Author’s Note: I don’t own anything.

/own thoughts/
italics – past lives

If I could do it all again...

I would make you happy. No more mistakes. No more wasted time.

No more tears.

"No."

"But--"

"Absolutely not. No way."

Chaerin rolled her eyes and delicately lifted her shoulders, white silk rustling with every movement. "Youngbae, you're being such a bore. And for heaven's sakes, stop covering your eyes."

The boy stubbornly huffed, his hands placed firmly over said eyes. "No."

She delicately kicked her brother's shin, smiling in grim satisfaction as he yelped in discomfort and tried to clutch at his leg.

Silence.

Bom watched the both of them expectantly.

"Agh! It burns! It burns!" The brother frantically covered his face and whirled around. "Bom! Take that off! Don't you have a turtleneck or something? Layers! Layers are in fashion, aren't they? Lots of layers!"

"Oh, honestly, Youngbae..."

"No! You wouldn't let me say anything about your dress, but for God’s sake, Chae, that is NOT a dress, it's a handkerchief!"

The petit girl glanced at her reflection again, frowning and running her slim hands down the length of the material as she bounced gently on the bed. The slip of a dress that Chaerin had produced from her closet had a dangerously plunging neckline that had forced Eun-ju to haul Hyun Suk out of Chaerin's room by the ear before he woke the neighborhood with his bellowing. It was made of green satin that clung like a lover to the slender girl's curves, ending abruptly an inch above the knee.

"I think it looks okay. I guess that Chaerin's a little taller than I am..."

Chaerin shook her head. "I think it looks perfect. No boy in their right mind will be able to--"

Youngbae's face went purple. "Don't talk about stuff like that in front of me!"

Dara laughed gaily as she sauntered into the room, eyes lit with mischief. "Oppa, you're going to have a heart attack before you graduate college."

"No thanks to you, you evil excuse for a twin." Youngbae turned to look at her, eyes bugging out of his head. "And what the hell do you think you're--"

"Jae!" Bom suddenly squealed, leaping down from the bed she was posing on, arms outstretched. Laughing, the boy caught her, stumbling slightly as she kissed him loudly on the cheek.

"Jaejoong, perfect," Chaerin grinned. "Tell my little brother that the dress is perfect."

The boy stepped back, still smiling. Without a word, he wrapped his windbreaker securely around the shorter girl, zipping it up in one fluid motion. "It's perfect."

Exasperated, Chaerin threw up her hands. "It's perfect. She's wearing it. You guys are worse than Dad, for the love of God!"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE WEARING!"

Dara pouted, spinning slowly for Chaerin. "Don't you think it works? Too much for a frat party?"

"TOO LITTLE!"

They both ignored him. Chaerin paused, speculatively circling her younger sister, lips pursed. She grinned. The neckline might have been modest enough to please even Hyun Suk, but the red number was even shorter than Bom's, halting at mid-thigh. "I love it."

Youngbae groaned, falling face first onto the bed. Jaejoong grinned.

"You guys are always interesting. I should visit more often."

The building throbbed with the pumping music, bodies swaying and crashing into each other. Bom tried to see around the mob as they struggled through, but could barely see over her brother's shoulder.

"Chae-cat!" Seungri wrapped an arm around the girl, grinning as she whacked his chest in annoyance. "You're late!"

Chaerin had to yell to be heard above the chorus of laughter, catcalls and drunken babbling. "Fashionably late. There's a difference, Panda."

"What difference?" He placed a possessive hand on her slim waist, scowling darkly at a random inebriated men who stumbled past. "Cat, did you have to wear something like that to a fraternity party? Don't you have any sense in that glossy head?"

Chaerin gave an elegant snort, flipping her hair nonchalantly over her shoulder. "Oh, please. You never have any problem when I wear this kind of stuff for--"

"Lalalalalala...I'm not listening. Lalalalala," Youngbae babbled, clamping his hands stubbornly over his ears.

Bom rolled her eyes as she listened to the inevitable banter between the fox and the rooster. Jaejoong hovered by her elbow, amused by the show.

Dara had somehow slipped away and had already found herself a dance partner, Bom mused as she sipped at the drink Jae had gotten for her, a little envious of the freedom given to her older sister. She had a sneaking suspicion that her brother had something to do with the fact that Jaejoong was hanging like a watchdog at her side.

"Jae, I'm almost twenty years old. I should hope that I am able to take care of any inebriated idiot who tries to come onto me," she huffed.

The boy smiled and shrugged, wisely deciding to leave out the fact that his best friend ordered him to keep watch. "Sorry, Bom, but Junsu’s not here yet. You don't want me to be alone, do you?"

She scowled in response.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned, armed with an expectant smile on her lips. It faded.

She nodded and took another gulp of her drink, hoping that she didn't look as nervous as she felt. "Choi."

He inclined his head in return, his gaze lighting. "Bom."

Jaejoong looked from one stony face to the other, clearing his throat hesitantly when he found himself looking up at icy brown eyes.

"He's a friend of my brother," Bom anticipated the question, her face dark with annoyance. "And my babysitter for the night."

TOP raised an eyebrow in question. Jaejoong merely smiled and shrugged, bowing slightly. "Hi. Kim Jaejoong."

He bowed. "Jaejoong-ssi." Turning to the frowning girl, he offered a hand, keeping his eyes politely on her face. His voice was smooth and low, intimate. "Dance with me?"

Her eyebrows disappeared into her bangs, and she cocked her head to the side as she considered her options. There was barely enough room on the floor to dance without being alarmingly close to your partner. Chaerin and Seungri were even closer than usual. Youngbae was laughing with some girl she didn't recognize. Dara did look bored with the frat boy she was dancing with, but at least she wasn't standing by the punch bowl. Still...she opened to decline but noticed something that she had missed. Jaejoong radiated disapproval.

Bom felt her lips twist up into a smirk. Something inside of her deflated as her inner rebellious side reared its ugly head.

Oh...dear.

Lifting a shoulder in what she hoped came off in indifference instead of a quiet, buzzing anxiety, she passed her cup to the frowning Jaejoong and placed her hand in TOP's larger one. Ignored the shrill scream in the back of her mind. Tried not to wrench her limb away as a bolt of electricity shot up her arm.

"Why not?"

It was an odd sensation, she mused as he led her past rocking bodies, to feel as if you were making the worst mistake of your life and making the best decision of your life at the same time.

Dara put on her best smile as she mentally reviewed ways to amputate her dance partner's wandering hand.

/If he moves his hand any lower, I'm going in for the kill/

The hand moved.

Dara felt her eye twitch. She opened , murderous intentions written clearly on her face...

And closed it shut as an arm slithered across her stomach. A warm hand cupped her cheek and turned her head, pulling her out of her partner's grasp.

Sandalwood and ginger.

Something inside of her recoiled immediately, an old mixture of shock, anger and sorrow swirling in the pit of her stomach.

Jiyong.

He kissed her then, long and hard in front of the bewildered fraternity brother. Breaking away with great reluctance, he pulled her back fully against his chest and grinned at her stupor as she slowly sank into him, her mind blissfully blank.

"Hello. Did I make you wait long?"

His breath was hot against her ear, and she felt drop open in disbelief.

"Oh, hey, man," the other boy raised his hands in what he hoped was a placating gesture. Dara slowly turned to see...Chen? Chanyeol?...gradually step back. She felt as if she were in a daze. "I didn't know she was taken."

"Quite all right," His voice was deceptively soft. "If you don't mind, though, you see...you are staring."

"Oh!" Dara watched the other man close his eyes obediently. He backed away at a record pace. "No problem, man. You go...and uhm...yeah. Nice meeting you, Dara."

She watched the frightened boy stumble away and forced herself to snap back to reality. Her eyes widened in rage.

"Stop,"Jiyong winced as she mercilessly yanked on his hair.

"What. Are. You. DOING!" she shrieked, her face flaming. She turned and pushed against his chest in vain.

Golden eyes were heavy lidded as he smiled, slow and sly. "I think Chanyeol figured it out. Can't you?"

She checked the urge to scream, knowing her brother would be over in a heartbeat if he sensed anything wrong. "You cannot just keep– keep groping me in public!"

"Why not?"

"Because!" She stomped her foot, and he thought it adorable. "I don't know you!"

The smile that had been forming on his face vanished, and the mischief in his eyes faded into sadness.

"Don't you?"

"I– that is to say--" she closed her eyes and tried very hard not to give into her murderous urges. "Agh! Leave me alone! You're insane! And it's contagious! You're driving me insane!"

"Dara, I have to talk to you."

"Stay the hell away from me!" she shrieked. Realized belatedly that the song had throbbed to a low pulse. The people around them fell silent, startled. Across the room, Youngbae turned in mid laugh, his eyes narrowing in consideration.

Jiyong blinked and at once his eye color had changed into a pained brown. Dara choked down a sudden sob, her mind whirling.

"Dara, I have--"

"No, please," she whispered, backing away. "Please, just...leave me alone right now."

Gaze pained, he watched her slip away.

I can't let her go...not again. Not again.

His fist clenched, nails biting into his skin.

Not again.

Chaerin didn't miss the way her sister's hands shook as she grasped a cup from the table. Her heart ached for an unknown memory as she cupped Dara's tear streaked face in her pale hands.

"Poor baby," she murmured, tenderly brushing her sister's unruly bangs out of her eyes. "Do you want Seungri to drive us home early?"

Dara nodded, her eyes wide and unseeing. And, Chaerin noticed uneasily, slowly deepening into a frightening color.

"Hey," Seungri drawled, the only outward sign of his worry the slight frown in his normally twinkling gaze. "Darong, since when do your irises turn silver?"

Dara stared blankly for a moment before blinking rapidly. The encroaching gray was banished and the teenagers were all left shaken and confused.

What was that?

"Dara."

She turned slowly and fought the urge to run away. Or hide behind Seungri. Instead she offered a shaky smile.

"Hello, Soohyuk."

The black haired boy smiled and reached out, brushing a callused hand across her trembling cheek. "You look beautiful tonight."

Behind them, Seungri snarled, and was restrained by a worried Chaerin.

Dara was paralyzed. She opened , but no words came out.

He looked at her over his tinted shades, his smile slowly fading. Suddenly, he had Dara's hand in a nearly painful grip. She bit her lip in order to keep from crying out.

Chaerin contemplated letting Seungri go, her blood red lips tugging down in a grimace that erupted from something deep inside of her.

Soohyuk was oblivious to the growing tension. His eyes were eerily focused on Dara.

"I know that you're listening to me," he murmured, his eyes suddenly young and sad.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she whispered. Her stomach lurched as he moved closer.

"Beautiful, Dara," he breathed, leaning in close enough to thread his fingers through her hair, to place his arm around her rigid waist. "I've been waiting for you to come back to me. Waiting for so long...I've been so lonely..."

Dara felt sick, but she made no move and said nothing. Something deep inside of her was sad.

Must it always be like this?

"Dara..." the boy trailed off, noticing something behind her. His lips tugged upwards in a gleeful smile. She barely had time to wonder about it before his grip ce again painful. She winced as his fingers dug into her scalp, as his nails gripped her hip enough to feel the bone.

Soohyuk's lips touched the shell of her ear. She tugged a hand free to strike him, but faltered at his words.

"Do you honestly believe that this is only the second time, love? That the last time was the first time he's turned away? The only time you died alone?"

They looked at each other, her eyes wary, his wistful.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

He merely smiled. "You can't run forever, Dara. Don't you want to know? Know why you're having blackouts, why you're having dreams? Why you hate Kwon so much?"

Dimly, she saw Seungri growl something and shrug his girlfriend off, his face murderous.

But...

Answers did seem tempting.

No, little one.

Scratch that. Answers seemed essential for her sanity.

She met the heavy lidded gaze and nervously ran her tongue over her lips. He noticed and smirked his approval, leaning closer than she really thought he had the nerve to. Something inside of her flared, and she viciously fought down the urge to wipe that smug look off of his face.

Then his smile morphed into a snarl.

"Dara!" Seungri sounded worried. Turning, Dara saw why.

Jiyong looked angry, she mused distractedly, still contemplating methods of homicide. His eyes were gold too. Not a good sign.

She gasped, eyes widening in alarm. His eyes were golden.

G-Dragon.

Caught between Scylla and Charybdis, I drown in your gaze and whisper…Love me again.