~Chapter 12 – Mission Start: Delivery to Be Made~

            "Here are the twin gems that have finally arrived to the village," announces Kris as Suho opens the small box in his hands to show the four others in the room.

            There were two medium sized gems settled within the box beside each other, the one on the left a pure white with a black crescent right in the middle while the one on the right was a pure black with a white crescent in the middle.

            "You've all read over the mission scroll I had delivered to you the other day right?" confirmed Kris as he narrowed his eyes at the four ninja before him.

            "Of course we did," replied Kyungsoo, "We know what we're doing."

            Kris nodded at the answer, "Good because if you mess this assignment up we'll be having an even worse problem since it could be the start of a war between two lands."

            "Why do you keep giving us these types of missions where if we up then everyone else is doomed too?!" protested Kai.

            "Because you four just happen to have bad timing while I'm giving out missions!" responded Kris.

            "That's not fair!" whined Kai.

            "A lot of things aren't fair like when Suho throws mountains of paperwork at me and expects me to finish it all by the next morning," grouches Kris as he failed to see Suho hand the small box with the twin gems inside to Sehun and approach him from behind.

            One resounding slap to the back of the head later accompanied by a loud yell of pain from their leader, Suho smiles at the four ninja before him and proceeds to say, "Head out as soon as possible to complete this mission successfully, the peace between the two lands of Andan and Cui are counting on you."

            "Understood," replied all four in the squad before making their way out of the office.

            Kris rubbed the back his head where Suho smacked him, "That was supposed to be my line."

            "Stop complaining Kris and get back to work, you're behind… again," replied Suho swiftly before also making his way out the door leaving Kris to grumble under his breath about all the paperwork.

            As for the four ninja, they were making their way out of the village's gates to head out on their mission. Sehun kept the box with the gems in his backpack while he walked beside Kai, Kyungsoo and Luhan both walked ahead of them chatting about something the other two couldn't really tell.

            "You never told me how things went," stated Kai as he made a small nod towards the shorter two ahead of him and Sehun, catching the younger's attention.

            Sehun shrugged indifferently, "Nothing much to really say…"

            Kai shot a skeptical look at Sehun.

            "It'll get sorted out by the time we get back from the mission, don't worry about it for now and just focus on the task at hand," insisted Sehun as he returned Kai's look with a reproachful one.

            Kai sighed as he waved Sehun off, "You know, you can't keep running from it forever and putting it off. You're going to have to face it head on eventually," Kai dropped his voice slightly lower so that he was sure only Sehun could catch what he was saying, "Aren't you basically hurting each other like this?"

            "…I don't even know anymore," replied Sehun honestly. He remembered the way Luhan wanted to confront him at the market and the way he brushed the older off right away, he remembered the guilt that burned and coiled in his stomach just from seeing the look on Luhan's face but he also chased that thought away when he thought of all the more pain he was saving them from. Sehun was at a lost, if putting things off to the side until he can figure things out with a better view then by all means that's the course of action that he will take. Luhan, no matter how much Sehun would deny it to another person out loud, is without a doubt precious to him and he wants to make sure the choices he makes with the older will be the right ones.

            Kai reaches out and gives Sehun an encouraging pat, "It's fine, this is something you want to figure out on your own right? The answer will come eventually Sehun."

            "You're oddly being… understanding right now and it's severely weirding me out, what's wrong with you? Are you sick or something? Did Kyungsoo whack you upside the head too hard or something for doing something stupid to him?" questioned Sehun without pause.

            Kai pouted, "I'll have you know I can have my moments too! Besides who else would understand you best right now?"

            "I heard my name being mentioned and then Kai blubbering. Should I be concerned about this?" Kyungsoo looked over his shoulder to peer at the two youngest.

            Kai shook his head rapidly, "No of course not~ There's only good things being said about you, my most favorite person ever~"

            Kyungsoo twitched at Kai's words and turned towards Sehun, "Alright tell me what you two said about me so I can decide the level of Kai's punishment."

            "What!? Why do I get punishment!?" cried Kai, "I really didn't say anything, Sehun was the one who thought I sustained brain injuries simply because I was being understanding with him!"

            Kyungsoo and even Luhan turned around to stare blankly at Kai.

            "What?" asked the younger when he got no response from the two oldest.

            "The only one who should be on understanding levels with Sehun would be Luhan," replied Kyungsoo as he nudged the other closer to their squad leader.

            The two sort of fidgeted quietly as Kai and Kyungsoo continued their conversation.

            Kai his chin in mock thought, "Right, that's very true. Then what would I be considered doing? Sympathizing?"

            Reaching up swiftly Kyungsoo grabbed Kai's ear and pulled the taller towards his height to say quietly, "You would be considered as a block," before saying louder for Sehun and Luhan to hear, "Now come with me for a moment while I discuss with you some things."

            Luhan raised an eyebrow at Kyungsoo's statement, "What are you going to do to Kai? We still need him for our mission."

            "Nothing too drastic," replied Kyungsoo with a smile as he pulls Kai forward with him but of course not before yelling back, "Why don't you focus on Sehun? If Kai's understanding or sympathizing with him then something must be up and it's not good."

            As the other two went further ahead (although still in sight of course) leaving a larger gap between them and Sehun and Luhan so that there was enough distance to where neither groups could distinguish what the other was saying to each other, Sehun and Luhan could only walk side by side in semi-awkward silence.

            "Is there anything wrong?" asks Luhan unexpectedly.

            "No," it's like an automatic response for Sehun whenever Luhan asks him that question and he silently berates himself for it since the older no doubts doesn't believe him.

            Luhan's lips twitch slightly, "Are you really going to expect me to believe that?"

            "Maybe."

            "I didn't even believe that since we were in our academy days."

            "I felt the same way whenever you gave me that answer when I asked you the same question."

            Sehun and Luhan gradually have smiles appearing on their faces as they remember their younger days.

            "We've really changed since then," noted Luhan with an airy chuckle.

            Sehun hums in agreement, "We have but there are still things that won't ever change."

            "Really, like what?" Luhan playfully bumps his shoulder with Sehun's.

            "Your nosiness is one of them," replies Sehun jokingly as he returns the shoulder bump.

            Luhan laughs lightly, "Your brattiness hasn't changed either."

            "Great," replies Sehun as he continues with their small shoulder bumping game, "Glad to know our dynamic itself hasn't really changed too much."

            "What do you mean?" asked Luhan curiously as he bumps into Sehun's shoulder lightly.

            "It's easy like this isn't it?" Sehun doesn’t really meet Luhan's eyes as he asks.

            "Hasn't it always been easy?" Luhan bumps Sehun's shoulder once more with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes, "We know each other backwards and forwards, inside and out. At least that's how it used to be when things were a lot simpler without complications."

            And suddenly it's like they're no longer talking about reminiscing but of their intentions with one another. This is dangerous ground that they're treading on now and Sehun wants to steer it in a different direction but he's pretty sure he won't be able to have the chance.

            "It can still be, there doesn't have to be complications," breaths out Sehun quietly.

            Luhan shakes his head, "Sehun… I think our complications run far too deep for us to simply keep pretending don't you think?"

            Sehun takes a side glance at Luhan