Lay sighed as he stared down at the beautifully encased figure of his past love, admiring how peaceful the telekinesis user looked in his eternal sleep. He glanced back at the flight user’s sleeping body briefly before turning back to his best friend. He smiled. He, D.O, and Baekhyun created special cases to cover their friends’ iced bodies as they rested. Both were pearlescent white with accents of amethyst and ruby on each case for their powers, amethyst for Luhan and ruby for Kris. He ran his fingers over one of the swirls on Luhan’s case.   “Hey, Lu,” he murmured softly, somewhat still expecting a response he knew he would never get soon, “How are you today?”   Seven years had passed since both the telekinesis and flight users had technically expired, and every day since they had all fully recovered, Lay had been practicing and trying to revive anything from plantation to animals for experimentation. So far, he could only grow and bring back any type of plant life without fainting or losing most of his powers for at least a few months compared to reviving animals.   “You’ve been doing well, right?”   Throughout the years, there had been obvious attempts at taking Lay’s life because of how he officiated the union of the two distinct lands. They thought it’d be easy, knowing the ultimate barrier Luhan was gone, but with their Phoenix, little master, gentle storm, and ice warrior, every attempt had been thwarted. Also including the fact Lay could still weaken any body who touched him, it had proven to be ten times as difficult as anybody would have imagined.   Along with D.O, Chen became Head Guard while the earth user tried to recover his powers. It wasn’t unusual to see random strikes of lightning throughout the land, knowing that their lightning user was protecting the people to the best of his abilities. Kai’s father and Suho’s parents also came to visit whenever they could, Xiumin traveling back and forth with them to stabilize his homeland better and ensure them that they were still watching over them too.   He sighed again, touching the area of Luhan’s cheek on the glass. “Lu, I still forgive you, you know? It’s okay.” He had dreams every now and then. He would relive the past, watching Luhan break down in front of him and scream for the help he couldn’t give correctly. He even had minor flashbacks of taking his father’s life with D.O. and Baekhyun watching him with fear in their eyes, but every time he tried to think more about it, the memories came up blank. He realized he could only gain them back completely if Luhan opened them up for him. He would wake up crying, and Suho would be the only one who could pacify him.   He even had nightmares that he would end up becoming like the queen. He wouldn’t know what was going on when he woke up, and sometimes he would accidentally be draining Suho’s energy in their sleep. He still couldn’t believe how the water user insisted that everything was okay, and that it was normal. How he would never become the queen because he exuded a beautiful and true type of power compared to her. He was pretty sure he would’ve gone crazy if Suho wasn’t there with him since the day they all woke back up.   He bit his lip in worry. “I’ll get you and Kris out of there, okay?” he softly promised, eyes shining with resolve, “I know it’s been a while. I’m sorry about that,” he chuckled ruefully, “Some complications came up.” He became quiet, thinking of all the things he wanted to actually talk to the other about whenever he woke up. “We’ve been trying. Your best friend and the Night’s ice user – we’ve all been trying to find a way for all of us to live and bring you back. We think it’s about time, but you might not like the end result if I can’t perform it correctly.”   He paused, saddened for a minute before humming in thought for a few minutes. “You know, Lu,” he started off again, moving around so that he could both see the sleeping men, “I hope you approve of Suho. I want you to be okay with him and like him.” He smiled softly in thought. “I really hope you do.”   He didn’t hear somebody open the door before sneaking in and closing it behind them. Even if he and Luhan would probably be on bad terms in the future, he wanted the other’s approval, especially if he was in the running to be his future best man. He really needed to get his head out of the clouds. “Do you still love me, I wonder?” he quietly questioned before looking over to Kris’ form, “It’ll cause innumerous amount of problems if you do.”   Suddenly, he heard another pair of shuffling feet beside him. He froze in shock, not knowing who snuck into the room with him. He was surprised to hear a soft question. “Do you still love him?”   A small smile of relief took over Lay’s face as he turned to face her. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly, watching as she came closer to stand between the two cases instead, “Would I be selfish if I said I did, Amber?”   The other gave him a lopsided grin. “Maybe,” she teased, hand coming up to ruffle her own hair in thought, “But you have a right to be selfish, Lay. You are kinda king of the place.”   Lay laughed, hand coming back up to rest gently on Luhan’s glass. “But kings are supposed to be selfless, Amber.”   “You’ve been selfless for too long, my friend,” the other murmured out seriously, turning to look down at Kris instead, “It’s okay to be selfish every once and a while, Lay. It means you’re human like the measly rest of us.”   The king slightly frowned, eyeing his longtime friend as well. Unlike the rest of them, it was noticeable that their extraordinaire was aging, if only by the now distinct laugh lines etched into her face. They all figured they took longer to age. Sehun assumed it was because they were supposedly ‘The Chosen Twelve.’ They shouldn’t become older and ‘gross’ more easily than others.   “Just don’t get too caught up in the past, okay?” Amber softly reminded, turning to look back at her king, “It could swallow you alive.”   Lay nodded slowly, taking her words into consideration. He always loved talking to her. He found out she could always brighten his day if none of the others could. He realized a couple years ago that she became his best friend next to Luhan after the incident. “Suho doesn’t hate me, right?” he quietly asked back, watching as the other shrugged.   “He’s a patient man,” she answered, looking back to Kris. Lay also realized she thought the flight user was handsome. He wondered if she ever found her own calling. “He just wants you to be happy with whatever you do or decision you make.”   “Is he out there?” Lay suddenly queried, turning to look at the closed door briefly. He knew Suho always wanted what was best for him but definitely gave him room to breathe. It’s been that way since seven years ago.   “Nope,” the other cheekily said, bringing a hand up to scratch at her cheek, “I was just doing my rounds.”   Humming a short response, the king nodded, the room becoming silent for a few minutes before he asked another question. This time though, his tone was noticeably soft, timid and easily gained Amber’s attention. She’s only heard it a few times over the span of seven years. “Do you think I can wake them, Amber?”   She frowned, hand coming up to fiddle with the new necklace Lay and Baekhyun gave her years ago in case she ever needed it. She looked to Luhan’s sleeping form, a small smile to her lips. “I believe you can, king.”   “What if I mess up?”   “Just don’t die,” she lightly joked. They shared a look then, and Amber’s eyes turned from amused to scared a second later. “Wait, Lay-”   “What if there is a great chance I could die?” Lay softly questioned, hand tightening its grip on Luhan’s case a bit more for something to hold on to, “What if to bring both of them back, I would have to die?”   Amber shook her head, walking around Luhan’s case to get to him. “No, Lay. Then it’s not worth it.” She grabbed one of his arms, looking up at him with concern, “Lay, does Suho know about this?”   Lay shook his head, frown forming on his lips. He looked away towards the ground. “I ordered Chanyeol and Xiumin to keep quiet about my suspicion. I used to faint after reviving small animals. If it’s a human body, it could take a lot more out of me.”   “But Lay,” the fighter tried again, trying to literally shake some sense into him, “It’s not worth it.” She gestured towards the two frozen men. “Kris and Luhan are together, king, even if they aren’t alive right now. If you have to die for them, think about Suho. You can’t leave him, that’ll kill him.”   “I know,” Lay murmured, looking back to her, “That’s why Xiumin and Chanyeol have been trying to find another way for me to do it.” He looked into her worried eyes before looking back over his shoulder to his other two friends. “They both deserve to be truly happy. They each suffered countless wounds because of my mother-”   “She was never your mother, Lay,” Amber sternly reminded him, “She never treated you like a true mother would. Suho’s mother is more than she would have ever been.”   A small smile broke out on Lay’s face at the reminder. He often slipped up and forgot that his wishful thinking never came true from the queen. He chuckled softly, looking back to his best friend, “I know. You’re right. She is an incredible woman compared to the past queen.”   Amber gave him a soft smile in return, bringing up her free hand to cup Lay’s cheek. “I don’t want you to throw your life away for two men who are already together in another world. Look at me,” she quietly ordered, watching as the king looked her back in the eye, “Suho is a great man, Lay. He is the opposite of Luhan, and you know it. Anybody would love to have someone as gentle and kind yet steady and strong as he.”   She watched as Lay’s gaze softened at her words. “Don’t revive them if it means destroying your own life. You are our king. You have been a great one since your father died, even if you weren’t technically called king then.” She paused shortly. “We need you to continue to guide us, Lay.” They heard the door open behind them. “Don’t throw it away,” she whispered, feeling a curious gaze behind her.   “Should I be worried that my boyfriend and our extraordinaire look to be cheating on me with each other?” Suho jokingly asked, closing the door behind him in the process.   Amber laughed, finally letting go of the king and stepping back to face the water user. She winked at him, “You shouldn’t be too worried, storm. I don’t think I can beat the whole calling process once it’s in effect.”   Suho laughed as well, Lay’s face breaking into a smile at hearing the other’s carefree voice. “I guess, but the position I just witnessed now is still a little worrisome.”   “You just want a kiss,” Amber teased, looking over her shoulder to Lay, “I guess I’ll be taking my leave now. Remember your audience! Don’t do anything in here I wouldn’t do.”   The other two laughed, Lay’s softer than the other’s, watching as she shut the door behind her. Suho turned back to Lay, bright smile on his face as he walked towards him and brought him in for a hug. He hated to say he was a little bit shorter than the younger, but Lay never seemed to mind anyways. “How are they today?” he questioned, looking over the younger’ shoulder to look at their friends, “They’re still okay, right?”   “Yeah,” Lay mumbled, moving in to place a kiss on the other’s clothed shoulder before moving away to go stare at Kris this time, “They seem the same today.”   “You know,” Suho commented, going up to look down at Luhan instead of the flight user, “I don’t mind that you come in here to think or anything. I don’t know if you worry about it, about me resenting you for it, but I don’t.” He placed a hand on top of the glass where Luhan’s cheek was, similar to how Lay did earlier. “You two went through a lot together. It’s only natural.”   Lay frowned, going up to his calling to wrap his arms around his waist from behind. “I know you don’t mind, Junmyeon.”   Suho smiled, leaning back against the other, “Good.” Then he frowned, “But if he still tries to go after you when he wakes, then somebody’s going to die an ugly death by drowning within two minutes flat.”   The king laughed, letting go of the other to grab his hand and link their fingers together. “I’m sure you will, Junmyeon,” he looked over his shoulder to give Kris a smile of his own, “I’m sure Kris wouldn’t appreciate Luhan doing that either. I feel like he’s just as protective as you are.”   “He can be,” Suho said thoughtfully, brows scrunching up together cutely, “But I’m sure he would be the one following Luhan around wherever he goes.”   Lay hummed, thinking about it. “I guess that’s true.” Luhan was more independent and would only ever follow Lay around. Kris seemed to be the type to follow anybody or anything he considered cute. “Yeah,” he mumbled out again, brows scrunching together in thought, “Yeah, Kris would.”   “Where are we going, Yixing?” the elder asked curiously, watching as they passed their room. His eyes twinkled when he felt Lay’s hand grip his tighter. He knew simply saying the other’s full name easily got him riled up, and he secretly, or not so secretly, loved it.   “We have something to celebrate later today,” Lay commented as he made his way for a certain room, “But we should go check on a few more people before then.”   Suho immediately understood, quickly catching up so he was in step with the younger. “Of course, Yixing.”   “Would you stop that?” the other hissed, turning to give him a glare, “You know what that does to me.”   “I’m sorry!” the elder yelped out, eyes shifting for both of them unintentionally, “Your name slips out, and I seriously can’t help it.” He then rolled his eyes. “But it’s also your fault for getting so riled up so easily.”   “I’m king,” Lay pouted, looking away from him, “I have a right.”   Suho laughed, nodding along anyways, “Of course you do, my king.” They fell into a comfortable silence, the elder amusedly watching Lay out of the corners of his eyes. Sometimes, even the king acted like a child, and whenever he was carefree like that, it made him fall more in love with the other. “I love you, Xing,” he suddenly said as they stopped outside of D.O’s room. He smiled as he brought up his free hand to cup his calling’s face right when the younger faced him. “I love you.”   A big smile formed on the king’s face, letting himself be led towards the other’s lips. They smiled into the lazy kiss before they barely pulled away from each other. “I know,” Lay mumbled against the elder’s mouth before kissing him again quickly.   “Every time I open a door, you seem to be on the other side doing something emotional,” Baekhyun suddenly commented blandly, holding the door wide open as he leaned against the opposite side of the doorframe in a bored manner, “You need to do something about that, king.” Last time he did that, he accidentally walked into a common room with both of them making out on the couch. The other time before that, he walked out of his room to see Lay extremely excited about something and accidentally kept hitting Tao on the arm in the process.   The other two laughed, separating from each other to see whom else was in the room. They followed the light user in as he closed the door behind them and were surprised to see everybody in there already. Suho looked at the wind and fire users cuddled up in the corner of the room next to the window. “Did they stay up all night again?”   “Doing the nasty, might I add,” Xiumin commented from his place next to Kai on the bed. He was busy flipping through one of the textbooks from Chanyeol’s study. “They’re still in their horrible honeymoon phase.”   “That’s the best part!” Baekhyun suddenly exclaimed, accidentally waking up D.O. in the process. He turned to Tao then, who was busy looking out the window, “Right, Tao?”   “Mhm,” the other absently agreed, earning a huff from the other, “You’re always right, hubby.” And that seemed to calm the light user right down.   Lay sighed, ignoring all of them in favor of going up to Kai. Xiumin rolled off of the bed with a thump on the ground so the king could get to their friend. “Has he woken up yet?” the healer softly questioned, holding out his hands to check on the teleportation user’s vitals. He frowned when D.O. sadly looked up at him. They all knew it was a rhetorical question by now.   “Not yet.”   The other nodded in understanding, making sure everything within Kai’s body was medically stable before looking over his shoulder to call Suho. He immediately looked confused, watching Suho poke Chen’s face repeatedly while Xiumin and Baekhyun tried to