Baekhyun

-

It's been almost a week since Chanyeol and I were put together. We have done nothing but train since, practising fighting (martial arts in my case and boxing in his) and running on treadmills and most importantly, honing our powers. I've taken to causing the lightswitches at our sleeping quarters to flicker whenever I feel like it, purely because Chanyeol is hilarious when pissed off. I've grown to trust him a lot more, seeing how much of a clueless idiot he is, and I'm kind of stuck with him now anyway so we might as well get along. He's weird, though, sometimes. Just sometimes.

One night when we're lying in our beds, staring at the ceiling wordlessly, he sits up. 

"I miss my family." he announces, and I stare at him, thankful that he can't see it in the gloom.

"You remember them?" I ask curiously, because I don't have much memory of anything at all apart from my name. The memories come and go, weaving through my mind in little snippets sometimes in the middle of the night, only to be gone by morning. 

Chanyeol sighs, and I can make out his faint outline in the bed next to mine.

"I don't. But I remember warmth. Does that make sense? I can't remember much else but that. I think I had a sister. I must've loved her a lot, I think." 

I don't answer, simply turning my gaze back to the ceiling with wide eyes.

I wonder if I had a family, a warm one, with a brother or sister, or maybe both. I don't ever feel the warmth that Chanyeol's talking about, though. Maybe it's because there hadn't been any warmth in my family. Or maybe I just hadn't been paying enough attention to see it. If only I was there, I'd see it now.

~

Luhan

-

I'm taken to the infirmary after training again. I wonder, slightly dazed as I'm carried away on my stretcher, if this is going to be a consistent occurence. The soft patter of shoes against vinyl is rhythmic, and combined with the soft rise and fall of the swaying stretcher, I'm lulled into a state of half-consciousness, my limbs still aching and fresh blood still flowing from my nose as if I have much more to spare. Of course, I don't, and if I continue in this state, I'll probably bleed to death soon, but I don't bother lifting my arm to plug the flow anyway, because I'm just so, so tired.

It happened unexpectedly and suddenly (although I can't really say any of us were truly surprised) while I had been focused on lifting one of the anvils at my training session this morning. At first, there had been a slight throb at my temple that soon became constant. It was the first warning sign of many, a sign that I should stop, put it down, take a break, but I ignored it like I ignored the next one when my chest started to ache. My limbs became weak, yet the anvil stayed merely inches off the ground. Of course it was followed by the telltale drip of blood from my nose, and then finally my knees buckled and they had finally decided it was enough, breaking from their stationary positions at the back wall to call medics and get me on a stretcher. They always leave it too late, they always stop me when I'm past done. Sometimes I wish they'd stop me before I'm forced to, stop me before my head throbs or my chest aves, or my nose bleeds. But other times I'm glad, because they've made me go through so much pain that I barely even feel it anymore.

I wonder what excuse I'll give Sehun this time.

~

D.O

-

“When can I go back to the room?”

I turn back to give Jongin a weary look, and he smiles sheepishly.

“I just need you to break it. That’s all. We can go back after that.”

I turn my gaze back to the panel of bricks that’s suspended in front of me, eyeing it tiredly before turning back to Jongin with a frown.

“I already told you I can’t do it.”

Jongin sighs, setting the clipboard down to prop his chin in his hands, leaning against the table.

“You can. I know you can. Please, just keep trying.”

I turn back to the wall of stone, giving it an embarrassingly weak punch. Jongin groans behind me and I flush slightly, hair falling over my eyes. I jab it again, hard this time. It shakes slightly, small pieces of stone crumbling away and falling to the ground near my feet, but otherwise doesn’t budge. I let out a groan of frustration, turning away from it huffily.

“I can’t.” I say again, resolutely this time. Jongin stares at me for a few moments, gaze unfaltering against mine, before pushing away from the desk, walking around it to near me.

He stands in front of me, and I’m about to step back when he takes my closed hand in his, unfurling my clenched fist slowly. His touches are soft, gentle, and the whisper of skin against my own sends tingles down my spine after so long without human contact. I push down the heat that rises to my cheeks, instead focusing my gaze on the way his fingers dance across my palm, to the back of my hand, to the tips of my fingers.
“Focus.” he says softly, placing his hand against the back of mine and guiding it to the bricks until my palm lays flat against it.

“Focus on the target. What do you feel?”

I close my eyes and focus on the rough surface against my skin, before giving up and opening them again.

“Bricks.” I deadpan, and he lets out a sound between a laugh and a groan.

“Okay, let’s make a deal. You break this panel now and I’ll answer one of your questions afterwards. Any question at all.”

I look up at him, a smile forming on my face.

“Deal.”

~

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