His hands flew out to the front as he kicked himself backwards to slide along the floor of the mirrored room.

Then, with a twist and a flick of his leg, he was back on his feet, stepping into a pirouette. He pulled out into an arabesque, his foot pushing up and over so that he could spin under his own leg.

He was breathing heavily as the song he’d chosen faded out and drifted into another.

It was the Saturday after he’d been attacked by his mother in the woods, and though they were allowed outside again, he just hadn’t felt like going out.

Instead, he had hauled himself to the far end of the west wing of the school, where the abandoned dance rooms were.

He’d been dancing for a solid two hours before deciding to take a brief break. He let the music play on as he slumped against the mirror and let his body slide down so that he could sit on the floor.

The whole situation was ridiculous, and he hated it. He hated that his birth parents knew where he was, hated that Kyungsoo knew about them, hated that he could never escape their grasp no matter how far he ran.

A growl of frustration ripped through his throat. He just hated it, all of it. He just wanted, needed, to get away, if only for a short while.

He’d just dance. Dancing helped him lose himself in a new world. He got back to his feet, ignoring the slight ache in his back and the tell-tale stinging of his muscles, and cranked the music louder.

He used to incorporate his power into his dance, but the idea of using it in that moment took away from the distraction that dance provided. He wanted to escape his power, because although he loved what he was able to do, loved that he was a Special, he hated the memories, the feelings that came with it at times like this.

“Would you just look at those moves” a voice drawled sarcastically from the doorway as the lights dimmed ever so slightly.

Jongin flitted over to the CD player and cut the music before turning to see Baekhyun stood in the doorway, leaning against the old wooden frame, a smug look on his face.

“What do you want?” Jongin asked, not unkindly, but he wasn’t in the mood for company as it were, which was why he had left the group to be alone in the first place.

Baekhyun tutted, “Is that any way to treat your elders?” he rolled his eyes, “And I wanted to ask you something”

“Can’t we do this later? I’d really like to be left alone right now” Jongin sighed.

Baekhyun shrugged, “Shame. I don’t care, really. So no, it can’t wait until later. So my question; what’s your aim with Kyungsoo?” he asked forwardly.

Jongin frowned, pushing his sweat drenched hair back off of his face, “Um, excuse me?” he managed out, not really sure what else there was to say.

“You heard me. What’s your game? I may be a lot of things, Jongin, but stupid isn’t one of them. What do you want with him?” Baekhyun replied icily, “Don’t make me ask again.”

“What the , man? We’re friends. There is no ‘game’. Why would I want anything from him. God.” Jongin shot back, his annoyance growing by the minute.

“You’re not fooling anyone” Baekhyun said.

“What, is this one of those, ‘he’s not allowed any friends, but me’ threats or something?” Jongin scoffed.

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, “Not nearly” he shot back, “In case you haven’t noticed, he’s got quite a few of them. This is about me not wanting you to him over. I like you. I really do, but there’s something about you, about this whole ed up situation that’s got him all worked up and I don’t like that. So what I’m saying is, if you so much as make him frown, I’ll come for you. I will not have anyone hurting that boy, you hear me?”

Jongin was a little taken aback. Jealous-Baekhyun he had been prepared for, but he wasn’t sure how to handle a protective-Baekhyun. He understood it though because it’s how he was with when it came to Sehun.

“I’m not planning on hurting him” Jongin said calmly, “He’s a good person, a great friend, and I wouldn’t want to jeopardise that”

Baekhyun nodded, though he didn’t look entirely convinced, “alright, well I’ll see you around” he said before turning to leave. He paused, looking back over his shoulder, “And Jongin…”

“Yeah?”

“Drink some water. You’ll get dehydrated, you dickhead” and things were normal again. Well, as normal as things got around them.

Baekhyun shot him a small smile and then he was gone, and the lights brightened again.

Jongin let out a soft sigh, he had noticed something had been a little off with Kyungsoo since that day in the woods, as though there was something he wasn’t telling people, and though he had been fine, and acting as he usually did, he was starting to get bags under his eyes, and looking more tired. More than once, Jongin had heard the elder wake up with a cry of fear.

He knew that there was no point in dancing anymore. Baekhyun had pushed those thoughts of Kyungsoo back into his head, and he knew it would be a losing battle to try and fight them out again.

He left the CD player, with the CD in it, and walked towards the door of the dance room, flicking off the lights as he exited. He knew it would be quicker to just flit back to the dorm, but if he were to be honest with himself, he knew the time alone was doing him just as much good as he knew it was bad. He may have had the never-ending memories and thoughts plaguing his mind, but it also meant he was free from having to pretend that he was completely fine, free from the questions he knew that everyone was still dying to ask him. Who was that woman, why has it shaken him up as much as it has, why is Kyungsoo being so strange about it. There were too many questions, and he knew the answers to only few of them.

Jongin didn’t know if he wanted to punch a wall out of frustration or just sit against one and cry until his voice was all but gone and his eyes were red and dry. But he did neither, instead he just took the slow walk back to the common room.

Thankfully, most of the lads were out enjoying the scarce amounts of freedom they had, breathing in the fresh air. He knew that Minseok and Jongdae had been gone before the crack of dawn, and Junmyeon had left soon after. Yixing had gotten up at the same time as Jongin had, and once they’d said their 'good morning’s to one another, they went their separate ways.

Jongin knew that since Baekhyun had been to see him, Chanyeol must have been out too, probably with Kris, and where Kris went, Tao was quick to follow.

He knew that Sehun had more than likely dragged Luhan off for more of those tutoring lessons he used and a pathetic excuse to woo the older boy. And Kyungsoo…

Well, when it came to Kyungsoo, he honestly didn’t have a clue where the elder would be. Usually he’d be off with Baekhyun, or even Junmyeon, but in the week that had followed the attack, the elder had become slightly more unpredictable.

He pushed through the heavy door of the common room to find his wonderment answered, with the sight of Kyungsoo sitting and staring into the fire, an open book left open on his lap, but not being read. There was a half empty cup of hot chocolate on the table, along with a plate of crumbs that Jongin assumed were left from a slice of toast, or something of the like.

He didn’t make himself known vocally, there was no point, the elder would have already known he was there as soon as the door opened. It was as though Kyungsoo had somewhat of a sixth sense that way.

He walked slowly over to the elder and sat down beside him, reaching forward and taking the hot chocolate for his own, downing it in one, not caring that it was still a little too hot and burnt his tongue ever so slightly. He vaguely wondered how Kyungsoo had drank it when it was scorching, but with the way the elder was staring into the fire with glazed over eyes, he doubted if he even tasted the sweet drink.

“That isn’t good for your eyes” Jongin commented, taking the book from Kyungsoo’s lap and sparing the cover a brief glance before tossing it onto the coffee table.

Kyungsoo hummed, “I’ve been told so” he answered blandly.

“What’s going on with you, hyung?” Jongin asked, “You’ve been so far away lately.”

“Aren’t I always?” Kyungsoo asked in return, finally looking away from the flames upwards at the empty shoot of the chimney, “Isn’t that all part of my charm?”

Jongin shook his head, not even bothering to spare him a pity laugh at the half-hearted joke, “No. Not like this. Something’s eating at you, and it’s distancing you from us all”

“What did he say to you?” Kyungsoo asked, looking so very tired with life.

Jongin shrugged, “He thinks I’m your friend to gain something. As though I could possibly get anything from you that you didn’t want me to”

“Could I get something out of you that you didn’t want me to?” Kyungsoo wondered aloud, his eyes running over Jongin’s face in serious contemplation.

“I honestly believe you could get anything you wanted out of me if you set your mind to it” Jongin told him, “Not because I’d give in, but because I think you have ways of being dangerous like that”

Kyungsoo smiled a little, and it made Jongin feel a uneasy at how hollow it was, “Do I scare you, Jongin?” he asked.

“Sometimes” Jongin admitted, “But not because I think you’d ever hurt me… Or because I think you’re dangerous. I know you are. But that’s not why you scare me…”

“No,” Kyungsoo agreed, shaking his head, “No, of course not. You’re afraid of me because I’m just a ticking time bomb, right? Because I could blow at any moment and you don’t know if you want to be there when I do?” he laughed a single, bitter laugh, “Am I right? Or are you going to bull me?”

Jongin hummed, “you’re right” he said, “But you disagree…”

“Of course I disagree” Kyungsoo said as though it were so simple, “I’m not going to explode. Or implode, or whatever any of you think. If I go off the rails, it’ll be because I want to”

“I think deep down I know that” Jongin said, “Maybe that’s what scares me the most”

“Maybe that scares me too” Kyungsoo said evenly, “or maybe it’s just that I’m too full of myself. Who knows anymore. You wanna know something, Jongin?”

Jongin didn’t say anything, he just gave a nod.

“I realised something when you were hurt” the elder said, “I realised that in this couple of months that we’ve known each other, I’ve grown to like you. And I meant really like you. But it doesn’t matter. Because I can’t, I can’t like you, not now, not ever. It’s too dangerous. For me, for you. I’m not trying to sound full of myself and assume you feel the same or anything, but if you did… if you do, then I think you should know before anything comes of this that it can’t be anything.

 “I know you’re awake when I have nightmares. I know that you don’t say anything because you think I’ll get embarrassed, or defensive, or maybe both, but that’s not it. It’s just that I know where I know your… that Rouge name from. I heard it the night my parents were murdered. They got killed right in front of me, and it keeps ringing through my head. They killed my dad, and my mum asked them why they’d done it… and you know what they said? They said it was for ‘Kai’. For Kai… Was it you they were talking about? I don’t know… I doubt you know either. But my parents died for someone called Kai, and it’s too much of a coincidence that you’re…. you were supposed to be Kai.

 “That woman… Your mother. Whoever she is… I think… I mean, I can’t be certain, because it’s all a little fuzzy, and I only see glimpses of black hair in my dreams, and then by the time I wake up I can’t remember too much of it, but I think that woman was there the night they died. I think it might have been her… that killed them. I think my parents died for you, and I want to know why. I want to know what made you so worth dying for” Kyungsoo muttered the last line quietly, he looked like he was on the verge of crying, but even Jongin knew that he wouldn’t. He was too proud for that.

Jongin played awkwardly with his fingers, “When I was with my parents, my real ones, not those awful people that made me… I got a letter. It was from one of my sisters” he said softly, “Apparently, they’re about ten years older than me, or something. I don’t know, I don’t remember them. But they told me that they escaped because a kind man, one of us, but not evil… he helped them get out, he helped them get me out, and when they dropped me on the doorstep of my parents, he helped them go under the radar, so that they could live safe and peacefully.

 “I don’t know the ins and outs of it, but if what you’re saying is right… Then maybe, maybe that’s why… I know it doesn’t justify anything, their deaths… But, maybe, maybe your dad saved me. Maybe that’s why…” he whispered. “And just for the record, this thing between us… it’s something already, hyung. There’s no escaping that”

Neither of them spoke after that for a very long time, they just sat in front of the fire and watched the logs burn hot.

Kyungsoo sighed every now and again, and flinched when he felt Jongin’s little finger graze his own. He remained still for a while as Jongin’s hand settled over his own, but he gave in shortly after, turning his hand over and allowing the younger to lace their fingers together. The point of ‘this isn’t anything’ was there, even if it wasn’t said, but Jongin felt it was best ignored, even if Kyungsoo felt otherwise.

It was tentative at best between them, as though one small gust of wind and they’d be falling off of the cliff edge. As though they were playing with fire, and it was only a matter of time before one of them, or maybe both, would be burned.

But whilst the danger was scary, it was an adrenaline rush like nothing else, and maybe living on the edge was what kept them living.

There was so much more that Kyungsoo wasn’t telling him, Jongin knew that much, but the elder had opened up, even if only a little. At least now Jongin new vaguely why it was the elder was so guarded.

His parents had been killed too, maybe it was worse than what Jongin went through, maybe it wasn’t. He knew the what, he didn’t know the how. And it was only a theory as to the why at that point for both of them, but Jongin was determined that they would find out the truth, even if it killed them.

Sehun let out a soft exhale as he squinted up at the sky. There wasn’t a cloud in sight, and though it was still rather bright out, the sky was a foreboding grey colour.

“It’s never going to be easy, is it? This life?” he asked to nobody in particular.

He and Luhan were sat on the field, not really feeling up to going into the woods with Kris, Tao, Baekhyun and Chanyeol. What had happened the week previous had shaken Sehun up more than anyone had cared to notice, at least anyone other than Luhan. They were too preoccupied with Jongin and Kyungsoo.

Luhan sighed, looking at Sehun with a half-smile, “No, it’s not. But that’s what we’re fighting for isn’t it? We’re fighting so that kids growing up today won’t have to live in fear like we did… It’s not fair, I know, but at least we’re trying to make a difference, right?”

“I just… I feel like there’s always this black cloud over my life, and I can’t even have five minutes without worrying who’s going to die next. Will it be Jongin? Will it be me? Will it… be you..?” Sehun trailed off, blinking away his upset.

“Nobody else is going to die, Sehun”

“You can’t know that!” Sehun snapped, his head turning to look at Luhan in frantic worry, “You can’t know that this is gonna turn out okay! That this is going to be fine. We’re in a ing war, I can feel it. It’s the third uprising and if you think they’re going to go easy on us because we’re not at full age, then you’re wrong. They’re going to kill whoever they can get their hands on, and they’re going to enjoy it. You heard the news, you’ve seen what’s going on out there. It’s only a matter of time before one of then gets someone, and then what? I don’t want to ing lose you, Luhan!”

Luhan’s eyes softened as he scooted over and took Sehun’s cheeks in his hands, running a soothing thumb up and down the younger’s cheeks, “Sehun, I’m not going to die. You are not going to die. None of us are. Not me, not Jongin, not anyone, you hear me? We’re going to be okay. We’re going to win this fight, because we’re good at what we do, and they’re not going to know what hit them. Good, evil… It’s not really what it’s about. It’s about what’s right, and okay, we might get hurt, we might get knocked down, but we’ll get back up because we’re strong together. We’re like a single entity, Sehun. Come on, we’re doing group techniques next week, can you imagine what we’ll be like with our powers combined? What we’re like when we are one” he said, his eyes not looking away from Sehun’s, “We can survive this”

“How can you be so sure?” Sehun asked in a weak voice, his hands lifting to grip tightly onto Luhan’s wrists.

“Because I have faith in us” Luhan said calmly, his eyes showing just how sure he was.

Sehun wasn’t really sure what made him do it, but with Luhan just there and being so reassuring, it just made him finally feel like there was a little hope in his world. He leant forward and pressed his lips briefly to Luhan’s before pulling back to gauge the elder’s reaction.

Luhan’s eyes were closed, his lips slightly parted in surprise, they were still slightly pursed as though he wanted Sehun to do it again.

It was as though in slow motion that he opened his eyes, though his hands remained softly cupping Sehun’s face, “What was that?” he asked, sounding slightly surprised, but mostly… was that hopeful?

“I… Uh, a kiss?” Sehun replied unsurely.

Luhan laughed at him for that, though Sehun had expected it, so he could only smile back, “A kiss” Luhan repeated, “I see… Was it because you wanted to kiss me, or because you think we’re all going to die and you wanted to kiss anybody?”

“Because I wanted to kiss you” Sehun said steadily.

Luhan smiled and nodded twice, “I see, I see” he murmured, “Well, can you do it again then? I didn’t really get to react…”

“I, oh, uh, yeah I can… sure” Sehun stumbled over his words before moving in again and pressing his lips to Luhan’s again, only more surely this time. He could have leapt for joy when he felt the elder slowly begin to kiss him back, slow and soft, but it felt brilliant, and Sehun was sure that no other feeling in the world could compare to what was going through him when he was kissing Luhan. It was immense.

They broke apart after a moment or two, both grinning at each other as they did, and Luhan finally let his hands fall back to his lap.

“That was nice” Sehun said, “Really nice”

Luhan chuckled, “Nice enough that you’ll stop worrying about stuff?” he asked.

“Well, no” Sehun replied cheekily, “It might make me worry about you even more now, but it serves as a pretty good distraction, if I’m honest”

Luhan nodded thoughtfully, “I suppose we’ll have to do that a lot then” he smirked.

“As long as you’re only kissing me, and not anyone else” Sehun said, surprising both of them with his possessiveness, though if Luhan were to be truthful, he rather liked it.

He let out a tinkling laugh, “Oh god, who else would I even want to kiss?”

“I don’t know” Sehun admitted, “you’re kinda all over Minseok hyung a lot of the time…”

Luhan snorted, with a roll of his eyes, “Ew, Minseok is like my best friend, dude. That would be weird. Like, sure, he’s good looking or whatever, but no. Just no. Besides, I’m fairly certain he has the hots for Jongdae”

“Everyone has the hots for Jongdae, at least a little bit” Sehun said easily, “The guy’s like really fit, and nice… and has a sense of humour… like how is that a thing?”

“I guess…” Luhan frowned slightly.

“And Yixing, now I think about it. Like, he’s so handsome, and cute… And that dimple.. Ha, we were playing the Pepero game the other day, and we ended up eating it all and touched lips, and I swear to god, I thought Junmyeon hyung was gonna straight up murder me” Sehun laughed, shaking his head at the memory, “Too funny”

Luhan frowned deeper, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t really want to hear about you kissing other people…” he said.

“Huh? Oh… Oh…” Sehun grinned wickedly, “Want me all for yourself, do you?”

“Yes” Luhan said, not batting an eye, but fighting back a smile as a look of surprise flittered over Sehun’s face.

Once the initial surprise wore off, Sehun’s lips spread into a brilliant smile, “Alright” he said, “I’ll just be yours then. Can I just point out that I was totally right about you wanting me to only look at you, though?”

“We’re not talking about that” Luhan said quickly, “you were being an , and we don’t need to relive any of those memories, you hear me, Oh Sehun?”

Sehun laughed softly, “Yes, sir” he answered with a small salute at the elder, “So, does this make us like… a couple now?”

“I guess it does” Luhan smiled, biting down on his bottom lip, “You know, if you want…”

“Oh, I want” Sehun nodded, “I thought I’d made that obvious from like the moment we met…”

Luhan laughed again, “You were a little obvious. It was cute though, so don’t worry”

“Of course it was cute, it was me” Sehun scoffed, shoving Luhan’s shoulder playfully.

Luhan rolled his eyes, “It’s like this that is gonna make me start re-thinking this whole thing”

“Ah, no, no. You’ve made your choice, you’re stuck with me now, Lu” Sehun grinned, leaning over and pressing a sloppy kiss to Luhan’s cheek, “you have to live with it. You always knew I was a git, but I think my being a brilliant kisser more than makes up for it”

“You’d think so” Luhan deadpanned, before cracking up at the put out look on Sehun’s face, “Oh come here, you big baby” he added, and then they were kissing again.

Yixing let out a yawn as he turned the page of his book. He’d been in the library all day, reading up on various things, but mostly The Rogues and the history that was attached to them.

Though he was confident in his powers, and in the powers of his friends, he was a firm believer in knowing what you were up against.

With everything that had been happening lately, tensions were high and Yixing knew that people were scared. Scared of whether someone else would break in. scared that one of them would be attacked again.

But Yixing had faith in Onew. Had faith in those guarding them. Had faith in EXO. He knew so many people that were on the outside, fighting the good fight, and he knew it was only a matter of time before they would all have to join in and do their part to protect both The Specials that still had morals, and The Normals, that were left defenceless at the hands of The Rogues.

“You’ve been here for hours”

Yixing looked up to see Junmyeon walking over with a warm look in his eyes. He placed a piping hot cup of tea in front of Yixing, along with a few biscuits.

“For me?” Yixing asked, pointing at them.

“For you” Junmyeon affirmed, “Figured you’d like a little pick-me-up after being buried in books all day” he shrugged, sitting down beside the dimpled boy.

Yixing smiled at him sweetly, “Thank you” he said, “I completely forgot about people things”

“People things” Junmyeon nodded with a small laugh, “Yeah, like living… You know, despite being a healer, you still need to get a bit of food and drink down you. Luckily, you only missed lunch, we’ve still got dinner in about an hour”

Yixing hummed, “I had a lot on my mind” he admitted, “I want to be prepared, you know?”

“Yeah” Junmyeon said, pushing the tea towards Yixing, “I know what you mean. It’s getting pretty bad out there lately… A storms coming, and it’s going to be a big one”

Yixing sighed, cupping his hands around the mug of tea to warm them. He lifted it slowly to his mouth and took a sip before lowering it again, “We’re…. I just…. Some of us are going to get hurt” he said, “And I’m… I don’t know what I’ll be able to do to help. What good am I, Myeon? Do I just sit back and wait until one of us nearly dies, then run in and save him? What good am I going to be in a ing war…”

“Love, you’re going to be just as good as any of us” Junmyeon soothed, wrapping an arm around Yixing’s waist, “You’re so powerful and you don’t even see it. You can fight, I’ve seen you in hand to hand… you’re amazing. And your power… You can do so much more than heal people, baby. I’ve seen it. You could destroy mankind if you wanted to”

“Which I don’t” Yixing smiled slightly.

“Which you don’t,” Junmyeon nodded, “I’m glad for that, by the way. But really, you’re one of the most valuable members of this team, Xing”

Yixing shook his head, “You’re just saying that because you’re my boyfriend”

“Believe me, if I didn’t think you were good enough, or didn’t think you were ready, I wouldn’t let you anywhere near those people” Junmyeon reassured, “I’d never risk you getting hurt for the sake of you feeling powerful”

Yixing nodded, leaning into Junmyeon’s hold as he drank his tea and ate his biscuits, “they’ve done some really awful things, you know… kidnap… torture… sending kids' bodies back to their parents as a warning… it’s like they have no conscience”

“I don’t think they do” Junmyeon replied sadly, “they’re not… it’s like they aren’t people. They’re animals. Hell, even animals have more of a conscience than they do. Animals kill to live, these things… They kill for fun. They kill for power, for greed. They kill because they can”

“Then we can only do one thing…” Yixing said slowly, “Bring hell down on them and make them pay for what they’ve done to the innocent people”

Junmyeon blinked, “What happened to not lowering ourselves to their level?” he asked. Yixing had always been the voice to reason in their group, had always been the one who said that fighting wasn’t the answer, that playing people at their own game would only end badly. And now it was like something had come upon him. Something dark. Something that only times like the ones they were facing would bring upon someone.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about it” Yixing told him, “And I still believe in being the bigger person, but we’re in a war, Myeon. Or at least we will be. The lines blur in a war. You can be the most moral person living, but you put someone on the receiving end of death and their instincts kick in… they’ll do whatever it takes to make it out alive. There comes a point, when what’s easy and what’s right comes into play, and I don’t want to hurt anyone. It’s the last thing I want to do, but I kept thinking, well what if someone hurt you… what would I do? And it isn’t that I wouldn’t want revenge, I would, but it would also be about the fact that the world isn’t strictly divided into good and bad. People aren’t just born good, or evil. They learn it, they accept it. And if they’ve gone down that path, and don’t want to be saved, then who am I to try and force them?

 “I’m not a bad person, or at least I like to think I’m not, but if I had to, I’d kill someone to protect you, to protect my friends and family. If this were another situation, in another time, or another life, maybe it would be different, but this… This can only end badly. Because if we win, people are still going to die. And if we lose, we’re all dead. So am I supposed to sit back and let that happen? Surely that would be worse…

 “No, I can’t let my people be enslaved by these sick bastards. I’ll fight to the death if it means our freedom. And you can be sure that I will bring every piece of hell I can on them whilst I do it”

Junmyeon was silent for a long time, nodding in thought, “I hate that it has to be this way” he whispered as Yixing turned the page of his book, “I hate that you even have to think like this”

“We can’t change the now, but we can try and make a better future,” Yixing replied, “I know this isn’t ideal, but we need to show them that they can’t win this. That we will always be here to protect the people of this world, be they Special or Normal”

Junmyeon smiled, “You never fail to amaze me, Zhang Yixing” he said, his eyes showing just how in love he was with the other boy.

Yixing smiled shyly down at the table, even after being together for so long, Junmyeon managed to make him feel like he was still that boy that first showed up with a crush on the slightly older guy. He was too nice for his own good sometimes, but at the same time, it was like he was the only one who realised that Yixing wasn’t this naïve, delicate little flower that needed protection from the ugliness of the world. And Yixing appreciated that more than the other boy would ever know.

“I want to grow old with you in a world that doesn’t have us fighting for our right to exist” Yixing said gently, bringing a finger up to trace over Junmyeon’s lips, “I want to have that life where we can have grandkids that don’t even know what war is like. I want them to know our history, but I don’t want them to live it”

Junmyeon smiled sadly, “I know exactly what you mean” he said, “I want that too, and I think… I think we can make it happen. The Rogues might think they’re winning out, but they’re not. They’re just giving themselves away. They don’t know that our numbers have grown just as much as theirs have, and plus we have one thing they don’t”

“What’s that?”

“Greek shields” Junmyeon smiled.

Yixing tilted his head in cute confusion, “I don’t follow” he admitted.

“Have you ever heard of the three-hundred Spartans at Thermopylae?” Junmyeon asked, and upon Yixing’s nod continued, “Well that’s like us. We all know that we have each other’s backs. We have our shields up and interlocked, but The Rogues, they’re reckless, they only care about their own survival, and what’s another person down to them if they win in the long run?”

“So you’re saying that because we’re a unit, we’ll have a stronger defence, and therefore a stronger force?” Yixing asked, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Exactly” Junmyeon nodded, grinning back.

Yixing let out a long exhale, “Junmyeon… I’m really starting to think we have a chance…”

“Our power together knows no bounds” Junmyeon replied, “If we want to be, I think we can be unstoppable”

“Greek Shields?”

“Greek Shields”

The air was a little lighter around them after that.

Junmyeon helped Yixing continue his research until it was time to head down to dinner. They packed away the books, and dropped the empty mug off in the kitchen on their way down to the dining room, where the other ten were already sat waiting with their meals.

The teachers were all sat together, talking in hushed voices over their meals, but the twelve boys tried to pay them no mind.

They were still young, far too young for a war, but they were pulled into it anyway, because circumstances were as they were.

They all knew that it wasn’t how it should have been, but they had no time to dwell on that, because it was too important to focus on what was.

“You’re looking a little… lighter, Kyungsoo” Kris spoke up after a little while.

The twelve of them turned to look at the aforementioned boy, who was sat between Jongin and Baekhyun. He looked up with a small smile and hummed, “Yeah, I guess” he said, “I’m sorry I’ve been so off lately, guys. I’ve just had a lot on my mind”

“Is it all sorted now?” Junmyeon asked carefully.

Kyungsoo shook his head, “No,” he admitted, “But I think I’m starting to learn that things happen how they do, and you just have to go with it. I know that I have a lot of answers to find out about some things, but I think I’m on the right path to getting them, so I’m a little more… I don’t know…”

“A little less stressed?” Minseok offered.

“Something like that” Kyungsoo nodded, shovelling a forkful of pie into his mouth, “I’m getting there, so that’s what counts”

Junmyeon smiled, “I’m glad to hear that. It’s been sad seeing you so down”

“I’m sorry” Kyungsoo repeated, “I know it wasn’t fair of me to shut you all out, but you know what I’m like” he smiled slightly, making the others laugh.

Jongdae shot his best friend a wink from across the table, “Yeah, you’re a stubborn git at the best of times” he teased.

“Only for you, Dae” Kyungsoo shot back, raising his eyebrows in a playful manner.

“Alright, save it for the bedroom, you two” Luhan rolled his eyes, “We’re trying to eat here”

Jongdae sniggered, “Don’t be jealous, Lulu. There’s plenty of me and Soo to go around. You’re welcome to join our nightly sessions, but there is a membership fee”

“Mm, it’s steep too” Baekhyun added, “It cost me an arm and a leg just for basic membership”

Kyungsoo nodded, “But don’t worry, he’s been upgraded since then, we’re good like that. Perks and ”

“Mm, you get all kinds of perks” Jongdae winked, “Some that you couldn’t even imagine if you tried to, babe”

“Please stop” Luhan shuddered, subconsciously moving closer to Sehun, who placed a subtle hand on his thigh.

“You won’t be saying that for long” Baekhyun said, pointing his fork at Luhan, then stabbing one of his potatoes with it.

“Bow-chika-wow-wow” Jongdae said before the table broke into laughter again.

It was nice when they were all together like that, it took away the tension that hung over them like a rain cloud. They were all each other’s stress relief, and they knew that together they’d be able to battle anything that came their way.

EXO might have been the safest place for them all, but they knew that the case would always be;

They were each other’s true protection.