Edited; Re-uploaded

            Days passed by, but Lay’s abilities didn't improve in any way. The others had started training to better each of their individual powers, but Lay couldn't figure out how to work his own. He wouldn't have even known that he had any if he hadn't been told, and he felt useless without being able to help anyone.

            He constantly tried to use his powers; to search for a way to get them to work. The nice person named Youngjae had told him that he had the ability to heal, and he wanted to put his powers to use as soon as possible. He had seen many people enter to the compound with injuries and the like, and it served largely as motivation for him.

            But something else was wrong with him, too. He knew this was so because each conversation he joined with his new friends ended abruptly. . None of them looked him in the eye, and they looked uncomfortable in his presence. He didn't know why, though.

            Lay tried to ask Youngjae about it before, but the smart teen had just told him that he had been asleep for a long time and they were still getting used to him now that he was awake. He explained that they were all new to the base, and having a new member to their group was another sudden change that they needed to adapt to. He gave the same response each time Lay asked, and Lay would leave without getting any closer to a proper answer.

            He couldn't help but think that there was more to the situation than that. He felt so empty a lot of the time, and when he tried to think of anything that happened in his past, his mind came up blank. He couldn't bring up any memories of anything before he woke up, which greatly concerned him. But Youngjae said he was fine, so he could only believe what he was told.

            Still, Lay felt incredibly lonely. His roommate hadn't talk to him at all in the past few days, and the rest of his so-called friends were usually busy with their own things. Lay took part in their verbal lessons, but he often stayed with Youngjae while the others went off for their other training sessions. Lay would chat with Youngjae and wait for the occasional wounded person to come in so that he could try to call upon his powers, not that it ever worked.

            He learned that Youngjae also worked as a part time doctor for everyone since he was so knowledgeable. Daehyun often came join them, too, and not even Lay was blind to their relationship. He found their interactions cute, but he would often leave shortly after Daehyun arrived to give them time to themselves.

            The extra time Lay had, he spent wandering the base. He'd been told that it was inside a mountain, and the thought alone was interesting. He really wanted to go outside, but he was told that wasn't allowed to until a later period in time. He didn't know when the last time he saw the sun was, and all he wanted to do was feel its warm rays. But sadly, he couldn't.

            Lay spent a lot of time examining all of the rooms around the base, instead. He often found cool and interesting places, and there were quite a few sports rooms where he could sit and watch an ongoing game. He met a few people here and there, and it made him happy to chat about little things with them. Even if it was just a one time talk.

            It was one such day, where Lay found himself standing inside a dance studio. He'd walked in curiously to see how big the room was, finding that it was a decent size and surrounded by walls of mirrors. On the same wall that contained the door, a computer sat on a table. Lay walked over to see that a page was open with all sorts of different songs available to play. Two large speakers sat on either side of the table, with two long couches next to those.

            With heightened curiosity, Lay decided to click on one of the songs, and music flowed from the speakers. He found himself tapping his feet and nodding his head to the beat, quickly deciding that he liked the instrumental piece. He turned around to look at himself in the mirror, and then all of a sudden his body was moving on its own.

            Lay strode forward in time with the music to stand before the mirrors, and his shoulders reacted next in smooth rolls, his chest following forward in sleek movements. His feet glided across the wood floor, bringing him into a graceful spin that accompanied the swing of his arms. His hips grew a mind of their own; twisting, turning and ing at every perfect chance. Every part of his body moved with perfect, fluid motions. His head, shoulders, arms, legs, knees, feet. Everything. Lay danced with natural grace, as if he'd been dancing all his life, and he was sweating bullets by the time the song came to an end.

            Lay's eyes were wide as he came out of the trance that seemed to have overtaken him.  He didn’t realize he possessed such a skill as dancing, and his chest heaved as he fought to regain his breath. He didn't notice that the next song had paused until he heard a soft clapping behind him, and he turned around to see another person was in the room with him. At first glance, Lay would've mistaken him as Kai, but then he noticed the immediate difference in their hair colors.

            "That was great!" The boy said, his lips spread in a wide grin. "I've seen a lot of dancers come in here, but that's probably the best freestyle I've seen in a while."

            Lay's face grew warm from the compliment and he smiled. "Thank you. My body had a mind of its own for a second there."

            The other boy laughed and extended his hand. "I know that feeling! My name's Taemin."

            Lay shook his hand. "I'm Lay."

            The introduction then led to the two teens talking for a while, and Taemin showed Lay some of his own moves. They danced for a long time, together and separately, and eventually they both ended up lying on the ground, worn out from all of the exercise.

            Lay was exhausted, and a clock on the wall showed that it was getting late, so he bid Taemin goodbye and returned to his shared room. No one was in there when he walked in, which didn't really come as a surprise. He was reminded once again about his lack of a proper friend, and he quickly entered the shower to distract himself. By the time he finished, the bedroom was occupied by one other person.

            Suho sat on the single bed, and he stood up as Lay exited the bathroom. His eyes were cast downwards, so Lay could hardly see his expression, but his voice came out softly. "You can use the bed. I'll just sleep on the floor tonight."

            Lay narrowed his eyes. Suho had repeated that same sentence every night in the exact same way ever since he'd awoken. He was getting tired of the words and every other bit of avoidance he'd received, and finally snapped him.

            Lay stalked across the room with long strides and grabbed Suho by the wrist as he tried to sink to the bare floor. Suho finally turned to look at him with wide eyes, and Lay shoved him back onto the bed. "No. You're going to sleep there."

            Suho's eyebrows furrowed and he scrabbled around to try and stand again. "You should sleep on the bed. It's more comfortable."

            "I never said I wasn't sleeping on the bed."

            Suho's eyes widened turther and he gazed up at Lay with unmasked confusion. "W-What?"

            Lay walked to the other side of the bed and laid down with his hands tucked behind his head. "We can share the bed. I'm sure that's what everyone else does. There's plenty of room."

            Lay turned his head to see that Suho's mouth was left wide open, his eyes unblinking. He patted the mattress with a hand, then he returned it to its comfortable spot behind his head. "Come on. We don't have all night. I won't bite."

            Lay was feeling really bold right then, as this wasn’t normally how he would go into a situation. It was probably from all of the dancing, and talking to Taemin probably helped, too. He just felt a spur of confidence and he truly wanted Suho to talk to him. Or to share a bed with him, at least, because sleeping on the floor every night couldn't possibly be comfortable.

            He was surprised, but very glad when Suho actually complied and laid down beside him. Lay smiled as he witnessed the other visibly relax. He seemed to sink into the mattress underneath him, and Lay pulled the blankets up to properly cover them both. Then he flicked off the light switch above the headboard and to his side so that he was facing Suho. He couldn't see the other very well now that it was dark, but he could sort of sense that he was in a more relaxed and comfy state. His smile grew as he closed his eyes, and he only hoped that this was a good push in becoming friends.

            He didn't know exactly why, but he wanted to know Suho better. There was just something about him...

            Kris was working as hard as he could to gain flight, really, but none of his self-training methods seemed to work. It had already been well over a week—nine days to be exact—since his first flying session with Siwon, and he hadn't had any success since then. He had chosen to keep his true power a secret from the others, still finding slight embarrassment in his abilities. It wasn't like they ever asked what he could do, so he wasn't really doing anything bad by not telling them. Plus, Kris was having trouble when it came to working them. He couldn't let the others know that he wasn't capable of flying any higher than just a few feet off the ground.

            Kris groaned loudly in frustration, his voice muffled by the pillow that he had his face shoved into. He lay face down on his and Tao's bed, and he heard the younger teen coming out of the bathroom to his right.

            "You okay, Kris?"

            The taller teen turned over onto his side, propping his leg up with his head supported on his elbow. "Hm? Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be okay?"

            So, that might've been a lie. He was actually kind of freaking out, and it was probably a little obvious. Siwon wanted to have another meeting with him in only a few minutes, and Kris wasn't ready. Not at all.

            Siwon said he wanted Kris to be strong, but Kris wasn't strong at all. Emotionally or physically. Kris couldn't fly, and Siwon had given him the task of having full control of his powers by now. Sure, he wasn't told exactly when their next meeting would be until the night before, but he should've had plenty of time to get himself together. He should've been perfectly capable of using his powers, just like the rest of his friends.

            So why can't I fly?

            "You don't look very good." Tao's concerned voice brought his attention back, and he gazed up at the teen standing above him. A towel hung limply around Tao's clothed shoulders, the scent of soap strong in the air. "I hope you aren't overworking yourself in secret. Youngjae told us to be careful."

            "But I have to..." Kris mumbled to himself, then speaking louder so that he could be heard by Tao properly. "I'm fine. I have to go train now. I'll see you later."

            Kris reluctantly pulled himself up and got out of bed, straightening out his clothes. Tao let out a soft "Alrighty then" before Kris walked out the door and headed for the training area.

            Siwon was waiting for him when he arrived, and Kris didn't look directly at him as he walked farther into the room. Just like last time, Siwon had a folder in hand, and he closed it so that he could give Kris his full attention. "Good afternoon."

            Kris nodded his greetings in return, mentally preparing himself for Siwon's disappointment-to-come. It was silent between them, each moment Kris spent becoming more and more uncomfortable. He could feel Siwon's gaze on him, and he lowered his head when the older man finally spoke.

            "Has everything been going smoothly with your flight?"

            Kris bit his lip and took a deep breath. He really didn't want to have to admit it, but he didn't have much of a choice. Siwon was the man in charge. He had to know what was going on.

            "Not really..." He murmured hesitantly, awaiting some sort of scolding, but strangely, that scolding never came.

            Kris slowly looked up to see that Siwon was just staring at him. He didn't look angry, though he didn't look happy either. He held an expression that Kris couldn't make out or explain, and he wasn't sure if he'd rather see him angry at that moment.

            "Are you confused?"  

            "Huh?" That sudden question sure made him confused if he wasn't already before, and he wasn't sure what Siwon was referring to.

            "Are you frustrated?"

            Kris wasn't understanding why Siwon was asking these questions. He should be angry or disappointed or anything but what he was. Kris wasn't showing any of the strength that Siwon had wanted. He was becoming a failure, but Siwon wasn't doing anything about it.

            "You're weighed down, Kris."

            That statement came as a shock, and it was one more thing that Kris didn't understand.

            "What are you talking about?"

            "I'm telling you the reason you can't fly." Siwon stated the words so simply that it almost made Kris angry.

            "How would you know? You aren't me."

            A look that resembled pity crossed Siwon's face as he went on. "I know a lot of things, and right now, I know that you are weighed down by your confusion and frustration. Emotions have a stronger hold on our abilities than you must think, Kris, which brings me to my next question." Siwon paused, and he seemed to grow bigger in Kris' eyes; closer in distance; intimidating. "Do you feel guilty?"

            The question made Kris' eyes grow wide in shock, and he seemed to freeze in place. He wondered if Tao had come and stopped the time flow in the room for a minute, because nothing moved. Siwon didn't blink, Kris couldn't feel anything in his body, and all of his thoughts seemed louder than ever.

            We're not safe.

            Everyone is suffering.

            It's all my fault.

            Why can't I help anyone?

            Kris clenched his fists, fighting to keep his thoughts away, but they kept pushing in.

            Luhan, Lay, Sehun. They were hurt because of me... How many more are in pain?

            Sudden, tears pricked Kris' eyes and he squeezed his eyes shut to hold them back.

            Why couldn't I have died before messing up everyone's lives...?

            "Kris, it's not your fault."

            Time resumed. Kris glanced up at Siwon with blurred sight, but he couldn't believe his words. Not after everything that happened. Everything that had started from his burst in the streets, which then brought their secret out of hiding. Kris had ruined everything.

            "You need to understand that none of this was your fault." Siwon started again. "Everything so far has happened for a reason. For years, everything that me and my past selves have done was for this moment. We've been preparing, waiting for these days to come." Siwon paused, but Kris couldn't bring himself to say anything.

            He's probably just trying to make me feel better. It's because of me...

            "Even if someone else was born with your ability, the same thing would have happened. Even if it were Baekhyun or Minseok, we'd still be in the same position. We've waited long enough; it's time to face our enemies." Siwon stepped forward so that there was less distance between them, seeming to hesitate before he spoke further. "Not many know this, but the government has known about us for a long time."

            Kris looked at him with confusion, not quite understanding what he meant—or why he was telling him for that matter—but Siwon continued so he didn't have to ask.

            "The people fear us, which is why they made the decision to go after us not long ago, but the government has been taking us out in secret for a much longer period of time." Siwon looked away as if to hide his face, but Kris still caught sight of his sad, horrified expression. "I knew it would happen... I could see it all, but I couldn't stop it, and neither could those before me. Instead, we could only save up our fortune for what you see around you, so that I would at least be able to protect some of my people."

            Siwon breathed in deeply, and Kris took the chance to finally speak.

            "Why are you telling me this?"

            Siwon gave him a small, hopeful smile. "You and your friends have potential, but there are things that hold you back. You've gone through a lot, Kris, and you've held the burden of carrying all of this guilt. But I'm telling you that you don't need to anymore. Accept what has happened and grow stronger to bring an end to everything that has happened." Siwon closed the distance between them and brought a hand up to grasp Kris' shoulder. "You are a leader, and you will be a great one if you accept and learn from your own hardships."

            "A leader?" Kris echoed. "What do you mean?"

            "Every group needs a leader." Siwon stated. "You and Joonmyun shall be the leaders of yours. Joonmyun has yet to be told, but he is also dealing with his own things right now. I will tell him soon; when he's ready."

            Kris shook his head, taking a step back and running his hands through his hair. "But I'm not ready! I can't even use my powers, so how can I become a leader to my friends?" 

            "I make my choices with very good reasons in mind, Kris. I know you have the potential to lead your friends into great things." Siwon paused, a slight laugh to his voice as he went on. "But of course, you will have to do as I said and accept everything. I'm afraid your powers will be very limited until you do so."

            Kris glanced down at the floor, imagining what it would be like to reach skies far above it. But then he thought of the things it'd take to get there, and he shook his head. "I don't think I can do it."

            "I won't take that kind of talk here." Siwon said sternly, almost in a scolding sort of way. "Do I need to repeat everything I just said? There's no use in feeling guilty about what has happened, because now you can work to stop the fighting. We need you, Kris."

            Siwon's words struck something inside him right then, and he actually stopped to really think about it. It scared him for some reason; to let go of his guilt. He'd blamed himself so long now, he didn't know what would happen if he didn't think that way anymore.

            "No one believes that you are at fault. No one here blames you."

            Kris glanced at Siwon with both hope and uncertainty. "Are you serious? You're telling the truth?"

            Siwon smiled warmly and gave a small nod. "Yes. Accept it and fly, Kris."

            Kris swallowed the lump in his throat and closed his eyes. He was truly beginning to believe everything Siwon had told him. Siwon understood what he felt, and he truly felt better after hearing the older man's words.

            Kris could feel the energy around and within him, and he called it to himself like he had so many times in the past week. He would do it. He'd accept everything. He had to.

            Siwon needs me... It's not my fault... It's okay... I'm a leader... And it's time.

            When Kris next opened his eyes, he felt a burst of energy surge through him, and he pushed off the ground. His feet left the floor, and for a second, he feared hitting an invisible wall like so many times before. But Kris was quick to push those thoughts away. He kept repeating what Siwon said to himself, chanting the words inside his head. And when Kris found himself high up in the air, his head nearly touching the ceiling, he thought he'd cry tears of joy.

            Kris reached up with his hand, unable to control how much he was shaking, and he touched the cushiony ceiling. Tears pooled in his eyes once more and he glanced down at Siwon, pleased to see the other's satisfied expression.

            Kris felt so much lighter. The weight was finally lifted from his shoulders, freeing him from his guilty thoughts and feelings. He hadn't felt so amazing in a long time, and he forgot about everything for a good, long moment. He closed his eyes and let the feeling of flight sink in, then he let himself fall back, where he dived down and did a jolly loop in the air.

            Kris landed in a stumbling jog on the ground in front of Siwon, and he couldn't stop himself from crashing into the older male with his arms around him in a hug.

            "Thank you!"

            When Kris pulled away, Siwon still had a surprised look to his face, but it quickly returned to a smile. A tear fell down Kris' cheek without his permission and he wiped it away as Siwon ruffled his hair like he was some sort of child.

            "Go tell your friends. I'm sure they'll be happy to hear."

            Kris nodded and wiped his face again, though more tears were still present in his eyes. He sprinted out of the room without another word, and he took off in the air as soon as he was out the door. People gasped and yelled in shock as he sped through the air over them, but that only made him happier. And for once, he didn't mind the tears he cried. It was a special occasion.

            My freedom. 

            Luhan didn't think he would ever be prepared for—or even experience—a flying, crying Kris to burst through his and Sehun's bedroom, so when a cuddly afternoon between him and his crazy-haired boyfriend was interrupted in just that way, he nearly screamed. His face warmed to a bright shade of red before he realized a few notable things about the situation.

            One: Kris was smiling. Two: Kris was crying. And Three: Kris was flying. And how does that all come together while still making sense?

            "Holy , Kris! Don't you know how to knock!?" Sehun exclaimed. Luhan noticed the redness to his face and he also noted the way his hair turned an awkward combination of pink, purple and orange. He was momentarily distracted by the fact that Sehun had grown comfortable enough to yell at Kris, and he took that as a great sign of acceptance.

            "I'm sorry. Did I interrupt something?" Kris sniffed from where he hovered in the air, and both Luhan and Sehun gaped up at him, completely speechless now that the sight sunk in. A few seconds later, Tao ran into the room, breathing heavily.

            "Jeez, Kris! Did you have to fly around to talk to everyone!?"

            Luhan's attention flicked from Kris to Tao, then back again.

            "Y-You can fly!?"

            Kris nodded quickly, an uncharacteristic smile on his face. His eyes were still visibly wet, even from a distance, and he wiped at his face with long fingers. "Yeah. It's kind of stupid, but it feels great!" Kris hovered around the room, an insanely goofy grin plastered on his face. He was almost as bad as Chanyeol at this point, but Luhan couldn't help but be happy for him.

            "That's great, Kris! Flying sounds so fun! I'm jealous!"

            "Don't be jealous of him!" Sehun suddenly said, and Luhan turned to give him his own goofy smile.

            "Don't worry, Sehun. I'm jealous of you, too." Luhan leaned over and started messing with Sehun's multi-colored hair. "Your hair makes you look so cute!"

            Pink spread across Sehun's cheeks once more, and he pushed away Luhan's hands. "Stop that..."

            "You're so cute!" Luhan gushed, refusing to remove his hands from Sehun's now purple head. "Are you embarrassed? Is that what the purple means??"

            "Of course not!" Sehun said, though his red face said otherwise. Luhan had to hug him because of how cute he looked, and it took him another minute to realize the others hadn't left the room.

            Luhan straightened up with a small clearing of his throat, his face heating up because of his slightly embarrassing addiction to Sehun's cute appeal. Both Kris and Tao also had pink sprinkled on their cheeks, and the color grew darker when Luhan caught them sneaking glances at each other. A sly smirk crossed Luhan's face and his mind instantly began its plotting.

            They're so obvious! I have such adorable friends!

            Having been a part of the first relationship in the group, Luhan slowly began to notice the interactions going on between the rest of his friends. He had his suspicions about the others, and one was just proved to be true right before his eyes. It seemed like neither of them knew, though, and that almost made Luhan laugh.

            Kris and Tao didn't have much to say now, and Luhan guessed they had only dropped in to reveal Kris' powers. They left after only a few minutes, which once again left Luhan and Sehun alone.

            "Those two are going to be a thing, aren't they?" Luhan's attention returned to Sehun as the younger teen spoke, and he gave a small nod.

            "You read my mind. But the question is when."

            "Hm... I'd say, by the look on Kris' face, that they'll be together in no time at all. Let's say... Two weeks at most." Sehun paused, then nodded. "Two weeks."

            "I don't know..." Luhan disagreed. "I know Kris pretty well, and it might take longer than that..."

            Sehun just shrugged, falling down to his back. "We'll have to wait and see, then."

            Luhan laid down on his side next to Sehun, lifting a hand to run it through his hair again. "I'm excited. I think Kai and D.O are close, too."

            Sehun turned his head and pouted cutely, causing Luhan to nearly die from the purely adorable look. "Why do you care so much about them? What about us?"

            Luhan giggled childishly and reached for a pillow to shove over Sehun's pouting face. "Oh, shut up! You are too cute!"

            "No I'm not!" Sehun's voice came out muffled as he denied it, but Luhan couldn't agree. Either way, he lifted the pillow to place a kiss on the pout that still remained.

            "Whatever. You're just jealous 'cause I'm more of a man."

            That made Sehun roll his eyes. "You're the one who fanboys over everyone else's love life."

            Luhan grinned and laid his head down, his arm flopping over Sehun's chest. "It's beautiful... Love..."

            "You are so weird." Sehun mumbled, a hint of laughter to his voice. Luhan's smile simply grew and he gave Sehun's body a quick, tight squeeze.

            "You know you love me!"

            Sehun grunted softly in response, turning onto his side so that they faced each other with his eyes closed. His cheeks still held a soft pink color, and Luhan felt his own cheeks beginning to hurt with how much he was smiling.

            Oh Sehun, you are too cute...