“Good work guys,” Jinki calls over the members’ pitiful groaning, and lightly claps a hand on Kibum’s shoulder with the little energy he had left. Kibum’s answering yell directs him to the arm dangling uselessly from the younger’s joint. He has honestly forgotten about the shoulder, his eyes roving at the more prominent lacerations Kibum’s sustained in battle.

They’re trudging back to their dorm, passing through their neighbor’s front yard, after the city officials warned against driving alongside the crumbling buildings, and with the ground cracked up, the subway system is also currently out of commission. All these is no thanks to two giant fire-breathing lizards let loose and wreaking havoc in downtown Seoul some forty-minutes ago. That is, until their group came to round up the monsters.

After countless close calls, they have successfully defeated the three-story building tall lizards, but it seems there’s battle another brewing within the group.

“You ing short ,” Kibum spins on his good foot, facing Jinki who cowers at the sight of his livid bandmate, looking more menacing than he did earlier in combat. But Kibum’s glare misses the leader, landing instead on Jonghyun who up until then has been tailing Jinki silently as they step into their building’s elevator. And it’s the kind of look that wishes to brutally kill, tear apart the flesh to feed to hungry crows.

“You wanted to get us all killed didn’t you?” Kibum harps on, ranting about crazy suicidal idiots and idiotic suicidal schemes and how he wouldn’t lift a finger to save Jonghyun’s if the other was roasting in fire.

Super speed isn’t one of Kibum’s powers— that’s Jonghyun’s— so he’s all broken bones after playing bait to the monster, distracting it from making a wasteland out of their city. He realized this particular fact when he was already trapped, being squeezed to death between the reptile’s tiny, but surprisingly powerful claws.

Sheepish and apologetic, Jonghyun glances at Jinki, seeking support. But when all Jinki could do is smile tiredly, lips tight around the edges, though he tries hard to keep it encouraging, it has the opposite effect on Jonghyun who hangs his head in shame.

They have been caught unprepared, surprised to find a science experiment gone wrong when all they’ve been expecting are no-good criminals to fill the city jails with. This new creature, and there are two of them, however doesn’t think or feel remorse as it burns down everything in its path. And everyone—almost everyone—in their group had battle scars to show for it.

The garish slash across Jinki’s stomach has already clotted over and smoothening from the outside in but the dried blood still shines sickeningly on his shirt.

Underneath Taemin’s seared sleeves are nasty-looking burns even Jinki can’t stomach seeing.  Although Taemin seems already well- adjusted to the stinging if it weren’t for the watering in his eyes and the clenching of his jaw every other step.

Even Minho, gifted with laser vision which he used to slice the monster’s arms and free Kibum from its grip, is covered head-to-toe in soot, from going through rubbles, rescuing people from falling buildings, the purpling bruises on his skin go don’t unnoticed.

Only one member gets away unscathed.

The only sign Jonghyun’s been in a struggle to save thousand people’s lives, are the hair clumping on his forehead from his sweat and the dirt under his fingernails. He looks no worse than if he jogged in a construction site.

So Jonghyun could dodge the lizard’s every attack a split second before it is supposed to hit him, big deal. So he messed up relaying Jinki’s instructions to Kibum—he was supposed to bait the lizard—earlier, boo hoo. He still doesn’t think that should warrant him the hate he’s getting now. Everyone’s going to be spotless by morning anyway.

But in truth he could live with that unfair jealousy for his superpower (or the, ok, reasonable anger for his blunder); what he couldn’t live with is—

“Shouldn’t you be going home now, hyung?” Minho expectedly springs on him as he steps into their dorm’s front step. If he didn’t look concerned Jonghyun would honestly feel attacked, especially with the way the others are eyeing him now too. Never mind the threatening arch in Kibum’s brows.

Usually, on nights they go out to do their heroic duties, he and Taemin spend the night in the dorm. They would gather around the dining table waiting for their turn to have Jinki check and heal their injuries. Healing is Jinki’s gift. Their leader would touch the damaged area and they’d watch in quiet fascination as the tissues reconnect, closing the gaps in their flesh until they’re good as new. It would be as if they merely spent the day in a spa being thoroughly pampered and slept not a second later than 9PM. In the morning, their complexion would be smooth as an apple’s skin befitting of an idol’s image.

Ironically, the one time they go against their greatest threat yet is the one time he alone remains uninjured. And there goes his excuse to spend time with Jinki after a long, tiring day.

His heart’s in desperate need of Jinki’s healing now more than ever, he thinks dejectedly as he heads home.

In under five minutes, he’s warm in his own bed, in his own room. But the room’s much too quiet for his liking without Taemin’s soft snoring in the next bed and Jinki’s stealthy shuffling outside as the leader tries to make their dorm less cluttered and more cheery in the morning. Roo’s sleeping gently over his covers, but it isn’t enough today. Though upon remembering how his faithful friend waited for his return, tongue lapping at his ankles excitedly, he thinks maybe going home isn’t such a bad idea.

But to Jonghyun tossing and turning in his bed at three in the morning, yes this is actually a stupid idea. It’s stupid to think that he’d survive the night of missing Jinki’s soft fingers on his skin. It’s a rare occurrence that Jinki’s unwavering attention is on him, even though he’s concentrating on his cuts with pink tongue poking out between his lips, Jonghyun takes what he can.

Looking back, he should’ve insisted staying in the dorm with everyone. He could say he missed them, it was about time they bonded outside their schedules or something. (Definitely something.)

He’s so used to Jinki’s smile saving him after they save the day. Their leader telling him personally, “good work, Jjong” as he works on a closing a wound, is his version of a bedtime story and it gives him the most beautiful dreams.

By 3:05, he decides he’s fighting a losing battle attempting to sleep now so he steps out his room, careful not to jostle his pet awake.

He doesn’t know when and how it happened, but when he pads to his kitchen to pour himself a glass of milk to calm his still wide awake mind, he somehow finds himself inside their dorm instead, a 33-second dash away from his bedroom back at home.

As he looks around, he finds Jinki asleep, head resting on his arms crossed over the dining table. The crease between his brows concerns Jonghyun and before he could stop himself, he reaches over to smooth it out with his thumb. Jinki stirs then, and Jonghyun draws his hand back. But it’s already too late; he watches as Jinki’s brow furrow further before his eyes slowly flutter open.

It’s breath-taking, the way Jinki greets him with a lazy smile. His brain short-circuits and his heart hammer painfully against his ribs. He won’t be sleeping anytime soon this rate.

“Am I dreaming?” the elder asks.

In Jonghyun’s current state, dangerously in love, throat tensing as side effect, he could only shake his head vigorously. And somehow that makes Jinki’s lips curl wider, eyes crinkling, but still half-asleep if the wide yawn is anything to go by.

Taking pity, he puts his arm around Jinki’s back, jamming his hand beneath Jinki’s arms, and pulls him on his feet. He’d like to dash them both to the elder’s room right now, but lifting Jinki into his arms is something he’d often dreamed about but would never pull off.

Instead he lets Jinki slumps on him, legs too tired to carry his own weight.

“For someone so quick,” the half-asleep leader presses his nose on his neck, whispering warm breath on his skin, “it took you a long time to return.

“Come on, let’s go to bed so you can heal me too.”