"You okay, Taekwoon?" Hakyeon asks, the worry evident in his voice. No, it's not just the tone of his voice - it's the fact that that's the only thing he's said. In any other situation, Hakyeon would definitely been talking his ear off, but now - 

Taekwoon blinks once, twice. His eyes focus, slowly, on his surroundings - they're white. Another blink and it's clear; he's in the hospital. He feels fine. There have been times when he's felt worse and this is not one of them.

There are doctors in the room. He turns to Hakyeon and asks, "What happened?"

Hakyeon gesticulates wildly. "An explosion - there was an explosion, y'know, at the museum we were at, and like, everyone is in the hospital, 'cept I was fine," he explains, voice cracking. "But everyone's in the hospital, and -"

"And you're the first one to wake up," one of the doctors explains. "We'll have to run tests, but would you like some time alone with your friend here first?" 

"Yes," Taekwoon says immediately. The doctors leave, one by one, polite. 

Hakyeon tackles him into a hug right away. "Holy ," he whispers against Taekwoon's neck. (He ignores the beating of his heart, which he can hear clearly. He wonders if Hakyeon can, too.) "Holy , I don't know what I would've done if you'd died, Taekwoon, holy -"

"I know," Taekwoon whispers. "Shh. It's okay. I'm okay."

"I should go," Hakyeon adds, his voice quieting to a whisper. "I might get found out if I'm here."

"You'll definitely get found out if you talk like that," Taekwoon replies. "I'll be okay, I'll be okay, so - so don't worry." He tries to smile. Part of him is in pain, a part he can't name. He can't remember the explosion and it scares him, but Hakyeon being found out scares him even more. 

They're four years old. Hakyeon hasn't changed at all since then - the same smile, the same tendency to talk all the time. "Wanna play? Wanna play?" he asks.

Taekwoon stares up at him, all big eyes. He's never talked to this guy before and is usually fine playing or reading by himself - so he nods, of course, because nobody's ever approached him before. The boy takes his hand and pulls him up and they're running, to the edge of the playground, with all the trees, where the teachers can't see, the place they're not supposed to go.

Taekwoon doesn't want to get in trouble and is about to open his mouth, but of course, Hakyeon beats him to the punch. "Watch this," he says, his eyes lighting up.

He snaps his fingers, and just like that, there's fire. Taekwoon takes two steps back and looks away for a split second in fear and then - 

and then the fire is gone. "Don't tell anyone," says the boy, and then he sticks out his hand, just like he saw his parents doing to his teacher earlier. "I'm Hakyeon."

Taekwoon swallows. He nods. "I'm Taekwoon," he replies, voice shaking. But then the other boy - Hakyeon - smiles, as warm as the fire that he started, and it seems like everything will be okay.

Taekwoon keeps another secret, starting when he's 13.

There are a lot of things he knows about himself. He's quiet and introverted and has a nice singing voice; he never knew his mother; he gets good grades in everything but geometry. (Which is useless anyways.) He knows that he's Cha Hakyeon's best friend, because every year on his birthday at least Hakyeon makes sure that's known. "I'm really lucky to have you," he always says.

But then he's 13, just turning 13, and his heart beats a little bit faster when he does. "You want ice cream? Let's get ice cream. And we can see a movie. Like Finding Nemo," Hakyeon adds, as an afterthought. "I wanted to see that, if that's okay - I thought the little fishie from the trailer was cute. I guess that's Nemo, right?" 

"Okay," Taekwoon says. Hakyeon smiles and grabs onto Taekwoon's hand and - and it's just skinship between friends, Taekwoon reminds himself. He tries to quell is heartbeat and wonders if Hakyeon lost control of his powers - maybe he didn't mean, maybe Taekwoon's just making excuses, but Hakyeon's touch is warm, and it hurts.

There's stuff on the news that makes Taekwoon worried - anti-mutant violence and registration laws for superhumans and things like that - and he knows that's what Hakyeon is, and he's known for nine years that he can't tell anyone about that or else Hakyeon's as good as dead. But Taekwoon is careful, and so is Hakyeon, and Taekwoon hasn't seen a single burst of Hakyeon's fire in those nine years. So it doesn't matter.

"You okay, Taekwoon?" Hakyeon asks, then. Most people are always asking Taekwoon if he's okay, but Hakyeon knows better - he can tell when he's lost in thought or worried about something, because that's what best friends are for. "There are other movies, we don't have to see Nemo if you don't want to...it's your birthday, thirteen."

Taekwoon shakes his head. "No. Let's go," he says, and he smiles like nothing's wrong - and it works. Hakyeon smiles back and it's like fire straight to his skin but he ignores it, because - because there are a million rules that Taekwoon can think of at any given time about being best friends, and don't fall in love with your best friend is, like, number one.

But then again, he's thirteen - maybe it'll go away, maybe it's just a crush. maybe Taekwoon doesn't have to keep this secret.

They're nineteen, and Taekwoon's arguements aren't getting through. The December air is chilly, but the inside of Hakyeon's car is warm. "Hakyeon, I'm glad you found this group, but I'm not...there's really no reason for me to come with you to it."

"There's four other people like me, though! And anyway, you're kind of a mutant by proxy - since you're always hanging out with me. Sorry," Hakyeon replied. "If I didn't come with you, it'd be like...it'd just be weird without you."

Taekwoon sighs. He's all too used to these arguements that he just can't win, when it comes to Hakyeon - he's known him for fifteen years and he's always been this way. He might be able to burn up at a moment's notice, but his real superpower is probably having an iron grip on Taekwoon, even though he has no idea that he does.

The car stops in front of a tall apartment building. "This guy...no, he has a name. He's, like, Lee Hong-something or something, and he's on the tenth floor," Hakyeon says, leaving his car and looking at his phone for the text. "Oh, god, I'm nervous. You nervous, Taekwoon? Because I'm mad nervous, right now. Jesus."

"You're never nervous," Taekwoon replies, bemused. "If anything I'm nervous, because I'm not - I shouldn't be here, Hakyeon."

"But I'll be less nervous if you're there~"

"That is bull, Hakyeon -"

"You're already walking with me, no take-backs," Hakyeon sing-songs, looping his arm aroung Taekwoon's - who tries to move away and tries not to blush but maybe he can chalk it up to the cold if Hakyeon notices, which he won't - which he never does.

It has been six years since the day Taekwoon realized he was - is - in love with his best friend, and in all those six years Hakyeon hasn't noticed once. Of course, Hakyeon has other things to pay attention to - like suddenly bursting into flames or trying to get into the same performing arts university as Taekwoon - and mostly Taekwoon can ignore it, but then things like this happen that catch Taekwoon off guard, and he wishes things were different. 

But they aren't all too bad, these moments, even though Taekwoon hates them, because Hakyeon keeps his arm there even when they're inside the building and at the support group. And when the guy - Lee Hongbin, as it turns out, who has astral projection, apparently - asks who he is and why he's there, Hakyeon puts his hand on Taekwoon's knee and says, "He's my secret keeper."

He gets released from the hospital later that day, and as soon as he does, Hakyeon pulls him into a hug. "I'm just so glad you're okay," he says.

Taekwoon smiles a little. "I'm always okay."

"No, but I totally have reason to worry," Hakyeon explains, releasing Taekwoon from his iron grip. "You're the only person that's been released so far, you know that? And I mean, I'm not saying I've been eavesdropping but not everyone has been...doing so well. And I don't really know what I'd do if I lost you, and...and I was afraid."

"No need. I'm always okay," Taekwoon repeats, nodding. "You should give me a ride home, though, to make sure."

"Duh. I wouldn't make you drive. I'm not even sure you're supposed to drive, but I guess that's besides the point. I'll make you dinner, too. Get pampered."

"You really don't need too...plus, you have work tomorrow," Taekwoon reminds Hakyeon gently. "And if you're late again they'll probably kill you, so..."

"Oh. Yeah, that. Work." Hakyeon sighs. "Well. I'll come in afterwards tomorrow, then. Make sure you've, like...eaten." 

"I'm not going to forget to eat, Hakyeon -"

"Okay, but if you did, trauma probably...can cause...forgetting to eat."

"And there goes your arguement." Taekwoon chuckles. "Just take me home, Hakyeon, please?"

Hakyeon sighs. "Fine. You win this round."

"Every round," Taekwoon corrects, and Hakyeon sticks out his tongue childlishly. It's enough to make Taekwoon laugh, though, so mission accomplished, Hakyeon thinks - Taekwoon really needs to smile more.

His apartment is quiet, and that's just the way he likes it. There's his guitar in the corner and a coffee machine on the counter and that's the most noise he gets out of it, most of the time - aside from checking the TV news for anti-mutant things, just in case, or when Hakyeon is over and insists on watching those terrible sappy movies he likes. And as much as he loves being around Hakyeon - more than anyone else, easily - it's the quiet that calms Taekwoon down, the loneliness. He's an introvert, after all - he likes solitude, it helps him think. Recharge.

He does turn on the news, though - museum explosions aren't exactly common, after all, and he'd like to know something about what happened. There are other stories first - politics, economy, dog in a tree - but then, boom. Literally.

"Still no major updates on the explosion at the National Museum of Korea earlier today," says the news lady. "What we do know is that the gas released killed almost everyone it came into contact with; so far, only two of the victims have been released from the hospital. We don't know what kind of gas was released or if it had any effect on the survivors." Survivors. A shiver runs down Taekwoon's spine - that's him and Hakyeon, isn't it. The survivors. Gas with an effect. Hakyeon has an excuse for not being dead - he's a homo superior, after all, things that kill normal humans don't make a scratch on him - but Taekwoon...is Taekwoon.

The secret keeper, the normal one, the constant. He should be dead right now, he realizes, but he's not, and he has no excuse. He's just - he's just a guy. He can't be anything else.

Unless he is anything else.

Apprehensively, Taekwoon snaps his fingers - just like Hakyeon did that one day when they were four years old in the part of the playground they weren't supposed to be in. He closes his eyes as he does it, even though it's just snapping his fingers, something he's done millions of times - to the beat of the music while Hakyeon's dancing, when he's keeping the beat during the rests in his guitar music - because if that gas did something to him to make him like Hakyeon, he's screwed. 

He opens his eyes. Nothing. 

It's a full moon tonight, and the moonlight is strong as it drifts through the window. The apartment almost doesn't need any other lighting, it's so strong. In fact, to Taekwoon, it looks...tangible. He reaches out his hands to grab some, not even aware of what he's doing, and shapes it into a little ball. Taekwoon smiles - this feels right.

Then he drops the ball, terrified, senses all coming back to him at once. "," he whispers, looking at his hands - like he's a monster, like he's changed. He has changed. Whatever happened at that museum, whatever gas got released...reacted...with him, and now he's shaping moonlight into balls like it's his calling. And it feels right, but -

But he watches the news. He knows he's not a mutant, but people like Hakyeon - people like him - have to hide. They hide or they're used as government experiments, until the crazy ones go rogue and kill tons of people, and then a bunch of protesters say that mutants should be killed - and then they do kill them, innocent ones, in their home like it's nothing. And now he might as well be one of them.

Taekwoon reaches for his phone and tries to keep his voice from shaking as he calls Hakyeon on speed dial. "C-can you come over?" he asks, steadying his voice as best he can.

"Gimme an hour. Class went late and I still have to do some stuff," Hakyeon explains. "But I'll be there the second I can, okay? Stay in your apartment."

"Kay." Taekwoon hangs up and brings his knees to his chest. He doesn't know what he's going to do when Hakyeon gets home, but when he does...when he does, maybe his mind will come down.

a/n: so the biggest change that might happen is that i might start writing in past tense orz

but uh yeah this chapter is mad short but this is mostly because it's more of a set-up chapter than anything else! the inciting incident if you will! i promise that in the next chapter, the rest of the boys will show up and what powers they have will be explained, yo! they're mostly minor characters, but i'm like 80% sure hyukbin will end up being a beta couple to the whole neo thing going on so that's fun!

and also, my name is laura, feel free to as questions & stuff and i'll reply best i can! or just like...comments...i'll be interactive. and hopefully seduce you with my immense comic book knowledge, even though i'm taking some liberties with terrigenesis here to make things more dramatic...but y'know. anyways, tune in next time! what's the full extent of taekwoon's new powers? what sort of powers do the rest of vixx have? did any other inhumans escape from that museum? find out next time on...imbalanced stars!