(Minseok)

      It's been so long since I've felt able to just be. Without the worry of how many eyes are on me or how fast I'll need to run to get away from people trying to harass me. I'm plagued with the thoughts of the past and paranoid every second of the present.

     I don't remember the last time that I could breath easy in a public bus or go to school without puking out things I haven't eaten because the mere smell of it brought me a hurricane of nausea. I hate that I'm like this. I hate the people that made me like this, but I hate myself more for giving them reason too.

     I rinse the last of the shampoo from my head and shut the shower head off, pulling back the curtain. As I step out I see myself in the mirror and cringe at myself. The scars on my legs and arms are purple from the hot shower, giving them a different effect from how they would usually look. The different lengths and depths paint a vivid picture in my mind of all the times I found myself sobbing in the bathtub, trying to rip the insecurities from my body and shove them down the drain. It never worked though, and when I woke up the next morning shivering from my soaked clothes, I always felt worse. Which brings up the question," Why keep doing it then?", But I can't answer that, because there isn't any reasonable explanation.

      I just get to that place and the only way to get away is to tear myself apart waiting for the end that never comes. I sheath the constant reminders of my failures with a towel and move from the bathroom to finish getting ready for school and I start to think about Han.

      I go back to last week when he punched our classmate. It was like he had turned into a whole new person. He's always been so sweet and gentle with me and I don't know why. It's obviously not how he is with everyone because that day, he was terrifying.

         There isn't a reason to lie though, it was amusing seeing that guy drop to the ground, half from the punch and half from the shock. I had been frozen until I saw him fall and then I took him and sprinted away from the room all the way to my special spot. When we got there I asked him why he got himself involved where he didn't need to be.

      I'm used to the bullying, I've been called a since who knows when and a part of me is happy it's not fat, as it so often was before. I tried to explain to him that he didn't need to hang around me , because now they were going to be mean to him too. He just laughed. Like an insane person, he cackled almost to tears and I stood confused, trying to figure out what I said.

      After a bit the laughing subsided and he sat next to me on the teachers desk. I could tell gentle Han was back and asked why again. He didn't reply still but smiled at me. I felt like crying from all the confusion and frustration, but it all seemed to fade after that and that only confused me more. We didn't talk for the rest of the hour we spent in there and somehow ended up falling asleep with his head in my lap.

      The memories subside as I make the walk from the coffee shop to school, the streets feeling a bit warmer than before.

      "Minnie~ They are nice guys, I promise." Han coo's, dragging me by the wrist. The scabbed over wounds there are screaming at me to tell him to let go but I ignore them.

      "Han, they don't want to meet me. I shouldn't be intruding.." 

      "Minseok this was their idea, not mine." He saying slowing, bringing me closer to his side. "You know I'd rather have you all to myself anyways. They practically begged." 

      This was completely believable. Not that I'm complaining, but Han was very protective. He always walks very close to me between classes , of which he switched so he could have all of them with me, and he always gets the seat next to me.

       In Chemistry he got the teacher to let him switch partners so that he could have myself, who didn't have one. But I didn't have one because, though I probably would have scared them away on my own, whenever someone got stuck with me Han would glare at them until they were too scared to continue sitting with me and asked to be in another group.

Han basically claimed me as his only and off limits. Somehow , though, I didn't mind it at all. It was a weird friendship but it was for some reason the only one that had ever worked.

     We reached the hell hole of food comparable to that of a dogs and the student body getting there trough fill of it, where Han guided me to a table in the far back where Chanyeol and Kris sat and squeezed my hand reassuringly as he guided me down next to him. 

      "Minseok, this is Chanyeol and Kris. Kris, Chanyeol,this is Minseok." Han gestured for everyone and we gave each other small bows. I didn't talk of course but Chanyeol seemed amused still. He had a smile that was blinding and quite honestly he was starting to make me uncomfortable.

      "We are glad you came." He said finally. " Kris and I wanted to apologize for the other day, and probably previous incidents. We should have helped, so please forgive us." Kris nodded in agreement as he spoke, and then two pairs of sad eyes were on me. 

      After a couple of minutes mustering up the courage to speak," You don't have to apologize," came tumbling out with a,"I understand not wanting to get involved and it's not like we are close friends." Followed with, " I can't forgive you because I was never mad." I wasn't sure how I conjured all of those words but I blamed it on Han rubbing circles into my palm with his thumb, making me feel at ease. 

      Chanyeol stilled grinned creepily and Kris gave a small smile and for the rest of lunch, Han kept them in an animated conversation about the hairy upper lip of our Chemistry teacher Mrs.Jung while I leaned my head on his shoulder to try and mask out the the food smell with his cologne.

       I ,of course, listened to the conversation but they understood I didn't talk much and thus didn't direct questions at me for which I was very grateful.

      Chanyeol and Kris didn't seem like bad people and I felt bad that they felt guilty. And so I decided to try to not be so skiddish when around them but it was hard. Chanyeol spoke very loudly and animatedly and I sometimes during their conversation I would jump a bit in surprise. Kris, on the other hand always talked right when someone else was going to speak which became quite confusing when trying to understand the conversation. I just smiled at them and hoped that one day I could join in the conversation with more ease.

     Han didn't release my hand though the whole time he was speaking and he would often look over at me when he was talking and laughing and when everyone dispersed from the lunch room, we walked together with Chanyeol and Kris to our next class, still hand in hand. I thought to myself how sad I would be when this warmth was gone and wondered how long I could make it last.

(Luhan)

     Chanyeol hangs from the basketball hoop and falls back to the ground, high-fiving me.

      " I'm not giving up. I call a rematch." Kris pouts picking up the ball. " Two against one isn't far."

      "We only did two on one because you said you wanted to!" Chanyeol laughed," Mr. I-Think-I'm-The-Best-At-Basketball-But-Can't-Even-Lose-Well."

      "Hey, I am good at basketball, Han is just super good. Which isn't far. Han, you aren't allowed to play this time." He said showing me to the bench. I could only laugh as Chanyeol continued to taunt him and Kris punched him in the arm. I looked down at my watch then, though, and quickly began gathering my things.

      "Guys, I'll see you later, I have to get back home!" I rushed. Today was the day Minseok finally said yes to spending the night over at my house and I was excited to say the least. I knew Sehun would be wiggling at home in anticipation too. He'd grown fond of Minseok since the last time and when I told him he was coming over for the night, he gathered all his stuffed animals and put them in my room to protect Minseok whilst he slept.

      They waved me off and I sprinted home, arriving with ten minutes to spare before he arrived. I cleaned my room, the kitchen and the bathroom. I knew Minseok was a bit of a clean freak and I didn't want to give him any reason to be uncomfortable. This definitely couldn't be the last time I  got him to come over.

     I wondered to myself if I would ever get to go to his house. I told myself that if I did I would have to bring something to warm it up. I was often sad at the thought of him being there alone, for all this time. 

      Just as Sehun finished helping me make the spare bed in my room and arrange his stuff animals in it, the door bell rang and we both dashed downstairs. Sehun followed closely behind as we skid past Boa at the kitchen entrance and to the front door. I quickly opened it and the site of Minseok blew us both away with adorableness.

       It was a Saturday so he wasn't in school clothes but rather an overly large sweater and some white skinny jeans. Peering at us through unstyled auburn hair Sehun attached himself to Minseoks leg and I threw myself around his neck, surprising the smaller. It was only when Boa pulled us from him that he finally entered.

      We settled his things in my room and when he saw his bed to be was covered in stuffed animals, Sehun was happy to see a smile spread across his face. 

      "They will protect you while you sleep!" Sehun answered after Minseok asked why they were there. "That way you can sleep soundy even though you aren't home and you won't get homesick." 

     Something flashed in Minseoks face then and it didn't go unoticed by me but I was more intrigued by him bending down a bit to hug Sehun and thank him. It was a wonder why they got a long so well but I decided not to question it and be thankful that Sehun could comfort him. 

        Sehun made sure to name off all of the plushies so that Minseok could address them appropriately. They were in animated conversation and it was the most I had heard Minnie talk since I've known him. I started to think about what we should do for dinner. I wasn't dumb, I had eyes and they could tell that Minseok definitely didn't eat as much as he should.

   I didn't want to make him uncomfortable, but I did want to get him to eat. Thank god Boa left for her date already or else she would try to stuff food in Minseoks face which would definitely make him uncomfortable. 

It was getting to be around 8 o'clock and I could tell that I needed to feed Sehun soon or else he was going to fall asleep before he ate. "What do you want for dinner Sehunnie?" I tried asking. Maybe I could nonchalantly get Minseok to chide in. 

      "Bubble Tea."

      "Sehun, we can't have bubble tea for dinner."

      "That wasn't a no hyung."

      "No Bubble tea for dinner!"

      "What about pancakes?"

      I looked over at Minseok surpised to hear him speak up. He just gave a small smile and looked to Sehun. " I know how to make them really well and we can put whatever you want in them." 

"Ahh pancakes! Yes! Lulu let's have pancakes~!" Sehun cried and I could only nodd because I couldn't say no to him, and especially not to Minseok. He attached himself to Minseoks neck and we headed downstairs to make pancakes for dinner.

Minseok definitely did not disappoint. It felt like I was eating little clouds. They were so fluffy and the wacky things he let Sehun put in them actually didn't taste bad at all. Never did I think I'd be enjoying a purple colored seaweed filled pancake. He made a lot and even ate some himself.

   It became a duo cooking show right in front of me and soon enough Minseok and Sehun ended up feeding each other. It made my heart melt. I felt like we were a little family of our own. It was a silly picture but fun none the less.

     Even cleaning the kitchen together was fun and afterwards we all settled on the couch to watch Pocahontas. Half way through the movie Sehun fell asleep in Minseoks arms and I could tell the elder was close to dosing off too.

"Okay, we should probably head to bed before we all fall asleep on the couch." I stated, rubbing some sleep out of my own eyes. Minseok nodded in agreement and we moved upstairs. After Sehun was tucked in bed I ushered us towards my own room and I watched him collapse on his bed as I shut the door behind us. I smiled as a cute sigh escaped from his mouth. 

"Don't forget to change into pajamas before you pass out kid." I said, ruffling his hair a bit. He groaned and went for his bag. I went to my dresser and began removing clothes, deciding on sweat pants and a thin black shirt. I began taking off my shirt when I realized that Minseok had stopped searching through his bag and was staring at me like I was an alien. I, half way out of my shirt, stared back. I wasn't really sure what to do or why this was happening so I just kept it and after an awkward 5 minutes Minseok grabbed his things, still watching me, and moved toward the closet. Without losing my gaze he stepped cautiously through the closet doors, squinted his eyes at me a bit in warning and then shut the doors. I wasn't sure how to react to this and when he came out a few minutes later, dressed in his sleeping wear I didn't know if I should ask or laugh at the weird situation. Either way I finished dressing myself and went to lay in bed.

" Sleep well in your animal kingdom Princess Minnie." 

      "You bet your I'll sleep wonders."

He fell asleep moments later and I was lulled to sleep soon by his soft breathing.

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