To say that Ken felt left out would be an understatement.

Ravi spent most of his time with the other shifters in their group, training with his own kind, and when he wasn’t with them he was with Sori, his girlfriend. N spent most of his time focusing on school work or training, always focusing on bettering himself so that when the big final battle happened he was ready. Hyuk and Hongbin also spent a lot of time away from him, training with the other werewolves and fae or just with each other trying to fix their brotherly bond.

If it was any condolence, Leo wasn’t exactly fairing any better than the spell caster when it came to their friends.

“This ,” Ken grumbled, flopping across Leo’s bed.

“It’s not their fault,” Leo pointed out, not for the first time either.

“I know,” Ken sighed, “but that only makes it hurt more. They don’t intent to abandon us, yet they’re doing it anyway. They don’t notice it and it hurts so bad that they don’t.”

Leo just grunted, unable to disagree with the younger.

“I wish we had friends like us,” Ken sighed, “then maybe things would be different.”

“Yeah,” Leo nodded.

“At least I have one person who’s like me,” Ken scowled, “but you……you’re alone.”

“Yeah,” Leo nodded again.

It was true, Ken had one other person in their group of friends who was like him. Leo, however, was alone. Even within the school he was rather alone, only a few other nightmares currently enrolled at Dark Lake.

“At least we still have each other, right?” Ken tried to smile, “we aren’t going to leave the other in the dust, right?”

“Yes,” Leo tried to smile as well, but the words felt like a lie to both of them.

Maybe that was how things had been before that mission Leo went on, but that wasn’t how things were anymore. Now, Leo was distancing himself from everyone and this left Ken on his own, trying to figure out a way to fix things.

“I miss it,” Ken finally said.

“Miss what?”

“The old days,” Ken explained, “before Dark Lake, maybe even before our gifts started to activate. We used to all be so close. It was us against everyone else.”

“Yeah,” Leo nodded, remembering those days very well.

“Not that I don’t like having others around,” Ken was quick to point out, “I wouldn’t want to give up all of our new friends or the knowledge of what we are, but sometimes……….”

“You wish that we could go back and relive the days before all of this,” Leo sighed.

“I miss having to break up the stupid sibling fights Hyukkie and Hongbin used to have,” Ken ranted, “and I miss waking up early to N being all chipper and happy and annoying. I miss walking to school together. Helping you put together our lunches even though I was being more of a pain then a helpful hand. I miss the little songs Ravi would make up about our life.”

“I know,” Leo nodded.

“Hyuk and Hongbin don’t do the sibling fighting thing anymore,” Ken sighed, “their relationship isn’t strong enough for it anymore.”

Leo just nodded.

“N’s too worried and upset to be too chipper anymore either,” Ken kept going, “he’s either worried about not being strong enough, or depressed over losing his chance with Sori.”

“He really liked her,” Leo said, “as happy as he is for Ravi, he can’t shut down the pain he feels every time he sees them together.”

“We never walk to class together,” Ken still kept talking, “Ravi always heads out too early to spend time training or with Sori, Hyuk is with the other werewolves of Hongbin talking, N……..I never see him so I guess he must sneak out. It’s just us.”

Leo didn’t mind Ken paying him no attention, ignoring his responses. The younger needed to rant, needed to get all of his feeling out about the current situation that they found themselves in.  Ken had never been the type to hold things in. The fact he hadn’t blown up about all of this already was a bit of a shocker to Leo.

“I can forgive the whole ‘Leo not making lunch’ thing,” Ken sighed, “that’s the cafeteria’s job, so……..can’t complain about that without sounding like a child.”

“True.”

“Does Ravi even write songs anymore?” Ken asked, finally turning to Leo in expectation of an answer.

“Not that I know of,” Leo frowned, trying to recall for himself that last time Ravi had worked on a song, “I think……..I think he was trying to throw something together the other night when we were working together on homework.”

“Hmmm,” Ken frowned.

“It’s a shame,” Leo sighed, “he’s always been so good with music.”

“You know,” Ken said, “we only ever seem to hang out together, just the six of us, to do homework.”

“Yeah,” Leo nodded, “it’s like back when we were younger and would all sit together, helping each other.”

“Yeah,” Ken said, a fond smile forming as he recalled the days of the past.

“But it’s not enough,” Leo added, “Just getting together to do homework…..it will never be enough. Not when we used to do everything together.”

“Yeah,” Ken sighed sadly, moving to grab one of Leo’s pillows so that he could hug it, “I really wish we could go back to what we once had.”

“Maybe we should talk to the other about it,” Leo wondered, “that’s what Hongbin did with Hyuk and look at them now. They’re working through their problems.”

“Maybe,” Ken nodded slightly, “but……..would it work?”

“I don’t know,” Leo sighed, “I just…….don’t know.”

Outside of Leo’s room, N frowned to himself.

He hasn’t realized what the pair must have been going through. He spent almost no time with them anymore and neither did Ravi. Heck, when he thought about it he didn’t spend a lot of time with any of his friends that he’d grown up with.

When was the last time he’d sat down and talked to Hyuk about how his school work was coming?

How long had it been since he helped Hongbin cleaning up?

He hadn’t helped get Ravi up in the morning for a long time as well.

“Hey,” N said, throwing open the door and surprising Leo and Ken.

“Hi, hyung,” Ken grinned brightly, trying to hide his previous sadness, “what’s up?”

“I heard everything,” N admitted, cutting to the chase, “and…..you guys are right to be upset. We have been neglecting you guys. I’ve been neglecting all of you.”

“You’ve got a lot of stuff going on,” Leo was quick to point out, trying to make the older feel better.

“Not a good excuse,” N frowned, “I……you know what, I’m going to get the others. We’re all going to sit down and talk about this. We used to be brothers, but now………now we aren’t. I miss that.”

“I miss that, too,” Ken spoke up.

“You get Hongbin and Hyuk,” Leo said, getting up, “I know where Ravi should be.” N sent Leo a quick grateful look. He needed to face Ravi, and he would shortly, but he wasn’t ready to do that right this second.

“I’ll wait here,” Ken laughed, “hurry back.”

“We will,” N nodded before heading off to find the three youngest.

A/N: this chapter was actually really easy to write….…..it also makes me feel really awful for how I’ve pushed Leo and Ken to the side..…..and how I’ve messed up the VIXX bond………wow, I feel like a horrible person right now.