Everything is fake and nothing is real.

-06.12.102,014

Being in a foul mood would be an understatement of Nia’s temper when she reached her home later that evening. Not only had she fought with Yuri, but work had been hell and none of the elevators would do as she wished. She was getting more and more frustrated as the evening went on. If one more thing went wrong Nia was sure that she would pull her hair from her head.

Luckily for her she remembered the way to the elevator where she had found the males weeks before. The ride was quiet and she was allowed a reprieve from all of the noise of the world around her. She was able to forget the stress she was under from everything. Allowed to forget that she was technically a criminal and that she was wavering in her life long beliefs and that she was wavering in other areas as well. For just a moment she was allowed some peace.

In her heart Nia knew she would not change the things that had happened, well, not all of them. Obviously she would want the males to be able to go home and that she and Yuri would not have to fight because of her friendship with Kyungsoo. Nia was a realist though and knew that she could not have it all.

“Guys, I’m home.” Nia called out and was shocked and not it a good way when there were no arms that greeted her lifting her up and spinning her around. She could hear the laughter coming from deeper in the house and found her face pulling inwards due to displeasure. If they were there then why did no one greet her? Tao almost always did and if not him then Luhan or Minseok.

“What is going on?” Nia questioned and her jaw dropped as she stood over the balcony that overlooked the lower living-room. “What is going on!” The second time it was a screeching sound that drew the attention of everyone below her. The occupants of the room looked up and she could see the guilt in all but one of their faces.

“Nia!” Cried the sweetest voice she had ever heard and was soon accompanied by tiny footsteps running up the stairs. “Oh Nia I’ve missed you so much!” She heard as a tiny body flung itself into her side and clung to her body. But, Nia would not take her glare from the males below all of whom had hung their heads.

What had they done?

Feeling a pull at her dress Nia looked down and found herself coming eye to eye with Soojung. The tiny girl looked much better than Nia remembered and it made her realize that all of the things Kyungsoo had been telling her were really true. She seemed to be glowing as she twirled to show off the new dress she was wearing without waiting for a greeting in return.

“Soojung,” Nia breathed out the young girls name and was rewarded with a squeal of happiness. The younger was overjoyed that she had remembered her. She demanded that Nia come down and join the fun that they were all having. Nia had already planned on going down, but it was not to have fun as Soojung had been hoping for. She was going to end whatever fun they were having and six of the males would pay.

“I’m so sorry about this,” Kyungsoo told her the moment he saw her static face. He knew the face as one that meant something bad was about to happen. She had used it often when people told them that Kyungsoo was below her. He would have let them because he knew it was true, but Nia would not have it. She stood up for him and for their friendship. She had even stood up to others of much higher desirability than him.

“She just really wanted to see you and she wouldn’t stop and, and please forgive me!” Kyungsoo was nearly in tears at that point. He did not wish to lose Nia. She was one of the few people who did not look at him like he was filth. The desirables all told him he was below them as he was of lower-desirability and the undesirables looked at him as a traitor. “We’ll go now, I promise it will not happen again Nia.” Kyungsoo wanted to keep whatever shred of a friendship, her words, they had that he could.

“Kyungsoo, it is not you I am angry with.” She told him and though it was soft shivers ran down not only his spine, but the other males as well. “I am angry at these fools. Go wait upstairs please and take Soojung with you. Show yourself around.” Nia knew he would not argue with her as it was against his nature and he proved her right by quickly nodding and pulling away the pouting Soojung.

Boring holes into each of the males she could not see their faces. For the first time since they had met the males were refusing to meet eyes with her, even Yifan. They knew that he had done wrong and they knew it well. They had been scolded and yelled at by Nia enough times to know when she was angry.

This time was different though. This time Nia was not angry at them. No she was livid. They had put all of their lives in danger. Why? Why could they not  listen to her about this. Could they not understand how important it was to not let anyone see them? She could handle just about anything else, but this had to be the stupidest thing they had ever done.

“Does this mean we don’t get to go to the green place?” Tao’s meek voice questioned though he still refused to raise his head. He had some nerve she would give him that. Nia was sick of it. Sick of taking care of them and them not believing in her and not following her rules. She was honestly at her wits end.

“I do not care.” Nia told him and even she could have shuddered at the ice in her voice. “Do what you wish. You obviously have no respect for my rules or my home. Which, may I remind you is mine. Even if you weren’t wanted fugitives it is beyond rude to let someone into a home that is not yours.” She spat and she could see the males flinch at her tone or at the words she had no clue.

“Wait, we can explain!” Minseok called moving his hand to grab her arm as she turned away. “She were refusing to leave, Ola made a sound and the little one kept crying for you. Please, we didn’t want to do anything wrong and it was the only thing we could think of!” Minseok pleaded with her as if that would be reason enough for her to forgive them.

“Kyungsoo knows I own a cat and he would have told her had you not interfered.” Nia hissed slapping his hand away as he continued probing at her. “Look at you! None of you give me an ounce of respect you will not even look me in the eyes right now!” The males continued to shrink back as she continued to speak to them. She never raised her voice as she had learned from her mother that the best way to scare someone is to stay calm.

“You’re not even giving us a chance!” Yifan growled stomping over to her as though he would actually lay a hand on her even though both knew he would never do such a thing. “We were trying to do right by you the best way we knew how! And how could we look you in the eyes when you keep telling us how wrong we are?” Yifan’s trembling form towered over her much slighter one.

Nia could not believe her ears. The best way they knew how? So then did her words not mean anything to them? She had told them time and time again to never, never open the door for anyone other than her. Nia had warned them not to let anyone know of them or that she knew them. They would be so easy to trace back to each other and the metal would be the only thing waiting for them if they were found out.

“Then do what you think is right from now on.” She spat before turning away and walking towards the stairs. “And do not ever look into my eyes again as I would not want to give or receive the wrong ideas, especially not one so laughable as a mutual respect between us.” Nia was ready to break something as she ascended the stairs. She would go and find Kyungsoo and Soojung while ignoring the males who were calling for her to come back.

Searching was not very hard as they had only made it to the second hallway before Soojung was distracted by Ola. The cat was less than impressed with the little girls slightly sticky finger running through his fur, but Luhan’s were almost always sticky causing Ola to become almost accustomed to the stickiness that came with the some hands.

Looking up Kyungsoo was surprised to find that Nia’s face had become wet. For a moment he had thought she had somehow spilt something upon her flawless skin, but soon came to realize that the water on her face was not from an outside source. For the first time since they had met Kyungsoo was seeing Nia in a way he had not seen the bright and fiery girl who heatedly defended him.

Amazed, that was the only word that Kyungsoo could find to describe how he felt about the girl in front of him. He knew something had just happened. Soojung may not have noticed, but he could hear the all of the yelling that was directed at the tiny girl in front of him. He couldn’t understand any words as they were too far, but he knew they were being too much.  Yet, even with all of the yelling directed at her she was smiling happily down at his younger sister as though nothing had happened.

Nia was perfect, Kyungsoo was imperfect; as long as she was near him that was okay with him.

“Is everything alright?” Kyungsoo could not for the life of him figure out why anyone would yell at Nia, but he had a feeling it had to do with their visit. A small smile was the only response he received from the woman in front of him. Many would have just assumed it was like any other smile, but he could see the way the corners of tugged downwards. It was a smile he had shown many times and some of those were even directed at her. Her smile was tired.

“Everything is fine.” Nia assured him, but even Soojung looked up at the older female in worry, her usually lilting voice had cracked. Kyungsoo offered, hesitantly of course, to go and have a stern word with the males. Nia smiled at his kindness as he had to know he was probably ranked below most if not all of them. “They will not listen to anything anyone has to say. They only care about themselves.” Her voice was full of spite and told Kyungsoo that the subject was not one that should be continued.

The tears and the tired smile reminded Kyungsoo of something he found himself often forgetting about the girl; she was only human. He put her on a pedestal as someone that could do just about anything. She had come to his rescue so many times  ever since the first time with Soojung. To Kyungsoo Nia seemed to be a super-human. Seeing her so weak almost seemed like watching one of his hero’s lose their powers.

Oddly enough seeing Nia weak also comforted Kyungsoo. He often found himself not up to par with the other and yet there she was showing that though she was highly-desirable she too could have moments where she was just like him. The moment of melancholy was something he found in common with someone he often thought of as above everyone else and it gave Kyungsoo a sense of normalcy, something he had not felt before.

Even though both adults knew she would rather be doing anything else, Nia gave the siblings a tour of her home. She showed them her favorite rooms and the ones that she thought they may like. She even had an area that was solely dedicated to a sizable pool that was just as beautifully designed as everything else in the apartment. Soojung and Kyungsoo both enjoyed it very much with the former even swearing to have her own room like it one day.

“I am sorry to cut this short, but could I think it is almost time for the siren to call and we do not want you two caught outside do we?” Nia was trying to be as pleasant as possible which was becoming harder and harder as she could feel eyes on her back as she spoke with the two guests.

“We completely understand. Isn’t that right Soojung?” Kyungsoo looked down at his little sister and Nia could see the warning in his eyes. The youngest looked as though she were about to argue, but with a short glance at the older girl her lips were sealed shut and the little girl gave a soft nod of agreement. “Good girl.” Kyungsoo rewarded the smaller with a loving ruffle of her ebony hair.

“In that case I will you out.” Kyungsoo had tried arguing with the other, but was ultimately silenced with a strained glare. “It is the least I can do.” She told him softly as she knew that none of what was happening was his fault and she wanted him to know that as well. Kyungsoo had a gentle heart and she had no desire to harm it in any way.

The gazes in their direction  did not cease and though the males were quite good at hiding the amount that they stared. Though some were better than others. Minseok and Yixing pretended to cook, she knew they were not as they had been doing the same thing more than once. Luhan and Jongdae hid behind her large tree as though it were sizable enough to hide their forms when the trunk was only the size of their necks. Tao and Yifan however were not even trying to hide their gazes. Tao held tears in his eyes while Yifan held anger.

“Oh also,” Nia called out as she and the two in tow stopped in front of the door. “I would very much appreciate it if my visitors would stay secret.” Kyungsoo gave Nia a rather confused glance at this. “My parents do not like it when I have males over, especially when I am not home to watch them.” The lie seemed to work as Kyungsoo smiled teasingly at Nia and gave a nod of confirmation. What they had seen would not be spoken about.

Had it been anyone else Nia would have worried. Were they trust worthy and could she know that they absolutely would not tell a soul about what they had seen? But, it was Kyungsoo and Soojung. Kyungsoo was someone who was undyingly loyal to those around him, he had made that clear. And Soojung, Nia knew that girl would never want to make her angry. Nia knew that because it was those two that she would have nothing to worry about.

The sound of the door shutting had never sounded as foreboding as it did in the moment it closed behind the duo. Though they did not know it Kyungsoo and Soojung were carrying her deepest secret and if there was one thing Nia knew it was that secrets did not stay that way for very long. She knew it would all have to end eventually, but Nia was not prepared for it to happen so soon.

“Are you actually busy, or just ignoring me?” Luhan had been trying to garner her attention for the past hour and a half. Needless to say Nia was about to assault the perky blond. No matter how many times Nia glared at him the male would not leave. She was trying to go over data from work, but that was becoming increasingly hard with the male at her right, the side Luhan was not on.

Luhan was simple enough to handle. She would ignore him and he would continuously talk without a thought. There was nothing new about that and she had mastered drowning him out long ago. The male on her right however was sitting there staring holes into her head. He had apologized profusely starting the moment the sibling duo left and he would not withdraw to leave until his apology was accepted.

Refusing to let out a word Nia stood abruptly from her seat at the desk that faced her favorite New York view. Gathering her things Nia quickly made her way to her from the  annoying duo. Peace and quiet that was what she needed and the only way she could get that was if she went somewhere the others were not. But, mostly she needed to get away from the pleading stare that Yixing was burning her with.

Instead of sitting there taking the annoying stares Nia made her way through the house and to the room that she had designed to imitate a garden. She had loved the real gardens ever since her first trip so when she was given her own place she created one as best she could. But, like everything else in her world it was fake from the roots to the petals.

Even though she knew it was fake Nia still took in a deep breath as she closed her eyes and just let the feel of the room take over her. There was always fake sunlight streaming through the ‘ceiling’ and it made it feel all the more real. It was like an oasis. Her personal fake oasis.

“We really are sorry.” A a voice called to Nia who was too lost in her own mind to notice the other person's presence. Apparently, personal meant her and someone else.

Opening her eyes Nia looked around and found Minseok standing by the edge of the pond. He was looking at her with eyes that screamed for forgiveness.

Nia had half a mind to turn and run, but she could not bring herself to do so. It was Minseok after all. Slowly and hesitantly she made her way into the room which garnered a smile from Minseok as he smiled watching her move towards him. She had not left so that was a positive sign for him.

“Thank you.” Minseok told Nia thank you all the time, but this time it seemed different. It seemed like he was actually thanking her for something that she knew about. He was thanking her for staying. Nia knew that she could not just say ‘you’re welcome’ seeing as she did not want to stay rather that she needed to.

“Will you ever tell me why you say thank you?” She questioned and due to the anger she was feeling from the earlier events it was more of a hiss than anything. “You just randomly say it for no reason sometimes and I just do not understand.” Maybe since he felt guilty he would give her some answers for once.

No such luck.

A look of disappointment crossed Minseok’s face and even with the day's events Nia could still feel her stomach fall at the idea that the look was caused by her. Minseok’s large mono-lid eyes stared at Nia as if the gaze alone would tell her everything she needed to know. In all honesty Nia knew, deep down. It was a feeling that she had for some time. She knew what the looks he gave her meant and she knew that she had given him similar looks before.

It was a look that was pleading. Pleading for the receiver to see them and to understand. She did, but there were things that she did not understand. Things that stopped her from asking too many questions and from giving too many answers.

“Nia,” Minseok called her name softly sending goose-bumps over her body. It was rare that he called her name. Every Time Minseok did something it felt special. Like a moment just for them. “We both know why I thank you.” She may have known what his gazes meant, but his thanks were an honest mystery to the girl.

Quietly Minseok made his way over to her as Nia stood just feet away from him. She realized that he was giving her time to leave. Even when she was angry and yelled in his face Minseok still put her feelings ahead of his own. He was far too good for her to stay mad at him for very long and in a way that made her even more angry at him. They were all like that. She had every reason in the world to get angry with them and yet she still could not find it in her to stay angry for long, but she would be damned if she did not try her hardest.

“Minseok, I’m angry with you.” She realized she sounded like a five year old, but he always did that to her. He brought out the bratty side in her. The side that wanted his attention, the side that wanted him to only pay attention to her and for him to make her happy. “Go away.” She snapped wanting to at least seem like she had some control.

“Do you really want that?” Minseok questioned stepping closer and closer to her form. “Do you really, really want me to go away?” He asked again as he stood barely a foot from her. It was a long silent moment before a smile overtook the males face. “I didn’t think so.” He snipped taking her silence as the answer, which it was.

“We will go to the Metal,” She whispered quietly and Minseok tilted his head in confusion obviously not understanding what that meant. “They will torture us. They will beat, mutilate and humiliate us.” Nia whimpered reaching out to clutch at the silk shirt he wore. She could just imagine it fading to nothing but a mere rag and it looked oddly like the shirt she had found him in.

Silence encompassed the two in the room with the only sounds coming from the fish in the pond. Minseok could feel the heat from Nia’s hand pressed against his chest and Nia could feel his rapid heartbeat underneath her fingertips. They were both in their own minds yet both of their minds were on the other. Nia could not bare the thought of Minseok or any of them being put down in the Metal. Minseok could not bear the thought of her being harmed let alone away from his reach.

“I won’t let them.” Minseok told her softly raising his hands to enclose her tiny fist that held the fabric of his shirt. “I won’t let anyone take you from us, from me.” He promised looking down at her with a fire in his gaze that showed how much each word meant to him. When he made a promise he had every intention to keep it. This promise was  different in the fact he meant to keep this one even more than any other.

Cautiously Minseok slid his hands up Nia’s arms and over her shoulders. He was giving her time to back away and she knew that. It was Minseok’s way of doing things. He would never force himself onto someone else, just like he had earlier when she had first entered the room. That was one of the things Nia liked the most about the other. Finally, Nia found herself being pulled into a hard chest and surrounded in warmth. A hand rested on the base of her neck while it’s opposite ran up and down her spine.

The warmth that ran through Nia was not only from the heat of Minseok’s body being pressed so close to hers. It was also from the security that the male gave her. It was the type of feeling she would receive as a little girl when her father would tuck her into bed or hold her hand. Yet, it was different at the same time. This feeling made her heart clench and stuttered as the roaming hand came to a rest at the small of her back.

Vaguely Nia knew what she was feeling, but that fact made her more nervous than it should have. For Minseok was not the only person who had such a hold over her. There was another person that had the same ability, the same hold over her. She was not sure what was happening as she had thought that such a thing was impossible until recently. The question was who did the feelings run more deeply for. She honestly had not a clue as to the answer of that question.

“Maybe I should get going.” Nia stuttered out pulling away from Minseok’s hold on her, but only slightly. She could see the confusion that swam in his eyes that silently questioned her. “I have a lot to think about Minseok.” she told him before fully pulling away and leaving the room without looking back knowing that if she did she would not be so willing to leave the other.

Having the air from the door hitting her face relieved Nia enough to let out a sigh of relief, one that would be cut short as she caught sight of the tall figure looming in front of the window. Yifan did not turn to greet her and instead chose to simply stare out at the black void that they had spent many nights staring at in each others company.

If she had not just come from seeing Minseok she would have most likely yelled and hit Yifan until he left so she pegged it as his lucky day. In the back of her mind Nia thought that it was rather funny how both of the males knew of the two places that she would choose to go when her mood had gone sour.

“You know, Tao is going to cry all night.” He was not even looking at her. Instead of acknowledging what Yifan said Nia chose to simply move herself to the bookshelf that stood in the complete opposite side of the room from him, only there could she find what she most needed at the moment.  Yifan and Minseok never found the shelf interesting as they were unable to read. Nia found it comforting that even if they did come across it that they could never really do anything with what they found, for in the bookshelf her deepest feelings were hidden in black.

Nia was not stupid. Hearing Yifan’s words caused a frown to surface on her face. She knew that Tao had started crying the moment she left the room with all of the others. She was just ignoring that fact and also the fact that her stomach was squirming with need. Need to go and comfort the crying boy. Never before had she purposely made him cry. He had shed tears when she first had to leave the apartment to go to school, he thought she was leaving them, but she had quickly made sure the tears stopped.

“Of course I know.” She grumbled as her fingers traced the spines of the books looking for one in particular. “What do you suggest I do, oh mighty leader. Tell me, what should I do? Go and comfort him and tell him everything would be alright? That is a bold-faced lie. I do not know if everything will be so why should I comfort him like that?” Yifan did not answer and Nia was not expecting him to. He was the one who was always telling her how much their people hated lying.

Finding the book that she was looking for Nia slide her index finger up the spine before tugging it out of its place on the shelf. The book was rather thick and more worn than most of her books. The black cover was faded and worn from use over the years that Nia had owned it. It was actually the only book that she used everyday. To be correct it was her journal. A journal that she knew no one else would ever read.

“You couldn’t have been nicer?” Yifan hissed looking at the girl who was much too collected for his taste. Her composer in such a situation was baffling to the male. The Nia he knew would  comfort anyone, Tao most of all, the second a tear fell. Yet, the Nia in front of him was coolly looking through her bound papers as if she hadn’t a care in the world while chances were there was more than one person in the dwelling spilling tears of sorrow.

“Why should I have been? Is it because he is your baby brother that you think I should give him special attention?” Nia’s voice was cold to the ears of both. She was obviously not in the mood to mess around. “Before you say that is not it why do you not ask about Yixing who was also near to tears that last time I checked? Or Luhan and Jongdae who barely hid theirs through smiles and jokes” The question struck Yifan in the face.

A cold feeling passed between the two people in the room. Yifan felt she had no right to question him, but they both knew that without her there would be no him. She had saved their lives and was continuing to help them. It made the male question why something as what had happened was what caused the girl to lose her cool. She had been thinking of letting them out so why be angry that they let people in?

Proceeding to the plush chair situated in front of the window Nia spared a second to grab a pen before take a seat and making herself comfortable. She was less interested in Yifan than she was in the ugly view in front of her. The void reminded her of what was real, what she had always known, what she would always know. Yifan reminded her of the impossible, things that common sense told her were not true, but had to be as he was there to prove them.

Yifan was the unknown.

“This isn’t you.” Yifan had moved and was looming over her shoulder. He peeked over her shoulder, not that she cared, he could not read it either way. “You aren't a cold person like this. You wouldn’t let any of them cry.” He tried to reach out for her hand, but the moment he touched her Nia pulled away as though his touch were acid on her skin. She even went as far as to turn her entire being in the opposite direction of him.

It pained Yifan to see her acting so callously. They had disappointed the girl before, but nothing like this. Even he knew that they had messed up. He took a few minutes to think it over. The group had done things that seemed much worse to him. They had destroyed multiple things and he had realized that their mistake it was not that they had let someone in, but that they had not listened to Nia’s one real rule.

Soojung, the little girl, had refused to see reason from her brother, Kyungsoo, and insisted that Nia was within the house. The males had scrambled in trying figure something out as they did not want to make Nia worry, but that had failed and they had simply enraged her. He knew that Nia would forgive them, at least his Nia would, but the one in front of him made him question if he was right about that.

“What do you know about me?” Nia questioned not bothering to look up from her pages. “Tell me, please do enlighten me about how I ‘really’ am.” Yifan furrowed his brows at the way she was speaking to him. She had never spoken with such venom in her voice before, not to him or any of the others. He didn’t even think it was possible for her to be so vicious. The worst part was that he felt as though she had wounded him and she had said were so few words.

Silence overcame the two as Yifan looked down at the girl they had come to think of as their savior. He may have had misconceptions in the beginning, but over the course of the last month he had come to see what she truly was. It was not something that he had easily come to terms with. It had always been hard for anyone to gain Yifan’s trust and yet he found himself handing that and much more over to the girl. More, in fact, than he was willing to admit.

“A savior.” The words surprised Nia as they had been the last thing she had thought the other would say. Amused by the answer she stopped reading her journal, but refused to look away from the pages not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing she was actually listening as he spoke. “You are their savior. Tao, Yixing, Jongdae, Luhan and Minseok’s savior.” His normally confident voice was low and sounded sullen as he spoke to the small form huddled in her chair.

Their savoir. She was the savior to the other five. That was what Yifan had told her and yet he never once mentioned himself. He had named them all individually and yet never made any mention of himself. The pen in her hand shook as she realized that maybe that was it. Maybe she did not mean a thing to the male who meant more to her than anyone outside of her home. Maybe she had just been fooling herself into thinking his aloof nature was all it was and that he did not actually dislike her.

“My angel.” Nia found herself turning from the book and expected to find a smirking Yifan, but instead she could see how much it seemed like he wanted to vomit. His lips were twisted and brows furrowed as red seeped into his skin. It was not an attractive look, but it meant a lot to her at it made it clear that he was obviously not well versed in the ways of sweet talking.  “You are my angel.” Yifan repeated looking her in the eyes to let her see everything he was trying to show her.

Kneeling down on both knees Yifan moved closer and gingerly took one of Nia’s slim hands into his much larger pair. It was similar to the way that Minseok had held her hand earlier. Both males had such different ways of interacting with Nia and treating her. They were so different and yet when the time came to comfort her they were both so similar that it hurt. They both took her hands and looked into her eyes. Yet, no matter how similar their gazes were there was just something about one that overpowered her.

He had ensnared her. He had  held her gaze captive with his own. His words were trapping her own within her body. His hands were caging hers. His thoughts were overpowering her own. And her heart? Nia had lost that to his own long ago. The only thing that Nia was aware of in that moment was him.

(A/N): Hey everybody, sorry about the wait! Life has been so busy and I barely had time to write. I hope you all enjoy this as I made sure to make it longer than most updates!