‘Hello?’

Lily had known that she was extremely sensitive these days, a result of the months of inexplicable frustration she’d been going through, where even the mere thought of her ex was enough to make her embarrassingly wet.

Even so, she’d never imagined her body would react like this to his voice.

The word was like petroleum poured down her spine, setting her body on fire, leaving her heart racing and weakening her bones.

A whimper escaped her unconsciously. ‘Oh…’

There was an abrupt inhale on the other end, then he spoke up again. ‘Lily?’

Embarrassed, she did the only thing she could think of. She hung up.  

This was mortifying. She wasn’t sure what was more embarrassing – the fact that she’d reacted so strongly, practically at the sound of Xiumin’s voice… or that he’d recognized her because of it.

In her defense, it had been months – literal months – and he had obviously done something to her because no matter how much still in love she was with him, this wasn’t how she reacted. Not ever.

Yes, she calmed herself, this was entirely his fault. He’d done something to her body, as was evidenced by the still-unhealed bite on her neck and that was the only reason she’d reacted like this. And this was nothing to be embarrassed about. Right.

Prepping herself, she picked the phone again and took a deep breath.

If it weren’t for Rose, she would’ve seriously considered never calling him again. Geez.

Shaking her head to rid itself of all thoughts of embarrassment, of his voice – don’t go there, brain! she warned, willing herself to calm down – and its consequences – don’t! – she redialed the number she knew by heart.

Heard the dial tone ring once and hung up again, face red, palms sweaty.

. It would’ve been awkward anyway, talking to him after such a long time but now, it was so much worse.

Like how ually frustrated did you have to be to react like that?

Very. That’s right and no, she did not need any reminders of it; she’d lived it.

The phone rang this time and she dropped the handset in panicked response, clutching her heart.

Of course he was calling back now. .

Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, she willed the red away from her cheeks. Wasn’t like he could see her face and tell she was embarrassed. Besides, she could claim the line had dropped on its own. He had no way of knowing she’d moaned.

‘Hello?’ A tingle went down her spine again and she pressed her legs together, simultaneously mortified and irritated by here body’s reaction. Geez, way to his ego… even if he couldn’t see it.

‘Hi,’ she replied stiffly.

‘You hung up before…’ She could hear the smirk in his voice. Hmph.

‘The line dropped.’ She rolled her eyes, turning to stare at the wall. She was not blushing.

‘Riiight…’ he dragged the word out, conveying his disbelief.

‘It really did!’ she insisted.

‘I didn’t say it didn’t…’ he countered, a teasing lilt to his voice that just pissed her off. Why was he being so light-hearted? Like who gave him the right?

‘But you were thinking it!’ she accused, making him laugh.

‘No I wasn’t!’ he defended and she huffed in disbelief. ‘Of course you were, which is stupid because I didn’t hang up.’

Crap.  

‘Aw Lily…’ The tone of his voice warned her that she wouldn’t like what he was going to say next. ‘If you missed me that much, you should’ve just sa-‘

‘Alright,’ she interrupted, face feeling like it was on fire. ‘Now I’m hanging up!’

‘Ah no, don’t! I was just joking,’ he hastily replied, ‘sorry, I’ll stop!’

She huffed, a reluctant smile tugging at her lips. Idiot, she thought affectionately before sobering. Much as she’d enjoyed their teasing, lighthearted exchange, this wasn’t why she’d called.

‘I wanted to talk to you about my sister, Rose…’

He fell silent at that, awkwardness crashing forcefully between them.

Of course she’d be calling because she needed something, what else did he expect? She forced herself not to feel guilty for this – they had broken up with the understanding that it was for the best and he had been the one to suggest it. She couldn’t afford to feel sympathy for him.

‘What about her?’ he finally asked, breaking the increasingly tense silence.

‘Ah… yeah, about that…’ She cleared loudly. ‘I thought my brother had left Oulphesden but it turns out that he actually hasn’t…’

‘Yes, I know.  We’ve been keeping an eye on them since we found out. You don’t have to worry.’

Her heart melted a little at his matter-of-fact tone, like caring for her family was something he’d do without even her asking.

‘That is good to hear but something’s going on and I think it has something to do with your sister and Evil.’

There was another sharp inhale before he spoke. ‘I’m listening.’

……………………………………

Xiumin hung up, mind reeling.

Overjoyed as he was after hearing her voice, what she’d told him was disturbing, to say the least. He was just glad she’d used her sense and called him instead of dallying.

He’d been suspecting her sister for a while now. At first, he’d brushed off their encounter when she’d jumped in front of him to protect him from her brother. He’d thought she’d shouted ‘Choomin’ at that time, even thought he’d seen red flash in her eyes but it had all unfolded so quickly, he’d written it off as a mistake on his part.

That call, however, had been pretty damn clear – he’d d asked Kyungsoo to find out who the number was registered to and it hadn’t really surprised him that it had been issued under Leo’s name; he’d probably lent her his SIM.

And he was sure he was being observed. He’d reported it to Suho as well and he’d sighted those red eyes multiple times, particularly when he left for his nightly patrols around town, or returning in the mornings.

All of it coincided with what Lily had told him and she was right in her concern. What were the odds of Rose being possessed by Xiumin’s sister? A little girl who’d died so long ago, on a planet far away from here. How this came about, he had no idea but he, like Lily, was sure that Evil was somehow involved.

The question that remained now was what to do.

Lily, bless her practical, pragmatic soul, had suggested the most sensible and obvious solution to her brother: to leave Rose with the Legends and get the hell out of dodge.

He could – should – discuss it with the rest of the Legends but currently, all of them were out. Suho would probably be at the HQs – his Shadow had been planning a surprise for his wife – but he decided against calling him. The poor guy was finally getting the chance to make his move on Angel and Xiumin, for all his flaws, was not that heartless.

He supposed he could while away the time, maybe clean up his apartment or something, since he wasn’t on duty until later tonight.

He glanced around his bedroom; everything was neat and in place, not a speck out of place. It looked cold and detached, lacking warmth.  Like the rest of his apartment. He spent so little time here, it didn’t even feel like home anymore.

His bed had not been slept in for… how many nights now? He’d given up even bothering to lie down – the most rest he got these days was when he nodded off while waiting for something.

However, he still used the place as an excuse to stay from the HQs; it was better to pretend to sleep here than return to the HQs and put up with the happily mated couples around him, oblivious of his pain and jealousy at their easy claims when he would’ve given anything to have that with Lily.

He glanced at the phone in his hand, pondering.  Lily…

Hearing her had revitalized him. Didn’t matter that she’d only called him because she’d been worried about her siblings. She’d called him, talked to him, wanted him to take care of things for her. At this point, this was more than what he could ask for after breaking up with her like that.

So what if his heart hurt because he’d been foolish enough to actually think she might want to talk to him? He’d heard her voice, fallen into their light-hearted banter, even if it was only for a moment or two. He felt better than he had in months already.   

Her voice, when she’d answered the phone second time, had been so breathless, so beautiful. She sounded…

Despite his previously depressing thoughts, a smirk tugged at his lips.

She sounded like she’d really liked hearing his voice. They’d been lovers, he knew what and how she sounded like at which points and she’d been , if the airy notes were anything to go by.

The beast inside him puffed in pride at making its mate so excited, preening at the response it’d gotten. And she’d responded so typically to his teasing, they’d fallen into that easy routine between them.

He wondered if he could call her again before shaking his head. No, he’d decided to keep her out of danger and if that meant he’d never hear her again, so be it. He would take care of her sister like she’d asked.

Resolutely, he put the phone down and headed downstairs. Since there was nothing to do in his apartment, he would go help the new manager out with the shop.

What was his name again? Bottle? No, can?

‘Ken…’ he muttered several minutes later, reading the name off the nametag. No wonder.

The boy was good, he’d give him that. Of course, since Lily had hired him, he should’ve probably expected that. The Black Pearl was in top condition, almost the same as it was when Lily had been around; there weren’t any cheerful Tiffanys or clumsy Rainas running around, though and he found he rather missed that.

He’d been neglecting his business for a long time but he supposed as owner, he should take a bit more interest.

He hadn’t realized the hush that had befallen the shop since he’d entered but it registered when someone’s cell phone suddenly rang. Xiumin became aware of the numerous pairs of eyes looking at him, only to have them turn away when he looked back.

Shrugging, he walked towards the counter, lifting the swinging door to slide in. Ken, who’d been taking an order turned and immediately dropped the things in his hands, clutching at his heart. ‘Oh you surprised me!’

Xiumin didn’t say anything and watched with detached interest as Ken’s face rapidly drained of color. ‘B-boss, hey!’ he squeaked, raising a hand to wave at him with a cute, almost instinctual, wink. ‘Did you want something?’

‘I’ll man the counter, you can go out if you want,’ he told the guy, moving to take the spot beside the billing machine.

His back was turned so he didn’t see the confused expression on Ken’s face or the similarly bemused expression of their patrons.

He busied himself with taking orders and adding totals and tried to keep his attention at the task on hand but his mind kept getting distracted by what Lily had told him. He glanced at the clock repeatedly, wishing evening would come already so he could leave.

The moment it was dark outside, he called Ken back and told him to close up at the usual time. ‘I’ll be heading out. If anything needs to be restocked or installed, leave a list in the office. I’ll check it when I return,’ he told the guy, once again missing the utterly baffled expression on his face.

It was only when he was heading out that it registered that his presence may have been a surprise, both to the workers and the patrons; one of their regulars grabbed his arm when he was exiting, making him glance back. ‘It was nice to see you again; I hope you will come in more often.’

He smiled and nodded politely, realizing with a jolt that this was the first time he was actually coming in for work in literal months. Vowing to be more diligent, he left the shop on foot and started making his way towards the HQs. Hopefully, Suho would be done by the time he got there and other Legends would be back.

Lily had asked him to take in Rose as soon as possible – tonight if he could manage – and he’d do his best to see it was done.

…………………………………….

Rose saw him again at the carnival.

It was kind of hard to miss the chiseled jawline and high cheekbones but quite honestly, it was the messy curls that actually caught her eyes, reminding her of a poodle.

The guy she’d seen numerous times with Xiumin, the one she’d followed to the university.

Seeing him gave her an immense feeling of familiarity; she was sure she knew him and not just by face. They’d met before, talked before, she was sure of it in her bones.

Leo, thank goodness, didn’t notice the covert glances she was stealing at him. He was, like last time, with a group of people, obviously having fun. She wanted to follow him but in such hustle and bustle, she soon lost him in the crowd.

Leo came back with their tickets and cones, so she decided to enjoy herself. Maybe she’d see him again later.

It was the most fun she’d had in a long time. Leo had a competitive streak a mile long and she was his sister, ergo she could never back out of a challenge. So they went around and took all the riskiest, most dangerous rides there were until they were dizzy.

‘Okay, no more!’ Leo huffed, collapsing into a bench after getting off the latest ride.

‘One more…’ she whined, feeling Star’s excitement as well. Star was in love with the amusement park and the carnival with its games and rides and yummy food.

‘Okay but it’s the last one,’ he assented. ‘They’ll close down soon and I have to leave early.’

‘You’re leaving?’ she asked when his words registered. ‘Where?’

‘Uh…’ He rubbed his neck, not meeting her eyes. ‘Something came up with your sister-in-law, so they need me there.’

‘Oh…’

Why did it feel like he was hiding something?

Shaking her head, she tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her gut. It felt like Leo was going out of his way to make sure she was having fun, almost like he was apologizing… or saying goodbye.

Inside her, Star’s presence became significantly subdued. Is Lelo leaving us too?

Like Choomin had? She didn’t have to add that, Rose understood her well enough.

Even though she was adamant that Choomin would come back for her, Star was not foolish; she realized that it had been far too long and in all probability, Choomin, whoever he was, had probably given up on finding her… or maybe he’d died.

No, she reassured Star and herself. I’m sure it’s really important; he’d never leave us otherwise.

Given his overprotective nature, it would take something monumental for him to leave her, especially considering that she was still in recovery.

Star didn’t say anything and Rose was rather glad because she didn’t think she’d be able to take the stress right now. While she didn’t really believe what her therapist had said about Star being a second identity, she did feel significantly lighter.

Her biggest fear was Star taking over her suddenly and hurting the people around her, especially Leo… heck, she knew she had hurt some people. But her therapist had suggested that she try self-hypnosis; he thought it would help keep herself in-charge of her body and actions and really, that was all Rose wanted at this point. To live without the constant fear of blacking out and committing some horrible act.

Hopefully, practicing the technique would give her sufficient control over herself that Star couldn’t completely push her back.  She felt a sense of control, now that she had a potential way of keeping Star from taking over and making her black out.

Good thing too, seeing as Leo was leaving and she would be on her own. She took a deep breath and tuned into herself, looking for Star; found her fascinated by the huge pink teddy that was on display at the shooting stand. 

‘You want that?’ Leo’s voice interrupted her, breaking her concentration and she blinked. ‘Hmm?’

‘That bear,’ He nodded toward the teddy. ‘Want me to get it for you?’

She smiled, ‘I’d like to get it for myself.’

‘Ooh, you’re so badass!’ He thumped her shoulder before dragging her to the stand.

In the end, she won herself the teddy and got Leo a bunch of kitty ears because he’d dared her to. She was laughing after forcing him to wear them, quite enjoying his sulking, blushing face when someone bumped into her back.

She whirled away quickly, landing in a defensive stance with her fingers clawed and teeth bared in a hiss. Her vision had sharpened rapidly and it wasn’t until she registered the shocked face of the person in front of her that she realized that Star had taken over her actions.

Unlike previous times, however, she was able to push her back easily and took control of her body; she offered him a polite smile, trying to make up for her strange reaction. ‘Sorry, you really scared me.’

It occurred to her that this was the first time she’d been aware of Star taking over her and had successfully pushed her away. Not wanting to test just how far her control extended, she decided to leave. Leo was more than happy to oblige, still utterly mortified by having to wear the kitty ears and soon they were home.

They’d spent the entire day outside and the sun was already setting, so she offered to whip something up for dinner while Leo packed. He nodded and Rose headed to the kitchen, humming to herself.

……………………………………….

A/N

Hey :) starting the new month with an update, yay! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Also, are their any Starlights here? Becuase if so, did you get that Can joke? ^^ I thought it was kind of funny. Anyway, Lily/Xiumin interaction as promised, althought it is quite limited and over the phone but its still more than we've seen so far, right? I don't think I need to say this again - it should be pretty obvious - but Rose plays an important part in this story, will continue to do so. Also, her familiarity with Chen... any guesses about that? Let me know what you guys think. 

Before I leave though, heard EXO's having their comeback soon... gosh, I'm so excited, although I kind of hate that their comebacks tend to come in Ramadhan. How can I fast and fangirl at the same time? T_T Ah well, I'll just endure. I'm sure our boys will slay us. Again. Here's to an amazing comeback <33333

Alright then, I'll see you guys later. Byebye