Edited; Re-uploaded

                Kyungsoo had been pacing restlessly in his and Kai’s temporary bedroom, unable to fall asleep, when he’d heard the sudden banging coming from downstairs. The insanely rambunctious clamor was an immediate call for his attention, and for a fleeting moment, he almost thought that they were being invaded. It would’ve marked the second time, but when Kyungsoo sprinted out of his room, he saw only his friends in a heap on the floor.

                Kyungsoo didn’t even take the time to feel relieved, instead jogging to where Kai lay squashed beneath the combined weight of Chen, Tao, and Kris, with poor Luhan underneath them all. But despite the obviously uncomfortable situation, none of them moved with more than a simple roll of their bodies to relieve the piled weight. The sight of the five boys so worn out was heartbreaking, and a large part of Kyungsoo wished that this was some sick Post-April Fools trick, though he knew that that was impossible. It probably didn’t even cross the others’ minds, for the first exclamation that popped out of Youngjae’s mouth absorbed each of their thoughts.

                Joon wasn’t to be seen. He had been there when they left a few hours before, but now the man was gone and the rest of the group was half dead on the floor. They looked like they could barely keep their eyes open, and Kyungsoo couldn’t even tell which of them was in worse condition. The only clear explanation was that they’d found what they were looking for, and a string of possibilities for Joon’s absence filtered through Kyungsoo’s mind at an impossible pace, causing his heart to clench painfully. 

                “Where the hell is Joon!?” Youngjae repeated once again, practically screeching the words. He shook terribly, the tremors of his body visible to even Kyungsoo, who stood at the opposite side of the room with what was probably the worst eyesight out of them all. He was glad that Youngjae’s powers stuck to his brain, for he was sure the boy would be burning the house down with all of his intense emotions if he’d possessed Chanyeol’s deadly flames. It was something to be thankful for, however, Youngjae was clearly on the verge of breaking. The crazed look in his eyes revealed the stress he was under, and as he glared at them, waiting for some sort of answer, he suddenly looked much younger. More his actual age than what they’d been forced to mature into. After all, they were still teenagers.

                Youngjae only allowed a few measly seconds to pass before he was opening his mouth again, seriously on the verge of an outright tantrum. He didn’t even get words out, though, when Luhan spoke. He seemed to be the least beat up out of the bunch, though his voice still held hints of pain, and he almost tipped back over when he rose to a sitting position to answer.

                “The enemy has control over him… They forced him into leading us into an ambush...”

                The words sent Kyungsoo swaying off balance from the impact of the knowledge. He had to take an actual step back, eyes wide and mouth open in complete and utter shock. None of them were able to form a single word, other than Kris, who added on to Luhan’s statement weakly.

                “We never even would’ve made it out if it weren’t for Chen. Everyone did amazing, but I have to give it to ya, dude. You were an enormous help.”

                Kyungsoo looked in time to see the red spread over the older boy’s skin, looking uncomfortable, yet beaming with self-pride at getting praised. His eyes were bright, though that could’ve been the additional pain he surely felt. Red dripped visibly from somewhere on his head, yet Kyungsoo wasn’t able to word his findings before Youngjae went on to begin his exclaiming again.

                “You mean Joon is in the hands of the ENTs!?”

                “We noticed too late that he was under someone else’s influence.” Chen spoke up for the first time, eyes now dark. “They fled before we could break away from the hordes of ENTs who made up the ambush.”  

                Kyungsoo glanced between the two parties, watching as Youngjae began to pace quickly, spinning on his heels after a mere few steps before going in the opposite direction and repeating. He lifted his hands to his well-styled hair, pushing his fingers through the brown locks. He had that crazed look still, especially with the way his glasses had been disturbed over his nose, tilting sharply to one side without being fixed.

                “This isn’t good… This is bad… Very, very bad…” The young teen muttered to himself, pulling harshly on his hair. His voice had dropped drastically, to the point where Kyungsoo almost didn’t hear him.

                “What are you talking about?” Suho asked, gazing around the room with worry from where he knelt beside Lay. The healer was attending to the wounds of the group on the floor, currently seeking out Tao’s injuries. There were quite a few moments where Kyungsoo caught the boy wincing from the effects of his newly regained abilities, but the elder teen didn’t complain.

                Back to Youngjae, it was obvious that it wasn’t a good thing that Joon was captured, but something in the way Youngjae said the words made it seem like they were missing something. They didn’t know the whole story, and Kyungsoo sure as hell wouldn’t let the information slip from them when they were so close to the truth.

                “What aren’t you telling us?” He added on, voice low and pressing, not that Youngjae noticed. The boy was freaking out, inside and out, and it was the perfect time for him to finally burst.

                “It’s the Tree! He knows the location of the Tree!!” Youngjae spit out the words, as if he’d been waiting for them to guess and he could finally let the correct answer out. His voice broke into a slight sob towards the end, but he was the only one in on the supposedly horrific situation. None of them knew what…tree…he was talking about.

                “Joon knows about a tree?” Sehun repeated for clarification. “Just a tree?”

                “It’s not just a ing tree!” Youngjae hissed, his rage and fear blending into one. “It’s our tree! The Tree of Life!”

                Youngjae stared at them all, as if that was some magical answer that was supposed to sum everything up. When in reality, Kyungsoo was all the more confused. He didn’t know they had a tree, which sounded completely stupid. Why did they have to worry about a simple tree? There were plenty more all around them.

                After a few more moments of confused silence, Youngjae threw up his hands. “This is why I told Siwon we should tell everyone but nooo! It would be better if they didn’t know, he said! Well that’s a load of ! And I ing knew it!”

                Eyes wide and brows drawn together in surprise, the group watched as Youngjae went berserk. Every curse word that Kyungsoo knew and more fell from the boy’s lips, and he actually kicked a hole in the nearest wall out of rage. Still, none of them really knew why, other than the fact that he was angry with Siwon. And the situation wasn’t getting any better, besides Lay having finished up his attending to the others’ injuries.

                “Youngjae! Calm down!” A new voice suddenly spoke up. The only person that hadn’t been present, and who Kyungsoo had actually forgotten about, finally made his appearance in the main room. Sungmin held a cell phone and earbuds in one hand, and in the other, some sort of weight lifting tool. Kyungsoo guessed he must’ve been in the basement, with music that must’ve been pretty loud if he had only just heard the ruckus that was being made. Or maybe he’d just happened to get showered with a fabulous amount of drywall and plaster in the process of Youngjae’s violent outbreak. That’d be sure to open his eyes and ears.

                “Sungmin!” Youngjae gasped out the name. He sounded both scared and relieved at the same time, as if he’d forgotten the man was there to help, yet he’d get scolded for his behavior in the process. “Joon has been taken!” Youngjae was then quick to explain, voice shaking along with his body.

                Honestly, Kyungsoo half expected Sungmin to go out of his usual character and flip as Youngjae had done, but thankfully, he was a bit calmer with this kind of situation.

                “And you know what this means, don’t you?” Sungmin asked Youngjae calmly, sounding as though he was a teacher or parent that was urging a student to solve his own question. And Youngjae seemed to do just that.

                “We forward the plans, right? Get the Tree before they do?”

                Sungmin nodded once. “Good.” He took a look around at the jumbled mess of boys that surrounded him, and then he gave another set of slow nods. “Alright. You all have a big day tomorrow, so clean up quick and get as much rest as possible tonight. You’ll need it, for it’ll be the most important day of your lives.”

                With that, Sungmin turned to leave, walking past Kyungsoo and out the destroyed front door. The older man whispered something under his breath, and Kyungsoo barely caught the soft flow of the words “Hopefully it won’t be your last” before the man was gone from sight.

                Youngjae also left the room to attend to his own business, most likely to calm down some more, and Kyungsoo finally took the chance to help Kai to his feet. The younger boy leaned heavily on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, and he was half tempted to pick Jongin up so that whatever remaining strength he had was saved. Despite having laid on floor for a long while, Kai still had relatively heavy breathing. Kyungsoo placed a gentle hand on the boy’s chest, and it wasn’t hard to feel the heart beating just below the skin. It hammered against Kai’s chest, quite obviously even to Kyungsoo, and he couldn’t help the smallest of pouts as he looked up to Kai’s face.

                “Soo, don’t give me that look…” Kai murmured as soon as he saw the expression Kyungsoo held. His voice was low, breathless and deep in Kyungsoo’s ear, which made the older yet shorter boy shiver. His expression remained the same, though.

                “I was worried, Jongin. I still am.” Kyungsoo whispered back, maneuvering them across the room and up the stairs, where the others were also pairing up to return to their rooms. Though Kyungsoo was still a bit angry for not getting much of anything out of Youngjae, he had better things to worry about. Well, Kai and the whole Tree thing probably should’ve been seen on the same level, but they were all just told to sleep so it wasn’t like he could go find Sungmin to push the subject some more. Besides, in that moment, his thoughts were definitely more occupied by Kai.

                Slowly but surely, Kyungsoo half carried Kai into their room. He supported a majority of the boy’s weight, but he preferred it that way. The secure feeling of having Jongin in his arms gave him a sense of calm. He felt that he could actually protect the boy instead of hurting him when they were like that, and he wouldn’t let it come to an end. He was barely even letting Kai put his feet to the floor, and he might as well have been carrying him completely by the time he let the younger boy down in the bathroom, where he pretty much collapsed to the floor once more.

                Kai gasped loudly in pain, hissing with his eyebrows drawn together. The mere sight of it broke Kyungsoo’s heart, and he never wanted to see that look on Kai’s face again—a look of exhaustion and pain, suffering that originated right in his core, where his powers stemmed from. Kyungsoo knew the pain, though not as well as others. Kai was in incredible agony, and though he wondered exactly what happened, Kyungsoo didn’t ask.

                Instead, Kyungsoo wordlessly began running the tub water. When it was warm enough, he closed the drain and stood to search the closet for clean clothes and towels. He easily found two fluffy bath cloths to dry with and even warm pajamas for them. Kai was just as silent as he watched Kyungsoo cross the room back and forth, organizing the utensils needed for them to wash up. When Kyungsoo reached down to shut off the water, Kai then took the time to speak.

                “Hey, Soo. Come here.”

                Instantly thinking that something must be wrong, Kyungsoo turned and knelt down in front of Kai. His eyes were immediately searching the younger boy’s body, and he wondered how Lay could’ve possibly missed a spot.

                “Are you still hurt somewhere?” Kyungsoo asked quickly, concern dripping from his voice like rain. He was looking over Kai’s stretched out legs by the time the teen answered.

                “I’m fine. But what are you doing?”

                Furrowing his brows, Kyungsoo looked up to see Kai gesture around to the filled bathtub. Kyungsoo just looked dumbly from the tub to Kai, not exactly sure why he asked such a stupid and obvious question.

                “Preparing a bath?”

                “Mhm. But with two towels?” One of Jongin’s eyebrows rose suggestively, and Kyungsoo then understood what he was getting at. Heat rose to his cheeks, and he dropped his gaze down to his lap in embarrassment. The thought had been harmless in his head, but now that Kai was wording it aloud, he realized how weird and inappropriate it could be taken.

                “I-I just thought…” But Kyungsoo couldn’t word his fears. He didn’t even want to admit them to himself. That so much would lay in store for the next day. Something big was happening, and by the way Sungmin had spoken those last words, it would surely be violent. He didn’t want to imagine losing any one of his friends, but Kai in particular was horrifying. He didn’t want to admit that this could possibly be their last night together and that he wanted to spend every second that he could beside each other.

                “Help me up.” Kai’s voice came so suddenly, that Kyungsoo was shocked out of his thoughts. He turned his head back up, and Kai gave one of his most handsome smiles, which caused him to completely melt. He placed his hands into Kyungsoo’s, jerking them a bit for emphasis. “Please.”

                Unable to resist a smile, Kyungsoo got to his feet, grasping onto Kai’s hands to pull him up, too. This time, Kai used the counter to balance his weight as he lifted his hands to remove his shirt. Kyungsoo turned, a blush still present on his cheeks, and he too started undressing. The pleading look that Kai had given him was irresistible, and it showed that Kai was just as willing as Kyungsoo was to spend time together like this. Just the thought made his heart thud harshly.

                Picking up the clothes that lay discarded on the ground, Kyungsoo moved them over to a laundry basket as the gentle sounds of rippling water reached his ears. When he turned, Kai was sitting in the tub, the murky water covering all that it should. Kyungsoo had done so with a purpose.

                Now thinking about it, though, Kyungsoo hadn’t given much earlier thought about how they’d position themselves in the tub. Kai was at least decent enough to turn a bit when Kyungsoo turned to face him, red rushing up his own cheeks. His fingers tapped absently against one leg, and he cleared his throat with much awkwardness.

                “Are you, uh…coming in, or what? This was your idea, was it not?”

                Stifling a small smile and an additional laugh, Kyungsoo bit his lip and padded over to Kai’s side. He gently stepped in and lowered himself into the tub, nestled right between Kai’s legs. He was completely surrounded by warmth, the water turning out to be the perfect temperature. In response, he relaxed back a bit, though quickly shifting back up when he realized he was putting pressure on Kai’s body. In order to save strength, Lay hadn’t healed the others completely. It was only the outer wounds that he was able to provide for, which meant that anything Kai felt due to his powers was bound to still be hurting.

                But despite this fact, a hand rose to Kyungsoo’s arm in order to push him back. A soundless gasp escaped Kyungsoo’s lips when he felt his back connect to Kai’s chest once more, and he turned his head to look up at Kai’s face, only to have lips claim his own without warning.

                Eyes wide, Kyungsoo froze with the shock of finding Kai’s lips attacking his. The warmth coming from the boy’s plump lips spread through Kyungsoo’s body, and then all of the discomfort disappeared. The fact that they were completely revealed to each other in that moment didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Kyungsoo was kissing Kai; the first real kiss since the first one that they’d shared only days before. It felt like ages after all that had happened since then, but that was just another useless fact with no meaning.

                There wasn’t much movement on Kyungsoo’s side. The most he did was twist to get a better grip with one hand on Kai’s shoulder, using only a bare minimum amount of strength to return Kai’s pushy kisses. Eyes closed and hearts pounding, both teens were lost in the swirling emotions that came with the lip-lock. Kyungsoo could barely contain his pessimistic self, and it didn’t take long for tears to surface and spill down his cheeks. Kai probably wouldn’t have even noticed if he hadn’t let a sob escape by accident, and that was enough to break the kiss they’d been sharing.

                “Soo?” The concern in Kai’s voice broke Kyungsoo’s heart, but he couldn’t stop himself. As he kissed Kai, he couldn’t stop the thoughts of it being their one and only time together from running through his brain. His thoughts were uncontainable, and Kai lifted an already wet hand to pointlessly attempt to wipe away his tears. “Soo, it’s alright. Don’t cry.”

                But Kyungsoo couldn’t stop them, and he shook his head. He leaned forward to rest his forehead against the boy’s chest, and arms wrapped around his in return. And almost as though he could read mind, Kai spoke to put Kyungsoo’s mind at ease.

                “It’ll be alright, Kyungsoo. Nothing that happens tomorrow will ever separate us. I promise you.”

                Looking up, Kyungsoo caught the sincerity in Kai’s eyes, and it made things so much better. Before he met Kai, there was nothing that could make him calm down so fast. There was nothing that could make him so happy, no one that could make his heart feel like it would burst simply from pure joy and relief. There was no one out there like Kai, and as Jongin brought his lips down once more, Kyungsoo began to hope for the best with all of his heart. Because come the next day, whatever lay waiting for them, Kyungsoo would do everything in his power to protect the one he loved.

                Even if it means releasing the Beast…

                If Baekhyun had known how much of a monster Chanyeol really was, then he probably wouldn’t have become as close to the boy as he was now. The enormous teen’s obsessions were worse than that of the Cookie Monster, which would then give him the nickname of Pamper Monster. Or maybe Love Monster? Gushy Monster? Cuddle Monster, possibly…? None of them sounded remotely sane in Baekhyun’s head, but maybe that’s why he and Chanyeol were in their current situation—a strange, twisted version of what would be known as dating.

And all couples experienced warm nights of cuddles and soft kisses. But sadly, they were no exception.

                “Chanyeol…” Baekhyun wined softly when he felt the long fingers of the other’s hand fiddling with the bottom of his shirt. Baekhyun lay curled on his side, attempting to follow orders and get some sleep, but the light brushes of Chanyeol’s fingers against his lower back were incredibly distracting. He had his back faced towards the teen in hopes that he could actually get some sleep, but Chanyeol obviously had other plans in mind.

                “Baekhyun…” The response came soft and deep in Baekhyun’s ear, sending a wave of shivers throughout his body. The pressure against his back was warm and so was the breath against his neck. Hands still played with his shirt, lifting up to bottom to run light, teasing trails down Baekhyun’s spine. Baekhyun’s breath stuttered with every inhale and exhale, making his heart beat like crazy. There was no rhythm to his body, and the beating completely stopped when Chanyeol’s hand slid around his waist to spoon him close.

                “My beautiful Baekhyun…” Chanyeol murmured next, following with the softest of kisses right behind the older teen’s ear. The soft pressure was enough to make Baekhyun melt, but he held himself together with much difficulty. He refused to become easy subject to Chanyeol’s touches, but it was harder than it looked.

                Cold fingers continued to snake their way around Baekhyun’s waist, slipping under his shirt once again to run across his stomach. Baekhyun in a breath at the chilly presence, and Chanyeol’s deep chuckle sounded in his ear.

                “You’re so cute… You know that, right?”

                “Chanyeol, stop…” Baekhyun whined again, cheeks burning. He turned to press his face into his pillow, but Chanyeol brought a surprisingly strong hand up to bring his face the other way, so that their eyes met instead. Chanyeol’s eyes were large in the dark, and Baekhyun was only able to see that because of a single light by the doorway that shone dimly across the room.

                Forced onto his back, Baekhyun allowed Chanyeol to look into his eyes. He waited for the teen to say something else, but no words were spoken. Chanyeol simply stared, not even taking the time to blink, and Baekhyun had to eventually look away. He was growing uncomfortable under the other’s gaze, his heart still pulsing painfully. He didn’t even need to try in order to hear his own heartbeat, and its pace only grew when Chanyeol opened his mouth again.

                “There’s no way, Baek… I can’t stop. You’re just too beautiful for me to properly put into words.”

                “Then don’t say anything! What, are you stupid!?” Baekhyun exclaimed quietly, hoping his furious blush wouldn’t be visible.

                “Stupid for you.” Came Chanyeol’s cheesy response, causing Baekhyun to scoff before he was quickly cut off by the other’s lips. He hadn’t even understood the lopsided meaning of his own words until it was too late, and then he wasn’t able to stand strong under Chanyeol’s presence.

                Chanyeol’s lips were warm and sure on top of Baekhyun’s, and the older teen could no longer hold himself back. He reached up with both arms, hooking them around Chanyeol’s neck so that their chests were brought together. Chanyeol had to subtly move himself to hover over Baekhyun’s body, but he loved that. He loved that their breaths mingled together; that Chanyeol’s hands searched for his. He loved how Chanyeol’s scent surrounded his, and the way Chanyeol’s feeling were expressed was enough to kill a man.

                Baekhyun’s lips were devoured by Chanyeol’s, but he didn’t care. Neither of them wanted to break the heated kiss, and neither cared about the oxygen they deprived themselves of in the process. All that Baekhyun cared about was the tongue in his mouth, on his face and neck and chest. Even when their teeth clashed, they didn’t stop, and Baekhyun realized in that moment that he was just as much of a monster as Chanyeol was. Two monsters that were meant to be.

                After who knows how long, they parted with much reluctance. Baekhyun’s chest ached with each heaving breath, and he could feel his lips swelling. However, he didn’t complain. How could he, when Chanyeol was just as ruffled right before his eyes. Dark eyes half-lidded and hair sticking up everywhere, Chanyeol was a hot mess. Baekhyun was almost tempted to kiss the life out of him again, but he held back for his own well-being. He wouldn’t be able to handle another round of that in his current state.

                Remaining on his back, Baekhyun decided to just focus on getting his heart rate back to normal. His skin tingled with heat and desire, but he shoved the feelings away. Exhaustion pulled at his eyelids, but he didn’t bother turning to see how much time they’d spent making out instead of sleeping. He knew he’d regret seeing how late it was, but he couldn’t regret the choice they’d made when partaking in such actions.

                After a few minutes of listening to himself breathe, Baekhyun once again felt the chill of fingers against his skin. How Chanyeol managed to be so cold all the time, he didn’t know. He was just happy that the teen was messing with his hand instead of his clothing.

                Looking over with tired eyes, Baekhyun caught Chanyeol staring yet another time. He didn’t oppose the action, this time, and instead closed his eyes to sleep. Chanyeol shifted closer to him, and then the blanket was pulled further on top of them, just barely covering Baekhyun’s chin. He felt comfort in the feeling of Chanyeol’s hand around his, and as such thoughts filled his mind, his hand was guided up towards their heads. Moments later, familiar lips caressed the soft skin over his knuckles, and Baekhyun opened his eyes to see that Chanyeol had finally closed his own.

                Turning onto his side, Baekhyun watched as Chanyeol held his hand to his lips. And just like that, they seemed to freeze in time. All worn out, Baekhyun’s body didn’t even have the strength to react, anymore. His heart didn’t race, but he felt the same effects in his head. It was warm, cozy, and he didn’t want it to end.

                When Chanyeol looked up again, he was smiling. It wasn’t a grin, nowhere close, but it was there. It was probably the smallest smile Baekhyun had ever seen cross his features, but it was his eyes that really packed a punch.

                Chanyeol’s eyes were filled with an unmistakable passion that Baekhyun declined to look away from. He might as well have had hearts in his eyes for all of the love that he made visible, and Baekhyun ached all over just looking at him.

                “I love you, my fragile queen…” The giant eventually murmured, causing a smile to work its way onto Baekhyun’s lips. His heart swelled, especially so due to a small goodnight kiss on his cheek, and he answered with just as much meaning behind the simple words.

                “And I love you, my dorky king…” 

                “Jongdae, what did Kris mean by what he said earlier?”

                Minseok’s soft voice filtered into Jongdae’s exhausted mind, making him tug open his tired eyes to look at the eldest boy. Jongdae lay spread out at all angles on their shared bed, while Minseok was seated on the edge with his feet touching the floor. Jongdae had to press his chin to his chest in order to get a good look at him, and he then decided to stay in his original position to cut back on the pain.

                Speaking of pain, Jongdae had been suffering from a severe headache since they had returned . He was still feeling the after-effects of having his head smashed against the ground, and he swore he could still feel blood dripping down his face even though he’d already taken a bath. Lay healed his head wound completely, but before then, he could hardly remember what was said by any of them. His thoughts were clear of anything now that the moment was over, and Minseok seemed to understand his mental struggle.

                “Kris said you were a big help. I’m not saying that you normally aren’t, but what exactly did you do for him to praise you so openly?”

                A spark sent Jongdae back into his memories of the night, and a shot of pain swept through his head at the same time. He winced, barely containing a gasp, and his breathing labored for a few moments before he managed to answer.

                “I…I just did what anyone else would do at the time.” A lump formed in Jongdae’s throat, and he fought to swallow it down, heart pounding in his chest. “I only did my part in helping everyone escape.”

                There were a few seconds of silence, and then the mattress creaked as Minseok shifted.

                “Jongdae…” He hesitated. “Are you alright?”

                The words Jongdae went to speak caught in his throat, yet again, and he curled his hand into a fist in hopes of hiding the way his fingers shook. He was on edge, he knew he was, but he felt more defenseless in this current moment than he had when he was on the verge of death that fateful night back at the base. His powers were drained, and he could barely move. If anything were to happen, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stand up and protect himself or his friends.

                “Just drained…” Jongdae finally choked out. “It took a lot out of me…”

                Another pause, in which neither of them seemed to even breathe. And then…

                “I’m proud of you, Jongdae.”

                The words caught him by surprise, and he opened his eyes to see Minseok looking down at him. He sat closer than before, their hands nearly touching, and Jongdae could only blink in response. The blush that covered Minseok’s cheeks showed that his confusion was clear, though, and the older teen fumbled for something to say.

                “You’ve always worked really hard, Jongdae… Ever since we met you’ve always been really happy and cool, and even though you went through a rough time mentally, you’ve come really far. I don’t know exactly what happened, but Kris made it sound pretty big, and I’m just really proud that you’ve been able to put your strengths to use when we need it most.” Minseok’s blush only deepened as he blabbered on, and Jongdae foresaw no end in the near future, so he cut the teen off.

                “It’s nice to hear what you have to think, but I have no idea what strengths you’re talking about.” Finishing off short, Jongdae immediately regretted how harsh he might’ve sounded. He didn’t mean it in a negative way, as he was sincerely thankful that Minseok was talking so honestly with him, and he only hoped his tone wasn’t as hard as the words themselves.

                “Well I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Minseok bounced back, sounding equally as confused by now. “You’re making it sound like you’re weak.”

                “Because I am.” The words came out as easily as breathing, with no thought before they slipped past Jongdae’s lips, and the look he got in return was incredulous. Minseok obviously seemed to think otherwise, but he only knew half of the truth.

                “You’re talking nonsense! You’re just as strong as I am!” Minseok insisted stubbornly, frowning deeply. “Why can’t you see that?” 

                “Because I know more than I see!” Jongdae shot back at him, feeling his skin begin to prickle with heat and embarrassment. “You’re strong on the inside and the outside, but I’m not like you!” Jongdae’s voice dropped quickly, and he turned his head away as he went on. “What happened back there was out of pure fear and desperation…” Another pause, this time longer. When Jongdae spoke again, he barely heard his own voice. “I just don’t want to die…”

                The silence that followed was absolute. The only thing Jongdae could hear was his own pulsing heart, magnified by the ear he had pressed against the pillow underneath him. Wet droplets gathered at the corners of Jongdae’s eyes, and his chest was tight with the effort to hold in a sob. He wished he could turn to his side, curl up, and disappear from sight for just a few moments until he could control himself. However, he couldn’t even roll over without a single ounce of strength, so he was left to hope that Minseok wasn’t looking at him, which was useless.

                “Jongdae… Are you hurting?” The older teen asked slowly, gently. “I want to help make you feel better, if so…”

                A finger trailed up Jongdae’s arm, shoulder, and then neck, until Minseok’s soft hand rested upon his cheek. Jongdae recognized the guiding touch and didn’t have much resistance when Minseok turned his head back over so that they were surely facing each other. He hadn’t yet opened his eyes again, but he did so at the commanding words that came next. “Now look at me, and tell me what I can do for you.”      

                Hauling open his eyes, Jongdae didn’t expect to see the careful look of concern that made up Minseok’s features. Even more so, he was surprised by his own request.

                “Please… Just hold me…”

                With absolutely zero brain-to-mouth filter at that moment, Jongdae half expected Minseok to play it as a joke and back off. However, the older teen didn’t even break eye contact. His lips instead turned up in a tiny smile, and his voice displayed all honesty.

                “Anytime.”

                A few moments later, and Jongdae was safely wrapped in Minseok’s secure, warm arms. He was cradled gently, face pressed into the other’s chest, yet he could feel the tense muscles underneath it all. There was clearly something on Minseok’s mind, and he was lucky Jongdae was too weak to even hold back. Allowing the first of the flood of tears to break free, Jongdae confessed. 

                “You don’t understand how scared I was back there... I thought I was gonna die all over again, and then it would’ve be the end for real... We were all caught by surprise—no one was available to save us—and then I just freaked out.” Jongdae took a moment to bring himself together, wiping away his ongoing tears with his fingers, and then he used that same hand to grip the front of Minseok’s shirt. “I snapped, and then everything happened in a matter of seconds. Joon was captured, we were ambushed, and then there was death… So much death…”

                “Jongdae…” Minseok’s voice came out as a bare whisper, but Jongdae couldn’t even bring himself to look him in the eye. He squeezed his eyes shut, and his hand gripped the older boy’s shirt just as hard.

                “I killed people, Minseok… I don’t even know how many… That’s how horrible I am...”      

                “No, no, no!” Minseok was quick to oppose, shifting so that he could grip Jongdae’s shoulder. “You aren’t horrible at all! Jackson told us that we should be killing these things, so you’ve done nothing wrong!”

                The bluntness of Minseok’s words caused Jongdae to wince, but it was enough to bring his tears to an end. At least for now.

                “Nobody’s perfect, Jongdae.” Minseok went on, this time more carefully; slowly. “It’s great that you haven’t kept track of those who’ve fallen. It’d be more sickening if you did.”

                Jongdae finally looked up at Minseok, his neck protesting painfully as he did so, though the look he got in return completely washed away any remaining feeling, other than that of his pounding heart. Every inch of his body pulsed along with the fast beating, especially when Minseok lifted a hand to wipe away the drying tears on his cheeks. Jongdae closed his eyes during the momentary feeling of Minseok’s gentle fingers, which were warm against his cold skin. And a moment later, before Jongdae could even think of opening his eyes again, even warmer lips were pressed to his.

                Though he found the action to be unexpected, Jongdae welcomed Minseok’s warmth. The older teen’s arms pulled him closer, holding him tighter. The mouth moving against his formed the words that couldn’t be said, and Jongdae mimicked them in response. Starting a bit harsh and gradually turning soft, Minseok translated wave upon wave of emotion through the kiss. By the time Minseok pulled back, Jongdae was breathless, face red and eyes drooping from the effect. His head spun, and he barely registered the chuckle that passed through Minseok’s now bright lips.

                “I mean it when I say I’m proud of you, Jongdae, and I can’t tell you enough how much I love you...”

                Cause of death: Heart attack. R.I.P Jongdae. April 2^nd XXXX

                Letting out a shuddering breath, Jongdae buried his face into Minseok’s chest once more, breathing in the other’s familiar, comforting scent.

                I don’t think I can take much more of this…

                The two lay together, warm and cozy under the blankets positioned across their bed. Tao was pressed close to Kris’ side, head on his shoulder, with one of Kris’ arms wrapped around him. Kris then had his head tilted slightly in return, so that he could rest his head against Tao’s, taking in the smell of shampoo with each breath. He could feel the warmth of Tao’s exhales against his neck, warm and soft, and he silently relished in the fact that Tao’s breathing noticeably faltered when he craned his neck to place a kiss within the messy tangle of raven hair.

                “Kris…” Tao’s voice was a soft whine, laced with a tinge of worry and slight desperation that confused Kris.

                “Is something wrong, Tao?” Kris immediately went on to ask, concerned due to the other’s tone. He didn’t think the younger boy was injured, seeing as Lay did his best to heal them all, but the fearful tone of the boy’s voice worried him. However, Kris didn’t expect the sudden words that Tao would say next.

                “Don’t you dare treat that as a goodbye kiss.”

                “What?”

                “Don’t kiss me like it’s the last time you’ll have the chance!” Tao rephrased, raising his voice up a notch. The desperation and fear in his words was clear now. “Don’t act all gentle and caring as though you’ll never be able to do it again! I hate that!”

                “Tao.” Kris stopped the boy before he could even think of saying more. He resisted the urge to sigh due to the sudden subject, and instead used a hand to tilt the boy’s head up. He could hardly see Tao in the dark, but he couldn’t care less as he went on. “What makes you think that was a goodbye kiss? What makes you think that I don’t look at you like it’s the last time, every time I see you? Every time we part ways? It’s true that you never know what’s going to happen, Tao. The saying ‘Live every day like it’s your last’ is said for a reason.”

                “But…” Tao tried, but Kris wasn’t done.

                “But despite this fact, you need to know that that wasn’t a goodbye kiss. That was a kiss that says ‘Hey! I love you!’, and that nothing that goes on tomorrow will stop me from telling you that every day from now on. You hear me?”

                There was silence after Kris’ words, and it lasted for only a few seconds before Tao puffed out a breath of air and returned his head to Kris’ shoulder. When he spoke, his words were muffled and shaky.

                “You scared me. I thought you’d react like the others and act like it’s the end of the world.”

                Kris couldn’t help but release a deep chuckle at that. “You seem to think that more than I do, Tao. Tomorrow will be the test of our lives, so let’s treat it as just that and get some ice cream afterwards as a reward.”

                “Kris, stop. This is serious.” Tao scolded, though his own voice held a smile to it. The younger teen threw an arm around Kris’ waist, pressing himself closer in a hug before releasing. He waited a few seconds before continuing on another tangent. “But what do you think we’ll have to do tomorrow, anyway… I mean, Youngjae kept talking about that tree, and I just don’t get it.”

                “You’re right.” Kris agreed, staring at the pitch-black ceiling as he scrunched his mouth in thought. In the silence, an idea hit him out of nowhere. “Wait, what if the tree is a codename?”

                “A codename?” Tao echoed, seeming to catch on. “You mean the Black Pearl?”

                Kris nodded quickly, his mind forming a path into the idea. “We call it the Black Pearl, since we don’t know what it is, but what if Youngjae and the others call it the Tree because they don’t want us to? I mean, they’ve kept it from us this long, so it’s obvious they want the thing a secret, but this way we don’t even know what it looks like!”

                “But Youngjae said something about getting the Tree…” Tao mumbled, nearly to himself. “So that means we’ll finally see it tomorrow, right?”

                “It seems like it.” Kris agreed, though he couldn’t feel the same excitement that radiated off of Tao. A dark thought slipped into his head, and he had no choice but to word it out. “But this Tree is the thing that started this whole problem in the first place… And that means the war between planets is sooner than ever…”

                The two teens let the words sink in, and then Kris felt an unmistakable hand grasping for his.

                “It’ll be okay. It’s just like you said.” Tao murmured softly, voice completely soothing to Kris’ ears. “This is just a test. So let’s rest well and do our best to prepare ourselves.”

                Kris smiled, letting his lips rest softly against Tao’s head once more. Despite his worry about their obscure future, he had a sincere gut feeling that nothing too bad would, or could, go wrong. They were fighting as a group this time, and he had never felt stronger than he did with his eleven friends at his side.

                It had only been two days...

Two days since the attack near the base. Two days since they’ve moved locations. Two days of pain and anxiety, but also love.

Two days since Yixing regained his memories.

                So much had happened in the span of two days, but Joonmyun should’ve been used to it by then. Ever since their lives were initially changed over half a year ago, lots of things had happened in short periods. Throughout their days at the base, each and every one of them had spurts of heavy training, which resulted in unlocked potential. They’d all refined their abilities, and now they were stronger than ever. They could control themselves and their powers with ease, and their range of techniques had increased on top of that. They were smarter in more ways than one, too, actually having gotten school lessons while in Siwon’s care, though still not as heavily as back home.

                Home… Joonmyun hardly recognized the meaning, anymore. From the outside, his life had looked perfect. He was the stereotypical rich boy, to an extent. He had a large sum of money at the tips of his fingers, and his parents hardly even bat an eyelash at him, no matter what he did. He had to wonder if they even knew he was gone. He was like a ghost in their household, unless his parents sent work for him to do, which they never even did in person. He had been raised by the family workers, and he wasn’t sure if it was a good thing, or a bad one.

                However, Joonmyun had dropped that idea of home for so long. Since the previous year when EXO had first become a team, they’d become his new family. Even before they’d become official, back when they were still getting together at Jongin’s place, he’d been quick to throw away his previous life. This group was his everything. His family, his friends, and even his lover. They gave him so much more love and laughter than he had ever experienced before, and he couldn’t even remember what his life was like before them.                                        

                The future lay limited before them, and he knew it. In less than a day, they’d be fighting for their lives. Their actions within the next twenty-four hours would decide their fate, and whether or not their family would stay together. Every second mattered, at this point, and Joonmyun didn’t plan on wasting the time they had left. No one could be sure of what would happen, so he would just take necessary precautions.

                “Joonmyun.” Yixing’s soft, sing-song voice filtered clearly through Joonmyun’s thoughts, tearing him away from his mind and into reality, where the Chinese boy lay facing him. He focused his eyes onto those before him, searching the brown depths and finding them full of concern. But concern for what?

                “What are you thinking about?” Yixing went on to ask once he had Joonmyun’s attention. A small smile fit Yixing’s lips, but Joonmyun couldn’t even bring himself to mirror it.

                “A few things, but mainly how…” Joonmyun trailed off, not sure he should even word his fears and regrets. With someone as gentle as Yixing, it was easy to spill anything without much thought, but this wasn’t really something that he should easily admit. He wanted to spend this time with Yixing, but he didn’t want it to be gloomy, at the same time. And he would’ve kept it to himself for just that reason if it weren’t for the fact that Yixing’s expectant stare rendered him completely defenseless.

                “Yixing… We’ve only had a short time together. Really together.” Joonmyun finally told the waiting boy, curling up slightly in their bed to protect himself from the sudden chill he felt. “You’ve only been your true self for two days, and I don’t even know how long I have left to savor it before something happens again…”  

                “Joonmyun…” Yixing sighed softly and brought their hands together, setting them in the space between them. Joonmyun stared at their interlocked fingers for a small moment before Yixing spoke to him again. “I know you’ve always been a downer, but you’ve reached a whole new level while I was gone.”

                “And that’s my point.” Joonmyun said, eyebrows drawn up to crease his forehead. “So much has changed, and now you’re in the middle of it with next to no memory of what’s happened.”

                “Hey, I have all of my memories now.” Yixing said softly. “Even those that occurred over the past few months. But it’s not like I can physically walk through them all. I just see them as tiny flits of deja-vu.”

                “We haven’t been able to do hardly anything together.” Joonmyun went on to explain his point. “Every other second someone was in here to talk to you yesterday. I was getting tired just listening, and then it was practically the same thing today! The only time we’ve had to be alone has been at night, and that’s only for a good two hours before we both pass out!”

                “Joonmyun, are you jealous?”

                In his pause to heave in a breath of air, Yixing spoke, and the words made Joonmyun freeze. He took a moment to let the words sink in, and by that time, he couldn’t find anything to say in response. His eyes remained trained on Yixing’s face, watching his lips curl up into a smile, and then his eyes crinkle when he began to laugh. The soft sound was like a rippling creek—music to Joonmyun’s ears. However, in this situation, it only caused his body to go warm.

                “Oh, Myun.” Yixing’s voice was light, and he rose a hand to brush away some of Joonmyun’s hair. “I’m simply spending time with the others now because it’ll be their only chance.”

                “W-What?” Joonmyun stuttered out, utterly confused by that statement, only to get even more flustered when Yixing leaned in close to whisper in his ear.

                “What I’m saying is… Once this thing is over, you won’t be seeing anyone other than me for a long while.”

                Heart running wild and mouth outright parched, Joonmyun couldn’t even manage a nod in response. Yixing, on the other hand, was extremely giddy as he placed a sweet kiss on his right cheek.

                “Now, don’t you dare think anything negative about what’ll go on tomorrow. Everything will be just fine, in the end, and then we can go on our first date! How does that sound?”

                While looking at the cheerful smile gracing Yixing’s lips, Joonmyun was completely overcome with emotion. He had no words to say, and it took everything he had not to suddenly break out in tears. How someone could be so optimistic, he didn’t know, but he couldn’t be happier to hear such hopeful words. Maybe things would go well, after all…

                Heat billowed out of the bathroom in the form of steam as Luhan opened the door into their room. Sehun followed right behind him, both teens dressed loosely in towels after showering, and the younger teen plopped himself down on the edge of their shared bed while Luhan padded over to a dresser containing clean clothing. He wordlessly pulled out fresh boxers and a large t-shirt, and then he turned to throw Sehun some pajamas of his own.

                “Change.” He ordered, breaking the silence. The outfit he threw landed smack in Sehun’s face, blocking his watchful eyes as Luhan began to change. “And get off the bed. You’ll make it damp.”

                Luhan did his best to hide his smirk when Sehun let out an annoyed sigh, but the boy was doing as he was told when Luhan turned back around again. He didn’t hesitate to strip himself of his towel, and Luhan busied himself with drying his hair in the meantime.

                “This is our last day before things go back to normal, and you’re worried about the bed getting wet? Seriously?”

                “I don’t fancy sleeping on a cold mattress.” Luhan said with a shrug, biting his lip to hold back another grin. “What else should I be worrying about?”

                “Luhan, don’t be this dumb!” Sehun said, obviously irritated given the tone of his voice. “You should know just as well as I do that today was just the beginning. Tomorrow’s going to be so much worse, yet you claim to have nothing else to worry about other than our bed?”

                “Well, I do like my beauty sleep.” Luhan mused quietly, now fighting the urge to laugh. Getting Sehun worked up was the best, and the boy worried so much that it wasn’t difficult at all. Luhan couldn’t help himself, and he finally let his grin loose when he heard Sehun’s long, heavy steps coming up fast from behind.

                Arms s quickly around Luhan’s waist, spinning him around fast enough to make him dizzy. Then Sehun was pushing him backwards, caging him against the wall just beside the dresser. Their faces were close, and Luhan went on to raise his chin, their noses brushing the slightest bit due to their parallel angles.

                “I don’t care about your beauty sleep tonight if there’s a chance that you won’t wake up after tomorrow’s events.” Sehun stated, voice deep and solemn. His eyes shone with reflected light, piercing into Luhan’s with a deep, swirling brown. “I’d keep you up all night if it didn’t raise the stakes that much more...”

                Luhan released a soft sigh, closing his eyes. He shifted his weight towards Sehun’s body so that their chests lightly touched, and a familiar hand closed around his in response.

                Luhan loved Sehun to death, and he was grateful for the amount of worry the young boy put into him, however, he didn’t believe things could become that bad. He just couldn’t accept it this time.

                “Sehun, I’m not going to die.” He said firmly; bluntly. “I’m pretty strong, you know.”

                “That’s not what your constant nosebleeds say.” Sehun shot back, and Luhan’s eyes flicked open at the comment. “Yeah, I noticed. Did you think I wouldn’t?” Sehun went on, raising an eyebrow. “You constantly put yourself through so much stress that you suffer multiple nosebleeds a week. How can I not notice?”

                “Well that doesn’t matter because it’s paid off.” Luhan returned. “I’m stronger than ever.”

                “That you are,” Sehun agreed. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t stop worrying about you. If you go down, I’m coming with you.”

                “Sehun!” Luhan gasped out the name, roughly shoving the boy away from him so that he could point a stern finger right under the boy’s chin. “Don’t you dare say something like that! First off, you’re submitting to the idea that one of us might not make it, and I won’t allow that! Second, there’s no way I’d let you end your own life because of mine! If I die, it’s to help save this planet and whatever else goes along with this stupid war! You cannot throw yourself away because of me!”

                Luhan stared Sehun down, waiting for the teen do go along with his usual submission, but this time was different. Sehun didn’t crack and agree with Luhan, but he held the stare for a long minute before he pulled on Luhan’s arm and crashed into him with a kiss.

                Shock sent Luhan’s eyes wide open, and he stood unmoving against Sehun’s body. The younger teen pulled him close, arms grasping at Luhan’s waist and neck, holding him there until Luhan eventually gave in to the pressure and temptation of his lips.

                The young teen didn’t even waste time for breath, and his lips were quick to ravage Luhan’s. His hands tugged and caressed, rough and gentle at the same time. The kiss was urgent and desperate, full of love and worry and all of the other emotions running wild in their heads. It was a mess, and Luhan grew dizzy, his head warm and full of fluff, but he could feel the message being spread. Sehun’s seriousness was clear, and the hunger and honestly behind the kiss was unmistakable.

                Sehun was scared. Much more than the boy would admit out loud, and it made Luhan’s heart ache. He wanted to put the boy’s mind at rest, but he knew that would be impossible. Luhan knew Sehun would do anything for him, even if it meant risking his own life, and that alone was bad enough. Luhan just hoped, as he kissed Sehun back with all of the force and love he could muster, that Sehun wouldn’t be given the option to balance his life in order to save another… They were just too young…