing it that he wondered if Hankyung ever felt.

They came to a halt down a side street right next to the river running straight through the city. The driver parked up the van in an alleyway and the agents all climbed out. Leeteuk led the way towards the river and then turned right where there was a deserted loading bay for one of the businesses in that part of town. He moved quickly through the bay, around crates and boxes full of goods and went up to the far wall.

‘Henry?’ He called out but Henry had already vanished. ZhouMi had been told that the world looked a lot  different when one was invisible and things that were concealed may not be so through Henry’s eyes. The boy reappeared a little way down the wall.

‘It’s here.’ He said, patting the space he stood next to. The group went closer to him and Leeteuk shut his eyes in concentration. A few moments later he looked up.

‘It’s an imp that’s on guard so nothing too strenuous to deal with. Shindong, do you want to sort it when I open up the portal?’ Shindong nodded that he would and as he began to get into position, so did the others, spreading out around the area. Leeteuk stayed where he was and fished out a piece of paper from his back pocket.

‘Need Kyuhyun for this.’ He mumbled almost inaudibly then cleared his throat to command at the wall, ‘Redintegro via ut est non infractus!’ There was a pause and then suddenly cracks began forming along the stone, the sound of grinding concrete filled the air as fissures sporadically burst across into the shapes of runes and before their eyes, the agents watched as a door cracked into being. It remained dormant for all of a second before a rush of spiralling blue matter filled the door’s entryway.

‘Here comes the imp.’ Kibum mentioned and ZhouMi was alerted to sight of a creature walking through the portal.

‘Who goes there?’ Its voice was gravelly and high pitched which matched its decrepit looking body and screwed up face. ‘You’re them Institute bastards ain’t yah?’ It cried, wrinkling its long, knobbly nose.

‘We’re here on business.’ Shindong informed sternly, trying not to show that he was recoiling from the creature’s ungodly smell. It eyed him up for a long while, narrowing its beady yellow eyes and scratching at its pointed ears.

‘Nope. Can’t let you in.’ It decided.

‘There’s no reason why we can’t now move aside.’ Shindong insisted. ZhouMi heard one of the agents – Hyoyeon – pull the trigger back on her gun.

‘Folks don’t want the likes of you hanging around.’ The imp went on, wagging its bony finger at them all. ‘Always bringing trouble! Or those bloody demons.’ He appeared to shudder slightly on the word ‘demons’.

‘Well we’re not here to cause trouble.’ Shindong retorted, getting impatient. The creature was glaring at him again and when the silence stretched on for far too long, Hyoyeon swiftly darted out of place and shot the imp square in the forehead.

‘Nice shot.’ Kibum remarked. Shindong kicked the short, lifeless body out of the way which Leeteuk stepped over to head straight through the portal. The others followed.

They emerged into what felt like an underground area of the city. ZhouMi gazed at everything in wonder from the elaborate market stalls to the crowds of supernatural beings weaving in and out of each other as they perused what the sellers had to offer. They moved quickly along the paths, passing shops filled with unusual trinkets and grocery stalls overflowing with fruits and vegetables that ZhouMi had never seen before. Faeries, púca, banshees and all kinds of creatures travelled alongside them, going about their daily lives.

‘Seems like it’s just imps that don’t want the likes of us hanging around.’ Kibum murmured with a smirk and ZhouMi smiled back, noticing that they were generally being overlooked by the crowds and blending seamlessly into the hustle bustle of the market.

Leeteuk took them as far as he could in the direction of the Eastern quarter before he turned to Tiffany and Hyoyeon for help. The two regular agents kept the group moving to where they’d heard the djinn’s shop took up residence. Sure enough, as they emerged through a narrow back street, they came face to face with ‘The Mysterious TOP’.

‘Ok so we all know what we’re doing?’ Leeteuk checked one last time. The group assented and they closed in on the shop.

That afternoon, Heechul lazed around on a sofa in the common room while Sungmin played with his hair and Ryeowook sat on the floor beside them with a magazine. It had been a relatively boring day; no missions because Leeteuk refused to take them to the Troll Market, no training because they no schedules planned for a while. The gym was an option but Heechul would go to the gym when they started giving out free makeup instead of energy drinks.

‘Apparently my perfect match is tall and manly.’ Ryeowook commented, frowning down at the quiz he’d just filled out.

‘You’d better let Yesung down gently.’ Heechul replied, sniggering along with Sungmin. Ryeowook pouted and reached up to whack at them both with the magazine.

‘What’s it like sleeping in his room with all those turtles watching you?’ Sungmin asked.

‘Creepy. Don’t ever sleep in Yesung’s room.’ Ryeowook quickly responded and the other two laughed. They settled back down into a peaceful quiet again until suddenly, the common room door opened and in walked Hankyung. Sungmin’s eyes widened and a smile spread across his face.

‘Oh I just remembered I was going to err… help Kyuhyun with… um, his socks.’ Without waiting for Heechul to actually realise what he’d just said, he leapt up off the sofa and scurried out of the room, sending Ryeowook a meaningful glance.

‘Actually yeah, I’m err… supposed to be…… bye!’ The younger boy squeaked and ran off after Sungmin. Heechul, possessing no energy to be annoyed, merely shrugged them off. That’s when he finally noticed Hankyung and sprang up to a sitting position. The pyrotechnic smiled at him and went and sat down in the sofa opposite his.

‘I thought more people would be in here.’ He said, looking around. Heechul flustered for something to say but the shock of being suddenly left alone with Hankyung had done a mischief to his intelligence.

‘Erm, yeah, hah..’ He got out. Swearing internally at his inability to function, he managed to breathe and relax enough to actually have a conversation. But it made him anxious to not know why he always ended up like this around the other boy. ‘I don’t know where Wookie and Min went to.’ He said in the end.

‘Doesn’t matter, it’s nice and quiet in here.’ Hankyung decided, unwinding into the sofa cushions. ‘I was just playing video games with Donghae and Eunhyuk.’ He explained. Heechul gave half a laugh, nodding in understanding.

‘Ah I see.’ He said. ‘Last time I did that I ended up with a migraine.’ Hankyung chuckled. They lapsed into a brief silence. Heechul let his eyes wander over the other boy’s face when he wasn’t looking and took in the darkness within his eyes. It had always been there but he’d never really seen it until now. There was something behind those irises that fermented and festered beneath the surface, something that Hankyung obviously spent a lot of time trying to bury. Heechul could understand that.

‘Is that your natural hair colour?’ Hankyung suddenly asked, breaking Heechul out of his daze. The shifter snickered and shook his head.

‘No. It’s a lot of hair dye.’ He replied, self-consciously lifting a hand to play with the auburn strands at the back of his head.

‘It suits you.’ Heechul didn’t how Hankyung did it so casually and smoothly but every time he said something like that, he could feel his cheeks heating up and he hated it. At least, that’s what he told himself. ‘I can’t imagine you with dark hair.’

‘Well you’ve never seen me with dark hair.’ A memory of himself with dark hair pressed at his mind, urging to be set free and fill his brain. Heechul suppressed it, recoiling into himself and wishing that the subject would be dropped.

‘I bet you were just as pretty.’ The memory broke though his walls and it took every last ounce of willpower not to let it get to him. Heechul didn’t want to flee, it would just lead to more questions so he smiled and concentrated on Hankyung’s face. This was the face he wanted to see, not his face, not Jay…

The regular agents, Seulong and Jinwoon, disappeared into the crowds after switching on the com-link and so the rest of the group moved forwards to the shop. ZhouMi assumed Henry was still with them, though who could tell. He was briefly distracted by the store next to them that was proudly displaying leprechaun gold but then Leeteuk ushered him into where he was supposed to be going and all thoughts of rainbows and treasure vanished when he got look inside the djinn’s magic lamp shop.

As cliché as it may have been, the place was an Aladdin’s cave. It was stocked lavishly with magic lamps in all shapes and sizes. Some were bronze, silver or embellished with precious gems but when ZhouMi cast his wide eyes around the room, all he saw was gold, gold and more gold. Tiffany took them through richly coloured drapes into another area that held more goods and the desk where, presumably, the djinn would sit. The air in this space was distinctly murkier as tendrils of smoke wafted in and around the gaps coming from another chamber, filling the group’s nostrils with pungent opium.

‘Where is he?’ Shindong whispered. His question was answered unexpectedly when a curtain flew open behind the desk and the djinn swaggered into view. He was tall and handsome with sharp features and an intense gaze that he cast around at them all before readjusting his fancy robe and sitting down at the desk.

‘And what can I do for the Institute?’ He began in a deep, powerful voice. Leeteuk hesitantly took a step forward.

‘All we want is information, if you’re willing to give it.’ He said. ZhouMi remembered he had a job to do and stopped marvelling at the djinn’s elegance to concentrate properly on the myriad of emotions swirling through the air.

‘Well that depends on the nature of the information, now, doesn’t it.’ With a twirl of his long fingers and a whoosh of red smoke, a pot of tea and a single cup appeared on the desk that the djinn set about making up a drink with. ‘I may be willing or unwilling but you won’t know that until you tell me what information you’re looking for so I couldn’t possibly be willing until then and therefore, you better get on with it.’ Leeteuk frowned at the confusing twist of words which was more than likely the djinn’s intention.

‘We want to know anything and everything that you’ve heard about the Dark Elves.’ Kibum cut in, taking over the conversation. His expression was passive as usual but ZhouMi could see that he was wary and that made him uncomfortable. He’d never encountered a djinn before but from what he’d heard, they were more powerful than anyone dared to admit.

The one before them raised an eyebrow as he took a long sip of tea and stared over the rim of the cup at all of them individually. He seemed contemplative. The only emotions ZhouMi was getting from him were curiosity and mild amusement. But then he put the cup down and his face grew serious. He deliberated over what he wanted to say for a few moments before looking back up at Kibum.

‘You must understand that myself and many others want no part in this rivalry.’ He said warningly. ‘I have merely been spreading rumours amongst customers to get a bit of gossip and, well, excitement floating around.’

‘So all you know are rumours?’ Leeteuk asked worriedly. The djinn let out a huff of a sigh.

‘I am only telling you this in the hope that it will do some good but do not count me as an ally.’

‘We understand.’ Shindong replied. The djinn nodded.

‘I have a contact in Lemuria. He told me that the Dark Elves have been living under the rule of their prince for some time now.’ He took another sip of tea. ‘The prince was always hateful so when the war ended he was more than ready for revenge, felt like the job had not been finished. It was when his father died that he started plotting and now…’

‘Now?’ Leeteuk questioned. The djinn sighed again. He clicked his fingers and another cloud of red smoke billowed around his hand as a bottle of what looked like whisky appeared. He picked it up and poured a measure into his tea before taking a drawn out swig.

‘Now they’re… raising an army.’ He revealed, wincing at the burn of the alcohol. ZhouMi’s stomach dropped at his words and he knew everyone else was experiencing something similar. An army meant war and nobody wanted that again.

Hankyung may have not been living at the Institute long but he could tell already that he’d probably be spending a good majority of his time in the gym. Like he had just done. The facility back in China was a far cry from what was available to him now and although Hankyung had never really been a fitness freak, he couldn’t resist trying out every single piece of state of the art equipment now that he had the opportunity.

He also personally enjoyed the post-workout session shower that allowed him to revel in self-satisfaction as it soothed the aches in his joints under the hot water. The gym showers were just as high-tech and enjoyable as all the treadmills, weights and rowing machines. Unfortunately for Hankyung, he was prone to forgetting the world during his shower and relaxing enough to not notice things like Ryeowook and Sungmin sneaking into the room, grabbing his clothes and all the towels then making a run for it, cackling like lunatics.

‘Huh, that’s weird.’ Hankyung mumbled as he stepped out of the steamy stall and noticed that his belongings were not where he left them. He looked around the bathroom and frowned when he couldn’t spot his things anywhere. He spent about ten minutes turning the place upside down and nothing. Hankyung wasn’t one to panic and so it was with a, still confused, yet determined demeanour that he exited the shower room altogether and went out into the gym, still dripping wet, to see if he could find anything to cover himself up with.

‘Oh Jesus!!’ Somebody shrieked. Hankyung’s hands flew to his second in command. It was late; he didn’t expect anyone else to still be there. He looked up and, realising it was Heechul, flushed red all over.

‘Err… s-sorry. I couldn’t find my umm clothes.’ He stammered out but began to relax. As well as not being a panicker, Hankyung found it difficult to be embarrassed once the initial shock wore off. He stood up straight instead of hunching over in surprise and tried for a smile at Heechul but the latter had his hands covering his eyes.

‘Weren’t there any towels?’ He asked, shrilly.

‘Erm no, actually.’ Hankyung responded, his bemusement strengthening. ‘Could you um… could you, maybe, find me something… you know.’ Heechul nodded and spun around, removing the hands in front of his eyes and began to frantically look around for anything that would sort out the predicament. Hankyung waited patiently despite being and wet.

‘Aha!’ Heechul eventually cried, grabbing a towel that had been left on a cross-trainer. He backed up to where he suspected Hankyung was still standing and then put his hands back up to conceal his vision again before he turned around. ‘Where are you?’ He asked softly, wandering off in a wobbly line.

‘I’m here.’ Hankyung replied, going forwards and hoping that Heechul would sense his presence but the shifter managed to keep walking past him and so Hankyung gently took hold of his arm to steer him around in the right direction. Heechul jolted to a standstill mere inches away from Hankyung who took the towel and quickly put it around his waist. ‘You can look now.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes.’ Their voices had dropped to barely whispers for some reason but it felt appropriate. Then, cautiously, Heechul lowered his hands back down to his sides. But his eyes were still closed. ‘Open your eyes.’ Hankyung murmured. It took a second or two but soon the Chinaman got to see those smoky dark eyes flutter open to gaze up at him. Heechul’s breath hitched at the closeness he hadn’t been aware of but he didn’t try to move away. They spent a long minute staring at each other intensely and Hankyung almost thought it was going somewhere.

Then Heechul looked down. He took a step back. He smiled and didn’t look at Hankyung again. He left the gym.

‘Do you have any more information? Anything?’ Leeteuk pressed.

‘I’m afraid not.’ The djinn shook his head and genuinely looked apologetic. ‘However, if I can trust you to be discrete, you may return here to ask further questions when I might have more to tell you.’

‘That’s… very decent of you.’ Kibum commented in shock.

‘As I said before, I am not your ally but… neither am I an ally of theirs’.’ The djinn’s smirk could have rivalled Heechul’s.

After a moment’s pause, ZhouMi decided to question, ‘Could I just ask?’ He started timidly. The djinn fixed his gaze on him. ‘Why are we sat outside a French café?’

Abruptly, everyone looked around and noticed for the first time what ZhouMi had spotted. They were indeed sat outside a French café, the giveaway being the view of the Eiffel Tower. Even the djinn seemed deeply befuddled which was a smidge worrying. He stood up from his seat and eyed everything intensely for a second until seemingly coming to a realisation and twisting his face into an annoyed glower.

‘God dammit! Now is not the time Seungri!!’ He bellowed. The Parisian café dwellers didn’t even bat an eyelid. Suddenly, everything smoothly shifted back to the magic lamp shop as the illusion was removed. The group could hear laughter coming from within the inner rooms until the djinn picked up a lamp and threw it behind a curtain causing a crash, a thud and an anguished shout.

‘Sorry about that. He has a habit of messing with-’ He stopped short as, without warning, Henry promptly swayed into view. He looked very dizzy and wobbled about on his feet.

‘Henry? Are you ok?’ Shindong asked. He kept an eye on the djinn, however. If he thought Henry had been spying on him then they could ruin their chances of coming back to the shop for more intel.

‘I’m… I’m fine. We just, we err, we were moving around.’ Henry babbled, waving his arms in a sporadic gesture at the room.

‘Well aren’t you cute!’ The djinn exclaimed and the group gawped at him in surprise. ‘Can I keep you?’ He went over and started smushing Henry’s cheeks and patting him on the head. Henry looked completely alarmed.

‘Err… we kind of need him.’ Kibum said. The djinn pouted but he let Henry go nevertheless.

‘That’s a shame.’ He sighed and then clapped his hands together three times in quick succession. The curtains that led through to the exit pulled apart. ‘It’s probably best that you go now. Seungri is clearly restless with you being here.’

The group bowed and thanked him profusely as they left, leaving the cave of wonders that ZhouMi wouldn’t mind browsing around. He’d had a strong urge to shop ever since they’d stepped through the portal and now he had other people to bother instead of dragging a very reluctant Hankyung off to buy a new fur coat. As they travelled back to the Institute, the group went over what they had learnt, starting with Kibum who confirmed that he had detected no traces of the djinn lying.

‘I got a very earnest feel from him.’ ZhouMi went on. ‘But something tells me he’s worried. I can’t be sure whether it was just him, there was a lot of anxiousness floating around. Still, it explains why he was being honest with us.’

‘In what way?’ Leeteuk inquired.

‘If he’s worried about the Elves, that might mean the other creatures are getting worried as well.’ ZhouMi explained. ‘He did say he’d been spreading rumours. I don’t think it was to spread gossip, I think he’s trying to warn people.’ The others digested what he’d said with agreement.

‘Nobody wants a war.’ Leeteuk stated. ‘Apart from the Elves. I just don’t get where they’re building this army from. Their numbers were severely depleted when they were banished and it hasn’t been enough time for a new generation to step up to the plate.’ He frowned.

‘We’ll see what Master Chen thinks.’ Shindong decided.

It wasn’t hard for Hankyung to figure out that Sungmin and Ryeowook had been messing with him all day though the giveaway was probably when he stopped by the café for a late night cup of tea and noticed that somebody had rearranged the clouds in front of moon to write H+H in a heart. Now who could have done that? Oh yes, the one with the atmokinesis that was being lead to mischief by a demon. Hankyung hadn’t expected Donghae’s warning yesterday to come to fruition but Sungmin was involved so he really should have.

After the incident with Heechul in the gym, he’d spent a long time lying on his bed, trying to get to sleep but failing. He couldn’t help curse himself for his lack of daring when they were stood so close. If he had just been cocky and gone for it, maybe he wouldn’t be tossing and turning in his bed with Heechul’s face lingering steadfastly in his mind.

He had meant what he told Donghae – that he’d never hurt the shifter. It was perhaps that anxiety over not wanting to do anything that could harm Heechul that was holding him back. But, if he never tried, he’d never know. There was no reason to suggest that he would end up hurting Heechul and as he was so adamant that that would never happen then should there even be a need to worry?

Hankyung was still in a quandary as to how much he actually felt for Heechul. He was attracted to him, that was undeniable. Everything from his long copper hair to his long slim legs. It was all he could think about some nights and he’d wake up in the morning with a smile on his face because his dreams had been filled with a teasingly pretty figure wearing a floating white dress. Hankyung liked to believe that he didn’t have a cross-dressing kink but then he’d catch himself checking out Sungmin sometimes.

But that was the difference. Sungmin was gorgeous and flirtatious like Heechul but Hankyung couldn’t ever see himself going after Sungmin. He wanted Heechul. He needed Heechul. He… really, really liked Heechul. He should go find him. It was the middle of the night and he was probably asleep but if Hankyung didn’t do something now, he probably never would. So he got up out of his bed and hurriedly left his room.

The corridor was empty but as Hankyung stepped out and closed his door, the hallway came to life as the automatic lights blinked awake. He padded along the carpet and shuddered at the cool air – he should have put a t-shirt on before he left. He slunk past ZhouMi’s door then turned the corner and bypassed Siwon and Eunhyuk’s rooms. He kept going. He got as far as Yesung’s room and chickened out. He turned around and, in annoyance with himself, stomped off to the common room.

‘Stupid, stupid.’ He muttered to himself as he walked. Hankyung left the dorms and continued on his way to the common room. He didn’t want to go back to his bed; it would just lead to more restless snoozing and overthinking.

When he reached the common room door, he frowned when he saw the light coming from within. He slowed down and stopped outside the entrance, thinking that he didn’t want to disturb whoever was in there if they’d be looking for a place of solitude to help with their insomnia like he had been aiming for. He decided to peek and see who it was and make a judgement from there. He went closer to the crack where the door was left ajar and peered inside.

The world stopped for a brief moment as Hankyung struggled to breathe in shock. He stumbled backwards from the door. He wanted it to be a dream but he had never had a dream in which Siwon kissed Heechul.

Siwon was kissing Heechul.

Siwon was kissing Heechul.

Hankyung’s shock turned to anger and he snarled under his breath as he marched back the way he had come. But instead of going to his room, he knocked on Sungmin’s door.

It was entirely common that when Siwon was being evasive, Sungmin would invite Kyuhyun to his room to play video games or drink. That night was no different. After dinner, Sungmin had dragged his friend back to his room and pulled out a bottle of wine which they worked their way through partially whilst watching TV. When half the bottle was gone, Sungmin put tiny plaits in Kyuhyun’s hair and they messed around until tiredness wore in and they both settled down in Sungmin’s bed to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Sungmin woke up, looked over at Kyuhyun and sighed. They had been best friends since arriving at the Institute. First connecting over their mutual powers and then getting up to mischief together until eventually they became inseparable. They hung out together almost every day and had the most fun when they were in each other’s company. All Sungmin wanted was to a least have something like that with Siwon. But it seemed impossible.

Siwon had been at the Institute as long as Sungmin had but it was later, when they’d stopped being teenagers, that the two of them had found a shared interest in each other. Siwon liked the way Sungmin dressed, he liked his long hair, he liked his body. He didn’t like commitment. They had fooled around for several months in secret before people began to find out though it was never made a big deal of because Siwon wasn’t Sungmin’s boyfriend. It was just .

Sungmin didn’t deny that he enjoyed it but at the end of the day, when he admitted it truthfully to himself and, usually, when he had spent a long time with Kyuhyun, he wanted a boyfriend. He wanted someone to want him. Properly. Not just for . He wanted someone to wake up next to every morning, someone who cared what happened to him, someone who liked everything about him flaws and all. He wanted Siwon to be like Kyuhyun, to be his best friend but… more.

He remembered, not long ago, putting on a dress and asking Siwon if he thought he should wear it that night when the group were going out drinking. Siwon had said it looked tight and Sungmin starved himself for a week before passing out in the shower. Kyuhyun had come and found him, picked him up and carried him to the nurses. He’d watched over Sungmin while he slept and looked after him the following day and every day since.

Kyuhyun had seen him break down over his insecurities, encouraged him to eat through tears and pain, told him he was beautiful…

A knock sounded at the door and Sungmin jumped up to a sitting position. He frowned, wondering who was awake at this time. He got out from under the covers and headed over to the door, looking back and noticing that Kyuhyun had stirred. He switched on a lamp then opened the door revealing a very angry looking Hankyung. It was almost frightening.

‘Hankyung? What’s wrong?’ He asked tentatively.

‘If you were wondering why Siwon didn’t want to sleep with you tonight it’s because he’s busy kissing Heechul in the common room.’ Hankyung growled out. Sungmin’s eyes flew wide open in surprise.

‘What?’ He scoffed, smiling nervously. Surely this was a joke.

‘It’s true. I just saw them.’ Hankyung went on through clenched teeth.

‘Minnie, what’s going on?’ Kyuhyun’s voice came rumbling over sleepily as he got out of the bed as well to come and investigate. Sungmin glanced at him then back at Hankyung several times as his heart rate increased and a scream threatened to rip from his mouth. Instead he stormed past Hankyung and took off down the corridor. The other two followed him. ‘What’s happening?’ He heard Kyuhyun cry but he couldn’t speak.

It didn’t take long before Sungmin was stood outside the common room. He steeled himself and breathed in and out shakily, hoping that Hankyung had been mistaken. The latter and Kyuhyun caught up to him just as he opened the door and walked in. He let out an audible gasp and his hands flew up to his mouth.

‘Sungmin?!’ Siwon yelped in panic. Sungmin stared. Stared and stared. He was frozen without knowing what to do, what to say. He couldn’t think, he couldn’t breathe. It was just like Hankyung had said. Siwon had been kissing Heechul on one the sofas up until Sungmin had made a noise. They’d leapt apart, Siwon looking flustered whilst Heechul appeared morose.

‘I hate to say I told you so.’ Kyuhyun muttered. He had a glare to match Hankyung’s.

‘Sungmin?’ Siwon tried again. It triggered the demon to turn tail and run out. Kyuhyun went after him and suddenly they were back in Sungmin’s room.

‘You’re better off without him.’ Kyuhyun said, shutting the door. Sungmin paced up and down, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

‘I don’t want to think about it. Or him. I don’t want t- …I can’t..’ His breath was catching too much around unbroken sobs that it became too hard to speak. Kyuhyun moved closer and caught his arms to keep him in one place.

‘You should try going back to sleep. We can deal with it in the morning.’ Sungmin stared at him through glassy eyes, shaking his head. His fractured soul was bared to Kyuhyun who gazed back, searching for something to help make this better. They kept getting closer and closer, keeping their eyes fixed on each other.

Then Sungmin broke the tension and crashed their lips together. Kyuhyun responded immediately, clutching Sungmin’s arms tighter as they pressed firmly against each other. When Sungmin grabbed onto his t-shirt, he along his lips and opened up his mouth to let his tongue delve inside and trace the caverns within. Sungmin let a moan escape his throat and he pushed at Kyuhyun. They were stepping backwards and then they were on the bed, still kissing, still wrapped up in one another. All it took was Kyuhyun kissing down his neck for Sungmin to pull the other boy on top of him and grind their hips together.

so I guess there was a bit of a wait for this D: I started out so well but now it's taking me longer to write chapters. I think it's because at the start I knew exactly what was going to happen and now I'm still figuring it out as I go along :P I hope you'll be patient with me

I also hoped you enjoyed this chapter, there was a lot of excitement

I get worried that sometimes I'll write hints at things and they'll be really confusing because you don't know the story behind it yet but I just want to say that I promise they will all be explained later on (unless I forget something) 

I'm also paranoid that the story's moving too fast but I guess I'll leave that up to you to decide :)

~JC