Edited; Re-uploaded

                Kyungsoo didn't get the chance to speak with Kai alone before the younger teen left. He had attempted to pull the boy's attention to himself, but in the end, he didn't have the balls and backed out, locking the words within the confines of his own mind.

                Kyungsoo wasn't able to explain in words how much he worried about Kai's mission. Of course, he wasn't going to be alone, but it pained Kyungsoo to know that he wouldn't be there if Kai got hurt. He wouldn't be able to prevent such events from happening, and his fear mixed into anger and back again as he imagined the possible outcomes of the night.

                G-Dragon had promised them before they left that they would be back by midnight, but Kyungsoo could hardly wait that long. Knowing that Kai was out there without his protection was painful and worrisome to think about. They didn't know what danger was out there, and there was no way Kyungsoo would lose someone else that he loved.

                Love. Kyungsoo had only felt it once before, with his family, but ever since that fateful night, he'd refused to accept any sort of feelings from anyone. He had merely been jarred by the fact that there were others like him, which is why he sought out Kai's home in the first place. He wanted to fit in and receive help, but he got the one thing he feared most alongside it.

                Kyungsoo didn't know what he would do if Kai returned injured, or if he didn't return at all. He tried not to think of that happening, but then again, there was also a possibility that Kyungsoo could hurt him. It'd happened once before, and as much as he didn't want it to happen, he wouldn't be surprised if he went berserk with Kai blocking his path. He'd become a casualty of yet another one of his rampages, and then Kyungsoo would have more blood to add to his hands. He refused to let that happen, but the thoughts never left, regardless of what he told himself.

                So Kyungsoo trained hard while Kai was away. He spent the night surrounded by his rocky training grounds, hurling stone after stone into different sized boulders. He practiced his throwing lately for long distance uses, and with his strength, even a tiny little pebble could shatter a boulder the size of a car. He was definitely getting better, and when he wasn't doing that, he found Taehyun for some help with hand-to-hand combat.

                The young teen didn't refuse him often, and even if it wasn't required, they usually spent time together in training. Taehyun didn't say so directly, but he seemed to enjoy the sessions they had. Kyungsoo found him to be a challenging opponent, but his abilities were the definition of strength, and there were multiple occasions where Kyungsoo defeated one of his precious dolls.

                As usual, when Kyungsoo searched out Taehyun, the boy didn't mind having a sparring session. Kyungsoo was itching to do something, and having a nice tussle with something inhuman was perfect, so they walked to their usual spot together. Taehyun had pretty much claimed the back room where they had first met, stating he liked the elevated position where he could look down on his opponents. Though there were occasional times where he stayed on the floor, he preferred the upper level.

                As Kyungsoo walked onto the mat covered floor of the sparring room, he shed his shoes and stretched out his arms a bit. A doll under Taehyun's control already stood waiting for him, and he moved to the center of the mat to begin.

                When the countdown spoken between the two of them reached zero, Kyungsoo was once again amazed at the speed of Taehyun's doll. A punch struck Kyungsoo right in the shoulder after only a split-second notice. Kyungsoo reeled back at the force, but he was quick to find his footing and retaliate with a fist of his own. It didn't land, swinging too far to the side as the doll leaned back, but then Kyungsoo dove forward with his same elbow bent to land a hit straight into its blank face. The doll reacted just as Kyungsoo had, stumbling back as though it could actually feel the pain, an effect Taehyun had mastered to seem realistic during training. On the field would be a different story.

                Kyungsoo could feel a sting in his elbow from the impact made. He didn't wear any safety gear, preferring to feel each touch as though it were for real. He'd never know his weaknesses if he was covered in a layer of cushion, and he didn't mind the bruises he would acquire from each session. They were simply proof of his hard work and struggles.

                Kyungsoo only had a few moments of prep before they were back in action. The doll stepped forward to aim a punch, this time lower to his stomach, but Kyungsoo brought his hand underneath that of the doll and pushed upward so that the doll's torso was left wide open. He used that opportunity to use Taehyun's stomach tactic, feeling the material dent underneath his fist.

                Kyungsoo didn't let time go to waste, and next he was spinning to avoid a ramming knee to his side, which would have been painful, had it landed. Instead, he was able to topple the human sized doll over since it was off balanced. It fell to the floor with a thud, and then Kyungsoo brought himself down on top of it, pinning it down underneath him. One strong knee was placed on the doll's thighs, the other at its neck. His hands held down the doll's flailing arms, and though the position was a tad awkward, Kyungsoo knew he had won with his overbearing strength.

                After a few seconds longer of imagining the breath leaving the doll's body, Kyungsoo rose to his feet. If that were a real fight, he would have had the chance to cut off a person's life. He could easily snap a neck to make it quick, but that brought along painful memories that he would rather not deal with. A main part of his training was to fight his past, to try and see past it. He had no real plans of hurting anyone so badly, anyway, so it wasn't too difficult as long as he kept his thoughts strictly to training.

                Kyungsoo and Taehyun continued on with a few more rounds, and by the time they finished, it was nearing eleven o'clock and Kyungsoo was sporting bright bruises along his jaw and several parts of his arms and torso. The sting and ache of training didn't leave after his following shower, showing just how hard he'd pushed himself. His muscles burned after the additional time spent in the shower, though he spent most of it standing under the cold spray. Now he just wanted to sleep, but before that, he had to see Kai.

                Kyungsoo began to regret his intense session with Taehyun as he trudged across the room in fresh clothes and damp hair, but he also couldn't ignore the strength that arose as a result. Though his regret didn't last long, anyway, because he was met with the very face he wanted to see as he pulled open the door.

                Kai looked shocked to see Kyungsoo open the door so suddenly, and Kyungsoo was overcome with relief at seeing the younger boy. His eyes trailed over Kai's body from head to toe, searching for wounds, and glad to see none. Kyungsoo nearly sank to the floor with relief, but then he noticed that Kai looked the same, and he was quick to open his arms as Kai stumbled forward.

                "Jongin!" Kyungsoo burst out in surprise, and Kai stuck out a hand to catch himself on the door frame. His eyes drooped, then opened wide as if he was forcing himself to stay conscious. However, he leaned back in a moment later, his head falling against Kyungsoo's shoulder.

                "I'm sorry, Soo...but do you think you could bring me to bed?" Kai asked, exhaustion evident in his voice, much to Kyungsoo's worry. He gladly did as Kai asked, picking the younger boy up with no effort. He was like one of Taehyun's dolls, relatively limp in his arms. When Kyungsoo laid Kai on his usual side of the bed, he hardly moved at all, and that was Kyungsoo's limit.

                "Jongin, what happened?" He demanded questioningly. He sat on his own side of the bed, gazing at Kai with complete concern. Kai turned to look up at him, and his hand slowly rose to touch Kyungsoo's cheek. Kyungsoo winced under the touch, knowing a bruise would form by morning, if not already.

                "You're hurt..." Jongin mumbled, and Kyungsoo shook his head.

                "I'm fine. Just some training. What happened to you?" He asked again.

                Kai took a deep breath, then he closed his eyes. "Just used too much power. I'll be fine in the morning. It's happened before, so don't worry." 

                Like that could happen. Kai's words only made him worry more. If he had to use his powers to their full extent, that meant something bad had happened. "You were attacked, weren't you?"

                "Soo..." Kai's voice held a warning tone, but Kyungsoo pushed on, ignoring the fact that Kai didn't want to talk about it.

                "No. Tell me the truth."

                Kai didn't say anything for a long moment, but then he sighed heavily. "Yes, we ran into a few people, but we took care of it. No one got hurt."              

                "I can't believe that. Are you sure?" Kyungsoo continued, and that's when Kai's eyes flew open and he abruptly sat up.

                "Yes, Soo. I'm sure!" He said, his voice rising. Kyungsoo was taken aback, rendered speechless as Kai went on, a hand pulling at his hair. "Everything was perfectly fine until we took our guard down, and then I realized how weak we actually are! Despite our training, we still have no chance! We barely made it out, and with any other member exchanged, I don't know if we would've been able to survive!"

                Kai swiped a hand down his face, his hair falling over to cover his eyes as his voice quieted once more. "Each one of us played our role, but if I or Luhan or even Suho were switched with someone else, I don't know what the outcome would be. I used up all my strength simply teleporting twice, and it wasn't even that long of a distance. Luhan drained himself so that we wouldn't get crushed, and he's in a worse state than me. Then G-Dragon comes along and he's perfectly fine."

                Kyungsoo was staring open mouthed as Kai curled his legs to his chest. He still wasn't finished, and his voice came out muffled. "We barely made it out, four against one, yet GD didn't break a sweat all by himself. We've been here for months already, and it's like we haven't improved a bit..."

                Kai trailed off, and Kyungsoo took a minute to think of a proper response before he spoke. "It's alright, Jongin. GD has been here much longer than us, and besides, it's not like you can do much fighting with your powers. It's all about teamwork." Kyungsoo tried to smile even though Jongin wasn't looking at him, hoping the effect would trickle into his voice. "You've improved a lot. In the beginning, you could barely take one person with you, and now you can easily take two. Not to mention your distance has increased."

                When Kai didn't say anything, Kyungsoo went on. "This was your first time going out. GD just has more experience than us. I bet you'll do much better the next time you go out, and maybe then I can go with you."

                Kyungsoo tried to lighten his voice towards the end, and he kept a hopeful eye on Kai's hunched figure. There wasn't much more that he could say, and he was glad to see the younger teen position himself down on his back once more. Both of their exhaustion was evident again, and Kyungsoo also took the time to lay down, bringing the warm blankets to cover their bodies. Kai didn't say anything more, and this time Kyungsoo let him be.

                Shortly after Kyungsoo settled down, he felt the presence of a hand near his, and then that same hand turned his over and settled over it. Kyungsoo smiled at the warm feeling of Kai's hand on his, and a part of him yearned for more. He would love to put his arms around the younger teen as they slept, giving each other warmth and comfort, but he held himself back. The boundary between them was hazy, and Kyungsoo wasn't sure what they were exactly. Hand holding and hugging was common, and though Kyungsoo could easily tell that he felt strongly for the younger boy, he wasn't sure what Kai thought. They hadn't gone any farther than those simple touches, and neither of them expressed themselves directly, so Kyungsoo knew he was partially at fault. He just feared something bad would happen once he truly admitted it to anyone other than himself.                                 

                Minutes passed with Kyungsoo slowly falling deeper into sleep, his body gradually numbing as he drifted. The warmth of his hand stood out red against the darkness of his closed eyes, and he was on the very verge of losing consciousness when a soft voice broke into the silence.

                "Soo?"

                Kyungsoo jerked back to life, turning his head with barely opened eyes to look at Kai's shadowed figure. A squeeze came to his hand, and it took a few seconds for him to manage a small noise of acknowledgement. Then Kai went on.

                "Why don't you ever hold my hand?"

                Huh...? Kyungsoo's head swam from the sudden use of his brain as he tried to make sense of Kai's words. The words scattered about messily in a tangle of strange sentences, until he finally understood and was able to answer.

                "What are you talking about?" Kyungsoo murmured, almost inaudibly as he shifted his and Kai's connected hands. "We are right now."

                "But we aren't." Kai insisted, and Kyungsoo suppressed a groan.

                "Jongin, I'm trying to sleep."

                "Kyungsoo, I'm serious." Jongin said, his voice nearly rising to a whine. Kyungsoo's hand was squeezed once more, then Kai's other hand reached over and gently tapped down his fingers. "You're hardly using any pressure. Your fingers are so relaxed, and they're always like this. You hardly even hug me back, either. What's wrong?"

                "Jongin, do we have to talk about this now?" Kyungsoo grumbled, sighing in annoyance. He was perfectly ready to fall asleep before he was disturbed by such a ridiculous, uncomfortable topic.

                "Yes, Kyungsoo, I think we do." Kai said firmly, and then he gave a third, shaky hand squeeze. "I...I really like you, Soo... I was thinking maybe you feel the same, but it’s hard to tell when you don't give me a complete hug, or even hold my hand correctly. I don't see why you can't do something so simple..."

                Kyungsoo let out a long breath, lifting his free arm to cover his eyes. "You don't even know, Jongin."

                "Then tell me what I don't know." Kai pleaded, his grip strengthening. "I want to understand."

                "Jongin, this isn't easy for me." Kyungsoo began uneasily. "I do want to hug you, and I'd love to hold you all day long, but I can't put you at risk."

                "How am I at risk?" Kai asked hurriedly, and Kyungsoo hesitated. He began to draw his hand away from Kai's, but he couldn't break free from the strong grip and soon gave up.

                "I don't want to hurt you..." His voice came out as a bare whisper. If the room wasn't in dead silence, Kai wouldn't have heard. Kyungsoo was sure he could hear the pounding from his chest, though, and he lifted a hand to the front of his shirt as if to silence it. In that moment, Kai took his hand, so that both of their hands connected to each other. Kyungsoo was forced to face the younger boy for comfort reasons, and Kai's warm breath blew on his face from the close distance.,

                "How many times do I have to tell you, Kyungsoo? You won't hurt me." Kai held both of his hands tightly, urging Kyungsoo to do the same in return. His heart swelled with heat, and he forced his eyes shut when tears pricked the corners.

                "I'm scared, Jongin..." He confessed softly, his voice still the smallest of whispers. His throat tightened uncomfortably as he fought back tears, and he struggled to remember how to breathe. It was a gentle hand on his cheek that brought him to his senses, and Kyungsoo opened his eyes to look into those mirroring his own.

                "There's no need." Kai murmured softly; comfortingly. "I told you how I feel. I trust you." Something brushed against the top of Kyungsoo's lips, and he in a breath as Kai went on. "Now it's all you."

                His heart pounded at a greater speed, his breath stuttering. "I shouldn't..." He tried. "We can't..."

                "But we can." Kai said, his lips brushing over Kyungsoo's once more. "You just have to trust me."

                Trust... The more Kyungsoo thought about it, the more he knew he was crazy. He was setting himself up and he knew it, but there was something about Kai that he couldn't deny. He actually believed the younger boy's words, and so they spent the rest of the night in each other's arms, as Kyungsoo had imagined doing so many times before.

                The next day arrived as one of rest. Special days were taken off at either the beginning or end of each month, and this one just so happened to be at the end. There wouldn't be much special about them, except for the fact that Siwon provided special treats.

                On this day, there just so happened to be warm pretzels and soda.

                Kris lounged lazily among a set of couches just outside the cafeteria, where the treats were being served. It was just about an hour or two after lunch, giving them enough time to be hungry again, and Kris hung with Chanyeol at his side, something that seemed to occur lately. A paper plate sat on his propped-up legs, warming his thighs, and his left hand held a coke as it rested on the couch cushion. A small plastic bowl of cheese came with the snack, and tiny salt pellets scattered everywhere as he lifted the food to his mouth. It was perfect.

                There was talking all around them as they ate, a constant rumbling in the background. For a long while, Chanyeol and Kris found no need for conversation. They kept mostly to themselves while they devoured the food and drink in their own time.

                It didn't take long for the two tall teens to finish their pretzels, and by then, Baekhyun and Tao had joined them. They'd seen the others come and go, as well, but they actually had plans for the day and didn't stay long to chat. Tao and Baekhyun, on the other hand, seemed to have all the time in the world. Kris couldn't hear much from where he sat opposite them, and even Chanyeol couldn't pick up any more with his elf ears. It was like the table between the pairs was a barrier, but then again, there was still quite a bit of noise around them. They could hardly manage to hear each other speak.

                "Why are those two so clingy together?" Chanyeol suddenly spoke up, his voice distant. Kris looked from the teen at his side to those across from him, and for a moment he wondered if Chanyeol was thinking out loud. But then the other male turned to look at him, and he realized that the question was directed at him. "Aren't you going out with Tao?"

                The question made Kris' cheeks burn, and he found himself fumbling with the top of his pop can. It'd already been over two months since the confrontation that would technically mark their relationship, but they hadn't spoken about it in detail, so Kris could only give his best answer. "I guess you could put it like that."

                "What the?" Chanyeol sputtered, leaning over in one quick movement. "What's that supposed to mean!?"

                Kris accidentally busted the top of his drink from Chanyeol's sudden interest, and he awkwardly attempted to re-apply it, just enough to focus his attention elsewhere as he stumbled over his words. "I don't know. I guess it might not be that official?"

                "Oh, come on. You said that like it’s a question." Chanyeol heaved a sigh and shook his head, like he was some sort of expert now. "You guys confessed your dying love then made out. That's enough to make you official."

                "Like you have any room to talk." Kris retorted in embarrassment. The fire on his cheeks was spreading down the rest of his body, as if Chanyeol was pinning him in a heated choke hold. "Why should you even care if Baekhyun is hanging out with someone else? It's not like you guys are a couple."

                "Now that's complicated."

                Kris actually gaped at the elf-eared teen. "What do you mean by complicated!? You two have the least complicated relationship out of all of us!"

                Now, Chanyeol flat out ignored Kris, choosing to glance over his shoulder with a soft whistling tune as if that would really pass. However, Kris refused to accept his dodging actions.

                "Oh no, Mister. You don't get to come at me like that without spilling some of your own beans. Now pop open that can and spill."

                Chanyeol rolled his entire head over until their eyes met again, and then he looked like he was suppressing a groan. "What's up with you? I don't have anything to say."

                "Nope. You always have something to say." Kris disagreed, folding his arms across his chest. "Hand over the beans, Sonny."

                "Okay this is getting weird. Please stop." Chanyeol muttered, visibly wincing. Kris held back a smile since he was actually quite serious, and he held out a hand as if asking for payment. He gestured with his fingers for a bit, and Chanyeol finally gave in with another sigh.            

                "I told you I don't have much to say. I'm quite sure he likes me, but like you and Tao, it's nothing official."

                "Well, have you two even kissed yet?" Kris asked, honestly interested in finding out. All signs were pointing to yes, either before then or somewhere in the near future. Most nights Tao thought aloud about the relationships between their friends. Some were better than others, obviously, but Tao liked to think that he could predict the future of their lives. Kris was pretty sure he just had an optimistic imagination, so he didn't taint his good thoughts with negative ones. However, he was very interested in finding out some good facts that could lead the way.

                When Kris spoke out his personal question, it became time for Chanyeol to blush. Kris was pleased to see the color changing his cheeks, which came as a sort of retaliation from bugging him. The stutter to his words was even better.

                "Well... I mean... One thing led to another and we did, yeah. But nothing's happened since then..." Chanyeol mumbled, and Kris let out a long-lasting whistle.               

                "You're getting on me for not having a name to my relationship, when you can't even complete your move on Baekhyun." Kris shook his head and tsked the younger teen. "Shame on you..."

                "You know it's not as simple as that." Chanyeol said, looking a bit uncharacteristic as he pouted. "We're pretty much the same if you really think about it. It's hard trying to bring this up to him."

                Kris rose a hand to his chin, running his fingers along his jaw in a matter of thinking. "I know what you mean. I guess... whoever solves their problem first tells the other how it is. Sound good?"

                Chanyeol raised an eyebrow. "So now you’re making this a competition?" Though the words were accusing, the smile and tone of his voice proved that he didn't care in the least. Kris simply shrugged and tilted his lips into a smile.

                "If that's what works for you."

                "You're on."

                An outdoor practice was held the next night. It was nothing unusual, just a basic game of tag, really. At least, sort of.

                EXO was divided in half, one team led by Kris and the other by Suho. Each member had a piece of paper across their back. For Kris' team, the printed number was white and the paper black, while it was the opposite for Suho's team. The point of the exercise was to steal the opponents' pages while securing your own, so really, it was nothing like tag. Not even close.

                They were released into their usual marked territory, and their duel instructors let them be. The game started from there, only it wouldn't end as one.

                Baekhyun was hidden among the leaves of a large bush, its branches arching wide to either of his sides. There was still a decent amount of time before the sun set, so he made sure he wouldn't be visible as he looked through the hanging leaves around him. He'd pretty much mastered the different techniques of camouflage after working on it from the beginning, so now it was as easy as breathing.

                Movement nearby had Baekhyun going rigid, his breathing falling to a bare intake and exhale. Suho had come up with a strategy to use, and he fully intended to do his part. Now was his chance, as Suho had predicted. Camping out in this spot proved to be a good idea, and as Baekhyun watched with unblinking eyes, Xiumin walked into view. The eldest teen kept low to the ground, but he was fooling no one, causing Baekhyun to smirk.

                I'm sorry, but you are too easy, my friend.

                The sun beat down on his side as he lifted a hand before him, a movement that gathered energy within himself. He felt power bleed from his fingertips and then, with a swirl of his fingers, a figure formed dimly a few feet away. Xiumin's attention was drawn to what appeared to be Sehun's lanky figure disappearing behind a tree, but it did just that, as it was only an illusion. Now that Xiumin was distracted, Baekhyun stepped away from his cover with light footsteps. He made the mistake of stepping over a hidden twig, but by the time Xiumin turned his head, Baekhyun already had the paper stolen from his back.

                Xiumin cursed under his breath when faced with defeat, but Baekhyun could only give a smug grin before he melted back into the shadows of the oncoming night. His part of the mission was done, as Suho had told them to take out one member each, but he decided that he should check out how the others were doing as well. They were each given a rough section to stay within, thinking the other team might do the same, so Baekhyun headed off to search for a teammate of his own, hoping that none of them were out.

                Baekhyun kept to the edge of the trees when he caught sight of the gathering place where their instructors sat waiting. Both Joon and Sungmin lounged on the grass, and Baekhyun found Chanyeol and Tao sitting beside them. He couldn't hide his smile when he saw the taller teens. He wasn't surprised at all that Chanyeol was out already, being the big goof he was. And now that he knew who was out, he had other people to watch out for.

                Baekhyun drifted off silently, hyper aware of where he placed his feet and what he brushed against as he headed back. He made almost zero sound as he travelled through the trees, keeping his ears and eyes open. The shuffling of leaves from the wind filled his ears, but he could make out a flash of color in the distance and drew closer. As he neared, voices became clearer.

                "Who are you? You aren't one of us." He managed to catch, making his brows furrow in confusion. It sounded like Suho, and the seriousness in his voice was unmistakable. Baekhyun pushed on faster. There didn't seem to be any response before Suho spoke again. "What are you doing here? Answer me, now." His voice rose at the end, and Baekhyun made it to the edge of yet another small clearing in time to see Suho standing near the center.

                Baekhyun opened his mouth to question his leader, seeing as he was alone, but as he stepped out to the side, he noticed another person. And like Suho said, it wasn't one of them. Baekhyun could easily recognize most members of OTP, and this one was completely new. Not to mention the clothing the man wore was unlike their own.

                This can't be good.

                No sooner than the words came into Baekhyun's mind did he notice the flash of something reflective in the trees opposite him, and then something came flying from the same direction. Everything went into slow motion as Baekhyun's eyes flew wide, his mouth opening to give a warning that came much too late as a sword came soaring across the clearing. There was a slick sound of metal piercing skin as the object lodged itself into Suho's stomach, and that's when Baekhyun's voice joined with another in a piercing scream.

                "SUHO!!"

Totally forgot about the spilling the beans part and I cried.