POV: Aron

I don't know how long we've spent training, but it feels like hours have passed. Training with Baekho is very serious, and, although I pretend to be strong, my whole body is aching from all the hits. I'm going to get so many bruises from this... But I'm motivated by the fact that he must be either equally or worse off than I am.

Min hasn't stopped giving JR smiles. The both of them have passed the time laughing and chatting, and I haven't seen him look my way even once. It angers me that they get along so well. Okay, so I know that Min also gets along really well with Ren, but I don't know... it's not the same. Ren is with Baekho and doesn't pose any threat, but JR...

Aaargh! I'm getting paranoid again!

I'm tired and upset. Of Baekho, of the training, of not having my boy for myself alone at once. How long is this going to last?

"Umm... Guys, listen... Did you know we're running out of food? Maybe someone should go look for more..."

Lime's words sound like music to my ears. Finally, an excuse to finish this. I'm not going to let the opportunity go by.

"I'll go!"

"What, are you tired already? You don't last long..."

"That's you. I'm doing this because you look much too exhausted to go walking and carrying food."

"Don't start again, please..." Lime hurries to stop our new argument. "Fine, let Aron go. There's no need to fight over that..."

Perfect. A go ahead to escape for a while. But I'm not planning to go alone. I approach Min and JR, who are closely examining a gun. Who knows what it is they're looking at.

"Min! I'm going to go get more food, since we're running out. Come with me?"

He smiles at my idea and opens his mouth to respond, but pauses before making a sound. He hesitates. Why is he hesitating? He thinks for a few seconds... What the hell is there to think about, Min?!

"I... I'm a bit tired. I'd prefer to stay here..."

WHAT?

            POV: Minhyun

I wouldn't know how to describe the expression that's been left on Aron's face after my reply. It's a mix of disbelief, disappointment, incomprehension and... sadness? I feel bad. I didn't want to make him sad. But I don't want to end up alone with him. The last time, if Ren hadn't stopped us, I don't know how far we would've gone. I don't want to. Not with Aron.

            POV: Aron

Okay, Aron, calm down. He says he's tired. And if he's saying he's tired, it must be because he is. Why would he lie to me? It's Min, my Min, and he wouldn't lie. Of course, he's been training for a while now. It's normal that he's tired.

I take a deep breath and put on my best smile.

"It's okay, I'll carry the food. You won't have to carry anything."

"Okay... but, it's just that I'm training with JR right now..."

JR. JR... Yeah, I've noticed that you're training with JR, and that you've been having a good time with him. Is that why you don't want to take a walk with me? So you can be with him? No, I can't say that. Stay calm.

"You've been training with JR for a while now! It's time to rest a bit, don't you think?" I think I've raised my voice too much. I have to control myself better. I soften my tone and turn towards JR. "Don't you think the same, JR?"

He stares at me, slightly scared, and nods without saying anything. Great; I'm making myself out be the jealous boyfriend. But I am one, and I can't stand it.

            POV: Minhyun

Don't insist anymore, please. It hurts to tell you no. It hurts to hurt you. But I can't do anything else, I'm sorry.

Aron takes a deep breath, trying to calm  himself. And he stares at me intently, waiting for an answer. , I don't know what excuse to use now. I'm such a bad liar.

"I... I just don't..."

"Min, I love you, and I'm dying to spend some time alone with you. Do you not want to be alone with me?"

I give in. When he looks at me with these eyes, when he makes his voice sweet and lovely, I'm unable to refuse him.

"Of course I want to spend time with you..."

A huge smile paints itself across his lips and he hugs me, pressing my body against his chest. And I return the hug, timidly. I can't do anything else.

Aron grabs a large bag and we head off in the direction of the cooling room to get food. It's a bit far from our camp, so we'll have a long walk. I'm a little tense; I'm scared Aron will try something. I look at him to find him smiling contentedly. I like seeing him smile. He doesn't look like he has any intention of doing anything strange. I relax a bit.

            POV: JR

Aron and Minhyun walk away. It almost looks like he's being dragged. Poor Min.

I shake my head and sigh.

Baekho, having lost his opponent, returns to Ren's side and sits with him, observing him. I watch Lime, not really knowing what to do. She's turning the weapon over and over again in her hands in distraction. I don't think I'll be able to develop a skill in one or two days, but I could try...

I ask her to teach me and she gives me four basic principles about posture and hold and then we start to exchange strikes. Slow and without any force behind them, but precise, learning bit by bit.

Our guide joins us again and soon enough it almost seems like a real fight. Baekho and I against Lime. I soon realize that I'm being more of a nuisance for my teammate rather than helping him, but he doesn't complain. On the contrary, he laughs when my weapon interferes with his, when we collide with one another, when I trip over his feet and fall to the floor. I can't help but laugh, joining Baekho's loud ones. Lime chuckles, too. That was pathetic. It's been too long since we've had a reason to laugh.

"You've always had an innate gift for fighting." Baekho says without pause in his laughter.

"And an enviable sense of balance." Lime adds.

"I know, right?" I play along. "I've never doubted it for a second..."

We laugh harder. I honestly don't know why I'm laughing. My fall has certainly been funny, but this much? No, not at all. It's just an excuse, an excuse to release all the tension from these days of running and hiding, from all this time of solitude.

We needed to laugh again.

The attack passes and I accept my companion's help to get off the floor. I'll have to start considering him a friend rather than a comrade. It's a consideration I've never brought to light.

Baekho turns abruptly, looking for Ren with his eyes.

"Is he still sleeping?" I ask him, worried of the suddenness. I hope we haven't woken him.

"Yes, he's still sleeping."

"These sedatives are very effective. And he has to make up for four days of sleep..."

Without a doubt, he'll be sleeping for a few more hours yet.

"It'll take a while for him to wake up." I guess, "In the mean time, something has just occurred to me."

I catch their attention.

            POV: Baekho

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. I feel the weight of the weapon in my hand, the texture of the cold metal. I lean down, prepared, fixing my gaze on my objective.

I jump. I run towards him, holding out the baton, ready to attack. He bends down, prepared, raising his bare hands in front of his chest, waiting for my attack.

And I strike out with the weapon, the stick of metal heading right for his head. He moves aside, lifts his hand, grabs the baton and it disintegrates between his fingers. I back away.

An ice blue spark and a new club come into my line of sight, right at JR's ribs. He turns, dodging.

I pull out another weapon from my belt in the moment that Lime's disintegrates. Before the pieces of metal reach the floor, I'm on him again, just for my weapon to be reduced to dust as well.

The next attack comes in the form of a projectile. A piece of metal flies towards his head. He stops it with his bare palm. A new attack from me, and as soon as he turn to face me, another piece impacts with his back.

"Hey! It was Baekho's turn!" He complains.

Lime just shrugs, frowning.

"So what? When you're up there, are you going to ask them to get in file and attack one by one too?"

JR opens his mouth to reply to that but it doesn't seem like he can think of anything to say because he closes it again with a "fine..."

"Well, I'm impressed." I tell them. "We've been going for... what? A half hour? I really don't think you need a weapon."

"No, right? I think I'll be more effective this way too."

"You'll have problems when it comes to distance." The woman interrupts. "Because I don't think you'll be able to stop a bullet that way..."

JR turns to her with a brow raised.

"You're very positive, aren't you?"

"I'm just trying to help." She exclaims, slightly embarrassed. JR breaks his mask of sarcasm and chuckles at her expression.

"I know, I know..." He calms her, laughing. "Baek, do you think you could?"

"I can try." Although it'll be really difficult. "I don't promise anything."

"Let's try it then." He smiles.

He moves away from me, backing up a few steps and signaling to Lime. She pulls out her gun.

"Ready?"

I nod.

She shoots at some boxes, a few meters to my right. I yell, my voice surrounds the bullet and pushes. I manage to move it a few centimeters before it hits the wooden boxes.

"Try again." Lime yells a second before shooting again.

I push again with all the force my mind can handle, raising the tone of my yell.

This time it moves a little more. But it's not enough.

We repeat it four, five, six more times, and each time I manage to move it a little more but it's still not enough.

"I think you don't have enough motivation." Lime says suddenly. And I barely have time to turn towards her before she shoots, aiming in the opposite direction, aiming at Ren.

No. Not Ren.

This time it's not a yell, but a desperate howl. The bullet halts in the air, frozen, and falls to the floor with a metallic clatter.

            POV: JR

"What the hell are you doing, you lunatic?" Baekho's scream rumbles in my ears, as strong as a summer storm. "Don't you dare do something like that again! DON'T EVEN POINT A WEAPON AT HIM AGAIN!"

The strength behind his voice forces me to cover my ears. Each of his words stab at my mind and the sound has a strange ring, as if it were rising from a deep abyss.

Beside me, Lime cries out. I turn to look at her and see her, with her arms pressed against her sides and her back curved back, stretching a few centimeters off the ground.

I stare at Baekho with wide eyes. His face is twisted in hate and rage. I have to stop him.

"Enough!" I yell. "Stop, Baekho!" I run towards him, trying to ignore the voice that pushes back at me. "Stop! Stop!"

I push him back. Hug him. Anything to calm him down. And, finally, he stops screaming. He blinks and closes his mouth, but he continues staring at Lime with murderous eyes.

He shoves me away and goes to his blond to sit at his side, his hair protectively.

            POV: Ren

I hear screams. Noise. What's going on? Gradually, the wordless scream pulls me from my unconsciousness. That scream... I recognize it, I know that voice, it's Baekho. What's happening? Am I dreaming? I make an effort to open my eyes but they don't want to obey me.

The scream cuts off abruptly. I hear another voice... The lunatic? And someone sits beside me, holding me, touching my hair delicately...

At last, I open my eyes a bit, blinking to focus and to confirm my theory. It was Baekho.

I make myself comfortable in his arms and smile without looking away. He really is the most handsome man in the world.

"Baekho... what's going on?"

"Nothing, Rennie. Sleep some more."

"Okay..."

He my hair with his hands. His hands are very strong, and big... I feel safe and warm... His body is warm.

I press even closer to him and listen as he hums a song. How nice. It's been years since I've felt so good. I'd spend my whole life like this, in his arms, hearing him sing for me... I've never realized how good he smells, spicy and sweet at the same time. I record the scent in my mind and let his voice lull me to sleep. And, after a long while, I can close my eyes without the need for drugs or sedatives. Just his voice and the warmth of his chest.

            POV: JR

I approach Lime, who has fallen to her knees on the floor as soon as the voice of our in love guide let her go.

"I didn't want to kill him." She mumbles in a broken voice when I'm close enough. "It wouldn't have even touched him. I didn't aim right at him..."

I sigh, because although I know what she says is true and that she wasn't trying to harm him, I can't consider Baekho's reaction disproportionate. Because he really did see him die in that instant.

"It's okay." I comfort her, kneeling beside her. "I know you weren't trying to kill him, but it's better that you don't try something like that again, alright?"

She gulps, visibly nervous, and nods. I offer her a hand to help her stand, but she ignores it and gets to her feet on her own.

"Um... Thanks." She murmurs. "For saving me. For calming him."

I smile, partly to put her at ease and partly because her words seem funny to me. How many times has Baekho 'calmed' me?

"Don't thank me for that." I say, taking away any importance. "After all you've done for us, it doesn't make sense to."

Her reaction is strange. She nods, not very convinced, and mumbles a nearly inaudible, "I don't want to owe you anything" before walking away with determined steps into the darkness of the storehouse.

I think we've truly scared her.

            POV: Minhyun

We've spent the whole walk speaking of trivial things. Every now and then, he throws in a romantic comment to make me blush, and I try to hide it without much success. Then we enter the cooling room and sort through the shelves for what to take.

Once we've filled the bag, we leave and start the trip back to base. I'm glad that nothing has happened.

"Min... wait."

Aron has stopped walking. He lets the bag fall to the floor and grabs my arm to stop me from moving forward. , I've sang victory too soon.

"W-what?" I ask hesitantly.

He gives me a suggestive grin. .

"You don't want to go back so soon, right? Now that we've finally managed to find time alone... without anyone to bother us..."

"I—"

He doesn't let me finish speaking. He silences me by pressing his lips over mine and pushing his tongue into my mouth without warning, to find mine and move frantically.

No, I don't want this. Stop.

            POV: Aron

Just the touch of his lips makes me want more. It's like a drug for me. I'd love to be able to kiss him forever.

But he doesn't return the kiss. He pulls his head back slightly to get away, but I place a hand on the nape of his neck so he can't. What's wrong? Does he not want to kiss me? Why?

He hesitates for a bit, but soon enough I feel his tongue moving against mine. He lifts his hands to my face and pulls me closer, pressing our bodies together and deepening the kiss. I smile against his lips. This kiss is just as passionate as usual. I was worried that something had changed between us. I see that nothing has.

I slip my hands beneath his shirt to touch the soft skin of his back. He moans. Without breaking the kiss, I push him onto the floor so that I'm on top of him. I caress his stomach and move up to his chest.

"Mmmng..."

He tries to say something but finds it difficult with my tongue in his mouth. And I need this contact too much to stop kissing him. He squirms beneath me. Suddenly, he grabs my arms with his hands and separates them from his body, to stop me from touching him. He pushes me and breaks the kiss. We're both panting from the lack of air.

"Aron, stop. I don't want to."

He's serious. He doesn't want to? He doesn't want me to kiss him? He doesn't want me to touch him? Why? He's not serious, right? No, he must be joking.

"You don't want to...?" I say seductively. "Maybe you need me to convince you..."

"No—!"

I kiss him again without letting him talk. He tries to push me away with his arms but I grab his wrists in my hands and pin them against the floor. He kicks and struggles without success. I'm much stronger than him and I'm enjoying this game. I release one of his hands to use mine to touch his cheek. So soft...

Something strong hits my cheek. I sit up, stunned, and open my eyes. Min stares at me, frowning, with tear-filled eyes and one of his hands raised. The hand he had just used to hit me. I don't understand. Why?

He pushes me off to the side and I don't resist. Once he's managed to get me off him, he stands, fixes his clothes and moves away to take a deep breath. I stare at him in shock. He turns, unable to meet my eyes.

"I... I'm sorry. I didn't want to hit you. It's just... I'm not in the mood. Let's leave it for another day, okay? We should go back to the others."

He starts to walk in the direction of our refuge, without waiting for me or looking back. And I touch my reddening cheek, still unable to believe what just happened. He really hadn't wanted that. He hadn't wanted my kisses or my touch. And I tried to force myself on him. I thought he wasn't being serious.

I feel horrible for it. But I thought he wanted to be with me as much as I wanted to be with him. I see that he doesn't. It's true that something has changed between us. It's clear that he doesn't like me as much as before. He doesn't love me with the same passion I love him with. Nothing will be like before again. It's done. I feel like my heart is burning.

My eyes grow wet. No. I won't cry. Not in front of him.

I force myself to be strong and stand. I grab the bag from the floor and follow Min. He walks slowly and, soon enough, I catch up to him. I walk in silence, not daring to look at him, ashamed of what I've done.

He doesn't say anything either but he does look at me. He smiles at me. One of his precious smiles, as if to tell me that everything is okay. But there's a hint of sadness in his eyes that wasn't there before. No, nothing's okay. What's going on, Min? What's changed? I don't ask because I'm scared of the answer. So we continue walking in silence until we reach base. JR comes up to welcome us back.

"How did it go?"

"Great! We've brought back a ton of food." Min says with a smile, as if nothing has happened.

JR whispers something in his ear and he laughs. Just what I needed. The both of them go sit together against a wall.

Why do you pay attention to JR? Why not me? This is because of him, isn't it? That's why you don't want me like before? With each smile you give him, it feels as if a part of my heart is being torn out. And it hurts horribly.

            POV: Baekho

Minhyun and Aron return, and it's obvious that something has happened between them. It's obvious with the way Min smiles, almost hysterical, and runs to hide behind JR. With the way Aron frowns and burns the both of them with a glare. Are they no longer the passionate lovebirds from before? Well I won't complain. I won't have to see them stick their tongues down each other's throats anymore.

But even so I can't help but pity the dwarf, because I know how much I'd be suffering if Rennie smiled at someone else like Minhyun is doing with JR. Although my relationship with Ren is different, I can understand.

And... what is my relationship with Ren?

I watch him sleep in my arms, and I can't come to any conclusion. All I know is that he's precious.

Sleeping, with his eyes closed and his peaceful expression, he looks like a little boy. A little boy that is overwhelmingly beautiful. Even with the bruises, scars, and scabs scattered about his skin. There's nothing that could possibly dull his beauty.

I run my fingertips over the scab on his forehead, where he fell when my voice forced him to the floor so that Minhyun could shoot, when he thought I was dead. It'll take a few more days for it to disappear, and that's only if it doesn't scar. I hope not. He already has so many scars. I lower my hands to his wrists, where the marks from the shackles are perfectly visible. These won't ever disappear. No matter how many years pass, these marks are permanent. But it's not the worst one. Underneath all these marks on his skin, there's one much deeper, one that isn't visible, but that he very much feels, a mark we all have that makes us different from everyone else and that unites us. It'll never be erased. Even if we manage to escape this place. I know that very well, but... will it stop hurting one day? If we get out of here, if I take Rennie out of this nightmarish place, if we take back our lives and stop feeling like objects...

Will we stop feeling this emptiness?

I shake my head and return to his platinum hair.

Whatever, I don't want to think of that now. Watching him sleep so relaxed, the only thing I want is to lay beside him, close my eyes, and hug him tightly. Very tightly. I want to sleep beside him.

So I tell my companions that I'm tired, and since everyone else wants to do nothing just as much as I do, we decide to conclude this day.

We eat something from the rationed bag and say goodnight without much enthusiasm.

Lime returned a few minutes ago and seems to be uncomfortable around me. Minhyun doesn't want to look at Aron and Aron doesn't take that murderous stare off him.

This atmosphere is exhausting. I sigh and say goodnight to everyone. I lie down with my blond and hug him, and even if he's sleeping deeply he returns the hug and curls up together with me.

I don't need anything else to be happy.

            POV: Aron

What a horrible day. I'm tired of training, of that dumb blond yelling at me for not concentrating, of the blue haired girl telling me to be more serious if I want to learn... of Min overlooking me and only paying attention to JR. He pays more attention to Ren, who's been sleeping, than to me. How am I supposed to concentrate like this? He hasn't talked to me since we've gotten back from retrieving food. He must be upset because of what happened. He must be sick of me. I feel horrible.

Baekho suggests we sleep and I couldn't agree more with him. I'm disgusted. I just want to sleep... At least this way I won't have to see him and I won't feel ignored. Eyes that don't see, heart that doesn't feel. Or that's what they say, anyway.

I go to the mattresses and lay down, back everyone. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to get away from here even if it's only mentally. I can't stand this anymore. Finally a bit of tranquility...

Soon after, I feel something make a place within my arms and settle against my chest. Human warmth. I recognize his touch and scent. But what...? I open my eyes and find Min pressed against my body. He's taller than I am, but he's curled up in a ball and looks like he's trying to hide in my arms. His eyes are closed and his expression is peaceful. Now I really don't understand anything.

"Min?"

His eyes snap open and he stares at me, startled. He blushes and takes a while to react.

"I... Forgive me, I didn't want to wake you."

"I wasn't sleeping."

"Oh..."

I should say something. I should apologize. Tell him he's important to me. That I love him. The words won't come and I must look like an idiot. In the end, he's the one to start talking, although not before hesitating for a bit.

"Aron... I'm sorry about before. I didn't want to hit you... I'm sorry, really..."

He touches my cheek softly, the one he hit. His touch is so sweet.

"I'm the one who should apologize. You didn't want to, and I tried to force you. I feel horrible for it..."

"It doesn't matter... We're both wrong, right? Would you mind if we just forgot it? Like it  never happened."

"As far as it concerns me, it's already forgotten."

He smiles sweetly. I lose myself in the shape of his lips, lips that are soon curving to say the best three little words.

"I love you."

And he kisses me. With his tongue, with passion. With a soft rhythm, slow and very likeable. It feels like minutes upon minutes pass while I'm lost in the touch of his lips.

When he pulls away from my mouth, he snuggles into my chest and closes his eyes. Soon enough, his breathing becomes slow and rhythmical. I love seeing him sleep. I love having him in my arms. I love having the taste of his lips on my tongue.

He said 'I love you'. It's not the first time he's said it, but there was something in his eyes. Like he's hiding something. Does he really love me? I prefer to believe that he's saying it honestly. It'd hurt a lot if he lied. A lot...

            POV: JR

I look at Baekho, hugging our little Ren, cradling him in his strong arms. Not far away, Minhyun and Aron are sleeping in a tangle of arms and legs, making it impossible to tell where one ends and other starts. I feel a twinge in my heart that I push away quickly.

Lime is lying down with her eyes closed too, but she's not sleeping. She's been restless since Baekho attacked her. Is it because she's scared? Guilty? It was difficult to convince her to try to sleep, and something in her gaze tells me that this apparent peace is about shatter. We've spent four days in our small bubble of calm, but they're looking for us on the outside. This isn't going to last forever. We have to leave this place.

Leave, 'return home'. Return where?

I see my mother die again. The blood, the darkness, more blood and her anguished groans. And more blood, red, warm...

I open my eyes. I hold my head and concentrate on breathing. Not again, Jonghyun. Not again...

The permanent darkness in this place doesn't help much, but I concentrate on the weak light in the lantern, yellow and flickering. And I slowly relax.

Where do I go? I don't know. I won't think of that until we've gotten out. Besides, who knows if I'll even make it?

With a last glance at my companions, I turn out the light and lay down to sleep on the mattress, pulling a blanket over me.

Curled up and covered, like I'm back home.

            POV: Aron

I open my eyes, startled. Everything is dark. The lantern I left beside the mattress has gone out. Did I fall asleep? Then... Min coming to sleep with me has just been a dream?

Something shifts in my arms. His thin body is still pressed against mine. He frowns in his dreams and holds me in a tight grip. No, it wasn't a dream. Well, in a way it was. Being here with my boy is the best dream made a reality.