The distress call coming through his link was so jarring that Kris had started running by the time he processed that it was Chanyeol, his Shadow who’d been ignoring him for the past several months. That he’d reached out to Kris made him panic. Things had to be pretty serious and Kris didn’t wait for anything else, immediately sending comforting signals to his Shadow while he ran head on towards his room.

Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who’d sensed discomfort because Tae and Ken were already there too, Tae hugging Nara protectively while Ken glared at Chanyeol.

Chanyeol didn’t seem to notice, looking shell-shocked and almost like he was about to cry.

‘Hey…’ Kris called when he was within earshot and Chanyeol’s head whipped in his direction.

‘Kris…’ he cried hoarsely, throwing himself at his Shadow and Kris stumbled at the impact.

‘What happened?’ he asked, hugging Chanyeol just as protectively as Tae. Chanyeol made a miserable sound. ‘She’s breaking up with me,’ he wailed.

Kris’s eyebrows shot up. With the amount of distress Chanyeol had been emanating, he’d thought someone had, heavens forbid, died. The last thing he’d expected was an impending breakup.

‘Chanyeol…’ Nara called, sounding upset and unsure. She didn’t say anything else looking at him pleadingly. If he had to guess, Kris would say she was communicating via their bond. Chanyeol stared at her with wide eyes, obviously listening.  

‘Why not?’ Chanyeol demanded, pouting pathetically. ‘Am I not a good participant?’

Tae, who’d been valiantly pretending to be serious all this time, let out a peal of laughter that she quickly turned into a cough at Chanyeol’s glare.

Nara was shaking her head, obviously still communicating through their link. Chanyeol stared at her with disbelieving, teary eyes. Nara, for her part, looked just as distressed but also resolute. She was holding on to Tae’s hand like it was her life line and Kris thought that perhaps, doing this was just as difficult for her as it was for Chanyeol.

His Shadow, after listening to her, only nodded his head slowly and turned to Kris. ‘Let’s go,’ he muttered, sounding miserable. Kris glanced curiously at Tae, who shrugged in response, obviously as lost as he was. She patted Nara’s shoulder gently and Nara turned to look at her friend, looking quite shell-shocked. Trusting the girl to handle Chanyeol’s mate, he led his Shadow to his own room.

Chanyeol came easily, and let himself be adjusted on the bed, staring blankly at the walls.

‘What’s going on?’ Kris asked, a little worried. Chanyeol’s emotions, which had been a massive swirl of intense feelings, had now settled into a strange calm and it worried Kris. He wondered if he was going in shock.

Chanyeol sighed. ‘Did Karen ever want to end things with you?’ he asked in lieu of replying.

Kris stiffened but it was momentary, an instinctive response to his dead mate’s name. He smiled wryly. ‘Almost daily.’

Chanyeol, obviously not expecting that answer, blinked, turning to look at Kris. ‘For real?’

Kris shrugged. Chanyeol, being his Shadow, knew more than anyone that his relation with his mate had been far from smooth and less than loving. But Kris had never shared the true extent of their differences with anyone, not even Chanyeol.

‘She didn’t want to settle just then.’ Kris replied shortly. It was far less complicated to say just that and leave everything else out.

‘But you guys made up, right?’ Chanyeol asked, looking sick.

Kris smiled but it fell short of being genuine. ‘I guess… for a while.’

Chanyeol didn’t say anything but he didn’t have to. His Shadow wasn’t the most discreet and his emotions were spilling loud and clear into Kris. Kris shook his head. ‘Nara is hardly like that. I’m sure her reasoning is a lot different.’

 ‘She thinks her feelings are interfering with the research.’ Chanyeol muttered. Kris would laugh if it wasn’t something Nara would actually say and follow through.

‘Well… I don’t exactly know what her research is about…’ he began tentatively.

‘It’s about social relations.’

Kris frowned. ‘How does breaking up help that?’

‘I don’t know, I’m not a genius like her!’ Chanyeol threw his hands up in frustration before burying his face in them. ‘We were doing just fine until last night. Even this morning… I thought she was happy.’

Kris let his Shadow vent until he’d devolved into incoherent murmurs about Nara’s genius and how she was so cute, it made his heart hurt. He suppressed a smile because of course Chanyeol would wax about his mate being too cute even in distress.

‘From what I know of her…’ Kris began, making Chanyeol head snap up. He shrugged. ‘What? She’s my student.’ He gave Chanyeol a sly smile. ‘Who do you think told Baekhyun her name?’

‘Oh!’

‘Research is her way of dealing with the complexities around her. She’s a genius but she’s also very socially impaired and researching things, turning them into concrete blocks of information, helps her deal with things on her terms.’

‘Yeah, she says she understands things better if they’re properly defined.’

‘Exactly. And feelings are complex, harder to define or turn concrete. Maybe she’s overwhelmed. It’s overwhelming for us and we know how to identify and deal with our emotions.’

Chanyeol stared at him with big eyes. ‘You don’t think I pushed her into this, do you?’ he asked, sounding horrified.  

‘That…’

‘I swear I was going to kiss her cheek!’ he exclaimed, grabbing Kris’s hand. ‘I would’ve waited until she was ready but she turned her head and… it was an accident!’

Kris blinked, not quite sure what to do in this case. He went with patting Chanyeol soothingly. ‘I’m sure she understands.’

Chanyeol shook his head miserably, staring down at his hands. ‘I don’t know…’

‘Well, if it’s worth anything, I’m sure she will come around. She’s not benefiting her research on social relations by breaking one off, especially considering her narrow social circle. I’m sure her friends will talk sense into her…’

‘But I don’t want her to feel like she’s obligated to be with me just because I claimed her…’ Chanyeol muttered softly. Kris smiled, a little sad. Maybe he should’ve been this understanding with his… never mind. The past was just that, past.

‘Well, give her some time and space to sort things out. You can stay here in the meantime.’

Chanyeol glanced around, seeming to notice where he was. ‘Oh, sorry… didn’t mean to intrude so…’

‘Chanyeol,’ Kris interrupted him. ‘It’s okay. You’re my Shadow, this room is as much yours as it’s mine.’

Chanyeol nodded sheepishly, then hung his head. Kris heard his apology hit him with the force of a ton of bricks, leaving his shaken to the core. He smiled at the intensity of the feelings pouring into him – heavens knew he’d missed this bright chaos – and pushed back with as much sincerity as he could muster.

The next thing he knew, Chanyeol was hugging him tightly and blubbering into his shoulder about being a bad Shadow. Kris disagreed vehemently because he was just as guilty, if not more so, in this entire situation.

‘I’m sorry,’ Chanyeol sniffed out, ‘for being so mean.’

Kris, his own eyes far from tearless, smiled at the statement. ‘Me too, I’m sorry.’

Chanyeol nodded. ‘Friends?’ he asked.

‘Friends.’ Kris affirmed and that was that. There was little to be done about Nara but he was glad that this had lead them to end their unspoken feud and reconcile.

……………………………………

Tae found him later when he was leaving his room. ‘Chanyeol in there?’ she asked, smiling brightly.

Kris nodded. Tae shook her head. ‘I don’t know why Nara is insisting on breaking up with him but I’m doing my best to bring her around.’

‘Thanks,’ Kris replied, smiling. Tae eyed him in a manner that made him self-conscious. ‘What?’

She hummed. ‘You have a cute smile.’

He had no idea how to respond to that. ‘Thank you…?’ he replied hesitantly.

She smiled wider. ‘You’re welcome!’

Kris nodded, then turned to move down the corridor. He was surprised when Tae fell in step with him. ‘Where’re we going?’ she asked, all but skipping beside him.

‘Uh… I was going to the kitchen to get water.’

‘Water, huh?’ She looked up at him with an arched brow. He felt severely judged. ‘Cool.’

‘Water is good for you,’ he felt compelled to defend.

‘I didn’t say anything,’ she replied, shrugging her shoulders. Then she smirked. ‘But seriously, water?’

Kris blinked. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Nothing… with a face like yours… I figured you were more of a hard liquor kind of guy.’

‘… you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.’

‘And he’s a nerd too…’ Tae muttered under her breath. ‘Great, just what I need.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘Nothing. So, other than water, what do you like to drink?’

Kris couldn’t understand what was so fascinating about his drinking habits that Tae felt compelled to ask about it. ‘Tea, coffee, cola… whatever is available. I’m not picky.’

‘So you wouldn’t mind getting coffee with me, then.’

‘Now?’

She laughed – no, giggled – at that. ‘No silly. Just, sometime.’ She looked up at him, blinking, lashes fluttering prettily.

‘Yeah,’ Kris agreed, feeling he was missing something, ‘sure.’

‘Great! It’s a date!’ she cheered, then sped up, disappearing around the corner.

‘Well, well, well…’ Baekhyun’s voice rang through the corridor, the Legend appearing a second later, smirk firmly in place. ‘What do we have here?’

For no reason at all, Kris felt like blushing. ‘Uh…’

‘Consorting with the students now, are we?’

‘…what?’

‘I gotta admit, I never thought about it like this… but it seems pretty effective… hmm, maybe I should consider becoming a teacher too…’

Baekhyun had reached him at this point and slung an arm around his shoulder. Or attempted to. Kris was far too tall for him to succeed and he ended up grabbing onto his arm.

‘So?’ He wiggled his brows, looking naughty as hell and Kris felt his face heating up. Which was stupid because he’d done nothing.

‘Teaching is a good field, I suppose…’ he muttered, not sure what Baekhyun was trying to do. As far as he knew, Baekhyun despised anything related to studies.

He blinked at the knock on his head, knuckles rubbing harshly. ‘Ow! The hell?’ He glared at the Legend.

‘Don’t pretend to be so innocent, you know what I’m talking about!’ Baekhyun accused.

‘Uh, no, I don’t.’

‘Oh come on,’ Baekhyun whined, pouting and stamping his feet, looking disgusting…ly cute. Ugh, Kris was a er for cute. He sighed resignedly

‘What do you want to know?’

Baekhyun lit up like a Christmas tree. ‘How to get girls!’

Kris sighed. ‘Baekhyun, I think you’re already good at this…’

‘Yeah but I’m not girls-chase-after-me good!’

‘I don’t have girls cha… you know what, never mind. I have no clue what you’re talking about…’

‘Oh come on!’ Baekhyun whined, ‘Give me the details.’

‘What details?’ Kris asked.

‘Of your date!’

‘Kris has a date?!?’ Chen, having just turned the corner, screeched in disbelief. Disbelief that was probably mirrored on his own face.

‘I have a date?’ he asked, surprised. 

Chen came bounding to him, bouncing on the balls of his feet and thrumming visibly with excitement. ‘Who? When? Where?’

Kris was actually quite interested to know that as well. Baekhyun left his arm and latched onto Chen instead.

‘With Tae!’ he yelled, loud enough that Kris was afraid everyone in the mansion could hear him.

On the plus side, he finally figured the root of this misunderstanding. He laughed, making the two Legends happy-dancing beside him stop in their tracks and stare at him.

‘What?’ Chen asked.

‘It’s not a date, we’re just having coffee,’ he clarified, still laughing, shaking his head.

‘But she said…’ Baekhyun objected.

‘It’s a figure of speech, you !’ Kris told Baekhyun, patting his head. Baekhyun scrunched his nose. ‘Spoilsport!’

Kris laughed at the dejected look on his and Chen’s face. ‘Come on guys, why the long faces?’

‘Because you’re an idiot, that’s why!’ Chen muttered, hitting his arm lightly. ‘And btw, she asked you out for coffee. That’s college slang for date!’

Kris opened his mouth to refute that but they’d reached the end of the corridor by then and Tae was standing right there, talking animatedly with Ken. She glanced up as they entered, smiled at Chen and Baekhyun and then, her eyes landed on Kris.

Her smile widened and she tilted her head, making the hair fall on her face. She tucked it back delicately and did that fluttering thing with her lashes again. ‘Hey Kris!’

Baekhyun and Chen started laughing, turning it into coughs when Tae looked at them questioningly.

‘Date-ugh!’ Baekhyun fake-coughed, patting Kris’s shoulder.

‘Not a date, my !’ Chen muttered under his breath, looking at him accusingly.

Kris felt himself turning red, no idea how or why he had to defend himself.

He resigned himself to the inevitable questioning that would follow this interaction. Instead, he smiled back at Tae, ‘Hi!’, and determinedly ignored the raucous screams and hoots – too loud for just two Legends – behind him.

………………………………………

A/N

Sorry for being AWOL. Enjoy this while you guys stream Rainfall and Honey <3