Kai was sure something was wrong, though he couldn't put his finger on it.

But one thing was certain – whatever it was, it involved Sehun.

For one thing, the Legend was avoiding him like plague and all but ran away whenever Kai was around. Kai ignored it because Sehun had been unpredictable since his maturing began and had previously acted in a similar manner, on multiple occasions. Though he hadn't looked scared like he did now as he ran away.

And then, there was Tiffany. Like Sehun, she'd been avoiding him too. Oh, she didn't run away like Sehun did and they still hung out during lunch and after class but she was nervous around him and jumped at the slightest touch. And that was nothing compared to her reaction if she came across Sehun. 

They were both prone to using verbal attacks against each other and neither let the opportunity to put the other down slide by but it had been an entire week now since he'd last heard those two quarrel. And according to Mei, they were acting equally weird in class.

Not that Mei was acting any less weird herself. She had taken to sticking to him like glue and he was sure she was avoiding Luhan as well. It had been almost a week now since she'd whined about going through Lu-drawals and she was about as nervous around the guy when he showed up as Tiffany was around him these days.

But that wasn't all. She also kept bugging him about his feelings and asking him to explain how he felt about Tiffany. He felt weird talking to her about that kind of stuff – after all, Mei could've been his mate and Tiffany had come in the picture after he'd had his heart broken by her and it was like trying to talk to an ex about your new girlfriend; excruciatingly uncomfortable, in other words.

Besides, he had a feeling she wanted him to say Tiffany was nothing but a rebound crush – which she kind of was but he wasn't going to discard her just like that. She was also the reason he'd been able to get over Mei and he really, really cared for her.

'I'm not saying you don't.' Mei told him with annoying calmness. 'But can you honestly say you like her because of who she is, not because what she did for you?'

Kai pondered over that for less than a second before letting out a frustrated sigh. 'Why are you suddenly so obsessed about my feelings? Are you thinking of giving up Luhan?'

Mei spat the sip she'd taken all over him, shock evident on her face. Well, that made two of them. 'Ew.' He told her mildly, wiping his face.

'How can you even say such a thing?' She demanded, smacking her palm flat on the table and drawing the eyes of everyone around them. He grinned, glad he'd annoyed her because she'd been doing this to him for over a week now.

'Easy. Are you thinking…?' He began.

'Shut up!' she shrilled. He gave her an unrepentant grin, leaning back in his chair. 'I don't see why you should be concerned about my feelings unless that's the case.'

'Excuse me?'

'You know, you don't have to beat about the bush,' he continued, ignoring her glare. 'I'd say yes immediately.'

'What about Tiffany?' She sounded triumphant, like she'd proven a point.

'There's plenty of me to go around.' He gave the y smirk that made the female population of the university – and some of the male populace as well – swoon.

'Um, ew.' She rolled her eyes at his attempts. His y charms had never worked on her anyway. 'I just care about you, is all… you're really vulnerable immediately after a heartbreak, y'know… and it's easy to fool yourself into believing you love someone when you're just touched by their concern.'

That hit uncomfortably close to the mark, and it made him defensive. 'And whose fault is that?' He snapped, feeling peevish. He'd finally decided he really was to going to give his all to this… thing with Tiffany and now everyone suddenly seemed hell-bent on making him see reason.

He'd had this exact talk with Suho the other night and then Baekhyun had cornered him and lectured him on the finer details of 'luurvee-problems'; not to mention the vague, inexplicable remarks Lay kept making, making him feel out of the loop.

She looked hurt at his words, immediately making him regretful.

'I'm sorry…' she muttered, looking away; he sighed. 'Look, I understand you're concerned for both of us, but we're both adults. How about you trust us to make the right decision for ourselves, hmm?'

'I trust you but…' Mei replied, '…she's not good with this sort of thing, okay? I don't know if you're aware of this but she has a really bad history with guys – her and relationships don't go well together.'

He nodded his head. While she hadn't delved any details, she had mentioned it. 'I know.'

'Good. Then you'll understand when I say you're just an idol she's worshipping because she thinks she can't ever get anyone better.'

He stared at her for a moment. 'Ouch.'

'I'm sorry,' Mei pouted, 'I don’t mean you're not worship worthy – you totally are – but…'

'Not good enough for her?' He suggested quietly. She bit her lip.

'You both deserve better than just getting stuck with the nearest available crutch.' She stated, being deliberately blunt. Well, no one could accuse her of being vague.

'Are you sure you're my best friend?' Kai asked, trying to lighten the somber mood. 'First you tell me I'm not good enough for her, now you're calling me a crutch.'

'I'm sorry.' She apologized again, not looking sorry at all. 'But I want both of you to be happy.'

'I get it,' Kai told her; he really did, he'd have to be infinitely stupid not to get it after having it drilled into his head from multiple sources the entire week. 'I'll think about it – very seriously, okay? No jokes. So you can relax.'

She sat up, looking relieved. 'At last.' She sipped her drink.

'Now, we can talk about you and Luhan.'

He was ready this time for the juice she spit out, covering himself in napkins. 'Seriously.' He shook his head sadly. 'I thought girls turned more girly after they got a boyfriend… you've turned into a Neanderthal.'

She ignored his crack. 'What about me and Luhan? There's nothing to talk about! Why d'you wanna talk about us? Oh look, there's Tao…'

He pulled her back into the seat. She'd made him sit through her entire lecture, she was gonna talk. She'd been avoiding Luhan and he was getting restless and had been complaining his head off to his Shadow aka Kai. 'Spill.'

'There's nothing to talk about.' She told him stubbornly. 'Really.'

'Oh, okay.' He shrugged noncommittally, then waved his hand at someone. 'Oi, Luhan!'

She turned so quickly, he heard it crick but she ignored it, nervousness and panic evident on her face. 'So…' he whispered in her ear, making her yelp in surprise, 'Wanna explain why you look so nervous?' Something clicked. 'Did he do something?' he demanded, 'Do I need to beat him up?'

He stood up, ready to teleport. After all, this was his deal when he'd agreed accept and reconcile himself with Mei and Luhan's mating – that Luhan would never hurt her or he'd make him pay. Mei caught his hand and pulled him back in his seat. 'Of course not!'

'Good.' Though he decided to land a punch anyway. Stress relief. 'But he's worried, you know. He won't say what happened – and honestly, I don't wanna know – ' He wasn't that much of a masochist, 'but he's upset that you're avoiding him.'

She twined her fingers with each other, not looking at him. 'I'm not avoiding him.'

'You haven't been to his soccer practice for a week now.' He told her.

Luhan had been eating his head off, constantly beating himself up for taking things 'too far'. Kai suspected he knew what Luhan meant by that – they were Shadows after all, and Luhan had been feeling very amorous the day he'd (accidentally) kissed Tao – and he really didn't want to think about it because it hurt him, right in the pit of his stomach and he knew he should've been over it already.

'I was too busy.' Mei still didn't meet his eyes. 

'To even reply to his texts?' He asked skeptically. She flushed. 'I guess so.'

'You might wanna take a look at your own relationship before you go around advising others.' He told her, a bit harshly.

Well, excuse him for being touchy – he couldn't be expected to celebrate that they'd already progressed this far. Heck, even Suho and Angel were taking it slower than these two.

I'm so messed up.

Mei was right. His feelings for Tiffany were nothing compared to what he'd felt for Mei, not even if he pushed himself – as he had been doing – to repay her affections. Here he was, telling her that he really cared for her and getting jealous of Luhan at the same time. ed, that's what he was.

And still a masochist, he thought to himself as he seated himself firmly in front of her.

'You're hurting him like this, you know, making him feel like he used you…'

'He didn't!' she exclaimed.

'Then stop avoiding him and making him feel like . He's been moping around all week and now, even his practice is getting messed up.'

'I…' she swallowed, blushing to the roots of her hair. 'I don't know what to do… what to say or how to say it. It's like we're suddenly strangers.'

'Do you still love him?' He asked, feeling like one of those relationship-savvy girlfriends they showed on TV. She nodded without hesitation.

'Were you planning on holding out until after marriage?'

A hesistant shake this time.

'Then what's the holdup?'

'I don't know…' she glanced up at him, then back down shyly. 'I just get… butterflies and I want to…' she stopped, turning red.

Geez, she was . How… anticlimactic. 'Jump his bones?' he suggested teasingly. She reddened even more. 'He's your boyfriend, what's stopping you?'

'Morals?' she asked, making him laugh.

'Screw morals.' He grinned. 'Or better yet, screw him.'

'Kai!' she gasped, scandalized but he just kept on laughing. It was either joke about it or burst with painful jealousy. Guess what he opted? He stood up, stretching. 'Chat with him, okay? That'd let you get normal around him, then you can call him.'

'O-okay.' She was still red in the face but she smiled. He sighed, wondering how the hell he ended up giving relationship advice to his love interest.

Used to be, he reminded himself.

But seriously, who was he fooling? Mates were mates, nothing could beat that. It was nature's course, there was nothing he could do about it – it was just something he would have to live with and it was time he accepted that. Eight billion people or not, there was only one mate for a beast and he had the misfortune of having the same one as his brother. He couldn’t hate them for it – not like they had a choice either – but that didn't mean he had the right to play around with someone else.

Crap, he didn’t want to do this to Tiffany. She'd been nothing but helpful to him, she'd been supportive, loving, caring and everything he could ask for. He'd even begun thinking he might fall for her – heck, his heart was involved and letting her go would hurt. 

But Mei was right, she deserved someone who could love her for who she was, love her completely. Not someone like him who was still hung up – and probably would remain hung up – on what could've been his.

Mei patted his shoulder sympathetically, making him come out of his thoughts. 'Take your time, no need to rush the decision. I just want you to be very, very sure. You're both my besties and I'd hate to see either of you upset.'

He smiled at that. 'Okay.'

'Let's go.'

They headed back to class.

……………………………

Luhan grabbed Sehun's neck, halting the cub – no, he was an adult now – to a stop.

'What're you hiding?'

Sehun looked terrified as he tried to loosen Luhan's grip. 'Nothing!'

'I don't believe you. What did you do?' He recognized the guilt in the cub's - argh, he's grown up now – eyes. Sehun lowered his gaze. 'IkissedTiffany.'

Luhan blinked, unsure he'd heart correctly. 'Come again?'

'It was an accident!' Sehun grabbed his hands, looking utterly wrecked. 'I swear, the wind just blew her into me and…'

'Wait, Kai's girl?' Luhan straightened, opening his mouth to lecture the hell out of the cub. He'd taught him better than that, the first rule of the brother code – never go after your brother's girl. And what did he mean the wind just blew her into him? He controlled the wind, didn't he???

He'd only started when Tao came out of nowhere and whisked Luhan away.

'What the hell?' he struggled and Tao let him go, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Sehun was out of earshot.

'Don't.' he told Luhan.

'Why the hell not?' Luhan made a face, grabbing Tao's ear. 'You're older than him, you should teach him something instead of taking his side!'

Tao danced around, trying to free his ear, 'Ow, ow, ow!!! It's not his fault, okay? She's his mate!'

'What?' Luhan exclaimed.

'WHAT???' Sehun echoed, a look of pure shock on his face. Tao stilled, closing his eyes and sighing before he straightened and turned to look his Shadow in the eye. 'Tiffany is your mate.'

Sehun shook his head vehemently. 'No, she isn't.'

'Yes she is.' Tao crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the guy. 'And it's about damn time you accept it.'

'But…' Sehun opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, apparently out of words. Tao, on the other hand, had a lot to say on the subject. He ripped a whole new one in Sehun by the time he was done and Luhan was appreciating the cub for taking a stand – Tao was easily bullied, even by his own Shadow – and feeling rather sorry for Sehun because he looked like he'd heard the worst news of his life.

'Why is it her?' He whined when Tao ended his tirade, making the cub roll his eyes. 'I don't even like her!!!'

'You sure as hell do or I wouldn't be going around like this!' Tao snapped waspishly. Luhan noticed the prominent tent in his pants and stifled a laugh. No wonder Tao had been walking uncomfortably the past week. Poor cub.

Sehun, on the other hand, stamped his foot. 'No way!'

'Yes way!' Tao retorted and Luhan decided he should leave. These two could keep at nonsensical verbal fights for hours, really, and he had other things to worry about. Like how to apologize to Mei.

She'd been avoiding him for the past week and it was making him miserable. Why??? Why did he have to turn so that he couldn't control himself?? Why did she have to be so delectable? Now that he'd touched her like this, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself from doing it again. And they hadn't even gone all the way yet. He didn't know if he could survive that… he was more than ready to try though…

He shook his head, feeling the familiar heat buildup inside him. He'd been taking so many cold showers these days, it was a wonder his skin hadn't worn off. He picked up the cellphone again and looked at it listlessly. He wanted to talk to her, tell her she didn’t need to worry about anything – that they wouldn't do anything else; that he wouldn't do anything else until she was absolutely comfortable with it, even if it killed him – but she wasn’t replying.

And she hadn't shown up to see him practice either. He heaved a dejected sigh, then started when Kai teleported in front of his face.

'Argh!' He jumped backwards, almost falling on his . Thankfully, Kai grabbed his flailing hand and straightened him. He opened his mouth to thank the kid but he landed a punch in his gut, making him double over. 'Bastard.' Kai told him, 'Lucky bastard.'

Sniffing in an annoyed way, he stalked off. Luhan was all for pouncing after him – no one hit him without consequences – but his cellphone beeped and seeing Mei's name – surrounded by hearts – flash across the screen made him forget all about revenge.

Hearing her voice after so long made his gut clench and his body overreact but that was okay. Because he knew she felt the same and it was the best feeling in the world.

………………………

A/N

Trust Sehun to stay in denial #brat4lyf (u_u)

I'm still sad about Kai - it would've been wonderful to see him move on but unfortunately... the wasp was destined to be with the brat. You just don't mess with that kind of fate *nods sagely*

Well, lets see how long Sehun holds out, shall we? 

And do comment, I'd really like that :)