The following hours pass slowly after Luhan and the others are ushered back into the ballroom.

The venue was quickly placed under an immediate lockdown, preventing anyone from entering and prohibiting all those inside from leaving. As an extra precaution District Police lined the perimeter of the building, in the off chance of another attack occurring.

The initial hysteria amongst the rich partygoers had quickly died down and instead produced a room full of antsy frustrated individuals. Luhan had witness one shouting match between a judge of the high courts and the guards, and various people cursing both the rebels and the Imperfects as a whole. Those who didn't allow for their frustration to surface begun gossiping. The talk of bombs and casualties whispered with anxious urgency between guests.

In the moments Luhan wasn't using the guests to distract himself, he was trying to get into contact with Minseok to no avail. All video calls, normal voice calls, and messages went unanswered.

It had forced Luhan into anxiously pacing about and drinking more alcohol than socially acceptable in such a place at such a time.

When they're finally permitted to leave, each guest is flanked with an officer escorting them to their respective cars, once more as a precaution in the rare chance of something going terribly wrong.

On the ride home Luhan tries to pay attention to what the outside world looks like. He's more than sure a curfew has been put in place, but from a single glance out of his window, he can tell that it isn’t needed. Not a soul lingers on the city streets, but the flags remain swaying restlessly. It was such an ironic turn of events. In one part of the city, there had been a parade of power, while in another part, the city had been attacked by the weak and underpowered rebels, the non-threatening terrorists.

There is no noticeable damage outside of the government buildings section, but Luhan finds little things that he wonders rather or not happened before the attack. He pays attention to the cracks in the street, and the slight lean of the traffic lights to distract himself from the grotesque image of Minseok lying alone and dead in unseen rubble underground.

****

"Sir," he hears, and snaps his attention from the dying phone in his hand to the driver in front of him.

"We've arrived sir," the man says in his lifting accent. Luhan nods distractedly and exits the car swiftly.

He avoids the elevator and takes the stairs to his apartment, phone still in hand.

It was frustrating.

Luhan had managed to get in contact with all his friends in his two hours of being trapped inside the ballroom. Every single person important to him was okay and accounted for, save for the one person who had the closest connection to the attack. The word "dead" kept flashing in Luhan's mind, as if taunting him. It was somewhat silly, and definitely naive, but even as that word worked its way into Luhan's brain, taking over his thoughts, it didn't feel right. Minseok wasn't answering, but he wasn't dead either. Luhan couldn't explain his conviction, not even to himself, but he knew that Minseok wasn't dead, regardless of what his mind was trying to trick him into believing.

The moment he gets to his floor he first notices the large red backpack. It sits nestled in the arms of a man with a cheap suit on. Even with his face buried into the backpack, Luhan can still recognize the man, and he finds his lips moving, and voice calling out his name before his mind can fully and truly register that sitting before him is Kim Minseok.

A small smile plays at the edge of his lips, relief flooding through his previously tense body as Minseok lifts his head to look at him. Luhan doesn't approach the secretary right away, instead he watches him. He observes the way Minseok stands, notices how slow his moves are and how tired he looks. There are no visible marks on him, and Luhan watches as he self-consciously fixes his dark hair. Once Luhan's sure that he's at least physically okay he moves forward. Each step measured and contained as he stalks towards Minseok.

The moment Luhan stops in front of Minseok the older male's lips pull back into a grin, and Luhan can hardly stop himself as he pushes forward, wounding his arms tightly around Minseok's body, fingers gripping onto the secretary's suit jacket. He knows he's probably holding Minseok too tightly, but even as his mind tells him to loosen his grip, his arms don't comply.

"I was worried," Luhan breathes out.

"I'm sorry," Minseok says softly.

After seconds of just holding Minseok, Luhan finally pulls away with much reluctance. He keeps Minseok at arm’s length as he looks over him once more. He still looks lethargic, but he also looks a tad jittery. His left foot taps an erratic beat against the carpeted hallway floor, his teeth comes out to attack his bottom lip, and his eyes are trained downward, focusing on Luhan’s chest instead of his face. Luhan's gaze drops from Minseok to the overstuffed red backpack resting against the floor, and can't help but wonder what's inside of it.

"Let's go inside," Minseok suggests with a tired smile, as if noticing Luhan's puzzlement. Luhan nods and moves pass Minseok unlocking his door and opening it for the secretary. Once the door closes behind them, Minseok's false smile drops but his jitters continue.

"I'm sorry," Minseok repeats, walking deeper into the apartment. He turns to Luhan, opening his mouth as if he's about to say something, but quickly closes it, a grim look over taking his features as he turns away from Luhan to gaze out of the tall living room window, eyes trained on the city in front of him.

Luhan comes up behind him and places a hand on his shoulder. Minseok's behavior is worrying. The model still feels a bit off-balance thanks to the attack, and Minseok's out of character behavior is enough to put him back in the same paranoid state from earlier. He hadn't expected Minseok to be one hundred percent okay, Minseok used the city's subway system daily and this attack affected him more than Luhan and any of the people that were trapped inside the city's lavish banquet hall for two hours.

"Go get a glass of water or something to calm your nerves," Luhan tells Minseok, tugging gently at the red backpack hanging off of Minseok's shoulders. "I'll put this in my room." Minseok gives a subtle nod and allows Luhan to take his backpack off.

When Minseok walks away, Luhan heaves a heavy sigh. He's exhausted, has been for some time now, but he can already tell that despite the possible curfew that should be implemented in the next few hours, his night is going to be just as long and draining as the rest of his day.

Once he deposits Minseok's bag at the base of his bed, Luhan joins him in the kitchen. Minseok's eyes are trained on his glass of water as Luhan moves hastily to prepare himself a cup of coffee. "Have you figured out what you wanted to say?"

"No," Minseok admits. "I know what I need to say it's just..." he trails off biting his bottom lip again and redirecting his gaze back to his glass. “It's hard to start."

Luhan nods in understanding, "I've had moments like that, usually alcohol helps."

"I don't think alcohol will help me," Minseok says, as Luhan begins going through his cabinets. "I need a place to stay."

Luhan grabs two cups and places them beside the coffee maker. "Do you want coffee," he asks turning to Minseok. Minseok frowns at the question and shakes his head. "You want to stay with me right," Luhan asks next, as he prepares his drink. Once he's done, he sits across from Minseok, and stares at him in question. "Did you forget how I tried to convince you to stay last night? You were getting me worried for no reason."

"This isn't just for the night," Minseok tells him. "I'll need to stay for a week at most until I can find a more permanent place to stay."

"Stay," Luhan commands softly, "rather it's a few days or a few weeks, stay as long as you like."

"Luhan," Minseok huffs, his frown deepening.

"Minseok," Luhan says interrupting, he has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. "Were you stressed because you were trying to figure out ways to make me not agree?"

"It's not that," Minseok replies. "We've only started seeing each other, I don't want you to regret it later on."

Luhan grabs Minseok’s hand and brings it up to his lips, planting a small kiss against his knuckles. “I’ve let people who I could barely tolerate move in with me after weeks of a relationship. And this, this isn’t me asking you to stay with me as two lovers. I’m telling the man who is in need of a place to stay, who is also my lover, that it’s more than okay for you to stay with me however long you need. Don’t make me worry about you.”

Minseok doesn't speak right away so Luhan continues. "I don't mind you staying, but won't you tell me why you need a place so suddenly."

He wants, no, he needs to know rather or not it's a coincidence. Last night Minseok couldn't spend the night because he had an ill mother and overworked father he couldn't be away from for too long, but now he was going to be away for weeks.

"You know that rumor that only Imperfects take the subway," Minseok asks. Luhan nods his head, already feeling his lips pull into an involuntary frown.

Minseok's lips quirk just the slightest bit. "Well you weren't entirely wrong. Those in the poorer districts do in fact ride the subway, but the majority are Imperfects. This attack had been planned for weeks, word had gotten around so the casualties would be little and to give time so that many Imperfects could flee the city beforehand."

Luhan's eyebrows furrow as he places the ceramic coffee mug with its cooled contents on the table. "You knew," Luhan says. He's not accusing Minseok of anything, he's not even sure if he's asking a question.

"For two days prior," Minseok explains. "I couldn't have done anything about it, only make sure those I knew stayed away."

"Where are your parents," Luhan asks, "Why exactly do you need to stay?"

It isn't until the question leaves his lips does Luhan realize what exactly he's asking. Did you have a hand in this? Are you a terrorist?

It's such an absurd conclusion to draw, but who's to say that Minseok really is nothing but a simple secretary. People higher up in the social and political ladder were turning out to be rebel sympathizers and joining the Red Devils.

As Luhan’s mind begins to entertain that thought he realizes if Minseok was in fact a Rebel, he wasn't sure what he'd do. More importantly it made him a bit nervous that his first thought wasn't to report Minseok if he did happen to be a Red Devil.

"On their way to a compound hopefully," Minseok explains. "I can't stay home, they're going to come looking for them and when they can't find them they'll take me instead."

Almost all living beings within the city held identification codes assigned to them including a majority of the Imperfects still living after the mass genocide and regulations outlawing them. When attacks happened Imperfects rather rebels or normal citizens were rounded up and taking out of the city to be interrogated, the ones without Identification codes were given them after the capture.

"Don't they have immunity," Luhan asks. "Aren't you supposed to have immunity?"

Imperfect parents of Perfect children, especially those born in the same year as Luhan were given a list of benefits. Some of which included immunity from things many Imperfects were subjected to, such as being herded off to the detention center at the edge of the city.

"Immunity's dead," Minseok retorts. "Everyone from Imperfects to their children will be rounded up. Anyone that could be a terrorist or a sympathizer will be dealt with over the next few days. I got my parents to flee, I didn't want to have my mother dying in captivity just because she exists as she is."

"Why didn't you join them," Luhan asks, "The compound would have taken you in right?"

Minseok shakes his head, "I'm in a bit of a mess at the moment," he says. "Me leaving would have done more harm than good. I'm safest in the city for now."

Luhan is quiet, there is still so much he wants to ask but he knows that any more questions will be seen as prying and not as clarification. The last of Minseok's words seemed carefully selected as if he hadn't wanted to go into detail. It did make Luhan curious, but he could refrain himself from asking and making Minseok even more uncomfortable. At the moment all Luhan wanted to do was sleep and leave all talk of rebels and Imperfects behind them.

Just as Luhan is about to suggest the same to Minseok he is suddenly hit with a harrowing thought that causes all his previous anxiety to come rushing back. "They're going after all Imperfects right? That means random security checks on the streets tomorrow right?"

Minseok nods his head and Luhan reaches in his pocket, withdrawing his phone. It's close to dying and Luhan is close to throwing it across the room in anger.

He uses the voice command to call Sehun, ignoring Minseok's inquiring eyes. It rings and rings as Luhan begins to pace the length of the room in caffeine fueled impatience.

"Hello," he hears and bites the inside of his cheek to stop himself from spewing the swear words at the tip of his tongue.

"Luhan," Sehun calls out in confusion.

"Where are you," Luhan asks, voice calm despite the raging emotions within him.

Sehun doesn't respond right away and Luhan repeats himself voice more stern than to begin with.

"A motel in the Red Light," Sehun mumbles out.

"With Tao," Luhan asks, spitting the name out and frowning.

"Yes," Sehun replies voice coated in a thick layer of annoyance. "What do you want?"

Luhan doesn't speak at first. He pulls his phone away from his ear and works to control his breathing, he can feel his frustration surging towards his skull, the emotion racing to every direction underneath his skin and for the first time in his life Luhan wants to take a sleeping pill, his dreams of death becoming more and more welcome than this current reality.

"Do you think it's appropriate to be at a motel tonight," he asks in a clipped tone. Luhan's not naive enough to believe his calls aren't listened in on, and so he tries to think of a way to get his point across to Sehun without getting either of them into deeper trouble.

"There's a curfew," Sehun replies. "It'll be easier to stay here than go home."

"Sehunnie,” He says, voice bordering between frustration and desperation. "You'll be interfering with the security checks if you don't go home. It's best for Perfects to stay out of public places for the next few days. They'll be looking for Imperfects everywhere.

"I can take you and Tao home before the curfew," Luhan adds on when Sehun, doesn't respond. He hopes that at the very least Sehun will hear the desperation in his voice and agree. "You can spend the next two days pretending to be honeymooners."

"Okay," he hears Sehun say. "Thanks."

Once he ends his call he looks over to Minseok who is still watching him. "I really wish you could drive right now."

"Sorry," Minseok says as Luhan walks over and hugs him, resting his head on Minseok's shoulder and heaving another exhausted sigh. He feels like collapsing, but now he has to worry about one other person, and Luhan knows that his racing heart, and frantic mind won’t be at ease until he’s sure Sehun’s safe.

He shakes his head softly. "Don't say sorry," he commands.

****

The roads are clear save for the rogue government vehicle every now and then. Luhan speeds through the city's streets, the car bathed in a tense stifling silence. He said he wouldn't get involved, but here he was moments away from smuggling an Imperfect from one side of the city to the next. If they got caught, Luhan and Sehun would not be the only people in trouble. Minseok, despite not knowing the full story, had volunteer to ride along. Luhan was putting him in even more danger and what was worse was that Luhan didn't know how to breech the topic.

Minseok didn't seem too bothered by Imperfects mere existence, but that didn't mean that he was ready to commit high acts of treason for them. Luhan was hardly ready to commit them, which brought him back to why he was doing this. He knew why, as angry as it made him, he couldn't leave Sehun to fend for himself in good conscience. Sehun wasn't being rational and despite Luhan's own irrational behavior he knew exactly what he was risking when he got involved. He lived through growing tension between Imperfect and Perfect, understood that there was no true factor that set Imperfect civilians apart in the eyes of the Perfect. Luhan also understood that there would never be peace until one race was completely eradicated.

"What do you think of Imperfects," Luhan asks, breaking from his morbid thoughts and directing his attention to Minseok.

"What do I think of Imperfects," Minseok repeats as his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. He throws a quick questioning glance at Luhan before attempting to answer. “Well... my parents are Imperfects.”

“And so were mine and I loved them dearly," Luhan retorts.

"But?"

"But I can't help but dislike them as well. Instead of doing all this wouldn't it be easier to just get the gene?"

Minseok hums in thought before speaking. "I suppose. The newest gene does allow for anyone regardless of age to get it."

"Exactly," Luhan says nodding his head.

"They would just have to hope that the scientists don't make any mistakes while injecting them, no one wants to be injected with the prototype or, you know, one of those archaic diseases."

"Is that possible," Luhan asks wrinkling his nose at Minseok's words.

"I don't know," Minseok says shrugging, "if it was, do you think it would be easy to prove?"

"I...where did you get that from?"

"Your father died before you were at the age to get real answers to all your questions, so the answers you did get came from the rich and healthy. All mine came from the poor and sickly. It makes sense that our facts doesn't match up, and some of what you've heard might be pretty lies and some of what I've been told could be crazy conspiracies but neither of us will know the real truth. No one does.”

When Luhan pulls up inside the motel's parking lot, Minseok grabs Luhan by the sleeve as he starts to climb out of the car. "Tonight when we get back I need to tell you something. If you don't want to be with me let alone let me stay at your place I'll understand."

Luhan doesn't know what to say, he's not even sure he's actually supposed to say anything in return, but all words at the tip of his tongue are less than supportive and probably not something that should be said at the very beginning of a relationship. Therefore instead of piecing together a decent reply Luhan gives a distracted nod and exits the automobile.

Luhan's car is the only car in the badly lit parking lot. The no, below the neon pink words Paradise Motel glows just as brightly as the rest of the words on the sign, and Luhan momentarily wonders just how many naïve Imperfects paid for a night there under the frail hope that they wouldn't be herded off to the detention Center.

If immunity was truly dead he doubted the sleazy brothel owners were enjoying the night.

Luhan climbs the steps to the second floor, Sehun had explained that the couple were camping out in room 215. The faded gold number plates count down from 230 as he passes hot pink door after hot pink door. When he gets to 215 he knocks hard, each heavy thud of his knuckles against the heavy door loud amongst the nonstop humming of city clamor.

The locks makes an obnoxious clicking noise seconds before Sehun opens it up. A chain connects the door to the wall, preventing Luhan from seeing much into the motel room. Once Sehun sees him, he closes the door and opens it again, this time wider.

"Give me the card," Luhan commands reaching a hand out for the motel room's keycard. "Did you use your real name?"

Sehun shakes his head and deposits the card into Luhan's outstretched palm.

"Take him to my car," Luhan says next. Even though he had tried to be accepting, seeing the tall Imperfect boy had erupted that nasty bitterness within. He couldn't see the boy's face without seeing the words Sehun's demise written across every inch of it, and it brought on an unbearable feeling of hatred. As he watches Sehun grab Tao's hand, he doesn't bother to mask the grimace contorting his face. Hopeless. Imperfects were such hopeless beings, and Luhan knew that better than most, all they did was bring pain and despair into the lives of those they surrounded themselves with, and Sehun would be no different.

The middle-aged male at the receptionist desk barely glances up at him, not that it matters. Luhan's biggest concern is the database filled with aliases and the cheap security cameras. Even if Sehun had given a fake name, it would prove useless if officials checked the camera feed as well.

The digital clock on the glistening desk tells Luhan he only has an hour before curfew, so he turns on his heels and exits the dully designed office.

As he walks towards his car he can't help but wonder what Minseok could possibly be planning to tell him, he doubts it could be worse than illegally trafficking an Imperfect, hell Minseok should be the one deciding if he wanted to stay or leave at the moment.

He runs thin fingers through his hair, as he opens the door to his car, only to pause as foreign words said by a familiar voice leaks into the crisp twilight.

Luhan slowly eases himself into the vehicle, his gaze on Minseok. The secretary is twisted in his seat, as he speaks in a halting yet calming tone.

The feeling is like déjà vu, but only different. What comes to Luhan is what he can only assume is a flashback, Minseok’s speaking being the trigger. The language is still foreign, but just like the voice speaking it, it has taken on an edge of familiarity. Luhan can slowly recall the time he'd heard similar enunciations, and the emotions they were spoken in; agony, sadness, panic. It all comes rushing to him like a tidal wave knocking him to his feet.

The thoughts, the memories, or whatever they seem to be only stop when Minseok rests a hand on his thigh.

“Are you okay,” he hears and turns towards the male with a tiny forced smile. He's not okay, but Minseok doesn't need to worry about that so he nods his head and shifts his attention to the two in the rearview mirror. Tao, like a boy brought up to be submissive, has his head bowed and his hand in Sehun's. Sehun on the other hand has his head raised, his strong gaze locking with Luhan's and Luhan tries to ignore the concern etched into his brown irises.

"Let's talk tomorrow," Luhan says glancing back at Minseok as he starts the car.

This chapter was hell to edit. Anyway, I like writing Luhan's prejudice against Imperfects (he kind of holds a resentment towards Perfects as well.) I want to say that every single character has a secret that's fits in the plot (as in dealing with Love, Imperfects/Perfects, and Power). Some of those secrets you already know like Sehun's, some I've hinted at greatly like Junmyeon's and Yixing's and some you have no clue about. And, since many of you are wondering about what Minseok's hiding, you're going to get a bit more insight in the next chapter (which might take a little longer to update.)