Ravi has given me a pair of his old shorts; they’re red and the bottom of each leg sits about midway on my calves. Just like Hongbin’s, I tie them tightly around my waist, making sure they at least don’t slide off my hips.

When I come out from his room he is quick to tell me to try checking in on the training room later since a few of the boys will be training for a bit.

Ravi turns away and leaves me standing in front of his door and I nervously glance at the door to my right. It’s closed and I don’t hear much noise.

I wonder if Taekwoon is in there… I haven’t seen him today.

I turn to it and knock on it lightly, hoping that he’ll answer. I have an overwhelming need to see him, but I try to push it to the back of my mind. I’m still scared, in a world where it’s so easy to take a life, to connect myself so easily and readily with a man like Taekwoon… It swings open but instead of Taekwoon I am being stared down by Hyuk.

Oh, great.

He chuckles when my cheeks flush and I try to mutter out a sentence.

“Uh…Where’s Tae- Leo?” I manage to ask.

“He’s not here currently… Can I take a message?” He answers with attitude.

I give him a piercing gaze and smack my hand against his chest.

“Yah, don’t be so snippy.”

He quirks an eye brow and puts a finger to his temple as he closes his eyes.

“Translating as… I want… To see you again?” He says, finishing off his sentence in a mock feminine voice.

“HYUK!” I suddenly yell as I see him clutch his stomach in laughter.

“You’re too young to think about stuff like that…” I try to scold, but ultimately know it will fail.

He laughs again, giving me a cheeky smile.

“We’re the same age; if I’m too young, you better take a hard look in the mirror.”

I roll my eyes at him and cross my arms. He’s right though… I smirk a bit and wait for him to give me the answer I want.

“He’s in his office,” Hyuk tells me.

I thank him and he smiles in return. I turn to walk down the hallway but his voice stops me for a moment.

“And, next time you guys decide to do the dirty, can you let me know so I can plan to not be around here.”

I glance over my shoulder to glare at him with a smile.

He laughs again in return, waving me away as he closes his door.

I ascend a set of stairs and make it to the second level and notice how quiet it is. I find it strange considering there are so many people living here. I shrug it away as I come face to face with the door to Taekwoon and Ken’s office. It’s cracked open slightly and when I peak through it I take note of Taekwoon’s figure standing near the desk.

I watch him as he leans his weight onto one of his hands while the other twirls a pen in his fingers. I admire his hands… His fingers were long and slender and the hard work was evident in the veins that protruded from his skin. To be honest, if I needed to pick something that I favourite about him, his hands would have to be it.

He’s in a plain white t-shirt. The muscles in his arms are noticeable and I let my eyes drink in his figure. He’s in a pair of dark grey jeans, a pair of combat boots loosely tied on his feet. He’s strangely stylish for a man trapped in hanger almost all of the time.

I finally push the door open completely, quickly to close it behind myself, and watch him as he looks up from the papers in front of him, his hand stilling the pen between his fingers.

His face changes from the blank stare he usually holds to one that is smirking as I walk to stand by his side. I smile up at him as he lays a hand on the small of my back and his eyes land on my face.

“Hi,” I breathe out.

He keeps his hand on my back as he responds.

“Good Morning.”

“How are you?” I ask casually.

He chuckles with the smirk still on his face.

“Good… Are you sore now?” Taekwoon asks, his eyebrows momentarily scrunching as worry etches in his features.

One of my hands rubs softly against the area where my stitches are. There’s a small ache arising when my hand brushes it but I play it off as no big deal… I didn’t want him to think he caused it. It had to be completely from the stitches.

“No, it’s pretty good. Hongbin gave me some painkillers,” I answer back with a smile.

He nods, his expression letting the worry eave his face.

“Just let me know, please.”

I nod as his eyes dart back to the papers in front of him. He keeps his hand on my back, my cheeks flushing as my smile brightens.

“So, what are you doing?” I ask, my eyes traveling to the papers in front of us.

There’s the Map of the planet that Ken had laid out once before, along with a pile of papers spread out in front of him.

“I ran into Yongguk earlier and we were talking about ways to open up the tunnels to Mato again,” he answers, his eyes scrutinizing the paper in front of him.

My eyes roam over it and it takes me a few moments before I locate our hangers on the map, tunnels branching from it in every which way. The way we were all connected made us the central hub, so to speak, seeing as everyone was connected to us.

“These here,” Taekwoon begins, using his free hand to point at a few of the markings directed to Mato, “We need to clear them so Youngjae, Himchan and the others can get here…”

I look over the markings. There’s a few of them and they vary in size.

“Shouldn’t you clear the shorter ones first?” I suggest.

“Mmm, well we were thinking the longer ones first.”

“But they won’t have any way to escape if something happens in the interim… You need to make sure they have a way out.”

He nods with raised eyebrows, “But the Exo suits won’t fit in that small of a tunnel.”

I nod understanding his comment but still finding the idea of an escape route better than none at all.

“But, there won’t be anyone to operate it if no one can get to the other side,” I offer.

He nods in agreement, his hand tightening on the small of my back.

I trace my fingers over a few of the tunnel lines, admiring the way we were all connected.

“It’s amazing you know,” I tell him as his eyes land on my face, “how big this planet is, and how we’re all connected by these tunnels… I really hope one day I can see the people in these districts, make sure they are smiling like they should be.”

I feel a sudden pang of sadness run through me as I remember my parents, how Daehyun has grown up, the past of the six boys from VIXX I was closest too. There are so many people on this planet who have nothing, and all I want to do is help them.

“Hey,” I hear Taekwoon softly say, breaking me from my thoughts, “We’ll make sure they can escape… I’ll tell Yongguk.”

I nod, pushing my emotions to the back of my mind as I close myself off for the time being.

I cough lightly, “What about these? What are these papers?”

I pick one up, my eyes roaming over it. I can feel his eyes on my face still as I try to change the subject.

I’m scared… Scared that if I trust too much in him, he could die, could get hurt.

“It’s a list of districts, organized into groups and showing which leader is in charge of them.”

I nod and his free hand points at the first one on the page.

“Here is N, who is in charge of VIXX, BTS and B1A4; B1A4 is a refuge style district with a lot of junk and technology.”

“Junk?” I ask with a quizzical expression.

He chuckles, “Literally, their district has a junk yard.”

I giggle a bit as I look to the map, taking note of the location. It’s just south of BTS and it’s not as large as VIXX or BTS.

“After that, we have Bree who was recently added, and she’s in charge of Secret and LC9; Secret is medicinal and agricultural while LC9… well, to put it plainly there a bunch of loose cannons. Their leader, Rasa, was a failed experiment, so most of the people there are refugees of the similar type.”

I give him a wide eyed look.

“There’s a district like that?”

Taekwoon nods, “Yeah, the government keeps quiet about them though. If they push them the wrong way, well, their experiments could fight against them quite easily.”

I take note of the location on it on the map.

“CL is in charge of 2NE1, 4minute and Shinhwa… They’re an interesting mix, to put it plainly; heavy into fighting and weapons. Rain, who recently came back from a disappearance, is in charge of MBLAQ, Beast and BTOB. We don’t see them often since they’re pretty far away, but comm-link is used to contact them once a week.”

I nod in understanding, taking mental note of the various districts. I’ve heard of all of them, it’s just my first time seeing them on a map really.

“The last three groups consist of some pretty large districts, but we make sure to keep in contact with them all. We have Jea who is in charge of BEG, Super Junior and SHINee. Next is GD, who takes care of Big Bang, Block B and D-Unit, they are quite involved with the rebellion as well.”

My eyes wander to the map again and see the distance between our districts. The travel time must be long and I suddenly admire Daehyun’s physical ability to trek distances like these.

“Last, but not least, we have Soohyun who is in charge of UKISS, ZE:A and Infinite… They’re closest to the Government district, Utopia as it’s named where there is no one, so they have to be quite careful of how they help out.

“In the end, if everything goes according to plan, these people who take charge of these districts will hopefully one day sit on a council to govern each district… But, that’s far off.”

I look to him, ready to pry for more information.

“I said it was far off… So, another time,” a smirk on his face, “I want to make sure you remember everything.”

I scoff a bit, “I am pretty good at memorization, you know?” I nudge him slightly in the ribs.

He smiles to himself.

“I know, you’re really smart and soon you’ll be really strong physically too.”

I give him a quick look, trying to read his expression but it’s blank although his shoulders are radiating tension.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful… Or I’ll try to be at least.”

He’s quiet and only nods when I push the topic further.

“If I go on a run again, I want to make sure I can protect myself…”

His eyes wince for a moment when I look into them and I remember the confrontation from yesterday. He hasn’t once said anything about being angry with me for just leaving… He was grateful I was home, even if I was injured, and tried to stay with me even though he made a ruckus.

I let my eyes fall to the map in front of us, my fingers tracing along the tunnel marks that lead to VIXX.

“Sorry…” I manage to breathe out, my eyes suddenly watering, “I could have said no, but I was just curious as to how VIXX was functioning and wanted to see home… Even if it was last time.”

I lift my eyes to look at him and he has his eyes on my face quickly, nodding.

“I didn’t want to hurt anyone, really, that would have been my last intention.”

“I know,” He says as his fingers from his hand travel to my eyes to push my tears away, “I was mad, but I can’t change it now so there’s really no reason to stay angry. Thank-you though.”

How can he be so understanding? I think it’s strange it made me feel worse… Should I tell him I thought about him? Maybe it was better I kept it to myself, he knew I missed him…

“Next time, just make sure it’s me you’re taking,” he tells me with a smirk.

I smile a bit, “You didn’t need to punch him, you know.”

He shrugs with a bit of an eye roll.

“He’s nice,” I tell him.

He nods, “Yeah, I know, but he’s still in my way.”

I’m about to press further when the creak of the door interrupts our conversation. When this takes place the hand on my back squeezes tighter to pull me against him. I blush as my hands fall onto his chest.

I let a smile grace my face when I feel the heat from his body radiate onto me. One of my hands falls onto the small of his back as my eyes follow where his are staring and we are met with Bree’s squared shoulders and a cheerfully lit Ken.

When they walk towards the desk, Ken lets out a quiet chuckle to which Bree gives him a confused look but her eyes quickly leave to focus on both of us. She’s giving us a strange look but I brush it off as Taekwoon’s hand tightens on my waist.

I look up at him and his features seem strained as he stares someone down. When I follow his gaze it’s landing on Bree and I let a quizzical expression take over my features. Why was he so upset with her here? Did she do something? If I think it over there’s –

Wait, she saw both of us last night. So, even if she was from Mato, would understand what we were up to. It might explain why everyone knows what I was doing last night in this mans room… And the look that was on his face.

"I need to talk to Bree,” I suddenly say as Bree is half turned away, ready to leave the room. Both Taekwoon and Ken pause to look at me, their faces unsure of my request, “Alone."

I make a point to make eye contact with her as I say this and she nods with a smile, although she doesn’t seem to understand just why at the moment. They quickly shift to Ken’s and he nods with a smirk on his face, turning round to leave the room.

Taekwoon’s fingers are still tight on my waist as he whispers into my ear.

“Are you sure?” He asks.

I nod, “Yeah, yeah, it’s fine.”

I look up at him and he stares back down at me, hesitating as I give him a smile of reassurance.

He smirks lightly before leaning down to quickly place his lips on the tip of my nose, a peck that leaves me blushing.

“Okay,” he answers, the smirk still playing on his lips.

He lets me go, my body unable to feel the heat from his and I suddenly feel like it’s been years since I touched him. Is it possible to miss someone even though they’re standing right beside me?

I grab his forearm quickly, before there’s enough space between us where this action could seem awkward and he looks down at me with a bit of a questioning look.

I blush, pressing my eyes together to stand on my tip toes to quickly press my lips against his; he pauses a moment before returning it, his lips pressing against mine.

I pull away to smile at him and I take note of the pink flushing across his cheeks.

How was it that a small kiss was just enough to make me happy?

“Bye…” He breathes as he walks away from me, my hand falling away from his arm as I come to face Bree who has a crooked smile.

We stare at each other for a moment before I cough awkwardly, hopefully breaking the silence.

“Uh…” I hesitate with, but Bree is quick to start a conversation.

"You are close like I am with my family. Maybe even more so, like Yongguk and myself. Yet you hide it like it is something to be ashamed of,” She confesses, her eyes roaming away from to look to the ceiling for a moment, her face holding a confused expression as she continues.

“You have without any apparent purpose and you are afraid of others knowing this, even though it is likely the others have ual partners as well. I don't understand…" Her eyes are back on me and I look at her with my eyebrows scrunched… Was it really that different? I push the thoughts out of my mind as I press further.

"Did you tell the others about me and Leo?" I ask quietly, my hand rubbing the back of my neck.

"Umm… I would not say tell. I just asked N if he gave you orders."

"Orders. What?" I am confused by her answer. What type of orders would -

"To get pregnant," she answers obviously.

My thoughts are quick to stop. I feel my body stiffen and I look at her with wide eyes, "…No."

"Why?" Bree asks, a still confused look gracing her features.

"Why no? Why would you even ask that? Who would order that to begin with?" I ask with horror.

"But… in Mato that's the only time people are allowed to have .”

She rolls her eyes slightly, my brows scrunching further as my thoughts jump to Daehyun.

"What the hell are you talking about? Daehyun never mentioned that."

"That doesn't surprise me. Daehyun's ‘death’ was arranged only a year after he began receiving them – he is not bound by the same rules as we are. Or were."

"Rules?" I ask, my curiosity getting the best of me.

"In Mato, once someone reaches their eighteenth year, they begin receiving orders from the government to create children,” Bree answers as she shrugs her shoulders dismissively.

"…Create."

"When they want two people with desirable genetics to create children, the people of Mato receive official orders; two people are placed together for a set period of time that is deemed sufficient for the female to become pregnant. Orders resulting in pregnancy are considered successful. I don't know how often it is the same person, or if it ever is. All I know is that no matter how much two people may want to be together in the same way without orders; acting on it is an immediate death sentence if they get caught."

I’m caught by complete surprise as I try to continue the conversation, Daehyun still present in my head.

"I… had no idea. If you don't mind me asking, what about you?"

"What about me?" She asks with a strange expression.

"Well… Do you… How many times have your orders been successful?" I ask wholeheartedly.

"Ah. Haaa… My story is a little bit different. I never received any orders…" She answers, pointing a finger at me while giving me a small smile.

"That's good!" I tell her.

"Instead the government decided I was a potential problem for them and did not want even the remote chance of me reproducing,” She retorts with.

"What?! Oh my god!"

How could the government just order something like that…? They have no control over someone’s body and the choices made concerning it. That was something that definitely needed to change.

"Someone saved my . You seem to have forgotten that the government can control almost everything if they want to."

"… But they can't control who you love,” I tell her. She may not believe me, but it’s something that I take to heart because in my district it’s really the only freedom we still have…

"I don't know that I really believe it exists. Not in Mato anyways. Back home, it's not uncommon to become attached to one or two people; it's a mutual feeling and the people involved treat each other so differently from how they treat others. Partners. That is what they're called, and sometimes partners are incredibly selfish and jealous about sharing the other if someone else is involved. I mean once in a while you even hear stories of people who have given their lives for their partners and that's some serious dedication right there, but from the tales of other districts that Daehyun comes back with… there is more to it. More than the people of Mato can ever have and it is accepted as being normal and okay."

"That's… wow. Then Daehyun…" I try to ask but my sentence can’t come out.

"Daehyun what? Did he do something stupid again? I'll kill him, that ,” she responds with fury.

"No, no, no! He didn't do anything wrong! Not intentionally…”

"What did he do?" She asks her face taking on once again a quizzical expression.

"Umm… Remember how he got hit in the face? That was right before he walked out on me getting stitches.”

"So?" She responds questioningly.

"Well…"

"Sooo…?"

"…"

She’ll be the first person to know that the two of us had while away… I just hope that she can keep quiet about it, not wanting to push Taekwoon further into anger around Daehyun. I mean… I still want to protect the kid.

"Taylor, if there is one thing I hate more than subtleties, it is when people start to tell me something and then just stop."

"Daehyun and I slept together in VIXX!" I blurt out.

"I sleep with Daehyun all the time when he is not out."

"It's not the same! God!"

I roll my eyes while rubbing my temple.

"…I don't get it."

"!" I nearly yell at her.

"But you said sleeping."

"That's not the point. We had and when I was hurt he just walked away without even looking back."

"Was Leo there?" She asks after a moment, one of her eyebrows rising.

"Well, yeah. Leo was the one who punched him right before Hongbin yelled at everyone to get out."

"Like I said, even though he grew up in Mato, he doesn't have the same mindset as a lot of other people back home. He has had the opportunity to form relationships with people in a way that no one in Mato does. The fact that you were emotionally and physically present after having had has probably left him somewhat attached to you. Aside from specifically being told to leave, he probably didn't like Leo being there."

If he’s attached he hasn’t quite shown it… I want to change the conversation so I comment with snark back to her.

"How is it you're this smart but still socially… impeded all at the same time?"

"Excuse me?" She asks with curiosity.

"Yongguk,” I respond with flatly.

Sure, she was coming out of N’s office last night but there’s no way that the masculine man who’s been around her for God knows how long thinks this innocently…

"Why the hell does everyone keep talking about him?”

I pause as I try to read her facial expression but roll my eyes instead as I walk forwards.

"You give me a headache. I'm going to go now. Bye!"

I push past her out the room, my head more confused than ever…

I wander down the hallway trying to make my way to the medical ward.

How could a Government just order something like that? Like it was so simple to follow… Surely, it’s unethical in every sense.

The only thing we really had left in VIXX was our option of who we could love and who we could create a family with…

I stand still as I think about how children were created and so easily thrown away…

I heard Daehyun’s breakdown in VIXX but it’s still so hard to believe the entire district runs in a similar sense.

Daehyun…

I have a mix of both of anger and sadness rushes through me as I think of him.

Melancholy at the idea he has had to live a life like this… But somehow angry, because ‘a couple people’ is sounding more like a lie than anything.

I head towards the medical ward as I think of the boy who I lost my ity too.. I mean, there had to be a reason he was so good at , there was no way a couple of times could make him that good, could it?

I shake my head as I push open the door, finding the empty room eerie as I walk towards the stretcher, hoping to rest my body as a dull ache stirs around my ribs.

I shouldn’t be so selfish in thinking about this, I had just slept with Taekwoon only a few days after we had , so did it really make much of a difference?

Daehyun has a lived a life so much different compared to mine – We have both lost our parents, but in completely separate ways, on top of constantly being under the threatening eyes of the government.

I hear a faint knock at the door and I turn my head to look at it while it opens.

Daehyun is walking in with an adorable smirk on his face, a tray of food in his hands. He kicks the door closed and I smile weakly at him as he brings it over to place on the stretcher near my feet.

I can’t believe he’s been through so much… And he only takes up a miniscule part of the population.

I watch him as he pulls a stool towards my gurney, seating himself close to my side as I support myself with my hands behind my back.

“Hi,” he breathes quietly, a smirk still on his face.

“Hey,” I answer with.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I –“

“Don’t keep apologizing; it was amazing and now I get to receive the training you thought I should, be happy.”

He’s quiet as he nods to himself.

“Eat something then. You are getting trained soon and you’re still a stick,” he laughs.

I give him a small glare as I bat my hand against his chest.

“Thanks.”

He nods again, watching me as I take a few bites of food.

We sit, enjoying each other’s simple chit-chat, all the while I have a nagging urge to just ask him about the number of people he has slept with… I mean, did it really matter? If it didn’t why was it so prevalent in my mind. I can honestly say I cared incredibly about Taekwoon, but the childish, sand haired boy in front of me was one to care for as well…

When the tray is empty, he is quick to move it to the table behind him. He pauses , his weight shifting from one foot to another. I can tell he is nervous as he turns to face me as one of his hands to rub the back of neck.

As much as I want to ask him, there’s a part of me that retreats in fear.

I pull myself from the stretcher and let my feet plop to ground, standing in front of the medical cabinet. I swing open one of the doors and grab a set of bandages, one to cover the stitches and the over to wrap around my chest once more.

“Yah, Daehyun, can you help me?” I inquire.

I turn to him with a small smile and he is staring me down with a confused expression.

“I have to change my bandages, and I might need a hand.”

He nods, his lips lifting into a smile for a moment.

I turn around as I come to stand near the table, placing the items on the table. I sigh a little, hesitantly pulling the buttons from the holes. I can feel his eyes on me and I blush lightly. I hear him chuckle lightly and I smirk in response… Should I be happy that I can make him smile so easily? Taekwoon’s face pops into my mind and I feel instant guilt as the other man stands next to me, grabbing the bandages form the table.

I scrunch the shirt in my hands, the smell of Taekwoon lingering as I put it down on the table. I try to reach behind myself to the bandages but there is a pain that stops me doing so.

I breathe out an ‘ow’ and Daehyun is chuckling again, his hands quick to land on my back.

“Here,” He answers, the bandages falling away from my chest.

I clutch my arms over my s, my anxiousness and guilt taking over me.

“I’ve already seen you , you don’t need to be so embarrassed…” He reassures me with.

I shake my head, as he obviously doesn’t understand just why I am acting the way I am…

I remove the bandage from the stitches, placing the other over top.                          

“Lift your arms up a bit.”

I follow his instructions, turning my face away from his so he can see my back.

He scoffs a bit and is quick to wrap the bandages around my chest, synching my s in place. I let my arms lay flat against my sides afterwards as he fiddles with the pieces that will clip the bandage in place.

I feel him inch closer to me, one of his hands moving to my neck. My breath hitches as it grazes my skin to land on my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze as he does. He lets out a soft groan and soon I can feel his breath hot on my neck. His lips place themselves against the sweet spot behind my ear and I immediately stiffen with their contact, my neck pulling away as Taekwoon pops into my mind.

Daehyun’s hand pulls away from my shoulder and I hear him mutter something in frustration, although I can’t quite make it out as his tone has become much rougher.

“Why are you ignoring me and paying so much attention to Leo?” Daehyun asks, frustration laced in his words.

I turn to him, melancholy noticeable as I look up at him.

“I’m not ignoring you... At least he tries talking to me about where we stand, when all you did was walk away from me while I was just lying there…”

He has a look of shock on his face, his fingers loosely curled into fists by his sides. I feel my eyes water

“I’m trying-”

“And he hasn’t lied either ‘cause after talking to Bree, I highly doubt you have only slept with a few people.”

His lips become a hard line and his knuckles whiten and I wait for him to answer but he only greets me in anger.

“I don’t care who… but how many?” I suddenly ask. I may want to know the number, but the jealousy inside of me suddenly inflames. What if these women have gotten to know him on a much more personal than me… Why that’s bothering me in the first place is ridiculous.

“Taylor…” He breathes.

“Daehyun, tell me.”

He breathes a sigh of frustration before answering.

“Like, thirteen… I think.”

“Thirteen is not a few!” I tell him loudly, a couple tears falling onto my cheeks.

The frustration leaves his face and he suddenly has a worried expression take over his features. He waves his hand in front of him, trying to inch his way closer to me but I step back in anger, crossing my arms.

“Please, I didn’t mean to hurt you…” He begs.

I keep my arms crossed, staring at the floor. Even if I love everything about Taekwoon, Daehyun still sat in my mind…

He sighs a sorry, his feet turning to walk away from me.

As much as I am angry with him, part of me wants the conversation to continue.

“Wait –“ I ask my hand reaching out to wrap around his wrist.

He stops, his back to me as I try to speak a logical sentence.

“As much as I’m mad, even though I might not have the right to be… I don’t want you to leave mad at me and vice versa…”

I watch his shoulders slump at my confession and the room is quiet as I wait for him to respond.

“I’m not… I promise.”

I look from his hand to see him facing me. He leans in to kiss my forehead, a smile on his face afterwards.

“I’m frustrated… But I don’t think I could ever be angry with you.”

I nod in agreement.

“But, I need to go with the guys for a while on a mission… I’ll be back soon.”

I nod again and let go of his hand. He waves at me, opening the door to leave the room.

When he closes it behind him, I tug at my hair.

Well, that was more confusing than helpful…

I turn around to clean up the dirtied bandages and when I move to put them in the garbage there’s a knock on the door.

“Come in,” I yell as I listen to the foot step’s that enter the room.

I am turned away, spilling the contents in my arms into the opened garbage tin.

I jump when two hands are on my shoulders and lips are on my earlobe. My breath hitches when the owner of them whispers into my ear.

“If you were going to get , you could at least send me a memo.”

I turn meet his dark eyes with a shocked smile.