Edited; Re-uploaded

                "I just don't know what's wrong with me..."

                "What was that?"

                Minseok jerked up at the sound of Luhan's questioning voice, having thought that he'd spoken in his head, though Luhan's concerned expression proved that he'd done just the opposite.

                The two eldest of EXO were walking down the hallway, heading for the weight room that was just a few yards away now. They'd just returned from a soccer game that they'd joined with a few others, and now Minseok wanted to burn off some of his leftover steam. Luhan was kind enough to join him, but his thoughts were churning once more now that the distracting game was over, as they had before.

                Minseok glanced to the side and gave Luhan a smile, saying a quick "Never mind", but Luhan didn't seem to buy it. The slightly younger boy pouted as he pushed open the door to the weight room, though his face turned a bit sour when they were met with the slight stench of sweat that rolled into the hall. Minseok hoped the smelly distraction would make the boy drop it, but Luhan seemed intent on continuing as Minseok found a seat for him on an open bench along one wall.

                "I can tell that something is wrong. I haven't missed the increase in your workout sessions within the past few days." Luhan tilted his head with a knowing expression as he spoke. "Now, tell me what's wrong."

                Minseok glanced around a bit as he selected a dumbbell from a rack, looking for anyone who might try to listen in on them. Luckily, there was only a few other people in the room, each listening to the headphones that came attached to each set of equipment for them to use. With a sigh, Minseok took a seat on a stool across from Luhan. "It's really nothing. You won't want to listen."

                Luhan let out a laugh, his head leaning back slightly as he did so. "Like I haven't heard that one before. Come on, dude. I'm all ears."

                Minseok gave Luhan an uneasy look, but then he gave in, knowing that he could tell Luhan nearly anything. "It's Chen..." He finally confessed, and Luhan started to slowly nod, as if he'd already guessed that's what the conversation would be about.

                "Go on."

                Minseok started a set of reps with the dumbbell in his left hand as he gathered his thoughts, then he let out with what was on his mind. "I don't even know, Luhan. I think something's wrong with him..."

                "Yeah, I've noticed that, too." Luhan murmured, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back against the wall behind him. "He's been pretty distant lately. I haven't heard him crack a joke in ages."

                "Exactly." Minseok agreed, nose scrunching as he began to feel the burn in his arm. "He's been acting weird, and he hardly even talks anymore. Whenever I ask him, he says he's fine, but I just can't sit with that answer." Minseok stopped to run a hand over his face, pushing back his auburn hair. "I mean, have you seen how depressed he looks all the time? I can't stop thinking about it. He's hiding something and it’s frustrating to not get an answer from him. "

                Luhan let out an amused snort. "You sound pretty worried, there." When Minseok gave him a small glare, he dropped the smile and sighed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "Look, he's probably just worried about everything that's going on. Maybe he's just a little stressed from training? He doesn’t seem too bad when we’re all together."

                Minseok glanced down to the floor with his eyebrows knit in worry. "Maybe... It has been almost six months... And it’s basically the only other thing on my mind, too."

                "You see!" Luhan said, gesturing a bit with his hand. "You two are probably thinking the same way. He probably doesn't have anything to vent with like you do, though."

                Minseok looked down at the dumbbell in his hand, then he gave a slow nod of agreement. He honestly wasn't sure what Chen did in his free time, so that was a possibility, but he didn't reveal the fact that he was still a bit worried. Too much for his own liking.

                Standing up, Minseok was about to head over to a bench press, when the door opening caught his attention. Naturally, his head swiveled toward the sound, and he was surprised to see the person they were just talking about.

                "Chen?"

                The boy had his head poking into the room as if he was searching for something, and he stepped inside once their eyes met. Like he usually did within the past few weeks, or maybe even months by then, he looked a bit uneasy. His eyes darted around the room like Minseok's had done, and then he stepped forward slowly.

                "Xiumin... I, uh... wanted to talk to you..." He started off awkwardly, and Minseok tilted his head, stepping away from his stool.

                "Is something wrong?" He asked, and Chen bit his lip as he turned to look away. From Minseok's point of view, he seemed a little red in the face, which made him wonder if the boy was sick. The way he fiddled with his fingers only made him more concerned.       

                "I wouldn't say it's wrong... But I guess that depends on your views..." Chen went on again, and Minseok only grew confused at the boy's words. He mentally willed for the boy to go on, which he soon did. "I was just wondering... I really wanted to tell you that..."

                Chen kept trailing off and Minseok mentally pulled at his hair. "What is it?" He pushed.

                Now Chen's face was beet red, and his shoulder's hunched as he finally spilled the beans. "I just really like you."

                Minseok's eyes widened far more than he thought they could, and he stared at the boy in front of him. With the way his eyes were squeezed shut, Minseok could assume that he wasn't looking forward to a reaction, and he didn't seem to notice Luhan's presence only a few feet away.

                Minseok's words ran dry in pure shock, and Chen slowly peeked open his eyes, his expression full of fear. Minseok stumbled for something to say, the subject absolutely unexpected.

                "Like... Like, like?" He asked stupidly, and Chen gave a tiny nod in response.

                Now Minseok re-thought pretty much the entire past three-four month. From Christmas until then, and maybe even before, he thought through all of Chen's awkward interactions. The meager glances. The short responses. The huddling in dark corners. The secrets. Now it was all beginning to make sense.

                But Minseok couldn't reciprocate such feelings.

                "Jongdae..." He started, and he winced when Chen perked up hopefully. He scrubbed a hand over his face and let out a soft sigh before going on. "I'm sorry, dude... I just... I don't feel the same way..."

                Chen's face instantly fell, and Minseok caught the instant glistening of tears in his eyes, even from a distance. "W-What...?" He stuttered out, and Minseok couldn't explain how bad he felt as he went on.

                "I haven't been looking for any sort of partner, Chen. Not with a war drawing closer..." Minseok almost thought he could see Chen breaking down before him, but his mouth just continued with the damage against his will. "We don't know what will happen after this comes to an end. Who knows if we'll even see each other again?"

                It was silent after Minseok spoke, with only a treadmill sounding in the background. Minseok almost thought he'd have to say something more, when Chen opened his mouth.

                "I get it." He said quietly, then more firmly. "I understand." Minseok caught the way his fists clenched at his side, and he stepped forward for some reason he couldn't place, but Chen turned away at the same time. "I guess I'll be going then..."

                Minseok watched his figure practically sprint across the room, nearly tripping on the way, and it had to hurt with how much force he hit the wall beside the door before he flung it open and left.

                Minseok felt a prick in his heart as he watched the boy go, and when he turned around, he was faced with a fuming Luhan.

                "What the hell, Xiumin!"

                Now, Minseok rarely heard Luhan use any sort of foul language, but now the teen was raging before him, and his filter seemed to shut off.

                "How can you ing turn him down like that after all that we just finished talking about!?"

                "Well what was I supposed to do!?" Minseok shouted back in return, his voice raising to match Luhan's. "Lead him on and then break it to him later!?" Minseok paced back and forth a few times, his hands pulling at his hair. "We're getting ready to fight, Luhan! To fight for our lives! We can't have some half-hearted relationship getting in the way, and it’s better that he gets over it now before things get too serious!"

                "Couldn't you have broken it to him a little easier!?" Luhan exclaimed, and Minseok caught sight of the dumbbells rising from the rack next to him. "You just broke his ing heart and you don't look like you really give a damn!"

                "I can't lie to him Luhan! How was I supposed to know he's been living with such feelings? It's not my fault that I only see him as a friend!"

                "A friend? Only a friend?" Luhan scoffed. "After how worried you were, you really think of him as just a friend?"

                "What else am I supposed to think?" Minseok questioned, throwing his arms up. "You heard what I said! I have my priorities straight, and instead of acting like everything's okay, I'm facing the truth and preparing for what's coming!"

                "No one is acting like everything is okay!" Luhan shot back, but Minseok was quick to go on.

                "Oh yeah? Haven't you tried talking about this with Baekhyun? He dodges the subject as fast as the light he controls!" Minseok argued, taking a deep breath to try and calm himself. "You may think it'll all be okay in the end, but this isn't some fairytale. None of us know what will happen after this, so I'm not going to get my hopes up."

                Minseok his heels and started heading toward the door, and he flinched at the clang of metal and other materials as the equipment under Luhan's control dropped to the floor. "You better talk to him!" The teen called after him, but Minseok didn't reply in an angry fit as he stalked out the door.

                Minseok spent the rest of the afternoon walking around, his thoughts not settling down after his argument with Luhan. The teen was one of his closest friends now, and he would admit to himself that he hadn't been the nicest to both Luhan and Chen. It all just happened so fast and lout of the blue. He was unprepared.

                Now, Minseok was beginning to regret most of the things he said. Luhan was right when he said that he could've been a bit nicer, but Minseok felt that he was right to have the war on the top of his list. They'd been told plenty of times to focus on their training, that they were going to have to finish a battle between aliens, so it seemed logical to put all of his efforts into just that. Minseok didn't really see what the problem was.

                But of course, Luhan was still right about talking to Chen. Minseok knew he couldn't just leave things the way they were. The amount of strength Chen possessed in these kinds of situations was unknown to him, so after a good hour or two of wandering around, he decided to find the heartbroken teen.

                The first place Minseok thought to check was the bedroom they shared. He hadn't been there since before he went out with Luhan, thinking that returning might cause him to run into Chen, but now he hoped that would happen. However, when he opened the door the room was dark, with no sign of the boy in any corners or open space.

                Minseok closed the door with a frustrated puff of air, and as he turned, he noticed Kyungsoo walking down the hall. The younger teen gave him a wide-eyed glance, then he gestured back with his thumb.

                "If you're looking for Chen, I saw him heading towards the training area. That's where I came from, anyway."

                Minseok's lips twitched in a thankful smile at the sudden miracle that seemed to occur. "Thanks, D.O!"

                Now that he had an idea of where to look, Minseok hurried off towards the collective rooms that they train in. He had the urge to run, but he was beginning to feel a sting in his legs from the earlier soccer game he took part in, so he had to stick with a quickened stride instead. Still, it didn't take him long to pass through a door and become surrounded by the individual rooms that belonged to EXO.

                Minseok looked around a soon as he entered the first plain room, his eyes scanning past the clear walls of several different rooms until he spotted Chen's in the very far right corner. He couldn't tell for sure if anyone was in the room, since he could only really see the dark clouds that somehow managed to form in the enclosed space, but he started forward in hopes of the boy being present.

                The rooms didn't have any hallways to use for quicker access, so Minseok had no choice but to pass through the rocky terrain that made up Luhan and Kyungsoo's room. Rocks and boulders, some broken and others stacked precariously, were scattered randomly around the room, ranging in size to the point where Minseok couldn't even see the top of one.

                The enormous landscape was dull and boring compared to the winter wonderland that he possessed, and that came as another reason for him to hurry to the door connecting this room to Chen's. As he drew closer to the clear wall separating them, he began to notice the rain that poured down on the other side, and the dark clouds above were lit with lightning every so often.

                While standing in the box that brought the rooms together, Minseok began to feel the drastic change in temperature. It was freezing compared to the previous room, a cold Minseok wasn't immune to because of the lack of ice, and as the door opened, he was buffeted with the strong wind and rain of a storm.

                Minseok nearly fell back due to the sheer force of the wind, which howled in his ears. Rain splattered his face, and he formed a sort of ice shield over his arm, which he raised over his head to use like an umbrella as he walked into the room.

                Their rooms stayed relatively dormant unless one of them occupied the area, which came as a sure sign that Chen was present. As soon as Xiumin walked into his, he was always met with soft trickles of snow, which grew heavier as time went on. It gave a calming feeling, and he liked it.

                Minseok's feet splashed in soaked grass when he first stepped into Chen's room. It was the first time he'd been in there, and he looked around to take in the landscape. There were no trees, and it resembled some sort of plain with tall grass, which whipped around in the storm, wetting Minseok's pants as he brushed through. There were little dips and rises in the ground, and a single bench rose up in the distance.

                Relief washed through Minseok's body when he recognized a figure sitting on the lone bench, but the hunched demeanor he gave off wasn't a good sign.

                Slowly, Minseok made his way over to Chen. The teen had his back turned, so Minseok wasn't sure if his presence was known, but then he realized the harsh click of rain against ice and the sloshing of his feet was probably heard as soon as he walked in.

                With a thick swallow, Minseok spoke to the back that faced him.

                "Chen?"

                Thunder crashed overhead, causing Minseok to flinch. Lightning flashed through the 'sky', and was followed by another boom moments later. Chen waited until the noise died to speak. 

                "What do you want?"

                The normally sweet, unique voice was laced with anger and heartbreak, and Minseok once more felt an ache in his chest.

                "Chen, I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier." He said lamely, tilting his arm to shield away the pouring rain. "I didn't mean to sound harsh or anything."

                "No, it's fine." Chen said, and Minseok's eyebrows rose unexpectedly.

                "Are you sure?"

                Chen's head bobbed, his honey hair dark from the rain. He still hadn't turned around, but when he next spoke, Minseok almost thought he was smiling.

                "You know, it’s funny..." Confused, Minseok didn't respond, and Chen went on. "The one time you see me on your own, is the one time that I don't want you to see me." A laugh slipped into the air, humorless to Minseok's ears.

                "Chen, are you really okay?" Minseok asked again, and lightning struck nearby to distract his attention while Chen rose to his feet. When Minseok turned back around, Chen's eyes were dark and piercing into his own.

                "What do you think, Xiumin? Does it look like I'm okay?" Chen questioned, but he went on before Minseok could even begin to answer. "Do you really care, or were you just sent here by Luhan!?"

                "Chen! What makes you think I don't care?" Minseok asked, his eyebrows knit in all sorts of confusion, while Chen's furrowed down in anger.               

                "Because you've never cared!" Chen shouted, his voice barely audible over the sound of thunder. Water streaked down his face, though it was hard to tell if it was tears or the rain. "You've never cared, because it's always been about Luhan!"

                Luhan?

                Minseok wanted to ask the boy what he meant, but Chen just kept going.

                "Ever since they brought Luhan back, he's always been the one you talk about! You're always with Luhan or talking about Luhan and probably thinking about Luhan, too!" He shouted, hands digging into his hair. "There's no place for me to come in when he's around. I never have your attention, not unless you're forced to see me by someone else's orders, and he's the one with the boyfriend. Luhan already has someone in his life."

                Chen's voice lowered near the end, and Minseok took the chance to push in.

                "But Chen, I already told you that I'm not looking for a relationship. Luhan is just a friend, and even if he wasn't dating Sehun, it would stay the same."

                "And that's why I'm so horrible." Chen said, his voice coming out as a sudden sob. "Because sometimes, I wonder how different things would be if Luhan never came back at all..."

                Minseok's mouth dropped open, and Chen fell to his knees in the mud at his feet. His hands shielded his face, and Minseok's arm became limp at his side, opening him up to get soaked in the rain that continued pouring down.

                "You... You didn't really think that... Did you?" He had to ask, and Chen glared up at him once more.

                "What do you care!?" Lightning hit the ground again, closer than before, and Minseok glanced at the spot in slight fear as Chen went on. "It doesn't matter what I think! Whether I want Luhan to leave, or myself, it doesn't matter!" Light flashed in the corner of Minseok's eye, and he fought to keep calm.

                "Chen, calm down. I really do care, you know."

                "No, I don't know!" Chen yelled, his voice coming out hoarse. "If you cared, we wouldn't be in this situation! I shouldn't have spoken at all today! Maybe then things would be okay..."

                "Hiding your feelings and avoiding people isn't okay!" Minseok snapped. "Just get over it and move on! Pretend it didn't happen if it makes you feel any better!" 

                Chen's expression dropped, and for a moment, the pouring rain came to a halt. Even the rumble of thunder came to a sudden end, leaving Minseok's ears ringing in the silence.

                It was as if the room responded to Chen's emotions, as weird as it sounded. But if thunder clouds were able to form inside of a building, then it came as no surprise that the weather could change to how they felt. It sure explained why Minseok was always so content with the snow in his room, but now he was just beginning to fear the lightning that suddenly struck down again.

                "Get out!" Chen practically screeched, and Minseok flinched at the ear-splitting sound of his voice. Lightning crackled around them, and Minseok gaped in slight horror as it crawled over Chen's body. He seemed unharmed as the light struck him like electricity and crept over his skin in random directions. "Get out!" The teen yelled again, and several beams of lightning struck down at once as thunder boomed loudly overhead.

                Minseok was more than happy to leave the presence of the raging teen, but at the same time, he knew that things weren't any better than before. If anything, they were probably worse, and he couldn't bring himself to look back at the storm that continued raging on.

                Minseok fled the area as fast as he could, sloshing through the halls once he'd made it out of the training area. He received several weird looks as he ran past people, water flying everywhere from his soaked clothing and hair, but he ignored them as he ran back to his room. But before he could even make it there, he ran into Luhan, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. It was an odd trio to come by, and all three of them gazed at him with obvious confusion.

                "Xiumin? Why are you all wet?" Baekhyun asked, and Luhan quickly added on.

                "What's going on?"

                "It's Chen!" Minseok broke out, and the mention of the younger teen made Luhan's eyes go wide.

                "Did you talk to him?"

                Minseok nodded, pushing his wet fringe away from his forehead. "Yeah, but I think it only made things worse. He's on a rampage in there."

                Minseok shivered at the cold that remained from the rain, and Luhan was quick to touch his cheek, retracting at the sudden cold. "You freezing! Baekhyun, bring him to Suho while I go talk to Chen."

                Luhan began to walk past them, but Minseok was quick to reach for his arm. "Wait! He won't want to see you!"

                Luhan looked back in shock, stopping in his tracks. "Why not?"

                "Ugh... It's complicated, alright..." Minseok explained. "Someone else should go."

                "We can." D.O spoke up, surprising the others. Lately he only really kept to himself, but Minseok wasn't going to argue with him.

                "That works, I guess." He said. "And, uh, beware of the storm..."

                Both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun nodded to acknowledge his warning, then they hurried off in the direction Minseok had come from. Luhan was quick to drag him off someplace, all the while muttering under his breath about getting sick.

                Minseok honestly couldn't care right then. He couldn't even feel the cold anymore, and he only wished he could fix things with Chen. He wouldn't lie and say he had feelings for the boy, but he still cared as a friend, and it hurt to see how much pain he was putting Chen through. All this happened, and only a week after Siwon gave his speech about being a team.

                Minseok sighed and scraped a hand over his face. So much for those trust exercises...

‎

                Luhan didn't see any sign of Chen for the rest of the day. Minseok stayed by his side for the most part, but he left when Sehun returned from hanging out with Kai. He said something about giving the two space, but all Luhan really wanted to do was help his two other friends.

                It was after dinner that he and Xiumin parted ways due to Sehun's appearance. Chen hadn't shown up to eat, but Baekhyun and D.O had volunteered to stay with him, and they managed to smuggle out some dinner for him, too. Apparently he hadn't left the training grounds, but Baekhyun informed them that the storm had ceased for the time being.

                Luhan was overwhelmed with worry for Chen. He had been there to see Chen's confession and the following reaction. The hope in his expression had been clear, but the shattering that came next was even more so. In a way, he could imagine where Xiumin was coming from, but he still couldn't understand the eldest completely. Chen had looked so sincere, and after acting so strange lately, it must've been hard on him.

                Luhan worried about just how destructive Chen was being. Minseok had briefly mentioned the emotional use of the boy's powers, but other than a few mumbles of a lightning storm, Luhan didn't get much more. He wanted to help Chen for himself, but he was repeatedly reminded of how greatly he was told not to go. He was confused by the complications that Minseok spoke of, and he saw no reason for Chen to not want to see him.                         

                Unless maybe he did see me earlier...

                For the nth time that night, Luhan raised a hand to scrape through his hair. He could barely stand being left out on something like this, and as it partially concerned him, he found it important. But even so, he didn't want to bother Xiumin about it, and he most certainly wouldn't bring it up with Chen.

                "Luhan."

                At the sound of his name being spoken, Luhan turned to look at none other than Sehun. They were heading down through the main hall, on their way to what was known as the Movie Closets. They were basically just a collection of small rooms, each just big enough to fit a three-person couch and a flat screen on the wall. They were provided as a form of entertainment, one that Luhan greatly missed, and a multitude of movies were available to watch on each device.

                Given a bit of free time for the afternoon, Luhan and Sehun decided to have a little movie night together, but it must've been obvious that Luhan wasn't paying attention to their journey so far. He had too many thoughts on his mind and nearly ran straight into another person who also wasn't looking, and he felt the strong pull of a hand on his wrist to help him avoid any collision.

                Once Luhan had his thoughts in the present, his gaze returned to Sehun again, and he caught the hint of worry in the boy's normally cold looking features.

                "Is something wrong, Luhan?" Even his voice held that same tinge of concern, and Luhan was quick to give him a smile.

                "I'm fine, really. Just thinking too much." 

                A warm hand slipped into Luhan's, and the corners of his lips twitched up further when Sehun locked their fingers together. Sparks of warmth ran through him, and for a split moment, he forgot about his own worries to focus on Sehun.

                The way his eyebrows drew up, creating wrinkles in his otherwise perfect skin. How his lips began to curl in, something that seemed to be a habit. The way Luhan seemed to be the only thing he cared to look at, and how his hand tightened the longer they walked together, though not enough to be painful.

                Luhan noticed them all at once, and it was hard not to break out into a smile.

                "I'm fine." He repeated, only looking away from Sehun's face to turn down the correct hallway leading to their destination. He caught the way Sehun jut out his bottom lip from the corner of his eye, and he had to chuckle at the younger boy's cute charms.

                And just as the sound left his mouth, he was suddenly pressed up against the nearest wall of the hall that they just turned into. He felt Sehun's hand on his wrist, the other still connected with his, and he turned his head up to look into Sehun's eyes. The teen's face was leaned in close, and with a tilt of his head, Luhan could feel the ghost of his lips.

                "You worry too much about your friends." Sehun stated, and a smile bloomed across Luhan's face.

                "They're yours, too." He responded, and Sehun's pout returned.

                "But I'm your boyfriend." He then whined, and the words sent butterflies through Luhan's stomach, causing him to blush as Sehun went on. "Pay attention to me, too."

                Luhan rolled his eyes at Sehun's childish words, then he pried his arms from the other's grasp to place them around his neck. "You're such a hog." He said in a whisper, and that's when Sehun took the chance to lean forward and press their lips together in a gentle kiss. It only lasted a moment, but a tingle remained in place of his lips as always.

                "I'm not." Sehun denied, his breath warm against Luhan's skin from the close distance they stayed at. "I share you all the time."

                Luhan scoffed softly, the sound nearly muffled as Sehun closed in on him once more. He spoke only when his lips were freed. "I'm not an object."

                "Yeah, but Xiumin has been a bit too close to you lately." Sehun said, his voice low as his arms fell to Luhan's waist. "I don't think I can allow that."

                "Oh my goodness..." Luhan said as a sigh. "You think Xiumin will come between us?"

                Sehun's shoulders shrugged underneath Luhan's arms, and then his lips were taken for a third time. Sehun stayed longer this time around, his fingers keeping a tight grip on Luhan's waist as he dove in to keep their lips together. Luhan's mind went blank for a good minute as Sehun pushed through the controlling kiss, and it made his heart warm to know that Sehun was constantly doing things like this. Things that told him that he was loved and belonged to someone.

                But after the kiss came to another end, a sudden thought hit Luhan as he ran through his own last words.

                "Wait a minute..." He paused and pulled back slightly, barely catching Sehun's irritated expression. "Is Chen jealous?"

                "Chen?" Sehun echoed. "What about me?"

                Luhan resisted the urge to give the boy a small punch, his mind too caught up with his new thought to worry about Sehun's childish concerns. Luhan still wasn't sure why Chen wouldn’t want to see him, but he just got a very good possibility as to why.

Lmao I did all that I currently can to explain Chen's faltering mentality and I still hate this so much.