Edited; Re-uploaded

            Joonmyun was frozen in place. The hopeful expression he wore dropped, and he had to steady himself with a hand on his bedframe so that he wouldn't fall over. The world spun for a moment as he grasped at the headboard of the bed he was sat upon, and his heart pounded wildly in his chest when his eyes made contact with the wide, scared ones that belonged to Yixing.

            "W-What?" He managed to stutter. His first thought was that he’d misheard the boy’s insane words, until he repeated them once more.

            "Who are you?" Yixing asked again, looking around the room. Their room. "Where am I?"

            "No… You have to recognize me..." Joonmyun murmured in absolute disbelief. His heart raced in his chest, twisted so painfully that he had to clutch at his chest in attempt to ease its torture. "You must know who I am, Xing."

            "Xing?” A desperate look at his hands and clothes. “Is... Is that me?"

            The boy’s utter confusion struck sharply in Joonmyun’s heart, digging deeper and deeper with each second that passed. Joonmyun's mouth fell open and tears welled up in his eyes. He covered his ears and shook his head, not wanting to face the horrible truth.

            He's just messing with me, that's all. He's not serious. Yixing would never forget... He wouldn't...

            Joonmyun blinked several times to clear his vision and looked up to see that Yixing was gathering blankets to himself, almost as if he thought he had been violated. He began to swing his head from side t­o side, then he frantically slid off the bed and stumbled across the room. Yixing flung the bedroom door open, which revealed a shocked Kris passing by on the other side.

            "Lay? Should you be getting up?" Kris stopped and held out a helping hand, but Yixing slapped it away and pushed past him in a hurry.

            "Stay away from me!"

            As Yixing disappeared from sight, Kris turned to look at Joonmyun, worry and confusion written all over his face. He quickly entered the room and moved to the bedside, where he gently gripped Joonmyun's shoulder.

            "Please tell me nothing bad happened to him."

            Joonmyun slowly turned to stare up at his tall friend, and his glossy eyes must've given it away, for Kris gripped his other shoulder with a tightened hold.

            "Is he okay? What's wrong? What happened? Is something bad going on? Tell me, Joonmyun!" Kris paused, sitting down on the bed, his hold weakening. His voice then softened to a point where Joonmyun almost couldn't hear him. "Are you okay?"

            Joonmyun wanted to stay strong and put together. He was a growing man; he couldn't cry in front of others. He was a growing man, yet he’d fallen for another man. But once again, he lost the person most precious to him. And right when he thought he had him back, too. He was a growing man, forgotten by the one he loved, so wouldn't that be reason enough to show a little weakness?

            "Joonmyun... It's okay to cry."

            Kris' comforting arm landed around his shoulders, and he finally broke down at the sound of his friend’s soft voice. He choked out a sob, then his tears crashed down like a waterfall. A short waterfall, in the end. Joonmyun's tears didn't last long, and he was all dried up after only a few minutes. Kris' arm didn't budge until Joonmyun let out a long breath and got to his feet.

            "We should go find him. He has no idea where we are."

            "Wait." Kris' deep voice stopped him from leaving, and he looked up at his now standing friend. "Are you sure you're okay?"

            Joonmyun looked back to where he last saw Yixing through the door and shook his head. "I'm not okay. Not at all...” He felt the urge to tear up again and curled his fingers to a fist. “But I still care for him, and I don't want him to get hurt. We need to take him to Youngjae for some sort of diagnosis."

            "I'll get him.." Kris offered. "You stay on this floor to look for Lay and I'll get Youngjae to help me search downstairs. Just shout if you find him first. I’m sure we’ll hear."

            Joonmyun nodded to show he understood, then they ran out of the room. At the end of the hall, he made a left turn while Kris took a right. They glanced back at each other for a split second, then they continued on with their own tasks.

             Joonmyun jogged down the hall, glancing down every branching hallway he passed in search for the runaway. He could only assume that Yixing would take a straight path through the building so that he wouldn't get lost any further, but this direction only led to a dead-end with no way to escape outdoors.  The only exit that Joonmyun knew of was the one they came in through, so the boy may end up veering off once he realizes that. He had to find Yixing before then.

            A few shouts behind Joonmyun broke the concentration he’d built up, gathering his attention. He skidded to a halt and looked back to see that a crowd was growing at the top of the staircase he just passed. Their voices rang loudly within the large space, so Joonmyun could clearly make out what they said even from a distance.

            "Oh my! Is he okay!?"

            "Is he dead!?"

            "Did the fall injure him!?"

            "Someone remove the blanket!"

            Blanket? Joonmyun's eyes went wide as he sprinted back and pushed through the crowd to peer down at the first floor below. A bundle of white sat at the bottom of the steps, but a familiar mop of brown hair poked out from underneath.     

                "Yixing!" The name burst out of his mouth and he hurried down the steps, almost tripping in the process, though the boy had likely done just that. He barely made it to the bottom without injuring himself, but he didn't care as he knelt down to uncover Yixing's body. He pulled the boy into his lap just as his eyes fluttered open, only they were just as puzzled as before. Yixing remained confused for a moment, then his eyes flew wide open and he pushed Joonmyun away.

            "I said stay away!"

            "Please, calm down. I won't hurt you." Joonmyun told him, his heart breaking as Yixing shook his head and stumbled to his feet. Joonmyun followed and took a small step closer to him. "I promise I won't hurt you. I won't even touch you. Please, Yixing."

            Yixing suddenly rose his hand in the air, and Joonmyun was shocked to see that it looked like he was preparing to hit him. His expression was laced with fear, so he must've found the need to use self-defense, but something told Joonmyun that he probably couldn't hit that hard, anyway.

            But before Yixing could even make another move, his eyes closed and his expression turned neutral. His arm dropped so his side and his shoulders slumped unexpectedly. Joonmyun stared in total confusion as he straightened a moment later and his eyes re-opened. He didn't look like he was even focusing on anything, and Joonmyun took another tentative step towards him.

            "Yixing?"

            "Joonmyun!" Said male turned as he heard Youngjae's voice calling out to him. The other teen was running up to him with Zelo a step behind, though Kris wasn't anywhere to be seen. Zelo had his full attention on Yixing, his dark eyes flaked with an unusual gold color, and as he made a small movement with his head, Yixing turned and moved to stand by his side. Youngjae came to a stop in front of Joonmyun, his chest heaving as he put his hands on his knees. "I need to run more often..." He paused to continue catching his breath, then he stood straight and gave Joonmyun a serious look. "What happened?"

            Joonmyun glanced around at the people who still surrounded them, lowering his voice. "Something's wrong with Yixing. I'll tell you in private."

            Youngjae nodded in agreement and glanced at Zelo. "Come on. Let's go to my room." The taller teen nodded and started walking off, Yixing automatically following after him. Joonmyun began to wonder about his power as they headed off to Youngjae's workplace.

            "Is Zelo controlling him?"

            "Mind control." Youngjae stated, giving a small half smile. "It's pretty cool, and very useful. He's been a big help in bringing us all together."

            Joonmyun nodded slowly, then a thought hit him as he recalled one of the first conversations he had with Yixing when the other initially moved in. "Wait a minute, did he literally use his powers to bring us all to Kai's house while we slept?"

            Youngjae seemed shocked to see that he’d put two and two together, but he nodded. "Well, yes... We had to get you here somehow." He furrowed his brows as he looked ahead. "I guess we didn't ask, sorry. I hope you all don't mind. Zelo is always careful with his work, and Siwon wouldn’t make the order if he didn’t have to. Things have been rough around here. "

            Joonmyun just shrugged in response, because he knew it was true and there was nothing much he could say to that. "It doesn't really matter anymore, but Yixing once said that he was always tired in the few days before he arrived."

            "He's the easiest person I've ever had control over." Zelo broke in, glancing back over his shoulder. "He doesn't resist much, but I do feel bad now knowing that he had been so tired."

            "It happens to everyone." Youngjae said in attempt to reassure him. "Siwon knows, too, but we're doing it for the better."

            They came to a stop at Youngjae's workroom by the end of their conversation and passed quickly through the door. They then entered the second room, where Sehun, Luhan, and Daehyun sat talking to each other. The room remained silent for a second, then Luhan smiled hopefully at them. "Yixing’s up! Is he okay, after all?" Joonmyun sadly shook his head, and Luhan's smile disappeared as soon as it came. "What...?"

            "Daehyun, do you think you can go sit on Sehun's bed?" Youngjae asked softly, though it was more of an order than a request. Daehyun did as he said, though, moving to sit on Sehun's bed, which was empty since Sehun had gone to sit next to Luhan. Yixing moved towards Daehyun's bed and climbed in, closing his eyes once he was settled on his back. Zelo's eyes then lost their gold color, and he turned to Youngjae.

            "He'll be asleep for a while now."

            "Thanks for the help, Zelo. I'll see you later."

            Zelo nodded once, then he swiftly left the room. Joonmyun took a deep breath, knowing now that he would have to tell them what happened. Youngjae seemed to already be waiting, so he just told them straight.

            "Yixing has lost his memory."

            Luhan gasped, his hands flying to his mouth, and Sehun's arm was instantly around him to serve as comfort. "You can't be serious..." Luhan murmured, looking as horrified as Joonmyun felt. "This is all my fault..."

            "Do you know anything about what caused this?" Youngjae asked Luhan, causing Sehun to glare at him for acting so hasty with demands. "It's not your fault, but it may give me an idea of what happened."

            Though Luhan looked like he was about to sob his heart out, much like Joonmyun still wanted to, he continued. "We were usually together at that God-awful place, but at one point they began moving us from room to room. I was there the first time and I could see them all, but we were in separate rooms so there wasn’t much I could do.” Luhan paused to shudder and hug himself. . “There was a glass wall between us, and these people were taking his blood. He kept screaming while they took his it. they drained so much blood, I thought he wouldn't survive." Luhan stopped again and bit his lip, looking desperately at Youngjae with eyes filled to the brim with tears. "I tried to stop them, I did! I didn't want them to hurt him, but they sent in some huge guy to stop me and--" He stopped abruptly and his hand went up to the bruise on his face. The tortured expression he made was enough to tell how thoroughly he relived the memory, and it was agonizing just to watch his breakdown. "I tried to help him, I really did... But I was too selfish and he got hurt. I'm such a horrible friend. I should be the one without my memory!" Luhan’s words ended in a sob and he hung his face in his hands as Sehun pulled him closer. Youngjae walked over to them and gently rubbed Luhan's shoulder.

            "It's not your fault. It's understandable to not want to be injured in a situation like that, and Yixing is still okay. We'll figure things out, but for now, just know that it's not your fault. Don't hold onto any unneeded burdens. You said it yourself; there wasn’t much you could do."

            Luhan wiped his watery eyes and nodded, but he didn't stop crying just yet. Youngjae stepped away to pace around the room, his hand on his chin as he thought about what Luhan had told him. After a few minutes, he stopped to ask Luhan another question. "Did they do anything else to him?"

            Luhan sniffed loudly and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. They took him separately afterwards."

            Youngjae bit his lip and continued his pacing. "I should go talk to Siwon, but he'll be angry..." He stopped again and sighed. "Thank you, Luhan. I'll do everything I can to help your friend." He turned and hurried to leave the room, but Joonmyun caught his arm before he left.

            "What happens if you can't bring back his memory?"

            Youngjae didn't look back. "I don't know..."

            After Kris alerted Youngjae about what was going on with Yixing, he decided against helping with the search. He wanted to help, but he knew Joonmyun would most likely find him on his own. Plus, Zelo was with Youngjae, and there were plenty of other people that they could get help from. Also, he was late for a meeting he'd planned with Tao, and given how little he provided to the issue, he was sure his friend would understand.

            After practically confessing his feelings about the boy to Joonmyun at his birthday party over a week ago, his emotions had only gotten stronger. He began to notice little details that would probably classify him as a creeper if anyone else knew. Like the way Tao's walk had a slight feminine touch to it, and that he was as adorable as the smallest of kittens when relaxed. Those were probably some of the more obvious ones so maybe the others already noticed, but he wouldn't be asking anytime soon.

            For now, he just focused on getting to the cafeteria, where he planned to eat lunch with Tao. Not that that was anything abnormal. They'd eaten together plenty of times before, but this time Tao said he had something to show Kris afterwards. Naturally, he was excited, and he had to hold back an out-of-character grin as he headed for the mess hall. Tao just made him all sorts of different.

            When Kris made it to the large dining room, he searched for a familiar mop of black hair, but it was a hand waving to him that caught his attention. Tao looked just as happy as Kris felt, and the older teen let a small smile grace his lips as he quickly crossed the room.

            "Kris! Kris! Guess what!" Tao began shouting excitedly when Kris was only a few feet away. He bounced as he waited for an answer, and Kris almost couldn't handle how childish he was being.

            "What is it?"

            Tao bit his lip as he smiled, barely able to contain his strange happiness. "We're having grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch!!"

            Kris couldn't help but chuckle at how insane Tao was sometimes. "Really? What happened to eating food from our own country?"

            Tao shrugged and started heading towards the line that was forming across the room. "Siwon's cheap. Not that I care."

            Kris followed his younger friend with his eyebrows raised as they stepped into line to wait for their food. "But Youngjae said he's rich. Why would he be cheap?"

            "I don't know. Maybe it’s to pay for all the unneeded beauty supplies in every bathroom? I mean, do we really need six different types of hair gel?"

            Kris gestured up to his own nicely spiked brown hair. "Uh, yeah. But you're really one to talk. I know you thoroughly enjoy the rubber ducks he has placed in the bathtub."

            Tao's cheeks turned a nice shade of pink at that, and he punched Kris' shoulder. "Not so loud!"

            Kris laughed despite Tao's embarrassed lashing out. What he said wasn't denied, however, and he honestly thought Tao looked cute with such an expression. He just wanted to more and more, so much so that it was almost scary.

            What's wrong with me?

            By the time the two teens finished lunch, Tao was once again a bouncing mess of excitement. Kris could honestly say that he'd never seen Tao so excited, and he was really beginning to wonder what the rest of the day had in store for him to be so happy.

            Once their used dishes were placed back on the counter among other dirtied plates and bowls, they started off to the first floor, where Tao guided Kris through a maze of halls. Kris asked many times what he was being shown, but each time Tao would change the subject or not answer at all. It was seriously beginning to kill him.

            Eventually, Tao brought them to a stop and Kris' sight was blocked by a warm hand. "Don't peek. It's a surprise and the room name will give it all away."

            "Whatever you say." Kris smiled, because he was excited and he really wasn't able to control his heart when Tao touched him. He got tugged into the room and heard several clanking sounds and beeps that made him kind of curious, but he didn't peek. He heard the quick patter of Tao's shoes as he ran away, then he returned a moment later with something jingling in his hands. Now Kris was really curious. "Can I look now?"

            "Yup!"

            With Tao's permission, Kris' eyes flew open to something he definitely didn't imagine beforehand. The clanking sounds he heard came from several different weight lifting equipment and the beeping belonged to treadmills and other similar machines. It was a weight room, and in Tao's hand was a nunchuck.

            Kris' jaw nearly dropped to the floor, and not necessarily in a good way. Is this it...?

            Tao hopped and shifted his weight from one foot to the other, once again biting his lip. "Just watch, okay? I won't take long."

            Kris nodded and forced a small smile. In all honesty he was expecting something less fierce and a little more.... romantic? Though his little crush on Tao was completely one-sided, for all he knew, so his brain was just running too far ahead of him. After all, he hadn't exactly told Tao that his aegyo was the cutest thing in the world and his adorable lips reminded Kris of cats, which were his second favorite animals next to dragons. And he was one hundred percent sure that Tao didn't know how hot he looked wearing sleeveless shirts, and two hundred percent sure that he had no clue how fast it killed Kris. Yeah, he was already too far gone.

            But even though Kris was disappointed, he still paid complete attention to what Tao was going to show him. Given that Tao was already a master at swinging around broomsticks, he wasn't very surprised to see him holding yet another weapon, and it would be even less surprising if he pulled out a sword next. And after what Kris saw last time Tao did martial arts, he'd definitely be interested in watching him again.

            Kris stood patiently off to the side as Tao moved to the center of what seemed to be a sparring mat. He stood with his eyes closed and took several deep breaths, and even that was fascinating to an unskilled person like Kris. A few other pairs of eyes were directed at him as he held the nunchuck out in front of him, and his aura returned to the intenseness that Kris had only witnessed once before.

            Tao opened his fierce looking eyes and slowly began to swing his nun chuck around. He exchanged the weapon between his hands many times, catching the attention of some of the other people in the room, who stopped their own exercising to watch. The speed of Tao's movements increased as he got into a flow, and Kris wondered if he was giving himself bruises every time the chain curved around his sides and shoulders.

            After a short minute or two of this, Tao did a spin similar to the one that Kris had seen him do with the broomstick to end his little performance. A satisfied smile lit up his face as he twirled the weapon around one last time before tucking it under his arm, and the people around them gave small claps of applaud.

            And like the last time Kris saw Tao enter his own little world of martial arts, he was amazed at his skill and looks, and was once again rendered speechless. Tao walked up to Kris after returning the nunchuck to its rightful home, his precious lips turned up in a shy smile.

            "You should see your face right now."

            Kris could've fainted looking at Tao's expression. He was truly an angel sent from heaven, and Kris barely got his next words out.

            "Look who's talking..."