When he woke up, Jongdae was sleeping by Xiumin’s side. He shifted so the man opened his eyes. “Finally.”

“I am sorry for fainting.” Jongdae dryly said. “I didn’t mean to.” Xiumin suddenly pulled him close, making Jongdae realize he was wearing diapers. It only meant he had done it on himself and humiliation reached a limit where he couldn’t breathe. “… I am sorry.”

“It is ok. You did nothing wrong.” Xiumin made Jongdae look at him. “In fact, you did great so far.” Jongdae frowned. “To actually live after two hundred eighty six scars, you are really something.” Jongdae tensed. “A scar is a reminder that you survived a wound. A reminder that you overcame something over and over.”

“You think?” Jongdae sounded sarcastic but Xiumin could read pain in his eyes. He caressed Jongdae’s cheek.

“The fact you did wrong things don’t make you a bad person.” Xiumin smiled. “If so I would be the epitome of evilness, … well all of us, since we killed people.” Jongdae looked at him in horror. “There no uglier scar than someone’s blood on your hands.”

Jongdae looked at the man by his side for a moment. “I am sorry. I can’t help but think you are beautiful despite your scars.” It made Xiumin smile.

“You are so cute.” Jongdae blushed at that. “As much as I dislike powerless people, I actually learned a lot from seeing you.”

“You learned?”

“I was listening to what you said. The whole discussion. “ Xiumin looked up. “To focus your pain in something else instead of letting your beloved see it, I think Baekhyun did the same when Chen broke up with him for Chanyeol.”

Jongdae sat up. “They were really together?” Xiumin nodded and Jongdae shivered. “I can’t imagine myself in love with someone else but Chanyeol.” it made Xiumin laugh.

“See? Even Baekhyun thought he won’t love someone else but Chen. But his relationship with Lay blossomed into something I envied them for.” Xiumin explained. “I had a lover too but he got caught by the red force before I could say I was in love with him.”

Jongdae held his hand. “He is going to be free like Lay, right?” Xiumin had a sudden pained expression and looked away.

“We had been trying to find where they locked him for three years… I feel like they killed him.” Xiumin’s voice wavered. “But he faught hard for us, so I won’t dishonor him with crying. I cried enough for years.”

The silence fell in. “I truly hope Lay would wake up, open that dimensional door so we get Chen and we go free your friends.” Jongdae mumbled sadly. “I want so… because nobody deserve to live away from their beloved and suffer the way I did.” Xiumin just looked ahead before sighing.

“You are a kind and warmhearted guy, Jongdae.” Xiumin commented as he patted on Jongdae’s shoulder softly. “I will help you get over your wounds like we all did here.” Jongdae looked at him. “You will handle your love pain better, this time.” It was a promise and Jongdae smiled at it.

Suddenly a voice could be heared in the Radio. “Xiumin… you better see this.” Chanyeol’s voice was filled with tenseness. Xiumin rushed to the screen, showing his perfectly shaped body to a surprised Jongdae. He soon joined Xiumin who was displaying reports.

“Is there an enemy coming?” Xiumin looked at him.

“No… Lay’s power took over a whole perimeter. The red forces had sent robots to contain the area but they rusted and died.” Xiumin explained. “The situation is chaotic. If not stopped, Lay on his own will destroy the whole planet.”

“Maybe there is a way to approach him, no?” Jongdae wondered. He thought of it for a moment. “Isn’t Ice immune to sickness? I mean extreme cold or extreme heat … they are not affected by lack of life.” Xiumin blinked at him before dashing to the radio.

“Chanyeol, Jongdae just gave me a great idea.” Jongdae blushed at the proud tone used. “Get everyone in the van, now.”

Everybody indeed rushed in, squeezing in the small space. “What idea is it?” Baekhyun asked with a frown.

“What power is immune to Lay’s opposite power?” The question made them blink. “Mine and Chanyeol’s. So, we can surround the perimeter with either thick layers of ice or lava…”

As Xiumin explained the idea, Baekhyun piped in. “I can get my self layered with ice and walk in to wake Lay up or sedate him if it doesn’t work.”

Jongdae raised his hand. “I will go with Baekhyun. In case he need a helping hand.”

Xiumin held him. “You are untrained.”

“Please trust me.” Xiumin frowned at that. “I want to help. All I had been doing is sleeping… I want to help.”

“It would be fine. No one survived the area anyway, not even the redforces.” Baekhyun reassured. “Plus, I will protect him with all cost.”

“If he is going, I am going too.” Xiumin announced and so the plan was executed. D.O drove the van while The others settled on positions. Xiumin planned to make blades of ice on their shoes, making them slide in a thick layer of frozen water with Suho’s help.

“Are you sure you can do this?” Jongdae looked up to meet Chanyeol’s concerned eyes. “This is a suicidary missions.”

“I committed suicide over a hundred times, trust me this is not a suicidary mission.” Jongdae smiled reassuringly, the same kind of smiles he had given Sehun countless of times. Chanyeol seemed to ease at that. “Besides, I am not going to shoot people, I will just help Baekhyun.”

Chanyeol smiled warmly at his words. “Come back home safely.” Numbed by the warmth of those words, Jongdae nodded at that before joining Baekhyun at getting ready. He got D.O’s gun in case. “Usually, Chen is able to make weapons out of nowhere so he does not have a weapon on his own.”

Jongdae expressionlessly nodded as he aimed ahead and noticed Kai’s eyes on him. The man just kept looking at him absently. “You should have dyed his hair.” Kai spoke suddenly. “He look exactly like the Chen I met before the war.”

“How this war even started.” Jongdae asked them, curious about that part of their lives that seemed deeply forwned upon.

Suho was so pleased to tell the story. “Bunch of idiots made a kind of virus that turned many soldiers like robot and few actually got enough intelligence to take over their world, then they got in ours to use our power sources and since then we are in a war.”

Jongdae gaped at that. “The red forces are aliens?” they nodded at that. “They made all this damage to your planet?” they nodded at that. “Holly crap… how can my world survive this?”

“Probably they won’t.” Sehun bite back. “With our powers and everything, we barely managed to do some damage but nothing big and they got few of us.”

At that nobody said a word. They reached the base and with Suho’s power, Xiumin managed to execute his part of the plan. Baekhyun, Jongdae, and he slided in the ice way when Jongdae felt an excitement rush in his body. The last time he did slide in ice was with Sehun, last christmas. Sehun was a bad skater and Jongdae kept teaching him everyday.

“Your smile is beautiful.” Chanyeol’s voice boomed through his earphone startling him. “Keep on smiling.” he just hummed but his smile faded sadly. Baekhyun held his hand as he noticed so. Jongdae soon noticed the dead aura in the place. Including few dead bodies all over the place.

“Lieutenant chef. Chen is online, and he got something to say.” D.O announced in panic and the trio paused to see. Xiumin managed to project a screen with his zenithophone. Chen was on screen with a shivering Sehun by his side.

“Make it quick “

Chen showed them the orbs. “The orbs had been shining since you got close to Lay. Plus they shone when his anti power broke off.” The trio paled but Jongdae seemed enough crazy to not panic.

“Maybe that means we have to wake him up? That this coma is a danger for Lay?” He asked tentively.

“Jongdae? What the heck are you doing?” Sehun suddenly bursted. “You are going to get killed.”.

“I am not. I am strong enough for this mission.” Jongdae hissed. “We will go through our plan. Let us go.” he walked ahead, heading to where a black aura was coming.

“Stop, Jongdae. Their shine is getting stronger.” Chen called while Xiumin and Baekbyun held his shoulders. “Don’t be reckless.”

“We are just making assumptions right now. Neither I nor you can be sure we are right so the only way is this.” Jongdae reasoned then looked at Xiumin. “Cover us with medium thick layer of ice.”

Xiumin did and they got in together where a sleeping Lay was surrounded with darkness. Baekhyun held his hands up and a huge orb of light showed up. “This is not working.” He noted as the darkness got darker. “I don’t know how to ….” Jongdae stepped ahead and ped Lay’s pants. “What the ! What are you doing?”

Jongdae looked at him, deadly serious. “What a do the best.” He engulfed Lay’s manhood to the point he gagged, and the inert man’s sanity, as darkness engulfed him. His mouth was in an immense pain, his body was in an immense pain. He felt like he was gang again and that they had stabbed him with burning cigarette and sizzling daggers. He was so in pain, he did not know if he kept blowing Lay or if he stopped or if he died after all. However, he could hear voices in the back of his mind.

er

Worthless

Garbage

Trash

Piece of

Filthy animal

They echoed all over the place. He did not know if they were clearly heard or if he imagined it. It was a nightmare but he didn’t feel panicked nor hurt. He was lifeless. He felt nothing that he never felt before, so he didn’t truly care.

It may have been few minutes before he could see something. A ceiling. A plain white ceiling.

“You are up?” He looked over Chanyeol who rushed to his side, frowning. “I will call Lay to check on you.” He stood to leave but Jongdae held him.

“I am not sorry I did what I did.” Chanyeol stiffened at that. “I am a . I and get ed in the . There will be no surprise if I my way to you, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol looked at him, shocked. “Do you think I am mad because of the ? it! Of course no!” Jongdae blinked at that as he sat up. “You did put yourself in danger of death while you said this mission was not suicidal!” Chanyeol ended up yelling. “You lied to me!”

Jongdae ended up frowning. “You are not mad I gave a to your best friend boyfriend but that I nearly killed myself?” he sounded seriously confused and Chanyeol slammed him back to bed.

He was shaking. “Yes… the woke Lay’s subconscious side and he stopped his anti power. You actually saved people with that. But at the same time, you did put yourself in danger.”

“I am sorry. I am sorry for the too.” Jongdae was confused and he felt like he will get a headache from this Chanyeol. “I am… sorry.”

Chanyeol just closed his eyes and chuckled. “You are really something.” He left the bed and walked out. “I will call Lay.”

Lay didn’t make time to show up. He was pale and sickly looking but Jongdae knew better than to judge him. “Hi. I am lay.” He shyly said and Baekhyun actually laughed at that much to Jongdae’s confusion.

“Jongdae. I am glad you are up.” Lay smiled at that.

“Thank you for waking me up even by… a . To be honest, it was my first and a fantasy for me but Baekhyun don’t like it.” Jongdae looked over the man who blushed madly. “So thank you for the best of my life.”

“Don’t thank a for his job.” Jongdae teased but it seemed to make Lay frown. “I was kidding. You are welcome.”

“Oh. Oh! Sorry, I am slow in jokes. I rarely get them.” Lay smiled as his warm hands roamed in Jongdae’s body. “I managed to heal most of your internal injuries and your scars but your prostate infection need time for me to heal. I am kind of tired right now.”

Jongdae nodded, as he had no idea what the man meant. “You look sick too.” Jongdae sat up to leave the bed. “Rest.”

“I slept enough. I mostly need a lot of sunlight and meditation.” Lay said with a smile. “I need to recover my energy to it fullest to open a portal in five years.”

“Five years?” Jongdae tensed.

“Yeah. An eclipse happens every five years in our planet. Surprisingly last time, it occurred twice but I have no idea to why.” Lay explained. “Plus, I need a hell lot of meditation to not fall back to coma.”

“Oh my god.” Jongdae pulled his knees closer to his chest. “That means Chen will have to live in my world for five years. To live as me for five years.”

Baekhyun was the one to hold him, reassuringly. “Chen said he sensed a lot of electric energy in your world, so he is enough powerful to protect himself. Besides, it seemed that your Sehun is sweet enough to take care of him.”

“Sehun had always been a nice person, despite his stoic and childish behavior around me.” Jongdae explained with a hint of sadness. “I don’t deserve him.”

“You do.” Baekhyun hugged him. “Don’t think otherwise.” Baekhyun left his side suddenly and Jongdae soon noticed Xiumin. By instinct, he started shaking. Baekhyun noticed so and slowly made his way between them. “chef…”

“Leave.” the order went cold and both Baekhyun and Lay left the room. Once alone, Jongdae felt like his first sober night all over again. “Why did you do that?”

“I don’t know. I am sorry.” His voice wavered but showed no fear.

“Was it Chen? Was it the fact they told you to not do it?” Xiumin’s voice was closer but Jongdae didn’t dare to check. “Was it because none of them trusted you?”

“I don’t know.” Jongdae looked up to see Xiumin slide in bed. “I am sorry.”

“You better be. I am punishing you this week. You are going to wash the dishes of the main cafeteria for the whole week.” Xiumin frowned as Jongdae showed confusion. “That makes it about two to three thousand plats, cups, and utensils.”

Jongdae paled. “Everyday? Three times a day?” Xiumin nodded. “But… on my own?” Xiumin smirked.

“That will teach you about putting yourself in danger and to do anything without consulting me.” Xiumin wiggled his eyes. “Pretty convincing punishment, right?”

“Yeah… but are you not mad I gave Lay a ?” Jongdae seemed confused at that.

“We all know how low you see of yourself so giving people s is definitely a result to a wound for us. We know that you won’t think of it if it wasn’t something you did not want to do.” Jongdae’s eyes got filled with tears. “You are excused when it came to that.” Jongdae sobbed in Xiumin’s arms. “You are not excused about the rest. You are still going to wash the dishes for a week.” Jongdae faked a groan but he was smiling as he sniffed up his tears.

“Damn. I am going to die by the end of this week.” he joked and Xiumin smiled to him, amusedly.

“You are joking. This is a first.” Jongdae just blushed at that. Xiumin dried his tears and held him closer. “Thank you. I actually panicked when I sensed the aura reach me.” Jongdae looked at him. “It gave him flash backs of my past and of how I lost Kris.” Jongdae just buried his face in Min’s chest as he himself had known the worst but couldn’t say. “Jongdae…” the man looked up. “That was hot and brave from you.”

“Hot and brave?” Jongdae chuckled at that and Xiumin smiled before kissing him. Jongdae tensed at that but Xiumin was soft and sweet so he relaxed as he broke it off. “I am sorry.”

Xiumin chuckled at that. “I kissed you and you apologize? That is new.” Jongdae looked down, nervous, but Xiumin made him look up. “I gave you some love, don’t be sorry for not fully receiving it. None of us will touch you for lust or to use you. Jongdae, you got no obligation to reciprocate it or fulfill anybody’s selfish need anymore.”

“At least for five year.” Jongdae rectified. Xiumin sighed at that and nodded. “You can kiss me whenever you like it, I am going to answer.”

“You don’t have to.” Xiumin smiled. “But I will kiss you, you are damn cute and adorable. It is all I want to do.” He pulled Jongdae closer and they laid down. “Cuddle you to oblivion and hide you from all evil.”

It made Jongdae laugh. A real laugh. Chanyeol got in at that. “I heard an angel laughing.”

“Isn’t he adorable? It feels like I am cuddling a baby.” Xiumin teased while Jongdae blushed. “He is on duty of washing dishes this week.”

“Awww.” Chanyeol made a frowning face. “Isn’t it too much. We are a half million in the camp.” Jongdae sat up at that.

“Half million?” He looked at Xiumin who smirked. “You lied!”

“You lied to us about not suicide part so it is a great payback.” Chanyeol teased and Jongdae pouted to him. It froze Chanyeol there. “You are so adorable.” Chanyeol teased as he sensed the shift of the atmosphere. “Lunch will be served in an hour so get ready.”

Jongdae groaned as he left the bed, heading with Xiumin to the kitchens while Chanyeol stood there, shaken. He felt stabbed with sudden reminder that Chen was not around him. He wanted to cry but Kai showed up in a puff. “Chen is online.” Chanyeol held on him and they teleported to D.O’s side. Kai just held D.O and teleported them out.

“Chanyeol…” The man looked at the screen before bursting in tears. “Don’t cry.”

“It becomes hard to live with Jongdae around. He is you and not you at the same time.” Chanyeol admitted sadly. “It hurts.”

“Then forget he is not me and stop hurting yourself.” Chanyeol snapped his head up at that. “I will be here for five years…”

“Shut up! You can’t tell me what to do!” Chanyeol roared angrily. “I told you I will battle to have you and you ask me now to give up on you?” Chen looked away from the camera. “You can not do that. Chen, I love you! ing also, we are married! This is not joke.”

“And I am not joking!” Chen whined, frustrated. “I want you away from pain! I want you… to live happily even with a dobbergang until I come back. Just for five years.”

The silence fell in, heavy and soon Chanyeol stepped back. “I will treat him well if so is your wish but he will never be you.” Chanyeol lifted his hand to show his wedding ring tattooed on his finger the same way Chen had and Chen did the same. “As long as this is in my finger, I will be only yours.”

“Chan…” Chen started but his voice wavered and he kept his mouth shut. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Chanyeol darkly said. “this communication ends here. If you got anything to say that worth my time, say it.”

“I am sorry.” Chen said suddenly as heavy tears fell down. “I just want you to be happy.”

Chanyeol leaned to click on the button and looked up. “Good bye, Chen.” He ended the call at that, and rushed back to his room where he buried himself under the blankets. He was a handicap so he was surely no longer part of the missions.

Five years… five torturous years. He shed silent at that for so long that Jongdae got in finding him sleeping in a burning pillow. It surprised Jongdae but he was tired. Even if Lay healed his physical pain, he was dead tired and slept nuzzling Chanyeol who woke up at his touch. He slept back soon after that.