I crashed through the bushes back to camp, and I swear I was setting the grass aflame behind me. Minho? Really? Of all people, Minho-the-nice-guy? Minho, the I’m-here-to-help-and-answer-your-questions. Stupid Minho, the one who said he was against the whole damn plan? Are you kidding me?

I stomped back into our campground, seeing Minho crouched by the fire they’d got going somehow, poking the cooking, plucked Jubjub bird with a sharpened stick.

I grabbed him by the back of his shirt, too pissed off to worry about niceties, or the fact that he was a lot bigger and stronger than me.

“What. The ?” I seethed.

A confused Minho just stared at me, uncurling my fingers from his shirt and trying to pull me down next to him. I clawed his hand away from my wrist, too angry to sit down and discuss this like a rational human.

“Taeminnie, what’s going on? Calm down and talk to me.”

Ok, don’t tell me to “calm down” when I’m pissed. That literally just makes me more angry.

“No, Minho, how about you just shut up and listen.” His jaw went slack, eyes bulging at what I assumed to be my audacity in talking to him like that. He had it coming.

“I just heard something funny from Onew. He said you’re the one that blocked my memories. He couldn’t be telling the truth, right? After all,” I cooed, “You’re just trying to help me, right? You didn’t want them to do it in the first place, right, Minho?”

He looked away, dropping his gaze in shame or anger. “Minnie, I’m sorry.” He whispered, voice controlled. “I didn’t have a choice.”

So. ‘Minnie’? He can get what he wants by calling me a nickname, huh? I didn’t want him controlled, I wanted him to hurt too.

“You’re such a good guy Minho, aren’t you? Looking out for me?” I purred, storming beneath the surface. “Would you mind telling me why exactly it was in my best interests for you to stab me in the ing back?”

Minho flinched, feeling the heat. “Look, it was either that or remove them entirely. I couldn’t-“

“AND WHY COULDN’T YOU?!” I finally detonated, shrapnel flying. “WHY COULDN’T YOU HAVE JUST LEFT ME ALONE?! THE TRIAL AND JUST KILL THE MEMORIES, THAT’D SOLVE THE PROBLEMS, RIGHT?!”

I paused, breathing hard, shaking from just fury, unable to believe just how truly angry I was. It seemed like this place also enhanced emotions. My travel group, still at the campsite, had long since fallen mute, soundless at my outburst.

When Minho spoke again, head still down, it almost seemed like his voice was trembling.

“Because I didn’t want you to forget me.” He breathed, before rising and walking back towards the stream solo, leaving us all in the silence following my bombshell.

I looked into the faces of those around me. EunHae seemed frightened of me now, curled into each other against a tree. Onew and Sungmin both stood in the clearing with looks of pity on their faces while Siwon looked as though he was trying to ignore me, resuming poking the bird with a stick.

Awesome.

I sighed heavily before sitting down near the fire and rubbing my face like I was trying to scrape off the guilt somehow.

I felt awful for screaming at Minho like I did, now that I wasn’t so angry anymore.

“Here, Taemin.” Came a gentle voice to my right. Sungmin was handing me a cup of water. I guess he figured my throat must be parched after I just went postal like that. I took it with a nod and murmur of “Thank you” before sipping it just to occupy my hands while my mind and body calmed down.

I hadn’t felt in a long time, my routine down so well back at home that I was basically an automaton. I clockworked through life, not really caring. The only time emotion hit me was the Nightmares. I wondered if those came from here too.

I sipped at my water until Siwon announced that the bird was done and started cleaving off chunks for everyone. I questioned whether I should save some for Minho, or when he’d even be back. He would come back, right?

We all ate silently, holding the slabs in our hands. It was fatty, tasting like turkey but a bit sweeter and a bit more mild. It was messy, but it seemed like no one cared. I didn’t.

When we finished, Sungmin, ever the housewife, passed around wet cloths to wipe off our hands and faces. I cleaned off mechanically before padding off to a small, dark green tent. I didn’t know which one was mine, but that didn’t matter anymore. I guess this one was mine now.

The rest watched me climb inside in silence, the air awkward since I lost it earlier. I unlaced my purple Chucks, still wearing what I had been when I left for school. Earlier that day? It seemed like months. At least days.

I peeled off my blue skinnies and black button-up, not sure what I’d be wearing tomorrow. I left my Calvin Kleins on, not completely willing to sleep in the , especially not in the Great Outdoors.

Somebody lifted the tent flap just long enough to toss in a pair of dark blue sleep pants and matching shirt. My guess was Siwon, since he seemed the least likely to talk to me right now. Oh well.

I slipped on the shirt and pants, the fabric soft and silky against my skin. A quick look around the tent revealed two sleeping bags the same shade of dark green as the tent rolled up in a corner. I got comfy in one, wondering who the poor bastard was who’d be using the other. Maybe my roomie’d just sleep outside tonight, rather than share a tent with a psycho.

As I closed my eyes, I heard the others finally start whispering about me. I couldn’t hear specifics, just my name and Minho’s. I thought about yelling that I could hear them, but I really didn’t want to deal with it right now. I didn’t want to start any more drama than I already had.

I drifted off to sleep quickly, exhausted physically from walking and emotionally from shock and anger. And hurt.

One good thing about Wonderland? No nightmares. I slept for only a few hours, though, before something woke me up. I couldn’t figure out why I was awake, but I knew something must have happened. Maybe I’d heard something and woken up automatically.

I hadn’t thought about the possibility of predators in these woods, but now I wondered. Were there bears? At least some kind of wolf or wild dog? I didn’t see the fire flickering outside anymore, so I lifted the tent flap to check.

Only to see Minho sitting two feet away, guarding the entrance.

I almost fell back into the tent, trying to pretend I hadn’t seen him before realizing I needed to talk to him. However this had started, however it would end, the journey was going to be hard enough without everyone being mad at me. It seemed like everyone but Minho was in their tents, sleeping soundly I’ll bet. I guess that made Minho my lucky roommate.

I crept back out of the tent, scooting over to where Minho was sitting. He didn’t move even a hair, almost like he hadn’t noticed me. But I knew he had, because his jaw tensed just a bit, like he was waiting to be cursed out again.

“Hey.” I whispered. Good, Taemin. Start off slow, don’t scare him.

“Hey.” Minho muttered back, clearly somewhat reluctant to chat with me. I wasn’t gonna let this go, though.

“Listen, about what I said earlier-“

“I’m sorry,” he started apologizing almost preemptively, “I shouldn’t have done it, but Taemin-“

“No,” I cut him off, “I’m sorry.” Minho fell silent, jaw snapping shut.

“I shouldn’t have lost it like that, it was just awful of me. I’m so sorry for saying all of those things, and I shouldn’t have sworn at you or grabbed your shirt. I should have calmed down and talked to you, like you said. I was just so mad.” You call that an apology? Bro, that was-

“Thank you, Taemin.” Minho sighed. He looked over at me for the first time since I’d sat down. Minho had tears in his eyes, but a grin on his face and I was so confused until he pulled me into a hug.

Minho dug his face into my neck, arms wrapped around my shoulders and upper arms. I didn’t really hug back, but he didn’t seem to care.

“Thank you for what? I just said sorry and- Minho, why are you crying?”

He pulled back, wiping at his face with his palms.

“I don’t know. It was just… You’re the same, Taeminnie. That’s… I had been hoping….”

Minho trailed off, seemingly unable to put his stream of thoughts into coherent sentences, before shifting so he was cross-legged. He seemed much less tense now.

“Oh!” I remembered. “Did you ever eat? You were… gone when we ate.” I edged around why he wasn’t here, afraid to make him distant again. However, he just grinned again.

“Yeah, don’t worry about me, Minnie. Hey, did you eat? It was good, right?”

I nodded, grateful I hadn’t made things awkward again.

“Told you so.” He smirked. “Those things are awesome. Hard to catch though, with those long, skinny legs. Hey, they look kind of like you, Taemin-ah.”

Minho’s look of discovery lasted two seconds before I hit him.

He leaned back, laughing, rubbing his shoulder. I hadn’t even hit him that hard.

“Taemin-ah.” Minho cooed.

“No. I don’t look like a bird. I look like a man. I’m y.”

“Sure you are.” Minho placated. He didn’t sound like he believed it even a little. He was just humoring me. I turned away, pouting.

Minho sighed good-naturedly before leaning in with his head next to my shoulder. “You’re plenty good-looking, Taemin. I was just kidding.”

His breath on my neck made me want to shiver, but I controlled it, turning back towards him.

“I’m going back to bed.” He looked a bit disappointed. “Are you ever gonna go to sleep?”

“I might.” He allowed. “Once Onew gets up for his turn at watch, that is.”

“I could watch.” I offered. Minho chuckled before reaching over to ruffle my hair. .

“Sorry, Taeminnie. Not gonna happen. Go to sleep.” He sat back in “watch” position, back to the tent, eyes facing front.

I crawled back inside of the tent, sliding down into my sleeping bag. Well, that was… productive. I guess I’d have to tell the others we worked it out tomorrow morning. What was it Onew had said? Visiting friends?

I had a vague, blurry mental image of a man with blonde hair and a top hat before I passed out, sinking into a dreamless, wonderful sleep.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lolz, character hint.

EDIT: I forgot, still continuing with the monday/friday update schedule. See y'all monday.

Ok, guys, update! I feel awful that I missed the first update I ever promised, but there was a friend-emergency and so I've been computer-less for a while. Still, way faster and longer than most of my updates! Comments? Plz? I need to know if you like, dislike, specifics.
TELL ME YOU LIKE IT!