The group idea was genius. Tiffany couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun, going plain old crazy on the ice rink. The best part was, she couldn't think, too busy trying to keep her balance to bother about foolish stuff like being awkward with Kai or feel uncomfortable about Sehun's presence.

Kai, being the sweetheart he was, had offered to teach her how to skate and even though it crossed her mind that they were being so close – after two weeks of strict avoidance strategies, it should've been overwhelming – but she had decided she would focus on having fun. And it was working perfectly.

She couldn't keep straight no matter how hard she tried and Kai was having a lot of fun at her expense. He would let go suddenly and she'd swing her arms around like a monkey but he caught her before she fell down, so that was alright. Besides, it was nice to know that his touch still managed to make her heart flutter. And he was flirting with her, being deliberately suggestive and it made her feel even better.

Finally, she got the hang of it and managed to complete a lap without slipping or needing his help. Damn, she was good. 

'I can fly!!!' She declared dramatically, then waved at Mei. 'Mei, Mei, look at me!'

She shot out towards Mei, showing off her skills. 'I'm the queen of the winds.' She declared, crossing her arms over her chest. 'Beg for my mercy.'

'Pfft, you're nothing but a lowly slave…' Mei countered with equal drama. They started bickering over their queenly status, giggling as their argument went from funny to plain ridiculous.

'I can control things with my thoughts.' Mei sniffed snobbishly. 'Crush people like ants, throw them away like they're feathers.'

'Ha! I can summon a level ten gale with a snap of my fingers.' Tiffany snapped her fingers to demonstrate. As if in response to her snap, a light wind blew. 'See?' She arched a brow triumphantly.

'Ha, that was a coincidence.'

'I can prove it otherwise!' Tiffany gestured wildly and another, stronger gust blew. Her eyes widened in surprise, along with Mei. She snapped her fingers one more time and wind blew again.

'Dude!' Mei exclaimed, 'That's sick!'

Tiffany shook her head. Wasn't that supposed to be Sehun's thing? Wait, what the hell was she even thinking? But no matter what Sehun said, every time he was around, wind messed with her. Wait, had her own powers been acting up around him? Wait, did that mean she possessed powers she was unaware of? She glanced up at Mei to see the same thoughts being reflected on her face.

'OHMYGOD!' Mei exclaimed, rushing beside her and almost knocking her down in excitement. 'Do it again!'

Tiffany swallowed. 'Aren't you afraid?' She asked.

'Of you being an awesome mutant who controls the wind?' Mei demanded, shaking her head. 'Hell no! Now do it again!'

'I'm not sure how…' she began but just then, Tao screamed from behind them. 'Watch out!'

They glanced up in time to see a familiar face rushing towards them at break-neck speed. The guy's face was terrified and his arms swung around wildly, obviously unable to control his speed or movements and they jumped apart at the same time to avoid a head-on collision.

Sadly, they were both wearing skates and Tiffany's foot twisted painfully as she landed, slipping down. Her arms spread out instinctively to break her fall but there was nothing to grab on to and she closed her eyes, expecting the worst pain as her head hit the concrete floor…

A heavy gust of wind blew suddenly, almost lifting her up and she swung wildly in the air before her feet touched the ground again and she stumbled forward into a solid chest. Breath whooshed out of her and she grabbed at the shirt, holding herself up, eyes closed as she caught her breath.

Solid arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her in tighter into safety and she clung to him with all her might, heart racing at her close call. One of the hands buried into her hair, putting her head on his chest and she inhaled deeply, feeling safe and protected.

A light wind played with her hair, tickling pleasantly and she became aware of certain things: a) this wasn’t Kai – the person holding her was too tall for one thing and too bony for another, b) he smelled familiar, very familiar and she was feeling way too comfortable in his embrace, like she'd felt only once before, c) her heart, which had settled down mere seconds ago was picking up speed again because d) the wind was still blowing gently around her and her powers only acted up in the presence of one person: Sehun.

Gasping, she pulled back and glanced up, only to meet the eyes of her dilemma, concern and something else, an unnamed emotion, evident in his eyes.

'Are you okay?' He asked and she gulped as vibrations from his chest travelled down her spine – driving home the fact that she was all but fused against him. She nodded, discretely trying to step back.

His fingers tightened for a moment around her before he loosened his hold and she hurriedly looked away – anything to distract her from the strange feelings raising their heads inside her.

Her gaze landed on the couple beside them and all confusions washed away in the wake of overwhelming jealousy and hurt that rose like a tidal wave inside her.

Just a couple of steps away – literally because she could touch them if she stretched her arm out – stood her so called best friend, hugging like she belonged right in his arms, her boyfriend. Worse, Kai, her boyfriend, had his arms around Mei in a tight hold, like he would never let her go and oh, that hurt.

He'd never, never, hugged her like that.. But now, he was not only hugging her but whispering something, eyes closed like the contact was the most blissful thing that ever happened to him.

She blinked as her eyes teared up, looking away and trying not to feel hurt. They'd both slipped, it was natural to try and save her, right? Only, Mei could keep her balance perfectly – she hadn't spent the past hour trying to master standing straight while wearing skates, she wasn't the one who'd twisted her foot so badly she could barely put her weight on it.

Tiffany bit her lip, stepping back and stumbling a little. Sehun grabbed her arm so she wouldn't fall down. She looked up at him blindly. 'Thanks, I'll manage.'

Shaking his arm off, she started skating away, ignoring the pain in her heart and her foot. She knew Kai still had feelings for Mei but she'd managed not to think about it so far. She'd decided she would wait for him, so it didn't matter. Now, only if her heart could stop hurting and her eyes stop tearing up, everything would be great. Mei's words flashed through her head.

So it won't bother you that he's still hung up on me? And that every time we hang out together, he might be using you to spend time with me? Or that even when you guys kiss…

, who was she fooling? It did bother her, it bothered her so damn much, she wanted to hit someone. Maybe Mei, for being Kai's first love. Or even Kai, for not being able to let go of her. Dammit, why couldn't he just see how much she loved him? Why couldn’t she get someone to love her back for once? Always chasing after the unattainable, what the hell was wrong with her?

She didn't know she was crying until she stumbled because she couldn’t see where she was going and landed on the ground, scraping her hands. Wind pushed her hair out of her face as Sehun kneeled in front of her. 'Ya… be careful…'

He grabbed her hands, staring at them intensely before taking out a folded paper towel to dab the scrapes clean. His concern only drove home the fact that the one person she wanted to be concerned about her didn't care.

She started crying in earnest.

………………………

Mei smacked Kai's back, trying to push him off. What the hell was wrong with him, she'd only stumbled a bit. If anyone needed help, it was Tiffany who'd fallen down. But Kai didn't loosen his grip.

'You scared me.' He muttered in her ear, relief evident in his voice and she softened a little. 'I'm fine.' she told him, before pushing him back again. He reluctantly let go, eyeing her critically. 'Sure?'

'Yes, I'm perfectly fine. Where's Tiffany?' she demanded, assuming he'd seen to her first before he came to her rescue. He blinked, looking a little lost before glancing around.

Horror dawned inside her. 'Kai, please tell me you caught Tiffany before rushing over…'

Kai didn’t say anything, looking guilty. She glared at him, punching his shoulder. 'Seriously?'

'What? Sehun was already with her so…' Even though he said it, he didn't sound too convinced. Good, because nothing wasn't going to convince her he hadn't been an . 'You're such a jerk. Kai, I expected better of you!' She told him, roughly pushing him aside.

'What? I should've let you fall?' He snapped, irritated. 

'In this case, I would've preferred it!' Mei snapped back.

'Well, I won't bother next time so you can fall around you want!' He spun on his heel.

'Good, I'll do just that.'

'Go ahead, see if I care.'

'Fine!' She yelled after him.

'Fine!' He yelled back, aiming a kick in the air. The hell was wrong with him? A pebble hit his head and he threw a glare over his shoulder.

'Go to Tiffany!' Mei ordered him. He stuck his tongue out at her maturely, but took her advice anyway. He glanced around, trying to spot her and found her holding hands with Sehun as he gently led her off the rink. He wondered for a moment about what he should do. It was obvious whatever help Tiffany had needed, Sehun had provided and in his present state, he didn't feel too much like going to her. She would look at him with expectations shining in her eyes and he was feeling too peevish to appreciate it.

it, I'm so messed up.

He understood he should've gone to Tiffany but in that moment, he had acted on instinct. All he'd seen was that foolish guy almost colliding with Mei and when they'd jumped apart, only one thought had flashed through his head – she was going to fall and the floor was no joke. Solid concrete and slippery to boot – she would’ve twisted her leg or worse, slammed her head on the floor, maybe ended up bleeding, if he hadn't caught her. And this was the thanks he got.

Tiffany was in the same danger, his mind spoke up snidely. You didn't think of flashing next to her.

So sue him. He thought about his mate first, big freaking deal. He couldn't kill his instincts, it was but natural. He could only push himself so far with Tiffany and…

. He rubbed a hand over his face. , , …

Rationally speaking, Tiffany was more at risk for falling down and breaking her head or twisting her foot or something because she had no idea how to keep her balance. Mei, on the other hand, knew exactly what she'd been doing. But Tiffany hadn't been even in the farthest reaches of his mind when he'd seen them slip – his only thought had been to protect Mei.

And yet he claimed to care about her. He swallowed, feeling bitterness in his mouth. Who was he trying to fool? He'd thought it before but again, she wasn't Mei. And she never would be. If this entire scenario repeated itself, he'd still end up at Mei's side, hoping to protect her from harm and Tiffany…

I really do need to break up with her.

His mind agreed but his heart rebelled at the thought. Tiffany was the only reason he could be near Mei and pretend he was fine. She was the only one who understood how much it hurt to lose someone, only one who…

Admit it, you are using her as a crutch. He didn't like that thought. He'd vowed to himself he wouldn't use her – hell, that's why he'd kept his distance from her physically – but he'd been doing exactly that. Using her as a shield against the pain and a way to vent his loneliness.

Biting his lip, he stared at her figure as she slumped into one of the benches and Sehun leaned over her, probably snapping at her for being careless. At this moment, Sehun was acting more like her boyfriend than he had and it didn't even bother him. He should've been bothered, shouldn’t he? He was sure he would've minded it if someone else had touched Mei…

Slowly, he turned around to look at Mei. Testing himself, confirming what he already knew. Baekhyun had grabbed her hand to help her around, his ice-cream coating the face of the guy who'd bumped into the girls and he was smiling in his usual, charming way.

Kai felt a spark of irritation at that – why was he being so frank with her? And why wasn't she being more careful? He took a step forward, with every intention of parting them when his link warned him of his Shadow's presence. Kai's eyes zeroed in on the figure rushing towards the ice rink, worry plainly written all over his face and felt an inferno burst inside him because Mei abandoned Baekhyun immediately and rushed into his arms, hugging him tightly.

He felt like his heart would burst for a moment and he closed his eyes, pushing his emotions back so his Shadow wouldn't know exactly what he was going through. With a last irritated huff, he started skating in the opposite direction, heading towards Tiffany.

………………………

Sehun's head was still spinning with the intensity of power churning inside him. It rose and swirled around them, engulfing them in a windy cocoon that cut them off from the rest of the world – inside this cocoon, it was just them, he and his mate.

Mate. To say he'd finally come to terms with the fact – more like the fact had hit him with the force of ten ton bus rushing at breakneck speed and it left him more than a little dazed. He wasn't going to question why it was her again because frankly, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that she was alright.

His heart had literally stopped when he'd seen her slip like that. The way she'd fallen, she would've broken her neck and her foot had twisted terribly. He knew it because he'd seen it all happen in slow motion, in the time it took him to literally fly to her side.

Somehow, in that moment, he managed to pull his powers out of Tao – who'd collapsed at the sudden withdrawal – and used it to break her fall, push her forward while the wind propelled him quickly right in front of her. He'd never moved so fast, that he could guarantee; and he'd barely reached her when she crashed into his chest.

She grabbed onto him and he wrapped his arms tightly around her, one hand burying into her hair to put her head on his chest, relieved that she was alright. She sighed and leaned into his chest for a moment before stiffening. He figured she'd realized he wasn't Kai.

An instant later, she pulled back with a gasp and looked up, their eyes meeting – her eyes were wide with surprise, cheeks flushing a little, probably at their intimate position.

'Are you okay?' He asked, not loosening his hold. She nodded, trying to step back and he reluctantly let her go. She immediately glanced away and a moment later, he felt his heart ache. He blinked and it took him a couple of seconds to realize he was experiencing her feelings – the mate's link.  

It didn't take a genius – or even the mate's link – to realize what had caused it. Kai was hugging Mei, just a couple of steps away, probably going through the same emotions Sehun had felt at seeing Tiffany fall. It bothered him. Not because she was hurting because of another guy but simply because she was hurting.

He looked helplessly as her eyes filled with tears, her heart breaking and she looked away, biting her lip. She stepped away from him and stumbled; Sehun immediately grabbed her arm but she looked at him blindly, 'Thanks, I'll manage' and shook him off.

The beast, who'd been gone for some time now, announced its presence by the morose howl it let out. Whining, insisting that he follow her, make her happy. Sehun shook his head – how was he supposed to do that? Still, the beast wasn't the only one aching to go after her and he followed behind her, stepping carefully because the floor was too damn slippery and he wasn’t wearing skates.

He saw her stumble and rushed forwards but she'd scraped her hands already. He knelt in front of her, unconsciously channeling his power to push her hair out of her face – it was falling into her eyes. 'Ya… be careful…'

He wasn’t sure what to do but her hands were hurt, so maybe he should take care of that. He took out a napkin from his pocket and dabbed at the scrapes, wincing at the torn skin. That had to hurt.

Maybe it hurt worse than it looked – or maybe it was because of her heart but at this, she started crying in earnest. Her shoulders shook with the force of her sobs and she just cried and cried as he watched helplessly. What was he supposed to do in this case? Hold her? Hug her? Wouldn’t she push him away?

But as her sobs continued, he realized he didn't care. She needed to stop because it was making his heart ache as well. Awkwardly, he patted her back and then, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, hoping it was the right thing to do.

A few minutes later, she slowed down to mere sniffles so he took his arm off – proximity, he'd discovered in those few minutes, was a trial because his body was reacting in a completely inappropriate manner – and offered her another napkin to wipe her tears off.

'Can you stand?' She nodded, not meeting his eyes, probably embarrassed at breaking down in front of him. He stood up, helping her stand, then started leading her off the rink. In her condition, it was best not to skate around. Plus her foot…

She stumbled with a pained 'ouch' and he caught her around the waist, leading her towards the benches quickly. She slumped into wooden bench, obviously relieved to get off her sore foot and he leaned over her, checking surreptitiously for other injuries as well as blocking her view of Kai.

'Take your boots off.' He told her, remembering the last time her foot has swollen so badly they had to cut her shoes. She nodded, still sniffing a little but more under control now. 'I'll get Suho or Lay.'

She grabbed his hand as he started to leave. 'Thanks.' She muttered to his knees before letting go. Nodding, he hurried off.

…………………………

A/N

Well... I did say there was gonna be angst :/ we're just getting started though, so hold tight :)