Tae was in a mild state of shock from the overdose of strange news but she was still faring better than Ken, whose hair was standing on end, eyes wide and nervous, suspiciously glancing around the room. He kept putting his hand on his belt where, he’d once told them, he used to hang his weapons as if to reassure himself.

When Chanyeol stood up, Ken visibly flinched, no doubt remembering the number of times he’d tried to intimidate the guy. Chanyeol grinned, all teeth and no humor, before dragging Nara away with him. Nara, utterly occupied by the flames on his hand, followed him like a puppy. It was cute. Disgustingly so.

‘Yo,’ Leo spoke up, addressing his friend and fellow reformed gangster. ‘You okay?’

‘NO!’ Ken answered, voice pitching high. ‘We’re surrounded by crazies!’

Rose flinched at that, clearly still holding herself responsible for Leo’s injuries. Tae glared at Ken warningly but he wasn’t looking at her. Leo raised an eyebrow. ‘Crazies?’ he asked, voice deceptively soft.

Ken’s eyes cleared at the tone, an apprehensive look on his face. ‘Not Rose!’ he exclaimed immediately, looking at Rose. ‘Not at all, I’m talking about those weirdos.’

Leo narrowed his eyes even more. ‘My sister is dating one of those weirdos, who also saved my life and happens to be your boss.’

‘Was,’ Lily corrected but Leo ignored her. Ken swallowed. ‘I’m not saying I have anything against them but you can’t tell me this isn’t crazy. They’re dangerous and-‘

‘I think you should shut up, Ken.’ Tae spoke before Ken could implicate himself further. Rose had huddled closer to Leo and Lily, for all her protests, was beginning to look irritated.

Honestly, if Suho hadn’t told them everything and then, she hadn’t seen the flames coming out of Chanyeol’s hands, they never would’ve known just how different these… Legends were. They’d been hiding themselves perfectly fine all this time and if they had really wanted to stay hidden, they could’ve easily done so, leaving Ken, herself and everyone else involved with them in the dark.

The fact that they’d gone to such lengths to inform them of everything showed, in her opinion, that they were sincere and really wanted to protect them. And she’d hung out with them, especially Baekhyun, Chen and D.O enough to know they were essentially harmless. Hyperactive, rowdy, and a little interfering perhaps, but harmless.

‘You just like eye-candy!’ Ken accused. Tae shrugged. Wasn’t like he was too off the mark.

Ken shook his head. ‘Of course, you’re already crazy. I should’ve expected this!’

‘Aw come on, you’re only jealous because Chanyeol has cool superpowers, so you can’t intimidate him anymore.’ Tae threw back.

Ken punched his seat. ‘He needs to know I can take him on, so he won’t dare mess with Nara!’

‘Ugh, stop with the macho overprotectiveness. Nara has him wrapped around her pinky and he’s quite happy to be that way, in case you haven’t noticed!’

Lily snickered. ‘Listen to her,’ she told Leo, bumping her shoulder against his. ‘And stop with the macho overprotectiveness.’

Leo shook his head. ‘No, Ken’s right. Chanyeol needs to know he can’t mess with his baby girl.’

Lily made a face. ‘I suppose you need Xiumin to know that too?’

Leo shrugged, eyeing her slyly. ‘I thought you weren’t dating?’

Lily spluttered. ‘Ha, we’re not! I was just- pfft, you know what, whatever!’

Tae giggled and even Rose broke into a smile at that. Lily huffed, getting up. ‘Come on Rose, let’s leave these two to talk about manly stuff. You too, Tae.’

Tae made to get up but Ken grabbed her hand, looking a little panicked. ‘You’re leaving?’

Tae snickered. ‘Yes, I’m leaving you with the big bad Legends alone.’ Ken made a face at that but stood up. ‘I’ll come with.’

‘Yeah, same.’ Leo stood up as well. He swayed a little on the spot, blinking woozily and Lily remembered that Lay had healed him. ‘Hey,’ she said, grabbing his arm, ‘I think you should rest.’

Leo shook his head. ‘Nah, I’ve rested enough. Why don’t you show us around?’ he asked, ‘You’ve been here before, right?’

Lily nodded, still looking at him with concern. ‘You sure?’

‘Yup. Besides, I’ve got Rose as my personal crutch in case something happens.’ Rose, who’d huddled under his arm, not so subtly trying to support him, gave a bright grin in response. Lily was abruptly struck with the reminder that she’d nearly lost her siblings and her eyes glossed over.

She wanted to hug them both but out of nowhere, Lay suddenly showed up. ‘You guys want a tour around the place?’ he asked happily, subtly moving in front of her so she couldn’t hug her anyone. Lily glared at his back, cursing his healer spidey senses.

Leo engaged animatedly with Lay, which was surprising because her brother was rarely that open with anyone; he usually stuck to his mysterious, brooding aura. But then again, Lay had this quality that made people ease up around him.

As her siblings and friends left for a tour around the house, Lily fell back.

Someone fell in step with her. She didn’t have to look to know who it was. His familiar scent, his measured steps, the rhythm of his breath… everything was far too familiar.

‘How’re you feeling?’

She smiled humorlessly. ‘I’ve been better.’ She glanced at him from beneath her lashes. ‘You?’

He shrugged. ‘Same.’

They were silent for a couple of minutes but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It rarely was with him, even now.

‘Lily, when you get the chance…’ he began after a while. She cut him off.

‘If you have anything to say to Rose, tell her yourself.’ He quietened but she knew it wasn’t in agreement. She turned to face him. ‘Why are you being like this?’   

He didn’t meet her eyes. ‘Like what?”

‘You know what I mean. Star is alive, Xiumin, and you obviously want to see her.’

‘I can’t.’ The words came out low and tortured. Lily looked at him sharply. ‘Stop it!’

He glanced away, jaw clenching. Lily whirled on him. ‘I mean it, stop!’ He didn’t look at her. She wanted to reach out, to touch him so he would look at her, so he would stop hiding the pain that he was no doubt feeling.

She did nothing of the sort. Instead, she bent so she could catch his eyes. ‘Xiumin, look at me.’

He sighed but didn’t turn. She waited patiently, until he finally met her eyes. ‘It’s not your fault,’ she whispered, ‘You had no way of knowing that she was… that she’d survived.’

‘I remember telling her to hide.’ His voice was haunted. ‘I remember seeing Evil e- kill her… I… what if I-‘

‘It’s not your fault,’ she asserted, giving in and placing a hand on his back. Surprisingly, it felt comfortable, though she supposed it was because of the gloves.

‘I killed my parents, Lily,’ he spoke, voice pained. ‘What if-‘

‘Star doesn’t blame you.’ The words made him look up sharply, searching for the source. Rose stood in the doorway, head tilted to the side.

‘What- how…?’ Xiumin was lost for words.

‘I can hear her thoughts and feel what she feels.’ Rose said, coming towards them. Lily moved towards her sister.

‘Rose, you don’t have to-‘

‘It’s okay, sis.’ Rose smiled at Lily, though her eyes were serious, sad. ‘I’ve been wanting to talk to him.’

Xiumin eyed her apprehensively, yet with a faint glimmer glowed in his eyes. ‘Star?’ he asked.

Rose shook her head. ‘Just me, I’m afraid. But she’s here and she can hear you.’

Xiumin’s eyes filled tears with an alarming rapidness, one that surprised Lily. He wasn’t like this, ever. Not even when he’d been telling her about Star, or even after the battle. He raised a hand as if to touch her face but faltered, fingers curling.

‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered. Rose’s eyes, brown one moment, rapidly flecked with black and gold and smoky tattoos swirled into geometric shapes over her face and arms. Star.

‘Choomin…’

Lily felt her hair raise on end. It was Rose standing in front of her, yet it was not. The voice, the tone and inflection, the pitch of that single word was a stark contrast to Rose’s otherwise huskier timbre. Xiumin’s eyes expanded in clear shock, then he’d pulled Rose in a bone-crushing hug, breaking down.

Lily’s eyes prickled and she glanced away. Xiumin, for all that he’d done to her, was someone she couldn’t stand hurting. The urge to go over and hug him, take all his pain away, was nearly overwhelming.

She took a deep breath instead and met Leo’s eyes; Leo, who’d been observing the duo for who knew how long. Behind him, Lay was also observing them, a slight frown marring his forehead, eyes blood red. Maybe he’d been healing Leo again.

Xiumin got himself under control pretty quickly and started asking questions, both from Rose and Star. Her sister answered for both of them.

‘So, she has been here since you woke up?’ he asked. Rose’s eyes had reverted to their natural hue, the marks fading from her skin, indicating she was back.

‘Pretty much.’ Rose nodded, walking towards the sofas. Xiumin followed her, slumping into a seat beside her. Leo quietly joined them, but made sure to sit a little distance away, presumably to give them some semblance of privacy. Lay as well. Lily joined Rose on her seat.

‘I thought I had gone crazy.’ Rose shook her head. ‘Every time your name was mentioned, even in passing, I’d feel this strange urge to rush over and find you. I thought I was losing my mind. Then I started hearing her in my head and losing track of time. I’d wake up and find myself somewhere with no idea how I ended up there. I thought I had gone crazy until…’

‘Do… you remember any of the attacks? The ones D.O told us about?’ Xiumin asked, a little hesitant. Rose shook her head. Leo spoke up. ‘I remember.’

‘Huh?’

‘Not this one, although I remember it too.’ Rose winced at that but Leo gave her a reassuring smile. ‘Some time ago… I saw her like she was just now, with those…’ He gestured to indicate the marks. ‘… and her eyes all black and . It was right after mom and my wife left.’

Rose frowned before her face cleared. ‘Oh.’

‘Yeah, I tried to stop her but she ran out so fast, it was like she was… possessed.’ He grinned at the horrible pun. ‘Get it? Possessed?’

Lily made a face, throwing a cushion at her brother. ‘Just… stop. Please.’

‘What?’ he asked, grinning unrepentantly.

‘How long have you been waiting to make that joke?’ she demanded. Rose started giggling and even Xiumin joined in. Their collective sense of humor was so silly, she had no idea how she put up with them.

He had the grace to look sheepish. ‘Since I found out. But I was telling the truth about what I saw. That’s when I called you, remember?’

‘Ah…’ Lily nodded in understanding. ‘Rose, why didn’t you talk to Leo?’

Rose ducked her head. ‘I was scared. I thought- I knew I had done something terrible but I did not remember anything and I kept blacking out, hearing voices. I thought they’d tell me I was crazy and lock me up.’

‘As if I’d let anyone do that,’ Leo growled.

‘Yes but… it was still scary. And I was afraid.’

Lily moved with the intent to hug her sister but Lay’s eyes suddenly felt like lasers piercing through her. Gritting her teeth, she settled for patting her head. ‘It’s okay. What’s done is done. We know what’s going on now, so let’s do our best to help, yeah?’

Rose nodded, then suddenly tackled her into a hug, burying her face into her neck. ‘I am so glad you’re here, Lily.’

Lily grimaced, trying to smile through the rapid itch that was spreading from where Rose’s nose was buried. Xiumin eyed her curiously as she gently shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position.

Lay suddenly stood up. ‘Hate to break you two up but I have to Rose to her room.’

Leo stood up as well. ‘Why?’ he asked, trying to intimidate the healer, flexing his muscles. Rose had let go of Lily, apprehensively looking at Lay.

Lay shrugged. ‘I thought she might rest before we have to question her.’ He smiled at her brother winsomely, dimple peeking out, making him look angelic. Leo looked a little star-struck.

Lily snorted, turning it into a cough when Leo glanced at her. Lay winked. ‘Or she can talk some more if she wants. I don’t mind.’ Calmly, he sat back down.

Xiumin and Leo looked at him like he’d lost his mind. Lily smiled, appreciating his efforts to spare her the pain. Before she could say anything else, Angel peeked into the room. ‘Oh great, you’re all here. We’re setting up for lunch, so come on!’

‘Where’s Ken?’ Lily asked, suddenly realizing the manager was missing. ‘Did he run away?’ He’d been looking pretty spooked.

Leo snorted. ‘As if. He abandoned us the moment he saw Tao’s weapon collection.’

Shaking her head, Lily led her siblings out of the room.

…………………………………...

Lunch was an interesting affair.

They’d joined a couple of huge tables into one long table in the porch and placed all forms of seating arrangement beside it. Everyone was scattered around, sitting and eating or doing as they pleased.

Ken had thankfully gotten over his fear and was animatedly talking to Tao about fighting or something. Tae had made herself home with the Legends, clearly familiar with all of them. She was busy poking fun at Kris with Baekhyun and Chen.

Mei was still giving Luhan the cold shoulder for revealing their secret. Although it didn’t seem to be working because Luhan still insisted on feeding her and his doting was obviously breaking her resolve.

Angel contentedly snuggled into Suho’s side, letting her husband feed her, literally glowing. Nara was also snuggled into Chanyeol’s side, who was clearly having a hard time because of it. His ears and cheeks were blushing wildly and stray flames burst all over his body; his clothes were singed badly and everyone else was giving the couple a wide berth.

Lay took Leo with him, plopping himself beside Kris and pulling Leo down with him. Xiumin, after some hesitation, sat down beside Rose and Lily, who felt a jolt of pride for this unspoken support.

Raina who was beside her, immediately started talking, grilling her about the months she’d been away. Tiffany, who was still insistent on giving her the cold shoulder, kept glancing at the two of them, clearly eavesdropping.

Sehun, feeling ignored, pulled on her hair to distract her. It initiated a hissy fight, both of them throwing insults at each other under their breaths until finally, Tiffany left him with a huff. ‘Ugh.’ She plopped herself beside Raina, surprising the girl. ‘Men !’ she exclaimed dramatically.

Lily suppressed a smile. ‘I’ll have to agree with this.’

Tiffany let out a put upon sigh. ‘I suppose that means we’re no longer fighting.’

Lily grinned at her obvious ploy. ‘I suppose it does.’

‘So…’ she asked, pretending to be bored. ‘How’ve you been? Having fun?’

Knowing this was her chance, Lily indulged her friends, redirecting their questions or answering them as honestly as possible. Rose sat quietly beside her, fidgeting nervously and Raina obviously picked on it. She started addressing her sister, trying to engage the girl. Lily felt a surge of fondness for her friends, who, despite their own misgivings, were clearly putting so much effort for her family’s sake.

D.O, who’d been cooking, and Kyra, who’d presumably been helping him, joined them after a while. There was momentary tension when Kyra moved to sit beside Raina. D.O stopped her, clearly not comfortable at having his mate in any proximity of Evil’s minions but Kyra shook her head firmly, and joined them nonetheless. D.O stared after her for a while before joining a sulky Sehun in his moping. 

Kai suddenly popped in out of nowhere, scaring Ken.

‘Sorry,’ he apologized, holding up various boxes filled with eatables. ‘We ordered more stuff and it would’ve taken too long to get it delivered.’

‘Yas, more food!’ Baekhyun yelled.

‘Man, we need some music.’ Chen hollered, ‘Get this party started!’

‘Um…’ Rose looked confused. ‘What are they celebrating?’ she asked no one in particular. It was Xiumin who answered. ‘No reason, they just like to party.’

It was true. Before things could turn too wild, Suho took the opportunity to announce.

‘It’s been kind of hectic for everyone, so let’s take a break until tonight.’ D.O was obviously unhappy with that but the rest cheered loudly at the announcement. ‘So, relax, take this time to recover and get used to things. To everyone who’s joined us today, I’m sorry that we had to do things this way but I hope we’ll be able to put an end to it, with your help. So, please cooperate.’

‘You’re done?’ Baekhyun asked, standing behind the huge sound system he’d somehow dug up.

Suho frowned, clearly not liking his tone. ‘Yes.’

‘Great!’

Loud music blasted from the speakers and someone took the center stage, dancing amidst loud cheers. Lily shook her head. It was going to be a long night.

………………………………………

A/N

Hey everyone. I just wanted to say that I love and ship ViXXO, especially LeoLay.