Since he became the commander of the troops Sehun spent most of his time training and reestablishing the troops. The last commander did a really lousy job with the training and the soldiers couldn't even alternate between using weapons and their own powers, and teaching them was tiring Sehun, making the man easily annoyed those days.

The only thing that could keep Sehun from quitting was knowing that this job would make him access the three of life quicker.

Kai was also being of great help keeping Sehun from getting stressed, preparing hot baths for the man and giving him relaxing massages when he returned from his work. The brunette treated him warmly and attentively, doing for him everything the man once wanted Luhan to do, but that the smaller had denied him.

With each passing day Sehun would like Kai more and more, and he was  increasingly forgetting Luhan. He could go for days now without his fiancée even coming to his mind but, in contrast, he couldn’t stay more than a couple of hours without thinking about Kai’s black eyes and his glorious dark skin.

That day in particular Sehun had been thinking about Kai throughout the morning and, as he had the afternoon off, he decided to go shopping with the man. They agreed to meet at the frontier between the city and the forest after Sehun’s expedient ended, but when he was on his way to the appointed place, something caught Sehun’s attention amid the forest’s trees.

-Ah, stop it!

That was the cry that made ​​Sehun get immediately alert. He knew that voice... it seemed to be Baekhyun’s voice!

He took a few hurried steps in the direction of the sound. After all, the boy could be in trouble.

Soon the voice spoke again, a bit milder this time.

-Chanyeol, stop it, you'll end up setting fire to the forest again and Suho is not here to put you out this time!

-No, wait Baekhyunie, I did something for you! Sit here.

Sehun approached and peered through the trees. The young brunette with delicate features who was Baekhyun was sitting on a fallen tree trunk, watching apprehensively as a tall, thin redhead fidgeted with a tangle of leaves and twigs stuck between two nearby trees.

The man, who Sehun recognized as Chanyeol, approached his hand to different points of the branches, creating small fireballs, trying to make the fire spread equally on all sides of the arrangement.

When everything finally caught fire, the leaves quickly burned down, falling off the branch and hovering around as ashes, while the branch became a heart of fire between the trees. When the last leaves in the center of the arrangement caught fire, Sehun realized within the heart some branches were intertwined forming the letters "C" and "B".

"Chanyeol and Baekhyun ..." Sehun smiled to himself. That was a beautiful way to declare your love to someone and he wished Baekhyun would correspond to Chanyeol’s love. He knew how it felt to not be matched and he didn’t want that kind of disappointment to anyone else.

The ashes of the burnt leaves were now close to touching the ground, but Sehun, using his power, sent a stream of air to lift them again, making them dance around the flaming heart.

Baekhyun’s eyes glowed delighted with the sight of the flames that were the confession of Chanyeol’s love and his lips were slightly parted in astonishment. Chanyeol approached, sitting beside him and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. No need for words, Baekhyun nestled between the redhead's arms, smiling widely at him and Chanyeol knew his love was matched.

Sehun grinned foolishly to such a stupidly romantic scene unfolding before his eyes. He should do something like that for Luhan once he returned to M, something that involved his powers and let the blonde as awestruck as Baekh...

-What are you doing? - The voice of something newly teleported behind Sehun surprised him, interrupting his thoughts.

-Shh! - He scolded, grabbing Kai by his shirt and pulling him, so he could see what was happening.

The brunette smiled at the scene.

-Finally! - He whispered, satisfied. - I thought they'd never reach a consensus. Baekhyun is very stubborn, you know? He never wanted to admit that he had feelings for Chanyeol...

-So that was why he didn’t want Chanyeol to know where he was?

-I told you, patience Sehunnie!

Sehun rolled his eyes, annoyed.

-Sure. Come on, it's getting late and we won’t have time to go to the market.

Kai nodded and cast a last look at the passionate couple before following Sehun.

-By the way, how did you know where I was? - Sehun asked while leaving the forest.

-I didn’t know. - He answered. - I just went to several places before I found you.

-It must be good to have your power. – Sehun noted and Kai smiled.

They began to walk between the various stalls of products looking for the items on their shopping list, until Sehun was attracted by the sparkle of some jewelry plated in silver and gold.

They all had different design and the details were perfect. Whoever wrought them had done a great job and Sehun felt inclined to buy one. Yes, he should take one after all, maybe Kai would like them...

Kai? No, he meant Luhan, yes Luhan, his fiancée, maybe he would like it…

"No, he wouldn’t ..." The young sighed. Luhan would never be interested in something as insignificant as a medal, unless it was made ​​entirely of gold or any other precious metal.

He snorted and threw the necklace back in the showcase, but before it reached the padded structure, a hand came up and grabbed.

-What is it? - Kai said, holding the object against the light to see it better.

-It's just a medal I was thinking of buying for the person I ... - And at this point his voice trembled a bit. - The person I like...

-And you won’t anymore? - Kai asked, his raspy voice wavering slightly. Was it possible that Sehun was talking about him? Because, after all, who else could he like?

According to the man he was alone in the world and now Kai was his only friend, whom he referred to as "special" to him. Sehun had to be talking about him!

-I don’t think it will please him, though. - Sehun sighed, crestfallen.

-How can you know without even trying? Sometimes people can surprise us...

Sehun smiled. Maybe his friend was right. Who knows, maybe Luhan would surprise him. After all, he had promised that they would be happy when Sehun returned to M. Maybe Luhan could pay attention to the meaning of the gift and not to the value it had.

-You're right. - The man agreed and Kai’s heart skipped a bit.

The brunette chose a necklace that pleased him and extended it for the other to see it.

-How about this? - He smiled, but Sehun shook his head and took a triangle-shaped medallion with some sort of black hole design inside.

-I like this one. -He said, holding the pendant beside Kai’s face. - Black holes are deep and mysterious, which makes them fascinating. - He smiled and explained. -Not that I've ever seen a black hole, of course, but I imagine it's like looking into your eyes...

-Mine? - Kai took a hand to one of his own cheekbones, blushing.

Sehun nodded his head. - You have beautiful eyes. They are so dark and deep, they look like they will you into them. Just as a black hole would. - He concluded, smiling and swaying the pendant.

He took a few coins from his pocket and gave it to the owner of the tent, then placed the necklace in his coat pocket. Putting his hands into his pockets, the blonde followed between the stalls at his usual slow and relaxed pace. Kai, however, had left his usual frenzy of appearing and disappearing around the place to follow Sehun in his slow footsteps.

-I didn’t know you were in love. - He commented, and his air suggested nonchalance, but his heart pounded faster in his chest.

-Yes... - The blonde sighed.

-When do you intend to give it to him?

-When there is a special occasion. - He stoped at a fruit stand and examined the products in there.

-I think he will like it. – Kai smiled.

-I sure hope so. - He said, picking up some pears.

Then Sehun heard a sound similar to a whistle, sharp, but smooth, that was much alike the bamboo whistles produced in M. He looked around for the source of the noise and saw a hooded figure in the crowd. The man, realizing Sehun saw him, removed the hood, causing the blonde to recognize him. That was Chen, King Kris’ messenger.

Chen replaced the hood over his head and, turning around, began walking toward the forest. Sehun handed the fruit in his hands to Kai, as well as a paper bag.

-Here, choose the nicest ones. There are no apples here and Baekhyun asked me specifically for apples, so I'm going over there to look for them, ok?

-I gotta do everything... – Kai mumbled, struggling to open the paper bag with one hand while holding the fruits in the other. - Later lets... Sehun?

Kai looked for the man, but Sehun had already disappeared into the crowd, dodging people and tents, trying not to lose sight of the messenger.

-Chen! - He called, gasping, when they reached a clearing at the edge of the forest that bordered the market. - How did you get in here?

-It doesn’t matter - He told the man. – But you were right about one thing, they do have a weakness in the wall of the right...

-Good. What are you doing here?

-Kris is getting impatient. - Said the man, without mincing words. - He wants to know about the tree of life.

-I have not yet seen it. - Sehun said with sincerity. - I'm afraid that, if I dwell on it, they will distrust me.

-It's been two months already, Sehun, at this point it would be expected that you have at least had contact with the tree.

-Tell the king that I will soon have more concrete information.

-Okay, Sehun, but hurry. King Kris is not very patient, as you may know ...

-I know. - The man nodded. - Just give me some more time, okay?

Chen agreed and, without further ado, departed. Sehun watched him walk away with a heavy heart. He was starting to feel guilty about what he was doing with the people of K. After all, they welcomed him with open arms and how did he thank them? Lying his identity, weakening their defenses and stealing their tree of life. No, it shouldn’t be that way...

-There are no apples here, Sehunnie. Are you lost?

Sehun jumped and his heart raced. -Argh, you have to stop doing that! - He croaked.

-That what? - Kai asked innocently.

-Teleporting all around! It's annoying, do not do that anymore.

Kai smiled in a naughty way. - Have I scared you, Sehunnie?

-No. - Snorted the other.

-Then why can’t I teleport?

-I told you already, it pisses me off. - Sehun replied. In reality Sehun was afraid that Kai, in one of his unexpected  appearances, found out what was happening.

-Okay, I'll try... - Kai grumbled, annoyed. - But just because it was you who asked me.

Sehun laughed at the image of Kai with his arms crossed over his chest and scowling, what made the brunette get even more upset.

-What are you laughing at? – He inquired.

-You. - Sehun answered simply. - You look like a child in tantrum...

Kai punched him in the forearm and snorted in contempt.

-Hey, don’t be upset. - Smiled Sehun, pulling Kai's chin so he would look at him. - I didn't mean it in a bad way, it’s just that you look cute when you act like that.

Kai just looked at him skeptically and Sehun did the same, hoping for a response.

They stood there for a few seconds, just staring deeply into each other’s eyes, without actually realizing what they were doing.

It wasn’t hard to get lost in Kai’s eyes and soon Sehun was holding him in his arms, their lips not touching only by the distance of one or two fingers, until Kai blinked a few times, breaking their trance.

-Are you okay, Sehunnie? - He asked as he stared back at Sehun’s insistent gaze. - You look weird...

Sehun shook his head, averting his gaze from the mesmerizing black eyes.

-I'm fine, maybe a little dizzy, that's all. - He released Kai and sat in a nearby tree trunk that rested on the ground.

-Is there anything I can do? - Kai approached and knelt beside the blonde.

"You've done too much already..." Sehun thought, but only shook his head. Kai was entering bit by bit in his life, filling his mind with his beauty and thoughtful gestures and he didn’t need another one