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Teaser: ‘Chan… will you really love me ? Forever ?’
‘...I..’
Chan’s eyes widen, clearly taken aback. He hadn’t expect for the older boy to bring up this question. Seeing his lack of reaction, the boy smiled and patted Chan’s shoulder gently. ‘You are not meant to stay here. If you were, you would already know. You must go back.’
‘Woojin, I-’
The boy cut him with a smile. But his eyes held a sorrow that Chan had dreaded to see graze the boy’s features.
‘Please. Go. Go back, they’ll need you.’, he pleaded quietly, his voice slightly trembling, but still strong.
Woojin looked at Chan and tried to offer him his most convincing smile. As much as he wanted for the boy to stay here with him on Straya, he knew he wasn’t meant for the human. He knew he had to get back on Earth and live a new life, meet someone and perhaps have kids. He knew the human belonged soewhere, but that somewhere was just not here. Not with him. So he smiled and hoped it held his convictions.
But Chan could see the quiver of his mouth, and the veil of sadness over his eyes. And for two wole seconds he thought about going back on Earth. Back to his family. Leaving the Strayan boys. Leaving him.
And his heart clenched.
A snowflake fell on his nose. Its coldness reminded him of how he felt during these two seconds at the prospect of leaving the boy in front of him.
So he raised a brow, and with a gaze and a mind more set than ever, looked straight at the boy.
‘And you ?’, he paused, watching Woojin opening and closing his mouth. Before the boy could say something, he went on, ‘What about you ? Won’t you need me too ?’~Seungmin knew his voice was echoing in the whole perimeter. And he liked that. At this hour of the night, no one would be here to witness him. The only things that would hear him were flowers, greenery and animals. No Strays in sight.
So he leaned back in the lake’s holographic water, letting his whole body get soaked in it. Closing his eyes, he was unable to witness the change on his skin, white little shiny dots appearing on it, glowing dully underwater. It was a sight to be seen.And it was seen.Softly and carefully, a boy that was lurking in the dark slowly aproached him. The said boy leaned against a tree trunk silently, keeping guard for him. He knew his whole being would stop anyone from approaching Seungmin, and he wouldn’t have any other way. His friend was by no mean fragile or weak, but he knew that when the boy is singing he gets easily distracted. And that means he could be taken by surprise by ennemies or dirty sly Yeshihk. So he’d rather stay here discretly, than let Seungmin alone during his bathing time. The boy didn’t even kniow he was there anyways.
He watched the boy silently, hidden in the shadow of the night. No matter what, he’ll protect the boy. So he leaned against the tree trunk and waited patiently, listening diligently to the boy’s singing.Suddenly a chuckle echoed in the air, breaking his reverie. He looked around warily before he realised who the source of this sound was.‘Hyunjin-ah, are you gonna stay here forever ? Might as well join me.’
Hyunjin’s eyes widdened, and out of habit he played with his tongue piercing, flustered by the fact that he was caught.
‘How did you-’, he stammered, still shocked.
The boy chuckled once more. ‘You do know that you’re not discreet, right ? You literally growl at every passing animals.’
.
.
.‘Oh.’~Suddenly, the boy was over him, and Yedam let out a pained grunt. He felt muddy coper sand rise around their lying bodies and cough a bit. Then he became aware of the situation they were in, and he looked up to the smirking boy straddling him, with amused eyes. The said boy had his right elbow set next to his head, supporting his weight. His right hand was holding his own, pressed on the muddy ground on the other side of his head, their fingers intertwined.
Yedam own free hand had found its way on the boy’s hip along the way, and he watched as he leaned down, their faces growing a few centimeters closer. Yedam bit back a playfull smile and squeezed the boy’s hand.‘Well, well Jeongin, seems like you caught me this time.’, he chimed playfully.
Jeongin laughed lightly, his black curly hair wet from the tropical drizzle flowing down on them, and Yedam looked at him fondly. He had always knew Jeongin was the one. And now more than ever, he was sure of it.
The boy’s nails pressing on the back of his hand brought him out of his reverie, and he found the older smirking at him.
‘Well, well Yedamie, seems like our roles finally reversed after all this time.’Yedam let out a playfull soundless laugh. His hand gripped Jeongin’s hip harder and his feet dug in the mud. He watched as Jeongin eyes suddenly widdened in realisation, and smirked at the boy. God he loved the boy.‘Not for long.’, he muttered, before flipping them over in a swift move.~Jisung noticed something from the corner of his eyes and turned around in Minho’s hold. He felt the wind blow sand around them and almost slipped because of the green turquoise water under his feet, but Minho gripped his shoulders firmly. Steadying himself, he grasped Minho’s hips and starred at them.
Usually, Jisung would have been flustered by the man’s deep gaze, but today he was to focused and intrigued by what he was staring at.
Minho’s right hip had black ink smeared all over, intricate lines poking out from his pants’ edges, swirling and intertwining in a shape the human boy could not really figure out.
Intrigued by it, he rubbed his thumbs along the swirls of ink on the boy’s hip and followed the pattern with the edge of his digit.
Suddenly, a hand brushed his jaw and long fingers raised it slightly, cutting him from his daydream. Meeting Minho’s gaze Jisung felt himself blush and his breath hitched. Minho’s gaze always had this effect on him.
The Stray tilted his head and chuckled lightly at him.
‘Do you like it?’, the taller asked amused.
‘I don’t know. I can’t see it well.’
‘It was made by a special someone.’, the boy provided, watching as Jisung movements came to a stop.
Jisung didn’t know why he was feeling suddenly down. It is just this.. ‘special someone’, he doesn’t like it very much. He felt stupid, Minho is just a friend and he has the right to have someone like that. Jisung shouldn’t let his emotions run wild.
Gulping, he lowered his eyes and started to remove his fingers from the boy’s hips.
‘Oh, I see. It must be very intimate, sorry for touching it-’, he started, but was cut of by a low chuckle. A hand grabbed his wrist before he could fully remove his fingers from the Stray’s warm bare skin.
‘Jisung. Don’t be like that-’
‘I’m not being anyth-’
‘Yes you are. Now listen to me will you? This Special Someone is Jeongin.’
Jisung huffed. ‘Yeah great- wait what? You said Jeongin? As in your little brother?’, he shrieked, blushing because of how stupid he feels at the moment.
He was jealous for nothing. A finger poked his right cheek and he lifted his gaze to meet Minho’s one. The boy was smiling, clearly amused by his reactions.
‘Feeling better now? Can we resume, or do you plan on pouting the whole day?’, the Stray teased him, a small smirk on his lips as he lowered his right arm on the small of the human’s bare back to keep him from fleeing.
‘Oh shut up.’, the younger huffed, rolling his eyes and punching the Stray’s bare torso to free himself from his grasp, to no avail.
Instead Minho only smirked wider and held him closer.~Changbin reached out tentatively in front of him, the trembling Stray curled up on itself shivering and hissing more the more he approached.
‘Lix, please. Don’t push me away...’, he muttered, his fingers reaching closer to the branch where the boy was crouched.
At the mention of his name, the younger raised his puffy eyes from his arm and settled his gaze on the human in front of him. At the sight, Changbin felt his heart break. How could someone so beautiful be reduce to such a state? Who would be so cruel as to do that?
With the shine of the astre lightning Straya 801 in the dark night, Felix exposed skin started to let its glowing white moles shine duly. Being only half Stray, Felix hadn’t much glowing spots on his skin. But the few he had was enough to mesmerize the human in front of him. Every time he sees them it never fails to reduce him to silence.
Staring at the boy, his eyes caught the one under his trembling jaw and that made him clench his own. It reminded him of why he searched for the boy at first.
So he settled back his gaze on the trembling Stray and looked at his warm hazelnut-golden shiny eyes in the night — another nightly gift from Mother Nature — and extended his long fingers once more. He saw the boy shift and stopped.
‘Lix... don’t be afraid. Not of me, please.’, he softly pleaded, and watched as the boy gaze seemed to shift on his extended hand. Taking it as a signal, he slowly took a step closer to the Stray.
‘You know me. You trust me.’, he said carefully as he watched the boy eyes well up again and his arm extend slowly.
Seeing this, he bit back a sob and focused on the task at hand. Changbin breath in deeply. He knew that for once, just this once he had to let go of his shield and show the boy what he means to him.
‘Felix, please. I need you in my arms now.’, he whispered in the silent night and he heard Felix breath hitch in shock.
He looked up to the boy and felt his fingers brush against his own. Without wasting anytime, Changbin grabbed onto his hand and pulled the boy forward into his arms.
Felix jumped off of his tree branch and threw his sobbing self around the human. His legs wrapped themselves around the boy’s waist, the later supporting him with one arm under his butt. The Stray’s arms found themselves around the elder’s shoulder, gripping his shirt with strong but trembling fingers, face buried in his neck while he sobbed his heart out.
Changbin free hand found itself gripping the boy’s back head and pressing it strongly into his neck. He sighed deeply in relief and buried his head in the crook of Felix’s neck, sometimes rubbing up and down his nose along the shell of his left ear and neckline to sooth the hysterical boy. He was so relieved that the younger had let him in for he couldn’t stand to watch him hurt.
Hearing the boy’s whimpers, he held him closer to himself and felt the boy grip his shirt tighter.
‘Shhhh Lix, I’m here.’, he muttered comfortingly. ‘No one will ever talk to you like that I swear. No one will.’
Tightening his hold he growled in the dark of the night and Felix relaxed in his embrace. He shifted the boy in his arms and brushed the shell of Felix’s ear with his lips, kissing it softly, almost as if simply brushing it.
‘I won’t let them. You are not different, a shame for the Clan or whatever. You are unique and beautiful Felix. You are no disgrace. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Cause I fucking won’t stand it.’~~~> To be continued.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
‘To all units aboard ship ‘Hellevator’ : Arrival on Straya 801 estimated in 5 minutes. Put on your gear and get ready to land. A squad will be waiting for you down there and will be escorting you safely to the basement. I expect to see you all in a while. Have a safe landing.’The voice died down and Changbin slumped down in his seat. Hearing their boss little speech reminded him that his goal was awaiting for him, just a few miles away. He had trained under JYP Nation for as long as he can remember, with two other boys. Together they formed a unit called 3RACHA, and Changbin knew they were one of the most promising team in this agency. Changbin found two best friends in this team, a family even. He knew that together they would change the world one way or another, but at the same time he always felt like something was missing. He felt like he – they needed something more to achieve this change. And going to Straya 801 would bring them an answer, that he was sure of. It’s always been their dream to see the infamous Straya with their bare eyes, to see what really lies down there. But they never thought it would really happen. And yet, with their hard work, here they were. Releasing a shaky breath, he raised his eyes from his laps. He was met with the sight of everyone getting ready and running around the ship. Having been ready for 1 hour already, he decided that resting for one more minute wouldn’t hurt.
But it was cut short by a cough next to him.‘You’re alright mate ?’, he heard a familiar voice say, a warm hand patting his shoulder. Without opening his eyes he nodded and grunted.‘Yeah, I’m just… a little bit anxious. I can’t believe we are finally going there Chan.’, he admitted, relaxing against his friend’s hold.Chan let out a low chuckle and sat next to him. ‘Yeah me neither.’, he told the boy and patted his shoulder. He allowed the boy to remove his hand, laughing, clearly amused by his friend ‘no skinship thanks’ trademark frown.
Chan, or Chris, had known Changbin his whole life, the two boys being neighbors before they enrolled in JYP N. Then, he decided that they would make a great team together, so they became one. Chan being a good leader, always took care of the boy and looked after him like an older brother would. Changbin was his family, and his best friend. Along with their third member, they were unbreakable, and everyone knew that.Speaking of the devil, their third member plopped down on the ground in front of them, stretching and yawning.‘Yah Bang Chan, you useless leader, why didn’t you wake me up?’‘I did. Three times. You were just too lazy to get your heavy ass of the bed mat mate.’, Chan smirked in victory, Changbin laughing at their youngest member’s incredulous face.‘You’re kidding me right? Next time try harder Chris! What if you’d let me sleep and I didn’t woke up on time and the ship went back on Earth huh?’This time it was Changbin’s turn to smirk at the boy. He stretched and opened his eyes; looking at the fuming kid sitting on the cold hard floor of their ship.‘Oh don’t worry, your heavy ass snoring would have alerted anyone that you were still in the ship.’, he teased the boy, watching as his face reddened even more.But then he realized he probably shouldn’t have talked because one, Jisung kicked his leg and that hurted very much thank you, and second, the boy started laughing evilly.‘Oh yeah? Wanna talk about being loud at night Seo Chang Binie binie~?’, he whispered to his friend, leaning closer, ready to imitate him at any moment.‘Omg Ji, please don’t.’, Chan pleaded, his eyes welled up from tears of laughter.But Jisung didn’t listen.The boy opened his mouth, and let out a high pitched voice. ‘Oh Gyu, no please don’t leave me~ I’m sorry I eat all the pudding, I swear I’ll be bet-’. Chanbin’s right hand clasped his mouth, the left one being too busy chocking the life out of his friend, his face beat red and gaze furious.‘You are dead Han Jisung.’, he threatened the boy, the later flapping his arms in an attempt to free himself and seek help from their leader.Chan on the other hand was too busy laughing to acknowledge the chocking boy’s pleas.–‘Welcome on Straya 801.’, they heard their boss’ voice say as soon as they set their feet on Straya’s ground.Squinting their eyes, the boys coughed because of the dust flying around them due to the ship landing. Realizing he would not be able to see before a moment, Chan tried to breath in the fresh air. After two months on a ship, breathing fresh air was something he greatly missed.At his first attempt, his nose twitched because of the particles of dust tickling his nostrils. But he released a heavy breath once the first real fragrance reached it. A wave of fresh muddy earth scent and unknown fruity like flower perfume penetrated his nose. He inhaled shakily.
This was like taking his first breath, Chan felt like he was reborn and discovering a whole new world and its array of new sensations.Slowly, he felt something prickling the bare skin of his neck and face. It was something dull and somehow... warm? Realizing it was the warmth of Glow, Straya’s own Sun, he exhaled a heavy breath. He had dreamed of feeling it against his skin for so long, he could not believe it was happening.Feeling someone’s hand on his shoulder, he broke out of his reverie and slowly opened his eyes. His gaze land of Jisung, who had glossy eyes and a small smile playing on his lips. He squeezed his leader’s shoulder comfortingly, as if to say ‘Yeah, we made it.’. Chan offered him a shaky smile in return and looked at Changbin on his other side. The boy had a straight face on, but is friends knew him enough to read all the admiration and awe held in his eyes. They both smiled at him and Changbin smiled in return, his fingers lightly drumming against the side of his gun along the beat of the birds’ chants and screams – if birds did exist on Straya. And that brought him back to reality.
He looked around themselves, the cloud of dust having dissipate enough for him to glimpse at the planet’s greenery.His eyes widened.All around him laid a jungle of green and turquoise. High tropical trees with shade of golden yellow and turquoise green were surrounding them, and next to them were lower weirdly shaped bushes decorated of purple and blue flower. The ground was a copper muddy soil with some sand on it, and Chan couldn’t help but step on it cautiously, a bit curious of its consistency.As he heard a ‘bird’ cry, he raised his head and saw one of the most magnificent show he’s ever witnessed in his short life. Flying through a blue sky, shade by light orange and white clouds and lightened by Glow’s strong light, were some huge beautiful creatures. The more Chan starred at them, the more they reminded him of a weird but amazing mix between birds and pterodactyls, their skins colored turquoise, blue or pale lilac with some darker spots in some places. He followed one of the orange skinned one with his gaze and gasped in shock as it launched itself to a tall tree. Chan watched in anticipation as it extended its jaw near the tree. Suddenly the creature grasped one of the pink fruit attached to it, and flew away with it, leaving trails of pink juice behind him.Chan laughed breathlessly at what he just witnessed, and rubbed his eyes.
‘Unbelievable...’, he muttered in a daze.He heard other mumbles around him and realized he was not the only one awed by Straya’s beauty and diversity. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Jisung scribbling something down his notebook and chuckled to himself. His younger friend never lose a chance to write down new information or to draw new sketches in his little trusty notebook.
Jisung was known to be the translator and anthropologist of their team, having great knowledge of Straya’s inhabitants – or at least, having knowledge of what books and studies allowed him to know so far. Chan was more of the kind of leader that knows a little bit of every fields but never specialized in one in particular. He preferred to help and lead his brothers in their studies.
Out of the three of them, Changbin was the one who studied the most scientific field: Biology. He held great expertise in it, if not the best one in the whole JYP Nation.
And all of that is what make them who they are today: One of the most promising team and scientists of their generation.JYP’s chuckle and clapping of his hands brought them all out of their daze. Looking at their boss, they found him smiling warmly at them, sunglasses on and a little bird perched on his shoulder.‘Welcome my children. I’m happy to finally have you all joining me on Straya for this amazing adventure. It is gorgeous isn’t it? Well, wait until you’ve seen Strays, they are some of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met. So I hope you’ll come to respect them and love them if you ever met them. Also, I hope you remember all the rule we’ve taught you before, so please keep your guns down if you are not in extreme danger.’, he paused with a warm smile, and brushed the little bird’s head. ‘They are peaceful beings, leaving in harmony with nature. They won’t harm you unless they feel threatened, so let’s all spread love alright?’, he ended with a proud smile.Chan chuckled at his boss antics. This man was known to be one of the most eminent scientist in the whole galaxy, and yet after all these years he keeps on putting first Strays’ respect and protection, even though his reputation could have had made him lose his goal. True, he sometimes strayed, and yes he almost blew stuffs up at time, but he always went back on track and followed the right path. Chan was proud to have a boss like that. It showed him that being human doesn’t lie in being perfect, but in making mistakes and learning from them, and afterward making the right decisions.Jisung’s push on his back reminded him that their boss was speaking.‘What?’, he asked his friend.‘C’mon, we are heading to the basement. After we’ve settled down, everyone is free to roam around the jungle until night time.’, his friend explained to him, locking their arms and advancing toward Changbin. ‘Changbinie binie~ Aren’t you excited? Where are you gonna go first?’, Jisung asked their friend curiously.‘I don’t know yet Jisungie,’, the boy shrugged. ‘I was thinking on searching a little bit up the mountain side, but maybe it’s a bit far away from the settlements...’Chan looked ahead to the covered in turquoise grass, rocky mountains and hummed. ‘Yeah sounds far away mate. Perhaps you should try the jungle first.’, he suggested.‘Yeah sounds great. And you guys?’‘I wanna seek secret places! I’m sure there are places that scientists crew haven’t discovered yet!’, Jisung beamed at them in pure excitement.‘Yeah, I guess.’, the elder chuckled. ‘I think I’m just going to roam around since it’s day one. If I’m done early, I’ll make you food.’‘Thanks Bang leader~’, they replied in chorus.‘Oh shut up punks.’–(A few hours later, in Straya’s Jungle…)As he said he would, Chan started to roam around the jungle, just exploring the site a bit. To say he was mesmerized would be an understatement. He was gaping at everything, almost bumping into trees three times now. It was just to gorgeous for him to do anything else but stare at it.True to be told, it was not only because he found it beautiful that he stared at it. It was also because of all the colors and pureness of the air surrounding Straya. It was so different from his gray and polluted Earth. Back there, all was dull and dark. He loved it, don’t get him wrong, for it was his home and the place where he belonged. But, here, everything was so different, so… alive. He felt like he was experimenting everything for the first time. Like he was born once more and taking his first steps. And deep down, there was this gut feeling telling him he would find something on Straya. Something that was missing back on Earth. It felt weird, but he kind of liked it.Chan paused and looked at the sky. The Glow was going to set soon, and the horizon was turning from orange to indigo. It was time ofr him to go back. So he rounded the corner, only to stop dead in his track.From the corner of his eyes, he saw something glow on his right. Slowly turning around, he approached the place, pushing huge wet palms out of his way, and stumbled in some sort of clearing.And what he saw made him froze on the spot.Standing proud was a huge tree with bright white little things made of tendrils surrounding it. It was circled by some weird turquoise water, and it seemed like the only way to gain access was to swim through it. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to go for it. Dipping his Ph-meter in the water, he came to the conclusion that it was fine for him to take a dip.He took of his shirt and jacket, folding them neatly in his bag, and hung it as well as his shoes on a nearby tree. The gray- bluish haired boy lowered himself slowly in the water. Expecting for his skin to be met with cold water, he was pleasantly surprised when his bare torso came in contact with a luck warm one. His muscled relaxed slowly and started to swim carefully, as he didn’t know what could be in these waters.Letting himself relaxed in this beautiful and calm atmosphere, Bang Chan failed to realized he was not completely alone. A curious creature hidden behind the tree, looked at him with curiosity and sparkling eyes. Deciding that Chan was strange, it decided to dip into water to look at him more closely.
Totally unaware of what was happening, Chan started to hum a tune he’d heard in the past. Rubbing water on his face, he felt refreshed. After this long day, this was like heaven for him. Bringing curious fingers to his lips, he tasted the water and was surprised that it was not salty. He had expected it to be like sea water. Instead it was tasteless. Letting out a chuckle at his silliness for comparing Straya to Earth, he got back on track and focused on his aim: reaching the weird glowing tree. So he turned around in the water and started swimming again.But he didn’t get very far.Suddenly, something emerged in front of him and Chan screamed, fingers gripping the gun attached to his belt. But he stopped straight in his movements, the moment he realized what was in front of him. Or rather, who was in front of him.Curly blond bangs half hiding his eyes, and gifted with a slightly tanned skin, there stood a Stray in front of him. Chan mouth was wide opened, and his eyes were traveling the boy’s exposed skin. He was just utterly mesmerized by the sight.Beautiful.Chan let the grip on his gun go lose, and raised a soft gaze on the boy in front of him, meeting his eyes. Chan breath was cut short by his eyes. They were dark brown, but most importantly, they were warm and held life. The more he stared at it, the more he was drawn into their beauty.So they stared at each others, the other seemingly as interested and fascinated by Chan as Chan was by him. After a moment, slowly and tentatively, the stranger raised a shaky wet palm toward Chan. The human tensed a bit but allowed the stranger to go on. The Stray let out a small smile and his eyes sparkled under the glowset (read: sunset). Anticipating the touch, Chan breath in and out as slowly as he could. This was going to be the first time a non-human creature would touch him. He’d hoped and dreaded it at the same time, but he certainly never thought it would happen this soon. Closing his eyes, Chan felt his breath hitch as the creature’s palm came to a rest against his bare torso, straight on where his heart beat.A shock ran through his whole being and he opened his eyes, starring at the boy in front of him in utter shock. The boy’s mouth was agape, and he seemed shocked too by the sensation the skin touch had provided them both with.Chan looked down, still tense, and let out a deep breath. He watched as the stranger laid his palm fully against his torso, his hand smaller and tanner than Chan’s ones. He felt his own torso rise up and down, bringing his skin closer to the one of the Stray. The Stray furrowed his brows and started to tilt his head to the right. His palm moved around the human’s torso to feel it, focused on something, leaving Chan caught of guard and a bit flustered by the movement. Suddenly the Stray’s eyes widened, and without warning, he took Chan’s hand in his own. Chan had no time to retract it and watched as the Stray directed it to his own chest.
And after a moment of silence and confusion at the Stray’s beaming, Chan realized that the stranger wants him to check his pulse. Figuring out that the Stray must have felt his heartbeat from a bare torso contact, he smiled at him and removed his hand from his.The Stray watched Chan in confusion but Chan only smiled kindly at the creature and carefuly took its wrist in his hand. Holding it close to himself, Chan brought two of his fingers close to it, and checked his pulse. When he found it he beamed at the Stray and looked at him in shock.Chan never knew Stray’s heartbeat would beat the same way as human’s ones do! He offered the Stray a huge smile, his dimples now being the center of the creature’s attention. Chan feeling the creature’s gaze on his dimples, chuckled slightly and tapped his wrist slowly, to the beat of heartbeat. This brought back the smaller’s attention on their pulses.
Chan waited patiently for the boy to understand what he was trying to convey through his gesture, watching different emotions going through the boys eyes. But when it finally settled on the understanding one, and the guy finally smiles back at him, Chan felt a warmth spread through his whole body.He had managed to make himself understand by a Stray. They had had a first encounter and contact with each others without any trouble. He felt his eyes veil with contentment, and smiled more proud than ever. But suddenly, the Stray palmed his own mouth and pointed Chan. The later furrowed his brows and wondered what the creature in front of him was trying to say.‘Hum… my mouth?’, he said unsure, pointing his own mouth, knowing the Stray would not understand a word he says.The boy nodded furiously and kept on plaming his own mouth.‘What? Is there something-’, he cut himself short when the boy shook his head, more frantic than earlier.As Chan kept voicing his thoughts and doing gesture to make himself understood, the guy kept on doing the palming gesture with wide eyes.
When Chan fails to understand him, he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Hearing birds cries from afar, getting closer and closer – cries way too high pitched for human’s scale of hearing, to be heard by the boy in front of him – the Stray started to truly panic.Rolling his eyes when the human kept on opening his mouth, he suddenly grabbed both Chan shoulders and duck them under water.Not realizing what was happening to him, Chan eyes closed tightly and out of reflex, he held his breath.--‘What the fuck is happening...’, Chan thought to himself after a while, his eyes opening slightly underwater.He looked around, confused since a mere second ago he was definitly not underwater. Seeing the Stray holding him down by the shoulders is what took him back to reality.‘Is he…. Is he trying to drown me?!’, Chan shrieked in his head, gasping and choking on water.Feeling water enter his lungs, Chan used his strength to free himself and push back to the surface. Coughing, he watched as the blond followed him back to the surface and took a deep breath. Feeling murderous, Chan is about to take his gun out and scream at the boy.But one look at him is enough to make him stop all movements. Looking at the guy’s features, Chan noticed the raw fear painted on his face, his mouth slightly trembling and eyes looking frantically around. Feeling worried at the creature’s behavior, he inched closer to it.He was about to ask it what’s wrong, but seeing his mouth starting to open, the guy slapped a hand against the human’s mouth. Slapped it hard. Chan bit back a scream, and the boy looked sincerely sorry, but Chan shook his head to wave it off.‘So he wanted me to shut up.’, he concluded, and with a nod, he slowly pried the reluctant hand away from his lips. The boy let him go warily, but after a while hugged himself and Chan saw shadow coming their way. Without wasting anytime, Chan brought them close to wild tall grass in the shadow of the glowy tree, where they were hidden from whatever was approaching and scarring the boy.Chan peeked curiously behind the tall herbs, to see what it was, ans he felt the boy inching closer behind him. Not used to such proximity he tensed slightly, and watched behind his shoulder what was the boy trying to do this time (he’d rather not be thrown into water ever again, thank you.). But the boy simply pressed his hand against the human’s jaw and turned it to the front. Leaning slightly against the human, the Stray hooked his chin on Chan’s left shoulder and pointed the sky.
At the foreigned contact, Chan felt his skin burn, and his breath hitched slightly. Not wanting to dwell to long on this strange feeling, he followed the stranger’s finger and looked up to the sky.Chan felt his breath hitched.Flying in the sky, slightly lightened by the glowset, five huge birds – different from the one he saw this morning but not any less magnificent – were roaming around the jungle. And seeing the Stray shiver when one of them screeched, this time loud enough for him to hear, Chan realized they are a threat.
The Stray, still pointing at the birds, leaned closer to Chan, his lisp brushing the shell of his ear. Chan, not used at being that close to a stranger on their first encounter, tensed but tried to relax.‘Young Wings’, the Stray’s foreigned voice echoing in a mutter through his ear. It was soft and melodious, truly not what he had expected when he first saw the boy.Getting that the boy was referring to the birds’ name, he nods in understanding and lowered the pointing Stray’s hand. Instead, not knowing why he felt the surge to do so, he held it to reassure the both of them that everything is fine.
The Stray looked at him curiously but gave him a small smile. Chan looked at him for a moment, his eyes lost on the being in front of him.‘Damn, mate you are beautiful...’, he heard himself said before he could refrain from speaking.Thankfully for Chan, the Young Wings were already far away, and the Stray only stared at him, confused as to what he just said.Chan heaved a sigh, clearly happy that the Stray could not understand what he just said. It would have been to embarrassing if the boy had understood. But he couldn’t help it. The boy was truly stunning, handsome and gorgeous at the same time. Strays were really gifted in his opinion, not only the boy in front of him, but the other ones on pictures and recording he’d seen back on Earth. They were like humans, yes, but they held something more, that Chan failed to grasp at the moment.
And seeing one in real life was just more amazing. He had always laughed at his boss’ worship of Stray’s beauty, but with this encounter, staring into the boy’s eyes, he felt like he could begin to understand his boss.Lost into his contemplation, he didn’t realize that the boy was starting to move. The Stray let go of his hand and Chan broke out of his daydream. Looking at the boy who was swimming in the direction of the tree, Chan tried to catch him. The boy was already climbing up the tree when Chan reached its roots. Knowing the boy was to fast for him, he called out for him.‘Hey! Wait don’t leave now!’, he tried desperate to make him stay a little bit more.The boy slowed down, on the edge of a tree branch and looked back one more time. Knowing that he would not stay long, Chan stared one last time into his eyes that had started to turn into a golden-hazelnut color – not yet shining as the Glow had not yet fully set. Seeing the boy ready to turn around, Chan yelled one last time, desperate for it to reach the boy’s ears as his being vanished into the luxurious jungle. ‘My name is Chan!’ His scream echoed into the jungle.Chan smiled. He was sure that the boy had heard it, even though he probably didn’t understand a word he said. Then, he realized the Glow is setting, and he should head back to the settlements, before Jisung and Changbin start a war with the Strays, for burning down the whole jungle in their search for him. ~~~> To be cotinued...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(The same afternoon, in another part of Straya’s jungle…)‘Aish, freaking annoying bugs!’, a high pitched voiced screamed in the busy jungle.Jisung slapped his arm for the 3562523 time in a (failed) attempt to get rid of the small bugs crawling on his sweaty arms. Sighing, he wiped off the sweat of his brows and slumped down on the ground, leaning against a large tree.Looking around, he felt a small smile play on his lips. Straya was definitely a beautiful place. All around him were tall trees with turquoise leaves, salmon and indigo colored venus flytraps, and annoying but beautiful little flying pink bugs. What’s more, was that the Glow was shinning down his skin, making it slightly sweaty due to the tropical atmosphere, but the scientist just loved it.It was simply gorgeous, and Jisung felt his sentimental inner diva go crazy, fingers hitching to write down lyrics about the beauty of nature and how it should bring together every human beings in the whole universe (and yes, he could already hear Changbin’s ‘sappy’ echo in the air).Laughing at himself, he suddenly saw something move from the corner of his eyes. Sitting up, his eyes widened. A Stray was running down trees, seemingly in a hurry to go somewhere. Jisung felt the corner of his mouth quirk up. This was his chance to witness Strays in everyday situations.So without any further hesitation, he stood up and run to the nearest tree.‘Fuck it, screw it, holly it, I’m gonna jump on this mother fruity tree and run after him, I know I can do it!’, he screamed to himself in his head, fist raised in the air, and ran straight toward a nearby tree, actually and successfully grabbing its creepers.He breathed in relief when his feet connected to its trunk without breaking, and thanked Chan for teaching him how to climb trees, when his (pretty, mind you) face didn’t smash into it. Not wasting more time on praying all the gods for letting him meet their leader, he climbed the tree clumsily, and after a few seconds reached a large branch. Putting his arms Titanic style, he started to rush after the Stray, quietly swearing under his breath each time he almost fell.But Jisung was known to be determined. And tree jumping – climbing would not deter him from following the Stray. He came on Straya for a reason, and that goal did not include him sitting back diligently and taking zero risks. So he followed the creature, clumsily and dangerously yes, but followed him anyways.Almost losing him on the last few seconds, he noticed the boy’s head disappearing into a cave – or what he guessed to be one. Gulping, he jumped down the branch and landed on his butt.‘Shit, their ground is least soft than expected.’, he grumbled, rubbing at his sore butt cheeks. Pushing away mint colored palms from his way, it revealed an entrance to the place the Stray was heading to. Jisung prayed his gods one last time to let him come out alive so that he could at least once again in his life imitate Changbin’s infamous ‘Matryoshka’, and dived into the unknown world hidden behind these cave walls. Suddenly, he felt a harsh hit on the back of his head, and his world turned dark. – ‘Tsk, not really what I wanted...’, Changbin muttered to himself, scratching the back of his ear with his stylus. He looked down at his data pad with a frown, and observed his drawing once more. There was definitely something weird in his sketch. He had been exploring the unknown jungle the whole afternoon, studying all the biodiversity he stumbled upon. He was amazed by all Straya had to offer, going from colorful plants to actual living and breathing flowers. The few animals he had caught a glimpse of were also really interesting, ranging from thumb sized deadly ones to tall peaceful herbivorous ones. He was really impressed at all the unexpected he had witnessed in just one day.He began to scribble down his pad again, when his thoughts were interrupted by some… giggles?Startled, he raised his head toward the nearby trees. But he was greeted by nothing but fruits hanging from branches.‘Weird...’, he thought, glancing around a bit more. ‘I swear I heard something.’Shrugging, he waved it off and went back to his work. After an hour or so, the heat became almost too unbearable for him. This tropical weather was definitely hard to handle as a human, and dressing in black wasn’t going to help him one bit. Wiping off some sweat of his brows, he put down his work on the grass and took his jacket off.‘Ah way better!’, he exhaled, rolling up the sleeves of his white t-shirt, and flexed his sore muscles. After this trip to Straya, spending the whole day under the harsh warmth of the Glow left him feeling really sore.A soft gasp on his left made its way to his ears.This time, Changbin was sure he was not hallucinating. There was indeed something- no someone near him. He tensed when a thought went through his mind.Could it be… a Stray?Wanting to test his theory, he flexed his muscles once more. Another gasp filled the air. Changbin smiled in victory and an idea popped in his mind. If the Stray thought he hadn’t notice him, he wouldn’t hesitate to approach him, right? So Changbin started whistling absentmindedly and went back to drawing. Faking to be focused on his work, he paid attention to his surrounding secretly. And after a few moments, he felt a small smile grow on his lips. A soft thud echoed in the air, almost inaudible against the soft buzz emitted by pink bugs. He could hear the soft tip toeing of bare feet against grass, but the Stray was still too far. Not wanting to waste this once in a lifetime occasion he fake yawned and lay down on the grass. Folding his arms under his head, he closed his eyes, steadied his breath, and waited patiently for the outcome.And waited.And waited more.Until a warm breath brushed against his face. Changbin tensed. He had not heard the Stray come this close. He listened and felt his breath catch in his throat the moment he heard a small giggle. A very deep soft giggle. Gulping, what happened next left him shocked.A soft finger pocked his right cheekbone, and a soft gasp followed. And the creature kept it pressed against it, a finger nail grazing it. Then, the finger disappeared but reappeared a mere second after, this time hitting the scientist a little bit too strongly. Changbin gasped in pain and opened his eyes, gaze falling on the Stray.A mop of dark brown hair greeted him. But the creature gasped and panicked, letting go of Changbin to flee and hide in a nearby tree. Changbin eyes widened in panic. He couldn’t let it go.‘No, no, no! Wait!’, he screamed standing up clumsily, his arms held up to ask it to wait.The Stray halted, but stayed perched in his tree. Changbin kept his arms before him to show the boy he meant no harm and crawled toward him slowly. The Stray crouched down warily on one branch, half hidden behind the trunk. Gripping it tightly, fingernails scrapping the bark, the creature peeked curiously at the human.‘Hello?’, Changbin tried, smiling nervously at the Stray. The later tilted his head on the side, seemingly curious.Changbin tried to peek at him, but his face was still hidden by the palms’ shadow. Annoyed by this and curious, the scientist walked closer, until his feet reached the tree’s roots. One hand pressed against the trunk to support himself, Changbin tilted his head slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of him. The Stray gasped silently and leaned further back into the shadow.‘Hey, hey, shh.. It’s okay. C’mon, come out, it’s okay.’, he told the creature, with a soft voice reaching out to him with a tentative hand, knowing full well that it wouldn’t understand a word he said, yet hoping that his voice conveyed a reassuring tone.Slowly but surely, the creature reached out with trembling fingers and pushed away the palms hiding him. Changbin held his breath and observed the Stray reluctantly getting closer to him.‘Well, well, what do we have… here.’, his voice slowly died down as he took in the sight in front of him, or rather the creature. Peeking its head tentatively from behind a mint palm, the stranger perched on one of the tree’s lower branch whimpered and looked at Changbin with wide eyes. And as it revealed its face, Changbin was left voiceless.The creature – no, the boy was stunning. Now face to face, the Stray raised his eyes to meet his. His breath hitched. Changbin felt his heart miss a beat. Damn, was he mesmerized. This boy he was… he was simply gorgeous.Up close, he let his eyes devour the boy’s features. He had a small nose, gorgeous full lips and freckles. Fucking freckles. Changbin heart soften at the sight.But what stunned him the most were his eyes. They were the most beautiful pair of big doe eyes he’s ever seen. And with the Glow slowly setting, sky slowly turning dark, the nightly feature Mother Nature had gifted the Strays with was beginning to appear. This meant that the creature’s eyes were beginning to glow a gorgeous honey golden brown hue.Not realizing he was inching closer to the creature, Changbin let out a small sheepish laugh when the boy’s eyes suddenly widened and he flinched.‘Sorry...’, he muttered embarrassed and leaned back a bit, but not too far either.The boy followed his every moves with his eyes, daring to step out a bit further outside the shade provided by the tree, and whimpered when a tree branch crunched under the human’s foot, jumping slightly. Changbin hushed him, slightly amused.‘You’re a cute one, ain’t you?’, he found himself saying, voice soft. However, he was left speechless within the next seconds. The Stray flickered his eyes on the human’s still raised hand, with a soft frown. Tentatively, he raised his own hand, and Changbin tensed.His palm was met with a warm one, sending jolt down his spine. Changbin felt his breath hitch for the umpteenth time and let out a shaky breath when the boy lined his fingers along his own. The Stray’s hands were a bit rougher and tanner than Changbin’s ones, but they were warm. The human felt the Stray shiver at the contact of his skin against the cold silver of the ring he wore on his middle finger, and that made the human chuckle silently.Changbin’s gaze moved to their touching hands, taking in their size difference, the Stray’s being slightly slenderer whereas Changbin’s were longer, and slowly he grabbed it. The human watched as the Stray reciprocate the move, wrapping his slim fingers between his own, and kept his grasp soft but firm just in case the creature would want to run away.But the boy simply bit his lip, clearly containing a smile, and let out an amused sound. Raising his glowing eyes to meet Changbin’s surprised ones, he finally gave in and offered the human a small smile. Changbin returned his smile with an amused one. Clearing his throat he used his free hand to point at himself and opened his mouth to speak.‘Changbin.’, he enunciate, trying to make it as clear as possible. The boy beamed at him and Changbin swear he was brighter than the Glow itself.Pointing at his own self, the Stray told him excitedly his own name.‘Felix.’, the boy grinned, clapping his hands – or tried to, but ended up smacking his free hand in their intertwined ones. Wincing in apology, the Stray lowered his gaze and detached himself, bringing his own hand against his torso and crouching further on his spot. But Changbin simply chuckled and extended his hand again.His free hand leaning against the tree trunk, he slightly lowered himself to meet the Stray’s eyes. Succeeding, he held his hand out and smiled at the seemingly slightly younger and mortified creature.‘Okay?’, he asked the boy, raising his brows, hopeful that the Stray would get what he is trying to convey. Something seemed to click in the boy’s eyes and he tentatively brought his fingers against Changbin’s own. Changbin grasped it in a firm hold, this time not planning on letting go.Gaze flickering between between their hands and the human, Felix nodded and uttered a small ‘Okay.’, in response. Changbin beamed. The boy did get what he was trying to say!Refraining his inner fan girl from jumping up and down on the spot, he simply tried to bit back a smile – and failed miserably. The boy was just way too happy that his first encounter with a Stray went way more than well.About to open his mouth, he was stopped by something shinning on his left. Then it was on his right, and soon, everywhere around them. The night had settled he realized, and the nature was starting to reveal its bioluminescent self. Changbin stared in awe and disbelief, and slowly turned around, his hand never letting go of Felix. Instead Felix simply adjusted himself by his side, sitting down on the branch, his legs dangling in the air.‘That’s- that’s beautiful!’, he beamed like a kid in front of a Christmas tree and turned to Felix, only to find him already staring at him, an amused smile playing on his lips. The Stray probably didn’t understand a word he said, but Changbin was sure the joy on his face spoke for itself.Reaching for his data-pad in his jacket pocket, he realized that said item wasn’t on him, but on the spot where he left it early on. Felix following Changbin’s movement with his eyes noticed that the boy was looking at the spot where he had found him earlier. Smiling, he stretched and jumped down his branch feline style.The human beside him looked at him in shock, but the Stray only smiled. Instead he started to walk forward, urging the scientist to follow him with a small tug of their intertwined hands. Changbin obliged, still dumbfounded by the way the boy jumped down his tree.Shaking his head, he looked down to see Felix crouched on the grass, handing him his jacket with a proud smile. Changbin raised his brows but nodded appreciatively. Taking out his data-pad with one hand proved to be really difficult but not impossible. Succeeding he looked at the nature and at Felix sitting on the mint bioluminescent green, and realized this won’t do.He looked around a bit, and noticed it was past their ‘curfew’. He should probably go back. But that would mean abandoning this gorgeous setting and leaving without any sketches or info on it. And leaving the boy next to him, too. Looking down at the boy sitting next to him who was busy swaying their intertwined hands, he found that the boy was already looking at him with question marks in his eyes. Changbin opened his mouth and closed it right away. Felix raised an eyebrow but let out an amused laugh.A gorgeous, melodious deep laugh.Changbin decided here and there that going back to the basement could wait a bit. Plopping down next to the Stray, he shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could already hear JYP’s nagging coming at him tomorrow for not coming back on time on day one. And as Felix latched himself on his arm, watching him sketch some interesting pink water lily, he truly hoped that his team wouldn’t burn down the jungle in search for him tonight. He glanced at the curious boy one more time. His gaze fell on his glowing eyes and he gulped.Yeah, he truly hoped they’ll let him be for tonight. – Jisung grunted in pain, his head throbbing slightly. He opened his eyes and saw an unknown surrounding. Frowning, he tried to sat up when suddenly everything came back to him. Eyes wide and gaping like a fish, and, Jisung being Jisung, he had weird priorities. So he patted his torso and sighed in relief the moment his hand came in contact with the shape of his notebook inside his black bulletproof jacket.Looking around, he felt a slight panic rise in his chest. He was still in the same cave as before yes, but someone had knocked him out. And that scared him a lot. But Jisung was known for his strong self-control and refused to use his weapon yet. After all, Strays were peaceful beings, so he probably scared the one he was following by running after him like a madman. Jisung could really use Changbin discretion at times.Opting to take in his surroundings and noting that the Glow was setting outside, he looked around the cave a bit. Now that he was in it and seemingly alone (for now at least) why not take a look at it? If the Stray had wanted to kill him surely he would have already.That’s how Jisung found himself mesmerized by all he saw. The cave walls were painted with drawings like tiny fruits or actual portrait of people. It was gorgeous. And Jisung could not help but reach for his trusty notebook. Opening it, he then took a pencil out of his pocket and began to scribble down notes about how Strays draw like humans. But he stopped straight when he heard a twig crack under something- someone’s feet.Steadying his breath and gripping his notebook tightly he slowly turned around. And shrieked.A Stray looking really young was just one meter behind him, looking ready to smash him with a heavy looking tree branch. Freaking out he held up both his hands, and heard the stranger laugh when he lose his footing. Falling on his butt, he grunted in pain, and pouting a bit, rubbed it.‘Shit, why does it always happen to me?’, he mumbled, already hearing Changbin’s voice in his head nagging about how much it is a wonder he ‘still have an ass as of today’.Mumbling a small curse, he looked up at the Stray to find him smiling at him, tree branch now sitting next to him on the ground. The Stray didn’t view him as a threat. Jisung smiled back, a little bit strained but still genuine. He was meeting a Stray for the first time after all!So in the end, they both choose to study each others. Jisung was completely ecstatic to be facing a different species, and the boy seemed to be feeling the same way. He had waited for this moment his whole life. He remembered how he would turn in his bed all night long, dreaming about what their first encounter would be like. Smiling a bit at the recollection, Jisung took a good look at the Stray in front of him. He wasn’t going to waste this opportunity. Observing his features, the first thing coming to his mind was how good looking the teen was, and then one word: fox. He definitely looked like a desert fox.Suddenly the boy’s arms spread. Jisung gasped in surprise and watched his every moves with huge curious eyes. The boy paused, hands mid-air, and then pointed at his own chest.‘Jeongin’, the boy exclaimed, smiling happily, and then he pointed to the scientist, looking at him with sparkling expectant eyes.Jisung smiled. ‘Jisung.’, he answered. Then, the boy smiled. Jisung lost it.‘OMG you’re so cute I can’t!!!’, he squealed, releasing his inner fan girl, and jumped on the spot.Jeongin startled and looked at him with wide eyes. Clearly, the boy hadn’t expect that. Calming himself, Jisung uttered a small ‘sorry’, even though he knew the stranger would not understand it.Looking around he pointed at a drawing on the wall, and raised two thumbs with a smile. The boy stared at him for a whole fucking minute, and Jisung was beginning to lose hope of the boy getting what he meant.But then, Jeongin replicated the gesture with a huge smile.‘Oh my- fuck, he got what I meant!’, he thought excited, fist pumping in the air.The Stray seemed to really like Jisung’s reactions, because he clapped his hands and pointed at the drawing of a fruit. What happened next truly left Jisung gaping.Jeongin mimed the fruit and said ‘Sagwa.’Jisung felt like melting in a puddle of happiness. The Stray was trying to have a conversation with him. Is this heaven? He could feel tears of happiness gathering in his eyes. Jisung took a quick look at the drawing and realized he knows this fruit. He looked at the kid with a smile and mimed it too in return. ‘Apple’, he enunciated slowly, making sure the Stray got it right.‘A-apple? Apple!’, Jeongin exclaimed, pointing to Jisung in excitement as if to say ‘I got it, right?’, eyes wide with glee. Jisung nodded enthusiastically and clapped happily at the kid in front of him. Then Jeongin seemed to have an epiphany, judging by his slow motion head rise and awestruck face.‘Wha-’, Jisung was cut by the Stray launching forward and taking his hand with a bright smile.Jisung stared dumbfounded as he made him stand up, and let himself be led outside. Not stopping one second, Jisung lost the chance to admire the jungle as Jeongin proceeded to tug his hand to urge him to walk faster. Then they started to slow run, Jeongin occasionally turning around with a small smile, and a thumb raised in question.‘Yeah, I’m okay.’, Jisung would say every time, nodding at the boy.As they ran, Jisung having to focus on not tripping on huge roots could only notice a blur of fluorescent colors around them, and the beautiful dark night sky.‘Shit… I hope they don’t come looking for me, it would be so embarrassing.’, he found himself thinking the moment they passed by a small river whose water was turquoise.Without him noticing it, they’d reached a tall large tree that looked like a sequoia tree. Jeongin let go of his hand and started climbing the sort of stairs (?) carved in the trunk. Turning around, he awoke Jisung from his contemplation and urged to climb up with a move of his hand. Jisung offered the kid a strained smile, clearly unsure of wheither he should follow him or not.‘Oh, well I’m already here, so might as well go with him.’, he concluded, following the Stray.Almost losing his footing twice – blame his clumsy tired self, in the end he found himself in front of an entrance door. His mouth fell open. A fucking door was fucking embedded in the fucking top of the fucking tree. And yes, Jisung knew it makes a lot of ‘fuck’ for one sentence, but you see, in this moment he couldn’t bring himself to care, because Stray are taking stuffs on a whole other level, so they deserve at least three ‘fuck’.A hand cupped his jaw and pushed it upward to close his mouth. He looked at a giggling Jeongin, with wide eyes, pointing the door with one finger, and gaped like a fish at the Stray. Jeongin rolled his eyes and pushed him forward by the shoulders.Jisung watched as Jeongin opened the door, noting that they don’t seem to own any form of locks, and pushed him inside. Leaving Jisung at the door step, Jeongin ran inside the room to another male.Jisung’s eyes twitched.Another Stray was a few meters away from him. Two Strays were breathing the same air as him. He was about to faint. Forgetting to look at the house (?), his gaze landed on the other male back-facing him in the room. He had brown hair, and looked really tall. Jisung stared down his body and felt his eyes jump out of their sockets at the sight of those tights – holly mother of pretzels those muscles!
Clearing his throat a bit, he chose to advert his gaze to the wooden walls of the room and listened to them instead. They were speaking in an unknown language, the Stray one. But this one was looking slightly different from the one he learned a bit about. It had similar words, but they were not close enough to the ones of the common Stray speech for the scientist to understand. So he waited patiently until they were done.Suddenly he heard a soft gasp, and the unknown boy turned to him with wide eyes. At the sight, Jisung mouth fell open slightly. He was mesmerized by his beauty. If he had found Jeongin attractive, this one was on a whole other scale of handsomeness (sorry Jeongin Stans, but Minho is bae).The boy had thin lips, a pointy nose and the most beautiful pair of almond shape eyes. True he may have had a big head but everything was proportional and worked perfectly together. Feeling his eyes on him, Jisung dared to meet them shyly. At the man’s strong deep gaze on him he gulped and adverted his gaze to his forehead instead. Damn, the guy was imposing! Jisung tentatively waved hello in an attempt to look friendly. The Stray’s eyes were burning hole on him, and he was beginning to feel like he’d done something wrong to him. Shivering, he looked at Jeongin briefly and that seemed to snap the Stray out of his trance.Without uttering a word, the man suddenly walked to him. Jisung panicked, not knowing what the stranger would to him and started to stutter. He gulped, eyes wide, when he is firmly grabbed by the forearm. The foreign touch send jolt down his spine, making him gasp slightly, and it made the boy in front of him stop all movements. Bu then, in less than five seconds he was shoved outside, door closing right onto his face. Jisung blinked.Did.. did the dude just threw him outside?Jisung gasped in disbelief and shivered because of the harsh coldness of the night. Straya was known to have a very hot weather on days but chilly nights from January to June, and then the climate would flip around for the last six months. Temperatures could go very high and drop very low, to a point where it is almost unbearable for humans.Folding his shivering arms he climbed down the stairs grumpily, figuring out he is not welcomed here, and Jeongin was just a curious exception. Reaching the ground he made his way back to the base, thankful to have his data pad on him with a GPS option. Kicking a twig he huffed angrily.‘Chan better have made dinner.’, he threatened under his breath, already scheming plans to make his leader’s life a living hell otherwise. And thinking about Chan’s cries of despair was enough to lift his spirits and bring back a content smile back on his face. – Chan’s eyes fluttered open. Groaning, he looked at his alarm clock and grunted when his eyes landed on the digits. 14.39. He had slept the whole morning.Siting up, he scratched his head tiredly and stretched. From the corner of his eyes he noticed Jisung’s snoring form sprawled onto his own bed. He smiled slightly when he remembered how angry the boy was when he came back home yesterday, muttering something about rude Strays. Thankfully Chan’s food seemed to have soothed him a bit and he was now snuggled in his his bed cover, snoring like a baby. Chan went over and put back the blanket on his little brother shoulders, kissing his temple softly. He then snorted and took the Polaroid on his bedside table, snapping a shot of his drool covered friend’s face, silently laughing at it.Looking around, he frowned the minute he noticed Changbin’s empty bed. His friend was not home by the time they went to bed yesterday, so he really hoped he didn’t spend the night outside and was alright. If not, the meeting with JYP was not going to be pleasant he feared.Standing up to grab food from their mini fridge – they’ve never liked eating in the cafeteria, he started making food for himself and his sleeping baby brother. In the middle of pouring water into his glass, he stared at the water and was reminded of his encounter from yesterday. The memory brought a small smile on his lips.This had been unexpected, but pleasant nonetheless. A flash of the boy appeared in his mind and he was reminded of his beautiful and unique features. By human standards he probably wouldn’t be considered as handsome, but Chan was never one for standards. So for him the boy was incredibly beautiful. From what he’d seen he was the perfect mix between virility and finesse, which was mesmerizing in his opinion.Thinking back of the boy’s strong built and soft features brought a small smile to his lips. That’s when something he hadn’t picked out yesterday struck him. The boy skin was glistening wet from water and that had triggered something in his complexion. If he remember clearly the wetness had brought out the glowing white spots on his skin!When he trained under JYP he was taught that these spots only made their appearances at night time or in the dark because of, well, the darkness. But he never knew that water could also bring them out! Frowning he nodded to himself. The marks were definitely here when the Glow was still setting, which meant that the wetness from the water did make them appear.God damn it, that only made the boy more beautiful than he already was. Now that he thought back on it, the picture his mind held of the Stray seemed even more gorgeous. He leaned against the counter, waiting for kettle to stop boiling and his lips curled against his glass of water. He could still feel the Stray’s touch on his skin. It had been so… foreign, but… pleasant at the same time; the overall feeling from their interaction was a great one, a satisfying one even. And the way the Stray had looked at him… Chan couldn’t really place the name on it but the sensation he got from it left him feeling… alive. Yeah, the boy had looked at him like he was the most incredible being in the world, and no one had ever looked at him like that. There was this genuine curiosity and amazement in the Stray’s eyes. And Chan was the reason why.Feeling warmth spread through his chest at the thought, he bit his lips and sighed. Feeling like that made him feel like this encounter had meant something, when it probably meant nothing. He would probably never see the other boy ever again.‘Why the sour mood Bang leader?’, a raspy voice asked him, and Chan raised his head to see Changbin entering their place. The later nodded in greeting, obviously still half awake, and sat down at the table. Chan noticed he was still in his gear from yesterday, and if the wrinkled white shirt was any indication, he’d say that his brother had spent the night outside. He leaned his head on one arm and raised a brow at Chan, a twig stuck in his curls. Yup, no need to ask the boy where he was last night, Chan knew.‘What?’, said Chan snapping out of his daze.‘Well, what’s with the sour mood? I come here expecting to find you and Jisung gone on an adventure, but no. Here you are, Jisung snoring his ass off, and you half awake and looking like I kicked your puppy in the gut. At 2 pm. See why I’m wondering what happened now?’, he concluded with a soft yawn, looking already half bored by their conversation. But Chan knew better than to judge Changbin by his looks, and he knew the younger was truly curious. So he sighed and settled on the chair next to the boy after serving himself a well deserved tea.‘Well, for Jisung I don’t know much, so you’ll have to ask him for yourself. He came back home like, 1 hour or so after me and looked grumpy as fuck. He kept talking about Strays being rude and how one should never trust a fox, but apart from that I don’t know what happened to him. But physically speaking he looked drained.’, Chan explained, taking a gulp of his too warm tea.Changbin nodded and stole a grape from the bowl sitting on the table. ‘I see. Typical Jisung, come to think of it.’ Chan snorted and shook his head at Changbin’s remark, but smirked when he saw the whipped loving look Changbin sent to their sleeping baby. Changbin noticed that and flipped him the bird. ‘And you? What got you so down?’Chan slumped in his seat and exhaled a long sigh. ‘It’s nothing really, just.. you know, yesterday I met a Stray, and it like, left me shook. He was so amazing. You probably don’t get what I mean mate, but I swear it was amazing. Too short if you ask me, but amazing.’‘Then why do you look so down ‘bout that?’‘It’s just… ‘, Chan sighed, knowing that what he was about to say was really stupid.‘Oh c’mon Christopher Bang just spill it already, we don’t have the whole day.’, Jisung’s voice cut his thoughts. The boy was still laying in his bed, an arm covering his eyes.‘Oh, so now you’re awake?’, Chan asked with a playful smile, tossing his picture he took of Jisung, silently to Changbin. The said boy raised his brows and whistled slightly at the sight, and gave it back to Chan.Jisung snorted. ‘Yeah, well what’d you expect with all your sighing? And the kettle too, I guess.’, he explained the two boys who shook their head in amusement, Changbin laughing at Chan.‘Well since sleeping beauty is now awake’, a bird was flipped at Changbin, ‘could you please kindly resume so that we can move on and I can take an actual shower?’‘That’s what you get for playing Tarzan Binie. And yeah, let’s move on quick cause you smell bad actually.’, Jisung pointed out, but hissed in pain once a shoe hit him.Chan heaved a sigh. ‘Okay guys, please don’t laugh, me laughing at myself is enough. It’s just that I keep thinking over and over again of this encounter, and I feel like this is the most important thing in my life, when clearly it isn’t. I mean, I’m never gonna meet him again and here I am mopping over it.’Jisung hummed a bit. ‘Yeah, I get what you feel. I encountered two Strays yesterday too.’, he admitted. ‘And even though one was a cold ass hat, well I kind of wish I could see them again? I mean I don’t think he was an actual ass hat, he must have thought I was dangerous or something, so yeah I wish I could see him again. And the other too.’Still not raising from his bed, he waved at the two of them. ‘Chan you would have loved him. Even you Changbin, you would have. He was like so cute. How is it possible that they are that cute and that strong at the same time, though? It’s not suppose to match that well.’, he ranted.Chan hummed, nodding. ‘Yeah I thought that way when I met it- I mean when I met him. He was soft and strong at the same time. That’s incredible.’Changbin snorted. ‘Yeah, thanks god they exist though. Most humans back on Earth are so narrow-minded nowadays, or act like they are, just to fit in society. We don’t have enough acceptance on Earth right now. But here, you’re just you and it’s fine. That’s what JYP always told us, and I can’t wait to see if it’s true.’‘Yeah me too...’, Jisung muttered with a small voice. Changbin sat up and cracked his knuckles before he resumed his talking.‘But to answer your question Chan, I think you’re smitten with the Stray boy because it’s the first time you ever saw one in you life. That’s why you think it’s special, and it is to some extent. And feeling like that, that’s fine I guess? You’ll let go after a time.’Chan nodded with a small smile. ‘Yeah you’re right. Thanks mates. Now go take that shower, you stink. Where did ya sleep mate?’‘I met a Stray too…’, his voice trailed off, making Jisung sit up in his bed and point him.‘Omg Seo Changbin don’ tell me you slept with a Stray last night?!’, he exclaimed, earning himself a gasp from Chan and an outraged look from Changbin.‘Are you crazy Han Jisung? Do you really think I’m that low on the sexual deprivation scale, to just go around and sleep with the first newcomers? Really Han Jisung? Please shut up.’, Changbin grunted out with a roll of his eyes. Jisung held both hands in surrender.‘Well you never know, I was just asking no need to get so work up!’, he explained with a small smirk. ‘Plus you didn’t tell us what you did last night, so...’, he crossed his arms pouting a bit.Chan watched as Changbin shrugged off his jacket and shirt, and rolled his eyes. Sighing, Changbin made his way to a sulking Jisung, and put an arm around his shoulder, squeezing it lightly, before he pressed a kiss on the top of his scalp. Jisung let him, but punched his chest. Hard. Their youngest member may look like a cute butterfly, but in reality he is as strong as a buffalo. As Chan always says ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.’At Changbin grunt of paint, Jisung smiled in both victory and satisfaction. Rolling his eyes but smiling, Changbin ruffled his hair.‘You only had to ask if you wanted to know, and you know that. So don’t go sulking on me.’, he ended, detaching himself from his brother, and made his way to the counter to grab a bottle of water, staring longer than necessary at his own hand.‘I was in the jungle. I met a Stray there, really friendly and cute. Like really cute. And he had such a deep voice I was shocked! His face and voice didn’t match at all. And he was so gorgeous. I mean I know that the three of us find Strays gorgeous, but this one? He had something more. And I promise you guys, I’m not exaggerating. Also, he was so… pure and real? So we spent the whole evening together, with him watching me draw sketches of plants. I suppose I must have fell asleep along the way, cause when I woke up this morning I was asleep against a tree, covered by my jacket, and there was this bowl of warm fruit beside me – which was delicious by the way. I guess he left it here for me and just, went home.’, he ended with a shrug.Chan and Jisung exchanged a smirk and before Changbin knew it, started to squeal.‘Awwww Changbinie you are so soft for the boy~’, Chan cooed.‘You like him huh? I thought you were dark but I guess I was wrong~’, Jisung added.Changbin grunted and threw them his bottle of water.‘I hope you’ll get lost in the jungle and burn there.’, he muttered under his breath, and slammed the bathroom door under Jisung’s cackles and Chan’s ‘Don’t slam the doors for fuck sake!’. ~~~~~~> To be continued...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(The same day as the previous chapter, morning time, in a part of the jungle…)Jeongin opened his eyes to the soft light of the Glow shinning in his bedroom. Squinting his eyes he yawned and flopped down the other side of his bed with the grace of a potato bag. Squirming around a bit more, he dared to stretch out a pale arm out of his blue bed covers and smiled when it was met with warmth coming from the two window holes on the walls in front of him.
His bedroom wasn’t particularly big, but it was perfect for him. It was circular – perks of living in a tree – and there wasn’t much furniture in it either, but Jeongin liked it that way.
If one entered his bedroom he would be faced with a double bed propped against the wall in front of them. Then, next to it was a huge soft blue carpet, and propped against the left wall were a pile of coconut shells filled with paints. Then on the two other walls, were two big rectangular-shaped holes. They were what humans would call ‘windows’, except that they were just, well, holes with no panes. That, and the fact that they were too big to called as such, taking half of their walls each.
But at the foot of the bed was the thing he loved the most about his bedroom. The thing why he begged his older brother to let him have this bedroom.
Living in a house carved in a huge tree meant that branches or roots would pop up here and there in some of the rooms. And, his room was one of them.
So yeah, Jeongin was proud to have the bedroom where two big intertwined branches rose from the ground at the foot of his bed, reaching the ceiling above it. What’s more was, that it had gorgeous green leaves attached to it, that kept on blossoming thanks to the natural light shining through his room nowadays.
(A/N: I know this description isn't very clear, so let you imagination run wild.)
Jeongin smiled against his mattress. Yeah, he loved his room. It was his own little personal peaceful and calm-‘Ya ya ya, Yang Jeongin raise your cute little ass from this bed right here, right now and come eat!’, an annoying voice yelled from outside.‘...Yeah, calm and personal, you bet!’, Jeongin thought, muffling a scream in his pillow.
Annoyed, Jeongin groaned and kicked his blanket aside. He groggily went to one of the hole, and sat on its edge. Looking down outside with an unimpressed face, he was met by the sight of his annoying best friend crouched on a fat root, a few meters lower. His best friend looked up with a smirk and had the audacity to wave, making Jeongin roll his eyes.
‘Why are you here?’, Jeongin snapped.
‘To wake you up, what else? Took you long enough by the way.’, his friend singsonged, rising from his spot.
‘Hush and get your fat ass inside before Minho eats all the Gyujaks.’, Jeongin groaned and went back inside his room. It was way too early for him to deal with his friend’s idiocy and playful mood.
He just wanted to sleep, was that too much to ask? Of course it was when you’ve got a best friend called Hwang Hyunjin who keeps on coming to your house every morning just for the delight of waking you up with his oh so sweet voice – and for Minho’s cooking too, let’s be honest here. No one cooks Gyujaks like Minho does.
Walking out of his bedroom, eyes half-closed, he breathed in the air, smelling fresh wood and warm fruits – Gyujaks – in the air. Leaning against the wooden wall for support, he followed the scent of the freshly cooked food and ended up straight into their kitchen- living room, and more precisely into his older brother’s outstretched and awaiting arms.
‘Morning..’, he muttered against Minho’s torso, arms closing around him.
‘Morning.’, his brother responded, kissing the top of his head, before he detached himself.Jeongin went to seat at the table, in front of a smirking Hyunjin. Jeongin simply nodded in acknowledgment and his friend faked gasped. Jeongin smirked and blinked his eyes innocently.
‘What?’
‘Lee Jeongin I feel betrayed. How dare you not to greet me properly, I thought that our friendship was worth more than tha-’ a Gyujak shoved in his mouth stopped his little rant. Under Jeongin’s dolphin like cackles, he looked up to see Minho looking at him unimpressed, and smiled sheepishly – or tried to with the warm pink fruit half hanging in his mouth.
‘Ugh, Hyunjin shut your mouth and eat properly, that’s disgusting.’, Minho laughed and gave Jeongin his own plate of fruits, before sitting down.
Minho gulped down his own soft fruits and nodded at Hyunjin.
‘Hyunjin ah, when are you gonna move in? You literally come here every morning.’, he asked playfully, knowing full well the answer, but he liked to fluster Hyunjin. Flustered/Embarrassed Hyunjin equals Happy Minho.
Hyunjin smiled bashfully – which he only does when with someone he knows well, otherwise he loves to play the heartthrob – and shrugged. ‘Never.’, he answered, already looking everywhere but at the brothers.
Jeongin, being the excellent best friend he is, started to smile evilly and leaned on the table.
‘Ow Jeonginie is so sad, I thought our friendship was worth more than that~ Could it be that someone is more important than me in this world, making you want to live with them?’, he singsonged, imitating his friend.
‘Hush and eat.’, Hyunjin hissed, the tip of his ears red.
Minho seeing this decided he would torture the boy a bit more.
‘Oh? So you’re not denying it?’
‘I am not agreeing either.’
‘You’re denying it then.’, Minho smirked, and it widened when Hyunjin’s eyes burned holes on him.
‘Stop it now Minho. You may be Seungmin’s best friend, but that doesn’t mean I won’t hit you.’, Hyunjin stated with an evil proud smile, making the oldest roll his eyes. ‘So please, stop trying to make me admit something that does not exist between Seungie and I, on every fucking single breakfast. We are just friends. Coma. Shit, my tongue is running dry from repeating it over and over.’
‘Drink water’, the youngest of the three snickered.
‘Shut it Jeongin. That’s it, end of the story. Let’s eat.’, Hyunjin concluded but cursed the moment he burnt himself with his fruit. ‘Damn, Minho why is it so hot?’, he gasped, earning himself a ‘you swear way too much on mornings’ from Minho, before gulping down his glass of water.
‘Cause you’re too hot’, Jeongin calmly answered.
However, the second after, he bursted out laughing as Hyunjin choked on his water, spiting it out.
In front of himself.
On Jeongin’s shirt.Jeongin’s laugh died down and slowly raised his eyes to meet Hyunjin’s own. Calmly, he put his hands on the table and Hyunjin refrained from laughing. Everytimes Jeongin tried to look threatening, he ended up looking more like a kicked puppy – except in some peculiar situation, but that’s beside the point for now.
Focusing back on his friend, he noticed the way his eyes shined. Hyunjin frowned. This meant nothing great.
‘I’m telling Woojin tonight.’
‘Omg please don’t.’
Minho snickered at the two friends and stood up to do the dishes.
‘Don’t worry Hyunjin, he won’t.’, he told the other boy, watching as he stop his begging.
‘He won’t?’
‘No, he won’t.’
Jeongin snickered and shook his head. ‘Yes I will-’
Minho turned around and rose a brow, expression suddenly serious.
‘Really? Cause I don’t remember telling Woojin about what you did yesterday.’, his older brother taunted him, sponge pointing him.
Jeongin lowered his head, and grunted.
‘Minho, you know I didn’t think it-’
‘Yeah, you didn’t think that’s the problem. But nevermind that, next time you’ll know not to do that again, yeah?’
‘Yeah, yeah.’
Suddenly, someone clearing their throat interrupted them. They turned around to see Hyunjin looking at them, clueless.
‘Did I miss something?’, he asked curiously, half leaning on the table.
Jeongin rubbed his head sheepishly, and Minho faced palm.
‘Well, you see… Yesterday I met a human, and I kinda, brought them back here?’
Jeongin watched, gulping, as his friend looked at him with wide eyes. And after a moment of silence, Jeongin getting ready to wince and Minho promptly covering his ears, Hyunjin finally opened his mouth
‘YOU DID WHAT, YOU YESHIHK?!’, he screeched, raising from his spot.
‘IT WASN’T ON PURPOSE!’, Jeongin screamed back, also raising from his spot.
Minho winced and leaned back against the wall, watching the two friends exchanged friendly words. Hyunjin on mornings was truly a pain in the arse, and Minho loved a quiet morning. But Hyunjin and Jeongin together? It was the worse. Of course, between living with Felix and having Hyunjin in their house on a daily basis, one would expect Minho to be use to that. And in a way, he was. But still, it did remain a pain in the arse.
Sighing, he stepped into the conversation.
‘Long story short, Jeongin met a human, thought he was harmless, and brought him back home.’, he explained and watched Hyunjin’s mouth fall open.
‘Are you out of your mind my friend? Meeting them is okay, but bringing one back home? That’s super risky.’, Hyunjin stated, a bit saddened when he noticed Jeongin dejected face.
‘Yeah, I know. But he was so friendly and.. true, I guess? I was fascinated. And I thought Minho could, you know...’
Hyunjin nodded in understanding, and Minho smiled sadly.
‘I’m sorry foxie, but you know I refuse to do that.’ Minho sighed, patting his little brother’s shoulder.
‘Yeah, I know. I was just overly exited I guess… I wish I could see him again though- Speaking of which, you could have send him away nicely! You must have made a very bad first impression on him by shoving him out! Now he is going to think all of us are Yeshihks~’, Jeongin taunted his older brother.
Hyunjin collapsed against the table in a puddle of cackles, while Minho’s face grew red. He coughed, embarrassed, and hit Jeongin weakly on his shoulder.
‘Shut up. I was scared- Aish, stop laughing you morons!’– – ‘Oh my Jae, did you see him today? He is looking reaaaaally handsome with his black t-shirt sticking on his broad back!’
A giggle.
‘Yeah I know! This means he is getting super ready for the New Glow (A/N: read ‘New Year’) Ceremony! Yesterday I saw him train with The Fox and…’The voice died down as they walked away from these giggling women, and Jeongin shook his head amused. These women were always murmuring things every time they would walk past them, calling them cute or handsome depending of the period of the year.
Careful not to step on a huge root, he looked on his side. Hyunjin, with his black shirt indeed sticking on his broad muscled back – humans’ clothes really suit him well – was walking hurriedly, not giving a care in the world about what they said. Jeongin refrained from snickering. Of course, only one person’s praises in the entire world could trigger a real reaction from him.
Suddenly Hyunjin’s face lit up. Speaking of the devil. Jeongin didn’t need to look to know what – or rather, who was making him shine like that, he already knew.
Hyunjin ran forward, followed by Jeongin, and wrapped his arms from behind around one of their friends. He nuzzled his face against his hair and smiled happily.
‘Hey Seungminie! Did you miss me?’
‘No?’, his friend answered, and elbowed him playfully, making Jeongin laugh.
Seungmin looked around curiously.
‘Minho isn’t with you guys?’, he wondered curiously, gaze searching for his best friend around the tropical jungle.
‘Nope. He went to fetch his Pali, and said he’ll meet you at your usual spot. Speaking of usual spot, I’m gonna go and wait for you over there Hyunjin. See you tonight Seungmin!’, Jeongin provided with a smile, slowly leaving, as Hyunjin detach himself from Seungmin, to go caress the mane of Seungmin’s own Pali.
Seungmin smiled at the sight and his heart missed a beat, like everytime.
Palis are Straya 801’s most common animals. They are comparable to human horses or zebras. However, their skin are either white or black, sometimes stripped with a darker or lighter shade, and their eyes red or pale lilac. They were truly beautiful creatures, and they only paired with a Stray once in their entire lifetime. They are very faithful beast, and they rarely, if not ever, allow anyone else but their partner to approach them.
This is why Seungmin always feels his heart flutter when his Pali let Hyunjin not only approach her, but touch her as well. She may be a calm Pali, but one look from her red eyes and everyone know they should not approach. Yet, here was Hyunjin, half hugging her plain white neck. Seungmin would never know why nor how, but here it was.
Hyunjin met his eyes with a smile, hand still brushing his Pali’s back tenderly.
‘She is really beautiful.’, he assured Seungmin, who snorted.
‘Of course she is. Now, hands off, I need to get going or else I’m gonna be late.’
Hyunjin laughed, amused at his friend’s antics, and moved aside to let him through. He tensed however, the moment Seungmin’s back brushed against his torso to climb on his Pali’s back. And if Seungmin noticed, he didn’t say anything. However, Hyunjin had to bite back a curse the moment he saw his own hands reach up to grab his friend’s sides to help him mount his beast. Thanks Jae, he stopped himself on time or else that would have been awkward.
You see, since the beginning of the year, the two of them along with a few of their friends had a spurt of puberty, and no one could deny that they both looked attractive. But being childhood friends, and having always been fond of one another, this sometimes caused unwanted tension and embarrassing moments – at least for Hyunjin.
A hit on his skull awoken him from his reverie, and he glared at a smirking Seungmin whose eyes were half hidden by his bangs.
‘Instead of dreaming of your non-existent future, get going, or Jeongin is going to take root waiting for you.’, he teased.
‘Hey. Don’t project your own life onto mine please. I have a glorious future ahead of me, thank you.’, he answered, rolling his eyes playfully.
‘Do you want a ride?’, Seungmin then asked, grinning genuinely at him.
Hyunjin felt his heart miss a bit.
Shit. Awkward and unwanted tension number two.
‘Hyun?’
‘Yeah? Ah hum no thanks.’, he answered sheepishly but then smirked. ‘Plus, your girl here might tolerate me, but I’m not sure she’d like it if I climb on her back.’
Seungmin laughed and snorted. ‘Yeah as if! I’m sure she could leave me for you.’, he mumbled, leaning down to caress her face. ‘You would, right? You love him too much don’t you~’
Hyunjin laughed at him and took advantage of his distraction to pat the Pali’s bottom. This action caused her to raise her head, neighing, and to suddenly dash forward, under Seungmin’s gasps and Hyunjin’s laughter.
‘Oh my JAE! Calm down beauty! Yah! Hyun you’re dead tonight!’, he screamed hysterically, under the giggles of every Strays gathered in this spot of the jungle.
Hyunjin waved teasingly. ‘Can’t wait Seung!
.
.
.
...Oh shit I’m late.’– – Jisung stepped out of his shower, feeling refreshed. Looking at himself in the mirror he sighed, seeing his skin a little bit tanner than it was when he landed yesterday, and rubbed his sore shoulders. Yesterday got him so riled up, he felt pathetic. The poor Stray must have been afraid of him, a total stranger barging into his home with a gun on his belt. Yeah, what a stupid idea it was for him to follow the teen to his house. Now, the two Strays are never going to let him approach their territory again. And what if they told their whole tribe?
No, he must stop thinking irrationally and assuming stuffs. For now, he just needs to get ready for the upcoming meeting their boss is going to hold.
A knock on the bathroom startled him.
‘You’re done mate? We need to go.’, Chan’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
‘Yeah, give me a minute.’, he answered, He unwrapped his towel from his hips and start dressing in his regular attire: ranger shoes, black military pants and jacket, and black shirt. Yup very original.
He got out of the bathroom, and without missing a beat, launched himself on Changbin.
‘Oh my god, look at that, you smell like a living man again!’, he chimed playfully, nuzzling his head on his shoulder.
‘Yeah? Well you still stink. So get lost.’, Changbin snorted.
A hand met his face to push him away, which only made him tightened his hold on his squirming friend.
‘Aaaaah let go!’, he whined, trying to get out of Jisung’s iron hold.
‘Hum hum. If you are done, maybe we could go?’, Chan asked, leaning against the doorway, a single brow raised and arms crossed.
‘Yes Bang leader.’, the answered in chorus, detaching themselves from one another. Chan rolled his eyes and opened the door.
However, the moment Jisung was about to exit, he stopped him. Jisung looked at him curiously. Chan simply smiled and open the palm of his hand, letting a chain slip through his finger. Jisung’s eyes widened. His dog tag! He reached to his neck, and gasped feeling his bare skin.
‘You forgot it in the bathroom’, Chan simply answered when met with Jisung’s curious eyes. He handed it to Jisung who slipped it around his neck, and ruffled his hair. ‘Let’s go before Changbin takes the last seat.’
– – ‘Welcome everyone. I’m going to be direct and froward. The whole point of this meeting is for you all to know what you’re here for.’, JYP announced his assembly, the screen behind him lighting up to a 3D map of Straya 801.
The scientists were listening attentively, all sitting on rows of chairs, some having to stand due to the lack of seat. Chan and Jisung were seated on chairs while Changbin leaned against a table in the dark meeting room. They watched and listened intently to their boss presentation, wondering why they were all called here.
‘As you know, this planet’s lands are divided in many part, but four tribes rule over these territories.’
They watched as four faces appeared on the screen.
Jisung paled. No way...
‘There is the Sureki in the West, the Yui in the East and the Taro in the South. We are now situated on the North part of the planet, and more precisely on the Trashee clan territory, one of our few allies. And when I say few, I mean one of our only two allies here on Straya.’
He points to a face, and Chan heard Jisung choke on air.
‘This man is our main ally. He became the leader of the Trashee tribe after his coming of age, a year ago, Lee Minho.’, he claimed, pointing his stick straight onto the face of the man Jisung ‘met’ yesterday.
Jisung felt like dying on the spot. Sliding down his chair, he started to whimper. He screwed up. Pretty badly, if you were to ask him.
‘Chan?’, he asked with a small voice.
‘Yeah?’, the older answer, eyes not detaching from the faces on the board.
‘If I told you I… no nevermind.’, he ended up saying, jaw tight and eyes going back to the board.
Chan cast a side glance to his friend in confusion, but let go. He didn’t want to pry, if his friend wanted to tell him, then he will. However, as Changbin looked at his friend in wonder, and a guess as to what was bothering his friend popped in his mind, and he sincerely hoped he was wrong. Frowning, he shrugged it off, and focused back on his boss too.
‘As you might remember from your lessons on Earth, there was a massive war on Straya 30 years ago. Someone could explain to us what they remember from their classes maybe? Yeah? Ah CB97, go ahead.’, his boss told him with a smile.
Chan – or CB97 – rose from his seat. ‘Thrity years ago, Strays waged a war against humans. We had crossed the line. We wanted too much from them, and took to much. We imposed our ways on them, like dressing like us, talking like us, we created schools so that they could learn our history – all of that was well received. But at one point, humans wanted more.’, he paused, taking a deep breath. ‘We tried to build buildings and facilities on their ground, tried to force them to live in what we deemed to be real houses made of concrete. And to do so, the previous generation of scientists tried to deforest their lands.’ he ended, under a common sharp intake of breath from all the scientists.
JYP nodded.
‘Yes indeed you’re right CB97. And so they became enraged and tried to chase them off of their lands. But, what can a Stray with his wooden weapons and ferocious animals do, against fire-armed men driven by there thirst of power?’
Silence hovered in the air. Chan’s face was filled with sorrow. How could one behave like that, he would never understand. And if Jisung was pale before, it was nothing compared to now. The two of them were always the most empathetic of the unit. Jisung jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing it softly. Jisung raised his head to see Changbin looking down at him with worry.
‘You’re alright?’, he whispered in worry.
Jisung nodded with a small smile and squeezed the hand back, Changbin taking it off of his shoulder a mere second after. Jisung turned to Chan and patted his thigh. Chan looked up with a smile, but the frown on his lips was still slightly visible.
‘Fortunately, some of us were still rebellious enough to not follow this madness. I, along with some other scientists deserted, our trucks filled with guns and bombs. We went to the Strays and offered them help. And so we fought, and eventually won. Unfortunately, most of the elders and adults of their kinds perished in this war, leaving a population of teens, children and newborns. The eldest ones became leaders, and made it a tradition that every 15 years a new one would be elected. These leaders spoke with us, seeking guidance as we were elder than them, but we chose not to influence their judgments. So in the end, humans were forced to go back on Earth, except us, a few selected ones.’, he paused, and looked at Straya 801’s map on the board with a small smile.
‘Afterwards, me – along two other soldiers who lead the rebels – created three agencies and became who we are today: protectors of their realms. However, a wariness had settled in them. They didn’t allow us to touch anything, just letting us observe things from afar. And we understood that. However, one can only hold their curiosity for so long. So we spoke with the new leader, in the hope that he would understand that we want nothing more than to study their nature. Although wary, he allowed us to bring you all here, on Straya. And that brings me to the main point of our meeting: the reason you’re all here.’
He hit the button on his remote, and a gasp filled the room.
‘What the-’, Chan muttered in English, one of the Earth speech he learned from his mother, and taught Jisung and Changbin.
Under their amazed eyes, was a photograph of Straya during night time. This meant that the nature was bioluminescent. JYP cleared his throat.
‘This, is the reason why we’re here. We want to get back this lost trust we once had with Stray in order to be allowed to approach their lands during night time. Of course, we don’t want you to ever try uprooting their beautiful greenery. No, we just want you to study it, so that we’ll be able to reproduce their DNA and with some luck, replicate it on Earth.’, he ended, clasping his hands together.
‘That’s it. That’s why you’re all here. You have only one goal during these 5 years, that is to earn back their trust peacefully, and study their greenery. Can I count on you?’, he demanded with a stern but kind smile.
‘Yes sir!’, they all exclaimed, 3RACHA unit feeling completely thrilled, looking at each others with stars in their eyes.
‘Great. You can go back now.’, JYP ended with a smile and gathered his stuffs.
The 3RACHA unit was getting ready to leave too when Chan groaned.
‘Mattttttes, I’m so hungry. Let’s eat chick-’
‘Spear B?’, a voice asked.
They turned around and bowed to their boss. Changbin gulped. He knew full well what awaits for him.
‘Come meet me in my office after your meal okay?’, his boss asked, and without waiting for an answer left the room.
Jisung’s hand squeezed his arm and Chan wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
‘It’s going to be fine Bin, don’t dwell on it too much, yeah?’, Chan assured him, and Changbin nodded though not convinced at all.
Gulping, he followed his friends outside, suddenly not hungry anymore.– – ‘Congrats guys! Keep going like this and you’ll bring back the title home!’
‘Yeah well done!’
‘Have you seen how 'The Fox' slayed?! It was so impressive!’
‘Yeah I know right?! And Hyunjin’s jump from the tree at the end was so amazing, I swear my hurt stopped beating!’
The two boys smirked at each others as they waved goodbye to the other Strays. Let us not lie, they loved it when they get attention for their fighting skills, and needless to say they were the best duo from the whole clan.
‘Is your shoulder okay though, Hyun? Others may not have seen it but I noticed the way it bumped against the rock.’, Jeongin asked worriedly.
Hyunjin shrugged it off. ‘Yeah don’t worry Jeong. It’s just a bruise.’, he answered with a smile. ‘It’s not gonna stop me from fighting tomorrow!’
‘Yeah I know, god you love the squeals you’re getting every time you do your jump, don’t you?’, he teased.
‘Hell yeah I do. It’s so... satisfying.’
‘You're a Yeshihk.’, he laughed but then remember something. ‘Well, I’ll see you at mine tonight I suppose?’, he asked, although he already knew the answer.
‘You suppose well. Going to your hideout?’, Hyunjin wondered with a brow raised.
‘Yeah. See you then. Have fun teaching the kids how to paint their face for the New Glow Ceremony.’, he teased the boy.
‘Oh man, don’t talk about that please.’, he grunted but smiled and high fived his best friend, before turning around to leave. Jeongin looked around, and once he was sure no one was following him, rushed to his secret hideout. He let out a laugh once he was alone, as he felt the warmth of the Glow caress his skin, and twigs cracking under his feet. Climbing up a tree with ease, he suddenly remembered the way the human did the same yesterday, although clumsily, and how impress he was. He never expected a human to know how to climb a tree, nor run and jump from branches. It was truly impressive.Climbing down a tree, he realized he has reached the border of their territory. In front of him was the neutral ground, a place where every clan was free to roam and chase.He was about to walk past it when something – someone caught his attention from the corner of his eyes. Crawling with the discretion of a fox, he hid behind a turquoise palm tree and peeked from behind it. Bathing in a lac next to a tree, whose water was holographic, was a man back facing him. Jeongin wondered if it was sweat forming on his skin, or simply the mist from the hot water of the lake, as he observed him discreetly.Fingers digging in the tree bark, Jeongin’s mouth fell open as he took in the broad muscled back embellished with tattoos. It was gorgeous and impressive.Leaning closer, curly bangs half falling in front of his eyes, he noticed a big eagle tattoo and gasped silently.Only a few Strays have Eagle tattoos, Minho being one of them. This peculiar tattoo meant that one was a contestant for the leadership of a tribe. After the leader is chosen, this temporary tattoo is removed from every contestant except the leader. So Jeongin looked closer for another tattoo that would indicate which leader this guy was. But he found none.And that’s when it hit Jeongin.The only tribe to still not have change their leaders were the Sureki, because all of their potential leaders are coming of age in three to two years. Looking closely, he gulped and looked for a scar on the guy left shoulder, praying to find none.His eyes met just that.‘Oh my Jae, this is Bang Yedam.’, he screamed in his head and leaned back behind the tree with wide eyes.Bang Yedam was the unspoken soon to be leader of the Sureki Clan. There may have been other contestant for the title, but everyone knew that Yedam was going to be the one. In fact, Jeongin had admired the younger boy for a really long time, as tales spoke of him as someone really gifted. It is said that since he is 10, he’s been viewed as the potential future leader, because apparently he would have killed a ferocious black panther. This tale, true or not, had given him the nickname of ‘The Panther’.Jeongin when he was a kid had wished to be as strong as him, even though at first was envious of the younger, and the attention he was getting. But as he grew up, it became admiration fro the boy and all he achieved. The many tales of his success only strengthened this, and Jeongin desperately wanted to know the boy.But, he knew he never would. He never could.A leader from another tribe would assuredly never pay attention to Jeongin in peculiar when there were so many Strays in this world. In his own eyes, he was not exceptional enough to be noticeable by a tribe leader – other than his brother Minho, that is. And they were not even from the same clan to begin with, so there were only a few odds that they’ll ever meet. Jeongin sighed against his tree and kicked a purple pebble, dejectedly.’I wish he would though...’, he muttered under his breath, pouting slightly.But he shook his head. He’s always been a pragmatic person and knew this would never happen. So not dwelling on this any longer, he admired the boy from afar one last time, and left.– – ‘You asked to see me boss?’Changbin entered the room and watched as JYP looked up from a frame on his desk. Smiling, he lowered it face down on his desk and stood up. ‘Yeah come in Spear B.’JYP moved to stand in front of his window and looked outside. The view offered a beautiful sight: an overview of the Trashee territory. ‘Nice paradise isn’t it?’, his boss voice cutting his contemplation.Changbin was taken aback by the question but nodded. ‘Yes sir.’ ‘I remember the first time I came here.’, his boss suddenly said. ‘I was young and full of curiosity. So, on my first day I couldn’t just stand there and sleep. I had to witness and feel stuffs. So I went out at Glowset.’Changbin eyes widened and he stared at his boss in shock. This, he did not expect.‘I remember it so well, it was beautiful. All this gorgeous nature, shining of all the colors in the world in the dark starry night. I remember it as if it was yesterday. But then I noticed some beautiful plants, and leaned in to touch them. But as soon as I had brushed its petals, a wooden blade was under my neck.’ Changbin gasped and watched as JYP pulled down his turtleneck to reveal a scar. Changbin gasped once more. He never knew of this story.
‘Ho-how?’, he stuttered, voiceless.‘It was a Stray, a woman.’, JYP explained. ‘She chased us from the jungle, and I remember not daring to go out again for two whole weeks because I was too scared of getting killed. That was until the woman I now call my wife forced me outside again.’Laughing slightly at the memory, he turned around and faced Changbin.‘Later on, I learned that this Stray woman behaved like that because at night time their plants and trees produce an energy that is vital for them. She was afraid I would harm this energy and protected it. This devotion she had moved me so much. And from there on, I fought to turn their wariness into trust, so that all of us human could roam this jungle without the fear of dying, and for them Strays to be assured we would not harm their world in any ways.’ ‘That’s amazing sir.’, Changbin assured, not really sure anymore of where this conversation was going.JYP sighed and nodded.‘That was until some of us blew it up and caused a war. There and then, all the trust was gone and none of us was — is safe on Straya, even nowadays on the Trashee territory. The wounds are still fresh in the hearts of these beings’, he explained, his voice strained with sorrow.Moving from his spot, he closed the gap between them and settle his hand on Changbin’s shoulder.‘Do you see now, why I don’t want you to go outside at night time?’, he asked, eyes holding nothing but worry and Changbin nodded‘Although the younger generation may be more understanding than the previous one, they are still very protective of their territory. One wrong step on our behalf, and everything ends here for us. And I don’t even wanna start thinking of all the dangerous creatures lurking in the darkness of Straya’s jungle, ready to tear you apart at any moments. I can’t afford that Spear B. That’s why I made those rules. So that none of you cause a war, but mostly to protect you all.’ Changbin starred at the ground in shame. When he did what he did, he never thought of all it could cause. And yet, he knew he should have for he was aware of the many risks and damage he could have caused. He acted like a kid when he should have been more mature. But this Stray… he made him forget that he was here for work.Shaking his head, he got rid of the freckles in his mind, and looked at his boss seriously.‘I understand sir, I didn’t think my actions could cause such disaster. But I should have act like an adult, this was unforgivable on my part. I’ll gladly accept any punishment sir.’, he ended with a bow.JYP simply laughed and asked him to stand up straight.‘Well, you didn’t know the whole true after all, but how could you have? I usually don’t anyone of the true richness of Straya’s biodiversity because it might cause... complications, if you see what I mean? We humans are curious and thirsty beings after all. I can’t trust all of you with this secret Spear B., so I do hope I made the right decision by making you aware of it.’‘Your secret is safe sir.’‘Good. So Spear B., if you promise me not to act rashly again and follow the rules I made from now on, it shall be enough for me.’ Changbin nodded. ‘Yes sir I under- wait what?’, he asked incredulously, forgetting for a moment that he was talking to his boss.‘You heard me the first time.’‘Really?’, he breathed out in relief.‘Yeah really. Mistakes happen every time Spear B. Plus, you didn’t cause any damages. All is fine for me. You’ll learn from it, I’m sure of it, and that’s what matters.’, he smiled and went back to his seat. ‘But I’m curious though, why did you stay outside? There must have been something right? The bioluminescence I suppose?’Changbin sputtered and looked to the side in shame. If his boss only knew…‘Well, yeah that, and also... I met a Stray sir.’, he admitted reluctantly.‘You did?’, his boss blurted out in shock.‘Yeah... and I was fascinated by him. And then of course, the bioluminescent phenomena happened and I just- I couldn’t leave without drawing any sketches of it. These two factors made me stay there.’JYP stared at him, mouth agape. Changbin squirmed on the spot, clearly uncomfortable.‘You- you say a Stray allowed you to stay in their territory on night time? Unbelievable.’Changbin nodded and looked outside absentmindedly.‘I know sir, now that you said how meaningful this bioluminescence is for them, I fail to register why it let me stay.’‘Fascinating indeed. Go on, what happened next?’‘I drew a bit. Then, next thing I knew, I was waking up in the same field with no Stray in sight and a bowl of warm fruits next to me.’, he explained to his boss.JYP stayed silent for a moment in deep thoughts and finally, spoke up. ‘While I understand that this Stray was fascinated by you as it was probably the first time it saw a human, I don’t get why it would allow you to stay in the jungle during the night. And why would it keep guard for you during the night or give you food? That’s unexplainable.’ Changbin furrowed his brows. What exactly was his boss speaking about?‘Keep guard, sir?’, he voiced his thoughts.‘Oh Spear B. You didn’t really think you slept peacefully in an unknown jungle with no harm done to you out of sheer luck, did you?’, his boss asked, incredulous.‘I didn’t really ponder on it sir?’, he admitted, feeling kind of stupid for not thinking about it before.But his boss simply shook his head.‘I understand. I see that you’re still in a daze.’, he nodded and then clasped his hands, startling Changbin. ‘Well, now that everything is settled, I hope you’ll get back on track soon. Don’t forget why we’re here alright son?’‘Yes sir.’, he nodded. He won’t.JYP smiled and waved him off. ‘Great. You can go now.’ Changbin bowed and left the room. And as he looked outside at the Glowset, one last thought of hazelnut glowing eyes longingly invaded in his mind.– – ‘Wowowow calm down beauty!’, Seungmin calmed down his excited Pali, his hands patting her strong jaw.‘Well, seems like your girl is in a hurry today.’, Minho chuckled. ‘Has she met someone?’Seungmin whined.‘I don’t know man, but I hope not! If she fell pregnant during this month, how am I suppose to compete on the New Glow Ceremony's ordeals? I wanna compete against the other tribes!’, he complained, and hugged his Pali’s neck. ‘You can’t fall pregnant this month alright?’Minho snickered beside him and patted his own black stripped coated and red eyed Pali. ‘You should have paired with a male, you wouldn’t face so many troubles.’, he teased his friends.‘Shut up! What will you do if yours is the father huh?’, Seungmin shot back, and Minho paled.‘Shit. No way. I don’t want my Pali to be affiliated with yours, thank you!’, he grimaced.Seungmin sat up straight and faked gasped.‘Excuse me?’, he scoffed. ‘My beauty here is perfectly perfect. The finest in this whole realm. You should be honored if she ever chose yours. Even if I don’t want it.’It was Minho’s turn to gasp.‘Please Minie, mine is the best male out there.’, he stated, rolling his eyes.‘Yours was the most arrogant prick out of his whole litter.’, he smirked. ‘It’s still a wonder to everyone why he chose a soft puff like you to be his rider.’Minho whined and hugged his Pali. ‘Don’t listen to him. You made the best choice here, man. I love you~’Seungmin rolled his eyes playfully, and was about to reply, but suddenly his Pali trotted forward, seemingly in a hurry.‘Wow hey, slow down, what is it?’, Seungmin asked, trying to get it to slow down, to no avail.‘Seungmin wait up!’, Minho exclaimed, going after him.Seungmin watched curiously where his Pali was leading him, and felt his breath hitch the moment it came in sight.There, leaning against a tree, shaded by its long yellow palms, was Hyunjin, looking at him in equal shock. His Pali came to a stop before Hyunjin and nuzzled its muzzle against his torso.‘Wow hey- hello there?’, Hyunjin chuckled, looking up at Seungmin with a smile. ‘Hey Seung, how was the training?’‘Gr-great.’, he stuttered, and mentally slapped himself for it. ‘I don’t understand. Why did she came to you?’Hyunjin looked up with a frown.‘Wait. You mean that you didn’t lead her here?’‘No.’‘Man that’s weird. Is she sick?’Minho trudge towards them, having already let his own Pali on the lose, and high fived Hyunjin.‘I told Minie that she might be pregnant?’, he said playfully and Hyunjin laughed.‘Yeah sure.’, Seungmin scoffed. ‘Then why would she come to Hyunjin? Are you a midwife now?’Minho burst out laughing and Hyunjin punched Seungmin in the arm, flustered, but winced slightly afterward. This, did not escape Seungmin. Feeling a wave of worry take over him, he got down from his Pali, and send her away, before turning to the taller male with stern eyes.Hyunjin resisted the urge to smile at his friend’s cuteness.‘Show me.’, the younger demanded.‘What?’, Hyunjin said, raising a brow.‘You know what I’m talking about. So show me, or I’m punching you till I find where you’re hurt.’Hyunjin sighed and began to take off his shirt, both boys flustering a bit. But he moment Seungmin saw the bruise, it was forgotten.‘Hyunie, that’s...’, he gasped, looking at the purple bruise in worry.‘It’s nothing, just a bruise.’, he mumbled, staring down at the boy in front of him with soft eyes when he noticed the worry in his own.Seungmin wrapped tentative fingers around his friend’ s arm and winced when the elder flinched. Looking up with worry, he sputtered when he found Hyunjin’s eyes already on him, and immediately looked down.‘Damn puberty, why did you have to make it awkward...’, he thought, absolutely mortified by his reactions. But Hyunjin only chuckled and smiled in adoration. And the unexpected happened.In a moment of bravery, he raised his hand and Seungmin watched as he moved. The second after, he gasped, feeling cold knuckles graze his warm cheeks tenderly. Against his will, he cursed when a blush grazed his face.‘Ya. Don’t worry Seungie, I don’t like it. Makes me worry more, dumbass.’, Hyunjin groaned, looking down at him with a playful nut fond smile, letting his hand drop back in place.Seungmin hit his guts playfully and smiled back at him, all tension from earlier forgotten.‘Let’s go home. We need to heal this.’, he declared.Stepping back, he turned around and saw that Minho had been joined by Felix and Woojin. They were talking a little not so far away from them, close to the edge of the yellow grass covered hill they were standing on. Looking up, he figured out that they must have just arrived, as he saw two flying creatures flying away in the bright blue sky. Taking Hyunjin’s hand in his, and purposely ignoring the way he felt because of the touch, he ran to the other boys.‘Hey guys!’, he exclaimed, letting go of his friend to wrap himself around Felix. Hyunjin took this opportunity to go hug his older friend – Woojin.‘How did flying lessons go?’, Hyunjin asked the boys.‘Great!’, Felix exclaimed with a huge smile. ‘My Young Wings (A/N: The bird-pterodactyl from the prologue) almost got bit by a child one though.’, he frowned.Everyone winced. They all knew how wild Young Wings were. While one can ride adults Young Wings, children ones are really dangerous.‘Well, no harm was done, that’s what matters.’, Minho exclaimed.‘And you guys, are you ready for the Ceremony’s ordeals?’, Woojin asked with an excited smile.‘Yup! Minho and I are ready to beat the other champions!’, Seungmin exclaimed, high fiving his best friend. ‘I wished we could win the title this year though. It’s been five years since the last time our tribe won.’Everyone nodded. Since the friendly game was held fifteen years ago, every tribes of Straya gathered for a week to celebrate the New Glow and their own version of Mother Nature; Jae. Of course, to make it more fun, little ordeals were held, in which champions from each tribes competed for the title of winner. Though this was a friendly game, everyone was taking it seriously and getting ready at least one month in advance.And this year, all of them were competing as champions, which makes it all the more exciting.‘Jeongin is not with you Hyun?’, Minho asked suddenly.‘No. He went you know where, like everyday. C’mon let’s go home, I’m so hungry!’‘Oh my Jae, I’ve been craving for meat!’, Felix complained, and everyone rolled their eyes. Typical. – – ‘Ah finally I’m done!’, Jeongin exclaimed, collapsing on his cave sandy ground.Wiping off paint from his cheeks, he turned his head to the side and gasped. Glow was setting.‘Shit. I didn’t realize I took this long.’, he muttered, getting up from his spot and dusting his spot. Looking up at his paintings he felt a blush creep up his cheeks. If Bang Yedam ever stumble here, Jeongin is definitively leaving this planet.Here, on the wall in front of him, painted in blues and oranges on the rock, was Bang Yedam’s broad back, replicate in the exact position he’d witness him in earlier this day.‘Oh my Jae, I’m done for if he ever sees that...’, Jeongin whined, slapping his cheeks.But looking at the drawing reminded him of the lake. A lake.Looking down at his paint covered self, he decided to go to take a bath in the holographic lake from the neutral territory.Going outside, he was met with the bioluminescent jungle and the beautiful starry sky. Taking a deep inhaled of the fresh plants and wood, he smiled and strolled his way to the neutral grounds.Reaching the lake, he squealed in joy when he noticed there was no one else in it. Taking off his clothes, but keeping his underwear on -- you never know when you'll have to run in this jungle, and he'd rather not show his mini-Jeongin to the whole world, thank you. -- he ascended into the warm holographic water, and rubbed the paint off of himself. After he was done, he decided to just float on the surface, letting the current rock him in the calm night. The only sound craddling him was the one of the night bugs, and he smiled contently at the familiar soothing sound, closing his eyes and drifting off. But he snapped back his eyes open in an instant. Suddenly, something is grabbing his ankle. In a matter of seconds, his instincts of fighter kicked in : He ducked into water and tried to grab the thing holding onto him.However, nothing ever goes his way. Instead, the thing let go of his ankle, and he finds himself grabbed by the hips, brought back out of water and flipped over onto the turquoise grass in a loud thud.Jeongin winced in pain, momentarily forgetting to fight back. His body was throbbing, the only thing soothing him being the soft holo water trickling down the grass along his curves. The thing – or rather the strong person laughed a deep laugh, taking him out of his daze.Jeongin slowly peeled his eyes open, pain still evident on his features. His eyes met a broad smug grin and a body hovering his. Said person was pinning him to the ground by his shoulders, one forearm next to his head, the other against his shoulder blades.‘What the...’, he thought, still shaken and sore from the hit he just took, and the ones he took earlier on during his fighting lessons. He tried to breath in but his stomach was crushed by a knee and he cursed in his head. Gaining back his senses, he raised his eyes upward to see the face of his opponent, cursing at the wet curls half blocking his view.But the moment his eyes settled on the ones of the person in holding him back, his breath hitched.Here in front of him, pinning him to the ground and smirking down at him, was none other than the person he had only dared to dream meeting, Bang Yedam. ‘So, you’re ‘The Fox’ I’ve heard so much about?’ ~~~~~~~> To be continued.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Changbin pushed the door open with a sigh. This meeting with his boss had truly exhausted him and now he only wished for slee-‘Chang!’That’s the only warning he got before a body slammed into his, strong arms holding him tight, his face getting smashed in the process into a broad shoulder.‘What the fuck..’, he thought, not having time to process what was happening. Grunting but allowing the hug, he dislodged his face and was faced with a tuft of silver hair. ‘Hey Chan’, he muttered tiredly against his leader.Chan nodded and let go of him, walking further into their shared flat. Changbin followed, sitting on a plastic chair by their iron table, half leaning against it. Eyes half-opened, he watched his friend sit on the edge of Jisung’s bed. Changbin’s gaze fell on the later who was already sleeping soundly, snuggled deeply into his navy blue covers, with only a mop of chestnut hair visible. Chan noticed his gaze and smiled.‘He fell asleep waiting for you.’, he explained as Changbin nodded. ‘So? What’s up?’Changbin blinked and looked blankly at the brown wall, which was slightly lightened up by the light emitted outside by Straya 801’s own moon. This single fact reminded him of the night he spent outside, and brought him back to his speech with JYP. Shaking his head, he sighed. He still couldn’t believe that JYP let it go just like that.‘Absolutely nothing.’, he answered in slight disbelief.Chan frowned. What exactly was his friend speaking about? Surely their boss would have punish Changbin for his behavior. ‘What? What do you mean mate?’, he exclaimed clearly confused.Changbin rubbed his forehead tiredly. ‘I had a small talk with our boss, and long story short he understood what I did. He told me that if I don’t do it again it’d be fine.’, Changbin explained, blinking his eyes stupidly, clearly having troubles acknowledging that he was left off the hook.‘You’re saying that there will be no punishment?’Changbin nodded. ‘That’s it.’Chan leaned back and whistled. ‘That’s unbelievable..’‘What will be unbelievable are the bruises you’re gonna wake up with, if you don’t shut up now.’, a clearly pissed off and hoarse voice suddenly interrupted their talk.Both boys turned to the bed – the obvious source of the outburst – and gulped. While Jisung might be a total sweetheart in everyday life, once you interrupt his sleep, he is no more.‘Sorry.’, they both whispered, and Chan leaned down to pat his hair before leaving for the bathroom. Changbin stood up too, sleepiness taking over his body once more. Not bothering to change but shrugging off his jacket, he lifted his body on his mattress with the little strength he had left. Sighing in contentment, he snuggled in his bed cover and reached for his data pad. That was an old habit of his, and there was absolutely no nights where he had not look at it before sleeping. However his thumb paused over the unlocking key. If he unlocked it, he would probably see his drafts of the bioluminescent nature he drew yesterday… and remember this encounter with – Changbin shook his head.No. He shouldn’t think back on it. It could have brought him troubles and he will never see it- him- whatever this creature is, again. Period.Unlocking his datapad with no more second thoughts, he rummaged through it a bit and-‘HOLLY SHIT!’, he suddenly screamed in the quiet room, sitting up in his bed, and scaring the shit out of his roommate.‘For fuck sake.’, groaned a sleeping Jisung, face palming in annoyance.‘How- What-’, Changbin’s rant was interrupted by a pillow hitting him square in the face. ‘What the fuck Han Jisung?!’, he yelled at the other boy who was making his way over him. Said boy picked back up his pillow and sat on the bed, facing him.‘That was for all your screaming. And you better have an explanation for it.’, he stated grumpily but curiously.Changbin looked at him with wide eyes and shoved the pad against him. ‘Look.’Jisung did, and raised an eyebrow. ‘Ok? So, what’s new? I see nothing wrong, these are your notes and… Oh. They are not your notes, right?’, he exclaimed with wide eyes.Changbin took back his pad, nodding. ‘Yeah. They aren’t. But I don’t understand who-’. Changbin stop talking and felt his soul left his body in that instant.No way.‘Bin?’, Jisung questioned worriedly.‘Oh my god.’‘Yah. Answer me Schmurf- OUch okay sorry man, don’t hit me!’, he whined, rubbing his soon-to-be bruised arm.‘Serves you right squirrel. Anyway, I think I know who did that.’‘Who?’‘Felix.’, he stated looking at his brother in the eyes. Jisung just blinked.‘Who?’, he blurted out, clearly wondering if his friend had gone crazy or if he was just in bad need of sleep.‘Felix, I mean, the Stray I was with yesterday.’, he explained, looking through the few sketches of plants and animals, each labeled with a name – that he failed to read – and a location. It was incredible. ‘How did that Stray even managed to work this pad out? They don’t know a thing about technology!’A hand patted his shoulder. ‘Yeah exactly. So that means it couldn’t have been him. These sketches are probably yours, I think that you have inhaled too much Strayan air Chang, it’s impacting your brain obviously. You, my friend, are in deep need of sleep.’, Jisung stated, crossing his arms.‘Wha- no I’m not going crazy Ji! And how could it have been me, when I don’t know of these species?’, he questioned, trying to prove his point to his friend.‘… True.’, Jisung conceded. ‘But then, how?’‘… Wait, come to think of it, it’s pretty logical that he would know what to do!’, he half-yelled jumping on his spot, relieved to have found a logical answer.Jisung raised a brow, clearly doubtful. ‘Yeah?’‘I spent the night drawing with him by my side- stop smirking you moron. Anyways, he watched everything I did, and if he knows how to draw, then it would have been easy for him to know how to work this shit out.’, he concluded.Jisung hummed. ‘Fair enough. But you’ll never know so...’, he shrugged, and Changbin sighed. His friend was right. Why get so worked up over it? He should simply settle for being glad that the Stray did that.‘Hey, Binie, don’t be like that. I know it seems like you need to see him again, but remember that it’s because he was the first Stray you ever met. You’ll met others and this first encounter will remain forever magical, yeah, but eventually the longing will fade.’, Jisung said softly to him, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly.‘Yeah, yeah I know. I just need time… like you do, right?’, he asked, glancing at his friend who tensed.‘I..’‘Don’t lie Ji. I’ve seen your reaction at the meeting this afternoon when the Sureki leader- Lee Minho I think? Yeah, when he was mentioned, I saw the way you paled. You met him right?’, Changbin explained, cautiously eyeing his friend’s reaction. Jisung bit his lip and lowered his head. ‘What happened Ji?’Jisung sighed. ‘I think I fucked up big.’‘What do you mean?’‘He was the one who threw me out. And… I’m afraid I severed something between them and us, that I shouldn’t have entered their territory at night. Chang, you should have seen the way he looked at me!’, he whined, kicking his feet in the air, face buried in his hands.‘Explain.’‘He… looked at me with a gaze so dark that it send chills down my spine. And trust me, with the way he shoved me, it only meant one thing: ‘Never come back.’ And I understand why he did that, now that we know they don’t trust us. He must have been scared. But still, I feel like I stepped over their boundaries.’, he muttered dejectedly.Changbin hummed, rubbing his friend’s back absent mindlessly. ‘I see. Don’t worry, I’m sure he was just afraid as you said. After all, you simply followed the other Stray, so I don’t think he would hold it against you.’‘You don’t know that.’, Jisung sighed, gazing outside.‘Neither do you.’, the other scientist pointed out, leaning back against the wall.‘So I was right.’, a voice suddenly interrupted, making both boys jumped on their spot.‘Shit Chan, since when are you here?!’, exclaimed Jisung, a hand against his chest trying to calm his heart. ‘You scared us man!’Chan leaned against the bathroom doorway, dressed in sweatpants and a towel around his neck. ‘Sorry guys. And I was here long enough to hear who this Felix dude is, and your little adventure with the Stray leader.’Jisung grunted and slid down the bed. Chan chuckled and turned to Changbin. ‘So, mind explaining to me what this Felix dude did?’, he asked with a smug grin, his eyebrows raising up playfully.Changbin grunted and closed his eyes. Here they go again. – – ‘So, you’re ‘The Fox’ I’ve heard so much about?’ Bang Yedam.Jeongin blinked. Bang Yedam was in front – sorry, on him.The poor boy could not do anything but stare at him blankly, his brain refusing to work anymore. So instead, he opted to blink again. Only when the other chuckled at his expression, did he realized what the younger had told him.‘You- you know me?’, he wondered out loud, eyes as big as saucers. ‘Of course. Everyone has heard of The Fox.’, Yedam grinned, looking like he won a huge price, and all Jeongin could do was, once again, stare. He never thought someone outside the tribe would know of ‘The Fox’, and definitely not Yedam, the boy he’d dreamed of meeting! The boy above him rose his eyebrows at his lack of answer, and shifted on him, still not letting go of his arms.And that’s when his brain started to work again. Yedam straddling him and calling him The Fox – it only meant one thing: The soon to be leader had no idea who ‘Jeongin’ is, he only knew of The Fox. And now, he wanted to fight him, hence why he took him by surprise in the lake.Jeongin cursed at his stupidity and for letting his hopes up. Of course, Bang Yedam had no idea who he really was. He is only interested in the fighter that he is and in what everyone had been saying about The Fox, not Jeongin. But you see, Jeongin is not one to let stuffs and feelings get to him. He is a fighter. One of the best in the tribe. He is The Fox. And The Fox never backs down from a fight. And if that’s what Yedam really wants, then he’ll get it. So Jeongin used the fact that the other had let his guard down to kick him in the guts.Yedam huffed in pain and surprise, and Jeongin grabbed the blue grass with his hands and tried to stand up. But it would be naive to think that Yedam would let him go like that. The later tripped him as he was about to rise, and made him fall again, flat on his chest. His chin slammed against the wet mud, making him hiss in pain.Jeongin cursed. Damn, Yedam was a great fighter. And yeah, so was Jeongin. But Jeongin was too hungry from not eating since lunch, and too sore from the fights from earlier on. This means that he was too weak to fight back with all his strength. But that didn’t mean he would give up. Jeongin might admire Yedam, but here, it’s only The Fox against The Panther – no pity for opponents.So, without missing a beat, and using an old trick he learned back in school, he caught Yedam’s feet with his own and twisted his ankle. The boy hissed at the pain and lose his balance, falling forward onto Jeongin.Taking advantage of the situation, Jeongin turned around, facing a falling Yedam once more. He tried to sit up once again, gripping the blue grass harder with his toes this time, heels digging into the mud, and raised his hands to hold Yedam in a choke hold. Succeeding, he pulled up his legs to wrap them around the soon to be leader’s waist, but Yedam fought back and grabbed his thighs in a firm hold before Jeongin could wrap them around him. When fingernails pushed in his flesh, Jeongin hissed in pain and loosened his choke hold.Breath heaving and unable to move, Jeongin eyes darted to the sides in a rush, trying to come up with a plan to fight the other Stray off. Yedam chuckled darkly in victory and slightly let go of his thighs. But that was a bad move on his side.Licking his dried lips, making him look like a predator, Yedam began to taunt the older, ‘So, you’re giving u- Oof!’ However The Panther’s breath was cut off of his lungs the instant Jeongin – who had freed his legs and kicked him in the process -- tried to flipped them over. However, he only half succeed as Yedam fell on his side but caught himself, leaning on his elbow, grunting as he struggled to catch his breath. Jeongin took this as a cue, and scrambled to stand up.Now was his chance.Being swift and sly as a fox, he lost no time and lunged forward. In a swift move, his fingers took hold roughly of the soon to be leader’s soft dark locks, holding tightly onto them as he leaped forward. Pushing his feet off of the ground, he wrapped his legs around Yedam’s throat, pulling him in, and maintaining his head pressed against his stomach in a choke hold.Jeongin smirked in victory. There was no way The Panther could get out of his hold now. The Fox had won.Little did he know that this move was his biggest mistake.He should not have underestimated Yedam. He was not known as the Panther for nothing after all. And if he had fought off and killed a panther before, a fox would not resist him.And so, Yedam took advantage of the situation. Breath cut short, but still full of strength – thanks his stamina – with his free large hands, he grabbed Jeongin waist. The Fox frowned. What was the other doing? But in the next second, he could only blink and watch the next events unfold before his wide eyes.Inexplicably, and wondering where the hell the younger’s strength came from, Jeongin watched as Yedam pushed forward. Jeongin winced as his back hit the ground with a thud. In the next second, Yedam rolled the both of them on the grass toward – Jeongin eyes widened. Oh shit.Barely even having time to hold his breath, the both of them were flung by Yedam underwater. Jeongin automatically tried to untangled himself from him. His whole body finally detached itself from the other boy, but he was pushed downward by the current. Jeongin was clearly not expecting this outcome. If this fall doesn’t kill him, Minho definitely would. Closing his eyes and knowing his skull will soon be thrown harshly against the rocky ground, he held his breath, and brace himself for the impact to come.And it would have been the case, if not for the warm hand wrapping itself on the back of his head, long fingers tangling themselves into his soft wet curls. His whole self was pushed upward by this hand, and a warm and strong body – as strong as his – was suddenly closing around his own, one arm around his shoulders, keeping him in a steady hold. Jeongin opened his eyes slightly, eyeballs immediately burning because of the water, and they fell on a scar on his savior’s shoulder.Yedam.His body suddenly start moving upward, the boy swimming them back to the surface. A few seconds later, he emerged from the surface, leaning heavily on the other arms. Coughing and close to fainting, Jeongin opened his eyes to the sight of a very wet Yedam… laughing hysterically?Jeongin raised a brow, unimpressed. Did the dude realize that they almost died? Why was he laughing like a Yeshihk? God this fellow was crazy. All of that for a fight! About to snap at the boy, Jeongin stopped himself almost immediately, as the situation dwell on him.Did he just fought against the Sureki tribe’s soon to be leader?Okay he was the mad one.How could he have done such thing?! Yes, he might admire Yedam, and yes, he might have wanted to show off, but he really needs to keep his hormones and pride at bay! That was uncalled for, and what if someone had seen it? It could be perceived as an act of war between their two clans for Jae’s sake! Jeongin looked on the side, ashamed from going on a battle against this boy. But his guilt was cut short and he was taken by surprise by his next words, ‘You are amazing.’, Yedam suddenly blurted out.Jeongin blushed right away at the compliment, and turned to look at him, completely shocked. ‘So-sorry ?’, he asked, mentally slapping himself for stuttering. But Yedam only looked at him with pure awe in his eyes.‘You are the first one to succeed hitting me.’, he stated firmly.Jeongin’s mind went blank. Was the dude serious or – and then, it dwell on him that he had indeed hit the guy more than once. Mortified and wanting to defend himself, he rubbed his arm and looked to the side, ‘I-! It wasn’t on purpose, you initiated it, so I had to fight back.. It was just my pride, it is not amazing..’‘Yeah, maybe, I don’t care. But you are the first one who managed to pull up a fight. A real one.’ A pause. ‘Yeah. You are the one.’ Jeongin gulped as Yedam was looking at him with glee in his dark eyes. No one, apart from his brother, had ever looked at him like that, and honestly Jeongin wasn’t sure he was comfortable with that. Adverting his own eyes to look at the holographic water they were in, feeling a little bit self-conscious, he started to play with it, not knowing what else to do or say next. Yes, he was uncomfortable with the look, but then again the boy he had basically admired his whole life had just praised him. Yes he fought him, and almost killed him, but he acknowledged Jeongin – well the fighter part of him at least. Wanting to step back, his feet numb from swimming on the same spot for so long, he realized their close proximity. They were less than one meter apart, Yedam’s hands still on his hips. He gulped slightly at their situation. That was so uncalled for. Jeongin sighed. There were too many troubles for just one night. It wasn’t their nudity that was disturbing him, after all most of them were half-naked throughout the whole day. No, it wasn’t that, nudity has never been taboo on Straya, they were born like this, they had nothing to hide – though, he must admit that Yedam was quit fine to look at. Jeongin peeked at his torso and gulped. Yup, while he himself was perfectly build too, Yedam definitely had the built suited for a leader. But no, it was rather their proximity that disturbed him. Someone could easily misinterpret the… intimacy of the situation. Two beings, so close to each other in a bath, at night time, would not have had been cared for, usually. But here, we’re dealing with Bang Yedam, a soon to be leader. And that, that could be quite controversial. Especially since they aren’t from the same tribe. So Jeongin cleared his throat awkwardly and grabbed Yedam forearms, softly but firmly, in an attempt to detached himself. Cautiously, he tried to step back. But as soon as he tried, the hands on his waist tightened, and Yedam brought him even closer than he was before. Jeongin not expecting that move at all, almost slipped on the slippery rocks. But thanks to his fighter’s reflex, he caught himself.Okay, now he was really beginning to feel uncomfortable – and let’s not lie here, he was flustered from being so close to the boy he had always admire. But still, he was a future leader for Jae’s sake! He shouldn’t be behaving so.. so carelessly, people could start to believe things ! They were truly lucky no one was around this area at the moment. Gulping, Jeongin tried to steady his voice and spoke up ‘I need to go Yeshi-Yedam, can you-’‘Your name.’, the other interrupted him. Jeongin looked up dumbstruck. Had he heard right? ‘Huh ?’ ‘What’s your name ?’, he repeated again, seemingly eager to know the answer.Jeongin’s mouth went agape. Why would Yedam want his name? He wanted to fight The Fox, right? Then why did he need his real name? Why would he want to know him? Deciding he was asking himself too many questions, Jeongin shook his head and decided to grant the younger his wish ‘Jeongin.’, he answered with a firm voice. But before he could add anything else Yedam let him go and waved him off. Jeongin’s brow twitched. As mush as he admired the boy, he was way too unpredictable and rude at times. ‘Go. You seem in a hurry.’, Yedam simply said and turned his back to him, getting out of the water. Jeongin watched bewildered. ‘Al..right ?’, he shrugged and stepped out of the water too. Starting to walk away, Jeongin felt the urge to turn around. Should he? But then, that would be creepy… But it might also be the last time he encounters the boy – though his gut feelings told him otherwise. Curiosity getting the best of him, Jeongin cursed under his breath and turned around to see if he was still there.He wasn’t.Cursing at his stupidity, Jeongin turned around and walked home. He never noticed once, that all along his hand was loosely wrapped around his wrist, where faint bruises made by Yedam laid. – – With the end of this fateful night, Straya’s inhabitants’ lives went on, and so did 3RACHA’s ones. One week had past since, and like Jisung had said, the longing to see these Strays once again slowly began to fade away. And like Minho had said, the longing to see these humans once more slowly began to fade away too. Both kinds went back to their old lives, the Strays preparing for the New Glow Ceremony, the champions training again and again for the ordeals that were to come, while our three scientists focused back on their mission, and decided to look for the species Felix had entered in Changbin’s datapad.That, my friends, is how Jisung got lost in the jungle.Said boy knocked his head against a tree bark, cursing at himself. He simply wanted to look for an unknown flower, and decided to follow the map in his own datapad, promising to rejoin the other two boys once he was done. Plot twist, his datapad ran out of battery. Yup, he was the noob who forgot to charge it the night before.Grunting, he hugged the tree, trying to think of a way out of this. ‘C’mon Jisung, focus.’, he muttered outloud, trying to calm his breath. ‘Thinking like a human is useless in this area. Think like a Stray Jisung… What would a Stray do if they get lost?’, he bit his lip in concentration, feeling the bark rubbing against hi cheek, and the wind blowing softly against his hair. The Glow was high in the sky as it was noon, shinning brightly down the jungle, sky a beautiful cyan blue, dotted with thin orange clouds. Listening to the sounds in the jungle to calm himself, a smile tugged at his lips when he heard the chirps of small birds-like animals and the soft buzz of these pinks bugs he hated back on day one. Hearing the whistle of the wind, brushing his ear shells he breath out, and reminded himself to think. And when a soft warm breeze brush past him, almost as if the wind had whispered in his ears, Jisung opened his eyes. He knew what to do. The answer was here all along.Opening his eyes and smiling in victory he detached himself from the tree, and took off his shoes. Tying the laces against his backpack straps, he took a breath and search for the tallest tree. Finding it, he began to climb up. He might not have the agility of a Stray, but he was flexible enough to climb a tree properly. Reaching a branch high enough after a while, he lowered himself on it with a contented smile.Before him was a panoramic view of Straya’s jungle.Giggling he slumped down on a branch and enjoyed the view a bit. He could now see the top of the trees, they were made of beautiful turquoise and golden yellow palm leaves. Some had little fruits hanging from them, others were full of little animals he could not clearly see from afar. Then, at the end of the jungle were the mountains Changbin desperately wanted to climb on, and Jisung smiled, knowing that eventually he would. Then he also saw a vast- was that a sea? Going closer to the edge of the his branch, he squinted his eyes. Yeah, that seemed like a sea and a vast expense of white sand. Jisung’s breath was cut short. He had never seen a sea or an ocean in his life. That was the first time. And he was mesmerized by it’s beauty, the Glow shinning just above it. How much he wished he could go there. But he probably couldn’t.If JYP had never told them of this sea, that means it was off limits. It probably belonged to another clan. Shaking his head, and having found his way back, he was about to go down when he heard a whimper.‘What was that...’, he muttered curiously.Frowning, he looked for the source of the sound, and found it a few meters away, down on ground level. And his eyes widened when he saw what was happening. Scrambling down the tree, not caring about his movements and the many cuts it created on his bare hands and feet, he took off in a rush the moment he reached the ground. Praying to arrive on time, he breath in relief when he saw that he made it.Hurrying to the scene, he stepped into the small steam of water and kneeled down.In front of him was a young girl – 10 years old to the most. She had olive skin with a lot of freckles, and green eyes. Her dark brown hair was messy and damp but it seemed to Jisung that they were curly. Jisung would have squealed at her cuteness if she wasn’t crying and clutching a spear desperately against her torso.Her eyes widened the moment she saw Jisung appear in front of her, ans she seemed about to scream in fright, but Jisung stopped her by smiling kindly at her. Knowing it was useless to speak, as she wouldn’t understand him, he looked down with a frown.The poor kid’s foot was stuck between two small underwater boulders, twisted in a way that seemed painful if she tried to move. Looking up, he saw the child looking at something behind him in fear, and Jisung suddenly had shivers running down his spine. Slowly turning his head around, his heart miss a beat at what he saw. There was a tall orange bird-pterodactyl like animal, like the one they saw the first day! Except this one looked beautifully dangerous. It was eyeing them with what could only be blood lust in the eyes. Jisung took note of the two spears stuck in the grass next to it – obvious failed attempts of the girl to kill it – but a third one was stuck in its left wing. That must be the reason why it is not yet flying toward them. But Jisung saw the way it was trying to dislodge the spear from its wing to launch at them. He only had little time.‘Fuck my life.’, he decided, regretting his past actions.Turning back to the little girl, he tried to think fast. He was gonna have to kill the bird anyways, the beast would chase them otherwise, and… Jisung had rather not think of it. Shaking his head he looked at the boulders. He would have to break it to dislodge the foot. But how? Oh, right. He had a gun.Taking his gun out quickly he looked at the now terrified girl, and pointed at the boulders. He mimed hitting them with the back of his gun, and pointed at the girl. Gesturing to her own foot, he mimed the act of pulling, hoping she would get his message. The girl nodded in a hurry, and Jisung readied himself. He was about to smash it down when they heard a shrilling screech – the animal. It had probably freed itself. The girl trembled, and went to look at the animal, but Jisung needed her to be relaxed – as relaxed as one could get in this situation at least, so he took hold of her cheek, and positioned her face in front of his.‘Me. Look at me alright.’, he ordered, keeping the eye contact. The girl might not understand a word he said, but the actions seemed enough as she nodded and looked at him. Smiling, he gulped and without waiting a second hit the boulder with the back of his gun. The action made horrible noises, making the animal behind them more frenetic, and Jisung prayed the boulder would broke soon. And it seemed like his prayers were heard as the boulder started to crack. With a last strong hit, his gun twisted and the boulder split. The girl wasted not time and pulled her foot out, screaming in relief, and perhaps pain too.But it was too late.Her scream was the last noise that drove the beast mad, and it flapped its wing launching toward them. Out of reflex, Jisung took the kid in his arms and shielded her, as she clutched strongly on him, face buried in his shirt. He held her tight, hoping to take the major hit, as the young girl bravely snuck both of her hands out and placed them on his back, holding her spear out. She silently prayed that the Young Wing would get hit by it, and that it would save the both of us.Feeling the beast get closer to the both of them Jisung tensed, feeling tears dripping down his cheeks. He never thought he would die today, but the unpredictable was what he signed for by coming on Straya right? At least he would die for saving an innocent. Perhaps, his actions would mend for the mistake he made one week ago by entering the Trashee clan leader’s house?Waiting for the blow, he thought back to his brothers. How he wished he would see them again. And unexpectedly, a face appeared in his mind. Lee Minho. How he wished he could have said sorry…Sobbing in unison with the little girl he closed his eyes tight. A piercing screech blew past his ears. This was going to hurt. It didn’t hurt. Instead, he felt nothing at all. Was he already dead? Opening his eyes however, he saw that he was still in the jungle and that the girl was crying in his arms. But she had let go of her spear, and was now hugging him tightly, sobbing against his shirt hysterically. Jisung stared blankly in front of them, did she actually succeed to save them?Looking around, he twisted his head around but frowned when he saw the girl’s spear lying next to them in the steam. Id she did not hit the animal, then what – his eyes widened when he saw the animal lying one meter behind them, dead, a long spear, with a pale blue feather hanging from its base, lodged in its head. It was dead. Meaning they were alive.That’s when his nerves broke.He started crying hysterically too, and hugged the kid against him tightly. It was a miracle. He didn’t know who did that, who saved them, since no one was around or coming out to retrieve there weapon. But they were alive and unwound, and that, that was all that mattered. – – – – ‘Man I’m so tired!’, complained Changbin as they walked back to their meet up point. They had followed the instructions written down by Felix on Changbin’s datapad. It had led them to a beautiful place where they had witnessed thousands of beautiful blue flowers. Changbin had initially planned on going alone, but Chan had proposed to tag along since he was curious about them too. Jisung wanted to see some palm trees with tiny red flowers on it, so he had separate from them, promising to meet them back at their meeting point at five. ‘Where is the meeting point again Chan?’, he asked, not remembering where to go.Chan looked up from his own datapad, where he was looking at sketches he drew earlier on, and answered ‘We are not far. According to our GPS, we should be there in two minutes.’ Changbin nodded and followed his leader. But when they reach destination, what they were met with made Chan trip and Changbin do a double take.What was Jisung doing with a kid?‘Hey guys… ‘, Jisung smiled at them tiredly, waving lazily. He was seated against a tree, with a kid in his laps, who was sobbing silently, clutching to his shirt. ‘I hope you have a good explanation for that…’ However, Chan trailed off and frowned as he took in their state, worry taking over him. ‘Are you alright? What happened?’, he questioned, joining Changbin, who was already crouched before them wiping off Jisung’s sweaty forehead.‘It’s a long story. But all you need to know his that I didn’t kidnap this kid. I helped her out because her foot was stuck between boulders, but then we were attacked by a wild animal.’, as he keep on explaining, both of his friends’ eyes widened consequently. He looked down at his hand and opened it to reveal a pale blue feather, almost silver now that he looked at it closely. ‘But someone saved us before damages were done, though I have no idea who it was.’He stretched and yawned, but stopped once he noticed his friend looking at him. ‘Wha-’, he was cut when they hugged him tight, crushing both him and the little girl in their arms. Though, it was not painful, just warm and comforting. And the little girl must have felt the same way, as she relaxed in their hold.‘You dumbass… always putting yourself in dangerous situations…’, Changbin groaned against his hair and hit his skull weakly, but Jisung smiled. He knew they were worried but relieved that nothing bad had happened in the end.They let go, but kept close as Chan wondered out loud, ‘Then why are you still with the kid?’Jisung look down at the petite girl and smile softly. ‘I guess we kind of didn’t want to let go of one another after this… traumatic moment happened. Plus, she can’t walk and I don’t know where she lives.’, he shrugged.Chan sighed and rubbed his nose. ‘I understand, don’t worry. But what should we do with her? We can’t take her back to the base, and we can’t bring her home since we don’t know where she-’ /PANG/ All the boys froze, and the girl looked up worriedly. ‘A gunshot...’, Changbin breathed out in pure dread.Then a shrilling and agonizing mix between a scream and a hiss resonated in the whole jungle, the pained sound sending shivers down their spine.Without saying anything, the three boys hurriedly stood up, knowing exactly what the right thing to do was. Chan looked at Jisung and spread his arms out. With a thankful nod, he passed the little girl to Chan, who clutched in terror to his jacket. The girl must have been scared by the unknown sound of a gunshot and the pained scream of one of her own.With that, they began to run off toward where the sound was coming, Jisung doing an incredible job keeping up with them, even though he was exhausted and his already injured bare feet were getting bruised once more, because of the rocky ground. Changbin silently praised him for doing such a good job and ran faster. Chan led the way and kissed the top of the kid’s head to reassure her, praying that their side had not done anything stupid, yet again. – – – – Seungmin didn’t know how he ended up in such a situation. He was coming back from his chase training, and decided to spend a little more time with his Pali as she was acting strangely these days. After a while he let her go, and walked back home. But he didn’t go very far. Suddenly, humans – judging by the way they were dressed – walk in the clearing and noticed Seungmin. The Stray was not one to be easily afraid, but something told him that these humans meant no good. So he walked faster, to get away from them, but they caught up with him. They spoke to him in what he could only guess to be an Earth speech. Plot twist, his knowledge of Earth speeches is bad, really bad.And his lack of reaction of course, pissed off these dumbass. So when one took him by force by the arm to lead him Jae knows where, he fought back. And they didn’t like that. At all.So now, here he was: stuck and backed up against a tall tree, with four humans pointing their weapons at him. Seungmin was being cornered and, that he did not like at all. So he hissed at them, and tried to launch forward. His move prove to be efficient as it scared them, but sadly, Seungmin did not know the extent of human cruelty.One of the scientist suddenly cursed and pointed his gun to the tree next to him, and did the unforgivable: he fired at it, trying to scare Seungmin and show him who was the strongest here. Seungmin jumped on the spot, and screeches in fear and agony before the mess that was done, his scream resonating in the whole jungle.How dare they harm their world.Turning back to them, eyes dark with anger, he bared his teeth and went to attack them. But he was stopped in his movement when one of them pointed his barrel against him.Feeling the could metal against his beating heart made him flinch, and realizing they were threatening him, he whimpered and hissed as he leaned away, bare back meeting the tree bark, his head turn to the side. As one of the man spoke to another frantically, seemingly trying to stop him, the other shrugged him off and a click was heard.Seungmin gulped and slid down the tree as he realized the mad man was about to hurt him with his inhuman weapon. But he stiffened when he felt something – or rather someone, move upward in the tree. Could it be… Suddenly, a figure leaped down the tree swiftly, like a feline would, and kicked the man’s gun away. Seungmin exhaled in relief and looked up to see Felix shielding him. Seungmin had never been more glad that his friend was here with him. Standing up, he was about to rush next to the other Stray, but in doing so, he had failed to notice something really important.Without losing time, another man took his gun, the panic of seeing a Stray so close and unafraid of their weapons rushing in, and so, he fired. There was a moment where everything slowed down. Seungmin’s gaze followed the body of his friend as he fall backward, screaming in pain, and clutching his injured ribs, blood oozing out of the wound. Then, his body hit the ground and the boy looked at him one last time, before his eyes closed, head rolling to the side. ‘No… no, no, no, no- FELIX!!!’, Seungmin screeched and scrambled forward, madder than ever. Wasting no time, he picked up the fallen gun and kicked a human in the jaw with it. Once he was done, he threw it against, effectively breaking it in two. The men looked at him terrified, but still decided to act rash as they scrambled for their remaining weapons.In the panic of seeing the other men getting ready to finally end him, he scurried over Felix and protected his body. Crouching over him protectively, he whimpered, tears dropping on his friend’s face, and pressed his hand onto his friend’s one, which was resting against the wound. Setting his jaw, he braced himself for the pain to come, and prayed to Jae that they will pay for the harm they caused.‘HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE!’, a voice suddenly screamed in panic and anger. Seungmin opened his eyes, looking up curiously. He did not understand a word of what was said, but it must have been enough, because their enemies lowered their guns, and three bodies – was that a kid in their arms? – shielded them from those mad men, threatening them with their guns.Breathing in relief, he pushed away the unconscious boy’s sweaty bangs from his forehead, smiling down at him. But his smile disappeared when he notice Felix state. His breath halting, he clutched his hand and tried to reassure himself.‘We are safe now. Don’t worry, Lix, you’ll live.’ ~~~~~~> Part II coming tonight...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The 3RACHA crew was fuming.How dare they.Chan held the child close to him, and hid her face from the sight. Pointing his gun to the other men with his free hand, he watched as Jisung reached for his talkie. Changbin on the other side was fuming, pointing his gun at them too. They had heard gunshots and screeches and when they arrived on the scene, all they saw was four dumbass standing in front of the two injured Strays. ‘So,’ began Changbin, sincerely hoping they had an excellent reason for doing what they did. ‘What happened?’‘We tried to ask him to come with us but he wouldn’t bulge. And then his idiot friend tried to attack us’, one of the four imbecile answered, and Chan resisted the urge to roll his eyes.Jisung snorted. ‘So let me get this straight. First, he probably didn’t understand you because he doesn’t speak Earth speech, so you guys decided to force him? And his friend?’‘We didn’t force him.’, they defended, but Chan stopped them right away. ‘Yeah, ‘cause pointing a gun at them and shooting them is not forcing them.’‘It was self-defense!’Now, it was Changbin’s turn to snort. He kicked the mud and looked up with angry eyes. ‘Yeah, you think we would buy that crappy excuse? We all know that Strays don’t harm or threaten people unless you threatened them first. They are peaceful beings for fuck sake, what’s wrong with you?’The four other scientist fidget as they had no excuse left. Jisung, who was the calmer of them, due to what happened earlier on, took his talkie. ‘I sincerely hope you didn’t fuck up what we had left of their trust.’, he stated, strangely calm, which scared the hell out of the four dumbass.‘Hello, this is marshal Wooyoung.’ a voice indicated.‘Hello marshal, this is J.One speaking. We need the retrieval of a group of deficient scientists who harmed two Strays.’, Jisung stated and heard the other curse at the other end of the line. ‘Where are you?’, he asked hurriedly.‘In the jungle. Spear B is sending you our exact location. We will need a first aid kits to help the Strays out.’, he explained, looking behind himself, and wincing as he saw the damages.‘We are sending unit Got7 to fetch them. Which agency are they from?’‘YG I believe.’, he answered after looking at the insignia on their jackets. Wooyoung hummed. ‘Alright. They’ll be taken to the basement where their sentence will be chosen. As for the Strays we will take them to the basement and-’‘No!’, Jisung cut him. ‘I mean… think of all the trouble it would bring us sir. Plus we don’t have much time to go back to the basement. His wounds are deep, and their village is closer.’, Jisung argued, knowing that the protective Stray would cause trouble if more scientists tried to touch his friend, let alone take him away.The line was silent for a moment but eventually Wooyoung conceded. ‘Alright. Do your best. We have given Got7 a first aid kit. They are coming as soon as possible. Take care, they are your responsibility now.’‘Thank you sir.’ Jisung sighed, and lowered his talkie, seeing little black dots invade his vision. He needed to sleep. Badly.But sadly, it would have to wait, because for the moment he needed to convince the Stray to let him approach his wounded friend. ‘Chan, Chang keep an eye on these four. I’m gonna try to check on the Strays.’Both boys nodded, their eyes never leaving their targets. Jisung went next to the boys and crawled slowly with both hands out, to say that he meant no harm. Seungmin looked up warily and didn’t move. Nevertheless, he let him approach. Jisung sighed in relief, thinking this would be easier than expected. However, the moment he tried to touch Felix, the protective Stray screeched, and Jisung stumble back in surprise.‘What the… ‘, he muttered under his breath, vision once again dotting, not comprehending why he was suddenly on his butt.‘You’re alright mate?’, Chan asked, still back facing Jisung. Jisung scrambled up and reassured his friends ‘Yeah, yeah don’t worry. Now, what to do…’Realizing he won’t be able to get close to the other boy, he pointed at the guns and Felix. Hopping the conscious Stray would get what he meant, he beamed when Seungmin nodded, once again close to tears, and hugged the unconscious body tighter. It was at this moment that Jisung realized that no stranger would be able to approach the guy. Period. Jisung cursed. That would be tricky. He bit his nail in worry, not succeeding in finding a solution.But he didn’t have the time to think further on it. Suddenly, a screech resonated in the air. And one second later, Jisung was aggressively shoved against the floor.‘What’s happening?’, he heard his two friends wonder. Hissing as his shoulder was roughly shoved against the soil, he gulped in pain and slowly peeled his eyes opened. ‘I don’t know man.’, he answered slowly, trying to blink the black in his eyes away.What the hell just happened.But before he could get a clear look at it, a shadow loomed over his body. Looking up, he realized that a body was hovering his. Suddenly, Jisung felt something warm brushing against his cheek. Unconsciously – and probably because he is tired – he sighed and leaned in the touch, feeling the person’s rough thumb brush softly against his cheekbone. Regaining his senses and vision, he realized what he was doing and shied away from the touch. Following the outline of the person’s body with squint eyes, they finally landed on a face.Jisung gasped.Lee Minho was just here in front of him. Jisung blinked and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He wanted to say so many things like sorry and why, but nothing seemed to want to come out. The only thing he could do was stare.Minho simply detached his hand, and Jisung cursed himself for missing the touch. But he didn’t have to miss it too long. Minho tentatively took hold of his arm and shoulder, and Jisung would have stiffened if he had the strength to. Slowly, he helped him sat up – Jisung honestly feeling like a rag doll – and then turned around to speak to someone. At that instant, Jisung felt more mesmerized than he ever was. His voice was so soft, way softer than he had expected it to be. And it was beautiful. But when he heard another one, more frantic and angry, he realized Minho didn’t come alone, and that he was probably not the owner of the screech nor the one who shoved him down. Looking to the side, he was left speechless by what he saw.Well, today was definitely full of surprise, if you were to ask him.A very handsome dude – and by ‘very’ he meant way more than that – was inspecting the other crying Stray, hands secured around him with so much love, care and aches. Clearly the dude was ready to fight someone for his friend, only an idiot would not realize that. Jisung wanted to cry at the beautiful display. However, his observations were cut short when the guy set his eyes on him. And trust Jisung when he tells you that they were not friendly. They looked murderous.Jisung gulped in dread and grasped the grass tightly with his fingers, wincing a bit when his cuts met whatever laid on it. He had escaped death once this afternoon, couldn’t fate take pity on him just this one? Plus, he was not even responsible for this. Life was really a bitch.But before he could ponder further on his shitty life, Minho was in front of him, clearly shielding him from the other boy’s rage. Jisung could only look at him in pure awe. Why was he protecting him, a human? And not any human, the human who broke into his house! That made no sense at all! He heard Minho said something, but from the hiss that followed suit, clearly, that was not very efficient.But Seungmin suddenly held the boy back. Grabbing him by the collar, he pulled him closer, his free hand settling on his jaw and effectively calming him. Jisung heard a soft and calm voice speak to him in an unknown language – obviously the Stray speech – and judging by the way the boy’s feature softened a bit, he figured that Seungmin must be telling him that they are not the ones to blame.Bless this Stray. However the guy turned to the culprits, looking ready to shred them into pieces, and Jisung looked too. He almost forgot they were still here. Thankfully, they were being taken away by the GOT7 unit who had just arrived on the site, their helicopter hovering a few meters above. Jisung’s mouth fell open, how come he hadn’t heard them come? Wow, he definitely needed to sleep, now that’s official. Focusing back on their discussion with his two friends, he overheard them say that these dumbass will be put into custody and face trial in front of their bosses.Jisung looked at these bastards in disgust as Got7 took them away, and find himself hoping they’ll be send back to Earth. Before they could leave however, Changbin and Chan handed over their guns to Got7, knowing t was useless to have them now. The helicopter flew away, and Jisung released a breath he wasn’t aware of holding.‘Jisung!’, Chan called, running with the girl still in his arms – damn, this stamina – and Changbin followed suit, holding the first aid kit. Jisung sighed as he saw them approach to help him stand up, and he thanked Minho, not daring to look at the other. He was surprised at his own voice, usually loud and enthusiastic, this time it was small and soft. Surprisingly, Minho seemed to understand because he nodded and went to see the Strays. ‘You’re okay?’ Changbin asked worriedly, and Jisung nodded. The little girl reach an arm out and patted his cheek, making him crack a smile. ‘Was that Minho?’, Changbin then asked, curiously glancing at the later who was busy tending to their injured friend.‘Yeah that’s hi-’ his voice died down when, suddenly, a whimper cut through the air, followed by a pained cry.Changbin stiffened. This voice. He’d already heard this cry. He is sure of it. But it couldn’t be… could it?‘Changbin? What are you doing?’ Chan questioned, but Changbin ignored him and kept on walking toward the now conscious wounded whimpering Stray. His steps halted and he paled. No way. That couldn’t be him, right?His knees were about to buckle. His breath caught in his throat, he couldn’t focus on anything else but the Stray, tuning out Chan and Jisung calls. He couldn’t answer because of what he is seeing: a bloody barely conscious Stray.A bloody barely conscious Felix.Changbin felt like throwing up. The Stray was clutching at his friend’s hands, whimpering in agony as more blood oozed out from his wound. Without him registering it, his lips moved on their own will and he uttered a small ‘Felix...’. Said boy and everyone turned to him in shock. The boy’s eyes fell on him, and through all his agony, his eyes still shone. Changbin felt like running away and throwing up. But he had not time to think about himself, because Felix had been nothing but brightness and peace so far, and here he was, hurting, close to the brink of death. And that was his fault. Their kind was at fault.But before he could drown further into self pity, Felix extended his trembling pale hand a bit. Following his every move with his eyes, he lost his composure when the unexpected happened. The boy looked at him dead in the eyes, with a questioning gaze, and parted his lips. ‘Changbin?’, he exhaled softly in a breath. That’s all it took for Changbin to lose it. He ran forward to him and kneeled by his side. He looked to the side, worry painted on his features, and took notice of the Stray’s extended hand. Without thinking twice, he took hold of it firmly, but still with gentleness. Felix let out a strangled sigh at his moves, and Changbin looked up at him. Seeing his pale figure, and he had to refrain from cursing, all the longing he tried to repress all week long coming back at him in full force at the simple sight of these freckles. Then, remembering their first encounter, he muttered a small ‘okay’. Felix, barely even conscious anymore, still found it in himself to faintly smile – though it looked more like a grimace – and answered with a raspy ‘okay’. Then, he closed his eyes and lost consciousness for a second time today.Changbin leaned back against the grass and let out a shaky breath. He was utterly devastated, the boy had been so kind to him, and radiated of goodness and peace ; and they had armed him. He felt like crap and was determined to do whatever it takes to save him. So far, he didn’t know if he was doing it to feel better after what their kind did, or if he did that because of the boy. And he was not sure he wanted to know yet. Analyzing Felix’s wound, reality fall upon him. ‘Jisung! I need you to convince them to let us help him! Their medicines are going to be useless, fuck...’, he cursed, grabbing at his hair with his free hand, and then ripped his shirt. He pressed the ripped part against the wound, hopping it will stop the bleeding. He was freaking out. Felix was harmed by a human weapon, and he didn’t know if the boy’s metabolism would react properly to their medicines and devices, let alone heal. But he needed to try. That’s the least he could do to earn forgiveness for what their kind did.As Jisung watched the scene unfold before his eyes in shock, he realized the reason why Changbin had not been attacked when approaching Felix was because Minho had held a hand up to tell his friends to let him through. And after hearing his friend’s plea, and figuring out that Minho was their key in this urgent situation, he took the bands and kit from Chan’s hand with no second thoughts, and marched toward the Trashee leader. The boy, who had been focus on Felix, slowly turned to him and watched him advance. Jisung gulped at his dark gaze, but he couldn’t back down. Not when a life was at stake.Stopping in front of him, he gestured for Minho to look at his friend, and did a breathing motion. Then he made a cross with his arms to mime the end of it – in other words, to mime death. Minho eyes widened, and Jisung saw the terror in his eyes. But Jisung held a finger up.‘I’, he began, pointing to himself, then showed the bands and kit, ‘can save’, and without breaking the eye contact pointed Felix ‘help him’, he concluded firmly.Feeling bold, and knowing that drastic situations call for drastic measures, he took hold of the leader’s hand and put it on his heart. Pressing his own hand against it, he took a deep breath ‘He’ll live.’, he assured, looking up at the leader, only to flustered. Why the fuck did he do that in the first place? Minho was looking at him deeply in the eyes, and it triggered something in Jisung. Therefore, he avoided his piercing glance, and instead chose to look at the group. Then he noticed that the handsome boy and Seungmin were looking weirdly at Minho. So he settled his eyes back on him, curiously wondering why they were looking at him like that, but Minho was still looking at his eyes. So Jisung shrugged mentally, and waited for an answer.‘Okay.’Jisung breath in relief and tightened his hold on Minho’s hand, muttering a quick thank you, before letting him go. However, going to Felix side, he stopped dead on his track. Did he just… He turned around to Minho, with wide eyes, and said ‘What.. what did you say ?’. But Minho simply sighed and pointed to Felix. The leader was already regretting it. ‘The kid first. We will talk later.’Jisung froze on the spot. Lee Minho just spoke in Earth speech. The leader spoke their language. Unbelievable… Jisung then remembered his task and decided that he would deal with this fact later.Going to Changbin’s side he kneeled down, and nodded at him. Changbin nodded back, and cautiously and carefully lifted Felix’s unconscious body in his arms. Turning to Minho, he nodded. ‘Lead the way.’, he asked, now knowing that the leader spoke their language. Minho nodded and said something in Stray speech. The handsome boy nodded and stood up, carefully helping Seungmin up. Keeping an arm around him, he nodded at Changbin and they hurriedly walk ahead, followed by Chan and the little girl. – – Jisung sighed. They had succeed. This day had been so far way too much for him. But now is not the time to think about himself.Wanting to walk too, he tried to stand up. However he grunted in discomfort right away. He started to feel the pain in his feet, now that the adrenaline was gone. And boy did it sting. It went up his shins and he hissed at the painful sensation. He recalled his dangerous descent of the tree, and the fact that he had been stepping on many sharp rocks, making him winced silently at the memmories. Life had really decided to be a bitch today.But he decided to shut up and man up. After all, there was a Stray actually bleeding to death, to be taken care of first! So he bit his lip, and tried to stand up once more.Suddenly, his eyes fell on a hand, extended in front of him. He looked up to find that it belonged to no other than Minho. Too exhausted to dwell on it, he simply smiled and accepted the offer. ‘Thanks.’ But the moment his fingers brushed the other hands, he gasped. Minho had pulled on his arm to hurry, but his feet hurt like hell, so he fell back.Okay. That was really going to be troublesome.Jisung cursed at his feet, and Minho furrowed his eyebrows. He looked down at the human’s feet and his eyes widened at the bloody sight. But Jisung wave it off with a small breathless laugh, clearly showing how exhausted he was, and tried to cover them. ‘That’s okay, I’ll just…take my time. You should hurry though, your friend needs help! I’ll catch up la-’.He couldn’t finish his sentence, and gasped in surprise when Minho grabbed his arms and turned around, making him stumble forward and collide with his back. Flustering when he felt the
muscled back against his torso, he shook his head to clear his thoughts. But in an instant, the leader’s hands grabs the back of his thighs and dragged him closer. Then he stood up.Jisung held on tight in shock, his fingertips burning because of the contact with the Stray’s skin. And he couldn’t help but look at the leader, in wonder as to why he would trust and help out a human. But he said nothing, too tired to speak anymore, and the leader just caught up with the rest.Chan looked up at them in surprise. What were they doing? But he caught Jisung’s feet state from the corner of his eyes, and he understood. However, he was still shocked that the leader would help a human. But that was none of his business anyways…Jisung’s vision suddenly blurred, black clouding his sight once again. ‘Fuck, not this again...’, he grumbled. Grunting, he closed his eyes and buried his head in the crook of Minho’s neck, not caring anymore. Jisung’s feet were indeed starting to sting from infection, and the event from earlier took a toll on him. He felt like breaking. Minho stiffened at the contact, soft curls tickling his skin. He was not used to that intimacy, but he was aware of the pain the younger was in, so he let him be. Jisung, not caring about a thing anymore, whimpered in pain and passed out in a cold sweat, unaware of the way the hands around his tights tensed. – – – – ‘Quick, show me the bedroom.’ Changbin asked in a rush, following Minho who had just laid Jisung down on what seemed to be a couch. As he laid Felix down on the bed Chan entered the room. ‘Chang you sure about that?’, he began in worry. ‘You don’t even know of Strays metabolisms.’‘True.’ he conceded, tearing Felix bloodied shirt apart with his bare hands, revealing a slightly tan torso smeared in blood. ‘But I gotta do something. Try at least. And I think he filled some info about Strays in my datapad, so I’ll rely on that. Now please leave, I need concentration.’‘Call me if you need something.’, Chan said and Changbin nodded. Then he left the room.Now alone with the injured, silence filled the room. Changbin rubbed his face shakily. He had the life of a Stray in his hands. Well, fuck. If he didn’t manage to save him, the relationships between humans and Strays might shatter. Forever… And let’s no lie, Felix was special to Changbin. Not special in the way that he had taken a liking on the kid or anything, no that wasn’t like that. But the scientist believed in destiny, and if he had met Felix again, when he thought he would never again, then this had to meant something.With that last thought, he took his datapad and read quickly through the few info on Strays he had stored. From what he understood, he shouldn’t face troubles if he gave him morphine. So he uncapped a syringe. Grabbing a bottle of water and emptying it’s contents in a bowl, he approached the unconscious boy and sat down by his face. He shifted on the bed, took hold of the Stray and settled his head against his torso. Lifting his head upward, frowning at the coldness of his skin, he took hold of his jaw and pried open his plump bloodied lips, verifying he was not chocking on blood. When he was reassured, he pressed a finger under his nose and felt a faint breathing. Okay that was bad but not too bad.Now checking his pulse, he was a bit alarmed at its slow rate. Then again he didn’t know if this was normal for a Stray, or if it was abnormally slow due to the wound. Breathing out, he bend his neck, where he had seen the most important vain was, and pushed the morphine full-needle down his neck. Once done, he laid him back carefully and stood up. Okay, step one done. (A/N: Obviously, I’m no doctor and have no idea if this works in real life, so please do not try it.)Not wasting time, he shrugged off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. Now was the tricky part. Grabbing the compresses he rolled it up and dabbed it on the wound, frowning when the blood stained it. Due to the mount oozing out of the wood, and the dark pigmentation of it, he had not realized it was not red like humans’ one. Their blood was purple. Interesting…Now done, he grabbed the extracting tool. Pushing his free hand flat on his torso, he took a quick look at the Stray’s face, noting the frown on his face. Even passed out and under morphine, there was no way of knowing if it was working or if he was feeling anything. His hand twitched and he let go of the tool. Quickly he reached up and eased the frown out of his face. His thumb brushed the skin between his eyebrows and carried on all the way till the end of his left eyebrow. He stopped there, his hand hovering above his temple, not knowing what to do.‘Screw this.’, he groaned and pressed his hand flat on the boy’s cheek, fingertips caressing the cold skin slightly. He leaned down, his face hovering the other, only a few centimeters apart. He glared at the other boy, breathing down his face, and feeling the Stray’s breathing hit his face too. It was ragged and faint. ‘I don’t know if you can hear me. But don’t you dare die on me.’Leaning back, he took hold of his tools back and replaced himself. Wasting no time, he began the operation, frowning here and there when the boy’s body twitched or when a sound escaped his mouth. Changbin was scared. Scared of messing up. First, he did not wish to be held responsible of an innocent’s death. Second, this was too much of a burden for him. He did not want to be the cause of an upcoming war between their two kinds.‘Why the fuck did I meddle with that again?’, he mumbled, trying to catch the bullet. But one look at the Stray and he knew he couldn’t run away. Changbin had morals and a heart. He couldn’t let the kid die.Focusing back on track, he let out a noise of joy when he managed to grab the bullet. Pulling it out, he breathed in relief when he noticed it was whole and not scattered everywhere in the kid’s body. He quickly pressed down the wound with fresh compresses to prevent more blood from flowing out, still amazed at it’s rich purple color. However, he had to hurry, and needed to figure out if an organ was touched. Looking down at his datapad he breath out in relief, no organ in this area.Looking up at the Stray he smiled. ‘You’re a lucky one, ain’t you?’, chuckling he wiped the wound clean and began to stitch it back. ‘And… done.’, he breathed out in relief. With that, he began cleaning his stuffs. Stumbling back on the bed as soon as he was done, he leaned against the headboard – or what seems to be a headboard? – looking down at the Stray on his right side. Pulling up the cover on him, he took notice of the dried blood on the Stray’s lips. Chuckling at his forgetfulness, he grabbed a wet towel and slowly pat his full lips, unknowingly admiring their plumpness. Washing his full sweaty face with it in the end, he threw it aside and stretched, looking down at the Stray with a small smile. Halting in his moves, he caressed his hair.‘My part is done. Now it’s your turn.’, he whispered to the unconscious boy, with half lidded eyes, drowsiness taking over him. – – – – – Chan sighed for the nth time, leaning down on the balcony’s barrier. In font of him was all the beauty of Straya 801’s nature at night time, but he couldn’t care less about it. He was stressed out like he never was. Even back on Earth, when he had to take the many tests to earn his right to fly to Straya 801 he wasn’t that stressed. But today… he had not signed for that. First, his friend almost got killed. Then they ended up with a kid. Afterward, they had to resolve an issue created by some dumbass. And now, here they were, in what he can only assume was the house of the Trashee leader – with a drained Jisung passed out on the couch (?) and badly injured, AND a random kid his friend had saved, talking with Minho – waiting patiently for Changbin to save the life of a Stray. Oh, and did he need to mention that if they fail, they might start a war and/or might have to fled from Straya 801, forever?Yeah, he had not signed for this.Groaning and burying his face in his hands, he heard the front door open. New voices spoke in Stray speech which he could not comprehend, and Chan’s shoulder slumped. More Strays equals more headaches at the moment.‘… Chan?’, a soft voice whispered not far behind him.What?Chan straightened up and turned around and startled right away. In front of him, standing with a small smile and beaming eyes, was the Stray from the other day.Chan just stared wordlessly, mouth agape. He couldn’t believe it. How come the three Strays him and his friends met, all knew each others? What kind of twisted fate was that? The Stray slowly and cautiously approached him, and stood awkwardly in front of him. And in an instant, Chan was brought back to their first encounter, a dull warmth spreading throughout his whole body. He had… missed him? Yeah, it was no use lying anymore, he had missed him – well, maybe not him directly, but he had missed interacting with a Stray.So Chan smiled and waved, sensing the slight discomfort in the other boy. ‘Hello?’, he said, hoping the words conveyed what he was trying to say, since the Stray couldn’t understand him. ‘How am I gonna talk to him?’, he thought, clearly as clueless as the Stray when it came to knowing each others’ languages.He only had bases in ‘Straynian’, Stray’s speech, but he knew that like on Earth there was variations depending on clans and tribes. On Earth, things were slightly different. In the past, they had plenty of languages, but now most of them had disappeared. Instead, the governments had created a common speech for everyone called ‘Earthian’. Though, some of the ancient Earth speeches remained spoken in some areas of the globe. Chan even spoke two of them, called English and Korean. His parents, who were of Australian descent, had taught him English and Earthian, and when they enrolled him under JYP Nation, his instructors taught him Korean. His many language skills had helped him gain attention, and they are one of the reasons he stood here, on Straya 801, today. To say he was proud of knowing such a variety of speeches would be an understatement. Woojin then smiled at him, which took him out of his reverie, but then started to fidget and Chan knew at that moment that he was right. They were definitely going to struggle to communicate.‘Hel...hello?’Chan startled. What?The Stray scratched his head and breathed out. ‘I… hum, I can speak a little… earth speech?’Chan was stunned. He blinked at the Stray, but the next second he was laughing and beaming at the other, startling him. He calmed himself, and took hold of the barrier to steady himself. ‘You...you’re incredible.’, he said outloud, truly amazed at the Stray. Woojin simply laughed. ‘You remember my name.’, he went on. Woojin rose a brow ‘You screamed it in the jungle.’, he deadpanned, and Chan chuckled, shaking his head. He then pointed to the guy, asking for his name.‘Woojin.’, he simply said. Chan nodded his head, liking the sound of his name and the boy’s small accent. ‘How come you speak Earthian ?’Woojin pointed to Minho, who had left the little girl with another unknown Stray and was now approaching Jisung. ‘He and me went to school in the past. Earth people teach-taught us some words. But Minho speaks better. I speak… weird.’, he explained, rubbing his nape. Chan laughed and shook his head. ‘You speak very well Woojin.’, he assured, and decided he liked the sound of his name on his tongue. He then pointed to the rest of the room, ‘Do they..?’ But Woojin shook his head. ‘They.. understand it well. And they know some words but.. can’t speak them well. Too long since Earth Speech Classes. But Minho and me tried to… teach them a bit.’ He paused struggling with the words and Chan put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. ‘Go slow. It is not easy.’He nodded and went on. ‘Felix. He knows.. very well an other speech. From Earth.’‘Really ?’, Chan exclaimed incredulously.‘Yes. We learn Earthian from school but.. Felix learn-ed ? Yes learned. He learned other speech from his mother.’, he explained and Chan looked at him in shock. ‘She was scientist who co-came here. She fell in… what is the word...’, he bit his lip, struggling.‘Love ?’, Chan guessed, based on what the other had said. Woojin eyes beamed. ‘Yes love ! She fell in love with one man of our tribe. They said vows un...under the Grand Tree.’ He informed Chan, but the later looked at him completely clueless upon what was the ‘Grand Tree’. Woojin chuckled and pointed to Chan. ‘The tree we meet.’‘Oh yeah! I remember that. We call it the ‘Mosquito’ on Earth, because of all the white stuffs around it. It is beautiful though.’‘Beauti..ful ?’, Woojin repeated, clearly confused by the word. In that instant, Chan felt cold sweat roll down his brows. He was afraid that the Stray would remember that he called him that on their first encounter, but he was relieved when Woojin simply stared at him in confusion. He cleared his throat and began to explain the word to the Stray. ‘Yes. It means something really… hummm pretty ? You know ? Great. It is something really really really pretty.’‘Oh okay. Beautifu-ful. I like !’ He exclaimed and smiled very cutely. Chan also decided he liked the smile very much. ‘Uhmm… so, they said vows under beautiful Grand Tree- I mean the ‘Mosquito.’, he corrected himself, making Chan laugh. ‘Felix mother chose to stay in our tri-tribe. But others left back on Earth. Then, they had Felix five years above the war.’, he concluded. Chan smiled kindly and corrected him ‘Before. Five years before.’‘Oh. They had Felix five years before.’, he nodded, but then his eyes veiled. ‘But Felix mother… sick. And we do not have… the stuffs to help her here. So she...’, he trailed off.‘Oh. I see.’, Chan simply said, not knowing what to say. He wasn’t great when it came to conforting strangers. But that didn’t seem to phase Woojin.‘Felix father went to chase one day. Never come back. Felix was ten years. Me and Minho ri-raised him after.’, he explained, and then pointed to the rest of the Strays in the room. ‘We raised him and the other kids. We all have no father and mother. Just us.’, he concluded, but he was not sad. As Chan looked at him, he could only see tenderness and contentment in his eyes.‘I see. You are great people.’ Chan smiled at him and Woojin felt really happy as he smiled back.‘What Earth speech does Felix speaks ?’, he asked, suddenly remembering the information.‘Oh. Sorry I do not know the na.. name. You ask him after he is… helped.’ Chan nodded. ‘So who are the others Stray-I mean people sorry.’, he apologized, knowing that onlu humans called them ‘Strays’, and not knowing if Woojin would feel offended by this designation.‘It is okay.’, he smiled. ‘You know Felix and Minho. Then, the boy with the little girl is Jeongin. He is Minho’s family.’‘You mean real brother ?’, he asked, not sure if he got it right. Woojin beamed again. ‘Yes ! Real brother. But small brother.’‘Oh yeah, his little brother.’‘Yeah little !’, he exclaimed and clapped his hands, happy to learn new words. Chan felt his heart flutter at the sight. This Stray was truly a beautiful being. Woojin then pointed to the other two boys, the one who protected Felix, and the one who shoved Jisung down the ground. The former was sitting on what seemed to be a chair, in the arms of the kneeling other boy. The later had one arm around him, while he pressed what seemed to be a cold pack against his bruised side. Said injured person had lowered his head on the kneeling one’s shoulder, biting his lips in pain. Chan noticed that he was shivering. ‘The sitting boy is Seungmin. The other is Hyunjin.’, he pointed out.‘Are they together?’, he blurted out, not realizing that he was a bit indiscreet. But Woojin didn’t seem to understand this word, so Chan searched for a new one. ‘A couple ? You know, humm oh I know ! Are they in love ?’Woojin beamed in understanding. ‘Uhmm. No. Yes. Uhhhmm. I don’t know? They have always been close’‘Oh. I see.’, Chan nodded.‘But love for us is compli..hard.’, he said instead, and Chan tsked teasingly, jabbing his side, which earned himself a hiss. ‘Com-pli-ca-ted.’, he spelled, not caring about the hiss. ‘Complica..ted. Complicated.’, he repeated, looking up at the human hopefully. Chan nodded with a smile and Woojin resume speaking. ‘Love is complicated here.’‘Why ?’‘Traditions.’, he simply said, as if it explained the whole thing.‘Traditions ? What traditions ?’, Chan asked, not comprehending a thing. Woojin sighed cause it’s been too long since he used Earth speech and his tongue was now dry. ‘Wait.’, he simply said and came back with two pink filled glasses. ‘What is it ?’ Chan asked, curious and a little bit unsecured. ‘Good. Don’t speak. Drink.’. Woojin ordered before gulping down his drink. Chan chuckled and obeyed the other boy. To his shock, it tasted like Coca Cola! Woojin sighed and spoke again. ‘We… We fall in love many ti.. times.’ He nodded to himself and sighed in front of an even more confused than before Chan. ‘But we agree to give our heart just one time. For life. Our nation is very hum… the word is… close, I think ? Yeah, we are very close to spirits and living things. We have harmony with them.’‘So what? You have a connection with them ? You mean, some sort of link ?’‘Yes ! Link !’, Woojin agreed, recognizing the word. Chan felt his heart melt at the way the Stray kept trying to speak Earthian. ‘Because of the link, we believe that our heart and body is giv...en only one time in our life. We give our… huh, body and soul ?’‘Self. You give yourselves.’‘Yes ‘self’. One give oneself to one person. Only one time. To the one we truly love and truly want to spend our life with.’‘But, I don’t understand.’, he frowned. ‘What does it have to do with the fact that you are linked with nature?’‘Hum.. I think you call her ‘Mother Nature’ on Earth. We have our own Mother Nature here. It is a man, and we call him ‘Jae’. We are all link with Jae. And when we find the right one, they go under the Mosquitoes. If you hear Jae whisper in your ear, that means you have found the one. If you do not, that means they are not meant for you.’‘Wow. That’s…’, he couldn’t find the words, and he wasn’t even sure he believed that you really could hear a deity. ‘And what’s next? You really spend your whole life together?’, he wondered, impressed and curious.‘Nex- After,’, Woojin corrected himself, as he too leaned on the barrier, looking in the distance. Chan smiled. Woojin did really listen well to him. He too decided to lean against the barrier and look at the nature. A gasp left his mouth, Straya 801 was truly beautiful. The Glow had set, the jungle now bioluminescent. It was mesmerizing to look at, and Chan knew that if he looked next to him, the sight would be mesmerizing too, as he could already see from the corner of his eyes the white spots shining dully on the Stray’s skin. Woojin’s voice cut through the air. ‘After, we spend our life to- together. Until we part.’, he concluded. Chan was silent. While this was utterly beautiful, he couldn’t imagine giving his self to one and only one person for life. So Chan nodded and focused back the nature, a soft tropical breeze gushing past them. That was when Chan remembered something.‘Woojin ?’‘Chan ?’‘Hyunjin and Seungmin don’t speak Earth speech, right ?’, he asked to be sure.‘Not very well. But understand great.’, Woojin answered, looking at him quizzically. ‘Then, can you translate-’ Woojin furrowed his brows. ‘I mean, say in Stray speech what I say, to Hyunjin please ?’, he explained and Woojin nodded. Together, they stepped out of the balcony, and went to the two friends. As Chan marched toward them, Hyunjin looked up and tightened his hold on Seungmin, who clutched his side at the sudden move. Hyunjin looked down quickly and muttered something – probably apologies, Chan guessed. Then he looked up at the two of them warily, but his gaze soften as it fell on Woojin. When he seemed to be willing to listen, Chan kneeled down and handed his glass to the boy while fetching a white pill from his jacket’s pocket. ‘Seungmin-’ At the sound of his name, the said boy raised glossy eyes to him. ‘-you must drink this thing.’ He waited for Woojin to stop translating and hoped the protective friend will allow them to give Seungmin the pills. Hyunjin looked at the pills, then at him. But Seungmin rose his head from his friend’s shoulder, parted his lips and said a small ‘Why ?’Chan looked at him in surprise at the fact that he had spoken in Earthian, and that his accent was almost unnoticeable. The scientist felt hopeful. ‘The pain. It will help. No more pain for you.’ He waited for Woojin to finish translating, Hyunjin looking at the human with cold eyes all the while. But suddenly they softened, and Chan detected despair and gratefulness in them. He was the one to speak this time ‘Help, please.’, he said with a strong accent. Chan nodded and mimed what Seungmin should do. Hyunjin nodded and took the drink and pills, helping his friend. Once done, the two sent him a grateful smile. Chan stood up and saw Woojin yawn. ‘Tired ?’, his voice startling the Stray.‘Yes.’‘Go to sleep.’, Chan proposed, pointing to a free couch. But Woojin pointed to Felix’s room and shook his head. ‘I can’t. Wait for Felix.’ Chan felt solidarity for the boy. He had raised all these boys, they were his brothers and of course, he would want to look after them. Chan felt the same way regarding Jisung and Changbin. Chan suddenly remembered that Woojin also protected him the first day, even though he didn’t know him. Woojin was truly someone good it seemed. ‘Why did you save me the other day ? I’m not one of your people.’, he asked, eager to know the answer.‘Yes. But you are someone.’ Woojin explained, looking at him with a soft smile, and Chan decided there and then that this being was too good for this world. And he was really grateful for meeting someone like that.So Chan led the boy to a couch and sat next to him. ‘Sleep. I’ll wake you up when Felix is up.’‘But-’‘Sleep. Please. I know how you feel.’, he stated, and then pointed to Jisung and the bedroom where Changbin was. ‘I feel the same way about them. But it is no use staying awake, if you’re sleepy when Felix wakes up.’ Woojin seemed to want to argue but he held back and chose to listen to Chan. And that meant that Woojin trusted him. A Stray trusted him. And he trusted him too. Chan couldn’t be more grateful. – – – – – ‘Minho!’Said boy looked up, recognizing his brother’s voice. Jeongin ran to him and Minho stood up, welcoming him in his arms. ‘Oh my Jae, I heard what happened! Are they alright?!’, he asked frantically. Minho tightened his hold around the younger and nodded to calm him. ‘They are okay. Humans saved them. One is taking care of Felix.’ he explained, and Jeongin looked at him incredulously.Jeongin couldn’t believe it. His brother had allowed humans in his house. His brother was beginning to trust humans again. Smiling hopefully, he brushed his nose against his brother’s and Minho answered by rubbing his own against his tenderly (A/N: Eskimo kisses, anyone?). This was a Strayan custom, something you did to someone you deeply love and care for. It didn’t have a precise meaning, but Strays only do that gesture when overwhelmed with strong feelings and emotions. And the two brothers meant the world to each others. So, as Jeongin was proud of his brother and needed reassurance that he was fine, he did the gesture. He sighed in contentment against his brother’s hold, letting their forehead meet. ‘I’m glad you are okay.’‘Yeah. We owe them, this time. If they hadn’t been there…’, he didn’t finish his sentence, knowing his brother would understand. Jeongin nodded and looked to the side. His eyes widened. ‘Is that…Jisung?’Minho followed his gaze curiously. Who was Jisung? But he sighed when his gaze fell on what Jeongin was looking at. So Jisung was the name of the sleeping human he had carried that Jeongin was looking at. ‘Is he alright?’ his brother asked worriedly. Minho shrugged, his lips turned downward. ‘I don’t know Innie. He went through a lot.’Jeongin turned to him. ‘What do you mean?’Minho turned to the side and patted the little girl’s head warmly, Jeongin only now noticing her presence. ‘He protected this girl from a Young Wing. A kid one. And without any hesitation.’Jeongin’s eyes widened. A human protected a Stray? Against a children Young Wing? Even Jeongin was scared of them! He turned to look at him bewildered and amazed. ‘Jisung is really amazing.’ he muttered, but frowning when taking notice of his bloodied feet. ‘Oh. What happened to his feet. And his hands too! Did the Young Wing injured him?’, he questioned worriedly.‘No. He was barefoot so I think that’s why his feet were hurt.’, he answered, his gaze never leaving the sleeping form of the intriguing human. ‘But we are always barefoot too Minho!’, exclaimed Jeongin, a bit lost.‘Yeah. But we aren’t the same as them Innie. Their feet are not used to walking on our ground.’‘Oh I see.’ Jeongin nodded. ‘Shouldn’t someone take care of his wound though?’Minho startled and his eyes widened. Shit, how could he forget that? It was gonna get infect at this rate! Guilt crept in him. ‘Keep an eye on the kid will you? We’ll need to take her back to her tribe. She was on neutral ground when Ji..Jisung found her. She can’t walk so we’ll carry her. In the mean time I’ll take care of the human.’, he explained. Jeongin stiffened. What was this feeling in his gut? ‘What...what tribe is she from?’, he asked tentatively.‘Sureki.’, Minho answered raising a brow at his brother’s flustered self. ‘What? Why are you making this face? Did you met the man of your dreams already and never told me?’Jeongin flinched and flustered even more at the mention of ‘the man of his dreams’, vivid memories of what happened a week ago rushing back before his eyes. ‘Nothing! And Yedam is not- he is not the man of my dream!’, he mentally slapped himself for stuttering and Minho snorted. ‘Whatever you say Innie. Then you won’t mind taking her back to her tribe while I take care of Jisung, will you?’‘Wh-what? You know I can’t step a foot on their territory uninvited! Only leaders can do that.’‘Please Innie. They know you are my brother, they won’t mind. Especially if you bring them back their lost kid.’, he smiled, rolling his eyes fondly at his brother, also hopping that this way he would finally meet Yedam.‘And what if they think I kidnapped her?’Minho simply smiled at him and kneeled down by the little girl. He brushed her hair tenderly and she smiled at him full of teeth. ‘Then she will tell them we simply saved her, right sweetheart?’, he asked with a tender smile. The girl nodded at Minho, hugging him quickly but strongly, and reached her arms out for Jeongin. The boy chuckled and carried her in his arms. ‘Okay, let’s go princess. We are taking you home.’, Jeongin claimed, making her giggle.‘Take care well of the humans!’ he said playfully to his brother, who rolled his eyes, before he walked to the front door. But the girl suddenly stopped him. ‘Wait.’, she asked, looking behind him.‘What is it?’ he demanded, looking around too. The girl bit her lip. ‘Can… can I say goodbye?’Jeongin looked at her, surprised by her demand, but nodded nevertheless. They went over to an unknown human and the girl poked his cheek. It startled him and he opened his eyes, alarmed, but calm down the moment he saw the small girl. ‘Oh.’The girl simply reached out and rubbed her nose against him, Jeongin watching amused as the human startled. But he must have been good with kids, because even though he had probably no idea what the custom meant, he rubbed his nose back, ruffling her hair with a smile.Though he was startled at first, Chan wasn’t stupid. He knew deep down what the gesture meant, a language barrier was nothing against universal words – ‘Thank you’, that was what the kid meant. So he answered the Eskimo kiss with equal affection, knowing Jisung and Changbin loved it as kids when he did that – but don’t recall Changbin or he’ll slaughter you. Letting go of the child, he looked up to the other Stray with a small smile. The Stray smiled back and Chan resisted the urge to squeal. The boy looked like a fox. A very cute but handsome fox, with a beautiful smile. If he recalled well, it was Jeongin, Minho’s little brother – and now that he took a good look at both boys he knew that genes run well in their family. They were both stunning.Jeongin leaned back with the kid in his arms, and nodded at him. Chan nodded back and watched as he walked up to Jisung, before going back to sleep.Once Jeongin reached the other human, he took notice that his brother had left for the bathroom – probably in search for medicines. ‘He is asleep?’, the girl asked and Jeongin nodded, not wanting to tell her that he was passed out. The girl simply smiled and leaned down. Jeongin eyes widened as she put one of her small hand on his chest and the other on her own, before lowering her forehead onto his own, her eyes closed. This was a gesture that only few dared to do; it was a gesture that literally meant that she would give her life for him if he ever needed, a gesture of utmost respect and devotion.‘I, Natee, daughter of the Sureki clan, thank you, brave human, for your actions. I vow under Jae to repay you with my life, for saving me.’, she whispered solemnly, before kissing his cheek and leaning back. She smiled cutely at Jeongin, who looked at her in awe, and hugged him tight. ‘Let’s go home! My sister must be very worried.’, she said with a pout.Jeongin shook his head and walked to the front door. ‘Alright. Let’s bring you back home.’ – – – – – Jisung stirred in his sleep, the glowrise light stinging his close eyelids. Rubbing his eyes tiredly he slowly opened them, frowning at the sort of swing chair made of leaves he was laying on. This was definitely not his bedroom.He looked up at where he was in confusion. This place… he had already been here, but when- His eyes widened! The tree house! But what was he doing here? Suddenly, everything came rushing back and he gasped. He was alive!But suddenly a hitching sensation spread down his body. Looking down at his feet, he realized it was all bandaged up, and so were his hands. He frowned, not remembering doing that. Was it Chan? He looked around in search for the boy, pertinently knowing he and Changbin would never left him here alone.Leaning on his right elbow, he looked around the slightly floodlit by some of the Glow light, which had just started to rise, meaning it was between 5 and 6 pm. There two people in the living room with him. One was in a hammock – probably a Stray, and Chan was laying on a makeshift bed, half propped against the wall. Changbin was no where in sight, and judging by yesterday’s events he was probably in one of the room, keeping an eye on the injured Stray.Flopping back on his ‘bed’, he snuggle further into his blanket, sighing in dread and looking up at the ceiling. JYP was going to go crazy. They were doomed. He could only hope they’d not send troops searching for them or conflicts could rise. As he was mopping, he felt something rub his cheek. Looking to the side, he saw the light blue feather he had pick up from their savior’s spear yesterday. Clutching it, he hoped the kid was alright, since she was not here anymore. What a day it was… With a last sigh, he closed his eyes, hoping to catch a bit of sleep.Then he heard shuffling. Probably one of the Stray. Still, he pretended to be asleep, not wanting to face one without Chan and Changbin. It’s not that he disliked or fear them, far from it actually. It was just that he felt like he overstepped too many boundaries and comfort zone yesterday. Jisung didn’t want to impose any more than he already has. So he decided to simply pretend to sleep and wait for his friends to wake up. Not like the Stray would give fuck about him anyways, so might as well sleep.As he dozed off, he felt the swing chair dip. Was Chan finally awake?So Jisung opened his eyes, and his eyes met Minho’s. Breath hitching and eyes widening, he sat up. And they just stare at each other wordlessly.Jisung was voiceless. Why was Minho sitting next to him? Was he going to ask him to leave? Should Jisung apologies now for his behavior? Should he simply thank him for letting him stay here? But he didn’t get the chance to dwell further on what Minho wanted. Minho simply and wordlessly kneeled down, so Jisung kept staring at him wondering what was going to happen next. However Minho refuse to meet or acknowledge his questioning gaze. Carefully, he wrapped his fingers around his ankle, and delicately unwrap the bandages. Jisung gulped at the contact and refrained from pulling away. Why was Minho taking care of him? But Minho ignored the tenseness in Jisung’s body and cleaned his feet. Jisung watched in bewilderment. Not able to contain it any longer, he suddenly asked it: ‘Why?’Minho finally looked up, and Jisung felt his breath hitch. This gaze, this deep dark gaze, he could down in it. It was beautiful in his opinion, but dangerous as well. And a part of him – the curious and audacious one wanted to find out what was laying behind it. But Minho adverted his gaze and finished wrapping the bandages. Jisung grunted in annoyance and leaned back against the swing chair. Was it that hard of a question for him to answer?Once done, Minho put Jisung’s feet back under the cover and sighed when he saw the grumpy face the other was sporting, clearly determined on not acknowledging the leader’s presence anymore. Shaking his head at the human, he sat next to him. Jisung finally turned his head and looked at him, raising a brow. Jisung snorted internally. Was the leader going to stare at him once again or speak this time? But something Jisung would have never expected took place instead: Minho smiled sweetly at him.Jisung’s mind went blank. And his face must have been funny, because the leader laughed lightly at him. ‘You deserve my care, human.’ he simply answered and Jisung was left speechless. And as he watched Minho stand up, pick up his spear and sling it on his back, his breath hitched.Now retreating into the corridor, the light of Glow shone down on his beautiful self, his spear standing proudly on his back, a Single blueish silver feather tied to its base.All this time, Jisung was wrong. He never fucked up. He earned his care. ~~~~~~> To be continued.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The Glow was rising over the horizon, filling Straya 801 of its dull light. The jungle was slowly coming back to life, the bioluminescence of its greenery disappearing and the first animals awakening, turquoise trees’ shaded Minho’s features as he ventured further into its depth, bare feet pushing into its sandy muddy soil. Spear tightly attached to his back in case another baby Young Wings would have stray from its home, he finally step foot on the border of the Sureki tribe. There, waiting for him was its leader, eagerly welcoming him with a hug. ‘Minho, it’s been a long time.’ Minho detached himself and smiled at her, eyes squinting a bit at the brightness of her pale silver blonde hair. ‘Yeah, long time no see CL.’ ‘What can I do for you? One of my people saw you coming in a hurry.’ she asked him curiously, half leaning against a tree with a white bark and purple leaves – typical trees on CL’s territory. ‘Jeongin didn’t come back home. I figured you let him sleep here since the jungle is pretty dangerous so late in the night, but knowing you, you would have sent him back on our grounds at the first rays of Glow.’ Minho sighed, arms crossing over his chest, already feeling a headache forming, but raised a brow when Chaerin looked at him in surprise. ‘What?’ she exclaimed. ‘I mean, yes he slept here, but I ordered Yedam to bring him back home at first rays.’ she explained the other leader, completely confused and slightly worried. But all signs of worry vanished from her face the moment Minho started to chuckle. ‘What? The situation is not funny Minho.’ ‘Yeah, yeah you’re right sorry. Don’t worry about Jeongin though, I know where he is.’ he stated, shaking his head in amusement. ‘And don’t scold Yedam, I’m sure the boy did what you asked.’ CL simply raised a brow, but nodded nevertheless. ‘Alright. You, the Lee, were always too complicated for me.’ she groaned, rolling her eyes playfully, but Minho knew her enough to know that she meant no harm. ‘You should head back home. Oh and thank you for saving and bringing Natee back home. I really appreciated it.’ she smiled at him, slightly bowing. Minho waved her off with a smile. ‘Don’t thank us.’ he began, chuckling slightly. ‘Those who saved her were humans.’ Then he turned around and walked back home, missing CL’s shocked face. ‘What the Yeshihk did he meant by humans?!’ Advancing further into the jungle Minho smiled as he heard her yell that. Rounding a tree, he found himself laughing outloud when he recalled his conversation with the other leader. ‘Jeongin you smooth Yeshihk, you avoided him, didn’t you?’ he muttered amused as he walked towards a path he knew very well, eager to find his brother to know what really happened between him and Yedam. – – – – – As the Glow started to rise over the pink horizon, cries and wings’ flapping of diverse animals breaking Straya 801 peaceful atmosphere, Woojin stirred in his sleep as the first rays of light slipped through the window hole of their house living room, tickling the soft skin of his face. Peaceful face turning into a frown, he turned around in his bed, yawning at the fatigue that was slowly leaving his body. Stretching a bit, he finally decided to sit up, but immediately frowned. What was he doing in their living room’s hammock? Looking around however, the memories of last night returned to him and he scrambled out of his yellow hammock. He remembered falling asleep on the couch with Chan and awakening in the middle of the night, where he had left the couch and laid Chan down on it, before going to sleep in their hammock, way to tired to walk all the way to his own bedroom. Smiling at the memory, he slowly made his way to said bedroom to change, glad that he had taken a shower before. Taking off his black shirt and sports shorts – Woojin was one of the Stray who enjoyed wearing human clothes, finding them more comfortable and practical than their former clothes – he changed into a clean set of blue jeans and white tee-shirt. ‘Better…’ he sighed contently, before bouncing out of his bedroom. Going back into the living room, he noticed that only the two humans were present, both sleeping – more like passed out in Minho’s one case. Looking over the said boy, Woojin furrowed his brow as he saw his state. He was curled up on their swing chair, pale blue blanket he recognized being Minho’s one covering him, bandaged feet and hands peeking out from it. Woojin recognized the way they were bandaged – it was Minho’s doing. This caused a gasp to escape his mouth. Minho doing that for a human was unthinkable, knowing his past with them, and yet here was the boy. Woojin frowned yet again when he took notice of his hands clenching something, as well as the dry trail of tears on his cheeks. Was he in pain? Yet he looked so peaceful at the moment… Shrugging, he walked toward the other human in the room and smiled, crouching down before the sleeping man on the couch and eyeing him. The boy was lying on his side with parted lips. Woojin took this moment to look closer at his features, his pale skin holding a small scar on his right cheek – almost imperceptible – and his silver hair were falling down his forehead, hiding his split eyebrows. His nose was a little big but it worked in perfect harmony with the rest of his face, particularly with the plumpness of his lips. Now that he got to see the boy once more, Woojin could say it: the boy was gorgeous in his own peculiar way. His features were not the most common one when dealing with humans, but it still looked great. Very great. And Woojin knew that the dimples and eye smile the guy owned was just added points to his beauty. The Stray now realized that this human was truly a great mix of manliness and cuteness. Biting his lips in contemplation, he was shook awake by Chan’s soft moan, the boy shifting his head slightly on the jacket- sorry, was that Woojin’s jacket? When did he do that? – that was serving as a makeshift pillow. Sighing he glanced once more at the human, realizing how young he actually looked, and thought that maybe they were the same age. And, he looked so worn out that Woojin kind of felt bad to wake him up. But what had to be done, well, had to be done. His fingers made contact with Chan’s shoulder, his thumb coincidentally brushing his warm skin, which send shiver down his arm – that he choose to not acknowledge. ‘Chan? Chan you need wake up.’ he called softly, gently shaking him awake. Chan felt the warm soft breath tickle his neck before he actually heard the mellow voice calling him awake. Frowning, he scrunched his nose and heard an amused sound before his name was called once more. Slowly peeling his eyes opened he groaned at the brightness of the room and shut them back. He heard a soft laugh echo in the room, and suddenly the brightness disappeared. Opening his eyes for good this time, he saw that a body – a man was blocking the light, shading him with his body. Looking up at the face in wonder, his eyes widened at the sight. ‘Woo-Woojin?’ he whispered, sitting up, now towering over the crouched Stray. Said Stray, was now leaning against the couch with an elbow propped up on it, face leaning on his palm and facing upward. ‘Hello.’, he waved playfully with his free hand, smiling at the human. Chan looked at him, blinking dumbly, and looked around the room twice before settling back his gaze on him. Woojin wanted to laugh at him at first, but it quiet down as he Chan kept looking at him. Gulping, he adverted his eyes on the window hole, watching the outside world coming back to life. ‘Do I have something on my face or what? Why is he staring at me…’ he thought, unaware of Chan’s genuine thoughts at the moment. Chan was not looking at Woojin, he was admiring Woojin. Well, what a sight to wake up to… The moment looked so ethereal that he wanted to capture it forever. The Stray was leaning on the couch, face resting on his palm and facing the huge hole in the whole, the light filtering through it shining down the boy’s form. His face was half lit by the Glow, half shaded by the tree branch pocking inside the living room – perks of living in a tree, he guessed? – his blond hair looking almost white now and his skin looking a healthy golden shade. The sight was just gorgeous. Woojin was gorgeous- wait what? Clearing his throat he gained back the attention of the Stray and smiled back at him. ‘Hi.’ he finally said back. Woojin looked at him stunned for a moment, then shook his head and smiled back, leaning further into the couch. ‘Slept well, human boy?’ he singsonged with an amused smile, watching as the human laughed, head thrown back and hands clenching his blanket. Chan looked at him, a soft warm morning breeze brushing past them, and weirdly Chan felt at ease. This, it seemed so domestic. It felt like he could be himself, free of all ‘first meetings’ awkwardness with the other man. So, chuckling with eyes and smile equally playful, he leaned down face only inches apart. Woojin breath hitched in surprise and he leaned back at the other boy’s sudden move. But Chan only leaned sideways on his palm as well, elbow propped against the armrest, faces only inches apart and nodded. ‘Hum, I did. You?’ he asked with a small grin, gums, pearly white teeth and dimples showing. Time stood still. At that exact moment, nothing moved except for the wind blowing in the room and the crinkles in both boys’ eyes. Both boys just smiled at each others, bathing in the dull glow of the Glow, scenery framed forever in the sky’s memory. Only animals chirping cutting through the silence of the room awoke them from their daydream. ‘Go wake up the boys for me okay?’ Woojin softly asked, voice hushed as he remembered the sleeping human a few meters away. Chan nodded with a soft smile, and followed Woojin’s every moves as he flexed his arms muscles to stand up, shirt lowering a bit, allowing Chan to peek at the edge of a tattoo on his left collarbone. Watching him leave for what seemed to be the household’s kitchen, he oddly felt at home, like he was part of this world, this family. Shaking his head at his delusional thoughts, he finally got up as well and walked over his baby brother. But one look at his sleeping form was enough for him to decide to let the boy sleep – no need for another description of the boy’s state: shitty. Walking past him, he started to wander around, in search for the bedrooms he assumed the other boys were at. Entering two empty rooms and a bathroom (?) as well as what looked like a Strayan library, he finally reached another room and almost squealed in delight the moment he heard soft snores. ‘Fucking finally…’, he quietly swore as he pushed open the door. Inside, was a big round window-like hole, taking most ofthe right wall, with baby blue curtains floating in the wind. Next to it, laid a huge flower pot, with a beautiful white flower blossoming in it. On the other side of the room, the woody wall was painted. It was beautiful. They had drawn a big beautiful colorful butterfly – no doubt, the workof Jeongin. Then, in the middle of all of that was a soft dark blue rug, laying on the floor, half covered by a two places bed. As his eyes fell on the later, he noticed twopeople tangled in a tight hold, under a baby blue blanket. Seungmin and Hyunjin. Chan smiled lightly. Remembering what Woojin told him yesterday, and the way they were now sleeping, he couldn’t help but agree that there friendship was strong and beautiful– if Hyunjin’s hold on Seungmin was proof enough. Though, according to Chan’s knowledge of friendship, you don’t hold friends like that, even in theirworststates. There was something more to this hold, even if both boys probably didn’t realized it for now. Seungmin’s head was tucked under Hyunjin’s chin, his face resting against his throat, breathing softly against it. Hyunjin’s hand was buried in Seungmin’s hair, holding the back of his head in a safe and warm manner. His other arm was buried under the cover, but the outlines seemed to show that it had settled on the small of his back, holdinghis friend against him. Seungmin’s hands were buried both in Hyunjin’s hair, arms going behind the boy’s back to reach their destination. Last but not least, their legs appeared to be intertwined under the cover. Overall, the sight was very endearing, but a little bit too intimate for Chan to stay any longer, without feeling discomfort. So he went over to the bed, and softly stirred Seungmin awake. The boy frowned, cutely if you were to ask Chan, and buried himself deeper into Hyunjin’s neck crook. Nevertheless, he nodded in acknowledgment and Chan retracted his hands. ‘Wake up. Woojin, hum, breakfast?’ he tried, hoping the Stray would understand his whispered Earthian. But even if the boy didn’t understand, the name Woojin seemed to do the deed as the boy tiredly hummed. Business being done here, he silently walked to the door and closed it discreetly. Seeing that the last room left was the one where Changbin and Felix were, he figured out that Minho and his brother were not in the house. So he went and opened the second one. What he found in there was enough to make him scoff, but smile in the end. ‘No skinship, my ass..’, he muttered under his breath. The room in itself was a bit bigger than the other, but it had no window hole. It was dimly lit – though he couldn’t pinpoint where the light was coming from. In its center was a huge bed with yellow and white covers. On the left side of the room laid a white soft-looking rug on the floor,along with a full-length mirror and a small wardrobe propped against the wall. On the right side of the room was a bedside table, a gorgeous blood orange colored plant in a pot, and an armchair in which Changbin was slumped. He was resting in it, his head in his arms, that were crossed over the bedside. Said bed held a healthier looking Felix – still pale and sweaty – buried under the covers, messy brown hair covering the pillow halo style. That’s when he noticed that Felix left hand was resting next to Changbin’s ones, their pinky intertwined loosely. ‘Well,’ he began, muttering under his breath. ‘Looks like you’ve found a challenger to your skinship’s disliking self, Chang.’ he laughed quietly, shaking his head. He was truly curious to see how this would evolve. Chan smiled softly at the sight, and made move to close the door, opting to let the two teens sleep in peace. After what happened, they needed it. But, as he was closing the door, his eyes caught something more. Something white and shiny, reminding him of the Mosquitoes (A/N: The glowing tree mentioned last chapter, where Woochan first met). He looked up, and was left gaping at the sight. On the ceiling was painted in white bioluminescent paint some sort of galaxy. It was like thousands of bright gold and silver and white specs of light, shining down on the boys handsome featuresin the darkness of the room, like spotlights’ shine. The sight was eerie. Breaking out of his reverie as a soft pain moaned escaped the wounded boy, he finally escaped the room and closed the door. Well, at least now he knew where the light was coming from since there was no window hole. With that last thought, he went back to the living room. What he was met with arriving there almost had him burst out laughing. Exchanging a quick amused glance with Woojin who was leaning against the counter, ha almost lost it. Seungmin was squatting down the swing chair, watching the sleeping Jisung eyes wide and filled with curiosity, meanwhile he was himself watched- sorry, mocked by Hyunjin who was leaning against the wall behind him. Chan watched as Seungmin eyes outlined his brother, and suddenly he turned to Woojin – who only raised a brow at him – and pointed to the bandages. Then he said something in Straynian and Woojin answered calmly yet clearly amused. Chan didn’t understand a thing of their exchange but out of nowhere Seungmin gasped, startling him. Then he turned back to Jisung, mouth agape, and carefully shifted the blanket properly on his sleeping exhausted form, before standing up and making his way to the wooden table followed by Hyunjin, who seemed only half awake. Chan chuckled at the men and went over to Jisung. He leaned down ad kissed the top of his head quickly, before walking over to the rest, sitting down at the table next to Woojin. Awkwardness filled the atmosphere. Looking up to find three pair of eyes on him, he gulped and waved slightly. ‘Hi?’ he tried with a small uneasy smile. ‘H-hi?’ Surprisingly it was Hyunjin who just spoke up, trying to copy the word Chan had just said. The human looked up in surprise at the said boy, finding him waving cutely, nose scrunched up and eyes turned into slit due to a beautiful small smile. Chan was stunned. Blinking, he smiled back and turned to Woojin. ‘How do you say ‘hello’ in Straynian?’ ‘Sosoïl.’, he answered, face beaming over the fact that the human wanted to learn his own language. ‘So… Sosoïl?’ Chan said, eyes hopeful as he turned toward Hyunjin, who had an open mouthed grin on his face- and, was that a piercing on his tongue? Next to him Seungmin clapped his hands in joy and looked at him too with a happy smile, shoving the Gyujak fruit down his throat. Turning to Woojin with a proud smile, Chan found the boy already looking at him with a confused look but a smile nevertheless. ‘What?’ ‘No, nothing. You just… you are different.’ Woojin answered chuckling, shaking his head and looking down at his food. ‘Different? How?’ Chan wondered with an arched brow. ‘Humans do not show… hum, interest in our speech. They always speak Earth speech. But you-’ he looked up with a small smile. ‘-you do not. You try our speech. You try talk…talking with us. You are kind. I like that.’ Chan looked at him speechless. He didn’t think that far when interacting with the Strays, it just seemed… normal? Wanting to answer Woojin, he opened his mouth to speak. But the sound of footsteps interrupted him. Turning around, he was shocked to find Changbin, looking exhausted, standing in the doorway. Looking directly in the eyes of Chan, he spoke up. ‘Felix is awake.’ – – – – – Jeongin frowned slightly as he felt something tickle his face. ‘What the…’ he thought as the tickling went on and on. Having finally enough, he squinted his eyes open and groaned at what he saw. ‘Took you long enough Innie.’ an annoying voice singsonged, and Jeongin grunted. ‘What are you doing here Minari? And stop tickling me with that feather!’ he whined, shooing away Minho’s spear feather with his hand as he sat up. ‘Firs, stop calling me by the name of a vegetable. And second, well I wouldn’t have to come all the way to your secret ‘not-so-secret-anymore’ hideout if you would have had the decency to show up home to tell us you’re alright before you run here.’ he concluded, all his sass coming out of his mouth in all its glory. Jeongin, used to his brother’s behavior, simply rolled his eyes before he scouted over next to him. Laying his head on his shoulder – and purposely ignoring Minho’s remark on how he was suddenly all lovey dovey, which he was not, mind you – he rubbed his nose against his neck junction to apologize. Minho sighed and patted his head. ‘Alright, alright. Now tell me why you ran away from Yedam.’ Jeongin looked up at him in shock. How- ‘Oh please Innie. I came to fetch you this morning from their clan and CL told me that Yedam was supposed to bring you back home. Which he clearly didn’t do since you’re here. I’m a bit surprised though, knowing you I thought you would have jumped on the occasion of meeting him.’ Minho explained, genuinely curious to hear his little brother’s answer. Jeongin whined and nuzzled back into his brother’s embrace, messy curls covering his eyes and cheeks tinting in pale red. ‘I… I have not be completely honest with you Min.’ he paused, awaiting his brother’s reaction, but the later only hummed, encouraging him to go on. And so he did, proceeding to tell him of how he first met Yedam one week ago and what happened during their encounter, sparing no details. At the end of his rant he looked up at his brother expectantly, throat tight. Minho looked down at his brother and soften at the sight of his fox eyes looking at him worriedly, almost as if he was afraid of his reaction. So he chuckled, and flicked his forehead a his little brother, who wince in pain. ‘What was that for?!’ he complained, rubbing the sore spot on his forehead. ‘That was for being stupid. You didn’t really think I would judge you for that, did you?’ Minho asked him incredulous, smiling softly at him. ‘… A bit?’ ‘Oh my Jae Jeongin, you Yeshihk! I’m your brother not an asshole.’ he shook his head at his brother. ‘Anyways, so you ran away because you didn’t know how to face him after what happened and because you think he is a bit creepy?’ ‘Yeah- I mean no! He is not creepy, just… direct. Too straightforward for a first meeting. Imagine how it would have been on a second one! So yeah, that’s why.’ he shrugged, grinning sheepishly. Minho rolled his eyes. ‘Boy crushes.’ he thought, sighing desperately. Looking up at the sky and seeing the Glow high up in the sky, he stood up and extended a hand to his brother. ‘C’mon, stop hiding in your cave. We’re going back home.’ Jeongin grabbed his hands gratefully, and wrapped his arms around his brother. ‘You’re the best brother in the universe.’ ‘Tch, of course I am, I already know that.’ ‘You know what? Nevermind, I’m taking that back. Let’s go home, Minari.’ ‘You now have three second to run Lee Jeongin.’ – – – – – ‘Fe?’ Said boy looked up with tired eyes but smiled right away as he saw three familiar heads pocking from the doorway. He waved at them, with the small strength he had gained back. ‘Hi guys.’ he croaked weakly. Woojin was the first to advance, engulfing him in one of those bear hugs, Hyunjin and Seungmin following suit, the later profusely showering him with ‘thank yous’, ‘why did you save me’ and ‘you crazy Yeshihk’. Felix simply held them tight. As the Strays reunited together – Hyunjin wiping tears on his face, Seungmin silently sobbing into Felix’s arms and Woojin tightly holding his hand – Changbin watched them, leaning sideways onto a wall, reminiscent of the night he spent with the other boy. A while after he had dozed off against the headboard, he was awaken by noises. Felix was suffering from morphine’s side effects. Changbin had found him sweating profusely, trashing under the covers as he called for someone in the night. Hallucinations. Felix was hallucinating. Trashing and mumbling incoherently, Changbin had had no choice but to do something. So, cursing, he had leaned down next to him and forcefully wrapped his arms around his bare torso, pressing him against his own, focused on providing him what he needed: warmth and reassurance. Whoever he was calling had caused him great pain, judging the way his voice sound: broken and sorrowful. Brushing away his sweaty bangs from his forehead, he had tried to sooth him, in an attempt to reassure the boy. To reassure the delirious boy that someone was here. Thankfully, he had calmed down pretty quickly, slumping in his arms, head lolling on his torso, soft but ragged breath brushing his neck. Changbin had refused to let go, in case he would start hallucinating again and woke up the whole house. So he had resolved to hold him, all night long, only removing himself in the early morning, when the boy’s temperature had lowered. But there was something that had left him perplexed. Although his mumbles were not too clear, Changbin was pretty sure he had deciphered it as English, one of Chan’s mother tongues. So he had also used it to sooth him, in the hope that it would reach the delirious boy. And it worked. What kind of sorcery was that? Felix was a Stray, how was he supposed to speak English? That didn’t make any sense. Chan clearing his throat, took him out of his reverie. Changbin looked up at him, as did the four Strays. ‘We’ll be leaving now. Thanks for letting us stay here.’ his leader explained, smiling at the four boys. Woojin stood up wordlessly with a smile, and put his hands on both Chan and Changbin’s shoulders. The gesture surprised the both of them and they shivered at the foreign touch. ‘Thank you. For...helping Felix.’ he managed to say in Earthian, shocking the hell out of Changbin, who looked in confusion at Chan who simply shook his head. So in the end, they both nodded with small smiles. Woojin let go of their shoulders, but Chan suddenly felt the urge to cup his hand, and so he did. Woojin looked up, completely surprised at the sudden touch, warmth spreading in his palm at the contact. He looked up at Chan with a questioning gaze, but Chan simply held his hand tighter. ‘Thank you. For showing me your world. I really appreciated it. I felt like I was part of it. So thank you.’ he poured out all his most genuine feels and thoughts about their second meeting, secretly hopping it wouldn’t be the last. Woojin looked at him speechless, and Chan wasn’t sure the boy had grasped everything he said. But the next second, he was smiling from ear to ear, eyes crinkling and nodding in happiness. Felix clearing his throat forced them to separate. The boy looked hesitant, biting his slightly pale purple lips, but in the end raised his hands and beckoned them closer, eyes darting to the right where Changbin was. The later was no longer leaning on the wall but closer to the edge of the bed. Changbin gulped discreetly, wanting to go closer to the Stray, to know what he wanted to say to them, since he’s always been a curious person. Plus, he wanted to be sure the dude was okay. Chan contemplated going by himself just to piss Changbin off but realized that, after everything they went through yesterday, Changbin deserved respite. So he imperceptibly nodded and Changbin send him a grateful smile. The other scientist made his way slowly toward the Stray, breath caught in his throat, as Hyunjin and Seungmin moved away from him. Why didn’t he let Chan go, again? But the Stray waited patiently, eyes darting between the wall and the human. So(e) Changbin went closer and stopped, looking down at him. And legit groaned. ‘Not those fucking freckles again.’ he thought, mentally whimpering because they stood out against Felix’s deadly complexion. Let’s not lie, Changbin was not as straight as a ruler, and the Stray was damn attractive – well, maybe not at the precise moment – so, to say that those freckles had no effect on Changbin would be a lie. Changbin appreciated beautiful stuffs and liked cute things, that’s a fact. How else would he bear Jisung’s annoying presence on a daily basis otherwise? But Changbin was a professional, he knew how to separate work from personal matters. So he knew that now was no moment to let himself be attracted by someone, let alone a Stray. He was there on a job and had a mission to carry out, period. Fuck those freckles. He focused back on the Stray, now less distracted by his features, and watched as the boy open his mouth and closed it. And opened it. Then, closed it again. Changbin raised a brow at his actions, clearly questioning the sanity of the boy at the moment. Did the morphine and antibiotics fucked up his system? If so, he was in deep shi- Out of the blue, hands grabbed his shirt and tugged him forward. Changbin blushed. Hard. His heartbeat rate quickened and he felt breathless. The Stray had wrapped his arms around him, pressing himself against him while he nuzzled into his shoulder. Meanwhile the human just stood still, not knowing what to do of his arms, looking a bit – a lot – constipated. Chan, Woojin, Hyunjin and Seungmin stood still too, completely flabbergasted as they watched them. ‘What the fuck just happened?’ Chan muttered under his breath, eyes wide and a minute away from bursting out of laughter. By his side, Woojin laughed quietly too at Felix’s behavior (he knew that Felix’s mother had taught him to express his recognition with hugs) and at Changbin’s constipated self. Either the human hated skinship or he was really taken aback. Maybe both? But whatever it was, the situation was damn funny, and Hyunjin and Seungmin seemed two seconds away from chocking from holding back their laughs. So, Woojin pointed the door, himself having trouble to keep his calm, and the two Strays ushered out, their laughter echoing in the house. Woojin shook his head and focused back on Felix and Changbin, the later apparently having awaken from his trance. Sensing that the human had finally realized he was being hugged, Felix slowly peeled himself off of his savior. But against all odds, Changbin didn’t push him away but rather wrapped an arm against his shoulder, keeping him in place, hand securely wrapped at the end of his shoulder blade, the bare contact sending shivers down Felix’s spine. He noted that human body temperature was rather cold, but he didn’t mind it since his skin was scorching hot due to the fever. Awkwardly, the scientist brought his free hand over the Stray’s head, and softly brushed his fingers through his hair. Felix leaned into the touch, enjoying the care and warmth it provided him with, Changbin watching him. True, two minutes ago he said that he could deal with balancing work and personal matters. But the way the Stray held onto him, assured but not daring enough to press strongly against him, all of that had recalled how broken the boy had been the night before. Felix deserved a hug. He might not know why the boy speak English or why he was in so much pain when hallucinating yesterday, but it didn’t matter, Felix just deserved a hug. And sometimes, you can’t control the affection for someone from developing. Damn, his thoughts were a mess, he needed to sit down and think back on his life choices. So here he was, giving into his heart, and answering the cute boy’s hug, said boy burying his head in his hold. Remembering their first encounter, Changbin looked down and muttered a quick ‘Okay?’ ‘Okay.’ Felix nodded, making Changbin crack a smile. Then, raising his head, remembering that between spurs of consciousness he talked in English and that someone, no, that Changbin held him tight and comforted him in English, he added in English this time: ‘Thank you so much. Thanks for saving my life... and for taking care of me last night.’ His deep hoarse voice send shivers down Changbin’s arms, in other circumstances he would even have found it sexy. However, here, Changbin stiffened – ignoring Chan’s shocked gasp. The fact that they were said in English meant that Felix remembered he was the one that had comforted him and held him tight last night. That was embarrassing. But in the end, he slumped in their hold and sighed. He nodded at the boy. ‘Thank you for not dying.’ he answered the boy, in English as well. Felix smiled a bit, lips trembling and eyes watering as he remembered that he almost died, and then let go of Changbin. He bit back a pained moan as his wound hurt at the sudden move, but hands gripped his shoulders gently, Changbin wordlessly pushing him back on bed. Letting go of the boy, he spared him a last glance and a last nod, before he walked out of the room. Felix watched his savior’s back disappear through the doorway, his eyes full of awe, but overall grateful. Changbin had saved his life. He could have been dead, but no, someone saved him. A human saved him. Silently clutching his heart, he bit back a sob. He felt like a part of him was back into his life. He felt like he was worth living. Chan watched the scene unfold and knew it was his cue to leave. Giving a last nod to Woojin, he frowned at the way his eyes looked suddenly full of sorrow. But the boy nodded back nevertheless, sending him a grateful smile. Reaching the door, Chan however turned one last time, causing both boys to look at him. ‘If something happens to your wound come to us. We’ll help you.’ he stated, in English, before exiting the room, living behind a shocked Felix and a confused Woojin. – – – – – ‘Hyunjin?’ The boy looked up, shifting the sleeping human on his back a bit. In front of him stood Minho and Jeongin, both looking at him in surprise as he was carrying Jisung. As they were about to live the Strays’ house, Changbin and Chan had decided on not waking Jisung up since he went through a lot. The poor boy needed to rest. Chan had wanted to carry him, but Hyunjin had volunteered. For him, it was a way of thanking the three humans for helping and saving them. That was the least he could do. Chan had let him, and so here they were, walking back to the scientific basement. ‘Hey, foxie. You’re finally back?’ he teased his best friend, not caring about his curious look. He did however noted the way Minho’s eyes were stuck on the human on his back. ‘Yeah. But what- why are you with them?’ he asked, gesturing to the three humans. ‘I’m walking them back to their base. I’m carrying their friend, he seems to weak to walk.’ Minho nodded. ‘Innie go back to the house, I’ll join you shortly.’ he told his brother who nodded and waved at the three humans, the two awake boys resisting the urge to squeal at his cuteness (A/N: Lmao, the faces they’ll make when they’ll see Jeongin fight are gonna be priceless.). As the boy walked away, Minho focused back on the rest and switched on Earthian speech. ‘I’ll come with you. I’ll explain to your boss what happened.’ he explained with a grateful smile, and together they resumed their walk. As they stride through the jungle, Changbin noticed the quick glances Minho gave Jisung. They were curiosity filled. He didn’t know what happened between these two, or what the leader’s past with humans is like, but there was one thing he knew for sure. Jisung would change his perception. – – – – – As the door of the bedroom closed, Woojin turned around and stared at Felix. But, after a mere second of staring at each others Felix broke into tears and Woojin ran to him, hugging the life out of each others. They didn’t need to tell each other anything, they both knew how the other felt. They were scared that Felix would have died, and that Woojin would be left alone in this world, without his brother. Even though they were not blood related, contrary to Minho and Jeongin, to each others they were brothers. After Woojin lost his parents to the war and Felix became an orphan, the eldest raised him, when no one else wanted him, the half-blood, the son of a human. But Woojin didn’t care, he had taken him under his wings, loved him with all his being, and gave him a family. And for all of that, Felix loved him back equally. They were each others’ family and they could never, ever let anything happen to the other. ‘You Yeshihk, I was so scared I was gonna lose you.’ muttered Woojin, holding back tears that were finally threatening to fall after all this time, and buried his face into the other boy’s hair. Felix sobbed and with shaking hands cupped his brother’s face, the edge of his fingers clenching some of his hair, as he pressed their forehead together. ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry… it hurt so much Woowie, I-’ ‘Shh I know, I know Fe.’ ‘I just- Seungmin he couldn’t- I-’ ‘Shut up, I know. I know.’ Woojin wrapped an arm around his little brother’s shoulder in a strong hold, and lowered his face in front of Felix’s own. Slowly, he tenderly nuzzled their nose together, tears finally rolling down his cheeks, Felix answering the gesture with equal tenderness. ‘I thought you were gonna leave me, you Yeshihk. Minho refused to let me in.’ he sobbed, the hurt he felt since yesterday finally spiraling out of his system in the form of ugly sobs and tears. Felix laughed weakly, wincing at the pain it caused him, and rubbed his nose closer to the others’. ‘I’m surprised you didn’t barge in.’ ‘I would have, but…’ he began, smiling a bit at the memory. ‘The human I talked to you about, he was the one with the silver hair.’ he explained, causing Felix to violently choke on air in shock. Woojin worriedly tapped his back, and helped him calm down. ‘No way!’his little brother finally exclaimed with a hoarse voice, or tried to with what was left of it. ‘He looked so cool!’ ‘He is.’ he nodded with a smile. ‘I was happy because I could speak Earthian again, and he was so kind. He asked about our speech Fe, none of them ever did apart from a few! All of this is crazy.’ ‘Yeah. Now, all that’s left is for Minho and Jeongin’s human to show up!’ he agreed, looking at his brother incredulously. ‘...’ ‘No way.’ ‘You didn’t see him because he was passed out on the couch but yeah, he was there. And the dude is no joke.’ ‘What do you mean?’ asked Felix, curious to know what caused his brother to be so in awe at the other human. ‘He saved a kid from a baby Young Wings, with no hesitation.’ he stated, and watched Felix’s eyes widen. Even for him and Felix, who rode adults Young Wings, their baby version were scary as hell. ‘Whoa. Is he crazy or what?’ ‘I know right? He even managed to convince Minho of letting him and his friends come here to save you.’ ‘So I owe him my life- wait what? Minho agreed on what?’ he almost screamed, jolting in his bed, but winced in pain right away. Woojin ‘tsked’ him and helped him to lie down. ‘Yeah he did. How did you think the other human saved you?’ he questioned, lying down on the bed too and looking up at the painted stars on the ceiling. ‘Oh, and you should have seen the way Minho took care of him. And looked at him. I never saw him that curious... smitten even. I’m never letting him live that down by the way. But you know how he is when it comes to braveness.’ ‘Yeah I know, he valued that a lot. But still, I can’t believe it.’ Woojin raised a brow. ‘Why would you be here otherwise?’ ‘I...’ Felix stuttered, flustered, and leaned his head against the headboard in mortification.‘Oh Jae. Woowie I am never facing the human again. I mean, I am grateful, like I owe him my life, but last night...’ he trailed down, biting his lips in mortification. ‘What? Tell me?’ he suggested softly, head now turned toward his brother. Felix gave in with a sigh. ‘I was hallucinating, and I saw her. So I said words out loud in English since it was her language. But Changbin he… he held me to sleep and talked to me in English. I don’t remember what he said, I thought it was my mom until this morning.’ he whined, face contorted in embarrassment. ‘Woowie I am so embarrassed, a human had to see me like this and take care of me in this state... I am never getting out of this house again. Humans are going to think we are crazy.’ Woojin took a moment, and then laughed out loud. ‘Stop being so extra Fe, they won’t think anything. This human was worried, he won’t laugh at you.’ ‘Really?’ ‘At least not in front of you’ Woojin winced, laughing, as Felix hit him weakly but still enough to hurt. However Felix leaned back in pain, making Woojin laugh at him. ‘Careful Fe, we wouldn’t want to have to call pretty boy back, do we?’ ‘Shut up. Told you I’m not leaving this house again.’ ‘Oh please, shut up’. – – – – – At noon, the jungle was scorching hot, Glow shining down on the planet pretty strongly today. Everything, from the trees to the air, was hot and blurry, and this caused everything on Straya 801 to be vivid. The colors were outstanding, causing every landscape to truly look like paintings. This almost unbearable weather however caused every Stray outside their home to sweat profusely, and it was even worse for the Sureki clan members. Their territory consisted mainly of clearings in the jungle, and a part of Straya 801’s beach as well as the hills surrounding it. All in all, they were greatly exposed to the Glow’s rays. So, imagine what a pain it was for the Pali’s riders who were training for the New Glow Ordeals. Wiping off some sweat from his brows, Yedam got ready to dodge another spear aimed his way. ‘Yedam.’ The sudden call of his name caused him to lose focus, and he would have been hit by his opponent if it was not for his quick reflexes. Managing to catch the spear in time before his nose got broken, he pulled it forward and the woman fell down from her Pali. Ascending from his lilac eyed and black stripped colored skin own, patting its snout in praise, he helped his opponent up. Afterward, he turned to look at the person who called him. ‘Leader.’ he greeted, bowing slightly. ‘Cut the crap Yed. Come with me a minute.’ CL asked, rolling her eyes in despair at the boy. Yedam only chuckled and followed her inside the jungle, thankful for the shade the trees were providing. ‘She hit you pretty hard.’ CL stated as she took in the forming bruises on Yedam’s shirtless body. ‘Yeah. She is strong, the two of us are gonna be good champions during the Ordeals.’ he laughed, eyeing the bruises on his arms. CL laughed as well but calmed down pretty quickly. ‘Did you… walk the Fox, I mean, Minho’s brother home?’ ‘You mean Jeongin? No I didn’t. Well, more like, I couldn’t.’ ‘Why not? His brother came to me this morning and I knew right away that you didn’t walk him back. He told me not to scold you though. Why?’ she asked, honestly confused. ‘Because it’s not my fault, he must have figured it out. Jeongin just left without telling anyone.’ ‘Why would he do that?’ she questioned, clearly fed up by the two brothers. But Yedam only laughed and shook his head, leaning against the white bark of a tree. ‘You’ve already met him, haven’t you?’ she stated more than she actually asked, eyeing him carefully. ‘You know how I feel about that, Yed. Be careful please. We might be in good terms we their clan, but that doesn’t mean that could change. And I’m pretty sure that you don’t fuck up with the Lees and come out unscathed.’ ‘Don’t worry Chaerin. Just trust me. I’m not fucking up anything.’ he shrugged with a blinding smile. CL simply looked at him, gaze hard. After a few seconds however, she let go of the matter. ‘Alright. I trust you Yed. But fuck things up between them and us, and you can say goodbye to your claim as a potential leader.’ But the boy only shrugged and looked up at the bright sky, watching two pink Young Wings fly above, free of doing everything. ‘There are more important things than being a leader Chaerin, like… getting to know people you’ve been curious about and fulfilling dreams.’ Chaerin smiled at him and watch his dreamy face. This way he looked really young, he looked his age. Yet, he always had this weight on his shoulder, reminding him he was meant to be the leader of this tribe – this was an unspoken truth here –, not that Yedam minded it, he liked this role. But here, in that precise instant he looked peaceful and dreamy, just like someone his age should be. Chaerin knew he would make a good leader. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder. ‘These were good words Yed. That’s why I like you.’ Yedam looked at her with a bright smile, and Chaerin hit the back of his skull. ‘Now go get ready for the New Glow ordeals. We only have three weeks left. I’m counting on my champions to bring back victory.’ ‘Tch, I will don’t worry-’ ‘I don’t. Oh and change your hair too. Don’t forget that every champions must change their hair color.’ ‘Will do-’ ‘And pay your homage to Jae on your way, as well- Yah, I’m not done talking where do you think you’re going?’ ‘To pay my homages! “Please, Jae save me”- Ouch!’ – – – – – Seungmin sighed, rolling aside in Minho’s bed, knowing his best friend wouldn’t care if he crashed in his bedroom. Since Hyunjin and the humans left their house he had stayed there, lying in his bed to let Woojin and Felix some time to themselves. But being alone ultimately brought him to the event of the past day, and now he couldn’t help but feel lonely. He was so scared. So scared, that last night he had a nightmare where he was the one getting shot. But… when he woke up from it, Hyunjin had been here. Hyunjin had held him. And when he had cried, silently so as to not wake his friend up, the arms had tightened. They didn’t talk nor look at each others, there was no need to. Seungmin had had all the reassurance he needed. The only problem was the aftermath. Thinking back on what had happened, and how Hyunjin’s hands holding him felt, made him feel crazy. This morning he was to embarrassed to face him, so he had detached himself and shook the other awake, pretending nothing had happened. They barely interacted afterward. And now, he felt alone. He was definitely going crazy. Fuck hormones. A knock on the door brought him out of his reverie and he sat up. ‘Yeah?’ ‘Seungminie?’ Jeongin’s head pocked from the doorway and he entered the bedroom, frowning at his friend’s state. ‘I thought you went back home, but then I heard annoying sounds coming from my brother’s room. Figured it was you.’ he snickered, edging closer to his bundled up in covers friend. ‘ Ha. Ha. Very funny foxie. And nah, I didn’t want to face my brother at home, I know he won’t let me out of his sight.’ he smiled evilly, grabbing the younger closer and clutching onto him like a lifeline just for the sake of annoying him. ‘I’ll stay here a bit more, and wait for Hyun…’ he trailed off, and looked blankly at the wall. Jeongin stopped struggling and looked at his friend in worry. He knew he was about to say ‘Hyunjin’ but why did he stopped? Was there something wrong between them that Hyunjin didn’t tell him? Weird, he usually tell him everything. Jeongin will have to ask him when he returns. ‘Seungmin? You’re alright?’ he tried, wrapping his arms around his friend and rocking him slightly. Seungmin leaned into the touch, his human’s hoodie hood falling further in front of his eyes, covering them. Wait, was this Hyunjin’s hoodie? Okay, now something was definitely wrong, Seungmin only wear Hyunjin’s hoodie when he feels sad or insecure. ‘You know what?’ he spoke suddenly, startling Jeongin. ‘Actually, I won’t stay long. I’ll go back home soon.’ ‘O...kay?’ he could only say, not wanting to ask him directly what’s wrong. That was Minho or Hyunjin’s place to hear, not his. ‘Is Felix still awake? Hyunjin told us everything went fine.’ he asked instead, wanting to change the subject. Seungmin sat up and stretched with a smile, silently thanking his friend for changing the subject. ‘Yeah. C’mon let’s go see him.’ – – – – – Back at JYP Nation’s basement, 3racha’s flat was fuller than ever. Changbin was catching up some sleep, and Jisung too, still exhausted. Meanwhile, Chan was cooking Hyunjin something while the boy looked curiously at the furniture. ‘Here. For you. Eat?’ Chan said with a smile, gesturing an eating motion with his free hand as he settled a fruits salad in front of Hyunjin. The boy nodded and dig in as Chan sat in front of him. Then the boy looked up with round eyes, and let out a blinding eye smile. ‘Is it good?’ Chan asked hopefully. The Stray nodded, seeming to understand the words, and raised two thumbs. So Chan gestured to the plate with a smile. ‘Then eat.’ Looking at the clock on the wall he bit his lips in worry. Both boys waiting for the talk between JYP and Minho to be done. It had been almost two hours now. /KNOCK/ Speaking of the devil. Hyunjin stopped eating and they both turned to the door, watching as it slid open, revealing Minho and his boss, JYP. Nodding at Hyunjin, they both walked out, not before covering the two boys with their covers – Chan chuckling at the way Hyunjin pulled up the covers on Changbin, making sure his chin was tucked in. The boy looked up with a smile and Chan wrapped an arm around his shoulder, feeling comfortable enough with the boy now, and led him out. Pressing the door close, Chan noted Minho’s lingering glance at Jisung’s sleeping form, though he could not decipher what it held. His boss voice cut his observations. ‘CB97, I wanted to inform you that the scientists you stopped yesterday will be sent back on Earth.’ Chan nodded, breathing out in relief. ‘That’s great sir… Hum, about yesterday, although what we did was wrong, I- we have no regrets sir. So, as the leader of 3Racha I’ll take responsibility for disobeying orders.’ he blurted out, voice steady and firm, bowing at his boss. JYP raise a brow in question and then laughed slightly, deciding on dropping formalities. ‘Chan you really didn’t think I would give you guys a sanction for what you did, did you?’ ‘But boss, we stayed out the whole night, it’s against the rules. That would only be fair-’ he started, looking up clearly confused. ‘Yes. But you were invited. And you defended their kind. Even saved them. I think that’s more than enough to make up for your disobedience.’ ‘I...’ ‘Chan. Do you realize what you did? What your actions mean?’ JYP asked the boy incredulously. Did Chan even realized what the three of them did? And all this time he was thinking of the consequences of breaking rules? This boy was really something. ‘I’m not sure I do sir..’ This time Minho spoke up instead of his boss. ‘I owe you the life of three of my people Chan. We are not even your kind but you saved them’ he stated, and looked at the closed door. ‘You even risked your lives’ for them. I’ll be forever grateful.’ he smiled, bowing. Chan was at lost of words. He never thought it was something to thanked for, saving lives. For him it is just the normal thing to do. ‘I’ll also need you three to come back to the village to check on Felix, if you won’t mind.’ Minho went on. ‘Of course.’ ‘Great. Then I’ll also check on your friend, to be sure he’s healing properly.’ he added, and Chan knew right away he was talking about Jisung. Resisting the urge to smirk, he shook his head. ‘Thank you, but you really don’t have too. I mean we have antibiotics so-’ ‘Your medicines won’t help him sadly. Our bacteria are different than the one on Earth.’ ‘Oh. Well thank you for helping us out then. We’ll gladly welcome you here.’ he thanked, bowing in return, but Minho waved him off. ‘Don’t worry that’s fine. If anything I should be the one thanking you.’ Minho then put on a bright smile, as blinding as the Glow or the Sun. And at that moment, Chan realized that he was still young even though he was a leader. They were probably around the same age. Minho was brave to carry out this duty and even braver for trusting humans. Chan was beginning to truly appreciate the Stray. That’s also when he noticed the true happiness in his boss’ eyes. And that’s when he understood what all of this truly meant, for them, humans. They had earned Minho’s trust, at least the three of them had. It would probably take years for him to warm up to all humans, seeing his initial distrust toward their kind, but that was a good start. That’s the reason why his boss was beaming. Because 3racha made it. They made human’s goal achievable. And so, Chan did the only thing he was capable of doing at the moment: break into a grin. He had never felt that great. – – – – – Straya’s scorching weather had settled back on a warm evening breeze, as Glow was setting. Seungmin took advantage of this to take an evening stroll with his Pali down Straya’s hills, watching the Glow set and enjoying the peaceful and calm atmosphere of the area. A soft breeze brushed past the long dark green grass, where some children were playing, having finished school. But Seungmin knew they would soon go home. Deciding that the top of the hill was a good spot to stop at, he laid down against his seated Pali, bathing in the peaceful scenery. ‘You’re so calm beauty, what happened to your fierce self?’ he muttered as he watched the kids play. ‘You’re not really pregnant huh? If you really were I bet you’d be insufferable.’ His Pali flicked her tail playfully at him and he whined playfully. ‘Hey stop hitting me, you know you’re a bitch.’ She neighed in answer as if to say ‘You too’ making him smile. As the wind blow harder on the top of the hill, he clutched the black hoodie tighter around him, right hand unconsciously wrapping against his bruised side, and leaned back against his Pali’s stomach to look up at the sky. But something looming over him prevented him from doing so. Hyunjin. ‘Hey.’ ‘Hi.’ he answered as Hyunjin sat next to him, leaning against Seungmin’s Pali too. ‘You’re back.’ ‘Yeah. Is your side okay?’ ‘Yeah.’ ‘Cool.’ A pause. Seungmin knew what was coming. ‘You left early.’ There it was. ‘I did.’ ‘Why?’ Instead of answering Seungmin choose to look at Hyunjin’s features and gulped. The Glowset caused his face to be shaded beautifully, hues of orange shinning down his face, highlighting his handsomeness. His heartbeat quickened. Shit. The same feeling as this morning. Suddenly Hyunjin turned to stare at him and Seungmin blurted out the first thing that came through his mind. ‘I don’t know.’ he uttered out. Hyunjin snorted. ‘Yeah, you know.’ ‘Yeah I know.’ His answer surprised Hyunjin who had expected another denial, and Seungmin flustered. ‘You know-’ he began but Seungmin cut him. ‘I didn’t want to face you.’ Hurt flash across Hyunjin’s face and Seungmin panicked. Shit, he didn’t mean to say it that way! ‘No, not like that Hyun! I was just… Ugh.’ he grunted, frustrated at his pathetic failed attempts to talk. What was he? Five? C’mon he could face Hyunjin properly before, heck he even saw him dance sexily and cry like a baby in the past, so why was he flustered now? That was stupid. So he hit his Pali softly and she stood up, running away, leaving Hyunjin fall back on the grass in surprise. ‘Seungmin, you Yeshihk you could have warned-’ But before he finish his sentence or sat up, Seungmin lowered himself next to him, and Hyunjin automatically extended an arm for Seungmin to lean his head on, like he always had. Smiling softly at the familiar gesture, Seungmin closed his eyes. Playing softly with his friends brown hair, Hyunjin looked up at the pale purple clouds contrasting against the orange pinkish sky. ‘Go on.’ he mused. ‘You know you can tell me everything.’ ‘I know.’ A pause. ‘I didn’t know how to face you after last night.’ ‘Me neither to be honest. I was afraid of facing you too. Of what you would thought after I reacted this way yesterday.’ Hyunjin admitted, biting his lips. ‘Really?’ Seungmin said shocked at his friend’s words. Hyunjin was always so confident, he never thought yesterday would be one of the few rare instances where he would feel insecure. ‘Yeah. Yeah I… I so was worried. I thought you were the one who was shot. I can’t stand seeing you hurt Seung.’ he admitted, finger stilling as he waited for Seungmin’s reaction. Did he said too much? ‘… Of course you can’t.’ Seungmin chuckled, heart beating quicker at his friend’s words. This reassurance was all he needed. And he knew it was true. When they were little, if someone ever hurt Seungmin, not only would he face his own wrath but Hyunjin’s as well. So, Hyunjin’s fingers resumed their motion, threading through the dark brown locks, hands brushing against his dark hoodie. Hyunjin had noticed right away when he went back at Minho’s place that the hoodie he had wore yesterday and left on the bed edge was missing. And he knew what it could only mean, he was just waiting the right moment to bring it up. And now seemed great. ‘Let it out Seung.’ he said, as he had many times before, voice low and calm, sending waves of comfort down Seungmin spine. And with those words, he buried himself into Hyunjin’s side, like he had done so many times before, wailing and pouring all his pain and feeling out. Hyunjin simply held him, waiting patiently for the boy to calm down. He knew Seungmin wouldn’t tell a thing about what he feels, he only told Minho. However, it was always in Hyunjin that he had, and still do, seek comfort, his arms being the only embrace in which the boy felt like he belonged to and could freely allow himself a moment of weakness. And so, Hyunjin rocked him, breeze tickling the tall beds of dark green grass surrounding them in the silence of the evening, Glow settling in the horizon. ‘Seung, whatever you feel it’s okay. Just never again run away from me. Promise me, yeah?’ he asked, gaze firmly settled on the Glow setting further away, extending his palm out. Seungmin glanced at it. Their hands met half way, Glow finally settled, fingers intertwining in a silent pledge. ‘Yeah.’ – – – – – /SNAP/ Minho woke up with a start. What happened? Standing up, he reached for his spear, and walked toward the source of the noise he just heard in the darkness of their house. The night had taken over since a long moment already and he hoped that the noise had not awoke anyone. It sounded like something had snapped, like a tree branch or something… Walking past Felix room and Jeongin room he verified that both boys wee still asleep. Woojin’s one was all the way down the hall, but he had no time to check if the boy was also still sleeping – he could only hope so. Walking into their living room, he noticed right away the broken tree branch and approached the area carefully, frowning as he noticed something- ‘You’re okay?’ Minho jumped on the spot and clutched his spear tightly in a defensive stance before he relaxed, turning around. ‘Shit Woojin you scared me! How come you’re not sleeping?’ ‘Sorry.’ he chuckled sheepishly, rubbing his nape, messy blond hair falling over his eyes. ‘I was watching over Felix, couldn’t sleep. But I went to the toilet and heard something break. Is everything alright?’ But Minho didn’t answer, instead focused intently onto something. That’s when Woojin took notice of the snapped tree branch and the arrow stuck on it. Frowning worriedly, he walked toward Minho. ‘Min? What’s this? Who send it?’ he asked, putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder, feeling it tensed. Minho looked up in worry. The older had always been a support for him since he became the leader of this tribe. He knew he could share his burden with him. So, he didn’t hesitate to shove into his hands the paper he was clenching in his own. ‘Our friend. It’s a warning.’ he muttered, voice almost broken and dark, watching his friend take in the letter. As he read the words Woojin paled slightly. Looking up, he saw the veil in his friend’s eyes and the darkness looming behind it. Minho had seen way too much. He shouldn’t have seen that much. ‘What are you going to do?’ he demanded, trying to get back the attention of his friend, silently thanking Jae as it worked. ‘For now, nothing. I’ll pretend nothing is happening, and put my most trusty men on it. They’ll watch discreetly things unfold while we’ll resume our everyday life.’ ‘Should we warn the guys?’ Woojin asked, looking at the door of Felix’s bedroom in worry, Minho following his gaze, his own eyes softening. ‘Of course. I never hide a thing from all of you. We’ll tell them tomorrow. For now though, let’s catch some sleep.’ he said, patting Woojin shoulder. And so they did. As he reach his bed however, Minho carefully put the paper under his pillow, and laid down under his red bed sheets, the words hastily scribbled on it haunting his dreams... ‘They are back.’ ~~~~~~> To be continued.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The first rays of Glow settled over the horizon, gently stirring awake its inhabitants- ‘Ya ya ya, Jeongin raise your fat ass from this bed and come eat-’ ‘Shut up HWANG HYUNJIN!’ Head pocking from his bedroom’s window hole, he glared daggers down at the boy who was seated on his usual spot a few meters below. ‘Can’t you let me sleep in, at least once in my lifetime?’ he whined, eyes half opened and chin resting on his folded arms. ‘Well, well, would you look at that Seungmin-ah? A living bird nest.’ Hyunjin exclaimed, looking down at his other friend, who was half asleep against his shoulder. Seungmin only leaned further against him with closed eyes and nodded. ‘Well if you don’t just go in with traitor number 2, a bird might flip out of it.’ he threatened, flipping them off anyways as he left his bedroom. Padding toward the main room, he expected to be greeted with the smell of warm Gyujaks fruits, his brother and their other two flatmates seated at the table. But no. Instead, Felix and Woojin were snuggled up against each others on the couch, the former still drowsy and pale, cuddled in a lilac rug. Next to them was Minho, looking restless, tapping his feet nervously against the ground, in a three tap pattern. The three tap pattern. A strong wave of worry washed over him. His brother rarely ever let this habit of his show, only when he was truly panicking- and that only happened twice in their lifetimes. Two times he’d rather not remember. Without another thought, Jeongin rushed over him and kneeled, startling Woojin and Felix – well, what could be considered startled in Felix’s state. Looking up at his brother worriedly, he wrapped his hand around his knee, steadying his leg firmly. At that, Minho looked down, startled, and his gaze settled on Jeongin, eyes widening. ‘Minho what’s happen-’ he began to ask his brother worriedly, but was cut off when Minho pulled him in, cradling him against his torso. ‘Thanks Jae you’re here…’ he muttered against his hair, and Jeongin’s eyes veiled with a deep and dark emotion. Memories… They were suddenly filled with flashes of memories he’d rather forget. Shivering, he tried to get rid of them. This dark story must remained unknown and buried within the two boys’ memories, no one must find it out. No one. Soft trembling hands buried themselves in his soft locks and Jeongin was shaken away from his thoughts. Wrapping his hands around his brothers hips, he rubbed soothing circle against his bones and brought his lips to his ears. ‘I’m going nowhere Minho, it’s alright, I’m here. I’m here-’ ‘Wow what’s happening?’ Hyunjin’s voice broke in, breaking the moment and startling the four boys. Turning around, Woojin waved them over tiredly. He hadn’t slept much yesterday night, and neither had Minho, all thanks to this warning. They were both worried about what it would change. All of them had their own stories, past and memories, and Woojin knew that the news wouldn’t sit well with the boys. While he didn’t know what it meant for Hyunjin and Seungmin, or Minho and Jeongin, he still knew that it was important for them. Something had happened to them that neither boys were willing to talk about yet. He wouldn’t pry though. He wouldn’t, because he wouldn’t want anyone to pry on Felix and his own story regarding this news. Looking down at the half awake boy leaning against him, a veil of sadness invaded him and he wrapped his arm around him. Weakly chuckling when the youngest buried his head further into the crook of his neck, he felt the need to protect him. They might not be blood related but Felix meant the world to him. And he didn’t deserve to suffer yet again because of those bastards. They’d already done enough damage as it is. Being half human was already hard enough on a daily basis for Felix. Not that their tribe judged or looked down upon him, Minho would never allow that, but outsiders were not so open minded, many of them still thought of humans as a pandemic that needed to be erased from their ethereal and pure lands. And in a way… Woojin could relate to those thoughts. But never would he ever consider all humans guilty of what happened in the past. Heck, without those rebellious ones they wouldn’t even have won! No one should be blaming a whole just because of one person’s mistake. Some of his kind had either forgot that or were just too judgmental and narrow-minded to see that not every humans are the same. Hence why Felix had a hard life, and so had his mother and the few other humans who chose to stay behind. And now, with the return of those Yeshihks, the small happiness the boy had built was threatened to fall apart. Their whole lives were threatened to fall apart. That is, if they didn’t manage to stop them before. Looking up at the sound of a beanbag being dragged, he refrained from laughing when he saw Hyunjin roll his eyes and plop down on it, as he tugged his best friend forward, literally dragging Jeongin down on his laps. The youngest was fidgeting, clearly worried because of his older brother’s state. But Hyunjin simply draped an arm around his middle, and this gesture was enough to calm Jeongin’s nerves, the boy going slack against him. Woojin chuckled at that. The two best friends might bicker a lot, but it was in moments like these that one knew they loved each others. Clearly, anyone could see it in the little actions they held for one another on a daily basis or on important occasions, like here, as Hyunjin knew right away how to calm his best friend. No words needed, just a comforting touch was enough. It was beautiful in his opinion. While him and Felix were each others’ closest person, their relationship was more of a brother’s one – like Minho and Jeongin. They didn’t have best friends. That’s why Hyunjin and Jeongin’s relationship seemed so foreign for him, not that he was jealous of it, but simply in awe at the beauty and truth their relationship held. ‘You’re ready Min?’ Seungmin’s soft voice broke the silence and Woojin looked up. Seungmin had his arm wrapped around his shoulder in a comforting manner while softly pushing their leader’s arm, face morphed into an annoying grin. Minho complained and shoved him away, but Seungmin only held on tighter, clinging to his back. Minho sighed dramatically but everyone could see in his eyes that he was glad that his best friend took his mind off of whatever memories he was reliving. Somehow, when no one – not even Jeongin – could take Minho’s mind off of something once he was dwelling too much on it, Seungmin had the power to do so. And vice versa, Minho had this same effect on Seungmin. No one knew how, they just did. The two had always been close anyways, so maybe they could blame it on this and leave it at that. ‘Yeah, yeah I am- Jae, did you miss me that much? I know I’m extremely lovable but I’m not into you sorry. So kindly get off, thank you.’ Minho exclaimed, all his sass coming back full force – another ‘Seungmin effect’. Everyone laughed as Minnie got off with a pout and slapped his back hard. Minho stumbled forward with a hiss, and Seungmin strode to the empty spot on the couch with a pleased smile at that sound. Shaking his head at his best friend’s behavior, he straightened up and all the playfulness in the atmosphere died down. Looking at everyone with a grave look on his features, all the boys calmed down and sat still in anticipation. Minho rarely ever called for a private meeting, the last he did was when he wasn’t even a leader. They all knew that something serious lurked in the air, threatening on falling down on them at any moment. Reaching in his black human sweatpants’ pockets, Minho sighed and unfolded a paper- the paper. He didn’t want to worry his friends but he didn’t want to lie to them either. ‘Yesterday… our friend sent us that. To warn us.’ he stated darkly, holding out the paper. As all the boys read the message, an array of emotions passing through each of them at the simple ‘They are back’, Minho felt his hands shake. He tried not to think about all that happened in the past because of these guys. He really did. But, the memory was still too fresh, too vivid. One couldn’t know but, if the six of them were so close with one another, it was because of their common pasts; they all had history because of these guys. And at the end of the day, they found each other. They built a family together, when nothing was left. And all of that was on the verge of destruction just because they were back. Minho felt helpless. As a leader he promised to protect his people, and as a friend he promised to protect his brothers. But right now, as he took in their diverse looks, he felt powerless, useless even. And he hated it. He wouldn’t stand it. No matter what, he swore to protect his people, his family. So, yeah, he was scared. But that didn’t mean he won’t fight and protect. ‘I… needed you to know.’ he explained as he took in Seungmin’s scared but curious look. ‘I know we’ve faced though times because of these people. But now we’re no longer our past selves. We can face them and protect our kind. This is not like in the past. Now, we know who they are and what they want.’ ‘Then what are we gonna do Minho?’ Hyunjin asked, head buried in Jeongin’s neck, the younger boy lost in his thoughts, Hyunjin’s hold on him being the last resort making him hold on. Seeing that, Minho slowly kneeled down before his baby brother and took his cheeks in both hands, letting their noses touch, effectively bringing him out of his dark thinking. ‘We’re only gonna watch them for now. We cannot let them know we know. So I’ll send my best seekers and hiders on the watch. But otherwise, our people mustn't know- at least for now. We must maintain a normal everyday life, and keep our focus on more important stuffs. The New Glow is coming up anyways, so we’ve got a lot to do. Just-’ he let go of his face and turned around to face the others. ‘Just don’t worry, we’ll face this together, as we always have.’ ‘What are you even saying Minho.’ Hyunjin spoke up, looking at him with caring eyes and a smirk. ‘Of course we are facing this together. Like we’ll let you have all the glory of taking those Yeshihks down.’ All the boys nodded with a smile, and Minho returned it. It was at times like that that he was glad to have such an amazing family – not that he’ll ever say it to their faces. Bones popping, Woojin stretched as he sat up. ‘Well, if you’re done, I think we all have things to do! I need to leave in a few if I want to get to the floating sea before high tide.’ he yawned and smiled down at Felix when the boy tugged at his shirt. ‘Yeah, Fe, I’m bringing you back to your bed- seriously guys, did we really required his presence? He didn’t even listen to a thing we said.’ The boys laughed slightly, glad for the change of atmosphere, and Woojin bent over to pick up his brother. Shifting him against his torso carefully so as to not re-open his wound, he navigated carefully around the main room, mouthing an ‘I’ll be back’. Minho nodded and went back to the kitchen after patting his brother’s cheek. On the way, he grabbed Seungmin and rolled his eyes at his complaints about not wanting to cook. But deep down, he was glad. Life needed to go on. Plus, there were other positive new things happening on Straya 801 these days, and he wasn’t about to let this bad news spoil that… – – – – – ‘Okay I’m about to go crazy, just get me a fucking wheelchair Chan!’ Jisung screeched from his spot on their flat’s comfy gray leather interior deckchair, throwing his pencil at his leader’s head. Chan stiffened, and turned away from the stove with an unimpressed glare. ‘Look Ji, a wheelchair is useless in this environment-’ ‘I’m not talking environment with you Chan. What I need is a wheelchair to move in this flat. As much as I love both of your strong arms, I can’t depend on you to carry me from my bed to the toilet.’ he deadpanned, and Chan found himself speechless. ‘See? Didn’t think of that, did you now?’ ‘I- listen Ji, I know that if I give you a wheelchair, you’ll be wheeling around in the jungle. Don’t you dare deny it.’ he cut Jisung who had just opened his mouth, raising a finger mid air. Changbin who was watching the whole exchange suddenly rose from his seat on their couch. ‘Well, I gotta agree with Jisung on this one.’ he admitted, shrugging as he took an apple from the fruit bowl laid on their red iron coffee table. Chan looked at him betrayed. ‘What?’ ‘Changbin. How can you even think that? Didn’ you hear what I just said?’ ‘Oh I did. Which is why I’m saying give him a wheelchair.’ he stated, and sighed when met with Chan’s confused expression. ‘Chan, you said he’d wheel around the jungle if you give him one. Then what will he do if you don’t?’ ‘… Oh. Walk around the jungle, right.’ Chan deadpanned and looked desperately at Jisung who just shrugged and smiled sheepishly. ‘Oh c’mon Ji.’ he groaned turning back to the stove, where small dumplings were boiling in water. ‘What? You know I would Chan. Actually, you’re the only reason why I’m not on my feet right now.’ ‘Fine, fine, fine Han Jisung. I’ll get you that wheelchair. But promise me you won’t try walking, your feet need proper healing.’ ‘Of course not! Why would I walk when I can laze around in a chair.’ he scoffed, closing his report on Straya’s biodiversity with a thud, pretending to be offended. ‘Thought you knew better Chan.’ But Chan only laughed at his friend’s antics and turned to Changbin. ‘Can you get the chair please?’ Changbin whined and buried himself further into his pillow, hugging his precious datapad to his chest. ‘C’mon man, why me!’ ‘Do you want a breakfast?’ Changbin straightened up right away. ‘Where can I find those wheelchairs again?’ Chan chuckled and stirred the dumplings. ‘Go ask the staff for one. Or the medical unit.’ Changbin only sighed before he walked out, flipping a laughing Jisung off as he shut the door of their flat, cursing when the mechanism had troubles working. Finally managing to make the button work, the door slid shut under Jisung’s cackles and Changbin’s cute annoyed whines. With that, Jisung went back on his report, and Chan smiled as he stirred the pot. Looking outside, through the huge glass window of their flat, he felt a feeling of contentment wash over him. The Glow was rising over the horizon, drowning their flat in a soft golden orange hue. From the corner of his eyes, he saw two pterodac- no, Young Wings fly in the sky, one purple, the other a reddish shade of orange dotted with black, and it reminded him of Jisung’s encounter with them, dampening his mood a bit. But it also reminded him of the encounters he had with Woojin. His heart warmed up at that thought. It’s been a while since he felt like that actually. And, he couldn’t grasp why he was feeling like that, but that was fine. He didn’t need to. Chan was just going to enjoy this new life, a day at a time. – – – – – – ‘Ah. I’m lost.’ Jeongin stopped in his track at that realization, toes curling around the blue grass. Wiping off some sweat of his brows, he shaded his eyes with his left hand, trying to decipher where the Jae he was. Actually, today he ditched training for the New Glow Ordeals on a sole purpose: finding new paints for his cave paintings. Rare ones. The paint he was seeking for could only be found during particularly hot days, such as this one. The moisture in the air created by the heat caused a very rare phenomena. It consisted in apparitions of a weird fluorescent liquid paint-like substance on tree trunks. The most common found colors were green and pink, but in some areas a blue one – a rare color – could be found. Though, even if Strays were accustomed to big heat peak every years, this one was particularly hard to bear. Few dared to go out, and Minho firmly insisted that his tribe only left their houses if absolutely needed – needless to say that Felix wasn’t even allowed near a window hole. But Jeongin really needed this paint – he ran out of blue and green. And this heat peak only happened twice a year. Yesterday was the first day, and he couldn’t go because he had to train. Today was the only option left. So Jeongin had wandered through the jungle in search of it, and actually found the green one on their territory. But the blue one was proving to be hard to find this year. So he had strayed a bit from their territory in the hope of finding it, and if it had to take him the whole day to find it, then so be it. Hence, why he was here now. Lost in an unfamiliar part of his world. Looking around, he took notice of the tall trees, their bark white and their leaves large and orange. The soil was a gorgeous shade of turquoise blue, all tall grass and flowers. An adult Young Wing was eating peacefully under the shade of a tree, chirping here and there when a pink bug came too close to its snout. Its skin was a gorgeous shade of lilac with turquoise and orange spots splattered here and there on its scales. The beast was gorgeous, and at times, he wished he was like Felix and Woojin, a Young Wings rider, just so he could get close to them. Thinking that it couldn’t hurt to wander around and find some shade, he resumed his stroll. Eyes closing, he let his hands roam around, fingers slipping through the tall beds of grass, smell of fresh flowers invading his nostrils and cackles of birds entering his earbuds. It was relaxing. A gust of wind brushed past him and slowly he peeled his eyes open. ‘What the-’ he muttered, astounded at the scenery that lay before him. He had stumbled into an unknown clearing, scenery still the same, except that the tree bark had- orange paint?! Jeongin stumbled forward, not believing what he was seeing. He stopped in front of it and tentatively raised a hand toward the bark, collecting the substance on his fingertips. Yup, that was definitely paint. But orange? That was unheard of… Looking around, he found that he was alone in the clearing, no one in sight, not even an animal. Well, if he had stumbled here, that must be for a reason, so might as well take advantage of the situation and collect as much paint as he can. Shrugging, he began scrapping the substance off of the bark, collecting it in the pouches he was carrying around. Unknown to him, the Glow had began to rise in the sky, settling at its zenith. He was so absorbed in his task that he didn’t even acknowledge the time pass by or the hisses in the distance. ‘Hey Yed- wait who’s that?’ Jeongin stilled. Oh Jae. He’d forgotten that he was not in his territory but in an unknown one. How could he had forgotten such an important fact?! When he looked up and turned around it was already too late, the Sureki clan members – Jeongin recognized them from their tribe tattoos – were already getting down from their Palis. And Jeongin gulped. Not because they were intimidating or anything, please, Jeongin had seen worth. It’s just that Yedam happened to be one of them. A man, wearing one of his tribe’s rug around his hips and a leather breastplate, holding a bow, was attempting to be threatening as he approached him – and honestly Jeongin considered pretending to be scared just to mess with him. ‘Hey you, what are you doing here, on our territory. And, are you stealing something from our lands?! Have you no sha-’ But Jeongin had stopped listening the moment their eyes met. Yedam was… stunning to say the least. And, honestly? Jeongin had to do a double take and refrain from blushing. Yedam was wearing black pants, loose around the thighs and tight at the calves. His feet were bare and his finely muscled tan torso exposed, chest half covered by a black leather breastplate, showing off his many tattoos as well as his infamous scar. Let’s just say that the weather wasn’t the only thing that Jeongin found hot at the moment. But the most stunning thing was Yedam’s hair. The boy had died it a gorgeous shade of gray, hues of silver dancing in his locks thanks to the light emitted by the Glow, emphasizing the healthy golden of his skin.. It was stunning, Yedam was stunning. But it was also a proof of his participation in the Ordeals as a champion. Like Jeongin. Could it mean that… Jeongin was going to finally defy the man that he had looked up to his whole life? Shaking his head, Jeongin almost laughed at his stupidity. Of course he won’t, how could he when they weren’t even competing in the same field. Jeongin was a fighter, Yedam a rider. Which meant that, first, Yedam would fight against Minho or Seungmin, and second, that Jeongin was obviously going to root for his brother and his friend. Looking up, his eyes fell once more on Yedam, who was looking at him with a small smile on his lips, standing at the back of his group of friend – Jeongin could only assume they were – with crossed arms, clearly amused. And at that exact moment, Jeongin realized the state he was in. He was sweaty, his finely muscled white torso exposed, wearing an old pair of his tribe black leather pants, an orange-red furry rug tied around his hips, and necklaces made of animals teeth, flowers and ropes dangling from his neck. Jeongin had always loved alternating between wearing humans clothes and their own kind of clothes. But no matter what type of clothes he chose to wear, this furry rug never left his outfit. It was his trademark as The Fox. He had had it since he was called the Fox, and as you guessed it, this fur was a fox one. Now some of you might wonder how come he possessed a fox fur when foxes were animals on Earth? Well, let’s just say that when the first expedition of humans came here, on Straya 801, they didn’t only brought clothes and food. But right at the moment, what he was self-conscious about wasn’t his trespassing, or his lack of shirt, but rather the fact that he was smeared in bright orange paint. There might even be more orange paint than actual skin showcased at the moment. Which, he had no doubts, must be making him looking like a kid. Or an idiot. ‘- have you report to- Hey! Are you listening?’ the man from before huffed indignantly, trying to look intimidating yet again, and yet again failing. Jeongin simply looked at him and raised a brow. And that, made Yedam bit back a laughter – no, Jeongin didn’t feel proud of himself – but ticked off the other male. ‘Listen you rascal, I have enough of your attitude. You’re coming with us-’ ‘He is going nowhere.’ Jeongin felt shivers run down his arms at that voice. He looked to the side in surprise, his gaze meeting Yedam’s instantly, who had just began peeling himself off of his Pali’s side to advance, muscled flexed and torso shinning, a pissed off look and an eyebrow raised. And at this sole moment, Jeongin was mesmerized. The boy exuded so much confidence and power, a total reversal from his playful and annoying self back when they first met. And Jeongin wasn’t sure he liked the way his heart beat at the sight. The other male obviously looked taken aback by his friend’s words. ‘What do you mean Yed? He is trespassing.’ ‘Yeah I’m aware of that, I’ve got eyes, thank you Mills.’ Yedam said with a smirk, patting his friend’s shoulder. ‘Stop calling me Mills man,’ he whined, suddenly looking like the teen he was. ‘Either call me Millennium or Raesung, not Mills.’ ‘Whatever floats your boat Mills.’ ‘Oh Jae, kill me please.’ Millennium whimpered, dramatically gripping his hair, making all his friends laugh. Jeongin was having fun at the boy’s distress. Seeing him going from ‘I’m though’ kid to a ‘Give me back my candy’ kid was truly entertaining. Blame it on Minho if he liked to see people suffer, his brother was a sadistic mischievous sassy person in disguise that had tainted his pure soul. But all his amusement died down when Yedam turned back to him. Oh, well, might as well be straightforward – after all, Yedam loved straightforwardness. So, before Yedam could even ask something, Jeongin beat him to it. ‘I got lost. Sorry, I didn’t know it was your territory.’ Jeongin explained, trying to remain nonchalant and cool. And it seemed to work on Millennium, as he was about to say something again – no doubt, an eloquent sentence about his trespassing yet again – but Yedam didn’t bought it. Instead, his smile just widened. ‘Oh, did our foxie lost all sense of smell?’ he bit playfully, and honestly, if Jeongin wasn’t covered in pain at the moment he would have tackle the soon to be leader on the ground and punched him in the nose. But he wouldn’t do such damage to such a beautiful colored paint. ‘And did our panther became a nagging Yeshihk while I was away?’ he bit back, equally playful but slightly annoyed. Yedam was too comfortable around him, and they had known each other – well, if ‘know’ was an accurate way to put it – for such a short time. Jeongin wasn’t used to having anyone but his family this close and daring. ‘Well, you wouldn’t know, would you? Since you ran away the other day.’ he explained with a smirk, but strangely, as Jeongin looked at it, it seemed bitter. Why, though? Yet at the mention of his past behavior, Jeongin flustered and looked down at the ground, fingers playing with his fur and toes curling in the grass. After his little talk with his brother in the cave, he felt that he shouldn’t have run away from Yedam. It was stupid. The boy wasn’t that… weird, now that he think of it. If Jeongin was honest with himself, he had said that as an excuse to hide his true worries: letting his admirer’s side out. That would be so humiliating. And Jeongin knew that with Yedam’s ease and straightforwardness when it came to talking and interacting with him, he was screwed. ‘Wait, wait, wait Yed. This- this is The Fox? Oh Jae, I didn’t recognize him with all this paint!’ Jeongin heard Millennium deadpan and Yedam’s laughed. Oh great, another one who knew who he was. How many people had actually heard of The Fox? ‘No Mills, you’re just dumb.’ Yedam stated, earning himself a few snickers. ‘Hey!’ ‘Kidding~’ he singsonged and Jeongin felt the following silence really oppressive. But suddenly, there was a thumb on his forehead, brushing away a few stands of hair, and gently rubbing his skin. Jeongin looked up, startled, the touch burning his skin. Did Yedam want to get punch that badly? Raising his eyes to meet those of Jeongin, Yedam laughed a bit, glee filling his eyes, and he pulled away his thumb. And suddenly Jeongin could breath again. Why was he so flustered when around Yedam?! Yedam looked at his thumb in awe, a small smile playing on his lips. ‘You’re indeed a fox.’ he muttered, pensively. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ he frowned, not liking the way his heart missed a beat. In the short time he had ‘known’ Yedam, he had deemed that he really hated it with Yedam, this mysterious facade of him that said unexplained stuffs out of the blue with a frankness that only he possessed. It was unsettling. And a bit annoying. But the boy only looked up with a grin, suddenly looking like the teen he was again, smile as white as if the Glow had cast all its shine on it. He was blinding. Too blinding for him to handle. Jeongin didn’t like that. ‘Orange.’ he simply stated, showing his now orange tainted thumb. ‘It suits you. No doubts its your color, like foxes.’ Oh. That wasn’t at all what he had expected the boy to say. His cheeks were burning, and he was sure the other boy could see it. His finger curled against his orange rug. It was humiliating and he wanted to crawl away. This… this was a compliment that flustered him too much, when it shouldn’t. He was uncomfortable. And it must have shown, because next thing he knew Yedam and his friends were back on their Palis. ‘We’re gonna go. Collect all the paint you need and leave shortly, I wouldn’t want you to stumble upon other tribe’s members. They aren’t as lenient as I am and won’t hesitate to take you to CL. Can you do that?’ ‘Yeah, yeah of course.’ he found himself responding eagerly, quite shocked over the fact that Yedam allowed him to take the paint back home with him. ‘Great.’ he smiled and turned to sit straight on his Pali, ready to leave. ‘Wait.’ Honestly, he didn’t know why he asked for him to wait. But Jeongin knew he had to, or else he wouldn’t forgive himself. He might be a cheeky Yeshihk at times, but deep down he was a soft boy. And as such, he knew that gratefulness meant proper thankfulness. Yedam turned around and raised his brows in question. Jeongin chewed at his bottom lip, and ruffled his already messy hair, blush torching his cheeks and nose on fire. ‘Thank you.’ he admitted with a gulp, looking past Yedam at a random orange tree- Jae, did everything had to be orange now? Yedam looked at him bewildered. But soon, his face morphed into an expression of pure joy, and Jeongin felt himself smile at the sight. Yedam was truly the prettiest when smiling. Said boy lightly chuckled and turned his Pali to face the right way. Jeongin’s face fell. Was he really simply going to leave after he said that? But as he began strolling away, Jeongin heard it, the most melodious sound ever heard in his existence. ‘See you around foxie.’ And his heart filled with warmth. Oh boy, was he doomed. – – – – – Minho was tying the laces of his Ranger shoes when the unexpected happened. He was getting ready to leave his house to check on the human that had saved his friends. He couldn’t help it, even though they were facing their own troubles at the moment, a side of him still managed to worry about the boy’s safety. It’s just that… something about that human felt different. He wasn’t like others, those he had known always had a selfish part in them, but this boy… he seemed so untainted and selfless. There was something in him that just intrigued Minho. And he’d always been a curious person, so you can bet that he would do his best to find out what it was. And so, here he was, tying up his shoe laces, thinking about the human and how brave he had looked while so close to an almost unavoidable death, when suddenly there was a knock on their door. Standing up with a frown, he made his way to the door and opened it. ‘Hey, hum, Minho. I’m here to check on Felix. Is it okay?’ Minho looked at the human in front of him with immediate soft eyes, and Changbin flustered a bit in front of this affectionate gaze. He wasn’t used to having someone look at him with such eyes apart from his brothers. But Minho could only look at him like that. First of all, he was one of Felix’s saviors, if not the most important one. And he knew, without having to ask, that Felix was positively entranced with the human, if not smitten. He was surprised actually, Felix was always quick to get attached to things or people, but for him to ‘leech’ to someone so quickly? It was unheard of. Well, Changbin was an eye candy if you were to ask Minho – and so were his two other friends – so maybe he could blame Felix’s sudden fascination with the human on that. Secondly, the human had braved the scorching heat of the Glow just to check on Felix – thanks Jae he looked okay, or else he wouldn’t have forgiven himself. That weather could have cast bad burns on the human’s skin. And yet, here he was. If this isn’t what was called devotion? ‘Of course you can.’ Minho smiled at him and stepped aside to let him enter, which Changbin did. ‘You are more than welcome to come here as often as you like. Your friends too.’ he declared, watching him with amusement as he shrugged off his jacket and took in what their house looked like. Minho had forgotten, but Changbin had spent most of his time here locked in Felix’s room, so obviously he would be discovering the place now. ‘It’s… it’s gorgeous.’ Changbin admitted, turning toward Minho with a cute smile. Yes, Minho said cute, because that was what it was; Changbin might look like a though cold guy, but Minho could smell kilometers away the underlying layer of sugar he hid beneath his dark clothes. So, yes, his smile was cute. ‘Thanks. Woojin and Felix did the decoration.’ he explained, sitting down on a yellow beanbag to finish what he had began. ‘Woo… jin?’ he asked confused. ‘Oh. True, you haven’t been presented yet with the rest of my family. He was the other guy with blond hair.’ ‘Oh! Yeah, right I remember him! Chan likes him.’ he provided, smiling at the thought. Minho smiled at that too and stretched a bit. ‘Yeah, Woojin likes him too. Well, I need to go, so see you around?’ ‘You’re not staying?’ he wondered out loud, looking shocked. Did Minho really plan on leaving him, a human, in his house without anyone around? This definitely couldn’t be the same Minho that had thrown Jisung out on day one. As if perceiving his thoughts, Minho laughed and walked toward the door. ‘I trust you Changbin. I know you won’t harm Felix, otherwise you wouldn’t have saved him. Plus, I’m going to check on your friend.’ At that, Changbin had to swallow back a smirk. Oh, Jisung was going to love that. Nevertheless, he nodded and muttered a small thanks, glad and shocked that Minho trusted him so easily. ‘I’ll get going then. Felix is in his room, but he might be sleeping.’ ‘Okay. I’ll go see him. Thank you.’ ‘No problem. See you Changbin. Oh and remember, no exposure to the Glow- for both of you.’ ‘Alright chief.’ he laughed and waved Minho goodbye. The later laughed back – and Changbin knew he liked the boy already – and closed the door behind himself. With that, he was left alone in the tree house, with Felix’s presence a few meters away, possibly sleeping soundly. ‘Here goes nothing…’ he muttered, turning the handle. – – – – – Chan already regretted on deciding to leave their flat. The weather was scorching hot, he was sweating and if it was not for the shade provided by those huge trees the Trashee territory possessed he would be a walking burnt toast. Slumping against rest spot on a tree branch, where he was shaded by huge turquoise palm leaves, he swallowed down the rest of his water – now tasting weird and hot. ‘What am I doing here, seriously…’ he whined, looking around a bit. Initially, he had just planned on roaming around in the jungle, just, to wander aimlessly and enjoy the beautiful day. But, if he’d been a little attentive, then he would have remembered his lessons back on Earth, reminding him that there were two days in the year when it was not recommended at all to go out. But let’s just say that, the 3Racha unit was not the most studious one. And now? Let’s say he kind of regretted it a bit, and wished they hadn’t ditched class to roam around the facility as many times as they had. With this heat, all that was left to do was to wait for the Glow to settle so he could go home without fainting. Pushing his hair out of his face, he let his eyes roam throughout the landscape. He was surrounded by the usual turquoise palm trees, pink ladybug-like animals flying everywhere. On his left where the gorgeous mountains that Changbin desperately wanted to climb on, covered in gorgeous bright turquoise grass, and salmon colored flowers. Chan could not see the sea from where he was, but he could hear it. The waves splashing on sand could be heard kilometers away anyways, for Straya was mostly a calm planet. Chan had noticed that, apart from inhabited areas, Strays and animals were rather discreet. It was so refreshing from the churning of devices and the whines of humans in the busy streets back on Earth. And he liked it. Closing his eyes, he let himself be lulled by the calming whisper of the sea, the babbling of its waves as it landed on shore, Glow rays gently brushing against his white skin through the few cracks in between his resting area’s palm leaves. – – – – – – ‘Ah Minho, happy to see you here!’ Minho turned around in search for the voice that had called him, and found JYP next to a tent, helping his colleagues to move boxes around. Wiping the sweat off his brows, he walked toward Minho and patted his shoulder. ‘Shouldn’t you be indoors?’ Minho wondered in worry, walking aside the human boss. ‘Oh, don’t worry, I’ve been on this planet long enough to get used to such weather.’ he chuckled, which surprised Minho. ‘What can I do for you?’ ‘I’ve come to see Jisung.’ JYP stopped in his tracks, truly surprised, but after a while smiled gently. ‘I never thought you would ever show care for humans, you know? You used to be so wary of us before.’ Minho stilled. What the human had said was true. Because of his past, he never put too much trust in mankind. And that was not about to change. But those three, especially Jisung… they’ve proved themselves worthy of his trust. Accepting to have someone’s life between your hands, standing against your own kind with no second thoughts and protecting someone’s life with yours, how do you expect Minho not to trust those three? And to be honest, he was glad because, thanks to them, he had a good reason to actually start trusting humans again. ‘They deserve me trying my best to show some understanding of your kind. That’s the least I can do after all they’ve done for mine.’ he explained with a smile, ignoring the warmth in his heart. JYP refrained from chuckling and showed him the way to the boys’ flat. If he was honest with himself, at first, he didn’t believe in Minho’s capacities as a leader. He thought the boy was too young and not responsible enough for such a title, and so, he’d been wary of working with him. But Minho had proved him wrong – not by trying to please him, but simply by embracing his role and becoming a trusty and reliable man for his people – and had taught JYP a life lesson; never judge a book by its cover. The boy might be young, forgetful at times and a kid at heart, true. But that was normal, he was supposed to be like that at that age. However, he taught him that age was nothing but a number, and that what matters was your maturity and experiences, that your people would always be here to remind you of what you’ve forgotten, and that you didn’t need to be a cold and always serious man to be a leader. And Minho kept on growing amazingly well, both as a man and as a leader. Well, as you would have understood by now, he really liked the kid and considered him as one of his own. ‘Here we are. Just press this button to enter.’ he stopped in his track, standing at the side of a door where he patted a square button. Minho looked up at the door, and felt his face brighten. Turning to the human with a thankful smile, he bowed. ‘Thank you.’ ‘Take care of him well, will you?’ he smiled, patting his shoulder and left back to his business. Minho looked at the door with a small smile. This human was so intriguing, he couldn’t wait to see him again. Pressing the square button, he frowned when nothing moved. Was it broken? So he pressed it again, stronger this time, and thankfully it opened. Stepping inside, he was mesmerized by what he saw. Now that he could look at it in depth, he thought it was so different from his house, or Hyunjin’s, or Seungmin’s. It was smaller, composed of a kitchen/dinning area, opened on a living room/bed room, and what he could only assume be the bathroom behind a closed door. It had gray and white walls, red, gray and white iron or plastic furniture, but Minho could see that they tried to make it comfier and homier. There were comfy looking colored cushions and blankets here and there, a soft yellow rug on the ground, and many green plants and gorgeous flowers in pots scattered here in there. The soft yellow flowy curtains attached to the huge window wall looked good too, and added to the feeling of warmth of the flat. All in all, it was not what he’d expected, but more. ‘Chan? You’re back already?’ Jisung’s voice cut through the air, and Minho stilled. He watched as the boy wheeled back on what he knew was a human ‘wheelchair’, all grin and holding a book. And Minho was not gonna lie, he looked good, round glasses on his nose, snuggled in a comfy black lose shirt and black sweatpants- wait what? Looking down at his own outfit, he let out a silent gasp. Of all the days, he had to choose today to wear a black shirt and sweatpants. Looking up at the sound of wheels turning around, he watched as the boy finally faced him. ‘Missed me that much- oh shit Minho-’ They both froze. The rest happened in slow motion. All they could do was watch as Jisung’s wheelchair buckled under his shock, wheels getting caught in the soft rug, and suddenly he was tipping forward, launched out of his wheelchair, his body landing on the rug with a loud thud, glasses flying god knows where, mouth full of thread and butt up in the air. Well, if that wasn’t just humiliating. Minho stiffened a quick laugh, barely managing to. Jisung couldn’t believe it. He knew Minho would check up on him, Chan had told him so, but he didn’t expect it to be so soon. So, he had just laze around in his beloved wheelchair, finishing a report on the greenery that could be found in the jungle by adding some of Changbin’s notes in it, when he’d heard the door of their flat being pushed open. And of course, he had thought that it was Chan, since Changbin went to see his lover boy at the other side of the planet. But next thing he knew Minho was in front of him, and so was their carpet. How mortifying. He wanted to shrink and crawl away, far, far away. Spitting some threads, he considered staying there and maybe, just maybe, the ground might swallow him up? After all, everything seemed possible on Straya 801. But before he could ponder any longer on his irrational thoughts, two hands wrapped themselves under his armpits and he was hoisted up in a sitting position, half leaning against someone’s torso, their left arm secured around him, fingers brushing off some threads stuck on his lips. ‘Are you okay?’ Jisung looked up, eyes wide. His voice was so soft, Jisung had almost forgotten that fact. But his eyes were just as soft, and Jisung felt himself getting lost in them. They were a dark brown, but lighter than Jisung’s. And he didn’t know if it was the light emitted by the Glow or the hit he just took, but it looked as if there were chips of gold in them. ‘You’re gorgeous.’ The words had escaped his mouth before he could stop them, and so did the blush spreading on his whole face at the other’s chuckle. Embarrassed by this stupid mouth, Jisung looked down- oh god, he shouldn’t have. He was now faced with the most beautifully shaped thighs in history, looking strong and healthy under his black sweatpants. Could Minho get any more appealing? Really, this wasn’t what he had signed for when he enrolled on this mission. Suddenly a thumb was swept under his nose- oh please, don’t tell him it was what he thought it was, that, that would be way too humiliating. ‘You’re bleeding.’ Jisung looked up, startled. ‘I’m what?’ He looked at Minho’s thumb and was relieved to see it wasn’t snot but blood. Oh, well, perhaps he should be a little worried. ‘It’s okay. It’s just a nosebleed- ouch!’ He whined, slapping Minho’s hand away from his nose. ‘You’re lucky it’s not broken. C’mon we got to clean that.’ Jisung simply nodded and resisted the urge to simply wipe off the blood with the back of his hand, opting instead on leaning said hand on Minho’s shoulder to prop himself up, so he could sit back on his wheelchair. But as he was about to get up, an arm slid under his knees. ‘Wha- oh shit Minho, warn me!’ he cried, eyes shut close as he clung on Minho’s neck for dear life, now safely nestled in the boy’s arms as he walked to their dining table. Minho laughed – god is there something ugly about him? – and looked down at him with a quirked eyebrow. ‘Should I warn you everytime I do something, now?’ Jisung tried to give him his best angry look, he really did, but at this point he was sure it looked more like a pout if anything. ‘Whatever’ he grumbled, looking to the side. ‘Please, tell me I’m not blushing, please, please, please…’ he thought desperately, as he let Minho drop him off on a nearby chair. Minho left his side, opening their fridge and taking out ice. As ha watched him, Jisung was really impressed with the Stray. Not only did he spoke perfect Earthian, but he also knew how humans’ devices worked. Jisung sniffed, and moved up his hand to wipe his nose, but a hand in the air stopped him. ‘Don’t.’ Minho warned as he wrapped the ice in a cloth. Jisung was on the verge of whining or throwing a tantrum. Maybe both. Obviously Minho wasn’t the one with a waterfall of blood running down his nose. But before any noise could come out of his mouth, Minho went to him and sat on the table. Jisung looked at him warily. ‘Are we always going to meet like that?’ ‘Meeting like what?’ Minho asked as he tear off some paper towel from the roll. ‘In weird or embarrassing situations.’ he explained, eyes following the Stray’s every moves. ‘Who knows. Makes it a little interesting, don’t you think?’ he muttered, internally laughing at Jisung’s scoff, and he approached the paper towels toward his nose. Jisung flinched at that, and Minho stopped in his tracks. Jae, this boy was too wary when it came to his own body, it was about to drive him crazy. Still he needed to win over the human’s trust when it came to himself. Looking up at Jisung with a comforting kind smile, the human felt his heart flutter. He had always been wary of others touching his body – apart from his brothers – not because of something in particular, nope, it just has always been like that. He figured that he didn’t trust nowadays humans enough to allow close physical contact with them. But Minho was different, he wasn’t a human, and had done nothing to prove himself unworthy of his trust. So perhaps, he could give it a try, and let the boy in his comfort zone… So he nodded softly. Minho refrained from smiling at his small victory. Instead he leaned forward, approaching his hand toward the human’s nose, this time slower, so as to not rush him. Jisung secretly appreciated the gesture. As the bundled up paper made contact with his nose gently, the scientist fought the urge to scrunch up his nose. But Minho was gentle, fingers pressing slightly on the paper so as to not hurt him as he wiped his nose off. Minho felt a soft smile spread on his lips as he watched the boys nose twitch and his eyes squint. He looked really cute. And that was funny, because Minho was pretty sure he had never seen a human capable of being cute and strong at the same time. Looking at Jisung was like viewing a squirrel breaking a nut. At first it seems highly unlikely, and then it just makes sense, and you’re not questioning it anymore. Yeah, Jisung was like squirrel, cute, strong and beautiful. ‘Are you gonna wipe off my skin while you’re at it?’ Jisung’s voice broke his trail of thoughts. And he realized he was still wiping his nose when there was no more blood flood. ‘Oh. Sorry. Here.’ he handed him the clothed ice, which Jisung gladly accepted. Minho then balled up the bloodied paper towels with a frown of distaste, and threw it, letting it land square into the bin. Jisung watched in shock, ice against his nose. ‘What?’ Minho asked, looking genuinely clueless. ‘You- how did you throw that straight into the bin? I always fail.’ Jisung exclaimed, free arm waving around frantically, making Minho chuckle. ‘Really? I could teach you.’ he offered with a grin. Jisung stared at the boy, mouth agape for a second as he took in the sight before him, his heart fluttering, yet again. Minho, sitting on their table, bathing in the glowlight sipping trough their window, cute grin as bright as the Glow itself, looking like a gorgeous god from one of Earth’s past mythology tales, strands of hair shinning a light golden brown, skin slightly tan, and the golden chips of his eyes standing out; he was simply ethereal and a pleasure to look at. Shaking his head to get back on earth- well, back on Straya, he looked at the Stray with a small grin as well. ‘I’d love that.’ he admitted, secretly happy at the perspective of being slightly closer to the Stray. Minho nodded and clapped his hands. ‘Cool. But first I need to look at you feet.’ ‘Wow that’s very glamorous for a third meeting.’ he snickered, and Minho simply laughed. ‘Not as glamorous as your butt greeting me.’ ‘Oh my god, shut up!’ he exclaimed, face redder than red. Minho burst out laughing, jumping down the table to kneel before the boy. He felt good with the human. With him, so far, he didn’t need to be a leader. He was just Minho. Perhaps, later, he and Jisung could be great friends. ‘C’mon let me see.’ he muttered, pulling up the boy’s black sweatpants to his knees. His foot being grabbed, Jisung wanted to crawl away. ‘You know Minho, on Earth we have those things called fairytales.’ Minho hummed and Jisung took that at his cue to go on. ‘In those, a girl or a boy would always be in distress and there would always be someone to help them out. Well, that’s exactly how I feel.’ he explained, his contempt toward these stories clearly evident on his features. Which Minho seemed to notice since he looked up with a raised brow, and a small smirk, hand stilling around his ankle. ‘And you hate it.’ ‘Well… I wouldn’t say I absolutely hate it. It’s cute, but I don’t know… I don’t like the fact that all these heroes always need to be saved by someone. Feel like they are useless or something.’ he admitted, watching with wary eyes as Minho spread some salmon colored balm on his feet. But all wariness left his mind the moment those skilled hands rubbed his soles, giving him the most amazing massage he had ever had in a long time. Minho hummed at that, fingers stilling a mere second – during which Jisung resisted the urge to plead him to resume – before he massaged his foot again. ‘Well, why don’t try seeing it like that instead… Maybe those people actually did stuffs, they just needed a good push or someone’s help. There are tasks that can’t be done alone.’ Jisung thought about that. True, what he said could be true. But still. ‘Yeah, but I don’t know man. Still feels weird.’ he whined, not satisfied with the outcome of this talk. ‘Well, maybe, talk about it with your human friends? They might know those tales better than I do.’ he shrugged, switching foot. ‘But, you know, you’re not useless or weak, or whatever. You’re actually really brave. So think of this as my way to repay and help you when you can’t do it yourself.’ Jisung looked at him speechless. He didn’t think that Minho would think of it like that. He knew he had earn his care and possible trust, but he kind of felt like a burden around the guy as, the only few time they met, he always caused him more troubles than anything. But he was glad to hear that. Perhaps… perhaps they might become friends one day? And so, without intending to, his lips curled in a smile. ‘C’mon, teach me how to aim properly- wait no, don’t carry me to the wheelchair just bring it- … dammit Minho.’ – – – – – Changbin was lazily slouched on the armchair besides Felix’s bed, drawing on his datapad the blood orange flower in the pot next to him, with concentration. He was waiting for Felix to wake up, watching over him silently, now understanding better why Felix’s room had no window holes. As a half human – Changbin knew because he had simply asked Chan after they went back home the other day – Felix couldn’t be exposed to the Glow during those two scorching days, and perhaps the coldness of the other half of the year was too much for him too. Seeing him turn slightly above on his bed covers, he put down his pad and approached the boy. Sitting by his side, he brushed off the lose brown curls of his sweaty forehead and used a towel to mop it. At the contact, the boy frowned and attempted to roll on his stomach. ‘Oh no, no, no Feliiiiix don’t…’ he cried in whisper, hastily but gently grabbing the boy by his sides to turn him over, not wanting for the wound to reopen. Feeling something shuffle around him had slightly awaken Felix, but he had paid no mind to that, instead choosing to go back to sleep. He felt like shit, to put it nicely. But then, hands were grabbing him, turning him around, effectively waking him up. Couldn’t they let him sleep in peace for Jae’s sake? His eyelids squeezed, and he felt the hands on his sides still. ‘Oh. You’re awake?’ he heard a foreign voice say in English with a cute accent. Who was that? He knew that voice but he couldn’t pinpoint from where. Blinking away the sleep from his eyes, he reached out tentatively. Changbin watched the boy wake up, a rough chuckle escaping his lips, and he reached out to hold the warm hand of the Stray. He looked like a cute feline, pouting as he blinked away the sleepiness. Well, Changbin won’t lie here, Felix wasn’t very attractive in his current state – sweaty, pale and dry blue lips, greasy hair – but to look this good while being sick? Well, boy, Felix was to be attractive under his normal state. And Changbin knew that for a fact, the memories of their first encounters had shown the boy looking ethereal. Chuckling at that, he rubbed his thumb over the boy’s knuckles, patiently waiting for him to surface. Even though other Strays looked gorgeous, Felix was on another level. Not because he deemed him handsomer, but because he was beautiful on another field of beautiful – if it made sense. But perhaps that could be blamed on the fact that he was born both human and Stray? Yeah, probably- Changbin stiffened, but then let his shoulder slump in defeat with a sigh… How many times already has he dwell on Felix’s beauty, bloody hell? It felt like everytime he see Felix, his thoughts would wander on his beauty. This was going to rive him crazy at this rate. He was shaken awake from his thoughts when something glinted in his peripheral vision. Sight focusing, he felt his breath hitch and the fingers in his hand twitched. But then again, how do you expect him to stop talking about Felix’s beauty, when he was, in fact, beautiful? The boys eyes were fluttering open, adjusting to the darkness. And who says darkness, says Mother Nature gift; glowing eyes revealed themselves to Changbin’s world once again, a gorgeous pair of honey golden brown hued orbs staring straight back at him.
Oh, boy, was he
fucked
.
~~~~~~~~~~>
To be continued…
/Next part coming up on
Sunday night
(CET)/
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Oh, boy, was he
fucked
.
‘Chan-Changbin?’
Changbin broke the stare and cleared his throat, hoping to appear at least a bit laid back and not awestruck by the beautiful creature laying before him.
Because, obviously, he wasn’t.
‘Hey Felix. How are you feeling?’ He asked in English, wincing at his own weird accent. Chan really needed to give him more lessons, it’s been too long.
The boy’s eyelashes fluttered, hiding his shiny eyes for mere seconds and Changbin found himself missing the full intensity of light they held —
okay,
he wasn’t going to go on another monologue on what he found pretty about Strays, you get it. And so, Changbin waited patiently until Felix’s gaze focused back on
him, now fully awake.
Felix
opened his mouth but instead of speaking
let out a pained groan,
clutching the human’s palm- oh right they were still holding hands
.
Changbin felt his palm become sweaty, probably the heat of this peculiar day.
‘Been better...’ he rasped out, obviously trying to hide his pain with a smile, but honestly? It looked more of a grin. His heart ache at the sight. Changbin never liked to see people suffer. And that’s all it took for him to go on full professional mode. Without waiting another second, he shifted on his knees and reached out for the Stray. Felix looked up curiously and eyed his every moves a bit warily. What was the human trying to do?
His breath was cut short when the human’s bare fingers made contact with
the skin of
his neck,
sending chills down his spine when his
fingers r
an
down his nape, until
they
settled
t
here firmly. His other hand made contact with his shoulder and
Felix felt another wave of shivers ran down his back. What was that? The contact wasn’t supposed to be foreign to him, after all his mom was human too
and she had held him too
. So why did he felt chills? It made no sense at all.
Frowning, he looked at the human in wonder, waiting
for his next move. When nothing else happened however, h
is gaze shifted to a curious one and he finally made an eye contact with the human
.
The moment he did though, he flustered. The human was already looking at him. Well, if that wasn’t awkward..
But
it’s been so long since he had the chance to look at a
full
human, that he couldn’t help but to keep starring at him. How much he had missed their cold skins, the moles on
it
, their strange non-glowing eyes, and their peculiar complicated behavior. He had miss this a lot. And now, with the three humans that came into their lives, Felix really hoped he could take this opportunity to rediscover a part of what he was made of.
Unknowingly, while he was staring at the scientist, a small smile had blossomed on his sick features, making them a little bit more lively.
Changbin
could
only smile amused,
as he wondered what in himself was causing the Stray to feel joy.
But it warmed his heart to see the boy’s honest smile once more, he had been so beautiful on day 1… But he must remain professional for now.
And so, he cleared his throat
and raised a brow.
‘Yeah?’ Felix asked, blinking as he was shaken out of his thoughts.
Changbin only chuckled and mentioned to their bodies with his eyes.
‘Well, ain’t you going to help me?’ ‘What.’ Felix stated, blinking for a moment, before he slapped himself mentally. How stupid could he be, seriously? Of course the human would want him to sit up. ‘Oh. Yes of course, wait.’ Changbin chuckled and started to pull him up. Really, this kid was too much fun for his own good. So far, the scientist had deemed that he was like a lively ball of confusion and brightness. It was really endearing. He hoped that if- when they will get the chance to know each others in better circumstances, he’ll still be just as endearing and bright.
Looking up
with a soft smile framing his features
, he pulled the boy forward slowly, and
watched
as he
clumsily tr
ied
to put strength in his arms, hands gripping the
yellow
sheets tightly, biting his lips-
And that’s when he realized:
he fucked up
.
‘LET GO!’
The panicked scream echoed in the air and Felix froze with wide eyes,
looking up at Changbin and
going limp in
his
arms as he let go of the covers.
What was happening?
But before he could ponder further on what
in the world
was actually happening, the grip around hi
m
tightened,
his body
dragged forward
in one swift motion and
colliding with a strong torso.
‘… You’re okay? Sorry I screamed.’
Eyes closed, Felix breathed heavily and clutched the fabric of the human’s shirt tightly.
If he was okay? No.
He was panicking and felt like throwing up. What was wrong with this human, seriously? He raised his head to interrogate the scientist, the man starring
down
at him with
worry
.
What the Yeshihk just happened?
Changbin held the boy firmly, gulping as their gazes met. He doesn’t know what happened. He just panicked when he remembered that the boy took a bullet in the rib and that asking him to sit u
p would mean
putting pressure on his stomach,
which
wasn’t going to do any good. So he had screamed and pulled the boy to him.
Though, maybe it wasn’t the best move to do…
‘I’m sorry. I- huh, your stomach can’t- huh, pressure?’ he tried, not really sure his English was the best regarding those circumstances. He should really learn the medical words from Chan.
But Felix nodded,
though his eyes were still wide with panic. Changbin sighed as he saw that – was it out of guilt or relief, that he didn’t know. Nevertheless, he smiled a bit, and leaned forward to help the Stray settle in a sitting position. And that’s exactly when Felix noticed the swift shift of the human’s left hand from his shoulder to his hip. Human hands… it’s been so long since human hands made contact with this part of his body. The last time was when he was a little kid, when his mom would crouch down and hold him. When she passed away, the only two other humans who had decided to stay here had never touched him anywhere else than his head or shoulder, and eventually, they left to a better world too. Therefore, while human touches on the upper part of his body weren’t that foreign, it was on other parts. And every single one of Straya 801 would agree with Felix to say that the human touch was entirely different than theirs. Though, he couldn’t explain why…
‘Hum Felix?’
Changbin’s voice cut his reminiscence, and he looked up startled.
‘Yeah?’ ‘I need to look at the wound. Can you raise your shirt please?’
Felix nodded, but instead of simply lifting it, he completely took it off, startling Changbin. Well, that was unexpected.
The other day, he was so occupied with keeping the Stray alive that he had paid no attention to his torso. But now, it was another story, and if Changbin was mesmerized before by the simple sight of his face and body outline, let’s say that this brought his fascination to another level.
The b
o
y had
slim but strong arms, and
a white
narrow
finely muscled
torso
,
with a tribal tattoo running
down
from
his left rib
, down his side
and
until his pelvic,
where
its end
was
being hidden by the waistband of his pants. Add to it the white shiny spots that were starting to appear on his body due to its wider exposure to the dimness of the room, and yeah, Felix, even though sick, was a work of art
in his opinion. The only hindrance to it being the ugly scar and bruises made by the wound.
Breath cut short,
Changbin stood stiff on the bed’s border and Felix looked at him curiously.
‘Aren’t you gonna look at the wound?’ he wondered outloud, chuckling as the human startled. ‘Oh yes.’ he managed to answer and tried to remain professional.
He then took a bottle of water and some pills, handing them to Felix as he rummaged through his bag.
‘What’s that Changbin?’ he demanded as he eyed the pills warily. Changbin looked up from his bag to glance at him before he resumed his search. ‘Painkillers Felix. Help with the pain.’ he provided, sighing as he found compresses, gauze, disinfectant, and other fancy stuffs to heal the poor kid. Settling back on the side of the bad, he smiled at the boy when he swallowed the pills and handed him back his bottle, and began to check the wound. ‘It’s great Felix. You’re healing quick. Quicker than I expected actually…’ he frowned, eyeing the wound as he dabbed slowly on it with a gauze. He never expected it to heal so quickly, it was amazing. Stray metabolisms were truly amazing, in less than a few day Felix could be completely healed. ‘Truly amazing…’ he whispered in a daze, fingers hovering over the pale foreign skin. ‘You can touch, you know? It doesn’t bite.’ Felix chuckled with a smug grin, and Changbin flustered, retracting his hand. ‘Why? I swear it’s okay, you really can.’ Felix assured him, this time laughing frankly – though he winced afterward.
Changbin tried to hide the blush on his cheeks by busying himself with bandaging the boys torso. However, when he still felt the boy piercing holes in his skull, he groaned and leaned wrapped his things up in his bag. As he sprawled back on his armchair, he glanced at the star painted ceiling, getting lost in its infinity.
‘Humans we…’ he began, voice cutting down the thickness of the silence in the dark room and grabbing Felix’s attention. ‘We are not like that.’ ‘Like what?’ ‘Like…’ he sighed, and looked at a beautiful blue star, hopping it would give him answers. ‘Like so straightforward. So carefree. So… true? Humans are never like that on first meetings. We can’t be so at ease with other people, letting them touch us as they please or talking to them freely.’
Felix frowned at that and leaned against his cushion. ‘What do you mean? You are true Changbin.’
But Changbin only chuckled. ‘You don’t know that Felix. You don’t know me. But I can assure you that humans are really different than you.’
‘I’m also human Changbin.’
Changbin startled at that comment and looked down at the other boy, finally noticing the frown on his features. ‘I didn’t mean it like that Felix. I meant that people who’ve been raised in human societies, on Earth, are like that. But of course you’re human Felix.’
His frown softened, relaxing the scientist who was afraid he had been rude. However it was not gone completely.
‘But… you say that, but on our first meeting you were the one who talked to me. Who made contact with me. I was the one who wanted to run away, not you.’
This statement caught Changbin off guard. It was… it was oddly true. Here he was saying such things and getting flustered by the Stray’s casualness, when he was the one who initiated it. He was the one who was bold first.
‘I got you, didn’t I? Seriously, you, Earth humans are so complicated. You think too much, ask yourself too many questions. You don’t have to here Changbin. Be like a Stray and just do what your heart tells you.’ he smiled, and Changbin found himself smiling too.
Perhaps… perhaps he could try to be carefree
around
Felix?
His daydream was broken by the sounds of gurgling. Felix looked at him with a small smirk, initiating heat radiations on
the human’s
cheeks.
‘Changbin is hungry~’
Y
eah,
perhaps
he could.
– – – – –
The flapping of wings brought Chan out of his peaceful rest. Blinking his eyes open, he was momentarily blinded by the bright light of the Glow.
‘What’s happen-’
His mumbling was cut short the moment something huge came in view. At first, he couldn’t detect its shape, but after a while he could make out that it was living, flying, and green. Squinting his eyes, he leaned forward, brushing away a turquoise palm.
His eyes widened.
‘Oh shit!’ he cursed and leaned back into the safety of the tree and tried to make no sound, heart beating like crazy.
A Young Wing. A Young Wing was coming his way. He was doomed.
Leaning as close as possible to the trunk, he prayed silently for the Young Wing to not notice him. However, his prayers came to a stop when it seemed clear that the giant bird was not going elsewhere. Closing his eyes, he breathed out and clutched his gun by his side. He really didn’t want to do that, but seeing the damage
it made with Jisung, he wouldn’t want to face the same fate. What had to be done, had to be done.
Reopening his eyes, he pulled the gun out and aimed it straight to the beast.
‘Sorr-’ ‘Chan!’
Woojin…?
Chan froze.
Looking around, he searched for the source of the voice. He hadn’t hallucinate, right? Then again the heat might have gotten to him.
‘Chan!’
This time he wasn’t crazy, Woojin was calling him.
‘Woojin where are y…’ his voice died down, but his eyes widened, his hand unconsciously lowering. ‘Chan what’s wrong?!’ Woojin called out from his seat on the Young Wing’s back. Yes, you heard it right, Woojin was riding a deadly creature. ‘This got to be a sick joke…’ he grumbled, putting away his gun.
However, before Chan could comment more on anything, Woojin’s beast had already settled on a branch a few meters away, and the boy was running toward him, worry laced on his features.
‘Chan what are you doing here? You crazy?’ he screamed worriedly, hands gripping at his forearms.
Chan looked up at him speechless and pointed at the beast.
‘Am I crazy? No, are you crazy? Woojin, this beast almost killed my friend! Are you out of your mind?!’ he screamed back, completely under the shock.
But Woojin only frowned at that and cocked his head slightly. ‘Chan what are you- oh, no, no, no, this is not huh same? Yeah same. It is not. This,’ he explained to an unimpressed Chan, pointing to his animal. ‘is adult. Adult are kind. The other hum your friend met was a baby. Baby are wild, deadly. But not adult. Don’t worry.’
Chan could only alternate staring at the Stray and the creature, dumbfounded.
What in the world… He raised a brow at the boy’s smile, and shifted his gaze toward the beast.
True, it looked nothing like the deadly beast Jisung told them they had faced. Its skin was a pretty shade of yellowish green, some of its scales dotted in indigo, and the edges of its pterodactyl like wings were hued in
darker purple
. It also had piercing apple green eyes and was eating fruits from a tree branch peacefully. It really didn’t look murderous. Maybe he should trust Woojin…
So he turned toward the boy and nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. ‘Okay. It’s beautiful.’
Woojin’s whole face lit up as he remembered the word that Chan taught him. And so, he nodded fervently, earning himself a chuckle.
But suddenly, his features got back to worried ones.
‘What are you doing here Chan? It is dangerous!’ he exclaimed, taking it the human’s cracked lips and sweaty and hot form. But Chan only waved him off. ‘That’s fine, that’s fine. I’ll wait here till the Glow settles, it’s less hot than in the jungle.’ he chuckled but erupted in a fit of cough afterward. ‘I can take you home quick.’ he offered, pointing to his Young Wing, immediately resulting in Chan tensing and shaking his head. ‘As much as the offer seems appealing, I’m not ready to fly Young Wings so soon.’
Woojin looked at him worriedly, and suddenly, without having time to blink, Woojin was tugging him forwards, toward his animal.
Needless to say that Chan wasn’t reassured at all.
Woojin let go of his hand, and went to his beast’s side, where a small ‘bag’ was hanging from a saddle.
‘Here.’ he said, handing him a flask, which Chan took gratefully. As soon as the liquid hit his tongue, he had to refrain from gulping it all in one go. It tasted amazing, fresh and sweet, almost like a freshly pressed raspberry was mixed with the freshest mint and sourest lemon. It was wonderful. ‘Thank you.’ he smiled, handing him back the bottle, but Woojin only shook his head. ‘If you are really going to stay here, keep it. You need it- do not say no Chan, you need t more than me. I have one more in my bag.’
Chan sighed, amused, and nodded gratefully.
‘Not staying with me, then?’ he teased and Woojin only laughed. ‘Yes. I need to go soon, before it is too late.’ he laughed going past Chan to mount his Young Wing. ‘Where are you going?’ he asked, fully turning to the Stray.
Woojin grabbed his Young Wing’s neck and patted it affectionately. ‘We are flying to get hair dye.’
‘Hair dye?’ he repeated, shocked at the news. What did they need hair dye for? ‘Why?’ ‘You do not know?’ he looked up curiously, their gazes meeting, and Chan felt like melting on the spot. Strays really have beautiful eyes, even when they were not shinning. ‘We are having a party for the New Glow cycle. There will be little games between clans, and each cham-champions need to dye their hair or change hairstyle.’
Chan smiled at that, leaning against the tree trunk.
‘So you’re a champion.’ he stated, amused and impressed, but not surprised. As he had mentioned before, Woojin was proving to be both cute and strong so far.
The Stray
only laughed and patted his own arm.
‘My arms are strong.’ he smiled, as if it explained everything, a Chan laughed frankly at that, face full of dimples.
Woojin could only stare at that.
The only other pe
ople
he known with dimples so far were Hyunjin’s sister and Jeongin,
and it had always made him soft. So add that to the fact that Chan was human and fascinating, and actually a pretty cool person, in his opinion so far, Woojin could only stare.
Calming down, features settling on a soft smile, Chan looked at the landscape, gaze falling over the foliage of the trees standing proudly beneath them – Chan having settled on one of the tallest so he could stare at the jungle from above.
‘And where are you gonna find them?’ he wondered pensively as his gaze wondered over the horizon. ‘In the Floating Sea.’ came Woojin’s chuckle for an answer. ‘Ans where would that be?’ he hummed, looking around the jungle, trying to figure out what those words meant. He had never heard of a ‘floating sea’. Was Woojin referring to the huge sea at the end of the jungle?
But Woojin only chuckled.
‘You are not looking high enough Chan.’ he explained and leaned down to put his fingers on the side of his jaw.
The contact made him jumped a bit, but before he could laugh at his own stupidity, Woojin grasped his jaw delicately and angled it upward, and Chan looked up.
His jaw fell.
Up in the sky, way higher than he had dared to look at, was an actual giant merging of clouds, going on on meters and meters in the sky. A sea of cloud.
A F
loating Sea
.
‘Sosoïl Chan…’ he heard being whispered against his cheeks, fingers leaving his jaw.
Only when the flapping of wings
draw
ing
away
could be heard in the peaceful afternoon of Straya 801’s jungle
was
Chan
able to answer, a
warm
smile playing on his dazed features.
‘Sosoïl Woojin.’ – – – – – ‘C’mon Hyunjin!’ ‘You can do it Hyunjin!’ ‘Go Hyunjin, take down those Yeshihks!’ ‘Oh Jae, have you seen those muscles- oh my Jae he is taking off his shirt!!!’ ‘Oh my Jae can’t they shut up.’ Seungmin scoffed as he rolled his eyes. ‘They are so annoying. Don’t you think so, beautiful?’ he turned to his Pali who only neighed in answer and nuzzled his shoulder. ‘Yeah, I knew you would agree with me.’ he smiled and nuzzled her snout lovingly. ‘And why did he had to take off his shirt, tsh, this Yeshihk always wanna show off.’ he tsked disaprovingly, leaning against his Pali, admiring looking at his close friend’s bare torso, exposing his muscled but surprisingly bare of tattoos torso.
Yes, he gotta admit that Hyunjin does have a gorgeously built body. He wasn’t blind, and knew how to appreciate something good looking, thank you. However, if the boy could refrain from taking off his shirt in front of a crowd of fans and spare him from going deaf, he would be eternally grateful.
‘Tch, what a great friend I am, waiting for him… I really shouldn’t, look at this ungrateful Yeshihk, taking his sweet time taking with his fans- Ouch, hey why are you hitting me, bitch?’
He glared at his Pali who had just smacked his bare back with her head. ‘What? I’m hungry and I wanna go home. I’m sure you wanna go home too, right… sweetie…’ his voice trailed down as he searched for Hyunjin with his eyes.
He found him a bit further away, sponging his sweat with his shirt and talking to his bunch of fans, laughing at something they said. His heart tightened. Fuck puberty…
‘He didn’t even noticed us, beauty.’ he laughed soundlessly, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. ‘Seems to have great fun…’
Looking one last time at his close friend, wrapping his arm around one of the girl’s shoulder as he laughed, Seungmin shook his head. Why the Yeshihk was he doing? He was supposed to be happy for his friend, not
drag
him
down
.
Heck, he should be happy that something is working out for his friend! So Seungmin smiled as he looked at them, and brushed his Pali’s side.
‘Go get it Hyunjin!’ he screamed in a mutter, smiling before turning to his Pali. ‘C’mon beautiful, we’re going home. See you tomorrow.’ he whispered as he kissed the side of her head and let her go away.
Chuckling, he wrapped a hand around his tattooed arm, half hugging himself, as he strolled back toward his home. He was proud of himself. Today, he had managed to win against his puberty strike and actually let Hyunjin have a chance with someone.
‘Maybe it will actually work out, and I’ll rub it on his face that I was the matchmaker..’ he giggled at his stupid thought, letting his free fingers drum against the bark of a tree he rounded. ‘Yeah, then he’ll have to-’ ‘Wow, hey there beauty! What are you doing here without your partner, hum?’
Seungmin stilled.
No way.
No fucking way.
‘Tell me this stupid bitch didn’t do that…’ he muttered under his breath, eyelids closed in irritation and fingernails breaking the bark of the tree. Slowly turning around, he witnessed what he dreaded: his Pali nuzzling Hyunjin’s torso, the girl with whom he was taking long gone. He pinched his nose bridge, trying to breath in calmly. ‘I’m gonna end you bitch.’
Sadly, before he could think of 101 ways of ending his Pali, Hyunjin’s eyes locked on his.
Great, just great.
Before he could even process what was happening, Hyunjin had already jogged to him,
his Pali long gone too now
.
‘Hey Seung.’ he greeted with a huge grin.
Seungmin’s heart missed a bit.
‘Hey Hyun. Jeongin ditched?’ ‘Yeah, this Yeshihk needed new paints.’ ‘Ah, right, it’s the time of the year.’ ‘Yeah… You actually came.’ he said finally as he beamed, looking down at the other guy with an even brighter smile. ‘I promised, why wouldn’t I?’ he deadpanned, but actually cracked a smile. ‘Yeah. Yeah you did.’ he nodded, still looking at his friend with glee in the eye- Jae, could he stop already? ‘Sorry about my Pali…’ he grinned sheepishly, rubbing his nape. ‘What for?’ Hyunjin actually had the nerves to frown and look at him confused.
Jae, did Seungmin really had to draw it to him?
‘You know… for the girl. The one you were talking to?- oh for Jae’s sake, Hyunjin-ah, you were flirting with a girl weren’t you? Well, I’m sorry because my Pali fucked it up!’ he huffed, rolling his eyes at his close friend’s density. ‘What? Why are you looking at me like that?’
He glared at Hyunjin who was looking at him with a look of bewilderment on his face. What was wrong with him today seriously, did the heat finally get him?
‘Seung, I wasn’t flirting with her. She is my sister’s lover.’
Oh.
‘Wait what?! That was Dahyun?! Shit, I didn’t recognize her!’ Seungmin looked up at him horrified and it made Hyunjin laugh. But in turned into a frown in no time. ‘Why are you shirtless Seung.’
Seungmin raised a brown and crossed his arms.
‘Why are you shirtless Hyun?’ ‘Because it’s too hot.’ ‘Then you’ve got your answer.’ he shrugged with an eye roll, patting his friend’s shoulder.
But Hyunjin only frowned more. And Seungmin felt suddenly uneasy. Why was he so.. so strange today?
‘Still…’ he mumbled and locked eyes with the ground. ‘I don’t like people staring at you.’
Seungmin stilled. His eyes locked on the blue grass by his feet. What was that supposed to mean. What in the world Hyunjin…
What was he trying to say here?
‘I…’ he began, but didn’t know what to add. Which was weird because, first, their kind never asked themselves useless questions and always gave straight to the point answers, and second, because he was Kim Seungmin, a devil hidden in candy fluff. C’mon, he was Kim Seungmin, he could say out loud what he really thought! ‘I don’t… mind it, as long as you’re staring too.’
The hand burying itself in his own
under the glowset
was enough of an answer for today.
For now it was enough.
The rest could wait for tomorrow.
– – – – – – ‘Sosoïl Woojin. Where is Jeongin?’
Night had settled on Straya 801 as
Minho’s cheerful voice cut through the silence of the
ir
tree house.
Hyunjin
quickly
turned around from his spot on the couch were he was playing with a blue firefly
to greet him, but he gasped silently
.
But after a moment
, he waved cutely, and leaned on his palm, eyes curiosity filled.
On the other hand,
Woojin stopped cutting purple vegetables. Instead he smirked,
guess
ing full well the reason why
Minho
was
so happy
, and turned around slowly.
‘Well, well seems like someone is cheerful today, I wonder wh- Chan?!’ he screeched and settled his gaze on Minho, who had stolen his smirk, remembering Changbin’s words earlier this morning. Seems like tonight was going to be… interesting?
The
silver-bluish haired
human, who had no understand a thing of their exchange apart from Sosoïl and his own name for it was in Straynian, looked at
Woojin
with a small smile.
‘What are you doing here?’ said boy exclaimed happily in Earthian this time.
Chan however sighed gloomily, as he remembered the hard day he had.
‘Our flat’s door broke. And since there’s no other places to sleep at in our basement and today is the coldest night in the year, we couldn’t sleep with our door open. So Minho offered us to sleep here and, well, here we are.’ he explained, hugging himself a bit and shivering, though he tried to smile, Jisung’s folded wheelchair at his feet. The window holes were not really helping with the heat, but thankfully Woojin was about to light up the Lubias to warm them up. Casting a quick surprised glance at Minho, he walked toward the ‘living room area’ of the room. ‘I’ll go light up the Lubias, go sit on the couch. Minho, you can drop Jisung close to the Lubia, the cold won’t do good for his wounds. Jeongin is in his bedroom by the way, and Seungmin in yours.’ he instructed, kneeling on the ground next to a sort of blue water lily. ‘Chan too, you come close, your body won’t like the cold.’
Minho dropped a quivering Jisung on the yellow beanbag – who huffed a ‘finally’ earning himself an eye roll from the leader – and turned to leave.
‘I’ll go fetch you warm clothes and ask for Changbin and Felix if they need anything. I’ll be back’ Minho announced as he rounded the corner. Woojin nodded and a few moment later, he saw a shadow by his side. Smiling knowingly, he looked up with a quick smile at the crouched human by his side. ‘Is this the… Lubia?’ he asked curiously, teeth chattering, and absentmindedly rubbing his palms up and down Jisung’s legs as he pointed to the water lily. ‘Yeah it is.’ he answered with a smile. ‘How do you light it up?’ ‘With love.’
Chan almost laughed out loud at this one, and hit Jisung’s calf as he released his inner sentimental diva with an ‘aww’. This boy may dislike fairy tales, but he still remained a sucker for beautiful romantic shits.
Hyunjin who saw the scene unfold, snickered quietly and raised a thumb at Chan, who winked back.
‘What do you mean?’ Chan asked sincerely curious.
But Woojin only laughed, deeming that actions spoke better than words in this instance. He picked up the Lubia and Chan watched intently as Woojin brought it to his lips, kissing it softly.
It lit up.
A dull light started to spread from its core to its petals, and Chan could feel the heat radiating from it already. Woojin laid it back on the ground and looked up at Chan with a small smile.
‘That… that was beautiful.’
Woojin only laughed at that one and ruffled the human’s hair, when Minho made his apparition, hands full of clothes.
‘We’re only two, you know Minho? No need for all of that.’ Jisung pointed out. ‘I know, but trust me you’ll thank me tonight for all these clothes.’ he stated dumping a sweater, a hoodie and a blanket straight on Jisung’s face. ‘Yah, Lee Minho!’
Said boy snickered and highfived Woojin on his way to give warmer clothes to Chan, under Hyunjin surprised glances. Since when was Minho so comfortable with humans?
‘I’ll go check on Seungmin, see you.’ the leader informed after leaving two hoodies on the couch for his brothers. ‘See you Min.’ Woojin waved, already lighting up another Lubia. – – – – – ‘Changbin?’
A soft yawn in the form of the scientist name broke the silence and said boy looked up, dropping his datapad.
‘Hey Felix, finally awake?’
Said boy rubbed his eyeballs with a tired moan, as he curled up underneath the sheets and attempted to roll over. But Changbin
move forward quickly and
stopped him. Felix cracked a shining eye open and groaned when he saw the human’s stern look.
‘I wanna turn over!’ he whined, having enough of laying on his back. ‘Stop whining like a baby and bear with it. It’s only for a few days.’ he explained with a chuckle, amused when the younger huffed. ‘Yeah easy for you to say, you’re not the one laying on their back the whole day.’ he scoffed and Changbin refrained from laughing. ‘Shit, I can’t even feel my butt.’ he pouted, and that’s when Changbin lost it.
He burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. ‘Oh my g-god, Fe, you’re so- so cute.’
What?
Felix flustered at that, and chose to ignore the way his heart missed a bit at the compliment. Well, if we were to be honest here, Felix received countless compliments about his looks on a daily basis, but that was all. But these people didn’t even mean it.
But here, Changbin was so stuck up in his human ways that constricted everything he wanted to do or say, that the sudden compliment left Felix shocked and flustered. It sounded… true?
‘No-no way.’ he said, arms crossed. ‘I am a manly man.’
Changbin calmed down and looked at him with a cute smile.
‘Yeah, well you can be both cute and manly, you know that Felix? In fact you are’
Felix blinked and adverted his gaze to the ceiling. That was so…
so… Fuck it, let him blush in peace.
Instead he just hummed, and Changbin sighed, clearly unaware of the boy’s state in the darkness. All he could hope was that he would take in what Changbin had just said. Standing up, he walked over the edge of the room and brought the water lily thingy closer to the bed and the armchair, before gripping the hoodies and extra blankets on the edge of the bed and holding them up.
‘Minho left those for us. Do you need help with the hoodie?’
Felix only nodded with a small grin, still flustered by the other boy’s earlier words. S(e)o Changbin shrugged on his own gray hoodie and came closer to help him seat up, careful not to do the same mistake as this morning.
‘Let me do it.’ he warned, putting his hand around the small of his back and the other behind his nape. Felix nodded, resisting the urge to help him or tense. Succeeding, both boys let out a sigh at the same time and looked at each others in surprise, before laughing.
Felix looked down and bit his lower lip. He really liked the human. Hopefully they’d grow closer…
‘Arms up please Lix. Don’t force to much though.’ Changbin singsonged as he shifted closer to the boy, now barely 30 centimeters apart, and raised the hoodie over the boy’s head.
Felix obeyed
and tried to ignore the close proximity between the two of them as he
let himself be guided
by
Changbin.
His head pocked though the hole, and so did his arms, Changbin finally removing his hand from his bare lower back to settle it back on the same spot except over the hoodie this time, unconsciously bringing their bodies closer.
Felix had to gulp
the moment he felt the human’s cold breath his his freckled skin
, and so did Changbin, neither boys daring to look at each other. How in the world did putting on a hoodie brought them so close to each others?
But the worst in that was that none wanted to let go. Changbin was afraid that if he did, Felix would put to much strain on his stomach, and Felix, well…
‘I don’t wanna lay back down Changbin.’ he muttered, softly clutching the older boy’s hoodie, cringing as he felt like a small kid throwing a tantrum.
But Changbin only sighed.
‘Can you walk?’ he asked.
Sadly, Felix shook his head.
‘Well you can’t get out by this weather, neither can I, and you can’t walk nor want to lie down. What should we do?’
Felix really felt like a little kid now. And it must have shown because Changbin whined the next moment.
‘I didn’t mean it like it Lix. Don’t make this face, I just want to find something to do.’
Felix nodded, not fully convinced.
‘Lix? Is that my nickname?’ ‘Yeah’ Changbin nodded, finally daring to rise his eyes on the other’s face, only to find him already looking at him curiously. ‘You like it?’ he asked, shifting his hold on Felix a bit, his arm going numb. ‘Yeah.’ he grinned and stiffened a yawn. ‘You’re tired again?’ he asked incredulously. The boy had slept the whole afternoon and yet here he was yawning. He was really surprising. Felix pouted and hit his arm – holly fuck, where did this strength came from?! ‘Not funny. I feel pretty drained. You know ‘drained’?’ ‘Yeah I know ‘drained’, Lix.’ he stated, rolling his eyes. The kid was enjoying way too much making fun of him and his English skills. ‘C’mon, let’s lie down. Time to sleep!’
As he laid the boy back down in the covers,
fingers burying in Felix’s soft locks as he carefully laid his head on the white pillow,
Changbin felt a hand tug at his sweater. He looked
down
at the boy curiously. ‘Need anything?’
‘N-no.’ Felix cursed himself for stuttering and cleared his throat. ‘I just hum… if you want you can sleep in the bed. We can share. The chair isn’t very comfortable.’
Changbin looked at him in surprise before
nodding
.
‘That’s okay don’t worry. I need more time for… this. But thank you for offering.’ he answered truthfully with a nod and Felix nodded too.
Both boy snuggled in their blankets, drifting off,
minds
ready to fly to dream land.
‘Changbin?’
Said boy refrained from letting out a sigh.
Goodbye sweet sleep…
‘What is it Lix?’ ‘I… I was curious. Can you tell me about Earth?’
Changbin was now fully awake. What was the boy expecting exactly?
‘Like what?’ he asked warily. It was not that he didn’t want to tell the Stray stories about Earth, it was more about not wanting to give off a bad image of it. But it was part of Felix’s life after all and telling him the truth seemed only right though. Yet, he didn’t wish to see this boy saddened… ‘Stories… About you, your friends, life, anything… just something.’
And at that moment he hea
r
d the despair in Felix’s voice,
slight but noticeable
. The boy needed reassurance that his mom’s culture was great
didn’t he? Well, maybe he could help. After all, he was human, and not an actual asshole, so that was positive, right?
‘All right, so there is this place on Earth…’
Felix’s beautiful grin at the mention of Earth was enough for him to know he made the right decision.
– – – – – – ‘Innie?’ As the two people in the bedroom at the end of the corridor continued to speak about tales of Earth, Hyunjin’s voice broke the silence in Jeongin’s room, which was bathing in the beautiful dull night light, the starry sky that could be seen from the two huge window holes giving the place an eerie feeling. Jeongin was seated on a hole’s border, leaning against it, one leg dangling and the other serving as a chin resting area. Gaze not leaving the dark horizon, he nodded at Hyunjin.
Hyunjin frowned at that and approached him, wordlessly wrapping his arms around him from behind. Jeongin let himself go slack against his best friend.
‘You know I’m here if you wanna talk, right?’ Hyunjin muttered against his scalp and Jeongin nodded with a small smile. That was of the thing he liked the most about Hyunjin, he never pried or hold it against you if you won’t tell him.
Hyunjin chuckled and kissed his scalp slightly. ‘I’m going home. See you tomorrow?’
‘Yeah, see you Jinie.’
As h
e
heard the door shut, Jeongin slumped once more against the wall, gaze
w
a
ndering over the bottle
s
filled with orange paint.
Next to it was his own hair dye, collected by Woojin, and he couldn’t help but imagine if Yedam’s reaction to his change of hair would be the same as his…
Memories of the fateful encounter played
yet
again in his mind and he shook his head,
settl
ing his gaze once more
over the horizon, past their territory,
on
the area where trees went from turquoise palms to lilac ones. And as he stared at the place longingly, he found himself wishing upon the stars to meet
him
again.
At this exact instant a roar resonated through the jungle, startling Jeongin. Blinking he looked up at the sky, glossy shining eyes filled with longing.
Perhaps, under the starry night, has Jae heard his prayers…
– – – – – –
While the night heard the wishes of a lone soul
, a pair
of troubled ones were
laying on the woody ground and
talking
over
a
warm
drink in
another
bedroom,
huddle around a pale pink Lubia as the
night’s light filter
ed
through
the
window hole,
relaxing the both of them to a certain extent
.
‘I swear I don’t know anymore Minho, it’s driving me crazy! On the one hand I blame it on hormones and puberty, because please have you seen how hot he has become?’
As Seungmin stated that fact, Minho couldn’t help but agree. Hyunjin sure did become handsome over the past year – not that he was ugly before, but still.
Now he looked like a deity.
‘And then, my heart is beating like crazy because of a simple look or word from him… that, that’s not the hormones right?’ he asked, this time more serious, and almost fearful as he looked into his best friend’s eyes.
Minho rolled over on the ground,
as gracefully as a potatoes,
and let his arm wrapped itself around his friend’s shivering self. He didn’t like seeing him like that.
But he knew this talk would happen one day. He had seen it coming years ago actually, and so had Woojin, and so had the rest of them.
‘Minie, that’s okay. You have the right to feel like that. It can be both, you know? And the feelings and the puberty. But you don’t have to be scared. From what you told me, Hyunjin is going through the same phase.’ ‘I know.’ Seungmin grunted, closing his prickling eyes. He was frustrated beyond words. ‘But at the same time, both of us are attracted with other people.’ ‘Yeah, and so?’ ‘So that’s not good! It doesn’t make any sense.’ Seungmin whined, burying himself against Minho’s side, the later only rolling his eyes. ‘Bullshit. What in the Jae are you saying Minie. There’s nothing wrong in that. All you have to figure out is which way you wanna take. But judging by the blush on your face I suppose you’ve already make your choice.’ he snickered, pocking his cheek playfully. ‘Then.. what should I do Min?’ he sighed tiredly, and Minho felt bad. This sighed was really deep, hiding hours of insomnia and crying. ‘I don’t know Minie. Follow your heart. Jae will guide you through this till the end anyways, so just… trust yourself?’
Seungmin went silent for a moment, it could have been one minute like fifteen, but that wouldn’t have made any difference. Suddenly Seungmin sighed heavily,
startling his best friend.
‘We are so talking about your human boy next time!’ he exclaimed under his breath as he pushed his arms up to stand up and walked to the bedroom door, leaving a speechless Minho behind. ‘What? Wait what are you talking ab- nevermind, where are you going?’ he asked as he roll over on the floor. Seungmin stopped at the doorway and looked back with a smile. ‘Following my heart.’ – – – – – –
As soft rays of light emitted by Stray 801’s own stars and moon hit his face, Jisung stirred in his sleep, and rolled over- wait what?
Snapping his eyes open, he tensed as he noted he was shivering cold, cuddle
d
in an oversize hoodie and definitely not sitting on his beloved yellow beanbag nor in Minho’s living room.
‘Oh, you’re awake?’ a soft voice cut the air, and Jisung turned around with teeth clattering. He nodded at the leader who had just entered the room. ‘Sorry, there’s no more blankets left. Try to sleep.’
Jisung nodded and snuggled back into the covers,
too tired to do anything else
. But as he heard the door shut his brow
s
furrowed… wait.
‘Minho?’
Silence greeted him.
Grunting he pushed back the covers. ‘God, what am I even doing.’ he grunted and padded his way to the living room were was indeed Lee Minho s
itting
on a stool and drinking god knows what, with a bunch of blankets laying on the couch
‘Why are you sleeping here?’ he blurted out. ‘Shit Ji-’ he cursed, as he jumped on his stool.
Jisung hold up a hand in apology and leaned in the doorway.
‘Sorry. But seriously, why? I could have slept on the couch you know?’ ‘What kind of host would I be, then?’ he laughed silently. ‘True… Thank you by the way.’
Minho nodded and went back to his drink. Jisung began to fidget.
‘But you know we…’ God, he couldn’t believe what he was about to say. ‘we could share. Plus it’s super cold so…’ he shrugged, pretending to be cool, when inside he just wanted to cuddle a warm body. ‘Please say yes…’ he prayed in his head. Minho looked at him in surprise. Was this the same Jisung that almost smacked when he picked him up earlier? Well, humans change faster tan he expected. But Minho wasn’t about to say no to some more warmth. So, he smiled while nodding. ‘Alright, I’ll come join you. Go back.’ he muttered, waving him off and finishing his drink.
Jisung nodded with a small smile, and turned around.
‘Wait. Jisung why are you standing.’
Oh shit.
Jisung turned around quickly, to justify himself, but Minho was already standing.
‘I- It was too much trouble to wheel here- Come any closer and I’ll break into a run Minho!’ he threatened, panicking now.
But
t
he man was already in front of him, holding his wrist
and smiling evily, although clearly not amused.
‘I’d like to see you try in your state.’
And without another word he picked up a sulking Jisung.
‘I should have broke into a run.’ ‘Yes you should have, but you didn’t. Now shut up and let me sleep.’ – – – – – Later in the night, when Straya’s own moon was at her peak, and the whole greenery was shining in gorgeous shades of bioluminescence, Hyunjin was awaken by a knock on his door. Well, not really awaken since he was barely getting any sleep these days, but nevertheless going out of your bed asked for a lot of strength. Especially on the coldest night of the year. Grunting and hoping the knocking didn’t wake up his sister, he walked over the door and pulled it open. ‘What the fuck do you-’ ‘Hey Hyun, can I come in?’ If he wasn’t awake before, this melodious voice succeeded in doing so. ‘What are you doing outsi- of course, come in Seung!’ he gasped wrapping his hand against his shivering friend’s arm and pulling him in quickly. ‘Are you okay?’ ‘Cold but okay.’ Seungmin admitted, leaning into Hyunjin as he rubbed his arms, taking in as much warmthas possible. Hyunjin didn’t fail to notice that once more Seungmin was wearing one of his hoodies. ‘Why are you here? Not that I don’t want you here, but going out by this cold? Are you out of your mind?’ he wondered incredulously, arms secured around the boy. ‘Couldn’t sleep. Stop playing with your piercing Hyun, you’re stressing me’ Hyunjin stopped toying with it and instead stuck his tongue out. ‘Well, I wouldn’t if you didn’t make me worry you Yeshihk.’ Seungmin only smiled sheepishly and Hyunjin sighed. Without another word, he led his friend to his bedroom where they lay down together on the elder’s bed. ‘Thank you Hyun.’ ‘Any times Seung.’ A comfortable silence settled in the room, and Hyunjin felt himself drifting off. Suddenly a warm body cuddle his own. ‘Hyunjin ah…’ ‘Yeah, Seungmin ah?’ ‘Do you think that these humans will change things here?’ ‘What do you mean?’ Hyunjin questioned, turning on his side to see his friend. Seungmin looked at the outside world through the window hole and smiled. ‘I don’t know. But I can already feel it. Something great amongst all of our troubles will blossom. I’m sure of it.’ he grinned happily, and Hyunjin felt himself grinning back. ‘Yeah, I believe you.’ Both fell asleep watching the starry night, wondering, hand in hand, how these humans would change their lives.. ~~~~~~~~> To be continued.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jisung moaned softly (A/N: Let’s see where my fellow dirty minded readers are~) when a soft gust of wind brushed past his close eyelids, tickling his cheeks and stroking his parted lips. Frowning at the cold sensation he shifted slightly under the covers, his left arm reaching out for warmth. But it only met the coldness of silk-like sheets. Fluttering his eyes open, he frowned. Next to him the bed was empty. So Minho left already. He sighed internally, he couldn’t believe he slept next to the leader. To be honest, as much as he wished to have someone to cuddle with, the truth was that he would have never asked the Stray if it wasn’t for the coldness of the night. Yesterday would have seriously ended him, if not for Minho’s warmth. Now that he thought of it, it must have been pretty awkward for the Stray to have him, a ‘stranger’, snuggled against him in his sleep. Heck, if you would have told him a few weeks ago that he was going to sleep next to the man who threw him out on day one, he would have laughed at your face. And yet, here he was. Humming in tiredness, he shifted fully on his side and curled against the free pillow. He had no idea of what time it was in the day, but judging by the lack of light in the bedroom, it must still be pretty early. What was Minho doing up at this time? Maybe leaders had to check on their territory every morning? Or maybe he left in the night to meet someone? A smirk made its way on the scientist’s lips. He could perfectly picture the leader climbing a tree to secretly meet a beautiful Stray girl, surrounded by the bioluminescent nature of the night and then kissing- oh god, that would be so thrilling and romantic! At his inner romanticist-self’s thoughts, Jisung giggled in his pillow – well, Minho’s pillow if he were to judge by the pine scent it held. Opening his eyes slowly but fully this time, he took in the bedroom state. It was really pretty. The bed was in it’s center, with the headboard made of intertwined tree branches with pale red leaves. The red bed sheets were silky under the touch and the same colored pillows were so soft he could drown in it. At the foot of the bed was a teal fluffy rug, which got Jisung wondering if it was from real fur. On both bedsides were small nightstands, and next to the left one a closet, as well as a hanging chair made of straw, on which was laying a purple plaid. On the other hand, the ceiling was covered in dangling twigs that meddled with delicate white and tea green colored flowers. It was stunning. However, in his current position, he couldn’t see the other part of the room. So he turned around. And gasped. Leaning against a large tree branch serving as a railing for an archway shaped window hole was Minho, seemingly deep in thoughts while reading a crumpled paper, so deep that he failed to notice Jisung’s shuffling and gasp. Startled, Jisung pressed himself further into the covers, but heaved a sigh, relieved when nothing happened. The man looked terrible if he were to honest; still gorgeous, yes, but terrible nevertheless. He had messy dry curls going every directions on his head – the worst bed hair ever seen after Chan’s – droopy eyes, dark circles that would make Changbin proud, and cracked lips. Clearly, someone has been neglecting themselves lately. This last fact made him frown; hopefully their sudden arrivals in his life wasn’t the cause of it… Looking behind the man, his lips pressed in a thin line. The weather was changing, lilac and bluish gray clouds were covering the still dark horizon. And he decided here and then that it was way too early in the morning and way too cold to be up. ‘Leader’s secret huh?’ he blurted out, his voice slicing into the silence of the room. Minho jumped on the spot, muttering a small ‘Ji’ under his breath as he glared at the younger. Jisung waved at him lazily, not giving a toad about his glare. Minho simply sighed at this, and wordlessly walked toward the bed, where he sat on. ‘You could say that.’ he muttered as he crumpled back the paper and pulled it under his pillow. Jisung watched his action with curious eyes. What was written on it that could make him sacrifice precious hours of sleep… Deciding to respect the older’s secrecy, however, he let the matter go. Instead, he slumped on his back and cuddle further into the blankets. ‘Ugh it’s still cold, don’t you have a spare blanket left?’ he asked, teeth clattering and Minho frowned. He looked around the bedroom and stood up wordlessly. Jisung watched his every moves cautiously, until he couldn’t turn his head further and slumped lazily against the mattress, waiting for the boy. However, a small smile edged itself on his lips when something soft was laid over his shoulders. Looking down he smiled at the purple plaid the Stray had pick up from the hanging chair, and snuggled in it. It smelled of pine. ‘Sorry, that’s all I’ve left. Your friends needed covers too.’ Minho explained as he sat back on the bed, slightly looming over the human. Jisung simply smiled and shook his head. ‘Thanks, that’s more than enough.’ the scientist yawned, his eyes partially closing, letting his chestnut locks fall over his eyes. Minho resisted the urge to push them away. It was not alright to do that so soon with a human, right? Strays don’t care, and never have actually. For them skinship was a natural thing, a necessary one even. It was a way of bonding and forming connection, and most importantly, spreading energy. But he knew perfectly well that for humans it was nothing like that, and that they don’t allow forms of close skinship until they knew and liked each others to a certain extent. It was odd in his opinion, but he respected it nevertheless. Hence why he didn’t get why the human had asked for them to sleep together yesterday. It had surprised him greatly. He got why Jisung disliked it when he picked him up; the boy can’t stand to be helpless and useless. So he wouldn’t put those instances in the ‘I am human and I dislike skinship’ category. But yesterday, what he had asked for… he had no reason to do that, and Minho could see that it hadn’t been out of pity. Maybe out of guilt for taking his bed, but that wasn’t all. So if humans didn’t allow skinship until a certain stage, then why had Jisung asked for it yesterday? It made no sense at all, and he had to know why. ‘Why… did you agree to sleep next to me last night? Humans don’t allow skinship so fast usually.’ he blurted out, frowning. The question threw Jisung off guard, and he snapped his eyes open. Looking up at Minho, he opened his mouth only to close it. How was he going to explain… Sitting up against the headboard, he wrapped the blanket tighter against his shoulders, the wind sipping through the room brushing away unruly curls from his eyes, the very first rays of Glow lightning up a bit the silent room in a gray morning hue. ‘You’d be surprised to know that not all of us are unresponsive to skinship. Actually many of us like it. It’s just that, between humans there is this invisible layer of ‘what to dos’ and ‘what’s not’. That doesn’t mean we don’t want skinship, it’s just that we… don’t know if it is okay with the other.’ he tried explaining, hoping he doesn’t sound like a confusing mess at the moment. But Minho nodded in understanding. ‘So that’s why you don’t mind skinship with me? Because you know Strays are okay with it?’ he stated more than asked, looking at Jisung for approval. ‘Yes. Well, no, I mean it’s… I’m not one of those who mind skinship, if I trust the person. Only if I trust them. Otherwise, I’m not at ease with it. There’s no special reason behind it, it’s just like that.’ he provided with a shrug, looking everywhere but at Minho. This man’s gaze was way too deep and intense for him to handle this early in the morning- screw that, for him to simply handle, full stop. ‘So… do you trust me? I mean, humans don’t give trust that easily…’ he mumbled, looking out the window hole, clearly confused. Jisung resisted the urge to laugh at the cuteness of the leader’s pout. Stray males really did master the art of being both cute and manly at the same time. He liked that, this carelessness, with no one to judge you or tell you how to behave like depending on your gender. He really liked it. ‘Well, I trust you. But maybe not to the point of allowing you to touch me. Sorry, it’s really not against you or anything really, I mean you’ve done so much for us , so-’ ‘Jisung.’ ‘-it would be- Yes?’ ‘You’re rambling.’ Minho stated with a smile and Jisung flustered. Rubbing his neck, he adverted his gaze to the wall, under Minho’s soft chuckles. ‘That’s okay Jisung. You don’t have to justify yourself. You are free to be as you wish to be, here.’ Jisung looked at him with wide eyes and bit back a smile. He failed to, miserably. He really liked it here. ‘Now, tell me why you allowed me to sleep next to you. You really raised my curiosity.’ Minho smiled and looked at him with a raised brow, fingers silently drumming against the covers as he patiently waited for the boy to form an answer. ‘It’s just that, I’m a military scientist, you know, and as such, you get to train as a soldier too. And there are times when you need to survive, so you allow one to stay close with you. Yesterday’s weather was harsh on us, and if you wouldn’t have been here, I would have probably died of hypothermia. That’s why. That’s why I asked.’ he explained, playing with a loose thread of the purple cover. What he said was true, it was actually the main reason. But, yes, there had been a bit of guilt for taking someone’s bed in their own house, but there was no need to mention that. And no, he wasn’t going to mention that he wanted a cuddle buddy, and that Minho had seemed to be a great choice, taking into account that Chan and Changbin were already busy with their own boys. And yes, sometimes, when the dude is hot and looks comfy, Jisung can make exception to his own rule of no skinship with ‘strangers’. So, kindly let him look proud in front of the man, please. ‘So thank you for that.’ he concluded, looking up with a grateful smile, which Minho returned with a nod. ‘I see. Well, no problem. Plus, my bed is way more comfier than the couch, so I guess I should also thank you.’ he laughed, rising from his spot. ‘Go back to sleep, it’s 4 in the morning.’ ‘Whaaaat? And it’s already so bright?’ Jisung looked at Minho shocked. He thought it was six or something. True the sky was still dark, but not the usual type of of 4am night sky dark. Minho looked at him with an amused smirk and grabbed a human black hoodie. ‘We’re not on Earth. Here, stuffs work differently.’ ‘Right. Need to stop comparing.’ ‘That’s okay, you have time.’ he laughed and made his way to the door. ‘All of this is new. Now, go back to sleep.’ ‘Where are you going? You said so yourself, it’s early. Why leaving so soon?’ Minho only shrugged and turned around to face Jisung, leaning against the door. ‘Can’t sleep. Might as well do something productive.’ ‘Oh.’ Jisung deadpanned looking at him, finding himself agreeing with the man, but yet, finding himself wanting his warmth back. Even though he was himself a human, he couldn’t help but think that humans being were really odd at times. ‘Go back to sleep. I’ll go take a walk.’ the leader whispered, hand reaching out to grab the handle. Jisung saw that and found himself crawling to the edge of the bed, before he could stop himself. ‘Can I come?’ Jisung didn’t know why he blurted that out, he just… couldn’t let Minho go? ‘You need to-’ ‘I can walk. I’m not made out of china Minho.’ he cut in, now standing. He held the elder’s gaze defiantly, chin high, almost daring the Stray to say otherwise. Minho was surprised to see such determination and certainty in his gaze. He didn’t expect this kind of look, but then again, what did he really expect? Humans were unpredictable in his opinion. Breaking off the staring contest with an exasperated sigh he let go of the handle. ‘… Alright. But, if you feel pain in your feet, don’t come crying.’ Jisung grinned and grabbed a random pair of shoes that was laying on the ground, looking at the leader with a smirk. ‘I won’t.’ – – – – – – Woojin felt the warmth of the Glow tickle his face and sighed in contentment, rolling over in his bed, like the elegant man that he was. Opening his eyes, he noticed the empty spot beside himself and smiled remembering the man who had laid there just mere hours ago. Snuggling further into his bed, he stiffened a yawn. He was dead tired. He didn’t get too much sleep last night, but he didn’t regret it one bit. Last night was really amazing. He had never felt more alive and he wasn’t even with one of his own. How weird was that, a human making him feel like that… Him and Chan had talked all night long, till the Glowrise. They had laid under his baby blue blanket, giggling like kids at each others’ stories and trying to get a better understanding of each others’ languages and customs, resulting in the both of them only getting a few hours of sleep. But he had learned so much about the other boy, like the fact that he came from the same country as Felix’s mother, Australia! He also learned that the boy really liked the color black and blamed Changbin for it, but had always had a soft spot for the color blue, because it reminded him of the sea that he woke up to every morning in Australia, when he was young. He also discovered that, back on Earth, he had a ‘dog’, and Chan had laughed because Woojin absolutely had no idea what a dog was. Woojin smiled in remembrance of the boy’s laugh and the dimples that had surfaced on his cheeks. It looked really cute, which contrasted deeply with the strong muscles that were hidden underneath the boy’s black hoodie. It was fascinating in his opinion that as a human, whom he had remembered as being so categorizing, Chan was able to pull off so many aspects of a personality. The boy has proved to be so far cute, then strong and charismatic, and then a funny idiot. How was that even possible for a human? The ones he had met so far had never been like that. But he liked it. Woojin snuggled deeper into his covers, eyes falling over the white flower next to the wall. White, like the name of Chan’s aunt. Chan had told him that it was not her real name, but everyone called her doctor White because of this white lipstick she always wore. She was famous in the human world for her many achievements, and was the reason why Chan wanted to be a scientist. But one day she had died, no one knew how, the human had told him, but he wanted to honor her memory. And so he become a scientist. Woojin thought that it was beautiful. Chan was truly someone good. And Woojin would miss having someone that good in his life when, in five years, the human will go back on Earth. ‘PWOUAHAHAHAHA’ The wild laughter, seemingly coming from the main room, echoed in his silent room, effectively interrupting his trail of thoughts. ‘What the Jae is going on…’ he grumbled, pushing away his covers. Upon arriving in the living room however, he had to do a double take and found himself having trouble breathing. ‘What-’ Woojin couldn’t even finish his own sentence as he choked on an incredulous laughter, arms wrapping on his sides and leaning against the doorway. The human – ‘Changbin’, if he recalled well – was tackling Jeongin on the green rug on the ground, and was tickling him mercilessly, under his cries and laughter. Woojin couldn’t believe it. Jeongin, the oh so mighty Fox, was pinned by a human? Who had found his weakness faster than any of his opponents? And Jeongin was struggling to fight back? Well, that was unexpected. On the other hand, Seungmin was sitting on the couch laughing his ass off too, while Hyunjin was chocking on his Gyujaks by the table. Woojin decided to join the latter, highfiving Seungmin on the way and, of course, ignoring Jeongin’s pleas. ‘Nope Jeonginie, you’re on your own.’ he singsonged, laughing, as he just wanted to see the kid suffer a bit longer. Upon reaching the table, he patted Hyunjin’s shoulder and grabbed some Gyujak fruits and Honuk, a soft spongy cake that he knew Hyunjin’s sister had made for them. Landing his ass on a stool, he tsked at Hyunjin who just stared at him dumbly. Woojin rolled his eyes and reached a thumb to wipe off some of the fruit juice trickling down his chin. Hyunjin just smiled at him sheepishly, and before he could open his mouth to thank him, Woojin took him in a headlock. ‘Ah-ah Woowoo, let me go!’ he whined, half chocking on his own laughter. Woojin laughed at him and rubbed his scalp strongly. ‘Not before you learn to eat correctly, you Yeshihk- and tell me what’s going on with those two.’ he demanded, loosening his hold. Hyunjin tried to breath again but failed when Changbin tickled Jeongin harder, making his best friend squirm harder. On the other hand Seungmin was pretty much passed out on the couch from laughing too hard and Woojin was trying, and ultimately failing, to swallow his fucking bite of Honuk. ‘ Jeongin he-’ Hyunjin broke down giggling. ‘ He entered the room to tell Changbin that his two friends were not here anymore- Chan went to talk with their boss about their flat by the way, but I don’t know about the other.’ he provided with a wiggle of eyebrows, that made Woojin want to shove his face down his plate. ‘Go on before I let my mind take control over my actions Jinie~’ he said with an overly sweet voice, and even though Hyunjin wanted to cooed at the voice, he knew better than to provoke the older. ‘Yeah, so he entered the bedroom and saw the two holding hands in their sleep~’ he provided with a smile, and Woojin ‘awwwed’. ‘But he cooed a bit too loud thinking that Changbin was still sleeping. And when Changbin snapped his eyes open, he guessed why Jeongin was cooing, and so he ran after our friend here, faking anger. Of course, all the while Jeongin was screaming aloud what he had witnessed in the bedroom for us all to hear. In our language of course, because if Changbin had understand what he said, he would probably be dead by now. So, here they are now.’ he concluded with a grin. Woojin was dying of laughter, that was official. Jeongin, oh Jae, did he loved this boy. Thanks to him, he now had something to tease Felix with. ‘I like Changbin, that’s official.’ Hyunjin stated, clapping at the human for not having any mercy one his best friend. Woojin simply shook his head and enjoyed the show. ‘Yeah. I like him too.’ he approved, smiling as he bit in his Honuk, finally succeeding in swallowing it. Today was going to be a great day, he could feel it. – – – – – – Jisung gnawed at his pencil as he stared dreamily at the rising Glow over the horizon, hoodie’s hood almost falling over his eyes. It was really peaceful here, he liked it. Minho had taken them on a morning stroll, walking through the silent village as the Glow had yet to fully rose in the sky, casting a gray and foggy ambiance over the place. It had felt eerie but fascinating. And the leader had led them to the jungle’s border, where the turquoise palms filled trees were turning into golden yellow palms filled ones, and where animals chirping could finally be heard. Minho had settled against a tree and Jisung had followed suit, climbing and laying down on a boulder. They had bathed in a comfortable silence at first, both taking in the beautiful scenery before their eyes; night sky turning indigo, then gray, and how the animals’ chirping had suddenly became louder. But then Minho had began talking about how every morning he witnessed the sky changing as he take strolls, and how fascinating that was. And so Jisung had began talking about how gorgeous space was. And from there on, both had started talking about life on Earth & Straya, their differences and common features. By the time they were done, they could perfectly see the outlines of each others’ faces and guess the colors they were made of. When the Stray had told the human he played music, Jisung had requested to hear it. So Minho had ended up playing of a sort of flute, that honestly looked like the exact replica of a human harmonica. And so, here they both were now, Minho playing a beautiful melody in the peaceful morning, and Jisung listening to it, getting lost in the gorgeous sound and taking out his beloved notebook from his sweater pocket, not resisting the urge to scribble sketches of the man. He was so focused on getting the eyes done perfectly that he never took notice of the silence that had settled in the air. Only when he heard a neighing sound coming from somewhere in front of them did he realize that Minho was done playing. Looking up, he was startled to find a Minho up and nuzzling an animal’s neck. No, not any animal’s neck, that was a Pali’s neck. ‘Oh my god…’ he whispered under his breath as he sit up. Kneeling on the boulder, he was left at word loss at the sight before him. This was the first time he saw a Pali in real life, the other times were in textbooks back in JYP Nation’s basement on Earth. But it was nothing compared to how gorgeous they were in real life. And if he were to believe what he learned about them, he was one hundred percents positive that this was Minho’s partner. And just like its master, it was beautiful. Jisung took in every details he could, going from its black coat that was stripped with a darker black shade and his piercing red eyes, to the strong muscles of its legs. It was beautifully proportioned and tall, two heads taller than Minho. Jisung also noticed that it looked really proud, even though the way he nuzzled Minho’s hands showed the soft spot it had for him. Jisung laughed at that. How could two opposite beings match so perfectly? Suddenly, red eyes locked on his and Jisung let his notebook drop in surprise, the leather colliding in a thud with the boulder. He was frozen on the spot, unable to look away. His hands were shaking and a lump was forming in his throat. But not out of fright. Out of fascination. He crawled to the end of the boulder, settling there as he observed the Pali. Jisung could feel Minho’s gaze burning holes in his skull, but at the moment he couldn’t care less. He always thought he would be scared of looking at a Pali in the eyes, if he ever were to meet one. But no, instead all he could feel was a smile stretching his lips. The creature was so ethereal and beautiful. It looked noble as it bathed into the morning light of Glow. Tears prickled in his eyes, and he wiped them off hastily, breaking the eye contact with the animal. Holly hell, he never thought he would be alive to meet one, that was… that was amazing. Minho, seeing that, smiled and let go of his Pali with a last brush against his nuzzle, before walking to the front of Jisung’s perch. He smiled even more at the curious glance Jisung sent him and extended his hand. ‘Come over.’ he softly offered, voice a bit rasp after playing of the harmonica-like instrument for so long. ‘WH-why? No, no, no it’s going to snarl at me.’ Jisung finally panicked, and backed away. Minho simply blinked and laughed at that. ‘Wh- no it won’t.’ ‘But I read that Pali won’t let someone else than their partners touch them.’ ‘Yes that’s true. But you can come closer if he lets you. Only if he lets you’ ‘Really?’ Jisung looked so hopeful at that moment, that Minho wished to always bring that kind of feeling to the boy. So he nodded. ‘Yes, really.’ Jisung carefully approached the edge of his bolder, but he wasn’t scared. He was just careful. Grasping Minho’s hands after a small second of hesitation, he felt a shiver run down his arm, but it was soon replaced with a warmth, and so, he let himself jump down. Minho caught him, and they stayed there for a few seconds, before the leader stepped back. Jisung gulped, still flustered, but silently thanked the older with a nod, and took took a few steps closer, wary on how the animal would react. But the Pali simply watched him, before it turned its attention on Minho who had returned to his spot, nuzzling its neck lovingly. Jisung beamed, biting his lips to restrain a smile as he sat a meter away from them. ‘It’s beautiful.’ he finally said, looking at Minho with pure joy in his eyes. The Stray glanced at him and nodded. ‘He is.’ ‘It’s a male then. What’s his name?’ ‘Midnight.’ ‘Wow, that’s… wait, that’s our language. It’s Earthian.’ the scientist gasped, looking at Minho with wide confused and surprised eyes. ‘Yeah.’ Minho laughed breathlessly, hugging Midnight’s neck. ‘It was my brother’s favorite word when he learned Earthian. I named this boy here ‘Midnight’ in remembrance of him.’ ‘You mean Jeongin?’ Jisung frowned, confused. ‘No, another one.’ he stated, a small smile dancing on his face as he looked up at the now pale blue sky. ‘You have an other brother?’ Jisung wondered out loud, even more confused. ‘Had. Jeongin and I had another brother, younger than me but older than Jeongin. His name was Donghyuck but everyone called him Haechan. (A/N: Look at who felt the need to add a NCT cameo~ I have no regret though aha.) He was loved by everyone. Haechan was the one supposed to be our leader. But he died in the war.’ ‘O-oh. I’m sorry.’ Jisung muttered and gulped, looking down at the ground. He shouldn’t have asked, Jisung was bad at comforting people with words. He was better with actions. But he couldn’t suddenly stand up and comfort the boy with a hug, they were not close enough yet. So he was left with letting an uncomfortable silence settle in the air. He hated these kinds of situation. ‘Don’t.’ Minho’s voice cut his thoughts. ‘It’s not your fault.’ ‘I know. But still, it’s sad.’ he admitted, drawing patterns in the mud with his index finger. Minho sighed but a smile appeared on his lips as he looked at the sky. It wasn’t a sad one though, it was a happy one. ‘Yes. But he died happy.’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘He protected his best friend but was shot in the knee in doing so. We don’t know what happened next because his best friend passed out. But we… we never found his body. It probably laid among the thousands of other corpses on the battlefield. And now, his soul is resting in peace with Jae. But Haechan protected his loved ones as he always did. That was what he lived for- well, along with sassing everyone in town.’ he laughed at the memory, and looked back at a flabbergasted Jisung. ‘His best friend survived and he is now a leader, like me. But he was so devastated by Haechan’s death that he cut all ties with my clan. It became too hard for him to see Jeongin and I, and so was seeing me being the leader.’ he ended with a bittersweet smile. The last action made Jisung frown. Yes, maybe Minho wasn’t supposed to be a leader, but he was an amazing one. He built back their clan and didn’t screw up the relationship they had with humans. Heck, he even took morning scrolls to check on his territory, if this isn’t devotion! He shouldn’t be so bitter about being a leader. So Jisung stood up and walked to his side, before putting his hand on Minho’s shoulder. The boy looked up with furrowed eyebrows. ‘Your brother would be proud, you know? Of both you and Jeongin. And you make an amazing leader, trust me.’ he admitted, squeezing the boy’s shoulder. ‘You really think so?’ His voice was soft and faint, and Jisung squeezed his shoulder firmer, eyes set on his with certainty. ‘Yes.’ he assured, voice steady and sure. But it was soon replaced with mischief and a smirk. ‘After all, without you, I wouldn’t be here today, would I?’ Minho blinked rapidly, brain failing to register the words for a moment, before he laughed out loud and punched his arm playfully. This human was really something… And when Jisung grinned at him, he could only smile back with one single thought on his mind: ‘Yeah. I guess he would be proud.’ – – – – – – ‘Yah! Woowie stop, it’s going to poke my eyes!’ Felix complaint was followed by Woojin’s laughter as both boys bathed in the good warmth of the Glow sipping though the huge window hole of older's bedroom. ‘Well, stop squirming and maybe the soap won’t get in your eyes?’ he teased, rubbing Felix’s scalp harder. ‘Well, if you’d stop rubbing so hard then maybe I could stop squir.ming!’ he answered, half laughing as he squirmed harder on his spot on the ground, between Woojin’s legs, when the older rubbed harder. Woojin waved his own freshly light blond dyed curly hair out of his face with a huff, looking at his now mustard yellow fingers due to the fresh dye that he was currently applying on Felix’s brown hair. And let’s say that if Chan were there he would have stared, because Woojin looked more than fine with his freshly dyed light blond curly hair, ear piercings shinning and tan skin glowing a healthy shade of gold under the Glowlight, making his white shirt – from which pocked a tattoo – stand out. Oh, and have I mentioned yet about those ripped jeans that hugged his fit thighs? You got it, Woojin was hot like that, period. Chan was really missing out on something right now. At his brother’s whines, Woojin resumed his massage – which had Felix humming in delight – and yawned. ‘Rough night Woowie?’ Felix teased, turning his head slightly to make his wiggling eyebrows visible to the older. Woojin simply grabbed his jaw and put back his head in place. ‘Ah ah ah, very funny Fe. We just talked the whole night, that’s all. Jae, you’re such a perverted kid.’ he huffed in exasperation. ‘I’m not. I’m just thinking what everyone would be thinking in this situation. I’m actually a pure boy~’ he singsonged of his deep voice, earning himself a snort and a slap on the skull. ‘Yeah sure Fe, whatever helps you sleep at night.’ Woojin rolled eyes and checked on the boy’s hair. ‘C’mon I think it’s ready, let’s rinse it.’ he stated, standing up and stretching his sore legs. ‘Already?’ Felix turned around and looked at his older brother with big doe eyes. ‘Well, yes, unless you want your hair to turn into a human mustard color, I suggest we go wash it now.’ Felix had never dashed to the door so quickly. Woojin ran after him with a laugh, and found him with his head already stuck in a large bucket of water. Chuckling at the extra boy, he bent over and helped him wash the dye out of his curls. Felix emerged a few moments later, looking like a wet puppy. ‘Oh my. Thanks Jae you’re human boy doesn’t see you in that state. That would ruin all your chances.’ he fake gasped, eyes crinkling as Felix punched him. ‘C’mon, let’s get you all pretty for your human boy~’ ‘Woowie!!!’ Felix whined as his brother dried his now pale light blond hair with a towel. ‘Stop teasing me like this!’ ‘Why? You don’t like him?’ Woojin asked, hands stilling in surprise. ‘Wha- Woowie, have you seen him? How could I not appreciate that? He is hot, there’s no denying that.’ he laughed, taking Woojin’s hands in his own to resume the hair drying. ‘Oh. So I was right, you do like him.’ ‘Well, it’s maybe a bit early to talk about like, don’t you think? But yes, physically speaking, I can’t deny I’m liking what I’m seeing so far.’ ‘Awww, our Felix is growing up~’ he cooed, ruffling his hair with affection. Felix pocked his head out of the towel. ‘Woowie?’ ‘Yes?’ Felix looked up at him with seriousness written all over his face. ‘He is my hero.’ Both blinked at each others, before Felix broke into a stupid grin and cackled like hyena, Woojin following suit, as he dropped the towel on the floor, clutching his ribs. ‘Oh my Jae, Fe, why do you have to be so extra. My ribs are about to break.’ Woojin blurted out, trying to catch his breath. ‘Sorry- it was too tempting.’ he breathed out, leaning in the older’s laps. ‘Your face was priceless!’ ‘Oh shut it, you Yeshihk and come here!’ he ordered, a smile on his features as he took in Felix’s new looks. ‘Let me see what you… look… like… wow Felix.’ his voice died down as he starred at him with wide eyes and parted lips. Felix was gorgeous. Fuck that, he was ethereal. His white skin was bathing into the bright golden light of the Glow, looking flawless. His black sweater and ripped black jeans were making him look.. well, hot, let’s say it. But his face, with those freckles, full lips and warm brown eyes looked even more gorgeous now that they were surrounded by fucking pale light blond curls of silky hair. Ethereal. ‘Huh… Woowie? Why are you tearing up?’ ‘Come here you beautiful little Yeshihk, I’m so proud of you.’ Woojin dramatically declared as he wiped fake tears, wrapping the boy in a bear hug. ‘You’ve grown up into a beautiful man Fe, I’m so proud of my little brother!’ Felix only laughed at that, answering the hug. ‘Oh my Jae, Woowie, you’re the extra one-’ ‘Hum, sorry guys, but do you know where- fuck.’ Changbin’s voice resonated in the air, startling the two boys, Felix gulping as he felt his stare on him. Oh Jae… Changbin had stopped in his track and stared. Real hard. He also had to grip the door harder. Did his vision deceive him, or was that Felix? And what the- was that blond hair? Nah, that must have been a trick of the light, he decided as he blinked- oh fuck, that wasn’t. Swearing internally, he bit his lips at the sight. Couldn’t God have mercy on him for once? He already found Felix attractive on both their first encounter and in his shitty state, so this current state was like a boss state. He fucking looked like a god. There was no other possible comparison. And how was a weak mortal human like Changbin supposed to handle such perfection? – Yes, dramatic much, he knew, and actually blamed Jisung for rubbing off on him. Little did he know that the same thoughts had been stuck in Felix’s mind for a while now. He and Woojin stood frozen in their spots. Felix untangled himself from his brother but never broke eye contact with the human. He bit his lips unconsciously, wondering what Changbin was thinking about his new state. But the scientist only gripped the door harder, clearly gulping. Well, that was unexpected. And so was his flustered state. Seeing that, Felix felt a burst of warmth explode in his chest. So the boy didn’t find him ugly… Well, Felix had always known he was handsome, but only by Stray standards. So he had been doubting about Changbin finding him attractive for a while now, and let’s say that the shitty state he was in lately hadn’t help his confidence. But now, judging by the way the boy’s eyes literally eat him up, he was sure of it; Changbin did find him attractive. And Felix felt his confidence spring back to life. Heck, he even felt confident enough to run to him and wrap himself around him if he wanted. Which he wanted. And so, he did. Changbin stood dumbfounded and motionless as a pair of warm arms secured themselves around his shoulders, but breathed again when giggles tickled his neck. Reluctantly, he wrapped his arms around the boy’s middle, ans pulled him closer, making him beam. ‘Thank you so much Changbinie!’ he squealed, snuggling further into the human’s embrace, enjoying it while it lasted. ‘What for?’ he asked in English, accent thick, but sexy, at least in Felix’s opinion. ‘You said I could take part in the Ordeals! I’m so happy!’ Oh. That. Yesterday Minho had explained him the whole Ordeals thingy and had asked him if Felix would be able to fly. Of course, with the rate at which his body was healing, the scientist had assured him that the Stray would be able to fly in no time. But he never thought it would bring so much joy to the boy. Was this thing really that important to him? So he shrugged with a smile. ‘Well, yeah, I mean you’re healed, which is incredible by the way, but nevermind. You can fly now.’ ‘Yeah!’ Finally separating himself from the human and grinning at him- can one go blind because of a smile? – he jumped on his spot happily, making the two other males smile. ‘Nice hair by the way guys.’ he said, grinning at them. ‘Thanks. You would benefit from a new haircut too, you know? Your color is growing out.’ Woojin joked in English so that everyone would understand him. ‘Aha, no that’s okay-’ Changbin began, gulping and backing away, but he was interrupted by someone pushing him in the room and taking his place in the doorway. ‘Hello everyone!’ a cheerful voice chimed in, in a way more smooth English than his, but voice still heavy with an accent. ‘Changbinie binie~ I’m back!’ ‘Welcome back, Ji. Mind giving me my spot back? And where were you?’ he wondered, giving up in trying to retrieve his spot, instead opting on leaning on the wall. ‘I was taking a morning stroll with Minho. Why? Missed me?’ he teased, wiggling his eyebrows. Changbin snorted. ‘You wish. Where’s Chan?’ ‘No idea.’ ‘He is seeing your boss, for your door problem.’ Woojin provided, leaning down to grab the towel, completely unaware of the humans’ smirk and Felix’s eyebrows wiggling. ‘Oh I see.’ Jisung finally nodded when Woojin looked up. But suddenly, he turned to Felix with an evil smile. ‘Now, where were we at Felix?’ he singsonged dangerously approaching Changbin, Felix grinning back equally evilly at him. Changbin’s eyes widened and he straightened. Oh shit… And that’s how, in no time, Felix and Jisung got him sitting down between Woojin’s legs, hair dye of an unknown color being massaged into his scalp. ‘For fuck sake, someone save me…’ he grunted but sat still when he saw Felix’s blinding grin. That’s official, he was whipped. Woojin looked at through the window hole as he massaged the human’s scalp, smiling at the sight of a green Young Wing flying in the sky. Indeed, today was a great day. – – – – – – ‘Hiya c’mon Fayre, faster my beauty!’ Seungmin yelled as he and his Pali dashed through the jungle. Today was a training day for the Pali riders of the Trashee clan, some sort of role-playing of the actual Ordeal consisting in Strays own version of a relay race. Of course, Seungmin and Minho were a team, and actually they were pretty much foreseen as potential winners. Both were confident and good in what they were doing, Fayre being fierce when it came to competition, and Midnight being the fastest Pali out there. Adding to that that Minho and Seungmin were both fast runners, they really were a force to be reckoned with. Right now, a team was trailing behind them, but that wouldn’t last long. ‘C’mon Fayre, show them what you can do…’ he murmured with a smirk as he began to see Minho waiting for him with Midnight. ‘And, what do you say we have a bit of fun while we’re at it, hum? Minho!’ Minho looked up with a smirk, and when Seungmin reached him, he handed him the red cloth before jumping up from Fayre onto a tree branch. Midnight began to dash through the jungle, Fayre moving onto another path leading to their next meeting point. Running and jumping from trees to trees above Minho, he let himself smirk. Now was the time to have fun… ‘I know you like the human Min!’ He screamed as he finally jumped down, straight onto Fayre’s back. ‘Hello there, beauty~’ Minho only rolled his eyes, already up on a branch, Midnight long gone by now. ‘Am not.’ he stated, voice resonating into the jungle, as he ran faster, thigh muscles tensed under his black sweatpants and muscled torso glistening with sweat, tribal tattoo poking out from his waistband. ‘Stop lying and keep running!’ Seungmin teased as Fayre accelerated. ‘Can’t hear you!’ Minho’s voice was faint now, and Seungmin only giggled at his best friend, opting to concentrate on the task at hand for now. After a while, however, Midnight came in view and Seungmin readied himself. Minho, on the other hand, saw Midnight too and, without looking, reached a hand out as his other one grabbed a tree branch, letting himself dive down. His outstretched hand met Seungmin’s and he hauled the boy up from his Pali. ‘Then why did you allow him to stay?’ his best friend asked, genuinely curious, as Minho swung him up on a tree while he jumped down onto Midnight. Rolling his eyes, Minho dashed forward, hearing branches crack under Seungmin’s bare feet. ‘Because it’s time to change things. And he proved his worth.’ he explained, and heard Seungmin snort above him. ‘Whatever helps you sleep at night Min. I know you like him at least a bit.’ Together they reached the jungle’s border and Minho reached out blindly, meeting Seungmin’s hand halfway. The boy then proceeded to haul him up, Midnight running off, and together they ran from trees to trees, reaching the last tree before the cliff that separated the jungle in two. Below was a river that lead to the sea. Seungmin turned to him with a smug smile, arm crossed over his bare glistening lightly tan chest, the tribal tattoo on his arm now emphasized by the tensed muscle. Minho only rolled his arm as he stepped back and reach for a creeper. ‘Okay. I might like him, he is nice. But that ends here.’ he admitted, tying the creeper around his palm, peeking at Seungmin with unimpressed eyes. Seungmin only laughed and grabbed a creeper too, doing the same thing as him. ‘Yeah, but you’re gonna learn to know him, right?’ Minho finished tying his own and contemplated the sky a bit. ‘Yes. And from there on, we’ll see how it goes.’ Seungmin grinned at that, glad his best friend finally had the gut to tell him that. ‘Can’t wait.’ he laughed, and patted him slightly on the shoulder. They both stepped back and looking at each others with huge grins, they dashed forward. Feet leaving the tree, they both screamed like kids as they jumped over the cliff. Letting go of their creepers midways, they both were brought back to the time when they were children, and how they would sneak out from school to just jump down cliffs and role down hills, racing each others and spying on Palis, wondering which one would be theirs when they’ll grow older. Minho smiled at the memory. These times were great times. He heard Seungmin laugh beside him, and figured the boy must have remembered those times too. Yeah, these times were really great times… There feet made contact with the rough bark of a tree on the other side, and they grinned at each others, like the dummies they were, before they broke into a run, finally leaping down on their awaiting Palis. ‘Let’s gooooo!’ Minho screamed and Seungmin screamed in return, the two Palis excitingly galloping through the jungle. After a while, Seungmin noticed the judges waiting on their left, and waved Minho forward. Both boys accelerated, and Seungmin reached an arm toward Minho, red cloth in his hand waving in the air. Minho smirked as he saw the red cloth from the corner of his eyes and grabbed it’s other end, tugging it toward him, making Seungmin lose his balance a bit. ‘Hey you Yeshihk stop that!’ he chuckled and tugged back the cloth toward himself, screaming in joy when they reached the end line. ‘Congratulation boys, you are the first one!’ The instructors congratulate them, patting their shoulders and praising their Palis. Both boys got done from their Palis under the cheering of the Strays who were seated in the area to look at the training and embraced each others happily. ‘We did it Seungmin!’ Minho cheered, looking like his ten year old self again. Seungmin laughed at that and jumped on his spot, secretly happy to see the leader so free and happy once more. ‘Yeah we did! We are the best after all~’ he bragged, wiggling his eyebrows, which made Minho do it too. Both boys broke into laughter and hugged each others once more. They were thrilled and couldn’t wait for the actual Ordeal to take place. ‘I’m sure you’ll win!’ someone said and both boys chuckled, hoping this would be the case on the d-day. ‘Goodbye my beauty, you were the best…’ Seungmin muttered against Fayre’s snout and freed her, while Minho patted Midnight and hugged his neck before he let him go too. ‘C’mon Min, let’s go home.’ The boys wrapped their arms around each others and walked in a comfortable silence. It had been so long since they had been so happy, it’s crazy how one action can bring back so many memories. ‘We should that more often.’ Minho stated suddenly, and Seungmin looked at him confused. ‘I mean, jumping from cliffs or simply doing stupid stuffs around the jungle. I miss it.’ Seungmin stopped in his track and look at Minho with wide eyes, tears prickling on the corner of his eyes. And before Minho could react he pulled the man in his arms. ‘Seungie? What’s wrong?’ Minho asked worriedly, as he hug the kid back, brushing his chestnut hair gently. Seungmin only sniffed harder, and buried his head in his neck, smelling in the comforting scent of pine. ‘It’s just that.. since you’ve become a lea-leader we never got the chance to hang out as of-often as before, and I… I mi-missed you, and I thought maybe you didn’t like me anymore, and-’ he was cut by lips crushing on his forehead, pressing hard, and hands cupping his cheeks. Minho leaned back, tears falling from his own eyes, as he wiped away Seungmin’s. ‘What bullshit is that Seungie? Of course I love you!’ he hiccuped, pulling the younger male against himself once more, and proceeded to rub their noses together. ‘I’m so sorry I made you feel that way… I won’t leave you alone anymore. I missed you too Seungie.’ Seungmin tearfully laughed and pulled Minho into a hug, punching his arm weakly. ‘You better you Yeshihk!’ Minho laughed and pulled away, wiping his own tears. ‘Ah, Jae, this is turning too sentimental for me…’ he muttered, wrapping his hand around Seungmin’s one. ‘You’re a sap Minho, you like sentimental.’ Seungmin teased as they walked home in a lighter atmosphere, both happy to have found each other’s back. ‘Min.’ he suddenly interrupted and the older looked up with a smile. ‘Yeah Seung- ouf!’ he huffed when Seungmin suddenly hugged him – more like tackled him – out of nowhere. ‘Whatever you do Min, I’ll be with you. Don’t fear. Just follow your heart. And I’ll be there for you too, I promise’ he swore, knowing Minho would get the underlying message under his words. And he smiled, knowing he was right, when he felt arms wrapped around his middle with a thankful squeeze. Minho needed to hear these words. And as he hugged his best friend, a flash of this morning appeared before his eyes and a thought lingered in his mind: Your brother would be proud of you. ‘Yes. I will. Thank you Seungmin.’ – – – – – – ‘Congrats Jeongin, you won. You can go rest a bit.’ Jeongin groaned and stretched his sore limbs. The training for the Ordeal were intense but he truly loved it. It was so thrilling and a way for him to exteriorize all his energy. Pulling off his soaked t shirt, he laid against a boulder and grabbed a fruit shell full of fresh juice. Sipping it peacefully, he decided to watch his best friend’s fight. Hyunjin fighting against a girl, who was clearly no joke, one just needed to look at her strong arms and fit abs to know that. But the ferocious glint in her eyes was enough to tell Jeongin that Hyunjin had a strong opponent. Speaking of which, the girl was about to get pinned by Hyunjin, having miss her hit by just a few centimeters. Jeongin smirked. Time to make this fight a bit more interesting… ‘Soooo… I heard Seungmin slept at yours yesterday?’ he teased, fingers drumming against the fruit shell and eyes squinted. However, Hyunjin didn’t show any reaction and pinned the girl as planned. Jeongin sighed, but of course that wasn’t enough to deter him. The girl kneed his best friend in the guts and flipped herself over him with a grunt, making Jeongin cheer and Hyunjin send him a fake look of betrayal. She tried pinning him for the ten required seconds but Hyunjin was already about to get up in not even three seconds. Even though she was strong, Hyunjin’s strength was no joke. And so, Jeongin chose to mess with him again. ‘You two seems awfully close these days~’ he singsonged, but Hyunjin only flipped the girl over, knocking the air out of her lungs and looked up at him with a smirk. ‘So what? You jealous?’ Jeongin rolled his eyes playfully and put his hand on his chest. ‘A great deal.’ he said gravely and Hyunjin looked up, stunned. That wasn’t the expected answer. Was Jeongin serious or… But Jeongin suddenly burst out laughing, doubling over, making Hyunjin breath in relief and laugh as well. Sadly for him, the girl used this moment to flip them over and straddle him, punching her hands on his torso to knock his breath out. ‘Oh Jae, guys, the rule is to hold your opponent ten second on the ground, not to kill each others.’ Jeongin exclaimed, face palming with a chuckle. This girl was really ferocious, he liked her. ‘And Hyun, my only wish in life is to see you end up with Seungmin- Only three seconds left.’ With a chocked laughter at his friends words, Hyunjin kicked the girl in the shin, sending her flying on the sandy ground. Wasting no time he stood, making the girl grunt and hold up an arm in defeat the moment she saw he was back on feet. ‘Hyunjin you won, congrats. You can go rest a bit.’ An instructor praised him with a smile making Hyunjin smile in return. And Jeongin role his eyes, because of course the instructor would blush. Hyunjin went to his opponent and helped her up, before hugging her. ‘Good job and congrats. You were the first one who managed to pin me for so long.’ he admitted, ruffling her sweaty hair affectionately. She beamed and waved to the two of them as she walked away to her group of friend. Hyunjin only chuckled and took of his wet shirt to wipe off the sweat of his face, revealing his shinning muscled torso. Jeongin waved at his own face, pretending to be flustered by his friend’s state, laughing when Hyunjin punched his arm playfully. Said boy sat next to him on the boulder and grunted at the cold sensation of the rock against his warm skin, muscled clenching and releasing. ‘Careful, your fan club is about to die because of your hotness.’ he teased and Hyunjin rolled his eyes with a smile. ‘Aha very funny Innie.’ he fake laughed, closing his eyes. ‘But you know, your wish might come true.’ he said suddenly, making Jeongin turn to him with furrowed eyebrows. ‘Dream? What dre-’ Jeongin suddenly chocked on his juice. ‘WHAT?!’ ‘Don’t scream you Yeshihk!’ he chastised but smiled nonetheless. ‘Wait, wait, wait! We’re talking about my dream of you and Seungmin ending up together right?!’ he squealed, looking at the older expectantly. ‘ Yes we are. I see the way he looks at me, I may be a bit dense but I’m not stupid Innie.’ he chuckled, staring at the sky with dreamy eyes. ‘And how does he looks at you?’ ‘With love.’ ‘Oh my Jae, Hwang Hyunjin you sap!’ he blurted out, legit fangirling while hitting his friend with his fists, making Hyunjin laugh as well and curl on himself to protect his body from Jeongin’s strong hit. ‘I’m gonna punch your guts for making me fart sparkles!’ ‘You guys are so refined.’ a woman’s voice suddenly interrupted. They both turned around with sheepish smiles, expecting to see one of their instructors. But both froze the moment they realized who was in front of them. And Jeongin froze, eyes locked on one of the two newcomers. Oh shit… They stood up hastily and bowed, Hyunjin looking at his frozen constipated friend weirdly. But he chose to let the matter go, after all Jeongin was weird on a daily basis, and instead smiled at the two newcomers. ‘Oh, hi CL and uh…’ he trailed off, unsure of who this silver haired boy was. ‘That’s Yedam.’ she explained. Oh. So that was Yedam~ Said boy bowed slightly but never stopped on looking at Jeongin with an amused smile. Jeongin looked ready to die on the spot. And maybe punch Hyunjin if he didn’t stop smirking soon. Jae, he never expected to see the boy again so soon, and not in this disheveled state… Yedam, as always, was looking fine and fresh as hell, especially with this hair color, and here he was, all sweaty, with greasy black curls pulled away from his face and gross sweaty torso, probably smelling of perspiration. Why did they kept on meeting in awkward situation? ‘Oh. I see. Can we help you?’ Hyunjin asked CL who nodded with a warm smile. ‘Yes. We are looking for Minho. Do you know were I can find him?’ ‘I have no idea. Jeongin?’ he turned to the dazed boy with a grin. ‘...’ ‘Jeongin!’ ‘Huh?! Oh huh Minho, yeah-’ he laughed awkwardly, finally breaking eye contact to throw a glare at Hyunjin and shoot daggers at a laughing Yedam. ‘-he is training with Seungmin by the cliff. But by the time you’ll get there, he’ll probably already be home, so might as well wait for him there.’ he concluded with a sweet smile, making CL melt on the spot. If there was one thing she liked about the Lee siblings, it was their binding cute smiles. ‘Great. Thank you.’ She smiled at the two of them and began to walk away. But when they brushed past them, Yedam suddenly backtracked, making Jeongin freeze on the spot. Once in front of the elder, he pointed his finger at him with a frown. ‘Blue right?’ he asked and Jeongin frowned. ‘Sorry, what?’ He was confused. Boy Yedam was weird… ‘The color you seek for the other day. It was blue wasn’t it?’ he clarified with a chuckle and Jeongin looked at him chocked. ‘Yes. How did you-’ ‘Cool. See you around.’ he cut in, waving with a grin. And with that he jogged to CL, leaving a stunned Jeongin behind. What in the world just happened? Suddenly, Hyunjin and him heard CL whine and Yedam hiss with a laugh as she slap his arm. ‘Seriously, grow up faster Yed, I have enough of all these leader’s duties.’ Hyunjin and Jeongin watched the two walk away, stunned at their interaction, and ended up laughing out loud when they looked at each others with wide eyes. But it all quieted down the moment Hyunjin wiggled his eyebrows at him playfully. ‘So, Yedam, huh?’ Jeongin growled, and threw his fruit shell on the muddy ground, cracking his knuckles. ‘That’s it Hyunjin, I’m murdering you today. Say goodbye to Seungmin.’ – – – – – – ‘Changbin, dude, wow.’ Jisung breathed out in English as he stepped back, arm around a blushing Felix. Changbin raised a brow, clearly not sure about that reaction. Woojin walked around and wrapped an arm around Jisung, nodding in approval. ‘I’m proud of my work. You look good Changbin. Really good.’ he stated with a proud smile and Jisung clapped, resisting the urge to smirk at the flustered Felix. Changbin looked at the three with curious eyes and stood up, stretching his arms. The action made Felix look away and Jisung and Woojin exchanged a smirk. This was becoming interesting… Changbin walked toward the mirror and almost stop in his tracks. Damn. He looked good. His hair were now raven black, with an undercut, and it seriously made him look more charismatic. He liked it. A lot actually. ‘Well, if you weren’t already smitten with your Stray boy here, I would have definitely made a move on you. Dude, you’re hot.’ Jisung suddenly said in Earthian, making Changbin fluster and resulting in him hitting him, under Woojin’s laugh. All the while however Felix looked lost, being the only one not understanding Earthian. So Changbin cleared his throat when he saw his confused looks. ‘He complimented me.’ he explained in English and elbowed Jisung when he laughed out loud at this one. ‘He looks hot right?’ Jisung asked in English as he turned to Felix with a grin. Changbin gritted out a frustrated ‘Jisung’ and cracked his knuckles. Felix laughed at that and nodded, flustering even more Changbin. The human was not expecting this answer or this surge of confidence from the younger! ‘C’mon Lix you can’t say stuffs like that!’ he whined, rubbing a hand on his face. ‘Why not?’ Felix asked clearly amused. ‘It’s embarrassing man.’ he muttered, pouting a bit, and Felix melted on the spot. ‘Oh my god- Changbin are you shy? I’m only stating the truth, c’mon, be proud mate! You are hot man ahaha!’ he laughed, teasing the older boy. He liked the fact that he could make the human feel like that. ‘He is not shy, it’s because it’s yo-’ ‘Shut up Han Jisung, or me and Minho will have a small talk about your guilty pleasure.’ Changbin threatened, slapping his hand over his friend’s mouth. Jisung paled. ‘Oh lord! Please don’t Binie.’ ‘I won’t if you shut up.’ Jisung gestured to his close mouth and Changbin ruffled his hair with a small smile. His baby brother was really too easy to fool. Like he would ever say Jisung’s secrets to Minho. Well, maybe he would, but nevermind. Felix and Woojin exchanged a glance and smirked. ‘Say Jisung, what do you say about a hairdo?’ Woojin asked with a smile but Jisung only sighed. ‘I would have gladly say yes my friends but I can’t.’ ‘Why?’ Changbin frowned, looking confused as hell. ‘You deepshit did you already forget? We made this bet about JYP sleeping habits and I lost. Rings a bell?’ Jisung deadpanned and Changbin clasped his fingers in realization. ‘Oh true! And now you have to dye your hair pink.’ ‘Yup.’ Jisung nodded, turning to the two Strays with an apologetic smile. ‘So sorry guys, I would have loved to, but I’m a man of words, so no ‘hair whatever’ till I’ve dyed them pink.’ ‘Did you just say… pink?’ Felix blurted out with wide eyes. ‘Yes why?’ ‘Oh. Nothing, nothing. Nevermind then!’ He said with a small smile, exchanging an all knowing look with Woojin who smirked in return. Tonight was going to be fun… ‘C’mon Felix, we gotta train, now that you can move.’ Woojin suddenly interrupted, and Felix jumped on his spot. ‘Oh my Jae yes that’s true I can fly again!!!’ ‘Do you guys want to come?’ the oldest proposed to the two humans with a cute grin. ‘Hum… I thinks it’s too early for me to see a Young Wing again. I’ll roam a bit in the jungle if you don’t mind.’ Jisung explained, rubbing his nape anxiously, but Woojin and Felix only smiled warmly at him. ‘No, of course you can! And you Changbin?’ Felix asked, looking at him expectantly. ‘Huh…’ Changbin was unsure. Spending time with Felix was tempting, it really was, but it was also very dangerous for his heart when the boy looked so beautiful. ‘C’mon, you’ll meet Dabby!’ the blond sunshine excitedly squealed with a grin, hands latching on his arm and looking at him with bright doe expectant eyes. But Changbin only looked back at him confused. ‘Who is Dabby?’ – – – A gust of wind in his face and a thrilling screech greeted his face. ‘She is Dabby.’ Changbin was stunned. So ‘Dabby’ was a Young Wing? Felix’s Young Wing? Felix snuggled against Dabby while facing Changbin with a grin. ‘She is beautiful.’ he blurted out, his eyes wide and hands trembling. True she was intimidating to look at, but she was gorgeous. Her eyes were deep black orbs, and her skin was of a pinkish pale chestnut color, the edges of her wings hued in beet. But the most stunning part were the beet and dark orange colored spots dotting her skull and jaw, looking like freckles. The Young Wing had freckles. Like her partner. Okay this was too much for him, the creature was gorgeous. ‘Thanks.’ Felix grinned and nuzzled her face. ‘She is a bit… reckless, though?’ he pointed out as he watched the Young Wing loop upside down a tree branch, like a koala, except that she was mastering the art better than an actual koala. Her claws cracked the bark of the tree and she hissed at a lilac colored one who was approaching the zone, making him hiss back but fly away. Changbin stiffened at that. Beautiful, but fierce, that’s noted. Felix laughed at her however and nuzzled her face with his own fondly. ‘Yeah, yeah she is. Like her partner, right Dab’? I’ve missed you baby.’ he whined, hugging her neck tightly. The Young Wing only screeched in answer and Felix rubbed her neck affectionately. And suddenly Changbin was brought back to their first encounter. ‘Lix?’ ‘Hum?’ ‘That day… the day we met. You protected me right?’ Felix stilled and looked taken aback. That was enough of an answer for Changbin. ‘Why? Why allow me to stay when it put the both of us in danger?’ he asked, looking at the other boy with curiosity in eyes. ‘I… My mom was a scientist. She told me humans have always wished to witness the jungle glow at night. So when I saw you, a scientist, a human, it reminded me of her… of a part of myself I had lost with her. The human part of myself.’ he trailed off, his eyes raising to meet Changbin’s, and the human was taken aback by the genuine glint they held. ‘You brought it back to life Changbin, in mere fucking seconds. That’s why I didn’t want to let you go. So I let you stay. I knew it would work. And yes, I protected you from night animals, but nothing much. That was… just a small price to pay in exchange for rediscovering what being a human is like. Here you go. Now you know why.’ Felix let out a breath at the end of his confession, and nuzzled of his knuckles Dabby’s jaw absentmindedly. His eyes roamed over the yellow grass, a veil of uncertainty enveloping him. Was the human going to think he’d used him? He really didn’t meant it… And he liked the human boy’s presence, he didn’t want him to think that. Changbin kept on looking down, lost in his thoughts and Felix let him, sighing dejectedly, and turning around to brush his Young Wing’s beak instead. ‘Nice one Felix, way to go…’ he thought bitterly, hugging Dabby tighter. Suddenly an arm wrapped itself around his shoulder from behind, and a body pressed against his back, making him gasp and let go of Dabby, as a warm breath brushed his neck. ‘Then I’ll gladly help you remember what being human feels like.’ Felix heart missed a bit and he bit his lower lip. Changbin. Changbin didn’t push him away. The Stray blinked away tears, and wrapped his fingers around Changbin’s forearm tentatively. Then he out a laughter and hastily turned around to wrap his arms around the human’s shoulder as well, burying his head in his shoulder. ‘Thank you Binie! Thank you so much.’ he earnestly said, squeezing the life out of the scientist, who just laughed and patted his shoulder. Honestly, he had been really touched by the Felix’s speech. And, to know that he reached the boy’s feelings to such an extent had really touched him. To know that he was able to achieve something so great… he couldn’t let it go to waste could he? So he would help this boy out, because he was a ball of sunshine that deserved to know what happiness felt like. That’s what he had decided. Felix detached himself and both men grinned at each others. Suddenly a spark ignite itself in Felix’s eyes and he whistled. Changbin looked at the boy in confusion. What was going on? But Felix only gave his arm a squeeze and suddenly, he was dashing toward the cliff- wait, what? ‘Felix what the-’ he yelled, running after the boy in panic. When he said he’d helped him feel more human that didn’t mean to jump off a cliff! ‘No wait, Felix!’ Too late, the boy had already dived down the waterfall by the cliff, scaring the shit out of Changbin. ‘Fuck Felix, seriously man?’ he gritted out, face palming and looking down the waterfall in hope to see the boy emerge. But when nothing happened for a moment he really contemplated diving down. ‘Fuck, fuck, fuck… c’mon Felix come out…’ he muttered, clutching the grass. These Strays were really too daring at times. ‘YIIIHHYIIHHHYIIIIHHH’ Suddenly, Felix emerged on Dabby, screaming happily along with her screeches as they flew upward along the rocky cliff torpedo style, grazing past his face in a mere second, before they dived into the bright blue shinny sky. Changbin screamed and fell back on his ass. He blinked. What the fuck just happened? He stared in front of him dumbly, and a laugh escaped from his lips. This boy was… he was fucking unbelievable. Changbin looked up, hand shielding his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. There might be a huge star shining bright in the sky at the moment, but Felix? He shone ten times brighter. Diving clouds from clouds, Felix clutched Dabby’s neck tightly, laughing loudly as she went straight though an orange one. ‘Lix!’ a voice suddenly called him and he turned around to see a green Young Wing fly toward him. ‘Catch me Woowie!’ he yelled and cackled like hyena afterward, diving down another cloud, happy cheers echoing behind himself. Woojin looked at him shocked, not comprehending a thing. It’s been so long since Felix had been like that, so ecstatic, so… alive? The boy had never seemed so euphoric. The older glanced down. He smiled. ‘Of course...’ he muttered and laughed out loud as he dived to join Felix, the two messing around in the bright sky, their laughter echoing in the valley, under the blazing light of the Glow. Changbin. He was the cause of his euphoria. – – – – – – Chan wiped off the sweat of his brows and stretched with a smile. This late afternoon was a beautiful one. The jungle’s plants were vivid under the orange Glow’s light and a warm scent of nature had settled in the air, mixed with the tang of sand and mud soils. It was comforting in a way. JYP had sadly told him that the door wouldn’t be repaired until two days, resulting in them having to stay overnight at the Stray’s once more. So he had packed their stuffs in duffel bags all day long and had taken a stroll in the jungle. Though, he was beginning to get hungry… ‘Ah, I should have eat a sandwich at the base.’ he whined outloud, before putting the three duffel bags on the ground. It was way too hot in there. So he grabbed his white shirt edges and pulled over his head. ‘Ah, way better- oh fuck!’ he screamed, throwing his shirt at the upside down head that shot out of nowhere in front of him. The face made a disgusted noise before it laughed and Chan squinted his eyes. ‘Jeongin?’ he wondered out loud, laughing when the boy nodded, still hanging upside down from a tree branch. Chan blinked and laughed out loud. Damn, the kid had scared him! In the blink of an eye, Jeongin jumped down and hugged him out of nowhere. ‘Wow, hey there…’ he exclaimed, laughing but hugging him back, because god knows how much he is a softy when it comes to cute stuffs. A soft thud was heard on his left and he turned his head to see Hyunjin loop down from a tree branch as well and wave at him. Chan let go of Jeongin and waved back at Hyunjin. Both boys then exchanged a look, and Chan looked at them confuse. What was happening? Wordlessly but with smiles, they picked up his stuffs and started to walk ahead, to what Chan could only assume was home. So he smiled at them and picked up his shirt, planning on following them. However, as he bent down, both boys stopped. Chan looked up with surprise, and, suddenly, they shot him smirks before quickly jumping on trees. Wait what? Chan blinked and looked up at the two boys. They were now running away on tree branches, laughing out loud as they looked back at him, waving the bags and backpack around. ‘Oh. So that’s how you wanna play, huh.’ he whispered, chuckling as he cracked his knuckles. He settled looked at them, smirking and not moving. Tapping his foot on the ground, he waited good five seconds. And the moment they stopped looking back, he dashed forward and clutch a tree branch. Hauling his body up, he landed perfectly on a solid large branch. ‘Let the fun begin~’ he singsonged with a smirk, as he ran after them. Oh, did he forgot to mention he knew how to climb trees? Chan had learned it back when he was a kid and lived in Australia. When he went to South Korea he taught his two friends. And honestly? He was proud to say he was no jokes when it came to tree running and climbing. So when the two Strays heard branch crackings and turned around in shock, Chan had to refrain from laughing outloud at their bewildered faces. Actually, fuck it, he’ll laugh outloud. And so, he darted past them, laughing his ass off, and grabbed back his backpack, leaving them blinking at each others. ‘Did you just see what I saw Innie?’ Hyunjin slowly asked, brain still proceeding what happened. But Jeongin only shook his head with a laugh and shook his head, grabbing Hyunjin’s arm as they ran after the human. These humans were definitely surprising. – – – – – – – Changbin was beaming. After his little trip with Felix and Woojin, they had came back to the tree house, reuniting with Jisung, Minho and Seungmin, when Minho and Woojin had asked him if he wanted to come along to the cooking house. Since Seungmin and Jisung were too engrossed in a conversation in English – Changbin had learned that Seungmin surprisingly spoke English as he learned with Felix’s mom – he had agreed, thinking it would be a great way to learn more about their world. And so, together they went, talking about random stuffs along the way. And here they were now. ‘That’s… that’s amazing.’ he exclaimed, looking around at the place. It was like an indoor market, except in a large cottage with plants pocking here and there, and colorful cloths hanging from twigs to twigs. The place was drown into a salmon light thanks to the Glow slowly stetting, making it seems warmer. There were row of stands for each kinds of colorful foods. And the smell was unbelievable; it was a mix of sweet, sour and spicy. Changbin was left amazed by the place. However, people had all stopped their activities to stare at him, making him gulp. What if they were still scared? Was he even welcomed here- His panic was cut short when a girl approached him with a basket filled with spongy looking cake. And soon, all of them approached him, obviously wanting for him to try their products. ‘Huh Minho?’ he desperately asked, not knowing what to do. ‘Go ahead. We don’t have the money system here. If they offer it to you, you can take it.’ he explained with a smile and Changbin nodded, gladly accepting the spongy cake from earlier with a smile. And his eyes widened. ‘Oh my god this so good.’ he blurted out. And so it went on, with Changbin tasting, drawing, and commenting the food and how different or similar they wee to the one on Earth while Minho and Woojin translated it to the people, to their utmost delight. Changbin on the other hand was left amazed by Strays’ kindness. These people were really warm and charitable. So when they had to leave the place, Changbin couldn’t help but feel saddened by it. Reluctantly he waved goodbye to the people, and swore to come back after two kids had made him promise to do so. Little did they know that a surprise was waiting for them back home… ‘Thank you so much for taking me there Min- Minho?’ Changbin asked again when he saw the other male frozen in his spot, looking in front of him with an astounded look. Woojin and him followed his gaze, and gasped. ‘Oh Jae.’ Woojin breathed out, dropping his basket of fruit and paling. Coming back from the cooking house, he hadn’t expect to find that. At all. In front of them, were Chan, Hyunjin and Jeongin fighting and laughing for and over a backpack as they jumped down from a tree. And was that Jisung pushing down a bent, huge, large and long tree root a wheelchair in which was seated Felix with Seungmin on his laps? Oh yes, it was. All the boy screamed in delight as they rolled down the root, unaware of the three mini heart attack occurring a few meters away. ‘What the fu-’ Changbin began muttering, looking at his two friends like they were strangers. However, lady luck wasn’t on his side it seems, as he never got the chance to finish his sentence. It all happened in a blur; the wheelchair met a root sending the three culprits flying, Seungmin straight into Woojin, who caught Minho’s shirt, who himself caught Changbin’s arm, falling together domino style and sending the basket he was holding flying Jae knows were. In the meantime, Felix luckily got caught in time by Jisung. But Jisung being Jisung, the clumsy human that he was got his foot stuck in a root and fell over, sending the two of them tumbling over, like the graceful bears that they were, straight into Jeongin who was currently griping Chan’s shirt, who himself was holding onto Hyunjin’s arm as he was trying to take back the bag from him. Which resulted of course in a huge tangled mess on the ground, butts meeting faces, and toes getting stuck in the air, with missing shoes and all the other good stuffs. A moment of pure silence took place, in which all the boy tried to figure out what the hell happened and if the arm they were seeing was theirs. Minho turned to look at Chan, who was seated on top of him, both palms flat on his bare chest. ‘What the hell.’ Minho stated, punching him off. And that was all it took for them to break down into laughter. ‘ Well, a-at least the fruits are saved.’ Jeongin managed to say between laughs, as he pointed to a tree where a basket full of fruit was hanging, the others cheering in joy at the sight.
CRACK
‘Oh, well. At least now we’ve got jam.’ ~~~~~~~~> To be continued.
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PART II - MYSTERY OF LOVE.
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‘It took us three years to travel here… but time elapses more slowly than on Earth in this area of the universe… so that means that 1 Earth year on Straya equals… s-’ ‘Suzy?’ A knock was heard on her office door and she nodded, not glancing back as she perfectly knew who it was. ‘I heard you sent a message to the kids to come back. Thank you.’ Said woman looked up, smiling a bit at the man who interrupted her. Pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose, she closed her datapad and walked to his side by the patio door. ‘Yes I did sir. Chan just notified me that they’ll leave shortly.’ she provided, looking down at the busy scientists running around the JYP facility’s front garden and plantations. ‘May I ask why you asked them to come back so soon boss?’ JYP simply chuckled and shook his head, fingers brushing the beak of the little bird perched on his left shoulder. ‘Because this is not the aim, Suzy. I’m happy of them getting closer with locals. But what they are developing with them might be… beyond what should be allowed. Hence why I called them back. To remind them that they aren’t scientists on a mission to befriend the Strays.’ he turned toward the scientist and pat her shoulder, offering her a sad smile. ‘Their place is here. You, better than anyone else, should know that.’ The woman stiffened, feeling heat rush in her eyes. No, she mustn’t. Those words shouldn’t- mustn’t affect her anymore. All of this was in the past… Plus, she was about to prove him wrong – or try to at least. Seeing her reaction, JYP sighed and reached out, side hugging her. ‘Suzy I’m sorry-’ ‘No.’ she shook her head, straightening up. ‘You’re right. There is nothing to add, dad.’ JYP reluctantly nodded and straightened up too. ‘Any news from them? It’s been a week since they reported, it seems like they’ve been very distracted to forget their duty.’ ‘Actually they haven’t forgotten anything.’ she explained, reaching for her datapad. ‘As you feared it, they mixed personal friendships with work. You did the right thing by asking them to come back now that their flat’s door is repaired.’ Smirking and knowing she had his full attention by agreeing with his policy of ‘not getting to personal’ she entered her password and sat down on a yellow leather seat, her father joining her. ‘There’s no doubt that this house in a tree will be missed by them, but…’ she trailed off, opening a file. ‘Here are the reports they made, as well as their personal entries. I know I shouldn’t have looked into it, but I noticed something very interesting. Something you might be… interesting into hearing out…’ She handed him the datapad under his curious and wary gaze. He was her father and boss, and he wasn’t stupid enough to believe she would agree with his policy. But nevertheless, he would hear her out, whatever her scheme was. ‘Here. Read.’ she asked, a small smirk on her lips. ‘Chan’s report?’ he wondered, genuinely curious. ‘Okay?… So he says that these past days have been really enriching for the three of them. The Strays opened up in a way they had never expected; what they brought in terms of knowledge to the humans wasn’t only scientific information, but much more. They gave them a peek of their everyday life, a chance to witness them as beings and not only ‘aliens’. They shared with the humans on a scale that’s not even quantifiable. Sure, they were still reserved on many things, after all, the scientists were strangers, if not danger. But they tried their best.’ JYP looked up, somewhat still clueless and Suzy swapped to another file. ‘And now, his personal entry from the same day.’ ‘Okay so… Chan had the chance to wander around the territory – of course, always followed by one of his new found friends – and exchange with the people. What he learned was that Strays were very tactile people. They shared a lot by physical contact, almost as if vital energy was exchanged through touch. It was fascinating. Hence why, when they saw a human on their grounds, none of them was able to resist the urge of touching him – and though it had unsettled him at first, he had allowed it. They had all seemed surprised when their skins met. Chan had asked why to Seungmin and Minho but the former had simply shrugged. However, the glint in his eyes told Chan he knew more than he let on. But he didn’t need to find out. For now.’ He looked up, looking unimpressed. ‘So, basically scientific stuffs. Granted, new ones, but what’s so amazing in it? The fact that they discovered more than any of us, in only a week? Okay, I agree on that.’ he admitted after reading the entry and Suzy refrained from groaning. ‘Read well.’ she instructed and JYP did so, once more shrugging. ‘Urgh, you’re not making any efforts dad.’ ‘I am-’ ‘No you’re not. I know you see it, you’re just refusing to admit it.’ she hissed, flipping her ponytail indignantly at her dad- her boss’ lack of efforts. ‘Yes and you know why Suzy.’ he snapped, turning his angry gaze to the wall. ‘He said that it meant the world to the 3RACHA unit that they were so accepted. I get it, they are getting personal with the Strays, I get that. But you know my opinion on it, so why-’ ‘Because these entries are actual concrete proofs that not every chances of forming deep bonds with Strays are loss!’ she exclaimed, landing a hand on her father’s shoulder. ‘I know you dad. I know deep down you are happy they got so close to them. But you’re blinded by your fears.’ she snapped, standing up and facing the glass wall. ‘You are scared, dad, that they’ll fuck up our relationships with the Strays and get hurt if they get too close, like I once was. Like many of us were. I get it.’ Her voice shook and her fists tightened. ‘But you need to let go of your fears. We can’t stay forever on bad or tolerable terms with their kind just because we are both wary of each other due to a war that happened. We need to let go of our past history with them to build a new one… Please.’ Suzy was close to begging at this point. Since the war, nothing was the same as before. Before the war, humans and Strays actually had relationships and friendships going on with one another. But after the war those relationships were moslty looked down upon and everyone ended up silently agreeing that it was better for their two kinds not to get too close. But feelings couldn’t be suppressed and relationships couldn’t be prevented… Gulping at the memory of her past with the first wave of kids of the post-war generation, she shook her head. More than personal interest, these three boys could change things on a bigger scale in her opinion. If they could get close, then everyone else could too. The second wave of post-war kids seemed to hold less grudge toward their kind, so maybe, just maybe, things could change? She needed for JYP to read those entries. It was a matter of evolution and progress. And he seemed to get it too since he nodded and sighed. ‘Alright. You are right. Maybe it’s time for us to try and change things.’ He stated, determined gaze turning softer as she turned to meet it. ‘And perhaps you’ll have your chance.’ Suzy sighed at that, a sad smile on her lips as she leaned on a nearby desk, her white lab coat wrinkling under her, hands folding on her pink suit. ‘I wish dad, I sincerely wish for it. But it’s too late, you and I both know that. So remember that what I’m trying to do here is not personal, it’s for the greater good. Just… keep on reading please. I know you need proofs to believe it, so go read Changbin’s entries. They are more convincing regarding what I’m trying to show you.’ JYP sighed yet again and swiped his thumb over the screen. His daughter was one of their most talented scientist and she was ready to face challenges. She didn’t fear the building of closer relationships with Strays and that was her strength – something he lacked of. But if she was by his side, then he was ready to take the challenge too. It was time to make things change. But first, he’ll need proofs. ‘Changbin on the other hand spent a suspicious amount of time with Felix and Woojin – well, Woojin just walked with them until he reached his own Young Wing, then he left them alone.’ he began summarizing, Suzy noting the point of amusement in his voice, making her smirk. JYP looked up in disbelief. ‘I bet Woojin wasn’t stupid and knew they would be in their own little world all afternoon long, am I right?’ Suzy just waved at the tablet. ‘Keep reading and you’ll find out.’ ‘So… However, that wasn’t an easy task. On a scale of ‘scientific’ knowledge, both had learned a lot about each others and their own worlds. Changbin had told Felix tales of volcanoes and sea whales while the Stray had explained to him many stuffs about biodiversity. But the thing that had impressed the scientist the most was probably the fact that Young Wings had no gender, or rather were both genders in one.’ JYP looked up, startled by this discovery and Suzy smirked. ‘What in the world is that?’ ‘I told you they worked during this week, didn’t I?’ she taunted, bringing a glass of water to her lips. JYP chuckled and resumed his reading. ‘It was a biological miracle in his opinion, a gift of nature, this creation of a new gender that acted like the two recognized human ones. That’s one of the reason he spent more time with Felix, because the boy had to go train with these creatures every afternoon and Changbin wanted to learn more of them. Of course, he had stopped the denial phase he was in for a few days and admitted to himself that Felix was a pleasant company. So yes, true, he was the main reason the human spent his time on the Young Wings’ grounds.’ JYP paused and looked at Suzy with begging eyes. ‘Please tell me this isn’t turning into a love story.’ ‘Read.’ ‘Oh lord, don’t make me do it, you know I can’t with Changbin’s dramatic and dark self.’ he pleaded, suddenly very eager to leave the room and burn the datapad. Suzy only smirked and he groaned. ‘With those afternoons-’ he began reluctantly, already feeling like throwing up at the poetry type of words Changbin chose to use next. ‘- spent laying on tall blue grass under the warmth of the Glow and surrounded by Young Wings’ cries and wings flapping, he learned more about the boy on a personal level, like the fact that Felix’s skin was very sensitive to Glowlight, more than other Strays, and that he loved to go swim. He also discovered that the ‘full sun’ loved dancing, and Changbin couldn’t wait to see him do just that one day. So, Changbin had began telling him a bit more about himself too, like his childhood on Earth, spent in the northern farms of what once was Korea, and how he had loved laying in fields of daisies – when Felix had asked what ‘daisies’ were Changbin couldn’t help the ‘cute’ from escaping his lips and the punch that his shoulder took was painful, but the red tint on the younger’s cheeks was worth it.’ JYP actually chuckled at that and so did Suzy. ‘Now I get why you volunteered to check on their work- god, Suzy, this sounds like those crappy teenage books you used to read when you where fourteen!’ ‘Well, first of all, those books weren’t crappy, thank you very much. And second, you can’t deny this is cute.’ she scoffed, crossing her arms over her pressed dress shirt. ‘Yeah, okay this is kind of cute.’ he conceded. ‘ So, where was I at- oh yeah right. Felix had admitted to love laying in the sea, and when Changbin had asked why, Felix had said that the songs of the sea animals soothed him, and that had left Changbin greatly confused. But the sparkle in Felix eyes had been enough for him not to pry.’ He cut himself off, yet again, to raise a questioning brow at Suzy. The lady only crossed her legs and shrugged. ‘I have actually no idea of what he is on about, I mean, so far none of us are allowed to get close to the beach.’ JYP nodded and went on. ‘Wednesday’s entry: Discovery that Felix was a fervent Gyujaks lover while Changbin was in a very intimate relationship with strawberries and cheeseburgers. And Changbin had been offended for a moment when Felix asked what ‘cheeseburgers’ was before he remembered that even though Felix was half human, well, he was nothing like a human.’ JYP burst out laughing and Suzy had to refrain from laughing as well. Yeah, she had laughed so hard too when she first read that. JYP calmed himself and went on. ‘Oh, lord. Changbin is really too much sometimes. Anyways… Changbin had tried to explain him what the ‘delightful food’ was and Felix had drool. Literally. And Changbin had had to resist the urge to wipe it off-’ Suzy interrupted him by clapping her hands. ‘ Which brings us to our current situation: Changbin is emotionally constipated.’ ‘What? What do you mean?’ JYP asked curiously and a bit reluctantly, petting his bird’s side worriedly. Teens and their emotional constipation were really too hard to handle sometimes. ‘Our dear Changbinie had no idea on how to act with the living full sun. Or rather, he forgot how you make friends. That’s why one time he allows Felix in and the other he backs off. A very human behavior, if you were to ask me, but a very inconvenient one since the Stray is the living definition of a leech.’ ‘Oh lord.’ JYP complained, slipping further into his leather seat. It was indeed a case of Young Adults Troubles – his worst nightmare. ‘Yup. He feared many times that the ball of sunshine would snap or get hurt by his human emotional constipation but, thanks god, he didn’t. Everytime, he just backed off and went on onto whatever he was saying or doing before, still bright, still himself.’ she singsonged, jumping off her desk to open the fridge in search of sodas. ‘And Changbin, of course, was thankful that the little ball of fluff didn’t give up on him because, one, he is growing fond of him and actually wants to be his friend – yes, I know dad, he is dumb and blind, but we were all like him at his age, don’t deny it.’ she threatened, not even looking at him. ‘I wasn’t going to!’ he assured, an unsure laugh leaving his mouth. ‘… Sure.’ she said, not believing him as she handed him a can of soda before taking a seat by his side. ‘Anyways, the second reason is that he didn’t want to face Felix’s wrath; Why you ask? Well, Changbin had the chance to witness him hissing at a Young Wing that was trying to approach a pregnant one, and the way his muscles had tensed and the golden nuggets in his eyes had darken- yes I am quoting dad, not doing poetry for the sake of making this more melodramatic than it actually is.’ Suzy rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her drink. ‘Anyways, as I was saying, this, this was enough for him to know that Felix was a strong man, fully capable of defending himself or harming someone. Plus, Felix has Dabby, a beautiful but very, very, very rash Young Wing. So, yeah, long story short, Changbin has a human emotional constipation and that was exhausting him all week long.’ Suzy rolled her eyes in a ‘I’m actually so done with your bullshit’ manner and looked at her perfectly manicured hands. ‘And if you ask me, he needs to find a solution really soon or I’m pretty sure he will lose both Felix and his head. But other than that, he stated that he actually genuinely spent a great time so far on Straya and sincerely hoped it would last for a long time… Taadaaa~’ she ended sarcastically, rolling her eyes and muttering ‘stupid idiots’ under her breath. JYP let out an exhale with wide eyes. Well, true to her words, there was definitely something going on here. Maybe she was right, things were changing with those younger kids… ‘Well, if this isn’t some teenage romance going on…’ he admitted, eyes still fixed on the wall in disbelief. ‘I know right?’ she scoffed, shaking her head. ‘But for now they think they are falling into friendship, so let’s believe them – or pretend to.’ Suzy straightened up and took back her datapad. ‘Now, let’s see Jisung-’ ‘Oh lord, please not again.’ JYP looked at his daughter with puppy eyes. ‘Tell me this isn’t again some cliché ‘friends to lovers’ story like the ones back on Earth please. I didn’t go on Straya for that.’ he grunted, leaning into his seat. ‘Well, actually, Jisung is another story.’ Oh? Now, that actually raised his interest. ‘Officially dubbed Ball-Of-Sunshine#2 by his two brothers and probably half of the Straynian population, he was most likely the one that made the most of his little stay at the Strays’.’ she explained, shaking her head in disbelief. ‘His joy upon being able to roam ‘freely’ on Straya was clearly visible. He had taken a routine from what I read, Minho shaking him awake on early mornings to take his leader’s scroll with him-’ ‘To do what?!’ JYP exclaimed clearly surprised. Well, his son at heart was becoming more surprising and open as days went by. ‘Yeah, I know, surprising. Wait for the rest, though…’ She pushed back her glasses on the bridge of her nose and brought her can to her pink tinted lips. ‘Then, the both of them would lay on the forest borders’ ground to watch the sky change colors, until their stomachs finally grumbled. After, they would eat breakfast under the shade of a tree with Midnight – Minho’s Pali for your information – talking about life, learning more about the ‘intriguing puzzles’ that were each others. Of course, they both had so much more to learn about one another, but that could wait until the next morning, or so he said. So they went back home, Jisung to finish his night – he learned that Strays required way less hours of sleep than human metabolism asked for – and Minho resuming whatever stuffs he had to do.’ JYP stared at her with unimpressed eyes. ‘You’re enjoying this way too much, aren’t you.’ This wasn’t even a question but a statement, so Suzy didn’t bother answering. What? She could enjoy some real life romance too in her busy daily life of a scientist. ‘Then’ she resumed, deliberately ignoring the judging stare of her father. ‘-he would eat lunch with Jeongin and Hyunjin, and while it was a bit complicated at first because they couldn’t understand each others, they finally managed to figure a way out using hands gestures and learning words here and there of Straynian and Earthian. It was weird but it worked out, and Jisung was proud to say he could speak basic words in Straynian.’ She turned to him with an impressed face. ‘You really have resourceful new scientists, I hope you are aware of that. Don’t waste them.’ ‘The best of the best.’ he grinned like the proud foster father he was, and Suzy raised a brow; this old man was really too much sometimes. ‘Anywayyyys… Afterwards, he would follow the best friends around, leaving them midway to go see the kids at ‘school’. It was nothing like human schools though, he described it as more… warm. Kids would sit on round boulders in a field of blue grass in the jungle, and a young adult would sit with them to teach them whatever it was that he was saying. Jisung would watch from his perch on a tree, and some students would wave at him.’ she chuckled. ‘A social butterfly, isn’t he? Then he would move onto the fields of colored flowers, where people were nursing them. He would just sit quietly on the ground to watch them, occasionally drawing or taking notes. Actually, most of the time, he was so fascinated with them that he could spend hours simply watching. And people were getting used to his presence, like this woman who always smiled and waved him over when he came or this man who never failed to give him a juicy fruit and sit with him while they snacked.’ ‘And he was fine with it?’ JYP asked, genuinely intrigued. ‘Weird, I agree. However, while for some people it might have been awkward, he said that for him it wasn’t. More than anything- it was weird, he admitted it, but it felt like home to be sitting among those people in those fields. So when the Glow began setting he would jump up and wave goodbye to the kind souls who let him sit here and go ‘home’, back to the tree house.’ She sighed dreamily, reminiscent of her own days with the Strays when she was slightly younger… Lucky Jisung, the second young generation was much accepting than the first one… ‘Suzy?’ Her dad’s calling awoke her and she shook her head. ‘Yeah right…’ she looked down at her tablet. ‘And from there, Jisung would spend his evenings with Chan and Changbin and the six Strays. And at times he would find himself thinking – dare he says, and I quote, wishing – of how much of a family they looked like…And when, a few hours later, he would lie in bed next to the leader – because, yes, he held the bed hostage and made sure the leader would stay here because their couch wasn’t as comfortable as he made it seem – he would look at the starry sky and wish for days like this to never stop…’ She trailed off, looking down. JYP was no better himself, sighing deeply. ‘He is getting attached to these people way too quickly… All of them are.’ ‘They never had a real family, so did these Strays, dad… maybe they found comfort into each other?’ ‘Maybe.. but what if it isn’t mutual? What if it’s just Jisung, Chan or Changbin?’ ‘Well, knowing those three, it’s most likely to end up being mutual.’ she smiled at that and JYP smiled too. ‘I was wrong.’ he blurted out suddenly, surprising Suzy. ‘About?’ ‘… Being afraid of getting closer to Strays. We should let them chose for themselves. If Minho and his family are ready to give us a chance, then who are we to say no?’ Suzy looked at him with glimmering eyes, fingers tight around her datapad. Did her dad really meant it? ‘Dad…’ ‘… we should just shut up and go for it, honestly. I’m getting tired of holding back, of maintaining our relationships to amicable ones. If I want to gain their full trust back I need to giver them mine, right?’ He stood up and went to the glass wall. ‘Yeah… let them be free. Let them have a family.’ he smiled, looking up at the setting Glow and, like Jisung, he found himself wishing that days like these would never stop. But eventually a wish is only a wish. And Jisung’s one wasn’t about to be granted. Chan had come back this afternoon to inform them that their flat’s door was repaired and that they were called back to the base. So here they were, standing in the living room of the empty tree house, making sure nothing was forgotten, ready to leave. Jisung sighed as he looked around one last time, fingers absentmindedly ruffling his freshly dyed pink hair – Woojin’s doings and he actually liked the color even though he thought it would look ridiculous. But all good things come to an end. He really didn’t want to go, though… Clutching his fingers around his dog tag, where was now tied a certain blue-silver feather, he grabbed his duffel bag, making sure the rock used to make black hair dye that Woojin gave him was stuffed in it. As much as he loved pink, he didn’t see himself sporting it for months and months. ‘Okay, we’re good. Should we go?’ Changbin asked looking around one last time too and taking a duffel bag in his hand, not looking entirely happy to be leaving either. ‘Yeah we’re good.’ Jisung nodded opening the door. ‘I wish they weren’t training so we could have said goodbye.’ he sighed, allowing his friends to exit. ‘We can’t travel alone at night Ji, you know it. They’ll understand.’ Chan sighed as they began walking down the stairs carved in the tree, hoping Minho would see the note they left on the table to thank them. ‘And we’ve been away for too long. We can’t get use to sleeping at theirs, our place is at the facility.’ Changbin huffed as they finally reached the ground, the three of them turning one last time to look at the tall tree. ‘It’s stupid but I feel a bit nostalgic.’ he admitted, wiping sweat off his brows. ‘But, yeah, it’s not like we won’t see them again. We just need to go do actual scientist stuffs.’ The three of them laughed a bit at that. ‘Yeah me too, I’ll miss it, but you are right. People must be beginning to think we took holidays.’ Chan chuckled, a small smile displayed on his lips. ‘But I feel like this isn’t the last time we’ll set foot in this house.’ He turned to smile at Jisung, only to find him already smiling at him. Jisung felt it too, he knew they’ll see the others soon. So, knowing that, he wasn’t as sad as before anymore. He looked back at the tree one last time and felt his heart beat faster. Yeah, this was definitely not the last time. On these thoughts, 3RACHA began their walk back home through the peaceful jungle, under the dull warmth and light of the setting Glow. – – – – – ‘Minho!’ Said boy turned around at the foreign voice, twigs cracking under his bare toes, and smiled at the familiar sight of silver hair and shining hazel eyes among the white and lilac trees that were starting to reveal their bioluminescence. ‘I’m glad you’re finally here.’ the boy panted, jumping off a large white tree branch, all sweaty and white shiny spots on his torso and arms on display. Using his black wooden spear as a support for his body, he came to a stop before Minho. He was obviously training before someone warned him of his arrival. ‘Hey Yedam. I came as soon as I could after receiving your message. What’s happening? CL is not with you?’ he asked as they both bowed their heads, Minho slinging an arm around the younger boy’s shoulder. Minho had received CL and Yedam on his clan’s grounds a few days prior to discuss the Ordeals, so he was almost sure that it wasn’t the reason they called him on their own territory. ‘She is… busy. I’ll be the one receiving you today.’ Yedam explained and Minho frowned at his obvious dark circles and tensed shoulders. Whatever it was that required his involvement, it was important. ‘Come with me.’ They walked in silence, the only sounds filling the air being the cracks of twigs, ruffles of leafs and distant training champions’ shouts. Needless to say that Minho felt uneasy. While he had always felt at home on Yedam’s soon-to-be territory, this peculiar evening on their ground left him feeling suffocated. The usual laughs, cheers and cheerful whispers of the Sureki clan members were nowhere to be found, and it was almost as if the trees were… mourning. Minho tensed and gulped. Something serious had occurred. ‘Minho.’ Yedam’s voice cut his trail of thoughts and he looked up, startled. The night had settled and they were now standing on the side of a cottage, and he knew that it was the healing cottage of their clan. The boy looked at him with serious, almost pained eyes and the way his fingers shook against his forearm had Minho worried. Wordlessly, he put his hand on the younger’s shoulder and nodded. ‘What you’ll see once you round that corner is not… an easy thing to take in. Please, keep calm because if you panic my people will panic too.’ Yedam explained slowly, exhaling shakily. Obviously talking about it pained him. What was behind the cottage for Jae’s sake? ‘I won’t.’ he promised and hurriedly rounded the corner, not waiting for Yedam to follow him. Running through fields of bioluminescent tall white, turquoise and melon yellow flowers, his feet scrapping against flat purple pebbles among the turquoise bioluminescent grass, million of thoughts invaded his curious mind. But, before he could dwell on them, he froze. His eyes widened and his legs shook. No. No way. Impossible- ‘Leader.’ the healing woman’s voice cut the air as she bowed respectfully, wet shining eyes looking at him with… hope. And Minho remembered the promise he made Yedam a few instant priors. He couldn’t let the boy and those people down. So he steadied himself and went over to the woman calmly – or so he hoped – resting his left hand on her shoulder. Crouching down, he willed his own tears away and brushed the side of one of the three lying Young Wings – 2 adults and a baby. ‘What happened?’ he asked, his own pair of shining hazel orbs still trained on the creature and the corners of his mouth turned downward. The creature let out a heavy ragged breath, its sides trembling under his gentle touch. ‘Humans weapons.’ Yedam’s hard cold voice cut the air from behind him and Minho’s hand stilled. ‘What do you mean.’ he asked through gritted teeth. The tension in his shoulders was obvious. He was mad. But not only mad at the Yeshihks who did that, at himself too. He received a message warning him, he read it, had people watching the three scientific facilities, and yes, even though it hurt him to do so, he even asked his own friends to report any suspicious activities the three humans they befriended would do – thanks Jae, there was none, but that was the problem. There was no problem regarding both the three humans and the other scientists present on Straya. So how in the world had the monsters who harmed the Young Wings escaped his watch? How could he have been so dumb he didn’t think of it before? Of course they would hurt the creatures first, they wouldn’t go harm his people, not after the outcome of the past war! It would be a stupid, rash and not thought through move, and these bastards knew it. And they also knew he would think of protecting his own people before anything else because of how worried he would be. Damn, he was so stupid for believing that they would come for his people first thing… And now, three Young Wings were hurt. Because of his careless mistake. ‘You are not the only one blame Minho. CL and I knew it. Mark knew it. Suhyun too. We are all responsible for falling into their trap. We all sought to protect our people, and we did it. At a cost sadly… But that doesn’t mean you are a bad leader.’ Minho let out a sarcastic breathless laugh and ruffled his freshly dyed blond hair. ‘We vowed to protect these lands by becoming leaders Yedam, not only the people.’ He heard Yedam scoff behind him. ‘Right. So by watching these Yeshihks, you meant to save your people? Great. But who cares who you meant it for? Because, even though you didn’t realize it, by doing so you would end up protecting everyone and everything anyways.’ When he had no response, Yedam crouched next to the leader. ‘I may be young and less experimented than all of you, but you know I’m right on that one. And if they escaped your watch, there is nothing you could have done, be it for your people or for those Young Wings. Same for us. Same for all the leaders. If they have escaped our watch then it’s no matter what we choose to protect. We failed. So let’s forget what we were fighting against for a minute, and focus on the task at hand: saving those Young Wings.’ Minho looked at Yedam, speechless. At this exact moment, Yedam stood tall, shoulders and gaze set and chin high. He looked nothing like a usual sixteen year old anymore, no, he looked like an experienced strong leader, ready to protect his people- protect Straya. Minho smiled a small smile. He will be great for Jeongin. ‘You spoke well. And you spoke the truth.’ he finally said, breaking the tension in the air, resting his free palm on Yedam’s shoulder. ‘You’ll make a great leader.’ And here was gone the strong soon to be leader, replaced by an embarrassed but proud teen. Yedam rubbed his nape sheepishly and shook his head. ‘If I’m the one the tribe choose.’ ‘I’m sure they will.’ Minho grinned. ‘Then if you’re right, I’ll remember your words.’ Yedam cleared his throat and suddenly the pain was back in his eyes again. ‘One of these Young Wings has a rider. She is devastated and CL is comforting her, that’s why I’m the one receiving you today. Concerning the injuries, we don’t know what weapon they used to harm them. We don’t know much about humans in general here, so there is nothing we can do…’ ‘Are the wounds…’ ‘Yes. They all touched vital points. There were two other Young Wings harmed, one baby and one child… they didn’t survive. And these three won’t make it, unless…’ Yedam gulped, eyes blurry. Minho clenched his fists and swore under his breath. ‘Unless what?’ he urged, landing his palm on Yedam’s shoulder firmly. The boy bit his lip and looked up unsure. ‘Unless we ask humans for help.’ Minho sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘Let me guess… CL is reluctant to do so, since the Yeshihks who did that are hidden among them?’ Yedam only nodded. ‘Well… you’ll tell CL that if she doesn’t shove her pride in her ass, then yes, they’ll die.’ Yedam gasped in shock at his choice of words and the healer standing beside them looked at him with round eyes. Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best way to phrase it, but CL needed to understand that they don’t have any other choice here. He understood that she was worried and wary of humans after what happened. But she mustn't do their ancestors’ mistake of judging a whole for one’s doings. She needed to understand that not every humans were assholes and sought to hurt their kinds. Minho stood up and brushed his pants. ‘Please, also tell her that if she wants them to live, then I might know some humans whom I trust that could help.’ A flash of Jisung’s encounter with the kid Young Wing appeared before his eyes and caused guilt to settle in his stomach but he willed it away. Convincing Jisung or his friends to help will be hard. But he had to. Lives were at sake. But uneasiness settled back in his stomach just as quickly and he clenched his spear, the pale blue feather tied to it brushing against his cheek. He would protect them, he would protect him.. ‘I’ll make sure to tell her exactly that.’ Yedam assured, smirking a bit as he stood up and looked at the leader with determined eyes. He was just as desperate to save these creatures and he wasn’t against getting humans’ help. If anything, it might be an eye opener for many that still had their doubts about their kind. Minho smiled and patted his arm. Yeah, if he was to ever end up with Jeongin, Minho would definitely approve of him. ‘I’ll get going now. I’ll ask my people to pray for them tomorrow.’ Yedam nodded fervently. ‘Yeah sure. I’ll make sure to inform CL of it-’ ‘Will your clan join us?’ Minho’s offer cut him and he startled at that. Minho just asked him, as if he was the leader, and said… his clan? Yedam was at loss for words. For once, him, who was straight forward and usually sure of himself, didn’t know what to do. Surely that wasn’t intentional… right? ‘Will you?’ Minho asked again, voice steady, and this time Yedam knew that Minho was asking him, referring to him as a leader purposefully. He didn’t know why, but he knew that CL was forming him as a leader for a reason – for him to be ready to act as one. And if he wanted his answer, then so be it. The younger chuckled internally; Minho will have to deal with CL’s wrath if she’s not happy with his decision. So he looked up and nodded. ‘Yes we will.’ – – – – – – The Glow had finally settled on Straya 801, lending the stage to the closest aster whose silver rays shone down the jungle. This evening was not as cold as the previous week’s ones were, a proof that the weather was slowly changing and that the New Glow was coming. It was calm and peaceful in the jungle, an ideal scenery for lovers to escape somewhere where they could be alone, or for people to take a stroll. Or, in Seungmin’s case, to take a bath in the Neutral Territory’s lake. Slowly swimming, Seungmin felt the tension lift from his shoulders, lukewarm water rolling down his skin and kissing away all the pain his sore muscles were giving him. Now alone, the only company being the soothing whispers of night butterflies-like creatures and fireflies-like ones as well as the flapping of bioluminescent turquoise palm leafs, he began to hum a song his brother taught him when he was a kid. His mellow voice filled the air and Seungmin knew it was echoing in the whole perimeter. And he liked that. At this hour of the night, no one would be here to witness him. The only things that would hear him were flowers, greenery and animals. No Strays in sight. So he leaned back in the lake’s holographic water, letting his whole body get soaked in it. Closing his eyes, he was unable to witness the changes on his skin, white little shiny dots appearing on it, glowing dully underwater like the golden bioluminescent pebbles under his feet. It was a sight to be seen. And it was seen. Softly and carefully, a boy that was lurking in the dark slowly approached him. Said boy leaned against a tree trunk silently, keeping guard for him. He knew his whole being would stop anyone from approaching Seungmin, and he wouldn’t have any other way. His friend was by no mean fragile or weak, but he knew that when the boy was singing he would get easily distracted. And that meant he could be taken by surprise by enemies or dirty sly Yeshihks. So he’d rather stay here discretely, than let Seungmin alone during his bathing time. The boy didn’t even know he was there anyways. He watched the boy silently, hidden in the shadow of the night. No matter what, he’ll protect the boy. So he leaned against the tree trunk and waited patiently, listening diligently to the boy’s singing. Suddenly a chuckle echoed in the air, breaking his reverie. He looked around warily before he realized who the source of this sound was.‘Hyunjin-ah, are you gonna stay here forever ? Might as well join me.’Hyunjin’s eyes widened, and out of habit he played with his tongue piercing, flustered by the fact that he was caught. ‘How did you-’, he stammered, still shocked. The boy chuckled once more. ‘You do know that you’re not discreet, right ? You literally growl at every passing animals.’ ‘Oh.’ Gulping, Hyunjin came out of the shade and set his own pair of glowing eyes on Seungmin’s, himself looking gorgeous under the shine of the starry night, face half shaded by the trees and plants. Seungmin let out a breath in awe and swam to the lake’s border, propping his wet forearms on the dully shining blue grass. As Hyunjin finally reached him and crouched down, the younger leaned forward and angled his head up to meet the older’s gaze. But his breath hitched when he noticed that Hyunjin’s eyes were ravaging his face. Still,he refused to shy away. Meanwhile, Hyunjin was on the verge of combustion. Seungmin was so fucking gorgeous. His freshly dyed burgundy hair were pushed back, a lose lock tickling his pale forehead, his eyes glowing a stunning shade of golden hazel, the skin of his face wet with holo water-it was mesmerizing to look at, true, but the most fascinating thing in Hyunjin’s opinion were Seungmin’s unique nightly features: the two shinny white dots on his face. Why is it unique, you may ask? Well, while everyone had some of those on their body, Seungmin was one of the rare Stray to have some on his face. No other Stray he personally knew of had them on their faces, and he only heard of Suhyun – the fourth clan leader –having some as well as a child in Mark’s territory. Otherwise, there were none. Even in the past, only a few lucky ones had those dots scattered on their faces. But Seungmin’s ones… they were so cute and tiny – one just under his left eye, on his tear line and close to his nose, the other one on his jaw – a beautiful feature on the boy… Wordlessly, gaze still dark, he brought his hand up making Seungmin gasp silently. When the fingers grazed his forehead he let out a shaky exhale and smiled at his friend as he brushed away the lose strand of red hair. Hyunjin’s touch was so gentle and feather-like, it brought a smile on the younger’s lips. Hyunjin was always so tender with him, no matter the situation. When he was sad, Hyunjin always held him as if he was about to break in his arms, when he was happy, Hyunjin had always hugged him firmly but warmly, when he was scared Hyunjin shielded him, and even when he was so angry he could snap his bones with one punch, Hyunjin would always punch a tree and break his fingers instead of actually harming him. Hyunjin cared so much, it always made him soft and proud. Not everyone could say they got the Hyunjin smitten for them… ‘Wanna join me?’ his soft whisper broke the older’s trance and he looked at him in the eyes, his fingers stilling on his temple. His breath tickled his cheeks and if Hyunjin were to fall on his knees, then let’s say they wouldn’t be a breath away anymore. But neither moved. ‘Why don’t you rather come out?’ he whispered back, a small smile playing on his lips. ‘There’s something I want to show you…’ Seungmin raised a brow and leaned on his arms, flexed muscles on full display, making Hyunjin gulp and slightly blush. Seungmin had to refrain from smirking. Hyunjin was too easy to mess with. ‘What is it?’ he asked curiously. ‘Come out and you’ll see.’ he smirked and began to walk away. Another thing that Hyunjin liked with Seungmin was that he was too curious for his own good, meaning it was easy to get him to do what you want. Brushing away his freshly black dyed hair out of his face, he let out a satisfied low chuckle when he heard splashes and ruffles. Too easy. Not waiting for his friend, he began climbing the tall tree trunk by the lake, reaching its top after a minute. Pocking his head through the highest turquoise palm leafs, he sighed in contentment at the scenery before himself and leaned on a branch. ‘Hyun what is it you-’ Seungmin stopped talking the moment his own head pocked through the top of the tree, wind slapping his face and making his shirt stick to his wet torso as his eyes grew as wide as saucers. Mouth parting he gaped at the sight before himself. A panoramic view of Straya by night was offering itself to him. Its full of blue glowing grass hills, its bioluminescent turquoise grass coveredmountains, its sparkling white sand beach and the glowing water of the turquoise sea next to it,the dull shine of its jungle’s greenery, the thin clouds of the Floating Sea-everything. ‘Welcome to the highest tree on Straya.’ Hyunjin’s voice cut in the silent night, soft and filled with glee as the wind blew past them, ruffling the leafs and their hair. Head turning left and right, Seungmin held tightly onto a branch as he let out a sharp breath. Hyunjin watched him take in the sight before them with a soft smile, glad he decided to show him this place. ‘Hyunjin that’s… that’s…’ he couldn’t even find the right words to describe the utter awe he felt. ‘Beautiful?’ Hyunjin provided, one eyebrow raised and smiling at the slightly smaller boy. ‘Yeah…’ he breathed out, finally registering what was happening. Laughing he punched Hyunjin’s arm before crossing his own over his chest. ‘Dude, how could you hide that from me all of this time? That’s just… wow.’ Hyunjin simply chuckled and turned around, propping his right elbow on a tree branch and leaning on it. ‘Yeah, and you’ve not seen the best.’ he chuckled. ‘What? There is even better?’ Seungmin incredulously exclaimed, getting closer to Hyunjin. ‘Move aside, I want to see it too, you tall Yeshihk!’ Hyunjin only jabbed him in the ribs, laughing as Seungmin hissed at him. ‘Be patient. And it’s not my fault if you are so small.’ ‘So small?! I’m growing taller than you, shut up Hyun.’ ‘If you say so.’ he chuckled and hushed Seungmin who was about to retort. ‘Shh, look.’ he whispered, pointing ahead. Suddenly, the sky above the mountains light up and Seungmin gasped. ‘Here it is…’ Hyunjin breathed out, shinny eyes wide in awe. Seungmin could only stare too with parted lips at the show in front of him. Just above the mountains, a swarm of shinny blue dragonfly-like tiny creatures rose out of the tree, swarming above in the sky and taking many shapes. But unknown to a mesmerized Hyunjin, Seungmin ended up admiring another show. Seungmin’s gaze graze him, eyes soft and full of adoration, and a bit amused at the child-like awe of his friend in front of the little night show offered by the nature. He was beautiful like that, so pure and ethereal – so different from the cocky Yeshihk he usually was in front of everyone or the confident man scrolling through the jungle watched by many fans. Here, he was just like he was when he was a kid; pure, and most importantly, real. ‘Isn’t it beau-’ Hyunjin cut himself the moment an arm wrapped itself around his waist from behind and pulled him in. His eyes went wide and a blush crept up his cheeks when a chin hooked itself on his shoulder, warm breath fanning over his jaw. ‘What? I told you you were too tall didn’t I?’ Seungmin complained and he could actually feel his pout against his jaw. ‘Now let me enjoy the show.’ Hyunjin stood frozen for a moment, his mind not registering – or maybe registering too well what was happening. Since when was Seungmin so bold? Not that he complained or anything, he liked that, being held and shielded by Seungmin felt so nice. It was unexpected. But if the boy felt like doing that, then he might as well enjoy it while he can. Smirking, he thought of Seungmin’s excuse for his bold gesture and chuckled lightly. ‘Liar… ’ he thought. Yet, he gratefully leaned into Seungmin’s embrace, letting himself be shielded by his warmth as they watched the swarm together. He could get use to nights like these. Seungmin could too. – – – – – ‘Jisung, can you give me the blue tube by the table please?’ Changbin asked, eyes fixed on the lens attached to the microscope. It’s been a day now since the three of them went back to their flat, and needless to say that it was kind of weird. At first, the place had felt almost empty, void of these cheerful voices and warm presences. But they were still happy to return to their real home. And after a full night of sleep, they were back to being the usual scientists, lab coats and actual labs and stats. Of course, they missed the Strays and their booming presences, but the actual scientific researches they’ve been working on all day long didn’t really allow them to dwell on it. By now, the Glow had set but having been away from labs for an entire week they didn’t took notice of the night sky and were still in one of them, each working on their own projects and discoveries. ‘Yeah sure.’ Jisung pulled up his lab glasses and grabbed the tube filled with the blue liquid. ‘What is it?’ he wondered out loud, frowning at its stench. Chan looked up from the hologram screen in front of him and frown in distaste. ‘It’s Stray blood.’ he spat out, returning to his screen. Jisung paled and almost dropped the tube. Thankfully, Changbin caught it in time, glaring at his younger friend who sent a sorry but distressed smile. ‘Careful, we don’t have much left.’ he explained, setting a small amount of the blood on a glass square and setting it on the device he was currently using. ‘What I’m more worried about is why the fuck do we have Stray blood store in our labs?’ Jisung exclaimed, still shocked. ‘I don’t know. But I’m glad we do.’ At the glare Chan sent him, Changbin huffed and rolled his eyes. ‘Not in this way Chan, calm down dude. But it will actually help me.’ ‘What do you mean?’ Chan asked, confused, shutting the hologram screen. ‘You see these three tubes?’ he pointed to the tube holder next to him, gaze never leaving the lens. ‘The red one is my blood, so human one, the blue one is Stray blood, and the purple one is actually a mix of Felix’s blood and a diluent, meaning it is half-blood blood- and no, stop looking at me like that, I didn’t ask him to give me his blood or whatever, it comes from one of the gauze I kept from when I healed him.’ He had to refrain from rolling his eyes when he heard their relieved sighs. ‘Okay… hum, that’s very cool and all, but what’s aim?’ Chan asked, getting closer to the three blood samples. ‘I’m going to see and analyze the differences and similarities in our three bloods.’ he deadpanned like it was an evidence – which it probably was since each of them were scientists. ‘Urgh, guys this is the first and maybe last time we’ll get to analyze half-blood, I’m too curious to let it pass.’ ‘And what will you do with what you learn?’ Chan asked, pokerface on. ‘Keep it for myself.’ he smirked looking at Chan who visibly exhaled. ‘Like hell I’ll give them info on Felix, there are creepy old scientists in this facility and I don’t want them to dissect him.’ Bitterly, he leaned back against his desk. He would never hurt the boy for he knew he had been hurt enough in the past, even though he didn’t know the details. But he didn’t need to. All he knew was that he would treat him better…
A few days ago…
‘Do you want the bed?’ Felix asked, stiffening a yawn and rolling over the baby blue covers to face the boy sitting on the ground next to the window hole. They were currently in Woojin’s bedroom, the later kindly offering for them to sleep there since Changbin wanted to sketch the view from his bedroom window hole. Right now the Glow had barely began setting, casting a soft orange light in the bedroom, but Felix was dead tired after his flight with Dabby and wanted only one thing: to sleep. Changbin looked up from his sketch, stylus hovering over his datapad and gulped. (Today was an emotional constipation day if you were wondering.) ‘No don’t worry, I’ll just sketch, go sleep.’ he waved the boy off, returning to his sketch. ‘Yeah, but I mean, you’ve been sleeping in a chair all week long… don’t you want the bed for tonight?’ he asked feeling a bit guilty for being the one who always slept in the bed and a bit annoyed that mister scientist refused to share the bed with him. Did he stink or what? ‘I can sleep on the couch for one night you know? I’ll survive.’ ‘Nah, that’s okay I’ll take a cover and sleep on the ground.’ he replied right away, not even looking up from his tablet. Felix’s left eyebrow twitched. ‘Listen Changbin.’ he snapped, sitting up on the bed agonizingly slow and Changbin finally looked at him. And gulped. Oh shit. ‘If you wanna keep on being stubborn, then do it. I don’t care. But go sleep on the couch at least. This is ridiculous.’ Changbin’s mouth fell open and, suddenly, he found himself feeling like an idiot too. ‘And don’t tell me the armchair or a blanket is comfy. It is, but not as much as a couch- No, shut up Changbin. I don’t know why you’re comfortable with me one time and why you’re not on others, and if you don’t wanna tell me why that’s okay, I don’t care. But what I care about is you getting some proper sleep. So stop being a kid.’ Felix breathed out and steadied himself. Changbin watched in awed as the boy tried to keep his anger and frustration at bay. He never expected the boy to actually snap but then again what did he really expect? Now that he thought of it, he really did act like a brat. And he’d been so focused on his own emotional constipation that he didn’t even realize Felix could develop insecurities or worries. He was an asshole. A laugh escape him. Yeah, he really was a stupid asshole. Felix looked up in surprise at hearing the boy laugh. What the- did that idiot even listen to his whole speech? Was he making fun of him? About to open his mouth, Changbin beat him to it. ‘You’re… you’re right Lix. I’m being stupid.’ he admitted, putting his datapad on the ground and standing up. Felix nodded in approval at that and sighed, relieved. ‘Great. Now go sle-’ ‘Make way~’ ‘What, wai- oh my god you big otter, stay in your lane!’ Grunting, he gripped the covers and tried not to fall off as Changbin tried to take the whole bed for himself. ‘Ah~ A whole bed to myself-’ he began singsonging but Felix kicked him back into place, effectively making him roll over. ‘You wish-’ Felix grinned at him but it was cut short when Changbin pushed him once more to prevent him from spreading his limbs all over the bed. He fought back and so did Changbin, both laughing wildly and trying to take as much space as possible. Felix was laughing hysterically and squirming when Changbin suddenly caught his wrists. ‘Oh shit..’ he thought, now partially immobilized. Exhausted and knowing that one of his only escape was kicking Changbin’s groin – which was tempting but he wouldn’t for he knew how much that hurt – he grinned mischievously and opted for option two: crushing Changbin. Changbin thought he had won, but suddenly his breath was cut short and his ribs crushed. ‘Oh for fuck sake!’ he grunted, trying to breath but coughing in the end. Felix doesn’t look like it but he was heavy – a whole muscle mass. Looking up at the boy, he found himself melting at the sight though; Felix’s eyes were closed and he was grinning, head laid on Changbin’s torso, black hoodie partially hiding his pale blond hair and arms wrapped around him tightly. So cute. He huffed, faking annoyance and tapped the boy shoulder, a bit flustered at their proximity. Did he ever told you that Felix’s skin was soft- yeah? Oh, well, it still is. ‘Huh move! You’re crushing my stomach.’ he whined, trying to push the boy away but Felix only held on tighter, shaking his head. He had enough of this human’s antics. ‘Serves you right.’ he taunted, snuggling further on the human’s muscled torso. ‘No, but seriously Lix could you-’ ‘Shut up Changbin, this is bonding time.’ he groaned. This human was really cute, but boy was he stubborn. It was giving him constant headaches. ‘Bonding time? More like crushing time…’ ‘Shut it human, you’re not funny.’ Felix scoffed, crushing him even more but smile evident on his face. ‘I am very funny thank you, human.’ he grinned, flickering the Stray’s forehead. Felix eyes snapped open and he looked up in shock. Did Changbin just called him…human? Did he just acknowledged him as a human? He was so… touched. Felix heart clenched and he looked down, warmth filling him. Smiling softly to himself, he made move to retract himself, but Changbin wrapped an arm around his back, making him stumble and press flat against his torso. Eh? ‘Ah stop squirming, it’s annoying.’ Changbin complained, arm still clutching Felix. Said boy looked up with wide eyes, confusion evident on his face and blush grazing his freckled cheeks. But didn’t Changbin wanted him to move? ‘I-’ ‘Don’t.’ Felix stilled comically, and Changbin chuckled. ‘It’s just…’ he began, searching for words while Felix looked at him curiously. ‘I’m not used to letting people in. Jisung and Chan have been the only one for me so far.’ ‘It’s okay, I understand Changbin. You don’t have to-’ Felix tried to assure him, not wanting to force the boy into talking about his personal life. ‘I do. I’m being a moody weird human, and I’m sorry for that. You deserve to know why. I’m just… not one to make new friends, I guess?’ he looked up at the ceiling not wanting to see the younger’s face, afraid of what he would read on it. ‘So I try to push you away sometimes.’ ‘It’s ok.’ Felix soft deep voice echoed in the room, wind carrying it. ‘You don’t have to force yourself. You already do so much… I’m grateful that you even try to help me out Changbin. If you want, you can simply be like a teacher.. and I’ll take everything human you have to offer me?’ he offered, sounding unsure and Changbin immediately looked down at him with wide eyes. What was the younger saying- did he really felt like that? ‘I’ll learn everything and you could just-’ ‘I want to let you in Felix.’ Changbin shocked whisper echoing in the room and Felix felt himself blushing. Really? He looked up, stunned, and sat up. ‘You… you want to… m-me?’ ‘Yes. I never forced myself Felix. I push you away because I- I just don’t remember how to make friends.’ he admitted, feeling himself flushing too. God that was embarrassing, he felt like his thirteen year old self when he tried to confess to his friends that he was gay. It had been so mortifying when the two had simply blinked and said ‘dude we been knew, we thought you were going to announce us your crush on Hwojung.’ Mor.ti.fying. ‘So you don’t think I’m weird?’ Felix blurted out, awakening Changbin from his cringy memory. The human looked at him with genuine confusion in the eyes. ‘What the- why would I even think that? I mean apart from the fact that you’re crazy when you’re flying with Dabby, you seem normal to me.’ Felix chose to ignore his last sentence just this once and rubbed his nape sheepishingly, looking out of the window hole. ‘I thought you were weirded out because I’m half-’ Changbin stood up faster than him when you announce food is served – which is really fast – startling him. ‘Oh my god shut up. Don’t even finish whatever garbage shit talking you were about to say.’ He looked so serious, borderline mad and Felix could only blink. Changbin sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Serves him right for being an emotionally constipated human, now he had to fix this mess he created. ‘Yes you are half Stray and half human. So what?’ At that, Felix heart missed a bit and he clutched the covers. Did the human really not care? Seeing his lost expression, Changbin sighed and sat up. Shifting to face the younger, Felix’s breath hitched when their knees touch. He would have gladly look away but the human looked like he would kill him if he did so. ‘Look.’ he sighed, gaze softening when he noticed the panicked look in Felix’s eyes. At this precise moment, he realized that maybe Felix was just as uncertain and insecure as him, and that maybe it was fine for the both of them to get closer without having second thoughts. ‘If there is one thing I’ll never judge you for, it’s your race Felix. There are enough of those assholes on Earth, trust me. You,’ his finger poked his chest, making Felix giggle and causing him to smile softly. ‘You are not defined by it Felix. And I’ll never look at you like a weird person because of that, okay?’ Changbin gulped and extended a hand. Felix looked at it curiously, brain suddenly filled with memories of their first encounter. Oh. A low chuckle left his mouth and he pressed his palm against Changbin’s, the later intertwining their fingers, shivers running down both of their arms – just like the first time they met. ‘Okay…’ he let out, like he did the first time, finally grinning and nodding fervently. And Changbin felt his heart beat faster and break at the same time. Had he been so moody that Felix felt like it was own fault? But seeing him so reassured now- so happy, Changbin made himself a promise. He would never let him feel like that again. ‘You are Lee Felix, a blond leech that gives me gray hair and, occasionally, headaches. Here. That’s what you are.’ he suddenly blurted out and Felix looked at him in surprise before he laughed, nodding. ‘Thank you. Sorry I was insecure.’ he chuckled, looking down and internally hitting himself for being so stupid. But Changbin only squeezed his hand harder, shaking his head with a small smile. ‘That’s okay. You must have had your reasons. Sorry I was a jerk.’ Felix laughed out loud at that one, not disapproving. ‘No need to.’ he finally indulged in saying when he met Changbin’s offended glare. Biting his lips, he offered the older a confident smile. And seeing that, Changbin felt at ease once more. His full sun was back. ‘Then, how… how about you we start over?’ he offered, looking out at the setting Glow. ‘You could show me what it’s really like to be a human and I’ll show you how to make a friend?’ Changbin followed his gaze, eyes squinting at the brightness of the Glow but actually enjoying its warmth. ‘Yeah. Sounds good.’ Smiling he turned back to Felix who was already looking at him. Yeah, from now on he wouldn’t shy away from him. Never again. ‘Now come on, let’s sleep.’ ‘Well, me neither so that’s a relief- Changbin? Changbin!’ Jisung’s calls awoke him from his memory and he remembered that he was currently in a lab with his two friends. ‘Huh? Sorry I was thinking about something.’ he apologized, uncrossing his arms. ‘Dude, I don’t know what it was, but you were grinning so much it freaked me out-’ Jisung cut himself as his gaze caught something moving outside. Eh? Walking closer to the glass wall, he looked down at the ground with a frown. He was sure he saw something- A gasp escaped his mouth. ‘What is it?’ Chan asked him, voice worried and serious. Changbin looked outside, worried too by his friend’s reaction. ‘Chan, switch off the light. Now.’ the youngest ordered as he quickly retreated at the back of the room. Chan obeyed quickly and moved closer to Jisung, wrapping an arm around his shoulder in worry. ‘What is it?’ he asked again, now clearly noticing the frown on Jisung’s features as he squeezed his shoulder. ‘There is… someone outside.’ ‘What? Are you sure?’ Changbin asked worriedly as he came over too. ‘Wait for it.’ Jisung ordered. ‘I’m sure it saw us in the lab that’s why he is not moving. Now that we switched off the light, it’s only a matter of time before they- bingo.’ he muttered and nodded toward the hidden figure creeping out from behind one of the building and slowly looking around, clearly not wanting to be seen. Changbin gasped. ‘What are they doing?!’ And before either of his two friends could react, he bolted toward the door and rushed down the stairs. Chan and Jisung barely looked at one another before they both dashed after him, swearing under their breath as they couldn’t just call after him for it would alert everyone in the facility. Finally exiting the research building, Jisung caught Changbin by the arm. ‘Are you crazy?! We are not allowed outside by night!’ he harshly whispered, looking around to ensure no one saw or heard their trespassing. Changbin freed his arm and looked around too but visibly in search for the person, not because he was alarmed. ‘What the fuck Jisung?! We need to catch them!’ he exclaimed in a loud whisper, beginning to fast walk again. ‘No, we need to go back inside. We have enough troubles as it is Changbin.’ Chan informed him, catching up him. ‘They could be doing something bad!’ Jisung added, clearly not wanting to meddle with illegal shit. ‘Yeah? Well then we should follow and report them.’ he explained as they rounded a corner and saw the figure retreat into the jungle, causing him to curse under his breath and break in a short run. ‘And if they were just taking a night stroll to play the adventurer? Then we need to warn them that Straya by night is dangerous and force them to head back with us. Whichever it is, I don’t care. Because whatever this person was doing, if they are found dead tomorrow, I’ll never forgive myself.’ And that effectively shut up his two friends. After all, they both knew how dangerous this jungle could be… Five seconds later they reached the facility settlement’s border. In front of them stood the shinny jungle, not even five feet away. Changbin turned around, looking ready to bolt. ‘Are you two coming?’ he breathed out, looking at the two expectantly. Jisung and Chan exchanged a look. ‘We are so killing you later, Seo Changbin.’ Chan growled as he dashed forward into the maze of trees, followed by a grumpy and scared Jisung. And with a small smile, Changbin followed suit. They truly were the bestest friends ever. – – – – – The trees were pulsing that night. Anyone who just paused enough to listen could here it; the agonizingly slow but steady beat of the their hearts, seeds at their feet, water flowing along their trunk like blood, flowing from the source of all life on this planet — the lake at the base of the Grand Tree, Jae’s home. As Woojin looked at it, a flicker of blond silver hair ran past his memory. Their first encounter took place here. And suddenly, the words ‘Mosquitoes’ grazed his ears like a mutter among the warmth of the night and he looked up at tall the tree. Its shinny white tendrils were dangling in the air, rocked by the wind, melting amidst the thousands stars in sky. Like thousands of- A smile played on his lips. Yeah, like thousands of Earth mosquitoes; Chan’s comparison was fair. Glowing mosquitoes, true, but mosquitoes nonetheless. Laughing to himself, he stretched a bit and looked around, completely aware of the stares he was getting. Today was a gathering day, meaning everyone was dressed nicely and talking happily with each others, hence the stares. Woojin himself was indeed sporting golden earrings, choker and bracelets as well as black pants and a traditional prune colored mid-length kimono jacket with intricate and delicate golden and copper tiny stems and flowers design, his tattoo peeking from its collar. (A/N: I pictured everyone’s traditional jacket as Vixx Hongbeen’s one in Shangri-La MV at 3.01 minute, just with different colors and patterns, but of course feel free to imagine whatever you want~). Looking at his left, he found Hyunjin playing with a blue baby firefly and Felix playing with a purple one. Both were looking more than refined and handsome today, a change from their usual sweaty selves. Hyunjin was wearing silver earrings, necklaces and rings, a pair of black pants as well as a traditional mid-length black kimono jacket that had intricate blue and silver designs and a blue silky collar rim. If he weren’t like family, Woojin would definitely develop a crush on him right here, right now – which seemed to be the case for half the population right know. Next to him, Felix was just as dazzling. In his own traditional sand colored kimono jacket ornamented with delicate rosegold and nude colored swirls designs and silky pink collar and sleeves rims, his black pants, and his many golden bracelets and earrings, he was making more than one person drool. Woojin refrained from laughing when he saw that the ribbon tying his jacket was halfway undone, allowing everyone to have a peek of his muscled torso, and walked toward his baby brother. This Yeshihk was way too distracted by the purple firefly to realize that his jacket was untying itself. ‘Yah, be careful, we wouldn’t want nosebleed, do we?’ he tsked his brother playfully and tied his jacket properly. ‘Oops, I’ll be more careful.’ Felix offered him a sheepish smile and side-hugged him like the cute leech he was, burying his head in the crook of his neck. Woojin petted his hair and turned to the Grand Tree. Minho and Jeongin were sitting on one of its large branch, Cl and her partner not far behind. Everyone waiting for them to start their speeches, curious as to why their two clans were gathered. Seeing that they were still not beginning, Woojin turned toward Hyunjin. ‘Where is your sister Hyunjin?’ He asked curiously, surprised of not seeing her next to him, and wrapped his arms around Felix’s waist as he looked around. Usually family would stick together during gatherings, hence why he was standing with Felix, and Minho and Jeongin together. ‘She is with Dahyun.’ He shrugs, laughing when the baby insect tickled his nose. ‘Ohhhh, they’ve made it official?’ Felix asked grinning widely at Hyunjin, who nodded happily. ‘And you’re not standing well them?’ Woojin raised a brow. But Hyunjin only turned to him and Felix with a kind smile. ‘As much as I love her and she loves me, you guys have always been my real family.’ He turned toward the left and Woojin noticed that his sister was standing a bit further in the arms of her lover and surrounded by other girls. Hyunjin watched them with a fond smile, and surprisingly there was no sadness in it. Automatically, his sister noticed him and she smiled widely, her lover and her waving at him. Hyunjin waved back before he turned towards Woojin once more, draping an arm around his shoulder and looking down at Felix. ‘We both found our families.’ ‘Yeah.’ Woojin smiled fondly, giving his arm a squeeze under Felix coos. Yes, they were real family. Woojin finally detached himself and sat down on the grass by the lake, Felix joining him on his right side automatically as he leaned his head on his shoulder sleepily. The walk to the Grand Tree on their Neutral Ground has been long, and it felt even longer after their long and hard day of training. Smiling down at his brother he kissed his hair and looked to his left, expecting Hyunjin to sit with them. But when he looked up and looked at him, he had to bit back a smile. Of course. Seungmin looked up from his conversation with his brother the moment he felt a shiver down his spine. He was currently standing with him and was beginning to get a bit flustered by his brother’s friends, who kept complimenting his good looks. While he liked receiving compliments, his brother friends were a bit too flirty for his liking – and even though he knew they were only joking around, it still made him uneasy. Seungmin was standing dressed in his own black tinted silver earrings, choker and rings, black pants and dark purple traditional kimono jacket, with lighter purple, burgundy and silver designs, black silk ribbon tying it together in a knot at the front. Yeah, he was aware of the fact that he looked good on that peculiar evening, but he wasn’t one to brag. So instead he looked up curiously, wandering what the cause of those shivers was, and turned around half-expecting to see no one. But he did. His gaze met dark hazel shinny ones, a grin and an outstretched palm. Biting back a small smile, warmth filled his heart and he eagerly patted his brother’s shoulder. ‘Wonpil?’ he called and his brother turned to him in question. But not even a second later his eyes veiled in understanding and he nodded in approval, embracing his younger brother with one arm. ‘Go.’ he whispered warmly, grinning – probably blinding half of the population – and bumping his knuckles on Seungmin’s head. Seungmin squealed in delight and patted his shoulder, detaching himself and highfiving him. As Wonpil turned back to his friend Seungmin knew it was his cue to go. Dashing excitedly to his friends’ side, he collided in the person’s awaiting arms and heard a laugh. ‘Wow, hey there!’ the deep voice laughed, detaching himself and lacing their hands together under the curious whispers of the Strays around them. Seungmin realized that at this rate most of them will think they are more than friends but he couldn’t bring himself to care, not when his eyes met Hyunjin’s and his warm smile. Said boy lead him to join their two other friends on the ground and Seungmin grinned at them. At that moment, the only thing that mattered were them, his friends – his family. – – ‘What the Jae is he doing?!’ CL swore under her breath, biting her nails as she stride over Minho’s side, her golden yellow silky coat and braided hair floating behind her. Said boy looked up and crossed his arms, his dark indigo kimono-like untied jacket with light purple and silver stems and flower delicate designs stretching under his muscles – he was well dressed too for the formal event, black pants tight around his thighs and golden jewelries shinning under the light of Straya’s own moon. Minho frowned at the other leader. She looked frantic. ‘CL what’s happening? Why aren’t we starting yet? People are getting curious…’ he whispered standing up and joining her as they looked down in worry at the people from their perch on the Grand Tree. ‘I know, I’m sorry it’s just-’ she looked around a bit before she tugged him forward. ‘Yedam is not here.’ she hissed in his ear and Minho reeled back in shock. What?! The younger certainly couldn’t miss such an important event, especially since he was the one who gave the green light for this gathering. Exhaling slowly, he froze when a hand landed on his shoulder. But he melted right away under the touch, fully knowing who it was. ‘You’re okay?’ his brother’s soft voice soothed him a bit and he turned to him. Jeongin was looking at him with worried eyes, looking beautiful dressed in black jewelries, black pants and black traditional kimono mid-length jacket ornamented with shiny red and fire-like orange stem and flowers patterns. Minho smiled at him and sighed. ‘Yeah, it’s just-’ ‘Sorry, I’m late.’ The voice cut the air and Jeongin’s hand froze on his shoulder. Looking up, he found Yedam bowing apologetically to CL and getting scold. He turned slightly to his brother to find him gulping with eyes trailed on Yedam and redness on his ears. Oh. Oh. True, the boy looked good in his black pants, silver jewelries and burgundy traditional jacket that had these black and lighter red shiny delicate designs on it, some tattoos peeking form the collar. Minho smirked a bit and would have gladly teased his baby brother under other circumstances but a soft gush of wind brought him back on focus. They were not here to have fun. ‘CL, let’s settle that later.’ he interrupted the scolding, walking over Yedam and nodding in acknowledgment as he brushed past them, the boy seemingly wanting to say something but getting interrupted yet again by a shake of head from Minho. Now was not the time. Jeongin followed closely behind his brother and looked up when he heard the exasperated grunt Yedam let out. Gaze meeting, Yedam looked him up and down and Jeongin was proud to say that for once he didn’t want to hide. What? He looked good today, he’d rather had Yedam see him like that than covered in orange paint or sweaty. He offered a small but awkward smile to Yedam who, surprisingly, only responded with a sad one and a nod. Jeongin frowned at that. It was surely unusual and almost looked apologetic. ‘What did you do?’ he whispered to Yedam, arms crossing over his chest and eyes squinting. ‘I tried to tell them that-’ ‘We need to start now.’ the leader whispered under his breath cutting him off, CL quietly agreeing and following him to the front branch. Seeing the two leaders walk ahead, Yedam sighed and rolled his eyes, and patted Jeongin’s tensed shoulder. ‘I tried to tell you, don’t hate me.’ he shrugged and tugged Jeongin forward by the arms toward the two leaders. Jeongin looked at him with wide eyes as he stumbled after him. What did this Yeshihk do? As the two leaders approach the edge of the tree followed closely by Jeongin and Yedam who finally let go of Jeongin to let him go by his brother’s side, people began to quiet down. ‘Sosoïl.’ Minho began, bowing and touched briefly his forehead of his fingertips in greeting, people doing the same. ‘If we asked you all to gather together tonight it’s sadly to pray…’ he trailed off. People shinny eyes started to fill with worry and widen in fear, some whispering and other holding hands. CL hold up a hand to ask for silence. ‘A sad thing occurred a few days ago. Details we won’t give you because this is not what matters. What matters is to ask Jae for time and clemency, and for our two clans to stick together through this hardship.’ Before people could start talking again Minho went on. ‘Recently, five Young Wings were harmed.’ A common gasp filled the air, followed by cries and whimpers. ‘Sadly, two of them didn’t make it. But three are still hanging on, so tonight, we ask you to follow us in a prayer for them. Please help us ask for Jae’s help through this hardship, and if you don’t believe in Jae, then please still pray for their survival.’ Minho and CL bowed to their clan, asking for their help. However, as they waited for them to answer, the only thing they heard were whispers and gasps of surprise. Curiously looking at one another, Minho only decided to look up when he heard Jeongin’s gasp followed by a shaky ‘no way’. ‘Jeongin? What is i-’ he trailed off the moment he saw it. Minho froze, hand tightening around Jeongin’s. Mark. Mark Lee, leader of the Yui clan and best friend of their long lost brother, the man who cut all ties with them years ago was now standing in front of them, his whole clan behind him. ‘Sosoil Minho.’
~~~~~~> To be continued…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
‘Sosoïl Minho.’ Jeongin saw his brother grow taller before he even realized that his own legs were giving away. Thankfully he caught himself on a nearby branch before anyone could register he was falling. Shaky hand coming to his mouth, his eyes could only see the troubled reflection of the man standing in front of them. It was impossible… Mark, this couldn’t be him right? After Hyuck’s death, the boy had avoided them like they were a disease, the last bits reminding him of the boy he once cherished. He didn’t even show up among his clan for the Ordeals, preferring to stay on his own grounds – Jeongin had searched for him among the Yui clan members every single time but never found him. Though hurt, the younger had accepted his decision. Hence why he never thought that he would see Mark ever again, let alone that the boy would bring back so many memories… And now here he was, standing with dyed hair, a clear sign that he was going to participate in this New Glow’s Ordeal… Jeongin was overwhelmed. Blinking away the wetness in his eyes as waves of flashes of their time together splashed before him, he took a deep breath and steadied himself. That’s when he noticed Mark’s eyes on Minho. His eyes were full of emotion, Jeongin noted, no doubt that the boy was hit with memories and feelings he couldn’t control too. Blindly, Jeongin reached for Minho’s hand and gave it a hard squeeze, hoping to bring him comfort and out of his trance. This efficiently broke Minho from his suffocating bubble and he let out a shaky exhale, finally breaking eye contact with the other leader. He had been so… shocked to see Mark again. The memories had came rushing in, he was overwhelmed. He had missed him. Greatly. The boy had changed so much since their time together. The last time they saw each other was just after the war, when they were only kids. Now they were men… Today, Mark was standing tall and proud, strong build on display in his black pants, black traditional kimono jacket with silky dark and neon green intricate designs complementing his complexion, and golden jewelries making him look regal – he noted that the golden leader’s thorn crown still laid on his head. Minho also noticed that he had gotten plenty of tribal tattoos in these past years, some of them peeking here and there from behind his clothes. Donghyuck would have been proud of his best-friend and the man he became, no doubt. He could have even fooled everyone that he was alright. But not Minho, nor Jeongin. Both of them could see the dark circles under his eyes and the creases in his cheeks, the void and the latent rage in his eyes, the way his muscles were tensed – Mark never fully healed from his loss, even after all these years. Squeezing back Jeongin’s hand, Minho finally managed to look at Mark properly again, the boy’s impassive face still here and the eyes, that had been nothing but a blur of emotions, now calm indifferent hazel brown shining orbs in the night. ‘Sosoïl Mark.’ Minho found it in himself to steady his voice and the moment he uttered those words he saw the way Mark tightened his jaw. The Yui leader might find it hard to see them, he might be angry at the world for depriving him of his closest friend but, no matter what people will say, Minho knew he missed them. ‘Mark, what brings you here?’ CL finally spoke, slowly coming over her initial shock to greet the third leader. Said boy turned to her, acknowledging her by pressing his fingers over his forehead before tilting his head down in confusion. ‘I heard of the gathering a few hours ago. I thought it was a noble thing to pray for so I came to join. Didn’t he told you?’ he asked, pointing to his left. Everyone followed his finger and Minho resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course. ‘Care to tell us why didn’t inform us of Mark’s venue Yedam?’ CL demanded through gritted teeth, clearly not amused. ‘I thought having more Strays praying would only benefit.’ he mumbled looking down and sulking a bit. Why couldn’t these leaders see past their pride to see that unity could make them stronger? ‘This is not the point. This is not a mere meeting where you can do as you please-’ ‘Pardon me? Do as I please?’ Yedam scoffed, looking up with arms crossed over his chest, eyes clearly burning with annoyance. ‘I tried to tell you all afternoon long but you were so preoccupied with comforting the Young Wing rider that you didn’t listen, I tried to find you this evening to tell you before we left for the meeting but you were already gone, which is why I was late by the way, and finally I tried to tell you when I arrived but you kept cutting me.’ CL looked taken aback for a moment before she sighed and pressed her palms over her temples. ‘Ok Yed, I was wrong for not listening to you. But nevertheless asking people to come to gathering is not your task-’ ‘Pardon me for cutting you CL, but he didn’t ask for me to come.’ Mark cut in, seeing the guilt on Yedam’s face. ‘He told me there was a gathering and I said I was coming. He had no choice in it.’ ‘Sure, but what I mean is that talking to other clans about the gathering without telling his own leader first is not a proper behavior.’ CL explained calmly but Mark only scoffed amused and smiled. ‘CL, you do realize that you can’t just go around allowing Yedam to act as the leader he’s getting ready to be one day and the other forbidding him to act as one? That’s a bit… pointless, don’t you think? And he was the one who agreed on your behalf on this meeting, so he might as well have a say in this.’ That seemed to effectively shut CL up who looked between an amused Mark and Minho and a confused Yedam. Dear Jae, how much she wished to retire from this job, those youngsters were too much for her. ‘I guess you’re right Mark. I tend to forget that I’m retiring soon. I’m sorry Yed.’ she turned to him with an apologetic smile. ‘I guess I’m too used to leading.’ ‘That’s okay Cl.’ Yedam smiled, advancing toward her. ‘Now, should we pray for these Young Wings? I think the people are wondering what’s happening.’ CL smiled warmly at him and let out a chuckle. ‘Thinking about the people and our planet before anything else, as always. You brought the three of us together for the first time in many years. You’ll make a fantastic leader Yedam.’ she thought, a content feeling settling in her chest. Clearing her throat she patted him on the shoulder. ‘Yes you are right. Leaders, shall we go?’ she asked, turning to the other two leaders who broke from another awkward and full of longing eye contact. Mark nodded and took off his thorn crown, setting it at the center of the tree next to CL and Minho’s ones. Face one more cold and devoid of emotion, he joined Cl’s right side, Minho already standing on her left. Slightly behind them, Jeongin stopped listening to their speech and turned to Yedam who was standing next to Cl’s partner. He watched as Mark’s older brother and brother in law joined them, smiling when Yedam hugged Mark’s brother in law; it must feel good to see your own brother again after a long time. Oh, right, did he forgot to mention that Yedam’s older brother was Mark’s older brother’s partner? Yes, quiet the complicate family scheme here, but long story short that explains why Yedam and Mark are so close with each others. Yedam couldn’t let go of his brother’s waist and clutched to him like a kid, whining when he ruffled his hair. Everyone could see that the two boys had missed each other greatly after not meeting for a long time – the oldest went to live with his partner in Mark’s clan years ago but made sure that he would be allowed to see his baby brother at least twice a month. But with the recent events and the Ordeals preparation Jeongin was pretty sure that the siblings hadn’t met for weeks. Yedam’s discreet light giggles echoed softly in the air when his brother finally hugged him back. This brought an even wider smile to Jeongin’s face. As always, leaders’ closest family members were next to them, supporting them no matter what… He stole a glance at Mark’s brother who was looking at the duo fondly, and lowered his head, hiding a grin and the wetness in his happy eyes. This meant that Mark had someone with him all these years to support him, help him heal. He had feared the boy would isolate himself from the world, but no, he wasn’t alone and he was sure they helped him learn how to live. Looking up at the three, he discretely wiped a tear from his cheek, warmth settling around his heart. Jeongin had really looked up to both Minho, Donghyuck and Mark when he was a kid, and the sudden disappearance of two of them had been a lot to take in. As he grew older he began to understand why they were not around anymore and relied a lot on Minho. But he had also really missed Mark and still cared for him deeply after all these years. So seeing him again and learning he was not alone? That was more than enough for him. Suddenly, Yedam looked up. Jeongin’s cheeks lit on fire and he gulped. Why was it that he was always caught staring? He wanted to crawl away, this was so embarrassing. But Yedam’s kind smile calmed him down, which made him feel uneasy. The boy’s smile wasn’t suppose to make him feel so warm, that was weird. Gulping, he finally looked away. Like hell he would smile back, Yedam would be too smug if he did. He might admire the Panther with all his might but the weird everyday Yedam? That was another story. (He purposefully ignored the little voice in his head reminding him of how much he had wished to see the boy once more the other night in his room and how he had hoped the roar he heard was Jae’s answer to his prayers.) A small chuckle awoke him from his reverie. A chuckle he sadly knew too well. His blood boiled. Was this Yeshihk making fun of him? He turned, ready to snap at the boy but he remembered where he was and thought against it. Instead he simply rose a brow at the man and crossed his arms – fingers twitching in irritation against his forearm – playing indifferent when clearly all he wanted was to jump at his throat for making him feel embarrassed. Oh, and boy, did he enjoyed Yedam’s surprised look; so the younger did want him to snap. Well, sorry to disappoint but he won’t. Not tonight, at least. Refraining a smirk he turned back to the leaders, pretending like Yedam’s surprise didn’t faze him at all, only to find them already turning around. ‘Is it time?’ he asked his older brother softly who simply nodded and walked past him, wordlessly taking his hand and leading him down the tree. As they climbed down, he couldn’t help but want to look back at Yedam to see if he was following but he refrained himself from doing so. What was wrong with him tonight? He admired the fighter not the straight forward moron that Yedam was, there was no reason for him to seek the boy’s attention. ‘Get a grip Jeongin.’ he scolded himself internally, shaking his head. Finally reaching the ground, toes curling against the fresh and soft blue grass all the reality of the situation hit him in the face. Around him was pure silence, not even an animal noise, only the whistle of the wind that brushed past them. He could feel the trees pulsing but grieving, and noticed that people’s faces were full of tears and sorrow. In this moment of confusion brought by Yedam’s presence and Mark’s sudden arrival he had completely forgotten the situation at hand. And as he finally found Hyunjin’s glassy eyes and wet cheeks among the swarm of Strays by the lake’s borders, he broke down too. The cruelty, the horror of what happened to the creatures… fresh waves of hot tears rolled down his cheeks. He felt the pain in his heart as raw as what he was sure was the Young Wings’ suffering. Detaching his hand from his little brother’s one, Minho turned to him and wiped the silent tear rolling down his left cheek. Jeongin looked up with wide, glossy eyes and Minho stroke his cheeks gently to sooth him. It pained him to see his brother in this state. Jeongin should never cry. He brought his lips to his forehead, hoping to calm him, before he turned around and strode forward followed by CL and Mark. The three of them stepped foot into the lukewarm water and swam toward the tree trunk. From up close he could see the golden tendrils of energy forming as they approached, floating from the bark’s creases down to its roots that were dully glowing underwater and he didn’t hesitate to close his hand around one of them. The sensation was incredible. A burst of energy crawled up his fingers, sipping through his palm and arm, soon flowing through his whole body; it was dull and warm but a bit overwhelming to handle alone – well, not really since the two other leaders were now holding onto the roots, picking up energy as well, but three people were not enough for this burst of energy obviously, hence why they needed their clan’s support. You see, not everyone could hold onto these roots directly and survive through it. Your clan does chose you as a leader, but to be considered as a potential one Jae had to give his blessings first. Every newborn would be presented under the Mosquitoes the night of their birth. If the tree lit up with energy (like it did tonight) it meant that their own Mother Nature had given his blessings. The kids would then be able to handle the Tree’s energy, Straya’s energy. They were hereby granted the possibility of being a leader. And from that day onward the kids would, if they wanted to, pursue their training as potential leaders and be given the bird tattoo on their back on their 10th birthday. And if they were eventually chosen by their tribe as their leader then their closest family member would have the honor of tattooing the leader’s seal onto their body. Here, Jeongin was the one who had been granted the honor, seeing he was Minho’s most precious person in the world – a smirking little voice in his head kept telling him that it was only a matter of time before things change – but the funny thing was that leader’s gene ran strong in their ‘family’. Woojin was chosen as a potential one but refused the training saying that he was meant for a peaceful and calm life, and his long lost brother had been too but Donghyuck had barely began the training before he- The rustle of water interrupted his thoughts and he looked up to see that Mark’s brother and brother in law had already step into the water, and that CL’s partner was already behind her, holding onto her shoulder and holding hand with Yedam. Wincing, he wasted no time and slumped into the water too, swimming to his brother and finally laying a hand on his shoulder. Minho visibly relaxed at the contact and Jeongin smiled, closing his eyes as the energy slowly slipped into his body. It was warm and tickled his sides. Overall, it felt great. After a few seconds though he heard the water move next to him. What? Frowning he fluttered his eyelids open, the glowing nature blinding him a bit. But the moment his eyes caught it he looked up in surprise. Yedam was truly mesmerized by the sight before him. The Fox was standing by his brother – completely unaware that in his rush to join him he was now standing next to Yedam as well – neckline’s white spots glowing, head slightly thrown back as the energy slipped through him. His newly died dark brown caramel hair, looking beautiful in the night and complementing his white complexion, were surely making him look stunning. Yedam had, by no mean, found him unattractive the few times he saw him, but the states he was in – drenched, covered in paint, and sweaty – had done him no justice at all. Now that he really saw the boy in a proper state, The Fox- no, Jeongin was truly beautiful. So he couldn’t help it when his free hand came out of the water and reached for the older. And when Jeongin had heard the droplets of water fall from his hand into the lake, the flutter of his eyelashes, the evident confusion in his golden eyes and their shine had been enough for Yedam to turn his hand over, palm outstretched for the boy to take. Yedam was aware of his gesture and its meaning; usually you’d grab people’s shoulders, it was the common way of transferring energy. People do not offer their hands to take during a prayer unless they were close or intimate. It was a gesture reserved for family and friends, and honestly he didn’t know what prompted him to do it – or rather, he knew too well. But the way Jeongin looked, flustered and stunned, was enough for him to break into a smile, though not a cocky one. Tonight, his smile was kind and a bit sad. As happy as he was to see the boy that intrigued him greatly pay attention to him, tonight his heart was not fully content. The Young Wings were suffering and he was the one tending to them with their healer every day; he couldn’t find it in himself to fully bicker or taunt the older boy too much. Though he knew that beneath the annoyance Jeongin still liked him a bit, that didn’t mean the boy would accept his hand. But maybe… maybe just tonight they could forget about their usual banter and act as… friends? And Jeongin didn’t know either what it was – perhaps the honest look in the boy’s eyes or the fact that he wasn’t as annoyed as he thought he would be with him and actually liked him more than he wanted to admit – but his hand reached out too. Soon, the edges of their damp fingers brushed against each others and a burst of energy slipped through them, making Jeongin close his eyes and gasp. He had never felt such a strong energy exchange before, not even with Minho or Hyunjin, it was unsettling but so amazing at the same time. Right now he felt stronger than ever, more radiant – alive. And it must have been the case because the impact of the energy made him reach out for more and with no second thoughts he slid his palm over Yedam’s own and grasped his hand firmly. The feeling he got was incredible, it felt warm, almost… secure? If the bold gesture shocked Yedam, the boy showed nothing of it and if anything Jeongin was sure he had felt the same thing as him since he soon intertwined their fingers together. Slowly peeling his eyes open once more, he glanced at Yedam only to see his eyes already fixed on him, sparkly and shining, and genuinely smiling. So he did felt it too. This made Jeongin smile back at him, genuine, something far from their playful banter and annoying moments. And he knew that the next time they’ll see each other they would be back to their usual ‘I wanna jump at your throat and kick you for ticking me off’ selves. But for tonight, maybe they could stay this way. And so, Jeongin turned his face around and closed his eyes, clammy fingers squeezing trembling ones, and he prayed with all his heart for the poor souls to be saved. He prayed for them to find peace. He prayed for them to survive – and maybe he did it because he wanted to see that radiant smile once more in his life. Slowly but surely other Strays made their way into water from the other side of the lake, and soon he felt Woojin and Hyunjin’s hands enclose around his shoulders, Seungmin coming next to him. The said puffy and red eyed boy reached for Minho’s free shoulder and closed his eyes too. He had always loved every creatures on this planet, and it hurt to hear that some of them were harmed. He kept imagining that it could have been Felix or Woojin’s Young Wings instead, and if it could have been any creatures at all then it could have been Palis too – and frankly, if Fayre was ever harmed he didn’t know what he would do. Wiping away fresh tears, he felt a hand grab his midway and hold it firmly. Without opening his eyes, knowing full well who its owner was, he squeezed it back gratefully. Felix on the other hand couldn’t help but clutch Woojin’s hand desperately, his other palm on Yedam’s strong back. He was devastated to hear that and so was Woojin, but clearly the older boy was better at hiding his emotions. He couldn’t help but think that it could have been Dabby and didn’t know how he would face the harmed Young Wing’s rider because – no matter what Changbin said about his legacy – he couldn’t bare to see the look on their face when they’ll see him, the half-human. He knew that by no mean he was responsible for what happened, but he also knew that most of CL’s clan was not as accepting of humans as Minho and their clan were. They tolerated them, that was it. A lot were still reminiscent of the past so if the rider was to see Felix… he could only hope that they would be tolerant and keep an open mind. Probably feeling his anguish – or simply feeling the tremor in his hand – Woojin pulled him a bit closer. Soon, he felt lips brushing the side of his head, a way to say you’ll be alright. And that was strange, but he felt a foreign dull energy envelop his being, like arms wrapping themselves around his body, and it left him feeling oddly comforted. And, strangely, he believed he would alright. So he prayed, with all his might. The first minute passed by, with everyone taking in the energy they believed to be Jae’s and praying for the harmed creatures in earnest. For the first time in many years, the three clans’ members were all standing together, mixed together, some holding on people they had barely ever met, kids and teenagers alike, a few young adults and adults here and there, but all holding onto each others. It was beautiful. And that’s when Minho felt it, the two hands enclosing his own onto the root, one delicate and the other strong. For the first time in almost thirteen years three clans were united, three leaders were standing by the Grand Tree together, asking for Jae’s help in common prayer, each holding onto the same root, each holding onto the same hand. Minho smiled. Things were changing. Gripping the hands firmly, he took a deep breath. ‘Neh eywa Jae…’ the three voices resonated in the air, fusing into one and merging with those of their people. Maybe it was a new beginning. – – – – – – ‘Changbin it’s been god knows how long since we left the base!’ Jisung exclaimed slumping against a tree. ‘We won’t find him anymore.’ ‘Hate to agree, but he’s right.’ Chan sighed, stretching his sore arms. Changbin looked around, then at his friends and sighed in defeat, sitting on the ground. ‘Fuck, this so frustrating.’ he grumbled, kicking a pebble which earned him a whack on the head. ‘Don’t kick the pebble.’ Chan warned sounding like a dad, Changbin rolling his eyes at that. ‘Anyways, we should head back. We can’t do anything for this person anymore. But we can still save our asses. And I do know what I prefer between a random Stray finding us on their ground during the night, a wild animal and JYP scolding us for being out.’ The three boys nodded and resumed their walk, remembering the path home with no trouble. It was weird, they had spent around two to three weeks on this planet and its grounds were already familiar to them. ‘I think that if a Stray finds us here right now he wouldn’t jump at our throats. I mean we’ve been sleeping at their leader’s house for a week straight.’ Chan suddenly blurted out. Changbin chuckled and shrugged. ‘True. But we stayed indoors the whole time, that’s maybe why it hasn’t bother them to have humans on their grounds. That and the fact that they trust their leader’s decisions.’ Chan hummed in approval, shoulders slumping. ‘But you know…’ Jisung began, taking off his lab coat because the weather was great on this peculiar night. ‘I think that we would have been already kicked out of their grounds by now if we weren’t welcomed. If you know what I mean…’ He smirked at his two friends knowingly who just smirked back, Changbin snorting and nodding. ‘You used your one brain cell properly for once.’ ‘Shut up whipped boy.’ ‘Whipped boy?! Yah-’ he suddenly stopped in his track and looked around a bit, recognizing a familiar path. The path to the Strays’ house. And it seemed like the other two recognized it too since they stopped and smiled. ‘Didn’t expect to see it again that soon~’ Jisung singsonged, grinning happily. ‘Told you so, didn’t I?’ Changbin replied, forcefully grabbing Jisung and forcing him into a backhug. Jisung only whined harder and tried to detach himself, to no avail. Chan looked at them, clearly amused when a sharp gasp interrupted them, the three of them stilling on the spot. Oh. shit. Chan turned around, expecting the worse and already thinking of 20 ways to make himself understand, but the soft giggle that followed made him stop. ‘Chan!’ Said boy looked up startled and found a grinning but soaked Hyunjin in front of him. Huh? Said boy let go of Seungmin’s hand and hurried toward him. Chan and the rest watched the scene unfold, dumbfounded and clearly not comprehending what was happening. And with no time to blink Hyunjin was already in Chan’s arms, clutching his torso and grinning up at him like a little kid. Well, a tall little kid. It took Chan a few seconds and three blinks of the eyes to register what happened. Well… that was unexpected but definitely not unwelcomed. So he smiled back at the boy happily and answered the hug, rubbing his hair fondly. He had missed the kid. ‘Well, well, would you look at that? Doesn’t he look like a perfect dad?’ Jisung sarcastically smiled, eyes unimpressed and arms crossed, clearly judging the father-material that was the older. Changbin, looking like a copy-cat of Jisung at the moment only nodded and tsked. ‘Poor kid.’ he couldn’t help but add, Jisung snorting at that. ‘Poor kid my ass. He would legit get away with everything! I mean, have you seen Chan? He is a whipped goofball when it comes to children and cute stuffs.’ Changbin smirked. ‘And that’s how you get away with everything isn’t it?’ ‘Shut up. You’re cute too. Don’t even try to deny it with your ‘I’m dark’ shit.’ Changbin was about to reply when a throat clearing interrupted them. And suddenly they were reminded on where they where and with who they were. Changbin eye’s found Felix’s ones right away and he took in the state of the boy – puffy red eyes and soaked from head to toes. Without even trying to find out why he was in such state he strode forward, lab coat already halfway off. Felix watched in surprise as the man strode forward, eyes looking down to the muscular arms that were now on display and completely missing the look of worry in the other eyes. He hadn’t expected to stumble upon the humans, with them being back in their base and all… He honestly thought they wouldn’t meet again, at least not before a long time with them being busy with scientist stuffs and preparing for the Ordeals. Needless to say that he was confused, happy and clearly not comprehending what was happening. But in the blink an eye Changbin was already in front of him, arms draping the lab coat over his soaked kimono and eyes finally trailing up the other’s face, gaze unreadable. And Felix cursed internally. Cursed very hard because he looked like a wet Suhu right now (A/N: Oh look, your author added a new species because why not?~). ‘So first I look like a dead man and now I’m in this state? Jae, kill me, this embarrassing.’ he whined in his head, a bit flustered that his newfound friend saw him like this. Changbin settled the jacket properly and looked up. He found himself chuckling, patting the blond’s wet hair gently. Felix looked like a wet cat you threw in water. But just as those thoughts brushed his mind, his eyes found those of the blond, getting lost into their bright pupils. Felix’s eyes were truly mesmerizing, and he was sure by that point that he would never get tired of seeing them. Will there be a day when he’ll stop being mesmerized by Felix? Probably not and he, himself was aware of that and honestly getting okay with it. ‘Why are you even in this state…’ he muttered in Earthian, not realizing that Felix wouldn’t understand him but not really caring either, he mostly spoke for himself. Felix could only blink and tilt his head in confusion, subconsciously leaning into the older’s touch and consequently landing droplets of water on his forearm. And Changbin had to refrain from chuckling for the boy truly looked like a wet feline. He remembered the first time he saw Felix, sitting on a tree and shaded by the turquoise palm leafs, and the other when he saw him swiftly leap off a tree branch and kick a scientist – all these times the boy had looked like a feline, fierce, sensual, proud and regal. Like a predator. But, the funny thing was that once you get to know him he is nothing but a baby-faced sun. Changbin chuckled at that, hand stilling over the side of the blond’s face who looked at him with wide expectant eyes. ‘Yeah, you’re a baby feline.’ he hummed, watching amused as Felix furrowed his brows. ‘Cub.’ ‘‘Cub’?’He asked confused, nose cutely scrunching up as he tried the foreign word. And Changbin decided here and there that Felix was indeed a cub. ‘It’s nothing, forget it.’ he finally said in English, letting go of the boy’s face to turn around. Felix took a step back and blinked the moment Changbin let go. Now that the boy had turned around, he brought a hand where the hand had laid on his cheek and his fingers burned as a jolt of electricity brushed past his fingertips. His eyes widened and he hurriedly let go of his cheek. What in the world… And what did Changbin meant with… ‘cub’? He’d have to ask Minho. He looked up startled at the human, who was watching everyone like a lost puppy, and a sigh a relief escaped him. No one had watched them, everyone was busy doing there own stuffs – luckily, because he knew for sure that Woojin and Seungmin would have never let go of it. Chan was by Woojin’s side, to whom he had offered his coat but the boy had refused and instead handed it to a shivering Seungmin. They were now talking happily about god knows what, while Jisung, Hyunjin, Seungmin and Jeongin – who had the human’s lab coat – were talking. Or trying to with what they knew of each others’ language. On the other hand, Minho was busy talking with a few Strays they went home with. But not even a second later they left and the leader turned to them, gaze searching for the three humans. ‘Not that I’m not happy seeing you and all but,’ he began, interrupting everyone andsmiling a bit at Jisung when their eyes’ met, leaving the boy a bit flustered. ‘what are you doing here? You were supposed to be… back.’ he ended, and if Chan didn’t know better he would have thought he was a bit angry at them for leaving. But of course that couldn’t be the case. Remembering the question though the three of them looked at each other. And as their eyes met in a silent conversation one question resonated in the air: should they tell them? (A/N: My twt friends, this is where Avatar & the procrastination began aha.) ‘We…’ Jisung began, cutting the silence as his two friends looked at him worriedly and feeling Minho’sexpectant eyes on him. ‘…we saw someone entering the jungle. We got scared so we followed them but eventually lost them.’ he finally admitted, preferring to say the truth. He had no reason to lie, that would cause more troubles than anything and judging by Changbin and Chan’s appeased looks he did the right thing. ‘What did you say…’ Woojin whispered, throwing a worried glance at Minho who only shook his head. Woojin dropped his gaze and nodded, letting go of the matter. ‘Yeah, so I’m sorry, I know we are forbidden to come here at night and we planned on leaving but…’ His voice died down as he watched the amused and confused faces of the Strays. ‘What… why are you looking at me like that?’ ‘Jisung…’ Minho smiled fondly and slowly walked toward him, grass cracking under his feet. The scientist looked at him warily, and when the boy settled a hand on his shoulder he stiffened. He almost budge away but when he felt Minho’s hand twitch, getting lighter on his shoulder, hechoose to relax. Minho frozein surprise and he felt his heartbeat quicken. Jisung allowed him to… touch him? Jisung finally looked upwith a small smile, noting that the Stray’s eyes were a bit confused but he could see the happiness the held. Minho finally notice that he was staring and brushed his thumb against Jisung’s collarbone. ‘Why would you apologize?’ he finally muttered. ‘You’re welcomed on my grounds at any times. I thought you knew it.’ He let out a chuckle at Jisung’s face and said boy opened his mouth to speak but closed it right away. He looked at his two friends for help only to find them looking as clueless and surprised as he was. ‘I- but it’s-’ he stuttered finally looking back at Minho in shock and thankfully Changbin stepped in. ‘We heard that humans weren’t allowed on your grounds during night.’ he explained and Minho turned to him nodding, stepping forward. ‘Yes they aren’t.’ he began as Woojin went to his side and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Minho smiled down at his older friend who was slightly chuckling and wrapped his free arm around him in return. ‘Except if our leader allows them to.’ Woojin added, sending them a warm smile. ‘Are you saying we are allowed?’ Chan blurted out with wide eyes, looking at the leader in shock. ‘You really think I would have let you sleep at mine’s if you weren’t?’ Minho laughed out loud and so did Woojin, quickly translating what was said to the rest of the Strays who only laughed and smiled too. The three humans boy were too stunned to even react. This… this was incredible. They were the first humans who were allowed out at night after 15 years. JYP, no, everyone would be delighted to hear that. And yet none of them felt great about spreading the news to the scientific community. They were aware that most of them meant no harm, but they also knew that humans possessed greed, their past has proved it enough. They could only pray that they, themselves, won’t turn out to be greedy. Eyes meeting, a silent agreement was made between the three friends. Changbin bowed respectfully to Minho. ‘Thank you so much man.’ he looked up and Minho only smiled. ‘But we need to go back now.’ Chan nodded and stepped forward, next to Jisung. ‘Yeah, if we don’t go back when our boss wakes up we’re gonna get in serious troubles.’ he explained, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ‘But we-’ Jeongin began with a thick accent, having understood most of the Earthian words – he studied it with Minho almost everyday since the humans appeared in their lives – and stepped forward. But Seungmin gently held him back by the wrist. ‘Our boss doesn’t know we are allowed to be here. He doesn’t even know we are out at all.’ Jisung forgot to add that they didn’t want for everyone to know that they were allowed to stay outside during night, but the Strays didn’t need to know that. ‘Should we escort you back?’ Seungmin suggested in English but Minho shook his head. ‘As much as I’d like to, it’s getting late. Too late.’ he said lowly, gaze turning toward Hyunjin who was listening closely to something, ears slightly twitching. After a moment he finally turned to the rest and nodded. ‘We can not let you leave. Too danger.’ Jeongin tried to explain in a thick but cute accent and Jisung nodded but turned to his brothers who were already frowning. ‘Man, what do we do now?’ Changbin sighed, rubbing a hand tiredly against his face. Suddenly, Felix spoke up to his friends, who nodded in approval. The three humans exchanged curious looks, but Minho turned to them with a grin. ‘Maybe you could stay at ours for the night? We can escort you back at your base at glowrise.’ he suggested, gesturing to their house located not far away on their left. ‘No one would know you left.’ The three scientists exchanged a glance. Well, seemed like their return to the house in a tree would be sooner than expected. – – – – – ‘So… you and Yedam huh?’ was the first thing Jeongin heard the moment him, Hyunjin, Felix and Seungmin entered his room. (A/N: And this is where Avatar [but sadly, not the procrastination] ended. I’m proud of myself for writing that much even though the movie was still playing aha.) Jeongin chucked a random pillow at his best friend and slumped on his bed groaning, not caring that he was drenching the blue sheets in the process. ‘Shut up Hyunjin.’ he mumbled into the covers, feeling the bed dip next to him. A cold hand brushed his hair and he leaned in the touch. ‘Felix is the only considerate person in this room.’ Felix giggled and Jeongin leaned further into his hand. ‘I’m not considerate. I just want the juicy details.’ he confessed, laughing when Jeongin threw his hand away. ‘C’mon spill it already.’ Seungmin added from his spot on the ground by the large window hole where he was hugging Hyunjin’s dangling leg. Jeongin groaned and turned over, whining when his pants stuck uncomfortably around his thighs. ‘Alright. But let’s change first. Those pants are sticky as fuck.’ he complained, standing up and walking toward the large pocking tree branch where he laid all his clothes. Throwing random shirts and shorts at the other three boys, he began to take of his jacket. ‘So… what is it?’ Hyunjin finally said, throwing on a red shirt. ‘I don’t know man…’ Jeongin grumbled as he sat on the bed to shrug off his wet pants. ‘He just outstretched his hand and he looked so honest… and I just… felt like it was the right thing?’ Felix shrugged on his white sports short and sat next to him, wrapping an arm around his shivering bare shoulders. ‘But… why did you really take his hand?’ Felix asked, glancing at Seungmin and Hyunjin who were by the window hole, looking at their youngest friend with curious bright eyes. The wind swiped into the room, brushing Jeongin’s fringe, and he hugged his pillow tighter, rolling in his bed like the gracious Suhu that he was. Felix hugged himself, absentmindedly rubbing a shiny white spot on his forearm, and smiled in amusement at his younger friend. Either Jeongin had not yet realized he liked Yedam as a friend or he had but was not willing to admit it. ‘I doooon’t know-’ he whined before he was cut by Hyunjin’s snort. ‘My as- lovely butt,’ he corrected himself after Seungmin glared at him. ‘You like him.’ ‘I do.’ ‘Yes you do- what?’ Hyunjin gasped, blinking. And that’s when the hyena cackles- sorry, gracious screams erupted. ‘Oh my Jae it’s happening!’ Seungmin cried, clutching Hyunjin’s leg hysterically while Felix stared at their youngest in shock. ‘Never thought you would admit it that fast.’ he admitted with a whistle. Jeongin groaned and threw them another random pillow. ‘NOT LIKE THAT YOU YESHIHKS! I LIKE HIM AS A FRIEND!’ ‘THEN WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING!?’ ‘SHUT UP HYUNJIN-’ ‘BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!’ Seungmin’s scream interrupted the two of them and Hyunjin sat back down on the window hole sill right away. Felix watched the exchange with mirth in his eyes and chuckled to himself. ‘Whipped~’ he whispered and Hyunjin snorted at him. ‘Like you aren’t.’ he deadpanned. ‘Well at least I admit it.’ ‘Oh you do?’ Hyunjin grinned evilly, fingers absentmindedly brushing Seungmin’s damp hair. ‘Maybe you should go profess your love to human boy over there then?’ Felix rolled his eyes and leaned against the headboard. ‘I’m not in love with him Hyunie. I find him attractive and likable.’ he grinned at the other, happy when Hyunjin just huffed, but Felix knew he was just amused by the situation so he just bared his teeth to him playfully. And that’s when the mischievous him surfaced. Slowly, he peeled himself off the wall and sat next to Jeongin, eyes shining evilly. And when Jeongin saw that, he knew right away what Felix had planned and grinned evilly too. ‘Speaking of which…’ he began, delighted when Hyunjin’s shoulders tensed, recognizing the tone of his voice right away. ‘You and Seungmin seem really close these days.’ ‘Yes, the way you two jumped into each other’s arms-’ Felix added but was cut by Seungmin’s loud cough. ‘We need to huh go! See you!’ Seungmin shrieked, hastily getting up and pulling Hyunjin with him, leaving the room in less than five seconds. The door slammed behind them and Felix and Jeongin blinked at each other. ‘What?’ And with that the two of them burst out laughing. ‘Oh my Jae they are so cute.’ Jeongin giggled, slapping Felix’s arm in joy. ‘When do you think they’ll admit they like each others?’ Said boy muttered, leaning back on the bed. Jeongin laid back on the covers too with a chuckle and snuggled into Felix’s side, hands grabbing his hoodie and tucking his head under his chin. He thought back to the times Hyunjin confided in him about how things were weirdly changing with Seungmin and how he liked it. ‘Don’t know…’ he admitted in a whisper, eyes falling on the beautiful shadows cast in the room. ‘But I feel like it’s gonna be sooner than expected.’ Felix hummed, eyes falling on the starry sky outside. There were many outside tonight, some shining brightly and others dully. Some had trails of meteor dust around them, other were like bright slivers of many colors, but the most stunning ones in his opinion were the yellow and orange ones. They reminded him of the Sun. His mom had shown him pictures of it in the past and it looked so beautiful. The Glow was really pretty and he loved it, but the Sun was another part of his legacy and he loved it just as much. He could only wish to see it one day… So everytime he sees those orange and yellow star he felt a bit at home. A warmth settled in his chest and he smiled, fingers carding Jeongin’s damp locks. ‘Yeah.’ he whispered. ‘Definitely.’ – – – – – Woojin laid his free arm on the branch railing, and sighed in contentment. The ceremony had been exhausting but the sky was so beautiful tonight, he couldn’t bring himself to go sleep just yet. So here he was, leaning against the branch by their main room’s balcony, drying his hair with a towel and watching the starry sky as he bathed in the soft breeze going on tonight. ‘What are you looking at?’ a voice broke the silence. Woojin just smiled, having already heard the footsteps approach. ‘Sosoil Chan.’ ‘Sosoïl.’ Chan smiled back and settled next to him. ‘Admiring the view?’ Woojin nodded and looked up at the sky once more, towel slipping down to his shoulders, revealing soaked blond locks in the process. ‘It is b… beautiful.’ he tried, still having a hard time getting used to that word. ‘Yes it is.’ Chan agrees, crossing arms over the railings as he watched the thousands of dust specs in the sky. In front of him was a field of bioluminescent jungle, full of the infamous turquoise palm trees and salmon and indigo colored fly traps as well as many bushes and plants of shapes, seizes and colors he never saw before. It was gorgeous, and in the quietness of the night cries and noises of unknown creatures lurking into the darkness and the wind against the greenery echoed softly. He could almost hear the crashes of waves if he listened closely. It was appeasing. But tonight the most stunning thing was the sky, with millions of colorful stars shinning in it. He had only heard of it on Earth, but to actually see it was… beyond his expectations. Woojin turned to him, a bit surprised by his reveal. ‘You like the sky too? You said you like the sea.’ he wondered curiously and a bit confused, a small smile playing on his lips which made Chan chuckle. ‘Yes. Yes I do. I like…’ He turned the side to face Woojin but trailed off the moment he saw him. His skin was dotted of shiny spots like nuggets of crystal – surrounding and shading the tattoo by his collarbone – but his face was devoid of it. His pale blond curly hair were falling over his forehead, edges of locks tangling with dark eyelashes, slightly hiding the golden source of light behind it. ‘… both.’ He finished his sentence in a whisper, clearly enthralled by the older who only chuckled. ‘Me too.’ Woojin turned back to face the railing and looked at the sky. Chan snapped out of his reverie at the movement and turned to look at the sky too. ‘When I was young, I drea-dreamed of going… there.’ Woojin’s whisper echoed through the night and Chan let out a noise of surprise. ‘Really? You wanted to go on a-’ ‘Star.’ Woojin completed, smiling at Chan’s surprised expression. ‘Yes. I… thought that it was the most b-beautiful thing ever. This, all of this, is the most beautiful thing in the universe for me.’ Chan hummed in agreement. ‘It sure is. What do you call them?’ ‘What?’ ‘In Straynian, what’s the word for star?’ ‘Byul.’ Chan turned around, shock written all over his features. ‘Byul… funny, it’s the same word in Korean.’ ‘In what?’ Woojin asked confused, nose scrunching up cutely, clearly not knowing what the word ‘Korean’ meant. ‘Oh. Korean, it’s a language on Earth that some people still use.’ he explained, trying his best to be understood by the Stray. ‘Really? You say byul in Ko-korean too?’ Woojin asked bewildered. ‘Yeah. That’s unbelievable …’ Chan looked incredulous for a moment while Woojin furrowed his brows. After a while the older shook his head. ‘That’s not. How could having one same word… be so strange?’ he asked with wide bright eyes and Chan found himself speechless before the statement. ‘We have many words in our own lan-language. And you have more than one language on Earth, so… it is not surprising?’ He looked up at Chan with uncertainty in his eyes, not sure that the human would share his point of view, let alone understand him. But not even a moment later Chan broke into a huge grin. ‘You’re… right. Yes, you are.’ he laughed out loud, totally smitten by the other. He was so interesting and different from the rest. And he was always seeing the good side of the world. Chan really liked that… ‘What is your favorite byul, Chan?’ the older suddenly asked, turning back toward to face the railing. Chan chuckled and bit his tongue as he squinted his eyes, arms crossed over the branch once more. Suddenly he pointed up to the sky. ‘There. Do you see this one? The green one? We call her Orion. I’ve always loved her because she was the closest one to your planet.’ he admitted with a small smile, eyes still focused on the green star. ‘Oh.’ Woojin let out in surprise. That was unexpected. He knew Chan wanted to be a scientist because of his late aunt, but he never thought Straya 801 would meant so much to him that the closest star to it would become his favorite…. ‘What’s yours Woojin?’ he suddenly asked, excited to hear the answer. Woojin beamed and scooted over right away, their shoulders colliding with each other. ‘Hum… do you see the tiny one here?’ he asked, pointing his finger up in the sky. But the only thing Chan saw was black expenses of night sky. He frowned and got closer to Woojin, trying to reach the same point of view. ‘Where?’ he mumbled confused when he still saw nothing and Woojin went behind him to position his head properly. His cold fingers brushed against the side of Chan’s jaw, sending shivers down his spine. ‘You’re cold.’ ‘Shh… here.’ the blond simply said, as he grabbed Chan’s arm with his hand to steady himself and raised Chan’s chin, his own hooked on the boy’s right shoulder. ‘There’s is nothing here.’ Chan assured, eyes starting to sting from trying so hard. ‘Focus. I am sure human eyes can see it. Just…try.’ There was a certain despair in his voice that made Chan try harder, even though it hurt. But once more he could see nothing but oblivion of dark. ‘I-’ ‘Focus.’ Woojin’s whisper was so close to his ear that it caught him off guard and sent shivers down his spine. Ignoring the weird sensation bubbling in his chest, he tried harder, focusing on the black sky- ‘Oh.’ he gasped fingers gripping the railing and eyes wide, willing himself not to blink. ‘Do you see it? For real?’ Woojin asked, eyes wide too. The human had… seen his star? That couldn’t be…. ‘The orange one? [A/N: Oh hi hello, it’s me~]’ he grinned finally detaching his eyes from the sky and turning his head to face Woojin. There faces were inches apart, Woojin still behind him and holding onto his arms, but the two couldn’t bring themselves to care for they were so happy right now. ‘Yes!’ the eldest beamed happily, all grin. He was so happy the human saw it. ‘But how- It is almost invisible, how did you see it? Even my people have troubles to see it!’ Chan smirked confidently. Time to show off. ‘Here is my secret. It is very simple. It is only with the heart-’ ‘-that one can see rightly; What is essential is invisible to the eye.’ Woojin ended, looking at Chan with happy and amused eyes. ‘Yes… How did you know- You read that book too?! But it’s from Earth.’ he laughed out loud, not believing that Woojin knew of the old famous french book called ‘Le Petit Prince’ he just quoted as he finally detached himself from him. ‘ Felix! His mom gave it to him. When he was little, he made me read it to him every night because he could not.’ he explained and laughed in front of Chan’s confused look. ‘It was- huh, written in Earthian, but Felix only knows English.’ ‘Impossible… that’s- wow!’ Chan blurted out, completely flabbergasted. Then, he let out an incredulous and fascinate laughter. ‘Okay. You got me here, I was just trying to show off. And, yes, I understand that those word do not really work here, for your… huh… byul but…’ Woojin nodded with a kind smile. ‘Yeah. I understand what you me-meant.’ Chan offered him a grateful smile and rubbed his arms, feeling a bit cold even though the weather wasn’t that cold. ‘Do you still have the book?’ he suddenly asked, looking at a weird animal that was juggling from tree to tree not far from them. It was blue and had arms and legs; all in all it looked like a monkey and a butterfly but different. He couldn’t even explain it, but it was beautiful. ‘Yes. Do you want to see it?’ Woojin kindly offered and Chan finally detached his eyes from the creature. ‘I’d love to.’ he answered, genuinely smiling. ‘Follow me then.’ Woojin whispered, offering a hand to the human. Chan looked at the hand, and with no second thoughts, slipped his fingers between Woojin’s ones. – – – – – ‘Thanks, you know, for helping me out.’ Jisung’s voice broke the silence as he shuffled on his spot on the floor, between Minho’s legs [A/N: No. Don’t even comment on that sentence dirty-minded squad~] ‘Don’t mention it. And stop moving.’ the boy simply said, combing his fingers through Jisung’s pink locks from his spot on a stool. ‘Yeah, okay.’ Jisung conceded, stilling once again. Minho couldn’t sleep, not after the last words he had exchanged with Mark. The boy had came up to him while he was comforting a crying Felix and had simply said ‘I’m sorry, I just needed time. I still do. Goodbye Minho.’ and left with his clan. Minho was left dubious and shook and wondering what Mark meant by that. Will they ever met again? Will Mark actually show up at the Ordeals? He was wondering all of that and couldn’t wait to find out. The exaltation from meeting Mark again and receiving so much energy was slowly dying down but it was still here. So when he had walked down the corridor to grab a fruit he hadn’t expected to find the bathroom door open, nor to find Jisung actually sitting on a stool and trying to open the black hair dye Woojin had given him a few days prior. So he had stepped in, and offered to help him out before he broke something. Which the boy gladly accepted, hence why they were now in this situation and position. ‘So… you thought it would be funny to wheelchair my friends around, including a barely healed one?’ Minho asked after a moment of silence, referring to what happened a week ago, eyebrow raising even though Jisung couldn’t see him. But judging by the groan he received, Jisung had imagine full well what his face looked like. Jisung panicked and tried to justify himself. ‘It isn’t like that-’ ‘I’m offended you didn’t offer me the ride.’ Jisung blinked. Oh. So he relaxed and decided to squirm a bit to annoy the older. When he heard the annoyed ‘tsk’ he grinned and decided to try his luck. ‘Well, you decided to go shopping and be a responsible mom so~’ he singsonged, grinning evilly but groaning when Minho purposefully dug his fingers in his scalp. ‘If I was one, I would have never let you approach my kids. Sadly I’m no mother nor am I responsible.’ he sighed dramatically but when Jisung looked up, he saw his amused grin. Minho met his eyes and grabbed the side of his face with both hands, making him gasp with a ‘hey’ and swat the black dye covered hands away. ‘Says the leader.’ he mumbled grumpily trying to wipe off the black stuff from his jaw. He was sure by now that he looked like the Matchmaker from the old Earth movie called Mulan. ‘Yeah well, I mean, I am a responsible leader. But off duty I’m far from responsible.’ he explained, resuming his scalp massaging and refraining a snort when Jisung leaned in his touch. ‘Really?’ Jisung asked, the tone in his face making it clear that he didn’t believe it. ‘Yes really. Now stop moving.’ Jisung laughed and obeyed. ‘Ok… so. Not responsible huh? I need proofs.’ he demanded, eyes closing. ‘Proofs?’ Minho repeated surprised. ‘Yeah, you know, like examples or stories.’ ‘Oh. Well that’s easy.’ he giggled – he fucking giggled, Jisung was growing soft. Minho’s giggles were so soft, it was like cotton candy- what the fuck was he saying? Minho’s voice brought him out of his reverie. ‘One time we almost set our house on fire because I couldn’t cook a dish properly, and I just ran away to Woojin so he could take care of my mess.’ ‘No way.’ Jisung exclaimed, with wide eyes and mouth agape, while Minho only hummed. ‘And another time I let Felix jump race me into the jungle. He broke three limbs.’ ‘Oh lord.’ ‘Yup. But the best memory I have is when these guys made me fly Woojin’s Young Wing. Even though I have vertigo.’ His face morphed in discomfort at the memory and Jisung hissed in horror. ‘What? Why would you do that?’ he shrieked, looking at Minho like he came from another planet- oh. ‘I like the thrill.’ Minho shrugged and once again put Jisung’s head back in place. ‘Because I was used to controlling my fear of heights when jumping from cliffs or from tree to tree, I thought it would be the same. Turns out it was not, and I almost crashed into a house.’ ‘Oh my god.’ ‘Luckily Felix saved my ass because his own Young Wing scared Woojin’s one. So Luwen fl-’ ‘Luwen?’ he cut, confused. ‘That’s the name of Woojin’s Young Wing.’ Minho provided. ‘Oh.’ Jisung simply said, nodding. ‘Luwen was so scared that he turned left, and we crashed into a tree instead. It hurt, but it was fun.’ he singsonged and Jisung wondered if he was mental, before he remembered he wasn’t any better himself when he was back on Earth. ‘You.. ok, you are definitely not responsible.’ he concluded, eyes still wide and fixed on the woody wall in front of him. ‘Told you~’ ‘Oh shut it.’ he complained, rolling his eyes halfheartedly. Minho simply laughed and finally let go of his hair. ‘Ok I think we’re good. C’mon let’s go rinse your hair.’ he exclaimed, standing up and stretching his sore muscles. Man, he was growing tired. Jisung turned around in surprise. ‘Already?’ ‘Yes. Why?’ Minho stopped and raised a brow in wonder. ‘Oh, nothing, it’s just… Earth hair dye gotta rest for at least one hour.’ Minho made a face at that and walked to the door, Jisung following behind. ‘That sucks.’ he finally said. ‘Yup. A terrible waste of time if you ask me.’ ‘Yes it is. No c’mon let’s rinse it.’ Minho said with a small smile as he pushed open the door to the room where a source of water was. Jisung stared at it mesmerized, eyes trailing down the mini blue waterfall. ‘How-’ ‘Every tree has its own source of water. People bath in it, use it to drink or to clean their clothes. It has many uses.’ he provided, crouching next to the source’s border. ‘Come here.’ Jisung walked toward it and crouched down, ripped jeans allowing the cold of the floor to reach his skin and he shivered. Not knowing if he should dip in, head first or whatever, he looked up at Minho expectantly. ‘Bend over.’ he ordered, eyes rolling before the lost look Jisung was sporting. ‘Your head needs to be over the source, I’m not having black colored water on my ground.’ he explained as he took a large bowl and filled it with water. Jisung smirked but obeyed, shuddering the moment the cool blue water came in contact with his scalp and nape. He watched with curious eyes as the excess of black dye melted into the water, before the water actually trailed down his temple and pocked his eyes. The moment Minho’s cold hand came to rest on his nape, a jolt of electricity wander down his spine and he bit back a gasp. What the fuck was that? Why did it kept happening at times when Minho and him touched? His thoughts were interrupted by the carding of fingers in his tangled locks, Minho delicately undoing them. ‘It’s good.’ he finally whispered, breaking the silence. Jisung sat up, cheeks still heat up. As soon as he did, a towel was dump onto his head and he hummed to say thanks. He looked up at Minho only to see him coming forward with a wet towel. Jisung watched with confused eyes as he brought it to his jaw- oh, yes, the black dye on his jaw. The leader rubbed his skin with a carefulness that reminded him of the one when they first met properly. Minho had been so gentle when he had wiped his bloodied nose and now, here was, doing the same with his jaw. Minho finally noticed Jisung was staring at him and met his eyes. His gaze was unreadable. What was the human thinking? ‘You’re okay?’ he finally asked and Jisung tentatively nodded but he still seemed lost. So, wordlessly, Minho took the towel from his hair and dried them with the same gentleness once again. Jisung watched as his eyebrows furrowed in concentration and couldn’t help but admire the beautiful shiny eyes that Minho had. They were really gorgeous, a bit more amber than his other friends. Really pretty. ‘Done.’ He didn’t even realize that Minho had throw the towel aside and was now looking at his now black hair. ‘It suits you.’ He looked down with a smile and Jisung would have smiled back if he wasn’t already mesmerized by the shining eyes staring straight back at him. ‘Ji?’ Minho called him and suddenly, it was like all the event of the past days weighted down on him. He blinked away the tiredness in his eyes and stiffened a yawn, and suddenly he was tipping forward. Seeing that, Minho chuckled and, as Jisung’s body lulled forward, cupped his jaw to maintain his balance. His thumb was about to rub the warm, but still colder than his, skin when he felt the said jaw tighten. Actually, all of Jisung had stiffened at the touch. Oh. ‘We… we should go to bed. I’ll take the couch.’ he gulped, hand going to retract itself, wanting to stand up. He had forgotten about Jisung’s boundaries. He crossed the line too many times tonight, he shouldn’t have touched him. But Jisung held it in place, finger’s wrapping around the leader’s wrist. ‘Wait…’ He leaned into the touch a few mere seconds, enjoying the softness of his hand and the coldness of his palm. He could feel the older man’s shocked eyes on him even though he wasn’t looking. He didn’t meant to stiffen. It was just an automatism. But Minho’s touch was so gentle, he couldn’t bring himself to shy away from it. They spent so much time together anyways… it just felt wrong to put anymore barriers; he might dislike skinship but not with those he was close with. And Minho definitely fell into the last category. So instead, he grabbed Minho’s arm with his free hand to help himself up. Minho was still looking at him in shock and Jisung groaned, pulling him closer and laying his head on his shoulder tiredly. He was too tired to deal with this shit, and he bet Minho was in the same position. ‘Don’t.’ he simply said. And Minho, though surprised and a bit confused, nodded and gently pried Jisung’s fingers off of his arm to instead hold his hand in his, guiding him to his bedroom wordlessly. Jisung simply followed too tired to care. And maybe, just maybe, he could blame it on tiredness tomorrow morning if he regretted his decision. But for now, he chose not to care. – – – – – The morning came sooner than expected for everyone and slowly they began to tiredly gather by the main room. The Glow was slowly rising, casting the room in a gentle pink light. Minho, who was standing by the balcony felt a presence beside himself. Without looking, he handed his fruit shell to the intruder. ‘Slept well?’ he asked, eyes cast over the horizon. ‘Hum.’ ‘What do you want Minie?’ he sighed and the boy sighed in return, sipping the juice his friend just handed him. He didn’t want to bring that up but he knew he had to. ‘When will you tell them?’ Seungmin asked, slightly turning to face the leader as he leaned on the branch. ‘It wasn’t the right time.’ Minho rubbed his face tiredly, dark circles visible under his eyes. He knew Seungmin was referring to the Young Wings’ case. But when Jisung had asked him why they were drenched yesterday, he had brushed the matter aside, telling him it didn’t matter. He just couldn’t bring himself to tell Jisung the truth nor ask for his help, first because of the boy’s history with the creatures and second, because he didn’t want Jisung to feel like he owe them anything, be it because he saved his life or because they allowed them to stay on their grounds at night. Overall, yesterday had felt like the wrong timing. ‘You know they don’t have much time left Minho… at this rate they’ll-’ ‘I know’ Minho interrupted, finally turning to look at his best friend. ‘I actually planned on talking to their boss today.’ Seungmin sighed relieved and smiled at him. ‘I’m glad to hear it.’ he smiled, handing him back the fruit shell and embracing him quickly. ‘I’ll bring them back home now.’ ‘You do that.’ the older nodded with a smile. ‘I’ll go do my rounds. And after that you’re coming back here and we talk.’ Seungmin flustered and sputtered as Minho brushed past him, jabbing a finger at his torso. ‘T-talk?’ he squealed, following the leader inside. ‘Yeah you know, the thing where you move your mouth and emit sounds.’ he teased, earning himself a jab in the ribs. ‘No, but seriously, we are talking. I think we have to discuss of you now who.’ Seungmin groaned at Minho’s smugness and nodded against his will as he headed toward the door, the three humans already at the foot of the tree. ‘Alright, see you later Min.’ he groaned, waving behind himself as he closed the door. Minho watched him leave in amusement, and sat on the swing chair, looking at the rising Glow. Chucking down the rest of his drink, a soft smile formed on his face as he heard a soft pit-pat on his left. Soon enough, he felt a presence next to him and heard the swing crack. Not even a second later a body snuggled to his side and a head was laid in the crook of his neck. ‘What has you up so early Fe?’ he muttered, combing his fingers through the mop of blond hair. ‘Wanted to ask you something.’ he mumbled, voice still thick with sleepiness, snuggling further into Minho’s side. Said boy chuckled and nodded. ‘Can I show Changbin the sea? We are at low tides today…’ Minho hummed pensively. If the tides were indeed low today, then he didn’t see any problems. He wouldn’t want Changbin to face the mischief of Jae’s indomitable waves nor the playful and lethal creatures living in it. ‘Sure, why not.’ he approved and grinned when he felt Felix’s smile against his neck. Said boy tightened his hold on him and Minho finally looked down at him. He was grinning but there was something else in his eyes – mischief. ‘Thank you.’ he began, eyes turning into slits as his grin widened. ‘Maybe you should bring Jis- ouch!’ ‘That was for talking nonsense. Now go back to sleep.’ ‘You suck Min.’ Felix whined but obeyed, snuggling further into him. ‘But you love me.’ he singsonged, teasing the boy that was like second little brother, a small grin on his features as he fixed the horizon. Felix only hummed, half asleep again. ‘But I love you.’ he agreed, smiling sleepily at his brother. – – – – – As the Glow rose over the horizon, a woman entered an office. She bowed slightly at the man who was standing by a glass wall and sipping on a coffee. Said man nodded in acknowledgment and she raised. ‘Sir. The first attack has been led successfully. It’s only a matter of time before the birds die.’ she informed, holding onto a file. ‘Great. Very great.’ the man by the window simply said, eyes still focused on the rising horizon. ‘What’s next sir?’ the woman asked curiously. ‘For now, nothing. We have the upper hand right now as they don’t even know who exactly is after them.’ he simply answered, sipping his coffee once more. ‘It was our first warning. If they know what’s good for them, they’ll let us have things our way.’ His low laugh echoed in the office and it send shudders down her spine. ‘It shouldn’t be a problem now that they know what we can do.’ she informed, looking at the other man’s back and wondering what was going on his head. She didn’t knew much about the whole situation, she was just doing what she had been tasked with: reporting things. ‘Tsk you bet they won’t.’ he sneered into his cup. ‘Seeing how they worship those birds, they won’t try anything against us.’ ‘I’m sure of it sir. But… in case something were to go wrong, what should we do?’ she asked, curious and worried. ‘Don’t worry about that’ he simply assured. ‘I have something they can’t fight…’ ‘Sir?’ she asked confused, not having heard the last part properly. He suddenly let out a chuckle that sent shiver down her spine once more as he looked down the glass wall, toward an iron building that no one but a few had access to. ‘Nothing you can leave.’ he ordered, waving his hand dismissively, and without waiting she rushed out of the room, seriously crept out. As he heard the door slam behind her, he let out a small amused laugh. A smile on his lips, he brought the cup to them, eyes gleaming dangerously as he fixed the rising Glow. His eyes stung in the process, almost as if the huge star was defying him. But too bad, he loved a good challenge. ‘Let the fun begin.’
~~~~~~~~~>To be continued.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
‘Jisung, you really don’t have to come if you’re not ready to face them.’ Chan’s voice made Jisung froze in his track. Biting his lips, he looked down and clutched his gun close to his heart. He was terrified. JYP had asked to see them yesterday. At first they thought that it was because they were caught going out at night, but no, instead JYP had revealed to them what happened to the Young Wings. While he was shocked and saddened by the news, his fear of the creature was quick cloud his mind. And when he heard that they were close to the brink of death unless humans stepped in, he knew right away what their boss would ask of them; he would ask them to save the creatures. But he also knew that JYP wouldn’t force him to help Changbin and Chan in their task – the two having already accepted it with no second thoughts or whatsoever – and he was glad for that. But as scared as he was, he couldn’t just stand here and wait for the other two scientists to do their jobs, especially not when he was the one with the most advanced knowledge in the medicine field. He knew he could help, he had to help… fear be damned. So they spent the whole night studying Young Wings’ metabolism and finding solutions, and eventually they did. And when they woke up today, with only two hours of sleep in their systems, they had only hoped that it would work out. Now all that was left to do for him was to… calm down. He tried to reason himself by thinking that those were harmed and wouldn’t be able to hurt him. But fear is fear, and the images of the attack kept flashing in his mind. However, he knew Chan would be there, Changbin would be there, and Minho would be there… They would protect him, he knew that. And if he were to spend five years on this planet, he might as well get used to facing Young Wings without fearing them! So, here he was, Glow rising over the horizon in the quiet jungle, walking with his two friends toward the meeting point where Minho was waiting at. ‘I’ll… I’ll be fine Chan.’ he finally said, looking up and smiling at a frowning Chan. ‘You’ll help me through this, right?’ Chan’s frown vanished instantly, replaced with a reassuring smile and fond eyes, and he side-hugged his younger friend, Changbin offering him thumbs up as he played with the two full of tools suitcases they were carrying. ‘Of course I will. We will.’ he muttered against his temple, gently carding his fingers through his black hair. ‘Now c’mon, we gotta go. We have lives to save’ – – – – – ‘That would be perfect, yuhli Rosé.’ Woojin thanked the woman as he looked down at the peacock blue and gold fabric in front of him. Said woman touched her forehead and smiled as she moved to another person. Woojin looked up with a smile and found Felix by the tall window hole and marched toward him. ‘I found the perfect color.’ he declared with a smile, startling the boy, who turned from his contemplation of Luwen and Dabby playfully fighting with other Young Wings outside. He grinned widely at his older brother and toyed with the coral curtains that were flowing in the shop. ‘Did you?’ he laughed as he marched down the steps toward Woojin, grabbing a silver and lime green head ornament on the way and spinning it around his fingers. ‘What do you think of that?’ he asked showing it to his brother, who only shrugged eyeing the thin silver chains and lime green gems dangling from it. ‘Hummm… not convinced. Not with the fabric I found, at least.’ Woojin laughed at the blond’s pout and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, leading him toward where the said fabric was laying. ‘But this will suit you perfectly~’ Felix strolled toward the table, waving at two girls who were looking at fans and jewels on the way, and stopped in awe in front of it. ‘Woowie… this fabric is gorgeous!’ ‘I know right? I was sure you would love it.’ he laughed, turning to look at other exposed fabrics. ‘Rosé was convinced it was the one for you.’ He heard Felix snort and giggle as he mumbled something along the lines of ‘As expected from our local seamstress’, and resumed his search with a smirk. Rosé was indeed very talented. Rosé, a talented Stray girl who made beautiful clothes and ornaments for their clan, was the owner of this place, a very well known one among every clan at that. The shop in itself was a reflection of her; bright and luminous thanks to the many tall window holes – covered in coral flowy curtains for some – vast and high for it was built in one of the largest tree of their clan, with wooden spiral staircases set all around its inner walls to reach the upper levels of the tree and a large one situated in its center, leading to the workshop and fitting rooms. The inside walls of the tree on the other hand were painted in soft blue, casting a peaceful atmosphere all over the place and reflecting the natural light. If one were to raise their head, they would see a gorgeous dark turquoise leafs foliage up above – so thick it let no rain seep through – where many crystals, gems and flowers were dangling from. There were also soft white rugs covering the floor, tables where the seamstress’s creations were displayed on, and soft couches and love chairs for the customers to rest on, all of that casting a warm atmosphere over the place. But maybe what made the shop so magical were the gorgeous ivy and coral small flowers climbing the inside walls – reminding most people of Rosé – as well as the many tree branches that could be spotted all around, where fabrics and jewels where hanging from. All in all, the place seemed very pure and… enchanted. Very Rosé. Woojin finally reached one of the upper level and leaned against the balustrade, looking down at his brother who was talking excitedly with the two girls from before and holding onto the peacock blue fabric. He and Felix were currently looking for something to wear for the Ordeals, something that was just… them. But while Felix had seemed to find something that suited him, he himself couldn’t seem to find it just yet… ‘Something clouding your mind?’ a gentle voice interrupted his contemplation and he jumped on the spot. Turning to his left he saw a whiff of coral pink colored hair and stylish azure blue and melon yellow dress, and with that knew it was Rosé before he actually saw her face. ‘You look troubled.’ she added, gently resting her palm on his bare shoulder. ‘I’m not,’ he chuckled, as he let his eyes wander over the place, ‘it’s just that I can’t seem to find the right thing for me.’ he explained with a sigh and stretched. The Glow was barely up but his muscles were already sore. Thanks Jae, there were no training today. ‘Huuum… maybe I could help with that. You’re ridding Luwen right?’ Rosé asked with a gentle smile and started to climb another row of stairs, the melon yellow ruffle part of her short dress flowing behind her. Raising a brow, he trailed behind her, curious as to where she was leading him. ‘What are his colors again?’ ‘Yellowish green, indigo and purple- oh and my baby has striking green apple eyes too.’ Rosé smiled kindly as she stopped at the top of the stairs, and mentioned forward. Woojin obeyed and stood still as she eyed him, probably taking in his light blond curly hair and black eyes and already planning an outfit based on it and Luwen’s colors. ‘You speak of him with star in your eyes.’ she mumbled, spinning him around and trailing a hand on his back, where a constellation tattoo laid. He felt her hand still on it and heard the word ‘pretty’ escape her lips. ‘You must love him dearly.’ ‘Of course I do. He is incredible.’ he exclaimed proudly with a chuckle, and Rosé chuckled as well, finally spinning him around and walking away. He followed her as she stopped in front of a curtain, and looked at her with a questioning gaze, to which she simply answered with a grin. ‘Then you need something that makes you stand out and match with Luwen at the same time. Something you.’ she declared excitedly, pulling back the curtain just slightly to allow Woojin to peek at what was behind it. The boy came closer and curiously peeked inside. But as soon as he saw what was resting inside, his mouth dropped open. Rosé watched that unfold with pride and excitation glimmering in her eyes. ‘And I’ve got just what you need.’ – – – – – ‘Jisung-’ ‘Jisung listen to me. Jisung!’ ‘C’mon stay with us-’ The voices echoed in the back of his mind but he could barely hear it, not when all he could see were the blurry shapes of pterodactyl’s like wings and blood laying before them on the ground. His hands were shaking. Sweat was rolling off his temples. His breath was ragging. Screeches echoed in his mind. Flashes of red wings, spears and crying kid snapped before his eyes. Everything was a blur and he couldn’t breath. ‘Jisung listen to m-’ ‘Jisungie snap out of i-’ Something was grabbing his shoulders and arms. Claws. He screamed and fought it, tears rolling down his heated cheeks as he reached blindly for his gun. The claws were more frantic now and he trashed harder against the hold, trying desperately to find his gun. All he could see was red skin, claws, teeth, blood, spear- ‘Ji.’ -feather. He could see the blue and silver of the feather. And suddenly he was free again. The claws were not enclosing around him anymore, and he could finally breath. Instead, he could feel a calloused but warm hand closing around his shoulders and another one gently lifting his chin, almost as if afraid to hurt him. Feather. Breathing heavily, he blinked rapidly, trying to regain his eyesight and search for the blue and silver. He desperately needed to see it, to know it was here; and when his vision stilled and his eyes fell on it, its blue and silver hairs blowing softly in the wind, his heartbeat rate slowed down and he realized what happened. ‘Ji?’ a soft mutter echoed, coming from the person holding him, and his eyes left the comfort of the feather to search for its owner, almost instantly falling worried doe hazel eyes and blond hair. And that’s all it took for him to collapse in the other’s awaiting embrace, sobbing and clutching the strap of his black leather breastplate desperately. ‘I’m so sorry Min-Minho. I thought I was ready but seeing th-them again, and the blood, I-I…’ he couldn’t finish his sentence for another sob broke through his throat, and Minho just hold him tighter, patting his back and nodding in understanding. ‘It’s okay Ji, it’s okay.’ he reassured, soothing the boy the best he could, arms wrapping tighter around the human’s shaking body. Truth to be told, he was surprised by the outburst. While he knew that Jisung was going to show up and was sure he would completely panic the moment he saw the Young Wings, he never expected a panic attack. He thought the human, being a scientist and army boy, would handle the aftermath of the Young Wig attack quite well, but apparently he was wrong. And it must have really scared him since he wasn’t even able to recognize his two friend’s voices. But then why did he recognize his… His gaze flickered over something blue and silver falling from the boy’s neck and dangling from it. It was a necklace – he had seen every scientists of JYP’s facility carrying a gun having one – but what surprised him was the feather attached to it- his feather. Looking down in surprise at Jisung’s head, he finally understood. Wrapping a hand at the base of his nape, he rubbed a thumb comfortingly against it and lowered his head toward his ears. ‘I’m here.’ was all he simply said and he heard Jisung’s breath quiver as he relaxed and slowly detached himself from him. Jisung sniffed and wiped his eyes, nodding and offering him a small smile. ‘Thank you.’ ‘I’ll always have your back Jisung.’ he stated, smiling at his friend and pointing at his spear. Jisung followed his gaze and flushed, clearing his throat and nodding once again, Minho fighting back an amused grin. But they were all quickly brought back to the situation at hand when a pained grunt came from one of the Young Wing, sending shivers down both of their spine. Turning around, he was met with Changbin standing up with trembling bloodied hands from his crouched position by the baby Young Wing and Chan, who was working on one of the adult, rushing over the baby. When Jisung had arrived on the set and had seen the mess on the ground, he had completely panicked. His two friends had tried to bring him out of his trance but with no success. That’s when Minho stepped in, promising to take care of Jisung while they worked on the Young Wings. Reluctantly they had accepted, and all was going well so far. But judging from the situation before him, it was not the case anymore. Feeling Jisung stiffen behind him at the cry, he turned around to comfort him, but he wasn’t even halfway through the movement that Jisung was already marching toward the scene. To say he was trembling was an understatement, he was shivering so hard that he could barely put a foot before another. But the cry… it wasn’t like the ones he heard when he was under attack with the kid back then. This one was… pure pain. And Jisung, as scared as he was, couldn’t let the suffering go on any longer. Finally reaching his two friends, he put a hand on Chan’s shoulder. ‘Move.’ he ordered. Chan looked up with worry and relief, happy to see his friend back on track. Body shielding the view of the baby from Jisung, he reluctantly hand over the tools he was using to try to see what was wrong with the baby. ‘You’re sure Jisung?’ he asked and Jisung nodded, more sure than ever. Chan nodded as well after a few seconds, realizing that Jisung was their best chance and stood up. ‘Its heartbeat… after that cry Changbin couldn’t feel it… ’ Hearing that, Jisung’s eyes widened and he hurriedly pushed Chan aside, finally revealing the baby. For a moment the world stilled for Jisung and he feared that another panic attack was occurring, but no. All he could feel was shock and raw, pure sadness at the sight of fucking baby covered in blood, laying still and harmless on the ground. And at this moment he hated his own kind more than anything. Crouching down, he put his hand gently on the baby, whose size was the one of a husky dog, and tried to hear its heartbeat. ‘It’s faint but it’s here.’ he finally declared, hearing everyone sigh in relief. Proceeding in the operation, he told Chan and Changbin to go take care of the two adult Young Wings. Quickly casting a glance over the woman standing in the corner he mentioned her forward. The woman hurried over, eyes wide and crouching down by Jisung. ‘You… healer?’ he tried in Straynian, remembering what Seungmin and Hyunjin had taught him over the last weeks. The woman looked at him in shock and nodded hurriedly. ‘W-water?’ he asked, unsure he was using the good words but when she hurriedly took off with a determined look in her eyes he sighed in relief and returned to his task. The Young Wing skin was a peculiar type of skin, very hard almost like leather and he was gonna have a hard time to stitch that back together, but for now he must take care of the internal damages. Looking down on the side he saw that Changbin had successfully taken out the three bullet – three, he wanted to throw up – and prayed to whatever deity out there that he would be able to fix the mess the assholes who did that left behind. ‘Minho. I’ll need that woman’s help. Can you translate everything I say to her?’ he asked, eyes never leaving the body of the creature. Minho only came forward as an answer and when the woman came back, he did exactly what he had asked. In the end, half a day had passed when Jisung finally finished the operation, Chan and Changbin who had been done with the adult and less hurt Young Wings hours ago having moved to help him out in the end. Setting the tool he was using back in the suitcase by his side, he wiped his bloodied hands on his jeans and leaned down to caress the side of the passed out Young Wing’s head. Fingers gently scrapping against the purple scaled at the top of it’s head he took his time to admire the baby. Now cleaned of all blood, it was beautiful. It’s skin was a deep saffron color, with the edge of its wings orange. The top of its head was covered in purple scales, and Jisung couldn’t wait for it to open its eyes so he could see their color. The only flaw now was the three scars that would be left behind on its stomach, but Jisung was a positive person and he’d rather see them as sign of him being a survivor if anything. Lowering his head, he brushed his nose against the side of its beak and breathed in. ‘Thank you for staying alive and showing these monsters that haven’t win yet.’ he muttered against it, hand stilling at the base of its neck when he heard a soft screech. Looking up in wonder, he saw one of the adult Young Wing raise its head and screech again. But it wasn’t a pained or sad screech, no it sounded like… a call? ‘Mindly!’ The door of the cottage behind them burst open and a crying woman stepped out with wide eyes, followed by another one – who he recognized as the leader of the Sureki tribe, the grounds they were on, which was a miracle considering no humans had been allowed to step foot in it for years – and a boy who looked slightly younger than him. The three of them stilled in shock upon seeing the turquoise and mint Young Wing raise its head and turn it toward the three of them, golden yellow eyes setting on one of the woman. The world still for a second and if Young Wings could grin, Jisung was sure this one would. Suddenly, the trance broke, and the crying woman leaped forward, throwing herself onto the creature, arms wrapping around its neck tightly and bursting in tears, smile so wide it must hurt. She kept muttering the word ‘mindly’ over and over again and Jisung was sure by now that it was the creature’s name. Looking at them, the human felt warmth seep into his system; they looked so happy. And called him weird, but he was sure that the nature was suddenly much more brighter, much more colorful. When they had stepped into the territory, he remembered the nature feeling cold and lifeless, the total opposite of what he’d first seen when he stepped into Straya for the first time. But now? Now it was different than on day one too, but everything looked so much brighter, so much more colorful – so much more lively. A few rays of the Glow seeped through the foliage of the beautiful lilac leafs and shone down on the clearing, warming Jisung’s skin. Smiling down at the baby, he brushed the back of his hand against its head. ‘Yeah. You’ll definitely be alright.’ And it must have been his imagination, but he thought he felt its head lean into his hand. – – – – – ‘Where should I drop him?’ Minho asked, stepping into the humans’ flat, taking in the new surroundings. The door had been repaired, but they had changed furniture, the iron was gone, replaced by wood and white paint, and the predominant colors were blue and green. He hid a small smile, noting how close the colors were to the one of his own territory. The sleepy Jisung on his back hit his torso, and he had to admit that it stung – Jisung was stronger than he looked like, and if he could hit like that when half asleep then he couldn’t imagine his strength when fully in shape. ‘I’m awake idiot, just drop me onto the couch.’ Jisung whined and pointed toward the comfy looking blue couch. Minho obeyed and dropped it in it. As soon as his butt hit the seat, Jisung curled in it – not very gracefully – and almost instantly fell asleep. Minho looked down at him with an amused smile, crouching as he brushed a stray lock away from his forehead, but jumped when a hand land flat on his shoulder. ‘He’ll be fine. Thank you by the way for granting us three the right to step foot into the Sureki clan’s territory again.’ Changbin’s voice cut the air and he turned to look up at the human, only to see him shirtless and in sweatpants, a wet towel around his shoulders. He could hear water spraying down from the other room and assumed that Chan was taking a shower. ‘Don’t, it was the least CL and I could do. We are the ones who should thank you if anything.’ he admitted, ruffling his hair. Standing up to sit on a lounge chair, he took notice of the… animal? tattoo taking a good part of the scientist’s torso and raised a brow. ‘This is a Chinese dragon.’ Changbin explained as he followed Minho’s gaze. ‘It’s a legendary creature mankind made up centuries ago.’ Minho nodded in understanding and Changbin ruffled his wet hair with the towel as he sat down next to Jisung, lifting the younger’s legs in the process and putting them back on his thighs this time. Reaching out, he pushed down the collar of Jisung’s shirt and Minho tried to not flush. Instead he looked at the now exposed collarbones and was surprised to see black ink on the human’s skin. ‘We all have this dragon tattoo. Mine is here,’ he explained, letting go of the collar and pointing to his fit stomach, ‘Jisung’s is on his chest and Chan’s is on his back. It’s like a… brotherhood tattoo, I guess.’ He looked down at Jisung with a smile, and Minho, seeing the fondness in it and recognizing it as the one he held everytime he looked at his own brother, realized that moment how much the three humans meant to one another. ‘That’s nice. We have it too, me and the guys.’ he provided, gesturing to his wrist. Changbin looked at it and saw a foreign character. He looked up confused. ‘Straynian?’ he wondered, and Minho nodded and gestured to his wrist. ‘It is. It’s your S and K in our alphabet.’ ‘S and K?’ he questioned. What could those letters mean? ‘Stryul Kirhù.’ he said and Changbin looked taken aback. Minho’s voice when speaking in his mother tongue was really different from his voice when he was speaking in Earthian. It was deeper and more velvety, which surprised him greatly. Minho chuckled at his face and added, ‘in your language it means Stray Kids.’ ‘Stray kids? Why would you tattoo that?’ the human asked, confused, now leaning toward the table to grab what Minho could only assume was body lotion. ‘Stray is our species name and we were kids when we first called our brotherhood that. I guess it stayed.’ he shrugged. ‘That’s why we choose to tattoo these letters.’ ‘That’s cool.’ Changbin admitted, smiling in awe at the older boy in front of him. ‘Jisungie, Chan and I choose the dragon because it’s a symbol of strength and when we needed it…’ He trailed off and looked down at Jisung, taking his hand in his. ‘… we found it in each other.’ Minho looked at the way Changbin held Jisung’s hand and wondered if there was more than they let on. But then he remembered the human’s reactions when Felix was around and realized that that was very unlikely. ‘Do you like Felix?’ The statement caused Changbin to stammer, looking up like a dear caught in headlight. He looked at the Stray in shock, mouth opening to form words but nothing forming. ‘No- yes- mayb- I… don’t know?’ Changbin cursed when his voice came out higher than it usually does. Minho looked at the mess before him with an unimpressed face and Changbin sighed. ‘I mean… he is cute, but we barely know each other and I never went here to fall in love with someone- not that I’m opposed to it, but I mean, I’m not… ready?’ he tried, realizing himself what a mess he was. And that was exactly all Minho could think about right now, what a mess the boy was. ‘Why is that?’ Minho asked instead, not really comprehending why the human was asking himself so many questions. For Strays, those questions didn’t exist. If they liked someone they tried to make the other fall in love with them, they didn’t question their feelings or anything – they didn’t fear love. For them love was a blessing, and their approach of it was very positive. Of course, those facing heartbreaks had a hard time, but they always knew that it was because it wasn’t the right one and quickly recovered to find the right one. But any ways, they never feared their feelings. Sure at times they might get confused or afraid of risking friendships – a voice in his head brought him back to his many talks with Seungmin about Hyunjin – but in the end they turned this fear into confidence. Because, if you’re afraid of your own feelings, how do you expect to make someone fall in love with you? ‘I’m… afraid?’ Here was what Minho was expecting to hear and he almost sighed but what Changbin said next made him hold it back. ‘I’m not used to letting people in. But I decided that I wanted to let Felix in. So that’s not what I’m afraid of anymore.’ His voice died down and Minho actually felt concern when he saw the sad light in Changbin’s eyes. ‘Then what scares you?’ he said softly, the same tone he used to talk to Jeongin when he sometimes think about Donghyuck. ‘Having to leave.’ he whispered, voice breaking as he looked down at his laps. And that’s when reality hit Minho in the face. The reluctance, the confusion in each of the humans he met so far – it was because they were afraid of getting too attached and one day having to let it go. Having to go back on Earth. It was a reality that was here and a reality that was unavoidable. Changbin looked up with red eyes and a quivering smile. ‘You understand now? Why it so hard for the three of us to let you in but at the same time to not get attached too much? It is almost impossible to do so Minho. We are already liking you guys way too much.’ he chuckled dryly, fist hitting his chest. ‘Our parting in five years is already going to be unbearable. So what if I were to fall in love?’ When their eyes finally met, Minho was staring at him with an unreadable gaze. When after a few seconds he opened his mouth to speak, he couldn’t help but dread what he was to say. ‘Changbin, why don’t you take a leap of faith?’ The statement surprised him – that wasn’t what he had expected. At all. But it also confused him greatly. What did Minho meant by that? The leader seemed to have read his thoughts since he smiled gently and leaned forward, elbows resting over his black pants. ‘Would you rather spend five years here and refrain from being yourself, feeling what you really wanna feel just because you have to go back one day? Or would you rather take the chance of getting to know Felix better and maybe, let it evolve into something more, and who knows… stay here forever?’ The last statement was pronounced in a mutter but Changbin heard it clearly. Looking up with wide eyes at the leader, he followed his every moves as he moved toward the flat entrance door. Did- did he just offered Changbin the possibility of staying here… forever? The Stray pressed the button and the door slid open, the light seeping through momentarily blinding the scientist in the room and encasing Minho in a halo of golden shine. And if Minho didn’t already look like a person of strength, he surely did now. He stepped outside, but stopped in his track, still back facing him. ‘Felix’s been dying to meet you again. He even planned on taking you somewhere he’s wanted to show you since day one.’ Just as the door slide close, Minho turned his head slightly, eyes catching those of bewildered Changbin. ‘Think about it.’ Chan stepped out of the bathroom five minutes later, clueless and lost as he saw Changbin’s shocked frozen state. ‘What did I miss?’ – – – – – Almost two weeks had passe since their last encounter, both side busy with many things; the Strays were preparing for the Ordeals that would take place in a few days and the humans were getting busier too, the three of them going twice a week to meet with CL and check on the Young Wings and working with what their associates from Earth had sent them back – new data from stuffs they had themselves sent to Earth a few months ago. And that’s also when Chan decided the three of them needed a good old break. ‘C’mon guys were is your spirit?’ he whined, clutching his white lab jacket like the grown up child he was. Jisung slapped the plastic gloves off his hands and gave Chan a stern look as he brought the vial he was holding to the freezer. ‘We grew up Chan. That’s what happened.’ he stated with a shake of his head. ‘Well, then grow back down again!’ Jisung stilled at that, turning around as he slammed the freezer’s door close. ‘You did not just quot this old movie Chan.’ ‘But-’ ‘No but Bang Chan. Your obsession with old stuff from Earth has gone too far, I give up.’ he exclaimed dramatically, taking off his plastic glasses and throwing them in the room – incidentally resulting in them colliding with Changbin’s back. ‘Ooops…’ he gulped and backed away slowly. Changbin turned around, his shirt now covered in green solution. Looking up, with dark eyes and an unreadable expression, he suddenly tore off his glasses. ‘You know what? Chan’s right.’ And with that he took off his white jacket and gray shirt. ‘Jisooooos Changbinie binie~’ Jisung whistled while Chan laughed. Changbin offered them a wolfish grin and suddenly ran toward the door. ‘See y’all later losers!’ And with that he was gone. ‘And now?’ Chan asked, looking at a Jisung with hope. Jisung snorted. ‘Whatever, I’m gonna go sleep.’ And with that he exited the room, leaving a blinking Chan. ‘Jisuuuuungie wait for me-’ ‘Get the fuck away from me you fucktar-’ – – – – – Here he was. Back to where they first met. Changbin now stood in the middle of the clearing, Glow shining down the bare skin of his torso and arms, the aroma of wild flowers and damp turquoise palm trees filling his nostrils. Spreading his arms wide he let everything sink in. After two weeks of being surrounded by iron, cement and concrete, the sterile odor of the detergent invading his senses everywhere he went, being outdoor again felt so good. With no second thoughts, he let his body drop onto the tall turquoise grass, fingers grasping it firmly and eyes closing. How good did it felt. The wind brushed past the clearing and the herbs tickled his bare sides. Stiffening a giggle, he breathed in deeply and let his head drop to the side, a wild flower tickling his close eyelid. He wasn’t here for nothing. He actually wanted to come here a week after his talk with Minho. He was glad they had this talk; he was done being a coward. So, by coming here he was actually following the leader’s advice, he was taking a leap of faith and was hoping that Felix would come back here, to seek him out. He realized it was better to just let things unfold instead of trying to prevent them; it was pointless when it came to beautiful things like love. And by love, he meant it in the broad way; whether what he had with Felix – whatever it was they had – would end up in a strong friendship or more, he would let time decide of that. His internal conflict was long gone, and now all he wanted was to hug the cute- A gasp resonated in the air. Hurried steps could be heard and Changbin refrained a smile. When the light dimmed above him, he peered an eye open and grinned at Felix who was hovering above him – just like the first time. Except this time he didn’t run away. ‘Hello there.’ he softly said and Felix looked stunned for a second before he grinned widely and lowered himself, literally throwing himself at Changbin. The human huffed and settled his arms around the boy’s waist as he hugged him back. He held him close and buried his nose in his hair, breathing in his scent, the scent of… he didn’t even know what it was, it was so unique and so Straya like that he couldn’t even put words on it. Felix then mumbled something in his neck and Changbin laughed at that, the sound so loud compared to the buzzing of the pink bugs around the area. ‘Come again?’ he laughed, lowering his head back onto the grass as Felix sat up, pressing his two hands on his bare torso. Changbin blushed at that but couldn’t care any less, he was just so thrill to see the boy again. He might not have realized it before, but boy had he missed the blond Stray. ‘I said, I missed you, you Yeshihk.’ Felix finally said, voice so low – and damn it felt good to finally hear it again. ‘Ye-yeshihk?’ he tried, having already heard the word but never understanding what it meant. Felix chuckled, deep voice resonating in the area and sending shivers down Changbin’s arm. His voice was definitely a blessing as much as it was a curse. ‘It means… bastard? Idiot? Assho-’ ‘Okay, enough profanities, I get it.’ he cut the boy, sending him in a giggling fit. And that’s when he took in the younger’s state. And gulped. Well, damn, he looked good. His blond locks had darkened since last time, now a golden blond, and were flowing in the wind. His beautiful freckles were still here, standing out in his slightly tanner than before skin, and he was wearing gray ripped slims and a soft dark slate gray hoodie (A/N: At this point I keep writing gray as ‘grey’… damn fifty shades aha.). He looked really good. But what made him look even better was the dark slate gray eyeshadow sitting on his lids. It made his gaze look ten time more intense. He looked beautiful. Felix scrunched up his nose and raised a brow when he saw Changbin’s face, and said boy chuckle at that, flicking his nose. Felix whined at that and pushed his hand away, barking playfully at him (A/N: Vlive anyone?). When Changbin laughed and repeated the motion Felix hissed in warning and took hold of his hand to still it. ‘What? Gonna bite me cub?’ he taunted, raising a brow, a smirk on his lips. ‘Don’t try me human, I’m more wild than I look like.’ he said lowly, winking at the human. Pressing his hands down on Changbin’s chest – the boy huffing as Felix put all his weight on it on purpose – and stood up, hand extending to help Changbin stand up. ‘What now?’ the human asked as they both stood in the clearing hand in hand. Felix grinned down at the ground and twirled with their hands. ‘Now… I wanna show you something.’ Changbin raised Felix’s face of his free hand – god only knows where all this confidence was coming from, guess he really missed the boy – and made the younger boy look at him. Felix’s eyes were wide, clearly not having expected the sudden move. ‘Then show me.’ Felix only grinned at that and freed his hand, running toward the other side of the clearing. As he exited it, he looked back at a stunned Changbin. ‘Follow me!’ he yelled, a giggle soon following after. Snapping out of his trance, Changbin realized that Felix was way ahead of him and smirk. Bitch nope, he wasn’t gonna let the younger win this race. Taking off, he caught up with Felix pretty quickly, the both of them running and laughing through mazes of apple green spiral shaped bushes, coral fly traps, passing by some Palis on the way – which almost had the scientist stopping if it weren’t for Felix grabbing his wrist and pulling him forward. Suddenly Felix dived on the left and Changbin startled, quickly following after, hand reaching out, as he blindly exited the maze since the light was too bright for his eyes. ‘Felix wait-’ A whole expense of white sand stood before him. The beach. ‘Do you like it?’ A voice interrupted his contemplation and he jumped on the spot, turning around to see Felix. The boy was biting his lip, eyes expectant. Changbin only looked at him with pure fondness. ‘Minho told me it was fine to bring you here when the tide is low, so… yeah sorry, you can’t see the water. Do you still like it?’ ‘Felix. I love it.’ he breathed out as he turned to look around in pure awe. The place was covered in white sand, turning a darker golden shade where the water had laid before, the cliff and hills surrounding it looking right out from a fairy tale and that feeling was enhanced by the beautiful orange pink color of the sky and purple clouds as the Glow was slowly ascending in the sky. ‘I love it.’ he repeated. ‘I’m glad to hear that. Now c’mon, we need to go over there,’ he pointed toward the other side of the bitch, ‘to enjoy the show.’ ‘The show?’ Changbin questioned, wondering what the hell was Felix talking about. ‘You’ll see’ was all Felix said as he winked playfully and started to walk ahead. Changbin smirked at that, and cracked his wrist. Time for a payback. ‘Last to the other side is a Yeshihk!’ he screamed – delighted and proud of himself when he managed to say the foreign word properly – and dashed past Felix. Said boy blinked and stopped walking. But when he realized what was happening he smirked and started running, bare toe crunching the sand. ‘YAH! GET BACK HERE, YOU’RE THE YESHIHK HERE!’ he screamed at the top of his lungs, glad for his great stamina, as he chase the human, who only laughed and ran faster. But what he forgot was that, this place was Felix’s turf. Suddenly there were hands grabbing his side, and arms wrapping around his middle, his body getting carried backward and pushed down on the ground. He fell on his side – not very gracefully, let me tell you – biting the sand in the process, as a weight settled on him, making him roll on his back. Felix high pitched laugh echoed in the air as he laid on Changbin, proud of his achievement. Changbin spat sand out of his mouth and laughed too. ‘Okay cub, you got me here.’ Felix smirked down at him, the Glow shinning down on him making him look regal. ‘Of course I did, you’re on my playground human boy.’ Changbin laughed at that, accepting his defeat and ruffled his now damp and covered in sand hair as Felix rolled down, settling on his left. Now with the both of them laying on the sand, breaths steadying and Glow setting over the horizon, all felt otherworldly. Head turning sideways, he noticed that Felix had closed his eyes. His blond locks were floating in the soft breeze, revealing something shining behind his ear. Upon further inspection he realized that it was an area on Felix’s skin and that it was shining dully, a holographic shine over the white of his skin. What was that? Curiosity getting the best of him, his fingers moved of their own will and he reached for the boy’s ‘holo area’. But his moment was cut short the moment Felix snapped his eyes open and reached to cover the area behind his ear. ‘Don’t…’ he muttered, avoiding Changbin’s questioning gaze and cheeks flushing. ‘I… what’s wrong? What is it?’ he asked carefully prying they younger’s hand away from it. ‘I won’t touch it, I promise.’ Felix reluctantly gave in and cleared his throat. ‘Everyone of us has it. It’s a very sensitive part. If people touch it it can either hurt you or… arouse you.’ he admitted, blushing harder. Changbin blinked. ‘Oh.’ And with that he flushed hard too and cleared his throat. ‘Sorry, I didn’t know.’ he clarified but Felix only shook his head with a smile. ‘That’s okay. You couldn’t, it’s not something we usually tell humans about because if a conflict ever arise it could be used against us.’ ‘Wow. You must trust me a lot then to tell me this.’ he blurted out before he even realized what he was saying and didn’t even try to fight the smile that was growing on his face. Felix looked at him with a smile too, and nodded. ‘Yup. I do trust you Changbinie.’ he confirmed, letting his head fall back in place. Changbin settled his head back in place too, ayes looking up at the passing purple clouds and letting himself be rocked by the crash of the waves from afar. ‘Look.’ Felix’s voice broke the silence a few minutes later, fingers pointing the horizon. ‘It’s happening.’ Ans suddenly Changbin remembered Felix had wanted to show him something. Following the finger, his eyes found a beautiful sight; a swarm of adult Young Wings were flying up in the sky, of all colors, making it an amazing show against the orange of the sky. ‘I come here every time I can to see it. Beautiful right?’ he asked and Changbin found himself blindly reaching for the boy’s hand. Probably having heard him move, Felix’s own met his halfway, their fingers intertwining. Looking up, a content smile found its way on his lips. ‘Yeah. Beautiful.’ – – – – – The next day was a day off for the humans working at JYP’s facility since it was a day of celebration. Yes, today was the New Glow. And while they were all chilling in their flats all around the facility, Strays were running around everywhere in the jungle, making sure everything was ready for tonight. ‘Jeongin come here!’ Woojin’s voice cut the air and said boy groaned, already having enough troubles curling his hair. He stepped outside his bedroom, looking like a mess and Woojin face palmed at the sight. ‘We really need some help…’ The youngest only whined and stepped forward to hug the oldest. ‘Why can’t I just go like that!’ he mumbled but got surprised by an offended gasp. ‘And put all my efforts to waste? I don’t think so young man.’ Jeongin turned around in surprise and a wide grin suddenly appeared on his face. ‘Rosé!’ Said woman, lowered her suitcases on the ground and brushed off the imaginary wrinkled on her ruffled black and pink dress. She looked up and smiled at the two boys. ‘I’ve missed you guys. Now, let’s get this done with, I need you to look your best tonight. Especially you my little Fox~’ she winked at him and bent down to open the suitcase, revealing a frightening amount of silk, gems and leather. Jeongin noticed a silky clothe, a shade between the orange and the red and oddly enough he could bet it was meant for him. ‘Let’s get started, shall we?’ she exclaimed, clapping her gloved hands excitedly. ‘We have much to do. Let’s start with you Woojin since your makeup and hair are already done~’ Singing under her breath happily she took out a beautiful head ornament. Eyes shinning with something akin to pride, she smirked at them. ‘You guys are gonna be the kings of tonight.’ – – – – – The Glow was setting and Jisung wiped off his wet torso as he stepped out of the shower. He had worked out all afternoon long, taking this day of rest as an opportunity to keep his body in shape. Chan and Changbin had preferred to stay home, probably to read or watch a movie. So when he had stepped inside their flat, he wasn’t even surprised to see the two on the couch, eating popcorn and watching a Pixar movie. Buckling his belt, he stepped out of the bathroom, he grabbed his round glasses and leaped toward the couch. ‘Make way~’ he singsang and that was the only warning the other two got before he crashed into the couch. Chan, who was in the middle, grunted and punched his lean abs as a revenge. ‘Shut up, the good part is coming up.’ was all Changbin said as he tossed him a yellow hoodie. Changbin was himself in a pale blue hoodie and Chan was in purple one – their usual go to when they watch movies. Shrugging it on, he put his glasses on and tried to watch the movie. But not even five minutes later, Chan’s voice broke through the air. ‘Today’s the New Glow.’ he stated. ‘Yeah…’ Changbin muttered as he looked outside, where the nature was starting to shine brightly. ‘Felix was so excited yesterday.’ ‘I can see why. It seriously looks so cool. I wish we could see it.’ Jisung sighed, knowing it was fully impossible for them to go watch it. Changbin sighed too and stretched his sore legs. ‘If only we were allowed to.’ he added, sighing in contentment when his bones popped. ‘Technically we can;’ Chan suddenly said. Both Jisung and Changbin turned to him and looked at him as if he had gone mental. ‘No, but, think about it guys!’ Chan tried to reasoned, suddenly looking hyped. ‘We are allowed on neutral grounds right? And the Ordeals take place on them! We are also allowed to go out during the night. Which means that technically we could watch the Ordeals.’ Changbin and Jisung only blinked. ‘You’re right… technically we could but honestly Chan? That’s wouldn’t be wise on our behalf.’ Jisung tried to reasoned. ‘Two tribes might accept us but the other two? They would legit snap and we would run their ceremony.’ ‘That’s what we thought about Minho’s clan.’ Chan pointed out. ‘But look at us today. And in the worst case, they’ll feel us come and ask for us to leave. We can always lie and say we didn’t know it was the Ordeals night to save our asses, c’mon!’ Jisung grunted and slumped in his sit. But Changbin only grinned. ‘You’re right! Let’s go!’ Changbin exclaimed already standing up and dragging Jisung up by the hand. ‘Oh my god.’ the youngest grunt and let himself be dragged by a giggling Changbin. ‘If I die tonight I want you to know I hated you till the end.’ Chan chuckled and rolled his eyes, hand coming up to ruffle his hair as he pressed the flat’s main door open. ‘We love you too Jisungie. Now let’s go.’ – – – – – ‘Guess who?’ a voice whispered in Seungmin’s ear as hands covered his eyes, a gasp escaping his mouth. ‘Oh my god, shut up Hyun!’ he giggled and elbowed him as the slightly older boy laughed and let go of him. Sitting beside him, black and cobalt blue fighter’s outfit pooling around him, Hyunjin looked down at the copper rose and golden paste laying in the bowls next to them. A perfect match for his friend’s black and red rider’s outfit. ‘Shit, Hyun, you smeared my make up!’ Seungmin whined playfully and tried to redo the golden wing on his copper rose covered eyelid. Hyunjin watched him intently, mesmerized by the swift motion. ‘Jae, you put that stuff way better that my sister does.’ he whistled, impressed by his friend’s hidden skill. ‘That’s natural talent.’ Seungmin grinned, pretending to flap invisible long hair away. Hyunjin shook his head and handed him his own cobalt blue and black creams. ‘Then can this oh so talented person give me a hand and do this for me?’ he teased, earning himself a slap on the arm. ‘Well, who would I be if I refused to help a poor distressed soul’ he dramatically exclaimed as he open the lid. Hyunjin snorted and stuck his tongue out – shinning piercing glistening in the night – but shut up right away the moment the boy’s fingers gently grabbed his jaw. ‘Close your eyes.’ he instructed in a whisper and Hyunjin obeyed. He then felt a brush on his eyelids. ‘Cobalt suits you. Rosé was right to give you this outfit.’ Hyunjin blinked open his eyes as the brush couldn’t be felt anymore and smiled. ‘Thanks.’ he then gestured to Seungmin. ‘You too. You look good. Rosé indeed has a great taste.’ Seungmin fought back a grin as he smeared his fingers in cobalt paste. Butterflies were floating in his stomach and he needed to calm down before it get out of hands. Raising his head, he resumed his task and began to smear the past on the boy’s neck, forming tribal designs similar to his owns, and moved up to his under eyes. Using one finger he began to gently trace the thin line, taking in the mole under his eyes that made him so attractive. It was one of the thing that Hyunjin possessed that got him weak. So enthralled in his contemplation he never took notice of the boy doing the same to him. And that’s how he failed to notice the parting of his lips and the way his gaze darkened at the sight of a certain something. ‘Here we g-’ Seungmin’s voice hitched as his fingers stilled under Hyunjin’s left eye as the said boy took hold of his hand, cobalt blue creamy paste smeared on the spot. The boy’s free hand went on his cheek and he felt his skin heating up in the process, internally praying that the dim light would cover it. And when Hyunjin chuckled, eyes set on his nose, Seungmin cursed under his breath, and looked down; He had hoped the boy wouldn’t notice or mention it. ‘You remembered.’ was all he said and Seungmin snorted at that, flushing harder and rolling his eyes when the fighter’s ones refused to left his nose. ‘Of course I did Hyun.’ Hyunjin let go of his jaw and Seungmin swore he’d rarely ever seen the boy that happy. ‘You… you never wore it so I thought you forgot.’ he explained, rubbing his nape sheepishly. Seungmin sighed and went to adjust his golden septum ring, blush still dusting his cheeks. ‘I just… it’s just special for me. So I wanted to wear it on special occasion you know?’ he tried to justify himself, not wanting Hyunjin to be vexed by that. But the fighter only smiled, reaching over to brush aside a stray dark red curl, fingers lingering a bit longer than necessary. ‘I understand. It’s cute.’ Seungmin punched him in the chest at that, making the both of them laugh. ‘No, but seriously, it looks good on you.’ Seungmin looked at him with a genuine smile. ‘Thanks. I can’t believe we had them made a year ago.’ ‘Yeah me neither.’ Hyunjin admitted, toying with his tongue piercing. They had their piercings done exactly a year ago tonight, the two of them betting that if their tribe lost they would get piercings; Seungmin told Hyunjin to get his on the tongue and Hyunjin had called for the septum. And as you guessed it, their tribe lost, hence why the both of them now had piercings. While Hyunjin wore his everyday, first of all because if he didn’t the hole would disappear and second because he loved the piercing, Seungmin only wore his occasionally for big events or when he felt like it. But that was during the first tree months, then he completely stopped wearing it because of the confusion mess his feelings toward Hyunjin were and it reminded him way too much of the said boy. But now that he had accepted the situation and sorted his feelings, he thought that tonight was a good time to bring back the piercing. And seeing Hyunjin’s reaction, it was worth it. A horn blew in the air and the both of them startled. Looking at Seungmin, Hyunjin stood up and extended a hand, which the boy grabbed. Steadying himself and brushing off his pants, Seungmin looked up at the fighter with a newfound fire in his eyes, adrenaline rushing through his veins. ‘Happy New Glow Hyunie.’ he laughed, grinning wolfishly and Hyunjin smirked in return at that. ‘Happy New Glow Minie.’ he retort, fingers rubbing softly against the back of his hand. Turning their heads to the side, both of them looked over the horizon, eyes setting on the aster up in the sky, both of their gaze shining in anticipation and excitement. ‘Let the Ordeals begin.’
~~~~~~~~> To be continued.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Drum rolls, zithers, flutes, harmonicas, bells, whispers, rustles, laughs, warbling – all of that was resonating through the whole jungle the moment Jisung step a foot outside. Looking up in wonder, he held his breath at the sight before him. The jungle was shining so brightly and beautifully tonight – bushes of vibrant greens and pinks, leafs of dazzling turquoises and yellows, barks’ creases of golden tendrils, grass of beautiful blues and turquoises, little white bug like creatures flying through leafs and blue butterflies’ swarms rounding the corners – it was a wonder. ‘Worth coming out, huh?’ Chan asked, chuckling and nudging his shoulder with his own, effectively bringing him out of his reverie. Jisung closed his jaw and turned to Chan to say something but he was too much in a daze to form words. Chan simply snorted and pulled him by the arm, their bare feet crashing against the rough tarmac – a foreign sensation that they had not felt in a while, neither had missed. ‘Anyways, as I said, don’t worry Jisungie. We just have to pull our hoods up and no one will know we are humans. Woojin did told me that not everyone dress up for this ceremony, and Strays can’t smell scents. So we’re good. All we have to do is hide our eyes.’ ‘Yeah…’ he sighed, feeling a bit reassured but still scared. This ceremony was important, he didn’t want to ruin it. ‘You know the way?’ Changbin asked as they joined him a bit ahead, and as he saw him, Jisung realized that they were matching with the jungle tonight. The three of them were standing in their respective purple, soft blue and yellow hoodies – as colorful as Straya 801 was. And Jisung realized that these past months on Straya had really changed them a lot. Them, who showed up in black and dark colors at first were now sporting colorful and white outfits, and maybe, unconsciously, they had always wanted to wear colors – just like they had always wanted to fly to Straya. ‘Yeah, Hyunjin told me they would hold the ceremony on the neutral grounds.’ the oldest explained, as they resumed walking, Jisung sighing in delight the moment his feet made contact with the cool grass, toes unconsciously curling in the mud. ‘This is way better…’ he mumbled, and Changbin chuckled and nodded, shucking his hands into his pocket. ‘Yeah,’ he agreed. ‘ I hate concrete. I don’t even understand why we had to put concrete on this planet.’ ‘Because these buildings needed foundations.’ Chan provided, chuckling when a white bug came to a rest on his nose. Changbin cooed and snapped a shoot with his Polaroid, the light scaring it away. ‘Hey, Chang!’ ‘Sorry.’ he smiled sheepishly, waving the pic in his hand. ‘I needed a memory of that. We, mankind, are apparently capable of doing good stuffs with technology.’ Jisung shook his head at Changbin’s obvious disdain for their own kind and walked toward him, peeking over his shoulder. Seeing the result, he whistled, humming. ‘Yeah, photography was one hell of an invention! Wow.’ he whistled again and raised his thumbs when he saw the picture. It was beautiful, Chan’s fond expression, the shiny white creature on his nose, the bright bioluminescent nature and the darkness of the night – it would make an awesome memory. Chan simply chuckled and wrapped his two arms around their shoulders. ‘Okay, let’s make some memories then.’ he grinned, eyes closing when he heard the beautiful melody of violin like instruments in the air, felt the wind seeping through their hair and smelled the faint sweet scent of something all but Changbin got to identify. ‘Tysil…’ said boy muttered, a small smile making its way on his face as he remembered his time in the market with Minho and Woojin, when the first lady had approached him to give him food. It was his first taste of something else than drink and fruits on Straya, of a real treat and it stayed memorable. Eyes watering, he chuckled. ‘Yeah, let’s make some memories.’ Jisung and Chan only hummed in agreement and, together, they walked toward the neutral grounds. – – – – – ‘Jys sh’te mata Yul h’muntid,
Byul Myitil dareang Yul,
Staryl ily Felykia~’
Woojin’s melodious voice echoed in the air, meddling with Rosé’s own, the moment Seungmin and Hyunjin stepped into the clearing. The red head chuckled and swam through the mass of people in search for his older friend, eager to join him on the next song, and hurriedly, he turned around to beckon the man of his dreams forward, leaving his long red dresses flow behind him. Hyunjin stared at his face in a daze as he absentmindedly grabbed his friend’s outstretched hand, fingers intertwining in the process, red nails meddling with aquamarine polished ones. Seungmin was beautiful. For him, there was no other way to say it. His dark red hair paired with his fully red and copper outfit made him stand out in the crowd, made him shine. He was wearing a styled traditional Pali rider outfit composed of dark red leather pants with golden designs, and open hooded red robes embellished of two thin leather shoulder epaulettes of a darker shade of red, completely open in the back too and exposing all his backside, the two long slits on the sleeves freeing his arms completely everytime he so much as to moved them, which exposed in the process a copper twig shaped upper arm bracelet, as well as the copper colored leather fingerless gloves he wore. The two openings at the front and back of his cloak not only bared his fit torso but also the copper torso chain hugging his slightly tan frame, as well as a red large choker necklace resting against his neck and collarbones. The last jewels on him were, of course, the copper septum ring, a beautiful delicate copper forehead crown set with tiny rosegold and red colored precious stones, and a copper foot chain on his left limb with rosegold gems, all residing in harmony with the makeup and facial paint he wore that were the hues of rosegold meddling with copper into the beautiful canvas that were Seungmin’s features. Hyunjin followed him in a daze, instinctively playing with his tongue piercing. Now, he might have found himself less dazzling than Seungmin, but he was not. He was so mesmerized by his friend that he stayed completely obvious to the whispers of awestruck people that his own fighter cobalt blue and aquamarine outfit earned him as it floated gracefully behind him. A black leather shoulder pad ornamented of a menacing but regal looking silver shards shaped piece on his right shoulder and maintained by a tight strap around his muscled and tattooed chest, dark cobalt blue leather pants, slightly baggy at the thighs and tight at the calves, a silver belt with hanging chains and blue and aquamarine gems, keeping a long and heavy cloth of a beautiful deep black fabric with large turquoise and cobalt blue patterns in place by the side of his right hip, a black leather bracelet and an upper arm delicate silver one, necklaces of silver, blue and aquamarine stones sitting around his neck and falling down on his torso and paired with matching silver earrings, a silver headpiece among his curly hair with an aquamarine stone sitting on his forehead, and cobalt blue and black makeup and facial paints smeared on his face – a deity ascended on their soils, that’s what they all felt like looking at the moment their eyes fell on Hyunjin. But to Seungmin, he shone way more than that. And he let him know by pressing his palm harder into his own. And he knew, Hyunjin knew when he pressed back, firmly but tenderly, thumb rubbing his knuckles. The youngest of the two by a few months tugged him forward once more, eagerly skipping to the beat of the zithers and flutes, and humming along the two singers’ voices. Hyunjin giggled and let himself loose into the frenzy, feet hitting the ground in rhythm and body moving in harmony with those of the people around him. Two girls dancing by their side came forward, both dressed in beautiful pink and yellow flowy outfits, and playfully skidded under their linked hands before dancing away, leaving behind them trails of giggles and high pitched laughs. Seungmin shook his head in amusement and kept dancing his way around people, exchanging a few friendly greetings here and there, and shrieked in happiness the moment they reached the large protuberant tree roots on which were seated both Woojin, Rosé and three musicians. Rosé was sitting on Woojin’s left, looking gorgeous with her pink hair and long sleeveless silver slit dress. But when Hyunjin’s eyes fell on his older friend he let out a gasp. ‘Seung, is it me or Woojin really outshines everyone tonight? I always knew Rosé had a soft spot for him… but wow.’ he let out in awe, Seungmin looking no different beside him. Their older friend was sitting on the root, eyes closed and dressed in the traditional Young Wing rider fashion. The traditional silky cloak he wore was a crossover between a long silky robe and a cape for it was sleeveless on the right side, and had no sleeve nor armhole or whatsoever on the other side, the cloth being directly attached to his left wrist by a golden wrist cuff, and hanging loosely behind him, therefor exposing at least half of his tan backside and his beautiful constellation tattoo. The silky material was of a soft vibrant pear green color with threaded olive, lime, mint green and golden patterns. It was open on his torso, showcasing his define abs and a tattoo a certain human had so long longed to see by his collarbone, as well as his golden necklaces and choker. Along with it, he was sporting tight brown leather pants, with straps all around the thighs, and a golden ankle chain tied to the rings on his toes by a chain. These colors made his slightly tan complexion look heavenly and his pale blond curly hair shine even brighter. Said hair were beautifully styled and exposed one of his ear on which gorgeous earrings of gold and mint were resting; his blond locks were indeed braided on one side, the little braids holding in place a gorgeous golden carved hair brooch – its stems and arabesques holding tiny mint gems – the jewel going beyond the braids in the form of two flowy golden chains at its end, at first intertwined into said braids and then let loose behind him as if it were their extension, reaching mid back gracefully, the two mint stones at their ends resting against his muscled back. Woojin opened his golden orange covered eyelids and smiled at his two awestruck friends, still singing gracefully and probably unaware of how beautiful he looked. ‘He looks so heavenly…’ Seungmin muttered in a trance, but snapped out of it the moment he recognized the familiar melody Woojin was now chanting with another boy. Gasping, he turned to Hyunjin with a grin, slightly pulling on his hand to gain his attention – not that he had to try much. ‘Hyun!’ he exclaimed with a grin, looking up and causing his red hood to slightly fall backward and expose his burgundy curls and shiny golden hazel eyes. Hyunjin stared at them for a while before he blinked and realized which song was playing too. Their favorite song. ‘Oh Jae. C’mon Seung!’ he chuckled, leading the way toward the forming round dance, and settling in place. Soon enough, the round was full, people grabbing other here and there, and everyone started to clap their hands, body moving sideways as the circle started to move. Giggles were heard, people singing along with Woojin – Seungmin surely being one of them – and soon Hyunjin lost sight of the red boy, lost in the swarm of Strays and cheering with others happily. It was such a beautiful evening, it had been so long since he had so much fun. Clasping hands with four other people, they began to jump and Hyunjin chuckled when a young girl tripped but caught herself quite well and made them spin even faster in the end. From the corner of his eyes, as he made said little girl spin around, he saw a blur of red and orange messily twirl a bit further away from them; Jeongin and Seungmin dancing together. Hyunjin shook his head and chuckled, looking fondly at them, both their outfits flashing when put together and making them stand out. Jeongin was roughly sporting the same outfit as he himself was – brown leather shoulder pad with a strap around his torso to maintain it in place, ornamented of an imposing but regal carved fox’s face golden piece, golden necklaces, choker, earrings, foot chains and wrist cuffs adorned of orange and red gems, red leather pants and golden belt with chains ending in the same colored gems, and of course a long and heavy bunched up vivid orange cloth, with golden designs, held by it and falling down in front of him, currently flapping against the wind. Said wind was gently blowing through the chains of his golden forehead crown by the side of his face, and running through his brown locks. He was also wearing a special necklace, a thin golden choker with a chain cascading down in between his shoulder blades and ending in an orange amber stone; a gift of his older brother. But his looks wouldn’t have been complete without something unique that made him him: an orange fur tied around his left upper arm. A fox fur. Tonight, Jeongin made it clear that he was the Fox, no doubts were left possible. His younger friend burst out laughing when Seungmin tripped dancing too eagerly, beautiful golden and orange covered face morphing into a look of surprise when Seungmin pulled him down with him. Hyunjin shook his head at his two friends and brought back his attention to his partners who were now tugging him along in some sort of chain that was heading straight for the holographic stream of water on their right. Cheering along with them, he joined their dance into the water, creating a beautiful show of graceful moves and water arabesques for the people sitting on its borders. The night had only began, but it was already full of life. – – – – – ‘You idiots.’ Chan, Changbin and Jisung could only stare in surprise, frozen on their spot in the middle of the jungle. They couldn’t believe their own eyes. In front of them was a woman, standing in a dark blue and green stripped gown dress and a red cloak, a hood covering her face, seemingly looking like a Stray. But her voice… her voice was unmistakable. ‘Su… Suzy?!’ Changbin was the first one to break out of his daze, doing a double take. ‘What are you doing here?’ The woman sighed exasperatedly and pulled her hood back, revealing that she was indeed Suzy. Her elegant flowy hair were out of their usual ponytail and her face was adorned of a pretty makeup. ‘I should be the one asking you that. What are you doing outside the jungle, during night and not allowed?’ Jisung threw a panicked look at Chan, already thinking of the worst, while his two other friends only remained frozen on the spot, their leader’s mouth opening and closing but no sound coming out of it. They swore that they wouldn’t let anyone at the base find out about them being allowed to roam around freely at night after all. Jisung gulped and lowered his head. They were in so much shit. ‘Are you allowed?’ Changbin retaliated, defensively, but smirking. Suzy stared back at them with an unreadable gaze but began to frown slightly. ‘You’re… Minho allowed you on his grounds at night too, didn’t he?’ she stated more than asked, Jisung shrinking and flushing under her pointed glare. However the ‘too’ didn’t escape his ears. But why on Earth was she allowed? He thought they were the only one… did Minho hide something from them? The thought left something uncomfortable sitting at the bottom of his throat. ‘Y-yeah…’ Chan confirmed, internally cursing and rubbing his nape. What was gonna happen now? Surely she wouldn’t tell on them… Suzy eyed them a few more seconds and finally let out a sigh, waving a hand in front of her tiredly. ‘I suppose this is no mere stroll either, you’re here to watch the Ordeals, aren’t you? Follow me then.’ she instructed, walking in a narrow pathway between trees. The three boys exchanged a worried glance but decided to follow her. As they walked further into this unknown part of the jungle, Changbin couldn’t help but admire its beauty. The bioluminescent palm leafs were still turquoise but they had purple edges, and the ground was beginning to get covered in amber and purple flowers, attracting golden fireflies like creatures. ‘Suzy…’ he began, looking at his surroundings in wonder. ‘you’re not sending us back at the base, right?’ ‘No, I’m not.’ she simply answered, smiling a bit. Not even a minute later, the pathway widened and they step foot into a clearing, a small wooden house – built by hands, they could see that – in its center. Suzy walked forward, and pushed the wooden door ajar before angling her body slightly toward the three boys. ‘Come in.’ she offered them, one gloved hand inviting them to step forward. Surprisingly, Jisung was the first one to, bending slightly to pass the doorway. Changbin exchanged a wary look with Chan but shrugged and went forward too, not intending on leaving their baby brother behind. The inside of the cottage was warm looking, dark brown, caramel and red. Little candles were lightning the place and carillon bells were ringing in the air. There was one comfy looking red couch, wooden tables and flowers. It looked like one of those fairy tales fairy cottage. It held an aura of warmth but mystery. ‘It’s beautiful…’ Changbin let out, running a hand along the rough fabric of a beige plaid on the red couch. ‘Thank you.’ Suzy answered, bending to unlock an ancient looking trunk at the back of the room. ‘So, this is your… huh, secret hideout?’ Chan tried, looking at a picture in a frame by the window hole. On it were two little girls and two little boys perched on a tree, an oddly familiar wild bird resting on one of the girl’s shoulder. The picture looked worn out, as if it had been held many times and then put back into the frame. ‘You could call it that, I guess.’ she shrugged and when he turned around, Chan saw that his two friends were sitting on the couch watching Suzy deciding between two… cloaks. What was she doing? ‘Yeah this one will do… Chan come here.’ she beckoned him forward and she handed him a raisin and amethyst cloak that had silver designs. It was beautiful, it felt like it came right out of a fairy tale his mother used to read him. ‘Wear that. Shrug that hoodie off, you’ll stand out too much but keeps your pant on wild boy, we don’t want no… unwanted sight running around the jungle.’ She grimaced and waved him off, Chan chuckling at her face but obeying. She walked over Jisung and gave him a red and cedar colored one with gold designs, and a light gray and white one with silver designs to Changbin. ‘Why do you have so much.. Straynian clothes?’ Jisung suddenly blurted out as he took off his hoodie, silently asking the question that everyone was wondering: what the fuck did all of this meant. Suzy simply sighed and evened the imaginary wrinkles on her dress, sitting on the love chair by the window hole. Changbin slipped his left arm through the armhole of his cloak and peeked curiously at the woman when she looked outside in longing, fingers twirling with the small green flowers creeping inside the room. ‘I was born on Straya. My dad met my mom here, a scientist on his squad before the war.’ she waved a hand around dismissively, sparing them the details. ‘ They had me, I grew up here along with the oldest kids here, they became my friend and built me this place. When we were teenagers however, the war erupted and… well you know what happened next. I went back to being a scientist and grew up, leaving behind all of my past. But the Strays… they always allowed me to come back here even though so much happened… I was kind of an exception. And when the previous leader passed the tittle to Minho, the kid still allowed me there.’ She smiled at them, letting go of the flower she was toying with. ‘I was the only exception. Then, there was you.’ Chan, Changbin and Jisung stopped all their movements, staring at her in bewilderment. While they knew they were special, what Suzy said made them realize how special they were. It made them realized the luck they had, a luck they earned, yes, but it reminded them to never take it for granted for it could be snatched away at any times. Clearing her throat, she stood up and opened a drawer. ‘My dad has no idea this place exist… I intend it to stay this way.’ she paused, taking out a golden bracelet of the drawer and side glancing at them. ‘Just like he’ll remain obvious to your whereabouts… that is, if we can trust each other.’ Changbin squinted his eyes at her, clearly pondering over the question before he nodded. ‘Your secret is safe with us.’ he assured, accepting the jewels she was now handing them. ‘Just like yours is with me.’ she nodded, putting a necklace around Jisung’s neck. She stopped before him and smirked. ‘Nice eyeliner you got there sweet boy, but you should take off your glasses to let it shine.’ Jisung flushed and hurriedly took off his round glasses, flipping the bird to his two snickering brothers, earning himself a whack on the back of the head from the only woman in the room. ‘Beautiful. I’m sure Minho would love it.’ Changbin teased, smirking as Suzy walked to a whistling Chan. ‘Oh shut up.’ he grumbled, crossing his arms but the small smile on his lips was fooling no one. ‘He mustn’t know I’m here anyways.’ ‘That is until the ceremony ends.’ Suzy provides from where she was fixing silver paint on Chan’s face, a small smile on her lips. Said boy’s head snapped up and he gaped at her. ‘You… oh my god Suzy you’re an absolute genius!’ he exclaimed, excitedly shaking her arms. ‘Yeah, yeah I know. Now calm down wild boy and let go of me. I need to paint dark boy’s face over there.’ She walked toward him, handing the golden facial paint to Jisung – she knew the boy could put makeup on – Changbin looking slightly petrified at the sight of the black one she was now holding. ‘What? Never wore makeup before?’ she snickered, dipping her fingers into the paint and shaking her head at the boy. They, humans, were sometimes so narrow-minded. But Changbin just shook his head, allowing her to paint arabesques on his jaw and neck, down to his torso. ‘It’s not that, it’s just… will I look good?’ he suddenly asked sounding insecure, and Suzy paused in her moves, just a moment, before she barked out a laughter, raw but genuine, shaking her head at the boy. ‘Oh my, Changbin… Felix will love you, don’t worry.’ she assured, closing the lid and wiping her hands on a cloth. ‘I-’ he went to deny it but one look at Suzy’s knowing face and he shut up. The woman went in front of them, eyeing them one by one before she nodded in appraisal. ‘Good. You look like Strays now. Minus the eyes and shiny dots parts of course.’ ‘Thank you.’ Jisung said genuinely, and she grinned with a last nod and walked toward the door. ‘Suzy.’ Chan suddenly called out, making her stop in her track. ‘How do you know about Felix and Minho, and… all of that?’ Suzy chuckled and opened the main door. ‘Next time try to be less obvious in your main data. You’re lucky I’m the one supervising everyone’s data or else everyone at the base would know of your… growing affections for these boys.’ she winked and exited the house. ‘I trust you know the way to the neutral grounds so I’ll leave now. Have fun tonight and see you later.’ With that she left their sight, and the moment she was gone, Jisung shrieked, grabbing Changbin’s arm desperately. ‘Tell me she did not read our entrances.’ he asked, hood falling back lightly and revealing black curly hair and wide doe panicked eyes. But Changbin only looked constipated too, staring blankly in front of him. ‘She read it.’ Chan only chuckled and rolled his eyes, grabbing both their hands and dragging them outside, muttering an ‘idiots’ along the way. And as he began to hear the beautiful music again, he couldn’t help but wonder what would happen tonight. He couldn’t wait. – – – – – On the other side of the neutral grounds, a zither player and a tambourine one were sitting on a grass and blue flower filled ground, playing music for the people dancing, chatting, eating and drinking around them. But contrary to the music played on the other side of the bank, theirs was more mellow and calming. Some Palis were also there, roaming freely among the Strays, and so were a few Young Wings that had been called early by their riders, eating berries from the trees. Felix was among them, dancing and waving his hips to the beat of the tambourines, his pale pink chestnut and dark indigo covered eyes close and lips parted, the purple gem on his lower one shinning as he hummed a soft tune. He was looking like a nymph and an elf, a mix of purity and sensuality, and unaware to him, many were staring. His outfit was close to the one of his older brother, a long wide open dark silky purple kimono-robe crossover with twigs patterns of a darker shade of purple. One of his sleeve was a long loose one and there was no armhole or whatsoever on the other side, the fabric being directly linked to his wrist with a silver cuff, exposing his muscled but lean back and one of his pale arm covered of a silver upper arm twig shaped bracelet. The open robes also exposed his lean torso and the tattoo by his collarbone, as well as a bellybutton piecing – a dark purple gem encased in silver borders, an intricate silver part dangling down from it – and a silver choker. His fit legs were tucked into black leather pants maintained by a silver belt with chains on his hips, a black silver ribbon tied all around the left leg, down to his his foot where a silver foot chain with chestnut slivers lied. To finish the look, an elf-like crown rested on his blond curls, set with chestnut precious stones and silver chains hanging from it tickling his cheeks. He was enthralling. And many actually stopped their activities just to watch the beautiful creature dance around the wild flowers, his beautiful movements trailed by the purple blur of his robes as he twirled to the rhythm of the vocalists’ voices. (A/N: I don’t know the term used but they aren’t singing actual words, it’s ‘ahh’s and ‘ohh’s type of singing, like those you would hear in instrumental ost.) He was so lost into his own dance that he didn’t realize that his coat was slipping off his arm. That was until arms wrapped around him from behind. Felix’s eyes snapped open and he froze but relaxed immediately when he heard a very familiar chuckle, and he was brought closer to a chest, a chin hooking itself on his shoulder and a hand bringing up his robes. ‘I already told you many times to dress properly Lix.’ the person tsked but the smile was evident on his face. Felix turned around in his hold and punched his chest, his own melodious laugh echoing in the animated jungle. ‘Thank Jae I have you then, Woowie~’ he singsonged, hugging his brother tightly. ‘Is it time?’ Woojin leaned back a little and nodded, looking around a bit. ‘Yeah. Minho is on his way to give the opening speech. Have you seen other leaders?’ ‘Only CL. Ong told me Suhyun would not show up this year again, but I don’t know about Mark…’ he trailed off, remembering the dyed hair he was sporting during the moment they prayed a few weeks ago, and wondered if he did it because he was planning on showing up or if he simply wanted a hair dye. Woojin nodded and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. ‘Alright, let’s go to the Grand Tree, it should begin soon.’ As they walked away, three new faces entered the area, easily blending into the swarms of Strays, courtesy of Suzy’s ‘makeover’. ‘Oh my god Chan, look at that!’ Jisung exclaimed in a whisper, so as to not be heard speaking Earthian by the Strays around them, and pointing a table filled with mouth watering treats. True to Suzy’s words, some were not dressed up but they still stuck out like sore thumbs, and it wasn’t what they had wanted, so they were very grateful of Suzy’s help. Chan chuckled, dragging him toward the crowd and lowering his raisin hood. ‘Yeah it looks wonderful. Changbin is already grabbing us some. C’mon, let’s follow the crowd, I think something is about to happen.’ he grinned, slightly dancing to the singer’s song as they passed by the tree branch she was sitting on, singing lullabies to the kids around her. He did not speak Straynian well yet, but he could comprehend the overall song. It was about reaching a star no matter the obstacles; probably a song encouraging them to achieve their dreams no matter what. Chan smiled. He wished someone had sang to songs to his childhood self back on Earth. ‘Guys, taste that! It’s the Tysils I was talking about!’ Changbin whispered excitedly as he reached them, handing them two little spongy looking cakes with a green four petaled flower sitting on top of each. ‘It’s seriously so amazing, you need to try it.’ Jisung giggled and took a bite, and immediately he beamed. ‘This is soooo good.’ Chan took a bite but frowned. ‘Eh, not my taste actually. Here, finish it.’ he offered, giving his cake to an offended looking Changbin and opting to try a drink instead. ‘You have no taste man.’ he stated, mouth full, earning himself disapproving glare from their younger friend. ‘I was the one who redecorate our whole place, and I didn’t see you complaining so shut up.’ he counterattacked, smirking at Changbin’s pout. Suddenly, a small two legged creature with two arms, a blue duvet, small fluffy pointy ears, a long tail and big doe eyes climbed on Changbin’s arm, making him freeze on the spot. But when the short creature hugged his arm tightly and let out a small hiss, exposing its sharp row of teeth Changbin let out a shriek, willing it to go away from his arm. Chan hurriedly hushed him but laughed, shaking his head at Changbin’s panicked and helpless face when he turned to him. However, the animal only hugged his arm tighter, nuzzling its head onto his tensed arm. ‘I think it likes you.’ Jisung teased, looking at the sight with an amused face and wide eyes. Chan hummed and looked around, seeing other people with the same animal on them, although of different colors. ‘Yeah, they seem like very clingy creatures. Don’t worry, it’s normal.’ He quickly glanced at the small creature, still nuzzling his friend’s arm and now purring. ‘It’s actually kind of cute.’ he pointed out, Changbin following his gaze. And his gaze immediately softened when he saw the animal cuddling his forearm. ‘Yeah, it is.’ he admitted. But then the creature looked up at him innocently and rubbed its sharp teeth against his skin, up and down. ‘Oh my god, it’s going to eat me.’ Jisung laughed and caressed the creature’s head who only leaned into his touch. ‘Good boy.’ he grinned and Changbin punched his arms. ‘Yah.’ ‘Oh c’mon, look around you, they obviously love to scrap their teeth on people. I think it’s the way it communicates their affection.’ Jisung informed, beaming at the small creature when it nipped at Chan’s outstretched finger. ‘Ow~’ Chan cooed and Changbin looked at them in despair. ‘Seriously… C’mon let’s go, the people are all over there.’ he sighed, as they began to walk toward the crowd, curious as to what was happening. And if Chan and Jisung noticed the way Changbin brought his forearm to his torso and unconsciously put his other hand against the blue ball of fur’s head, to cage it against it securely, they said nothing. – – – – – Jeongin played with Midnight’s tail, watching over it as per his brother’s instructions while he got ready to deliver his speech. He looked at the beautiful night sky with a smile, finding it beautiful with all these colorful stars and the bioluminescent trees’ foliage partly hiding it. Midnight flicked his tail at his face, and Jeongin lightly hit his black stripped side with a giggle. It might be arrogant but just like Minho, it loved him. Midnight actually tolerated very few people, hence why Jeongin was tasked with watching after him, so that it wouldn’t scare people off. Just like Minho’s presence, Jeongin’s calmed him – though, he was obviously less effective than his older brother. Suddenly, a Pali similar to the one by his side, save for the eyes – instead of Midnight’s red ones, it had lilac ones – stroll toward them, its rider clad in short sleeved black and golden robes that were open but held by a large leather black belt on his stomach, black leather pants with golden patterns, fingerless black leather gloves with golden chains on them, a golden foot chains, golden upper arm bracelets and a wide golden choker. He couldn’t see his face yet for the hood was covering it, but when he ascended his Pali, Jeongin noticed that the back of his robes was crisscrossed, shoving off his slightly tan muscled back, making Jeongin almost drool at the… attractive figure. But when he brought back his eyes to the half hidden face of the man, now coming to a stop in front of him, he gasped. He would recognize that smug grin among thousands. ‘Yedam.’ He said it in a breath since he was in a daze because, yes, he was attractive, but right now he looked… well let’s say it, regal, hot, perfect, you named it. And that made Jeongin feel a bit self conscious and insecure about his own looks. He knew he was looking good, but Yedam looked ten time better. But his doubts faded right away when Yedam lowered his hood, revealing a gorgeous hair crown of silver and yellow gems and pretty earrings, a warm grin gracing his black and golden covered features. ‘You’re beautiful.’ Jeongin flushed bet red, as red as his pants. ‘What the fuck Yeshihk.’ he muttered, looking away and avoiding Midnight’s eyes too. ‘I mean it.’ Yedam insisted and Jeongin just nodded thankfully, still too embarrassed. He hated Yedam’s boldness. With all his being. Yedam chuckled and brushed his own Pali’s mane as he he nodded toward Midnight. ‘Your brother’s?’ Jeongin gulped and nodded, reaching out to cradle its snout in his hand. ‘Yeah. He’s Midnight. Yours?’ Yedam turned to look fondly at his beast. ‘He’s Chittaprr.’ Jeongin tried to pronounce the name but ultimately failed, making Yedam chuckle. ‘My brother named him for fun the first day we clicked, but… it kinda stayed.’ he explained with a shrug and a bright smile, Jeongin smiling slightly too at the backstory. ‘He is beautiful.’ he let out, offering a genuine smile to Yedam. Said boy looked at him in surprise for a mere moment but then beamed and hugged his partner’s neck fondly. And all Jeongin could think of was the word cute. ‘He is. The most handsome of them all.’ ‘Hey, Midnight is.’ he corrected playfully, smiling at Yedam who only fake gasped. Jeongin chuckled and turned to Midnight, fondly playing with its mane. ‘Speaking of Palis…’ the younger boy’s voice broke the silence. Yedam hesitated for a second, biting his lips, and for once, looking unsure. But he leaped closer and Jeongin widened his eyes, ready to crawl back. But Yedam was surprisingly faster, and, with determined movements and gaze, he crouched before him, took hold of Jeongin’s left arm and let a crooked smirk form on his lips. Ah, there was the straight-forward bold Yedam he knew. ‘Root for me.’ Jeongin shrieked and pulled his arm back, out of his grasp, and clutch it to his chest, evident flush on his cheeks. Just like you don’t hold hands with everybody during a prayer, you don’t ask anybody to root for you. Now, Jeongin had plenty of time to ponder over his feelings and categorize them as growing attraction. But Yedam feeling the same had seemed so unlikely… His heart missed a beat. ‘You wish.’ he let out, thinking his words where gonna ignite Yedam’s teasing. ‘Yeah. Yeah I do in fact wish for you to.’ he uttered out, tilting his head to the side with raised eyebrows, eyes never leaving Jeongin’s face. Of course Yedam was gonna say that, he was straight forward and bold. And honestly Jeongin felt like combusting. ‘I… my brother is competing too. I wouldn’t go against my clan.’ he said instead, voice little and looking down the floor, trying not to let his flustered state show too much. Yedam nodded, actually accepting this answer. ‘Hmm… then, if I win would you spend a whole day with me?’ Jeongin blinked at the ground. ‘What?’ he blurted out, not believing he heard right. ‘That’s ridiculous.’ He picked at a flower and hugged his knees closer. ‘You’re gonna lose anyways.’ This last sentence was made to make Yedam give up. But of course luck wouldn’t be on his side at the moment – it was never on his side when it involved Yedam. Instead, fingers were suddenly gently took hold of his chin and raised it. Jeongin flushed and open his mouth, but nothing came out, and instead he made to shove the fingers away but Yedam suddenly leaned in and his breath started to fan on his lips and Jeongin was reduce to a silent mess, hand lowering. ‘Well, if you’re so sure about that, there’s no harm in making the bet.’ he stated, grinning, proud of himself eyes never leaving Jeongin’s. Jeongin groaned and shoved him away. Closing his eyes, he breathed in, already regretting his choice. ‘C’mon Jeongin, believe in your brother.’ he mumbled with a huff. He straightened and looked up at a now standing and chuckling Yedam. ‘Okay fine.’ Yedam only grinned and nodded, going back on Chittaprr’s back. ‘See you later then. When I’ve won.’ He winked – he dared to wink – and Jeongin scoffed, flipping him the bird. But the moment he went out of sight, Jeongin jumped on the spot and cried out, falling on his back, and turned to look at Midnight. ‘I’m such an idiot.’ Midnight only neighed. ‘Oh shut up. Don’t think I didn’t see you looking Chrittopur.’ Jeongin snorted, throwing a nasty glare at the unfazed beast. ‘And Minho still thinks you’re pinning for females. Unbelievable.’ – – – – – A pair of foot entered the neutral grounds, their steps quiet as they curled their toes in the grass, relishing into the cold sensation brought by it and their golden foot chain. The zithers all came to a stop and everyone quieted down, letting the man dress in blue step forward. He strode through the parting crowd confidently, his sleeveless robes of white, sky blue and night blue flapping behind him, partially hiding a large night blue metal choker and held in place only by a large black leather belt at the waist. His face was hidden by a hood falling over his eyes but anyone could recognize his cat-like signature proud smile. Jisung raised on his tiptoes to see what was happening but to no avail. Trying again, he fell back on his heals when he saw the beauty that laid before his bare eyes. He grabbed the hem of Chan’s cloak in shock. ‘It’s beautiful, isn’t it?’ Chan whispered with a chuckle, eyes not leaving the scenery laying before their bare eyes. In front of them was a beautiful round marble platform, with a railing covered in long plants that attracted the golden fireflies like creatures. It was surrounded by a small stream of holographic water, and behind it was a huge tree with a large purple foliage. And in said foliage were small creatures similar to the one currently latching onto Changbin’s arm. ‘Guess we find your family, little one…’ Changbin chuckled, brushing the creature’s crane with the back of his fingers. The little blue puff only bared his teeth and nipped at his skin. ‘Oh no, not again.’ ‘Better get used to it soon, Chang binie binie~’ Jisung chimed, looking at the pair with amused but fond eyes. Of course, his eyes were quickly drawn back to the hooded figure not even a moment after, and soon his eyes fell on a figure clad in blue and white. ‘Oh god.’ He gasped and gulped, grasping Chan’s sleeve tighter. He was way too aware of who hid behind this outfit. The man, standing in night blue leather pants and beautiful sleeveless robes, arms muscled flexed to the most as he crossed his arms over his chest, was looking regal and powerful on the stage. Jisung couldn’t keep his eyes off him. He was… beautiful. ‘Try not to drool.’ ‘Shut up Changbin.’ But Jisung oh so desperately wanted to see that face – he wanted to know what Minho truly was when he was not behaving around humans, he wanted to know the real Minho. Blushing at his own thoughts, he lowered his head onto Changbin’s shoulder and waited for what would follow. But never once did his eyes left the older boy. However, as he brought a turquoise leaf full of a pink beverage to his lips, a woman dressed in green and black robes and leather pants, sporting a silver crown on hair braided hair, came forward and laid a gorgeous and tall black, with orange and purple gems in the shape of flowers, colored staff over the railing, effectively breaking his trance. He recognized her, she was the leader of the Sureki clan. Then, a man with dark blond hair – almost hazelnut – clad in a strange but amazing looking navy blue, purple and black outfit (A/N: similar to the one of Woojin & Felix) stepped up, igniting a gasp among the assembly. ‘What’s happening?’ muttered Changbin, looking around discreetly. But soon whispers followed among most of the Strays, and, surprisingly, they were cheerful. And not even a minute after, yells were heard – something like a guttural repeated high pitched screech. The Strays were cheering. Jisung brought back his attention to the man. He knew this man was a leader since he was on the platform. Suddenly, Minho’s words echoed in his head. This boy was his deceased brother’s best friend, Mark. And Minho did say that he never showed up at events. ‘So that explains it…’ he muttered under his breath, earning himself a curious look from Changbin. Jisung just shook his head and focused back on the scene, fingers absentmindedly stroking the small creature’s head. Mark grinned and put the tip of his fingers over his forehead – a gesture the humans knew to be of greeting – and turned around to face the other two leaders. Though he overly looked exhausted, Jisung noted that his eyes held a spark of life. Something Minho had told him he thought the other had lost. Guess tonight was indeed full of surprises. And when Jisung focused back on Minho, shock was written all over said boy’s features. He was frozen, eyes set on the blond boy. ‘Stop looking like a zombie and hug him, idiot.’ he muttered, shaking his head fondly at his friend. Only then did he notice that the Trashee leader’s hood had fallen from his hair, revealing gorgeous blond hair – with two long strands tied together at the back of his head in a ponytail by two golden chains whose ends were feathers he knew all too well – and a crown similar to the ones of the other two leaders, except his was golden and covered in black gems. It stood out in his outfit but in a good way. ‘Don’t drool over him too much Ji~’ he heard a voice he knew all too well taunt him once more, and he jabbed his side. ‘Shut up Chang, you’ll be no better when you see Felix.’ he hissed and Changbin moaned in pain, holding his side. Remember? Soft as a rabbit but strong as a buffalo. ‘Well at least I don’t pretend the contrary.’ he growled with a smirk, covering when Jisung threatened to hit him. However, Chan was quick to calm them down, looking around in worry. ‘Careful. There are still some Strays resenting us, humans, here and they mustn’t find out about us. Let’s just… keep it low key and enjoy the party, yeah?’ he offered, a strained smile on lips. Jisung could see the worry in his eyes and he softened immediately. As always his older brother was worried for them. He reached over and patted his shoulder. ‘We will don’t worry.’ he reassured and squeezed it comfortingly. ‘Now, loosen up and enjoy the party. You look like you’ve got a broom stick up your ass. Woojin wouldn’t like that~’ Changbin’s snort was quick to follow, and so was Chan’s scoff. ‘Shut up and listen to Minho.’ he ordered, turning around with a huff. Jisung rolled his eyes but grinned, feeling victorious. ‘Nah. I don’t understand shit.’ he shrugged but turned around nonetheless. ‘Then look and drool.’ The smack Chan received on his shoulder would definitely left a mark tomorrow. Yet, he regretted nothing. – Minho leaned on the side of the tree, waiting for Mark to end his speech. He was taken aback. He had hoped that Mark would show up. He really had. And he knew Jeongin had hoped too. But with what happened over the years, they had no guarantee he would actually show up. But he did. ‘What’s up your mind?’ Minho startled and grabbed the tree to steady himself. ‘Jae, Mark you scared me.’ Mark chuckled a bit and walked down the rocks serving as stairs, coming to a stop in front of the older. ‘You always startle for nothing.’ he pointed out with a small grin, arms crossing loosely over his chest. ‘You’re right.’ Minho chuckled, nodding in agreement. It was silent for a while, the both of them not knowing what to say. ‘So… you’re competing today.’ Minho stated, gesturing to the younger’s outfit. Mark looked down at himself and nodded. ‘Yeah.’ he said lamely, rubbing his nape sheepishly. ‘So are you. You are, right?’ Minho chuckled. Mark was still the same awkward teen even after all these years. If his brother was still there, he would have made fun of it. And probably try to kiss him after it. ‘Yeah.’ his voice broke and he frowned, coughing to hide his embarrassment. Why the fuck did his voice choose this moment to break? Mark laughed at that, the same good old laugh he used to let out when he played with Hyuck. ‘Oh my Jae!’ he clutched his stomach, still laughing. Minho raised a brow. Was his voice breaking this funny? ‘I missed you.’ It was out before he could control it. Mark stopped laughing and moving all together, looking up with wide owl eyes. ‘You… you did?’ his voice was small, and his shiny eyes were now rimmed in pale red. ‘Mark?’ Minho questioned in worry, seeing that the younger’s eyes were now wet and Mark stumbled for words but the first thing that came out was a sob. ‘Oh Jae, man. Can’t believe this is happening to me.’ he exclaimed, trying to laugh it off while cursing under his breath and looking up to ease the tears in his eyes. When he calmed down, Minho could only look at him in shock. Why in the world was Mark crying? Seeing his look of confusion and surprise, Mark gulped and rubbed his nap. ‘I… I thought you wouldn’t miss me after all these years of me ignoring you.’ he explained truthfully and Minho’s eyes could only widen more. ‘Mark, me and Jeongin were beaming when we first saw you again, why would you say that? You said it yourself, you needed time, and we understood that.’ he concluded, giving the younger boy an understanding smile. Mark could only grin back. ‘I missed you too man.’ And with that, Minho laughed and stepped forward, taking Mark into a one arm embrace. It wasn’t much, pats on the shoulder, heads nuzzling the other’s neck and arms wrapped tight around one another. Mark joined him, their voices resonating in the air and with that, they stepped back. Minho looked at him with a small smile and gestured behind him with his head. ‘There’s someone else who wants to see you.’ Mark turned around, and a smile crept on his face right away. ‘Oh my Jae, Innie, man I missed you! Wow, you’ve grown up so much.’ he exclaimed with a grin, wrapping his arms around Jeongin in a short hug. If their was one thing they both shared as kids, it was their disdain for forced skinship. But they wouldn’t say no to people they were comfortable with. Guess it’s still the same. Stepping back, Jeongin offered one of his widest grins. ‘I missed you too. Ready for tonight?’ the youngest of them all wondered, putting back one of his necklaces in place. ‘More than ever. Man, it’s my first Ordeal ever, I can’t wait!’ Mark whooped, wrapping his arms around the siblings. ‘It’s also ours.’ Minho nodded and Mark turned to him in surprise. ‘Really?’ ‘Yeah, we wanted to wait till everyone of us was of age.’ Jeongin explained, and at Mark’s confused face he added, ‘Our family I mean. I can’t wait for you to meet all of them.’ Minho eyed Mark’s face in worry at the mention of the word ‘family’ but all he saw was Mark’s smile. He couldn’t help but smile too. ‘I can’t wait.’ the Yui leader admitted, looking at the both hopefully. ‘Then, how about tonight?’ Minho offered, chuckling when the two beamed at his answer. ‘Felix is gonna be so thrilled to meet you-’ Jeongin began but cut himself, looking at his brother in worry. Minho understood and stopped walking, startling Mark, who looked at them in confusion. ‘Mark… Felix is half-human.’ Minho explained, straight forward as always. There was no point in coating it with sugar, he wanted Mark’s real reaction. ‘Oh.’ Mark deadpanned. Minho and Jeongin frowned. What did ‘oh’ meant? But then, Mark looked up in confusion. ‘Is that all you had to say? No because I thought you were gonna tell me that he is… I don’t know, your Suhu pet or that he had a third ear- which is totally fine by the way, I mean I have nothing against people having three ears, it’s cool- yeah, and I’m rambling again.’ He made a face, looking mid-conflicted mid-constipated and Minho and Jeongin burst out laughing. ‘Oh my god you didn’t change.’ Jeongin wheezed. ‘Thanks… I guess?’ he grinned, looking at the two, still a bit confused. ‘We thought you wouldn’t be at ease with him since he’s…’ Minho began his explanation, stopping midway when Mark nodded in understanding. ‘Half human.’ Mark concluded. He gave them a look, and sighed. ‘Yeah, I hated humans for a while. But with the years… If there’s one thing I learned, is that “it is madness to hate all roses because you got scratched with one thorn.”’
The siblings could only smile, a warmth settling in their hearts. They were so afraid, but now they were not anymore.
Suddenly,
Jeongin looked at Minho in surprise.
‘Hey, isn’t that from the Earth book Woojin used to read to Felix and me?’ he wondered outloud, making Mark and Minho chuckle. ‘The book wasn’t always Woojin’s, you know?’ Minho provided as he nudged his side playfully. ‘It belonged to the school humans built here in the past. Mark and Haechan would sit for hours and listen diligently to the woman reading the book.’
Mark smiled in reminiscence at the ground and
J
eongin hummed, still looking stunned.
‘Felix’s mom was the scientist who read it to you Mark.’ Minho added and Mark gaped at him. ‘But when she passed away, Felix inherited of the book, and from there it became Woojin’s.’ ‘Oh, that explains a lot.’ Jeongin and Mark said at the same time, and they looked up at each other, stunned, before bursting out laughing. ‘Anyways…’ Mark said after regaining his breath, looking up at the two with a soft and warm smile. ‘I’ll be more than happy to meet Felix.’
He wrapped his arms around both their shoulders again and resumed walking.
Jeongin and Minho glanced at each other, their eyes conveying all they felt. Happiness, contentment, peace, and more. They didn’t need words. And when Mark glanced at the both of them, they too, even after all these years, didn’t need words.
‘Jeongin. Where is Midnight?’ ‘He is-’
A kid crying interrupted him. Their eyes widened.
‘Oh Jae.’ – – – – – ‘Why is everyone running around?’ Changbin asked. The three leaders had finished their speech around ten minutes ago, and from Chan understood, the winning tribe would get the beautiful staff; what power it held, that they didn’t know. They would have to ask Minho later. And now, everyone was running off to god knows where, all of them sitting in the shinny turquoise trees or staying on ground level, but they were seemingly leaving a path clear. And Chan realized that it was probably for the first Ordeal of the night. ‘C’mon guys, let’s just follow them.’ he whispered as he urged the other two forward. ‘Let’s go as far as we can, this will be where the finish line is.’ And with that they began running along with other Strays through the bioluminescent jungle, not knowing where they were going. And when the three of them turned to look at each other, a hand holding their hood in place, they broke into a giggle fit. God, the thrill- they never felt so alive. As they run further into its depth, Changbin thought that these salmon pink and indigo blue fly traps looked oddly familiar. And when he looked up and so the other Strays turning left he slowed down. ‘Slow down guys, I think I know where they are going.’ he calmly stated, slowing down considerably to walk. Jisung and Chan stopped their running too and looked at him curiously. ‘The finish line is the beach.’ ‘How would you know?’ Chan wondered, pushing away a huge leaf from a bush. ‘Because this is the pathway Felix led me through the day he brought me there. I don’t think this is the way they will use, but I do think the finish line is by the beach.’ he explained, Jisung nodding in understanding. But cries- no screeches suddenly resonated in the air. Screeches he knew too well and still gave him shivers. When they looked up, they saw some colorful Young Wings in the sky, stationing, with their riders settled on their back. The best spot to follow the whole game. ‘Wow…’ Chan let out, looking in wonder at the show up above. The colorful creatures and their riders dressed in colorful outfits blended perfectly with the stars in the night sky. ‘Do you think we could settle on a tree during the game? Or do you guys want to stay on the sand?’ Changbin asked when they pushed their ways out of the maze of bushes, a wide expense of white sand greeting them, followed by one of holographic water. ‘Wow.’ the words left Jisung’s mouth before he could control them. He brought a hand to his mouth, eyes watering. He remembered his firsts days here, the day he saved the young girl he saw the beach from his perch on the tree. He dreamed of it so dearly, so finally seeing it, it was like… like a dream come true. He dug his toes into the warm sand, groaning in delight. He just wanted to collapse in it to be honest. ‘Happy?’ Chan asked, and he could hear the smile in his voice. ‘Very.’ Changbin chuckled and patted his shoulder. ‘I take it that you’ll stay on the beach then?’ when Jisung only hummed, he shook his head in amusement and turned to Chan. ‘You?’ he mouthed and Chan gestured to the trees. Changbin nodded and side hugged Jisung. ‘We’ll be in the trees. Let’s meet up here at the end of the game okay?’ Jisung nodded and answered the hug quickly, giving one to Chan too. When the two left, he quickly joined the people by the shore. Sitting down, he brought his hood closer to his face, very careful to not let his face show. As he discreetly looked around, he couldn’t help but stare longingly at the sea. He wished he could just go and dip a hand in it, to feel it for the first time. But he knew he couldn’t just yet because he would stand out. Pouting in frustration, he looked at the other people instead. He felt a bit weird among all of them to be honest, with their shiny eyes and dotted skins. He should have felt out of place, really. But he didn’t. Odd, maybe, but when he saw those smiles, those glimmers in their eyes, the eagerness and excitement in their moves and voices and the love, he knew with that that they were no different. No matter their physical differences, they were the same inside. He smiled and turned to face forward again. That’s what mattered. Bright eyes met his own. ‘Oh my Jae.’ he exclaimed, shrieking and falling back on his palms, already panicking. He was caught. Shit. Was he gonna die now? Would the ceremony be a fiasco because of him? Oh god he should have went with Chan and Changbin. Is it too late to throw himself into water and drown himself? But familiar giggles met his ears. Jisung blinked. Once, then twice. ‘Jeonginie?’ he uttered out, eyes wide in surprise as he sat up. Jeongin chuckled and brought a hand forward, lowering Jisung’s hood to hide his eyes. ‘Sosoïl.’ he greeted, and Jisung squealed and threw his arms around him. ‘Oh my Jae I missed you. How are you? You look so strong, what in the world.’ he blurted out, happily shaking Jeongin’s arms as he gave him a once over. Damn did he look good. He suddenly looks so… wild, so far from his usual cute self. Jisung would have fallen for him if he wasn’t already interested in his bro- wait, what? Jisung shook his head at his own thoughts, and focused on Jeongin again. But the younger was staring at him in shock. ‘What?’ he asked worriedly. ‘You spoke our language.’ Jeongin whispered, indeed, in Straynian. And Jisung finally realized that they spoke in said language all along. ‘Wow.’ was all he could say, blushing in embarrassment and laughing it off. ‘I’m sorry I must speak really bad.’ he laughed awkwardly but Jeongin quickly shook his head. ‘No, no, no! You speak really well! How come?’ he assured in surprise, curious. ‘Well… I studied a bit.’ he grinned sheepishly, happy that his efforts paid off; when he said earlier that he didn’t understand Minho’s speech, that was a lie. If he wanted, he could have focused and understand most of it. ‘I’m so impressed! Don’t worry, no one will guess you’re human with those skills, just hide your eyes.’ Jeongin grinned, winking and he no longer looked like the wild boy from earlier, but rather his usual cute self. ‘Thank Jae.’ he breathed out but cooed right away. ‘Oh my Jae, you’re so cute.’ Jeongin snorted with a smirk. ‘Yeah, we’ll see if you still think that later on.’ he said under his breath. Jisung heard hi but choose not to question it, preferring instead to ask the question that’s been sitting at the back of his mind for a while now. ‘But how did you find me then?’ ‘Well, I’ve known you for long enough to recognize you.’ he laughed, gesturing at his cloak. ‘This outfit won’t hide the way your posture.’ he laughed. Jisung shook his head and laughed too. ‘Are you going to root for Min?’ the younger suddenly wondered, looking behind himself at the forest borders with a malicious smile. Jisung looked up with wide eyes. ‘It’s Minho’s Ordeal?!’ Jeongin just laughed at him and smirked. ‘Yup. Pali’s ridding is always the first Ordeal.’ he provided, waving a hand dismissively. ‘So, are you gonna root for him?’ Of course. ‘Hmm… we’ll see~’ he singsonged, sticking his tongue out playfully and Jeongin laughed at his antics. ‘You’re funny hyung.’ he chuckled, using the word Chan has taught him to refer to Jisung. Shaking his head, he stood up and brushed his red leather pants. ‘I’ll go sit with Felix and Woojin in the tree over here. Wanna join us?’ Jisung looked at his outstretched hand. A smile made its way on his lips. He grabbed the hand. ‘I’d love too. But can we grab two other people first?’ Jeongin’s eyes lit up and he tugged the human toward the jungle with a huge smile. – – – – – ‘Hey there beauty.’ Seungmin greeted his partner, nuzzling her face lovingly. ‘How can you always be so calm Fayre.’ he wondered out loud, always amazed at her calmness and composure. ‘Why? You’re stressed?’ a voice asked behind him and he turned around to see a kid around his age dressed in black and gold. He knew this face, Jeongin had daydreamed of him enough for Seungmin to draw his portrait with closed eyes. ‘Hi Yedam.’ he greeted, returning the younger’s smile. ‘To answer your question, no I’m not stressed but I’m thrilled. I can’t wait for it to begin. I mean, we’re all here to have fun aren’t we?’ Yedam’s smile turned into a grin. ‘Yeah.’ he agreed, stroking his own Pali’s mane. ‘But I gotta admit that I really wanna win.’ Seungmin raised a brow and leaned against Fayre’s side. ‘And why is that?’ Yedam chuckled and hugged his Pali’s neck, looking up at the older with a glint in his eyes that Seungmin knew all too well – it was the one that Hyunjin’s eyes held at the beginning of the year, when all of that was knew. ‘I made a bet. Let’s say that I’m more than eager to win it.’ Seungmin smirked. ‘Why do I feel like it involves a… certain Jeongin?’ he teased and Yedam hid his blushing face into the beast’s neck. ‘I…’ he began but his shoulders slumped. It was subtle, but Seungmin noticed it right away. ‘I need to win. I feel like this is the only way I can… get close to him?’ Seungmin instantly softened. ‘Oh Yedam…’ he muttered, looking at the younger fondly. He went forward and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, surprised when Yedam leaned into his embrace and clutched his read robes lightly. Sometimes he forget that beneath the straight-forward and bold Yedam Jeongin described them lies a young boy. A young boy probably faced with way too many insecurities and way too many responsibility. And while he may like his place inside his tribe, Seungmin knew that it could get too much at times. After all, his own best friend, his other half, was a leader himself. ‘You have nothing to worry about. Trust me when I say you can get close to Jeongin without the help of a bet. Your name left his mouth at least twice a day, so when I say he wanna get close to you, I mean it.’ Yedam looks up hopefully. ‘Really?’ he asked timidly, a small smile creeping up his lips.* Seungmin nudge his side playfully, wincing when his bare elbow made contact with the rough leather of the younger’s belt. ‘Yes Yedamie. No matter the outcome, you’ll get close.’ he let go of the younger and put his own forehead crown back in place. ‘Now, enjoy your night okay?’ Yedam smirked and leaned against his partner. And here. Yedam’s usual self was back. ‘Okay.’ he glanced at the older with a lopsided grin. ‘But me and Mills are still gonna win.’ Seungmin snorted. ‘Who’s that? Your horse?’ Yedam let out a franc laugh, head thrown back. ‘Oh Jae no. Mills is my partner, the other rider of our tribe. This guy here is Chittaprr.’ Seungmin blinked at the name. ‘Chitta- what?’ ‘Is that my name I hear?’ The two turned to the side to face the newcomer and Yedam let out a thrilled yell. ‘Ten!’ he ran toward him and embraced him. Ten made a face but wrapped his arms around him nevertheless. ‘Yeah, yeah I know I’m awesome and all, and you missed me. Anything new?’ Yedam snorted but didn’t let go, and Ten finally laughed and smiled genuinely, ruffling the younger’s hair. ‘Do your best, yeah? Mills is already waiting on the start line.’ ‘Aren’t you supposed to root for your own clan?’ Yedam teased his brother and Ten just whacked the back of his head. ‘Gumka, I root for who I want.’ he retorted, tucking his chin over his brother’s head. ‘He’ll be good for Jeongin.’ ‘Oh my Jae, fuck you Minho you scared me!’ he scowled, shoving him on the ground. Minho only giggled in response, brushing his navy blue leather pants as he stood up. Seungmin sighed and helped him up, nodding as he looked at the siblings. ‘Yeah, they’ll be perfect for each other. They just need to realize it.’ Minho hummed and returned back to Midnight. Seungmin suddenly bit his lip and looked down. ‘Say Min…’ Minho stopped everything right away, recognizing the tone in the younger’s voice all too well. He turned around and, without any words, grabbed his best friend’s forearm, tugging him forward. Seungmin sighed when Minho wrapped his arms around him, and rested his head against his chest. ‘Thanks. I needed that.’ Minho only hugged him tighter. ‘Any times. You know you don’t have to ask.’ Seungmin felt the need to snort at that. ‘Yeah, so you can put your hands on your hips, look at me with your judgmental infamous bitch face and sass me with your what a crybaby? All while your span of a sibling cackles in the back? No, thank you.’ Minho laughed frankly at that, admitting his defeat and his best friend joined him. ‘C’mon let’s go to the start line.’ he announced, slowly letting go of the taller but Seungmin brought a hand around the base of his nape, cold fingers and warm leather hitting his cool skin, and he looked up in surprise. Seungmin brought their forehead together and grinned. ‘If we win, I’ll do it.’ he declared. And Minho could have gasped, probably should have. But he didn’t. He simply returned his smile and nuzzled their nose together, both of their eyes closing. ‘Then we better win.’ Seungmin giggled and hugged him tightly once more, Minho patting his shoulder. ‘I’m glad you support me.’ Minho scoffed. ‘I should be offended that you think that. First of all, I’m your best friend. Second of all, I approve of Hyunjin. So of course I’ll support you, you Yeshihk.’ He let go, and Seungmin climbed on Fayre, laughing at Minho’s offended face. ‘Like, the guys and I are basically shipping you both since birth.’ he declared, while climbing on Midnight’s back too. Seungmin gave him a face. ‘Okay, maybe not since birth but you know what I mean Minie.’ he conceded with a smile and Seungmin giggled, nodding as Fayre started to stroll forward, his red cloak floating in the wind and contrasting a lot against the soft but vibrant colors of the blue grass and the turquoise palms. ‘Yeah, I know.’ Minho looked at him from behind with a proud smile. He was genuinely happy for his best friend. Seungmin deserved it. From being the incredible person he was, to simply being, well, a person, he deserved this. Chuckling, he whispered in Midnight’s ear to go forward, and joined his beast friend’s side on the starting line. Tonight would be promising. – ‘Hiya c’mon Fayre, faster my beauty!’ Seungmin yelled as he and his Pali dashed through the jungle in a red and white blur, yellow cloth tightly wrapped around his gloved hand. It felt like déjà vu. It reminded him of the training day where he and Minho felt young and careless once again. The thought brought a smile on his smile and he laughed outloud, probably sounding like a mad man to the riders he overtook. Holding onto his hood, he flashed his pearly whites to a rider on his right, the girl scoffing and ushering her own Pali to go faster. But Seungmin only cackled and Fayre, like the composed but competitive Pali she was, only neighed and galloped faster, easily overtaking her rival. Seungmin laughed and finally spotted Midnight and Minho. Whistling, he grabbed Minho’s attention and waved the yellow cloth forward happily. The leader rolled his eyes but grabbed the cloth and took off with Midnight as Seungmin hoisted himself up the tree, Fayre moving to another path to reach their meeting point. ‘You know, you didn’t have to whistle Min, I could hear your maniac laugh all the way from here.’ he laughed, amused and Seungmin only cackled louder as he ran above him. ‘C’mon Midnight, show them what you’ve got.’ he whispered in his Pali’s ear. You see, like Seungmin once said, Midnight was the most arrogant prick of his whole litter. But thankfully for the both of them, he was just as arrogant as fast. Midnight was one of the fastest Pali’s on Straya. And thank Jae that Seungmin was a fast runner because even he himself couldn’t keep up with him. Soon, he heard Seungmin’s quick footstep above him, the bark slightly cracking under his feet, and he heard Fayre’s strong breath on their left. It was time. Minho gently patted his black Pali’s side and gently but swiftly stood up on Midnight’s back. Closing his eyes, he let himself bathed into the wind, enjoying the gentle flapping of his blue and white cloak and the chains in his ponytail, the aroma of fresh grass and exotic fruits, the constant raising of Midnight’s back, and put up his hand. With that, he jumped. Cold fingers met his own. ‘You know, you’re the one who made me realize that Hyunjin was more to me than a friend.’ Minho landed on a branch, crunching a leave under his left foot. ‘I did?’ he wondered, taking off to the left. Seungmin and Fayre rod under him, so he allowed himself to look down at them. Seungmin was crouched on Fayre’s back, ready to jump any time now. Minho accelerated. ‘Yeah. Remember that talk we had in your bedroom?’ the younger asked, and Minho leaned down, reaching a hand out, hoisting Seungmin up on the branch while he jumped down, straight on Midnight’s back. ‘We have a lot of talks in my bedroom.’ the leader pointed out, raising a finger up. He couldn’t see his best friend from above but he knew he was rolling his eyes. That made him grin. ‘Yeah, thanks for pointing that out Min, really.’ he deadpanned, ducking to avoid a tree branch. ‘I was referring to the specific one we had about me realizing what I wanted.’ ‘Oh, that. Well if that specific talk did make me your matchmaker, I’m more than glad.’ he said smugly, and, yes, he knew Seungmin knew he was smirking. That might explain the fruit shell that was thrown at his head. ‘Hey!’ he shout, holding onto his hood as he looked up. The only thing he saw was a blur of red through brown tree branches, and in an instant Seungmin was gone. Minho sighed and smiled, gently patting Midnight’s flank with his palm to make him hurry. Soon, he could form out the shapes of rocks and waterfalls hidden behind trees and creepers. ‘C’mon man, we’re almost there. Just a little faster.’ he whispered in the ear of his partner, the male only neighing and picking up the pace in answer. Minho grinned and rose his hand in the air, and automatically fingers intertwined with his own. Legs letting go of Midnight’s sides, he was hauled upward by a strong pair of arms. ‘Took you long enough slowpoke.’ his best friend huffed out with a laugh, letting go of him. Landing on his knees, Minho flipped him the bird with a laugh, and breathed out. ‘Gumka Minie.’ he chuckled, knowing his friend was only joking around. After all, he had the fastest Pali out there. Finally, he looked up with a nod. ‘Ready?’ he asked, standing up and walking to grab a creeper. Seungmin moved by his side and wrapped one around his left hand, and glanced up at him with a small smirk. ‘Always.’ he grinned, and with that they bumped fists. Stepping back, they both looked at each others with huge grins, and dashed forward. ‘WOOOHOOO!!!’ Feet dangling in the air, they hugged the creeper closed to themselves with an even bigger smile. Beneath them the torrent was ragging and the crash of waves against sharp boulders should have scared them. But it didn’t. Instead they turned to one another, their pearly white flashing in the night, almost as bright as their shiny eyes, encased respectively in their frame of rosegold & copper and night blue and gold. Their hands let go of their creepers and met halfway. ‘Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiihiiiiiiiiiii!’ Seungmin let out as they free fell into the void above the cliff, Minho soon joining him, their forms just a mere blur of blue and red in the night. Closing their eyes, they landed perfectly onto the tree branch. Seungmin open his eyes and hummed the air. Jae, he never felt so alive. Just like the good old times. He glanced at Minho on his right and the older smirked at him, offering him a hand to stand up. Seungmin grabbed it and stood up too. The leader brought his hands around his red hood and put it over his head once more, fingers fiddling around the edges. ‘Min?’ the red haired boy questioned, looking at his best friend in wonder. Minho only smiled, full of teeth, and offered him a fist. ‘Let’s win.’ he declared, and Seungmin bumped his fist, a laughter erupting out of him as he nodded. And with that, they took off again, seeing Midnight and Fayre waiting at the bottom of the tree. Looking at each other once more, they smirked and jumped. Minho grabbed Midnight’s neck tight and asked him to hurry. He had a mission to accomplish and that was to ensure his best friend’s happiness! Grinning once more, he glanced at his best friend who was riding beside him, as always crouched on Fayre – his unique way of ridding Fayre would always fascinate him – and he lowered himself down to Midnight’s ear. ‘Hurry Midnight, we have a mission to accomplish.’ he whispered and Midnight only neighed, going faster. But suddenly, a black Pali and a white one appeared on their right, one man clad in purple and white, the other in black and gold. Minho glanced at them. Yedam. Minho looked at him, stunned. The younger boy had a straight face, jaw set and eyes determined. He was standing proud on his beast, almost merging with it, as they rod in harmony. He looked leader-like. ‘Good for Jeongin…’ he felt himself thinking once more and shook his head. He couldn’t let stray thoughts led him away from his goal. Shaking his head, he frowned as he realized that Midnight had slowed down, almost galloping in rhythm with Yedam’s horse. Seungmin laughed beside him and cast him a glance. ‘Tell Midnight something about showing off in front of Yedam’s Pali.’ Minho turned to him with an outraged face. ‘Pardon me?’ he scoffed. ‘Why would I do that? And why would he need to show off to a male?’ Seungmin groaned but deep down he was laughing his ass off. ‘Because he is obviously into males Minho!’ Usually Seungmin would have laughed at his friends distraught face but right now was not the time. ‘I mean, have you seen him slow down or turn his head as often as that for a girl? No. He is into him.’ Minho looked in front of him blankly. ‘Oh Jae.’ he whispered as he leaned down and cuddled Midnight’s neck. ‘I’m so sorry for not realizing it sooner and daring to think you liked an ugly Pa li like Fayre.’ Seungmin gasped and looked for something to throw at his best friend. When he failed, he turned and pointed him. ‘Fayre is perfect and beautiful, you blind Yeshihk!’ he screamed, waving his arms around furiously, but when he looked ahead and saw that Yedam and his teammate were now in front of them, he became serious once more. ‘Okay. Now is not the time to debate on our Pali’s love affairs, sexuality and qualities. We have a game to win, Min.’ Minho sat up and when he saw that too, he reached a hand out. Seungmin got the message automatically and reached out too, part the yellow cloth in his hand now waving in the air. Minho gripped it, and sat straight. Time to stop stop playing around. ‘Midnight.’ he said loud and clear. ‘Show them what you’ve got.’ All of sudden, the wind slapped their faces harder and Seungmin tightened his hold on the yellow cloth harder. Midnight was leading the way at full speed, Fayre keeping up really well. Seungmin leaned down and whispered words of encouragement in her ears, proud of her. As he wrapped his free arm around her neck, he couldn’t help but grin at Yedam and his friend’s stunned faces the moment they overtook them. He laughed out loud, waving a hand behind himself at the two other teens, and soon he could see a bright light at the front. The arrival line. Grinning he turned to Minho, only to see him already smiling at him. ‘We did it.’ he mouthed, Minho giggling and mouthing the words back with a nod. With that, they finally looked forward, and only then did they notice the cheers of the Strays up in the trees and the people waiting by the arrival line. Pinkies intertwining over the yellow cloth, they crossed the arrival line. They won. The Trashee clan won the first Ordeal. ‘We did it.’
~~~~~~> To be continued…
(Part 2 coming later this week)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Straya’s moon was at its peak when cheers erupted all over the beach, everyone thrilled and greeting Minho and Seungmin, the happy winners of the first Ordeal with throws of holographic water and bioluminescent flower petals. The Trashee clan was thrilled, it’d been so long since one of their clan won something at the New Glow’s Ordeals. The other contestants were also greeted very warmly, hugs and cheers still being shared. Yet, one remained a bit set back, worrying his lower lip as he patted his Pali’s neck in praise. ‘C’mon, I’ll be fine Chittaprr, go back.’ he promised, swatting his side with a laugh when he neighed in protest. ‘C’mon, Mills is waiting for me.’ he laughed, finally hugging him goodbye. He watched him trot away on the sand, his Pali going for a quick dip in the water as he always loved to do. Chittaprr has always been caring, always watching over him in one way or another, and as Yedam grew up he repaid him in tenfold, watching over him and making sure he never overworked himself – when they had clicked, Yedam had only been a child of eight but Chittaprr had already been a teen, yet, against all odd, their chemistry worked and was unmatched in his tribe. In the end Chittaprr was like a long companion, a brother he loved dearly. ‘Something’s on your mind Panther?’ Yedam started and searched for the voice, only to find legs clad in red leather dangling in front of him. Raising his head he was met with a grinning Jeongin seated on a tree branch. Oh, just who he wanted to see after his loss. ‘No, nothing, just thinking of good old times.’ he chuckled and started to walk, ducking past his legs. ‘Congrats by the way, you know, for winning the bet.’ he said as he walked toward the other Strays, hugging some of them as they congratulated him. As he let go of one of the few grandmas of his clan he heard a thump behind himself and quick footsteps. Raising an eyebrow, he made to turn around, but as soon as he did fingers grazed the skin of his wrist. Shivers ran up his arm. A gasp was heard and the fingers froze midway. Yedam looked at them with wide eyes, mouth half open in surprise. Muttering a quiet ‘what’ under his breath, he looked up at the frozen boy in front of him whose arm was still hanging midair and whose face was flushed beet red. ‘Jeong… in?’ he muttered in confusion, frankly not understanding why the boy made to stop him. But Jeongin kept staring into space, completely frozen. ‘Is there… something you need to… tell me?’ Even uttering those words seemed unbelievable. Yedam always thought he would be the one getting asked the question, not the other way around. And uttering those words seemed to work because Jeongin parted his lips (he was still staring into space but that was an improvement), slowly articulating the next words: ‘I…don’t know.’ Okay, so the boy was confused too. Yedam sighed and touched his own wrist with a smile. ‘It’s okay, no big deal. You should go find-’ ‘Actually, no, I have something to say.’ Jeongin raised his eyes to meet his, finally freed of whatever trance he was in, and Yedam raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms, waiting for the boy to speak for he was truly surprised by Jeongin’s sudden burst of confidence – not that he minded, far from it actually. ‘Just…’ Jeongin breathed in and balled his hands. ‘If I win the Ordeal, spend a day with me.’ To say that Yedam stopped breathing would be an understatement. Yedam stopped breathing. Jeongin, seeing the lack of reaction and life in his friend, was quick to blush up to the tips of his ears and, mortified, began fleeing the scene, desperately searching for everyone but Hyunjin and Minho. Fingers wrapped around his wrist. Shivers, stronger than the one from earlier crept up his arm. Oh please, finish him off already. Wiggling on the spot, he closed his eyes and turned around to face the boy. ‘Can we skip the teasing?’ he mumbled, chewing on his lips, still closing his eyes tightly. The lack of answers made him groan internally. He knew for a fact that Yedam wanted to hang out with him, and it thrilled him, but he wasn’t quite ready for the teasing to come. So, he breathed in and braced himself for Yedam’s straightforwardness. But none of it came, and he was instead met with the softest words and voice he’s ever heard the younger boy produce… ‘I’ll root for you Jeongin.’ The fingers left his skin and Jeongin fluttered his eyes open, a soft hue of pink on his cheekbones. But Yedam was gone. Honestly, up until now everyone believed Jeongin would win his Ordeal, save for him. Now, Jeongin knew he would win. He wanted to win. – – – – – Jisung watched as half of the Straynian population walked toward the seashore and started to walk ahead, where to fewer Strays were. His feet dug into the cold sand and he could not help but to bath into the cool caress of the wind and the sweet and salty scent of the seashore. He saw the first Ordeal, he could not believe it. And Minho… Minho had won. It was incredible, the man had looked so enchanting, so regal, with his blue and white cloak flowing in the wind as he stood proud and tall on Midnight. It was a sight to be seen. He wanted to congratulate him. As he walked forward, hoping to make his way through the mass of people, a hand curled around his red and cedar cloak’s sleeve. ‘Jisung, c’mon we need go now! Otherwise we have no chance see the second Ordeal.’ Hyunjin said in broken Earthian and tugged Jisung toward the shore. The scientist looked back and caught a glimpse of blond locks. ‘But-’ he protested but his friend tugged him forward still. ‘Later. Minho you’ll see soon. C’mon.’ Jisung sighed and complied, knowing there was no way of escaping Hyunjin’s death-like grip. The boy brought him to the shore, where he rejoiced with the rest of the team safe for Minho and Seungmin who were too busy getting congratulated. ‘Didn’t you want to congratulate Seungmin?’ Jeongin asked as they came closer, Hyunjin looping an arm around him as he shook his head and muttered a ‘later’ and Jisung moving closer to Changbin and the blue ball of fluff in his arm. ‘He’s still with you?’ he asked as he stared at the blue creature and Changbin petted its head. ‘Yeah, didn’t want to let go of my arm.’ he explained with a quick laugh. ‘Jeongin told Chan it’s called a ‘Fyr’. He is a child one.’ Jisung nodded and turned back to the creature, watching it scrap its teeth on Changbin’s arm in fascination. ‘He is… kinda cute.’ he admitted, tentatively bringing two fingers to its head and petting it. The creature leaned into the touch, slightly purring, but never let go of Changbin. ‘I think it really does like you.’ Changbin shrugged in a fake attempt to appear cool. ‘Well, who knows, I might bring it home with me.’ Jisung raised a brow and Changbin shook his head. ‘Oh god, no, poor creature, I can’t even begin to think of how dull Earth would seem compared to here.’ Jisung hummed with a chuckle as he too turned around to watch the horizon. This planet was truly beautiful. The two boys watched as its inhabitants all stood on the beach, laughing and talking animatedly, some dancing, others playing with the water – and what a magnificent water it was with its bright holographic freckles and sweet salty scent. The wind was gently slipping through bioluminescent palm trees, moving some grains of sand along the way, and it scent a calm wave of peace through the human boys as both stared at the colorful starry night sky. ‘Yeah, dull…’ Jisung whispered. ‘I don’t wanna go home Changbin.’ His whisper was so quiet he wasn’t sure the older boy would have picked it up, but he did and with it intertwined their fingers. ‘Let’s not think about it today, okay? For tonight, let’s enjoy the moment.’ Jisung, albeit reluctantly, sighed and agreed. Changbin was right, he shouldn’t be thinking of all of that now. He smiled and squeezed his brother’s hand. ‘You’re right.’ Changbin offered him a smile and let go of his hand. The he looked around in wonder. ‘Chan’s not back?’ Jisung looked around too and finally noticed that Chan was missing. ‘Oh yeah. Where did he go?’ ‘He said he’d go with with Woojin, sent him off for his Ordeal.’ ‘Oh. Oh.’ Jisung deadpanned, a little voice at the back of his head silently laughing. He smirked at Changbin who smirked back and began to march toward Hyunjin when the boy beckoned them forward. ‘So I take it that the next ordeal is Young Wing related?’ ‘Yup.’ Changbin answered, smiling knowingly at Jeongin when the boy met his eyes. When Jeongin came to him earlier, just after the Pali Ordeal had ended, his cheeks had been red like fire and clutching his wrist. And he was not stupid, he could identify something related to love, and this? It definitely was. He would just have to ask Hyunjin who it was when another time. ‘So… what’s now?’ Jisung asked the two Strays in perfect Straynian – surprising the heck out of Hyunjin & Changbin who gaped at him – and Jeongin smirked. ‘Now…’ he trailed off and looked at the tide, seeing the water slowly move. Then, the water became more and more agitated, and something golden started to show under the surface. Jisung gripped Hyunjin’s arm tightly, his eyes widening. Soon, tons of specks of color started to appear under the water, growing huger as they came closer. ‘What’s that?’ Hyunjin only smiled and spread one arm. ‘This is…’ The sea parted and a waterfall of sea water splashed over them. Changbin and Jisung gasped in surprise and blinked the water away from their face – and gaped. Here, in front of them, stood magnificent creatures: The Sea Felines. ‘… Suhu.’ Hyunjin finished, eyeing the human with pride as they both stood frozen, stunned before the majestic sight. ‘Th-this is the Sea Felines?!’ Jisung squealed, looking both thrilled and constipated. ‘The s-si pel-’ Jeongin tried to repeat, not understanding the Earthian term. But Changbin laughed and grinned in awe. ‘Is it call a Suhu in your language?’ he asked. ‘Yes.’ Hyunjin answered happily, not believing the progress the three humans had made so far in Straynian. ‘Then yes Ji, that’s definitely a Sea Feline.’ he answered with a chuckle, awed sparkling eyes falling on the melon yellow and golden creature before them. He stepped closer, setting foot into the water, trying to get a closer look at the huge, magnificent creature. Around them, hundreds of Suhus had emerged from the water, all of different stunning colors but so beautiful and regal. From the corner of his eyes, he saw some Strays climbing on a jade colored one and looked back at his friends in confusion. ‘Why are they here?’ His fluent but thick with accent Straynian brought a grin on Hyunjin’s face, who stepped into the water and started to approach the Suhu, Jeongin going after him. ‘They’ll bring us to the next Ordeal.’ The humans watched as he patted the creature’s side, his blue outfit floating around him in the water as it reached his hips, and took hold of its mane to swiftly push himself onto the creature’s back, his feet easily propping themselves on its side before he looped a leg over and sat down. ‘Wow.’ Jisung and Changbin both let out in awe. Hyunjin looked up from where he was helping Jeongin up and smirked. ‘You’re coming?’ he taunted as he hauled Jeongin up, who swiftly jumped on the Suhu’s back, orange cloth flying behind him when he landed. He peeked over his best friend’s shoulder as he latched his arms around his middle. ‘Quick or it’ll leave without you.’ Jisung and Changbin looked at each other for one second before they dived into the water and joined the yellow Suhu’s side. They stood there for a second, both staring at the tall creature in awe. Then, an arm extended itself. Changbin looked up at Jeongin with a smile. He took the hand and swiftly climbed up the creature’s back, his breath hitching when he felt its rib cage move under his legs. He extended his own hand for Jisung, who took it and climbed on the creature’s back too. Changbin stared at the horizon as Jisung wrapped his arms around his middle and propped his chin on his shoulder. ‘It’s magnificent. Everything seems so small from here.’ he commented and Jisung hummed. ‘Yeah… kinda like when we’re on trees.’ ‘Yeah.’ Changbin agreed and laughed under his breath. Then, he looked around startled. ‘Hyunjin, how will Chan come-’ ‘Don’t worry, he’ll go on one of the Suhu waiting at the cove for the contestants’ close ones.’ Hyunjin informed them, brushing a wet strand of hair away from his forehead. Then, he took hold of the creature’s mane. ‘Hold on tight.’ Suddenly, the creature leaped around and began to dash into the water. The humans widened their eyes, not caring for the amount of water that was pouring on them due to the creature’s rough and hasty moves. Then, the Suhu plunged into the water, making the four boys scream. They resurfaced, the two human coughing their heart out, and this time the Suhu left its back out so that the boys remained above water. ‘That’s incredible! Woohoohoo!’ Jisung screamed in euphoria, raising his arms in the air as the Suhu grew more and more fast. Changbin burst out laughing and dipped his fingers under the sparkling holographic sea, the water slowly parting between his fingers. Hyunjin looked back with a laugh too, amused at the two humans, when his eyes met a smiling Jeongin. The boy was looking at him fondly and Hyunjin felt happiness bloom in his chest. He bumped his shoulder on his torso and Jeongin nuzzled their noses together with a short laugh. ‘Happy New Glow, Hyun.’ Hyunjin smiled. ‘Happy New Glow to you too, Innie.’ – – – – – ‘Hey Luwen.’ Chan greeted as he entered the hill on the cove, one he had seen one to many times when he followed Woojin to his training. The Young Wing recognized him as it raised its head and stared straight at him. Chan, feeling bold, approached it and patted its beak. The Young Wing, as always so calm, only blinked and went back to eating the grass. Chan chuckled and looked around. The place was stunning. It bathed in a soft blue light, the water fall sparkling, and the bioluminescent purple flowers were scattered everywhere around the place amidst tall beds turquoise of grass. Small fireflies like creatures were flying here and there, some going to pester Young Wings others simply sitting on the tall flowers. The place was of course filled with Strays and Young Wings for it was the starting line of the Ordeal. The contestants were with their loved ones, or with their Young Wings, chatting animatedly. The riders looked stunning. Earlier, when Jisung and Jeongin came to Fetch Changbin and him so that they would stay with the Strays, Woojin and Felix were sadly talking with some other guys (“Our seamstress and her friends.” had explained Hyunjin) so he didn’t get the chance to meet them. But seeing all these other amazing people looking so stunning, he could only imagine what these two would look like all dressed up. ‘Chan? Chan! Man, what are you doing here?!’ He turned around in surprise and was met with a young boy with freckles and shinning golden-hazelnut eyes leaping of a pale chestnut Young Wing. ‘Felix. We came watch the Ordeals.’ he greeted with a laugh, grinning and enveloping the boy clad in various shades of purple into a warm hug. Leaning back, he gave him a once over. ‘You look stunning mate.’ ‘Thanks-’ Felix cut himself with a gasp, peeking over his shoulder. ‘Is… is Changbin here too?’ ‘I’m all alone.’ he informed, watching as the younger’s eyes dimmed a little, and internally smiled. ‘But-’ Felix’s eyes shot up, ‘- he said he’ll save you a dance later and wishes you all the luck.’ A beautiful shade of pink blossomed on the young Stray’s cheeks when he threw his head back in a melodic deep laugh. ‘Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.’ he giggled, calming down. Then, a rustle was heard behind them, and Luwen perked up. ‘Chan?’ And with that, said boy was rendered speechless. Woojin pulled away a willow’s creeper and further revealed himself, knocking the breath out of the human. The various shades of green, and gold looked… beyond ethereal on Woojin. Woojin feet stopped on the grass, just in front of Chan. But Chan just kept on gaping, mouth slightly parted. To say he found Woojin very beautiful would be an understatement. Gentle fingers brushed his chin and pressed on it, effectively closing the human’s mouth and bringing him out of his daze. ‘Bugs will fly in if you keep staring at me like that.’ he whispered with an amused smile, but held no malice. Chan blinked and laughed, red on the tips of his ears as he rubbed his nape. ‘Yeah… you look really good.’ he praised, gesturing to his outfit. Felix, sensing that now was the time to get out of here before it’s start becoming too much, climbed back on Dabby and flew a bit further away. Woojin on the other hand grinned and patted Luwen’s head, looking away shyly. Chan smiled at the reaction and went on the other side of Luwen, gently caressing its side. ‘I mean it you know, that you look good. You really do.’ ‘Stop it Chan.’ Woojin said with a chuckle, hiding his face behind Luwen’s neck, away from Chan’s eyes. The human smiled even more at that and pressed on. ‘What? Saying you look good? Or that I mean it, that you really look good.’ Woojin finally emerged from under Luwen’s neck and hit his torso in one strong punch that had Chan whimpering in pain. ‘Both.’ he laughed, slowly climbing on Luwen. Chan removed his arm from his rib now that the pain had subsided and looked ahead to see that most contestants were on the starting line. ‘I suppose you have to go now.’ Woojin hummed and looked down at the human. ‘Straynian clothes looks good on you.’ Chan choked on his spit at the comment and blushed slightly. He wasn’t expecting it to be honest, but… it set a strange warmth in his chest, one that he already felt that one night on the balcony. A hand grabbed his hood and Woojin leaned over one last time to look at his human eyes before he brought the hood lower over his eyes. ‘Follow the other people down the hill, there a sea creature will take you to the main watching spot of the Ordeal. It’ll take you back ashore after. Just keeps your eyes hidden okay?’ Chan smiled and offered him his fist. ‘Yeah. Good luck?’ Woojin bumped his fist against his own, and with that Chan followed the Strays down the hill, hearing the distant echo of flapping and cheers. With a smile, he climbed down the row of rocks towards the peer. He had a good feeling about this. – – – – – Felix gasped as he neared a sharp rock. All the contestants had taken off already but most had yet to get out of the cove, the angry waterfall and dangerous sharp rocks standing high up, caging them and preventing them from flying freely in the sky. Felix was among the fastest batch, though, already a few meters away from the top. Dabby was amazing. She was torpedoing upward, so fast that he had to cling on her neck tighter than usual. She was obviously more exited now that it was the actual Ordeal and Felix was thrilled because they were potential winners- A sharp rock grazed his shoulder. …. But still, as much as it thrilled him, he had to make sure she wouldn’t hurt them. ‘Hey, hey, Dab, be careful… we’re here to have fun, not to get hurt…’ he mumbled into her ear, his beast shrieking in understanding and slowing down just a bit, this time diving more carefully along the rocky cliff. ‘That’s it Dab…’ he muttered, eyes squinting, waiting for the right moment that would make all the difference. The top of the waterfall came in view. The waterfall in itself was beautiful, truly one of the most magnificent spot of Straya 801. Felix has always liked it. Felix quickly tore his eyes off it, and smirked at what he saw. Almost all the riders had accelerated by now, eager to leave the cave. But Felix? He did not. ‘Ishra, Dab.’ he ordered, tugging on his beast’s shoulder blades and she slowed down. ‘That’s it, good girl.’ he praised, patting her shoulder and trained his eyes on the waterfall. He could not afford to miss it, the thing that would make the difference. From the corner of his eyes he saw some riders do the same – he didn’t have to look to know Woojin was among them – and snorted. Seemed like the potential winners were already decided. He was about to wave at Woojin when his eyes fell on it: a small parting of the rock behind the waterfall, an entrance to a cave – a shortcut. Felix grinned and his eyes shone in mirth, and he squat down on Dabby’s haunch. Now, was the right time. He tightened his hold on Dabby’s beige shoulder blades and fluttered his eyes close. Then, he breathed out his order: ‘Drop.’ It all happened quickly. Dabby shrieked and stopped flying all together, wings spreading as she let her body flip backward. Felix’s legs dangled in the air, his hands the only thing that kept him attached to Dabby, and then, he lurched forward, finally letting go of her shoulder blades and throwing himself straight at the holographic waterfall. The boy let out a thrilled yell that met at least ten others, his dark purple kimono flapping behind him as he curled in a ball and broke through the water wall. Felix yelped when he met the slippery rocky soil of the cave, arms shielding his face. But before he could grandiosely fall over, an arm steadied him, a flash of purple and blue catching his eyes before he bumped his nose against a strong torso. … Okay, not the kind of grandiose fall he had rehearsed the past few weeks, but at least he made it. Looking up, he found a strong looking man – probably around his age – grinning down at him. ‘Your Young Wing dropped you too fast?’ he asked with a giggle, his voice thick with a Yui clan accent. ‘Yeah, she’s quite excited tonight.’ Felix said as he stood up properly and grinned at the man. ‘Thanks for helping me.’ The man patted his shoulder and put his own navy and purple cloak back in place, Felix doing the same with his own when he realized how much of a wet Suhu he looked like, when suddenly it dawn on him: ‘Gumka, the race!’ he cursed, mouth dropping open when he saw the other contestants already at the back of the cave, ready to exit. The man’s eyes widened comically as well and one look at him was all it took for them to take off, both laughing at their own stupidity. Felix ran and ran, racing down the cold and rough rocky ground that was filled with nuggets of Straynian precious stones and ducking down sharp stalactites, catching his helper do the same from the corner of his eyes. It was exhilarating. Felix felt a warm feeling bubble in his stomach, adrenaline rushing down his body and he let out a thrilled giggle that turned into a deep laugh, running faster to catch up with the rest. He heard the man laugh too and soon hurried footsteps followed his own, the both of them now a few meters away from the rest and the exit – most of the contestants were already back on their Young Wings. Suddenly, a blur of blue and purple dashed past him and jumped off the entrance with a whistle, leaving a bewildered Felix behind himself. How in the world could a Stray be so fast?Felix reached the exit out of breath and leaned a hand on the cave’s wall eyes searching for blue and purple among the flying Young Wings ahead of him. ‘Well, aren’t you going to whistle?’ Felix jumped on the spot, a hand flying over his heart as he rolled his eyes. ‘Oh my Jae, you scared me Woowie!’ he whined. ‘Why are you still here?’ Woojin straightened up and ruffled his little brother’s hair. ‘To wait for you, Yeshihk.’ he explained and smiled sweetly at Felix beaming eyes. ‘Oh c’mon, like I would do this Ordeal by myself.’ Felix fake wept and clung onto Woojin’s arm. Woojin shoved him off with a groan but let him. He loved this Yeshihk way too much. Felix whistled too and soon flying green and pale chestnut beasts came into view. A hand took hold of his own. Felix intertwined their fingers, giving it a warm squeeze. ‘Together?’ ‘Together.’ – Changbin was quietly leaning against Jisung on the beautiful, gigantic golden yellow Suhu in the middle of nowhere, aka a Straynian sea. To say he was feeling a strange mix of emotions consisting of thrill, bewilderment, fear and confusion would be a perfect statement. ‘You’re okay there?’ Jisung asked, looking down at his friend who looked soulless at the moment. ‘Yeah, yeah, just wondering how the hell we ended up here.’ he dismissed, eyes unfocused as he stare at the night sky. Jisung rolled his eyes and resumed carding a hand through his hair. He himself was wondering too what they were doing there. Why did they have to be in the middle of the sea to watch that Ordeal? Couldn’t they just stay stay in trees? Well, at least the sea was really pretty, the water was reflecting all the colors of the rainbow – did Strays have rainbows too? – the sand and seaweeds underneath was dully shinning. Yeah, it was really beautiful. ‘Say Jeongin,’ Changbin began in fluent Straynian, eyes falling on the boy clad in orange. ‘Why were you blushing earlier?’ The boy whose chin was propped on Hyunjin’s shoulder stilled. Then his cheeks became pink again and he hid his face into his best friend’s nape. ‘I-I asked a boy out.’ That was all it took for Hyunjin to fall from the Suhu. ‘Hyunjin!’ screamed Jeongin, arms extending to grab him while the boy was busy replaying his best friend’s words over and over while floating over the surface. On the other hand, Jisung and Changbin were too busy laughing their butts off and teasing Jeongin that they didn’t even notice the attention they were getting from other Strays around them. ‘Oh shut up hyungs- and come back here right now Hwang Hyunjin!’ On the other side of the sea, a bit further to the left, two other boys on a pink Suhu were looking at the small commotion with amused smiles. ‘Do you think it has something to do with you?’ Minho asked his best friend with a smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest and watched as Jeongin pulled a reluctant Hyunjin from the water. Seungmin scoffed, pink rising on his cheeks, and elbowed him. Then his eyes fell on Jeongin who was too busy hiding himself in a boy wearing a strange… hooded cloak? Oh. Could it be? ‘Nah.’ he shook his head, preferring not to say anything to Minho right now in favor of letting him be surprised later on. Then a small smirk appeared on his face when he saw Jeongin hugging the hooded figure. ‘I think it had to do with your brother.’ Minho turned to him with a scoff. ‘Jeonginie?’ Seungmin laid back on his elbows, gently resting on the sea creature and staring at the sky with a soft smile. ‘Yup. And… I think it has something to do with a certain someone.’ he singsonged. Minho’s eyes widened. ‘Tell me.’ ‘Nah.’ ‘Tell me or I’m swimming to Hyunjin right now.’ ‘Sure Minho, go ahead- wait, no don’t!’ – Dabby’s wings flapped, blowing the thin chains of Felix’s crown in the air. It felt so great. With another flapping he passed another contestant. ‘Woohoohoo!’ he cheered, patting Dabby’s head. Then, the sea came in view and he sat back on his butt. He hugged his beast’s neck and pressed the side of his head against his own, forgetting the competition for a moment. His eyes roamed over the sea, in search for a certain someone. ‘Where are you…’ his breath hitched and pink blossomed over his already flushed cheeks. There he was. Felix could recognize him miles away, even under this silver coat Changbin was recognizable. A fond smile bloomed on his face when suddenly a whistled brought him out of his reverie. It was Woojin, looking at him with a knowing look on his face. ‘Oh shut up.’ Felix sat up properly with a groan and focused back on the game. Then, a thought struck him. He gripped Dabby’s shoulder blades and leaned over to mutter something in his Young Wing’s ear with a glint in his eyes that Woojin had not seen in a while. But Woojin choose to ignore it in favor of focusing on the game, and let Luwen soar past Felix. The kid could have moment, after all, Woojin already had had his own before the Ordeal started. – ‘Here they are!’ Hyunjin and Changbin quit their conversation at that, both turning around. There it was, the Young Wings coming into view. Changbin gasped at the sight, the blue creature in his arms (Hyunjin told him it was called a Fyr) climbing onto his head. At least twenty Young Wings of all size and colors were flying into the starry night – he never thought he would live to see that. ‘Wow…’ Jisung let out under his breath. ‘It’s amazing.’ Changbin turned to face his friend and smiled when he saw the stars in his eyes. Relief took over him. Jisung was no longer scared of Young Wings. Then, Jisung’s eyes widened and he turned to Changbin in panic. ‘Chang, look out-’ Changbin barely had time to turn around before he was splashed by water by a pale chestnut wing. Changbin could only blink as water glided down his coat, not even fazed by the shrieks of the now soaked Fyr on his head, too enthralled by the deep melodious frank laugh that echoed in the air, eyes following a Young Wing he knew all too well as she went back up the sky where another green one was waiting. ‘God dammit do I attract all the Young Wings on Earth?!’ Jisung cursed in a whisper as he glared at the human waterfall that now was his helpless friend – Hyunjin and Jeongin on the other hand were too busy laughing their asses off to help the poor boy. ‘Straya.’ Changbin corrected. ‘What?’ Jisung asked with a frown. ‘You said ‘Earth’ but we’re on ‘Straya’… just saying- okay stop staring at me like that, I’ll shut up.’ ‘You better.’ he threatened, eyes squinting into two small slit and cheeks puffing – and, okay, Changbin was about to lose it, this was too cute for his own good. Just when he was about to coo and pinch his younger friend’s cheek, Jeongin gasped. ‘Look! The thunder has started!’ Changbin’s eyes widened. ‘Did you just say thunder?’ Jeongin turned to him with confused eyes and nodded. ‘Yes, the thunder. Don’t you have it on Earth?’ ‘Yes we do…’ Changbin said as he let his eyes fall onto the sky where, indeed, thunder had started in an area a bit further ahead of them, exactly where most of the Young Wings where. His eyes searched for Felix. ‘But it’s dangerous…’ ‘Don’t worry.’ Hyunjin suddenly said with a proud grin, eyes still trained over the show. ‘Felix and Woojin know what they’re doing. You just need to have some faith in them.’ Reluctantly, Changbin nodded and focused back on the show. He was scared senseless for the boy but he wanted to have some faith in him. Felix was strong, he survived his whole life in the wild jungle that was Straya, faced many trials and took a bullet. Yeah, he could do it. Eyes falling over the bunch of Young Wings, he smiled. ‘Yeah, I believe in you Fe.’ And how right he was to believe in him. Felix was grinning, his eyes scanning the clouds over him, ducking every time he saw a bright light forming in it. On his left, he heard Woojin cheer and he cheered too, fist pumping in the air as Dabby exited the area. Then, as she ducked down toward a small island where the end line was, a dull throb broke through his rib. Confusion washed over his face for a moment before he remembered. If was able to fly today, it was all thanks to Changbin. Changbin was a savior and the man that made him feel a bit human for the first time. He was glad he met someone like him in his life. That’s funny, because even though it’s only been months, he couldn’t even remember ever feeling this alive – Changbin was playing such an important part in his life, he couldn’t see his life without him now. His hand came to a rest over his scarred rib and warmth settled in his belly- no, butterflies settled in. Oh. Oh Jae. Warmth shot up his face and he shrieked, hands coming up to cover his burning cheeks. Dabby turned her face sideways to look at him but didn’t even let out a shriek, just simply accelerated. Felix looked down at her in offense. ‘You knew?!’ Dabby only flew faster. – – – – – Chan leaped off the Suhu, feet splashing in the water and careful to keep his hood lowered. The Ordeals was so amazing so far, he felt like his seven year old self again when his mother had brought him to the circus for the first time. Walking back to the sand, he kneeled down and rolled up his black jeans, and took this opportunity to analyze the place they had ended up in. All the Suhus had dropped their passengers there, on this remote island – if it could even be called one. It was just a large circular patch of earth, with sand on its borders and a very high… mountain in its center? It resembled more a very large and very high boulder than your usual “earth mountain” but Chan couldn’t put any another word on it, so let’s settle for it. Then, his eyes caught the sight of two man clad in cloaks similar to his own and he quickly stood up. With one pressed smile to Jeongin and Hyunjin, he grabbed the two humans’ arms and lead them away. ‘Hey- Chan? What are you doing?’ Jisung complained, trying to swat his hand away. ‘I’m making sure we don’t get caught.’ ‘What do you mean?’ Changbin asked as he held the Fyr closer to himself unknowingly. ‘Earlier on in the water Hyunjin caught attention. If you stay next to him, people are going to notice you.’ he explained as they settled under the shade of a tree at the feet of the mountain. ‘Oh. That means we can’t stay with them?’ Jisung asked with a slight frown, disappointment visible in his eyes. ‘No, that just means that for now we must keep a low profile- at least until people’s attention is diverted to the eclipse.’ Changbin looked up at that. ‘Oh, yeah, that’s right there’s also that!’ he beamed and the other two facepalmed. ‘Dude, that’s the main event- it’s called the ‘New Glow’ because it’s their new year, how could you even forget that?’ Jisung deadpanned, and Changbin offered him a sheepish grin and a shrug. ‘Guys, what’s happening?’ Chan then suddenly asked, looking at the mountain. The two other scientists turned around and gaped: Strays were now all rushing toward the mountain and… climbing it. Bare hands. Climbing the rock bare hands like it was nothing. ‘What… the fuck?’ ‘I don’t know Ji, but it looks like we’re gonna have to do that too.’ Changbin answered and Jisung gulped. ‘You can’t be serious.’ ‘C’mon man, you’re great at that.’ he cheered on, patting his shoulder as he began walking ahead. Jisung stared at its back like he’d grown two heads. ‘What the- I’m good at climbing trees Seo Changbin, not giant fucking mountains!’ Chan snorted and grabbed his shoulders. ‘C’mon Ji, it’s the same, just… bigger?’ Jisung looked back, outraged. ‘Yeah, that’s the fucking issue Chan Christopher Bang.’ ‘The bigger, the better.’ he offered, pushing Jisung forward. – Most of the Strays were eager to find out the winner of the second Ordeal so they climbed the rock faster, other were just not good at climbing or too lazy so they whistled for their own Young Wings to come get them. Hyunjin on the other hand was eager to reach the top of the mountain just to tease Felix because he was pretty sure he had lost after his little deviation and he bet Woojin had also lost because he waited for Felix. Nevertheless he couldn’t wait to reach them, and start his own Ordeal. He was about to grab an edge of the rock, when something tugged at the blue cloth around his waist. ‘What-’ he gasped, almost cursing, and looked down in confusion. Only to see a red hood. Rolling his eyes, he let go of one of the rock he was holding onto and let his body rock sideways. The boy in red crawled up quickly – looking like a red Fyr – and stopped next to Hyunjin, shiny eyes sparkling with mirth when he met his own. ‘I-’ Hyunjin began but he was immediately silenced when the boy began climbing up again, this time at the speed of the light, his red coat floating behind him elegantly. Hyunjin blinked. ‘Oh hell no.’ he muttered under his breath. Seungmin thought he was fast? He hadn’t seen Hyunjin yet. The boy took hold of a rock and began crawling up, faster than most of the Strays, leaving behind himself crumbles of rock and dust. As he began to catch up with the other Stray, he heard him let out a melodious laugh and saw him ascend faster. Cursing under his breath, he laughed out loud too and tried to catch up. Okay, Seungmin was really skilled when it came to climbing – but again what was he expecting? Seungmin is a Pali rider, of course he knew how to climb trees, and if he won the first Ordeal, then that means he was quick and skilled. Hyunjin watched him climb and grinned. Ultimately, Seungmin did reach the top before him, cheering in victory. Looking around, he searched through the huge tree branches where Luwen and Dabby had landed, and couldn’t help but think that this place was beautiful. Ultimately, it had to be one of his favorite in Straya. It was the top of an extinct volcano but life had blossomed on it, leaving bioluminescent turquoise palm trees, ice blue and purple plants scattered everywhere, safe for its crater – the place where the third Ordeal would take place. Barely having time to catch his breath and stand up properly, Seungmin let out a startled yelp when arms wrapped around him from behind. ‘Got you!’ Hyunjin laughed as he spun him around a bit, arms around his middle and Seungmin’s hands on them. But then, he had to let go, slightly out of breath. Seungmin turned around in wonder and snorted at the sight. ‘You weak Yeshihk.’ he teased, watching as Hyunjin doubled over trying to catch his breath. Said boy raised a finger in the air and the Pali rider waited patiently, amused, hands unconsciously on where Hyunjin’s own previously were. ‘I-’ the fighter began, huffing out as he stood up again properly. Then, he met eyes with Seungmin and that made said boy’s breath hitch. Had Hyunjin always been that beautiful? ‘Congratulation Seung.’ he said with a genuine grin. Seungmin felt heat on his cheeks and looked at him with round eyes. A teasing, a remark, a threat- that he had expected, but a praise? That, he had not expected. But, Jae, does it make him happy… Warmth bloomed in his stomach and he smiled back, shiny eyes turning into crescents. Taking a step forward, he slipped one of Hyunjin’s hands into his and brought it to his lips. His way to express deep gratitude. Hyunjin watched with a fond smile. Seungmin always does that when it comes to things that meant a lot to him, and Hyunjin was aware of that fact. And it meant a lot to him, to know that Seungmin valued his words so much. A lot. That’s why, after a few seconds Hyunjin gently slipped his hand out of his grasp and brought it to his face to cup it and thumb barely skimming over his cheekbone just below that one shiny spot he was so fond of. And he too couldn’t help the butterfly settling in his stomach when Seungmin relaxed instinctively, leaning into the familiar touch. And even though it was a familiar touch, it never failed to make Seungmin feel special. Yes, Hyunjin was touchy with people in general, but those intimate touches? Seungmin knew he reserved them only for important people. And Seungmin, even though aware that he was one of them, couldn’t help but feel special everytime. Jae, did he really liked Hyunjin, there was no doubts left now. What he felt for him was so different than what he felt for his other friends, how could he have been so blind all this time… A warm press against his forehead interrupted his moment of pure bliss. ‘Congratulation…’ Hyunjin whispered again against his skin and Seungmin fluttered his eyelids close, slipping his arms around Hyunjin and resting his hands on his shoulder blades. Oh yes, how blind had he been. This, was by far, the most content he had ever been. – ‘Woojin!’ Minho called out, making his way through the swarm of people. From the corner of his eyes he saw Jeongin talk with Mark and it made him smile. Then, he reached his friend and brought him in an embrace. ‘Not too sad?’ he teased, leaning back from the embrace to take a look at his disheveled friend. ‘Nah.’ Woojin said with a smile, looking toward where Felix was talking with Seungmin and Hyunjin. ‘We had fun that’s what matters.’ Minho smiled at him and put back his friend’s hair back in place. ‘If you say so.’ Then his eyes fell back on mark and Jeongin and he tugged Woojin forward. ‘What are you doing?’ ‘Let’s go get Felix and the guys. There’s someone I want you to see.’ he explained as he waved the three other Strays over. Once they finally joined them, Felix couldn’t help but wonder where they were going. ‘To see an old friend.’ Woojin answered, already having guessed what was about to happen. Once they reached the duo, the Strays gaped. Minho had reconciled with Mark? Mark smiled warmly at them all. ‘Sosoil.’ ‘Guys,’ Minho began. ‘I’m not sure if you remember him but it is-’ ‘Mark.’ Hyunjin interrupted, remembering him. ‘We’ve heard a lot about you but I think I remember you from the human school.’ Mark smiled at him. ‘Yeah I think I remember you from there too. And you too.’ he laughed pointing at Seungmin who nodded. Then his eyes fell on Woojin and they widened. ‘You’re Woo-Woojin, right?’ Woojin grinned at him and nodded. And then, the unexpected happened: Mark teared up. ‘I-I…’ he began, clearing his throat and straightening up. ‘You’re the one who found me on the battlefield right?’ Woojin’s eyes widened. He never expected Mark to remember it. When the war broke out and Woojin had heard that several kids from the human school were missing, he had gone searching for them and found Mark at the foot of a palm tree, severely injured at the head and struggling to keep consciousness. He had brought the poor kid back to a healing cottage and never seen him again. At the time, he had no idea who Mark was, and he certainly never expected for the boy to remember him. ‘Ye-yeah, it’s me.’ he confirmed with a grin. ‘I’m Woojin.’ Mark gasped at the name and bowed at him, shocking everyone around them. ‘Thank you so much Woojin. I owe you my life.’ Woojin smiled warmly at him and raised him up. ‘I’m glad you’re well.’ Mark smiled at him, his grin so huge that it almost blinded everyone around them. Then, the boy’s eyes fell on the figure next to Woojin. His eyes widened. ‘You!’ Felix, who was too busy calming Dabby who was still very excited and had heard part of the conversation, finally focused on the boy- his eyes widened too. ‘You!’ he said back, grin breaking through. Then, he connected the dots and began to pale. ‘Yo-you are Mark?’ Mark, seeing how tensed the boy had became and how he kept looking at Woojin, grinned at him in the most genuine way possible. ‘Yeah. And I guess you are Felix? Minho told me about you. I’m happy to finally meet the son of the woman who taught me so much- well, meet you properly I mean.’ he pointed out with a teasing smirk and Felix immediately relaxed. ‘Yeah. I guess me tripping over is not the best kind of introduction.’ he laughed, remembering how he bumped into Mark’s torso during the game. ‘You knew my mom?’ he asked curiously. ‘Yeah.’ Mark nodded, then a horn blew signaling the beginning of the third and last Ordeal. ‘But I guess we can talk about that after the last Ordeal.’ Felix smiled at him and nodded. Then all the boys went to take a seat on the border of the volcano. ‘Innie, wait.’ Minho called out. His brother stopped in his tracks and looked at him curiously. Minho walked to him, taking something off his finger. ‘Here,’ he said, slipping the ring onto Jeongin’s finger. ‘Is this-’ Jeongin wonder, eyes wide as he stared at the wooden ring carved with a sun on it. ‘Yes.’ Minho smiled and ruffled his brother’s hair. ‘I kept it all this time, to give me luck and strength as a leader… but I guess that you need it more than me now.’ Jeongin looked at the ring, then at his brother and broke into a teary smile. ‘Yeah. I’ll make you proud. Both of you.’ he promised, toying with the ring on his index finger. Minho grabbed his nape and brought him closer, rubbing their noses together. ‘You already have.’ – – – – – ‘Good luck.’ Seungmin said to Hyunjin as they fist bumped. ‘I’ll win.’ he swore and Seungmin smirked when he saw Jeongin walk toward the crater with a determined face on. ‘I know you will. You and him make a formidable team.’ Hyunjin followed his gaze and saw Jeongin standing. ‘Yeah, he’s ready to destroy them all.’ he commented, then he took a quick glance at Seungmin before he walked toward the field. ‘We both are.’ he declared under his breath with fire in his eyes. Joining Jeongin’s side, they exchanged a quick smirk and soon Chaeyeon and Kahisa joined them. The two women were basically vipers and tigers when it came to fighting and there was no doubts they would tackle many opponents. With the four of them, the victory of their clan seemed possible. The horn blew again, this time signaling the beginning of their Ordeal and that’s when all hell broke lose. Jeongin’s face changed radically, gaze hardening and jaw set, and he swiftly crouched down, one arm going out to grab the leg of the woman charging at him. Apparently she had not get the memo that he was the Fox – that amused him. With an amused smirk, he quickly tugged her ankle and straddled her, pinning his forearm onto her neck. The woman clawed at his arm but the leather bracelets he was wearing made it useless. ‘Nine…’ he muttered, eyes seeing a figure approaching his left and he smirked. ‘-ten.’ With that, he quickly let go of his opponent who was now out and quickly ran to a rock on his right which he swiftly leaped on and jumped off of, leaving his opponent confused when he followed and saw no one emerging from the other side. ‘Where is-’ his words were cut short by a sharp quick on his back that made him bit the dust, literally. Jeongin crouched on his back, whistling as he waited for the seconds to pass. His opponent tried to turn around but failed miserably when the Fox pressed a muscle a bit harder. Now, you might think that these opponents are too easy to defeat: well, that’s because they are. Jeongin had long learned that the strongest opponents don’t attack, they are attacked, and only once they are done can they attack and let the real fight begin. ‘And ten-’ he singsonged, only to stop when he heard it: the muffled sound under his feet. Smirking, he stood up and quickly rushed away from the knocked out man, leaping on the boulder he previously jumped on. Crouching, he saw a flash of blue running toward him – Hyunjin – followed by one other girl – not a threat obviously, she just wanted a shelter – and saw a few others climbing on nearby trees and rocks, leaving the rest of the contestants clueless. The boulder under his feet began to tremble and he reached out for Hyunjin. Grabbing his hand he hauled him up the stone and Hyunjin nodded in gratitude. Then, it all happened quickly. ‘No-’ the woman running toward the boulder exclaimed when suddenly the ground under her feet began to fissure. She was too late. She watched in horror as the fissures on the ground circled her and, in one second, the parcel was flung in the air thanks to a geyser. She screamed and clung onto her rock desperately as it kept levitating in the air, only stopping ten meters above the ground. This phenomena only happened on New Glow days, something in the air causing the usually dormant geysers to wake up and propel parcels of grounds up in the air, and something in the composition of the air at that time of the year made it so that for a few minutes the parcels kept levitating in the air – hence, the creation of this Ordeal. Jeongin watched as the woman tried to jump down but she was already too high in the air – ultimately, accepting her defeat, she sat on her rock and waited for the Ordeal to end. Looking around, Jeongin noticed that many parcels were up the sky with three other contestants stuck on them. He couldn’t help but smirk. Now was the real game. He looked back down and saw two men in a tree – one in green, the other in blue – and a woman in pink on a boulder, as well as their fellow tribe member Kahisa – good, their tribe was leading. That would be easy to take down. Hyunjin bumped his head against his own. Jeongin looked at him and smirked, bumping back his head. Then, Hyunjin jumped down the boulder and he followed suit. They both ran next to each other, leaving behind themselves trails of blue and orange, and as they dashed amongst the geysers, Jeongin couldn’t help the mischievous smile on his lips when he saw the two guys left finally daring to leap off their tree and cautiously looking left and right, trying to be discreet. Jeongin thanked Jae for the water of the geysers that hid them and, nodding at Hyunjin, he showed him the two boys. Hyunjin smirked and nodded back. With no other words they ran toward them. Swiftly ducking a geyser on his left, he crouched on one knee and half-hid himself from them, splashing sand around himself and laughing when Hyunjin ran ahead. ‘You Yeshihk…’ he laughed out loud, as he watched Hyunjin who without wasting time grabbed the one boy in blue in a head lock, sending him smashing on the ground. Wincing through a giggle, he quickly focused back on the second boy – the one in green – only to see him running away to hide behind a boulder. ‘Not so quick…’ he muttered under his breath and quickly dashed forward. Sneaking toward a nearby tree, he grabbed the bark and propped himself against it. Peeking from behind the foliage, he saw him climbing on a boulder and smirked. Perfect time to advance. Discreetly dashing toward the boulder, in less than two seconds he was crouched behind it. He giggled when the man looked around from his spot on top of it – the poor boy had no idea Jeongin was about to tackle him, so focused on climbing onto a safe spot that he forgot to focus on his surroundings in the mean time. Too bad for him. Jeongin put the tips of his fingers on the boulder and silently pushed himself up, landing with a grace only a real fox could possess, the orange cloth around his waist lifting the dust. He heard the surprised gaps of their spectators when they noticed him, now that some water had cleared off – no one had probably seen him dash forward with his speed and all the geysers. The boy, finally noticing something was wrong, turned around – nothing, nothing was behind him. Cocking his head to the side in confusion he turned back around. ‘Why is everyone-’ His words were cut by the uppercut thrown at his jaw, sending him flying off the boulder and smacking on the floor. Coughing mud and sand, the boy in green tried to rise but soon a weight was added to his back and he slumped again. No. He couldn’t lose. Jeongin gasped as something grabbed his arm harshly. Then, there was a crack. ‘Hrgh-’ he bit his lip to stop his scream when a burning pain flew through his arm. Looking down, he realized his terrible mistake – he hadn’t put the arms of the boy in a lock. Oh no. ‘Get.Off.Me!’ the boy under him grunted and, with that, sent Jeongin flying over his head, body ultimately colliding with the boulder. – Yedam gasped from his seat around the crater. He couldn’t believe it. He had waited all those years to witness the Fox fight for real, and now, Jeongin, who had fought so furiously and beautifully, living up to the reputation he owned, had been sent colliding against a boulder by this brute. He couldn’t believe it. His eyes followed Jeongin body as it hit the floor and didn’t move. No way. Jeongin couldn’t lose. ‘C’mon…’ he whispered, eyeing the scene in anguish. Oh, how he wished he could just run up there and smash this dude in the face! But he knew this was only a fair game, this Ordeal was not the most dangerous of the three, but it was by far the most brutal. Yet, it was necessary, because it formed leaders, watchers, protectors and strong hunters. Eyes focusing back on the limp body of the subject of his interest, he sighed. ‘Please, stand up…’ On the other side of the crater, the boy in green huffed and sat up. ‘So this is the famous Fox, huh?’ he snarled with a smirk as he made his way toward the coughing boy on the ground. The Fox’s body was limp and he was coughing, lying hunched on himself and starring at him with half-lidded eyes. ‘Not what I had expected.’ he snarled, then crouched by him. ‘That must be ten seconds now. You lost.’ he declared proudly. Then, Jeongin smirked. ‘Actually,’ he muttered as he opened his eyes wide. ‘That was only seven seconds.’ With that he sat up and tackled the boy on the ground. The crowd around him cheered and he grinned slyly, looking down at the boy in green whom he had trapped the arms of this time. ‘Now,’ he began through a huff, holding his injured arm to his glistening heaving chest. ‘Do I live up to your expectations?’ The boy in green could only watch stunned as the Fox sat on him, looking fine apart from his heavy breathing and injured arm. Then, Jeongin stood up and extended his great arm. He heard the horn signaling he was out but he could only focus on the Fox and grab his arm to stand up, clearly not comprehending how he could be so well when he had hit that boulder mere seconds ago. ‘B-but how?! You were almost unconscious!’ Jeongin snorted. ‘That’s called ‘pretending’. I had to lure you in, make you think you had won so that I could throw you off and beat your ass.’ he declared and the boy in green could only gap at his own stupidity. ‘Jae, I’m such an idiot…’ he cursed at himself, rubbing his nape, admitting his defeat. ‘I can’t believe I thought I defeated the Fox.’ ‘Nah, you could have.’ Jeongin assured with a smile. ‘I mean, you broke my arm to throw me off. Not many would have dared to use that against their opponent, but you did- I would have, so really, you were a great match.’ The boy in green beamed at him and extended his arm. ‘Then, can we fight again sometimes?’ Jeongin took his hand in a firm shake. ‘Definitely.’ ‘Hmm, I wouldn’t want to break this lovely moment but the Ordeal isn’t over Innie.’ Hyunjin’s voice suddenly interrupted their talk and Jeongin immediately let go of the hand to focus back on the game. Nodding at the boy in green, he joined Hyunjin’s side. ‘I scanned the perimeter.’ Hyunjin explained, standing on his guard with his back against Jeongin. ‘I defeated the guy, you did too. Kahisa defeated the girl in pink, but Kahisa is also nowhere to be seen. Plus, the horn hasn’t been blown to signal the end of the game. That means-’ ‘Kahisa is out and we have one more opponent who’s hiding herself really well.’ Jeongin concluded, Hyunjin nodding as they rotated a bit. ‘Yup. And now, I bet she’s watching us and just waiting for the right moment to jump on us.’ ‘Not if we catch her before.’ Jeongin remarked with a sly grin. Hyunjin agreed with a laugh and then glanced at his arm. ‘You’re good?’ ‘Hmm.’ Jeongin hummed, clutching his arm tighter against himself. ‘Just a broken wrist. Nothing that can’t be fixed.’ ‘Good. Leave this one to me then.’ he declared. Jeongin laughed at that – his friend would never change – and nodded, frankly exhausted and having done his fair share of knock out for the night. ‘She or he is all yours.’ he agreed, reclining against a the nearby boulder. Then, he saw it: a flash of red in the trees on their right. ‘Hyunjin!’ Hyunjin followed his eyes and in mere seconds was running toward her. The woman in red gasped in surprised and it made her lose her balance just one second but, thank Jae, her reflexes quickly kicked in, making her leap on another branch. But this mere moment of control lose was enough to change everything. Smirking, Hyunjin leaped on a nearby boulder and took advantage of this to use his special trick that sent him spinning in the air and toward the woman. She might have been sly and good at that game, they were better – no one could do anything against unexpected attacks. She thought she had them tricked but she got caught at her own game. Too bad for her. He grabbed her red cloak and kicked her in the stomach, sending her smashing on the ground. Jeongin held his breath when she landed on the crater in a loud thud, silently counting the seconds as she laid there, motionless. She was knocked out. He raised his head toward Hyunjin, who was now hugging a tree branch, exhausted and smiled at him when their eyes met. Then, he mouthed the word ‘ten’. Hyunjin’s eyes widened and just then the horn blew loudly. They had won. – – – – – ‘Was… this… I-’ Changbin sighed loudly as they followed all the Strays to an unknown clearing and looked at Chan expectantly. ‘Use your words properly Bang leader.’ ‘Stop mocking me, you rascal.’ Chan tsked with a laugh and smacked him on the shoulder. ‘Was this seriously Jeongin and Hyunjin? I mean, they’re both so friendly – well, a bit the tricksters – but friendly. And now, they were just pure, sheer forces of the nature!’ Jisung side-eyed him with an eye-roll and smirked. ‘Aren’t you dramatizing things a bit here? I mean, you saw them when they protected each other from Winner unit.’ ‘Yeah, but that was Minho and Felix.’ Chan pointed out as he took a sit on a rock. ‘Yeah and? The rest are just as strong. In case you haven’t notice their perfect body shape that I hate on because I bet they’re all born fit and their muscles are natural, whereas I had to train like a madman to get those abs.’ ‘But they’re so… nice?’ Chan tried, lamely, earning himself Jisung’s resting bitch face. ‘Excuse you Mr. Bang Chan, Hyunjin legit kicked me to the ground.’ Jisung pointed out with a glare as he too sat down. Changbin on the other hand leaned against the natural flower archway and laughed out loud, remembering how Jisung had fallen on his ass. ‘Laugh all you want Changbinie, no one’s forgetting how you freaked out over Felix back then.’ Jisung pointed out, smirking when Changbin blushed. ‘Yah. That’s got nothing to do with this. Back on topic please.’ he demanded, gesturing to his two brothers. Then, he looked at the blue Fyr on his shoulder. ‘You’re the only pure one here, remember it little one.’ The Fyr just opened its round eyes wider and bared its little pointy teeth, making Changbin whine in despair. Chan and Jisung rolled their eyes at their friend’s dramatic side and tuned him out so they could look around a bit more. They had never gone to this part of the planet yet, even though it was located on the Neutral Grounds. It was just a hill, a pretty area full of grass and two natural long rows of archways born of flowers and roots, at the moment shinning of all their magnificent bioluminescent. In the middle of those archways were small flat rocks on which Strays were almost all seated now, and at their end was the edge of the hill, going upward like a little mound, and above it the aster shining. ‘It’s really calm. Reminds me of those days back on Earth before we became scientists.’ Changbin pointed out, closing his eyes when the wind brushed his face. Jisung turned to him with a smile, noticing that their friend had taken a seat next to them and that the blue Fyr was now sleeping soundly into the side of his neck, kept warm by the cloak’s silver hood. ‘Yeah, our childhood was fun. I miss it sometimes.’ Changbin smiled and hummed the air. ‘Yeah, me too.’ Then, mutters filled the air as a woman walked to the top of the mound, scepter in hand. She scanned the place with knowing but warm eyes, her green cloak floating behind her, and she brought her fingers to her forehead. ‘Sosoil.’ A common reply was heard and all brought their own fingers to their forehead in greeting. CL waited a few second, then nodded, her green flapping the only sound heard on the hill as she stood proud and tall before them. The humans on the other hand could only stare in pure awe before her. They recognized her as the Trashee leader who had welcomed them on her ground to heal the Young Wings, but at the time she had seemed less grandiose, more reserved. The woman before them was nothing like that, she inspired power, strength, liability and trust – the humans could see it now, she was an inspiring leader, no doubt. The one that would follow in her lead better be ready. ‘Trashee Tribe.’ she called out. Said tribesmen rose, and Changbin’s eyes fell on Felix straight away, noting how he and Woojin were standing proud – it warmed his heart. The boy was lucky enough to be able to participate in those games, so to see him and clan win them? He couldn’t be prouder for and of Felix. CL waited until each and every single one members of the Sureki tribe were standing, before she went on: ‘Stand proud my friends.’ she declared, breaking into a kind smile. ‘As one of the former clan leaders and the previous victorious clan’s chief,’ she paused and bowed her head. ‘Congratulation, noble fighters.’ Everyone around them bowed their heads in respect and so did the humans, proud for their friends. Then, a bright light began to seep through the place, making them raise their heads. The Glow was rising. A New Glow. The bioluminescence began to disappear and CL turned to Minho. She beckoned him forward and handed him the scepter, bowing her head once more. Minho bowed back and took her place at the center of the mound, CL reclining back to a boy’s side. Minho starred at the scepter with a shaky smile, pride feeling his heart. Finally it was theirs. Looking up at the sky, he saw that the Glow was about to align with their moon, and he looked back at his clan. His eyes fell on his family, and he smiled at each of them, eyes a little bit more fond over Jeongin, but when they met Seungmin’s, the boy discreetly mentioned behind himself. Minho frowned and looked behind himself- only for his eyes to meet warm brown ones he knew all too well. His breath hitched and he stared at the equally shocked boy. His lips parted in a silent ‘Jisung’ in disbelief, for he could not believe the boy was actually there. Had he… seen him win? His heart warmed up at the thought and when the frozen boy finally broke into a warm close mouthed smile, Minho felt the pride in his chest becoming ten time heavier. Keeping his smile in check, he looked back at the sky and saw the Glow more than halfway aligned with the moon, and so, without further thinking, he dug the scepter into the mound. ‘Happy New Glow.’ he declared loudly, voice resonating into the area. Then, the Glow aligned perfectly with the moon, eclipsing it totally, and, when its blinding light passed through the stones of the scepter, each gem cast rays of light through the planet, one of them – the biggest of them all – sending light straight onto the Grand Tree. It only lasted seconds. But they were enough to render the humans speechless. Never in their young lives had they seen something so… utterly spectacular. And, at this one precise moment, the three of them shared one same thought – how happy they were to be here. – – – – – Several hours had passed since the lunar eclipse – the night had fallen again quickly after it, but the Glow was already about to rise again for real this time, for the first day of this new year. The Strays were now back onto the Neutral Grounds’ center close to the Grand Tree, to either continue celebrating properly or watch the champions of each Ordeal get their tattoo done – a black sun – or either retiring to their homes. Music was filling the air – a mix of singing, zithers, flutes and drums – and everyone was dancing around and eating the food made with love by the clans’ bakers and cooks. Felix on the other hand was saying good night to Dabby, who had shown up once last time, when he felt arms wrap around himself from behind. ‘Congratulation Lix…’ The Stray felt heat rush up his cheeks and at the same time couldn’t help the big grin blooming on his face. ‘Changbin!’ he exclaimed, turning around in his embrace and returning it. ‘I’m so glad you’re here! I thought you were back home already.’ ‘Not before seeing you.’ Changbin chuckled and let go of him to look behind him. ‘Hey Dabby.’ he greeted, patting her head. The beast purred and nuzzled his hand, then stepped back and accidentally bumped its head onto Felix’s butt before it finally flew away. Changbin raised a brow at the flying creature and focused back on Felix. ‘She’s… really excited today.’ he explained, rubbing his sore butt and internally cursing his Young Wing. ‘I can see that.’ Changbin agreed, remembering how she had splashed him earlier on. ‘Say…’ he stepped back a bit and rubbed his nape sheepishly before extending his other toward him. ‘I think I owe you a dance.’ Felix’s eyes widened as he remembered Chan’s earlier words. So he was serious, he didn’t say that just to tease them. Oh Jae. Giggling, he grabbed the hand and led Changbin toward the dance floor. Some people were already dancing there – some in groups, other in couple, some in solo – but as soon as they got there, Felix kind of froze. Changbin stopped and stared at him worriedly. ‘What’s wrong? Are you hurt somewhere? Should we-’ ‘No, no, I’m okay.’ he began, quickly reassuring the boy. ‘It’s just that… I don’t know how humans dance.’ he ended, ducking his head, embarrassed. And, frankly, Changbin was ready to bust the biggest ‘aw’ of his life. Could Felix get any cuter? He gently pried Felix’s fingers away from his face and smiled at him. ‘It’s okay. I don’t know how you guys dance either. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Just… do whatever makes you comfortable.’ Felix nodded shyly and tentatively wrapped his arms around the older’s neck, looking up with an unsure smile. ‘Is it okay?’ Changbin only chuckled, and looped an arm around his bare waist. ‘You tackle me on the ground everytime you see me, this-’ He flushed their torsos together. ‘… is more than okay.’ he grinned. Felix let out a deep laugh, completely relaxed now, and pinched his neck, igniting a yelp from the older. ‘Just dance with me human boy. Don’t forget I can bite.’ ‘Oh yeah, you’re wild.’ Changbin snorted, but Felix suddenly slid a hand down his back and pressed harder against him, his other hand delicately but strongly coming to a rest by his jaw, making him tense. And when he looked up at the Stray, he saw the dark and somewhat… dangerous glimmer in his eyes that told him that one wrong move and this being could kill him. And yet, he couldn’t feel any fear, knowing that Felix would never harm him. The fingers smeared black paint taken from the bucket on their left onto his jaw. ‘Still not believing me?’ he taunted with a smirk. But Changbin only made him twirl, Felix yelping and stumbling not to lose his footing. ‘I never doubted you cub.’ Felix caught himself onto his forearms and laughed. ‘Yeah, after I splashed you with Dabby and survived a storm, you can’t say I’m not capable of fighting you.’ Changbin looped his arms back into place and began to sway them. ‘Yeah. But I also know you would never harm me.’ Felix looked up and bit his lower lip, fingers drumming over Changbin’s nape. ‘I hate it when you’re right Seo Changbin.’ Changbin grinned. ‘I know.’ Felix laughed and shook his head. ‘I wonder why I like you so much sometimes.’ he whispered, voice covered by the music and laughs of the people around them. ‘Say, where are Chan and Jisung?’ ‘Jisung was tired so he went back to our flat. Chan is… god knows where?’ he provided and Felix rolled his eyes at him. ‘Nevermind them, let’s just enjoy our evening. Just the two of us’ Felix felt his cheeks heat up under his dark gaze and gently lowered Changbin’s hood over his eyes, hand falling over the human’s warm left cheek. ‘Yeah, let’s do just that.’ – Mills threw his pillow at the wall. ‘Yedam. For the fourth and last time, shut the fuck up.’ he threatened, grabbing his pillow back from the ground and kicking said boy’s hammock in the process. ‘Sorry.’ Yedam said sheepishingly as he turned around to face the wall. Then, he thought back of Jeongin’s words. And how soft his hand had felt on his wrist. And how cute the boy had been. And how he was about to spend the best day of his life soon. Another giggle session followed. This time, it was not one, but two pillows that were thrown at him. ‘Bang Yedam, stop thinking of Lee Jeongin and sleep for Jae’s sake!’ – – – – – ‘The stars look great from up close.’ Woojin broke the silence, fiddling with his bronze cuffs, bright golden eyes reflecting the last stars above their heads. After the ceremony, Woojin had stayed a bit with his family, but then he saw the three humans and decided to join them. After a while, Woojin being quite exhausted decided to go home to get some rest but Chan had followed him. So now, here they were, back to the tree house’s balcony, waiting for the Glow to rise to witness the first glowrise of the year. Chan looked up from his palms, glancing at his older friend briefly as he too stared at the sky. Quite honestly, he had no idea why he followed Woojin back there, maybe he’d just wanted some… alone time with the older? ‘Yeah, they do.’ he finally answered. Woojin smiled. ‘Of course you you’d know it. You saw them even closer than I ever did.’ he chuckled, referring to Chan’s time into the spaceship. ‘Yeah.’ Chan chuckled with a grin. ‘I wish I could them to you that close.’ Woojin’s eyes widened at those words. What… was Chan implying? Turning to him, he parted his lips to say something, but, oddly, nothing came out. Why couldn’t he say something? And why was his heart beating… strangely? Before he could dwell on it further, the human turned to him with a bright smile. And truly, he was mesmerizing. The wind was blowing through his hair and the shadow the rising Glow over the horizon cast on his face made his grin shine brighter, the turquoise, orange and purple of their surroundings making the picture ethereal – something alike to these fairy tales from Earth the human teachers at school read to them. And right now… he oddly wanted to believe in it. ‘Will you?’ His words echoed in the air, sounds of the Fyrs going to sleep in the trees sounding like carillons as the only other noise ringing into the air. Chan touched his hand. It was cold. Cold but welcomed. ‘Maybe I will.’ ‘You’re kind Chan.’ Woojin said with a laugh, turning back to watch the Glow rise. Chan laughed at that and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. ‘I try.’ he singsonged. ‘Say, I finished the book you lent me.’ ‘Oh. Did you like it?’ ‘Hmm. It felt good to read it again. Reminded me of why my family liked it so much.’ he explained and Woojin looked at him in surprise. ‘You’re whole family liked it?’ ‘Yeah. Well, I just have a little sister, a mother and an aunt so not really a big fam. My aunt was actually the one who made me discover the book, but it’s been years since we’ve had news of her, we don’t know what she does, we don’t even know if she’s alive or not.’ ‘How come?’ Woojin inquired, not understand how one could not be aware of that. ‘She’s one of the most famous scientist on Earth so she’s really busy, so busy that we don’t know what she does. Last time I heard she was in China and Canada at the same time- and that was five years ago… So much bullshit going on about her whereabouts…’ he trailed off, looking over the horizon. ‘Sometimes I just wish I knew where she was just so I could show her what I’ve became, to show her how much of an example she’s for the young generation…’ Woojin, remembering his geography lessons from the human school back in the day, knew that it was impossible to be both in Canada and China at the same time, so he understood what Chan meant. Laying his head over his friend’s shoulder, he sighed and looked at a Young Wing flying to grab a fruit. ‘I wish that one day you’ll go back on Earth and you’ll be able to find her and show her what you’ve become. I’m sure she would be proud.’ he muttered, eyes fluttering close. Chan blinked the wetness away from his eyes and laid his head over Woojin’s own, relaxing back into the couch. ‘Yeah… I do hope so too.’ He really did. But he wasn’t sure he would be able to. Not if it meant leaving this place- leaving this. – – – – – Jisung yawned as he stumbled onto the beach, now calm and devoid of people. Quite the change of scenery from yesterday’s evening. As he’d told Changbin and Chan, he did went back to their flat, but all he did was take a shower and change clothes – he couldn’t sleep. This exchange of glances he’s had with Minho and this eclipse- it made him think. And the only place he could think of to relax his mind was this beautiful beach he discovered just yesterday. As he sat down on the sand, he tugged his knees to his chest, watching the Glow rise over the horizon. It was calming. He loved it. His eyes were about to drop from exhaustion, when he heard the sand crinkle by his side. Gasping, he looked to his right, but relax immediately, recognizing the familiar white ad blue coat. ‘Hey.’ he greeted, eyes focusing back on the horizon. ‘Hey.’ Minho answered, eyes on the horizon too. ‘Congratulation.’ Jisung genuinely said, a smile blooming on his features. ‘Thanks.’ Minho grinned and chuckle. ‘I didn’t see you at the party.’ ‘Neither did I see you.’ Jisung pointed out, remembering the two hours he spent waiting. ‘I was getting this done.’ he explained, gesturing to the sun tattooed on his wrist and Jisung stared at it in awe. ‘That’s gorgeous.’ he yawned. ‘I went back home early.’ ‘I see.’ Minho nodded and raised a brow at the human when he yawned again. ‘Tired?’ ‘Terribly. Couldn’t sleep.’ he explained, head absentmindedly falling on the leader’s shoulder. ‘Why?’ Minho asked, playing with the sand between them with his left hand. ‘This whole night was so amazing. I’d never seen that. I can’t keep it off my mind.’ he explained and Minho raised a brow again. ‘You’d never seen an eclipse before?’ Jisung felt his pinkie move on its own on the sand, itching closer to the hand of the Stray next to him, like drawn by its soothing movements. ‘Never.’ he confirmed, voice low and gaze cast on the pretty sea before him. ‘It’s actually my first time seeing a beach, a sea… All of this is beautiful and I just wished it was…’ His hand came to a stop. ‘Home.’ he whispered, looking longingly at the rising Glow, hand retracting on his side. What silly thoughts they were… Fingers intertwined with his own. Jisung’s eyes widened and he gasped, and when he looked up at Minho, all he saw was his intense burning eyes. ‘It is.’ Jisung frowned, not understanding, and opened his mouth in confusion. But a thumb stroke his knuckles, and just with that Jisung was rendered silent. ‘Your home. It is your home.’ Jisung could only gape at this revelation, cheeks heating up, heart beating faster at the implication of those words. ‘Why… but it isn’t.’ he muttered, voice muffled into Minho’s neck. ‘You live here Jisung. And you’re welcomed here by everyone, heck, you even found your place here. It is your home Jisung… only if you want it to be.’ he added, squeezing his hand. ‘And it can keep being your home for years and years if you chose it be.’ Jisung let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, cheeks reddening. Minho offered him to stay forever, there were no doubts left. He couldn’t believe it… and yet. This was like a dream come true. ‘Thank you…’ he said in a whisper, watching the Glow rise, eyes finally fluttering close. He wanted to stay there. He sincerely wanted to stay there. With him. – – – – – Jeongin twirled the ring around his middle finger, fighting the fatigue off his eyes as he anxiously waited. The party had just ended, and the new inked sun on his hip was still stinging and so was the ache in his broken wrist, but he had one last thing to do before he could go home and sleep. He had no idea if the boy would show or not, and he was worrying that he wouldn’t, seeing how far the Glow had rose in the sky. Then, he heard the rustling of leafs, and soon a familiar figure emerged from it. ‘Mark! You’re here.’ he greeted with a smile. ‘Yeah, sorry. I would have come sooner but this place was kind of tricky to find.’ he explained, rubbing his nape sheepishly. Jeongin beckoned him forward as he lifted the palm leafs from the cave’s entrance. ‘Yeah, well, that’s a secret hideout for a reason.’ Mark chuckled at that and entered the cave. ‘Yeah, now that you say… it…’ he trailed off, staring at the place, more precisely staring at its walls. Jeongin waited patiently, biting his nails. He had offered Mark to come and see something important but he had no idea how the boy would took it. Oh Jae, now that he thought of it that was the worst idea ever! What if Mark fainted? Or worst, storm out and never talk to them again? Oh Jae, he was so screwed. In the middle of his crisis he had failed to realize the trails of tears on the older’s cheeks as well as the bright smile on his face. ‘Jeongin…’ he sobbed. ‘This is exactly how I remember him.’ Jeongin felt tears in his own eyes when he followed Mark’s eyesight: it was a drawing of Donghyuck, with a sun behind him. It was one of his first drawing. Actually, this whole place had been his safe heaven after this event, a place where he could draw and paint freely. ‘I’m glad you like it.’ he chuckled, sniffing. ‘I thought… you would like to see it.’ ‘Yeah… thank you. Really.’ Mark said in earnest, for the first time since they had reconciled feeling at ease. Then, his eyes fell on a painting of a man with an apple in his hand and a necklace made of a blue feather around his neck – it was just next Minho’s one. ‘Who’s this?’ he inquired. ‘Did Minho get a partner? I didn’t see him yesterday.’ Jeongin’s eyes widened. How could he have been so reckless and forget that he had drawings of humans in his cave? Well, now he only had to hope that Mark’s claim from yesterday was true. ‘No, not exactly…’ he began. ‘But he has Minho’s feather.’ Mark pointed out, knowing that those feathers were kind of Minho’s token of respect but also of affection. ‘Yeah…’ Jeongin winced and breathed in. ‘They kind of like each other… I don’t really know actually. But the two have a strong friendship.’ Mark smiled at that. Then his eyes fell on two other unknown faces. ‘And who are they?’ ‘Hmm… Mark? You know how Minho’s always been more… open than the others-’ ‘They are humans aren’t they?’ he cut in. ‘Yeah- what?! How did you- I mean-’ Jeongin panicked but Mark chuckled, making him stop. ‘Relax. It’s all good. I figured it out because of how stressed you were.’ he chuckled, winking at the younger who rubbed his nape sheepishly. ‘I’m happy for you guys… tying bonds with humans after what happened would have been way harder were it not for Minho. He’s amazing. And I’m glad that there are great humans out there with whom we can get along.’ Jeongin chuckled and leaned against his cave’s wall. ‘You don’t even know them.’ ‘Yeah, but for you to draw them on your walls? It means you love them. Except if it’s all just a big ‘send back to Earth’ list.’ Jeongin laughed out loud and shook his head. ‘No, no, it’s not. You’re right I love them. They’re my friends.’ Mark grinned at that. ‘Is Yedam also your friend?’ Jeongin blushed at that. ‘How do you know Yedam- oh, of course.’ he facepalmed. Currently, he wished nothing more than to burn his cave walls that were full of painting of Yedam. Jae, that was embarrassing. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.’ the Yui clan leader winked. ‘Oh, speaking of my brother and Ten! Would you like to come to their wedding?’ ‘They are not married?’ he gasped in disbelief. ‘But Ten’s moved to your clan for years now. Oh my Jae, and to say everyone thought they were married.’ Mark laughed and shook his head. ‘So? All your family and your three human friends are invited too.’ he precised and Jeongin gaped at him in disbelief. ‘The humans too?’ ‘Yes. My tribe never held a grudge against humans, at least not anymore. It was just me. But I want this planet to be happy. And these humans make you guys happy.’ Mark explained. Jeongin, hearing those words, couldn’t help but nod. ‘Thank you, I’ll talk about it with Minho.’ ‘Great.’ Mark declared. Then, he smirked. ‘Yedam will be there too, you know?’ ‘Oh my Jae, I’m going home.’ he groaned, face turning red as he exited the cave. But deep down, he was glad that all was better between them. And as he leaped from trees to trees, feeling the warmth of the Glow onto his pale skin, he couldn’t help but think that this new year was going to be amazing. Jeongin smiled. Yeah, he could feel it. – – – – – Changbin pushed the door of their flat open, eyes half opened and barely seeing where he was putting his feet. Thank god, the place’s shutters were drawn because he couldn’t take one more second of this Glow’s assaulting morning light. Door closing, he advanced into the dark room and absentmindedly putted back the blanket over Chan who had fallen asleep on their couch. Typical. Entering the bedroom, he heard Jisung’s light snore and smiled. This will definitely lull him to sleep, where he would dream of Felix and their night spent dancing and eating- god, what did they serve in those drinks? He was saying shit. Or maybe it was just fatigue. Blindly reaching for his sweatpants he shimmied out of his jeans and put them on. Then he reached for Suzy’s cloak and took it off- only to feel a weight in its hood. Okay, what was in those fucking drinks. Reaching fro the hood, he unfolded it- and gasped. It was a joke. It had to be one. The Fyr was sleeping into his hood. Taking the small animal into his hands, Changbin stared at it and sighed. What could he do? He couldn’t put it back outside when it was sleeping and defenseless like that. ‘You’re gonna give me headaches aren’t you?’ he muttered under his breath, deciding to screw it and slipping under his bed covers, holding the Fyr close to himself. And as he stared at it he couldn’t help but smile. ‘You remind me of Gyu. Maybe I should call you that?’ He stared at the small creature, purring in its sleep, ad brushed a finger against its tiny fluffy ear. ‘Yeah, Gyu, that’s it.’ he yawned and closed his eyes, bringing Gyu against his torso. Tonight had been an amazing night, and he couldn’t wait to see more of this amazing planet. With those thoughts, Changbin fell asleep, cheek still warm from Felix’s hand, eyes still bright with memories, and mind still filled with flutes and zithers that he heard the night before, eager to see what this new year had in store… And whatever that was, Changbin was ready. ~~~~~~> To be continued.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The Young Wings screeching was the first thing Woojin heard in the morning. The next thing he did heard was his partner’s voice singing what sounded like an Earth Christmas song and the rattle of utensils. Frowning, he rolled over into the bed, missing the warmth of the human as he stretched a bit to try to wake up. What was Chan doing out of bed so early in the morning? There was no reason at all for him to be up already. Well, at least now he had the bed all to himself. Slumping back into the warm covers, he almost fell back into slumber when the mattress dipped by his left side. A warm hand carded through his hair and he hummed in acknowledgment, peppermint scent invading his nostrils. ‘Good morning to you too.’ Chan laughed, dropping the tray on the end of the mattress. He slipped back under the covers next to his lover and leaned down to kiss his cheek. Woojin whined and turned around, wrapping his arms around Chan’s neck and bringing him back down for a proper kiss. Chan smiled warmly against his lips and relented, dropping a kiss on his lips – Woojin in the morning was too endearing for him to refuse him anything. ‘Good morning.’ Woojin greeted him properly this time, pulling back as Chan chased his lips one last time as he always did, always too intoxicated by his other half even though it’d been years since they fell in love, and the Stray finally opened his eyes fully. He smiled at the human and brushed a hand against his jaw. ‘You need a shave.’ he commented, and Chan nipped at his hand playfully, making him gently slap him away. ‘Why are we up so early, Chan?’ The scientist grinned and sat up, reaching over for the tray he had dropped by the end of the bed. And seeing its contents, Woojin grinned too – gingerbread, pecan pie, pancakes, oranges and hot cocoas were waiting for them. Today was Christmas Eve. ‘I know that you, Strays, don’t celebrate Christmas but I thought bringing a touch of Earth tradition in this house wouldn’t hurt.’ Chan chirped, biting into a pancake. Woojin laughed at him, eyes forming those lovely crescents that never ceased to make Chan’s heart beat faster, and took a warm hot cocoa in his hands. ‘You say that as if we’ve never celebrated Christmas.’ he commented, referring to the many times Chan brought him to the scientific base where they celebrated Christmas every year. ‘We do but never at home.’ Chan pointed out and sat back comfortably in the bed, looking outside in contemplation. The Glow had barely risen and the ground and bark of the trees were covered in their usual translucent frost, the sky its usual gray and purple tint at this period of the year – it was so different from Earth, with Straya 801 having no snow, only this weird frost that resembled melted sugar according to Jisung. But Chan loved it. He was broken of his contemplation by a blue Young Wing flying in the sky and with that, he turned back to his lover. ‘And I thought we could use a breakfast in bed. You’re not opposing to that, I assume?’ he asked, teasing the slightly older boy with a smirk as he bit into his pancake. Woojin bumped into his shoulder before he leaned over and stole a bite of his pancake. The action left Chan bewildered and Woojin almost laughed at his face. ‘I don’t see any reason to, especially when you’re the one cooking.’ Chan rolled his eyes at his comment and drank a sip of his orange juice. Woojin shook his head at him and kissed the man’s bare shoulder in apology. ‘Are we going to the base this year?’ he muttered against his skin, right arm wrapping over his chest. Chan absentmindedly carded a hand through his hair, and Woojin shivered at the touch, curling closer to the man. ‘Only if you want to.’ Woojin looked up at that and grinned. ‘You already know my answer.’ then he cheekily commented, ‘And even if I didn’t want to, you’d still be forced to go.’ he pointed out, chuckling at Chan’s frown. ‘I’m a grown man, I can make my own decisions and nothing ties me to this obligation.’ he informed, crossing his arms when Woojin moved away. Said man chuckled at his words and left the bed to reach the other side of their shared bedroom. They had long left the common house tree he used to share with Jeongin, Minho and Felix. They had chosen this beautiful house, perched in a tree that was not too far from they usual date spot (the Floating Sea). The area was mostly calm, sometimes the shrieks of Young Wings flying nearby disturbing their peace, but apart from that the only real sounds were those of their neighbors – they were actually not far from Hyunjin and Seungmin’s place – the animals and the waves. Chan and Woojin loved it because it was a great change from their everyday life which consists in leading science researches in the jungle or working in the labs for Chan, and being a doctor for Woojin either in his own shack or at the hospital the humans helped built in Minho’s territory – it had been very helpful for their clan these past years, the new techniques humans brought in and their own Straynian ones balancing each others really well, and his coworkers both humans and Strays getting along well. He chuckled at the thought and grabbed Chan’s working jacket – a black jacket with the science enterprise insignia on the breast pocket, a platinum polished one instead of the former golden one. ‘That was until you became one of JYP’s chief science officer.’ he noted, showing the insignia that replaced the old colonel one to his husband. He dropped on a crouch next to him and caressed his cheek. ‘You’re no longer a colonel Chan, or a mere scientist, you’re one of the company’s figure. You need to be there, even if one day I decide not to come along. Not that I would want to miss your coworkers telling me all the great things there’s to know about you at work.’ Chan groaned in defeat and dropped back in bed, hands covering his face. ‘On a second thought, you’re sure you wanna go?’ he whined, peeking at the Stray though his fingers. ‘Yes. C’mon, the party will start in a few hours and you need to shave.’ he laughed with a smirk. Chan chuckled at that and, before Woojin could grab the tray of food, grabbed his waist to pull him back in bed. ‘Chan!’ he yelped, clutching the human’s shoulders. ‘What are you-’ ‘We have plenty of time before us, so come back in bed. C’mon it’s Christmas Eve, let’s take things slow today, hmm?’ ‘But-’ Chan shut him up with a kiss.
* *** *
‘That’s beautiful Kara.’ Felix said, ruffling the young girl’s hair with a tender smile, before he put back the Christmas hat properly over her braided hair. The young girl beamed at him and rushed to the multiple boxes on the floor of the classroom to find another bauble. Today was Christmas Eve, and Felix, Rosé and the other teachers thought it was a great idea to bring a Christmas tree into the classroom. This school was built on the neutral ground and open to both Stray and human kids. Built on the model of the former human school, it was small, with only three classrooms and indoor and outdoor playgrounds – the perfect place for kids to meet other kids. There, the lessons were given in both Straynian and Earthian to ensure all the kids could speak both languages and Felix taught the kids aged between 7 to 11. But today was a special day, no class being held as only decorating the school mattered. ‘Felix, Felix! What’s that?’ a kid suddenly asked, coming running toward him with what appeared to be a star in his hands. Felix ruffled his hair and crouched, smoothing the wrinkles out of his red knitted sweater. ‘It’s meant to be put at the top of the tree. Do you wanna put it on it?’ he offered and the boy grinned at him with wide eyes, nodding fast. Felix chuckled and picked him up, the little boy reaching his arms out to properly drop it on the tree. Then, multiple gasps and cries of joy erupted in the classroom, startling the teacher. What was happening? ‘Felix, Felix, look!’ a small girl with blond hair and mismatched eyes exclaimed, pointing at the door before she joined her friends in the crowd by it. Felix frowned and let the little boy go, and turned around. ‘Hello cub.’ Felix beamed and ran toward the door, forgetting that he was a teacher for a moment, arms looping around his husband’s neck as he spun them around- and slipped on the frost. ‘Shit.’ Changbin exclaimed, barely catching himself on the door frame. Felix offered him a playful glare and Changbin put both hands up. ‘Right, no swear words around the kids.’ ‘Hello to you too.’ Felix chuckled with an amused smirk. ‘I would have gladly given you a kiss but these kids are too young to see the kind of ones you give.’ Changbin chuckled at that and settled for a peck on the forehead. Some kids made disgusted noises in the background, other cooed, while most hid their faces between their hands with giggles. Changbin chuckled and winked at them, hugging Felix closer and hooking his chin on his shoulder. ‘Sosoil sweethearts. How are you today?’ he smiled at them, the kids chorusing a greeting back a mix of answers with broad grins before going back to the Christmas tree. ‘They’re adorable.’ he commented, and Felix turned around his arms, resting his back against his torso. ‘Yeah. They loved the concept of decorating a Christmas tree when I told them about it, so we thought it was a good idea to do it this year again.’ he commented, hands coming to a rest over Changbin’s. Then a rush of memory came back before his eyes, making him gasp silently. ‘You’re okay there?’ Changbin asked in slight worry but Felix nodded with a small smile, eyes contemplative. ‘Yeah… yeah, I think… I just remembered something that my mom used to do…’
/flashback/
‘Hey! I saw it before you that’s unfair!’ a tall little boy exclaimed, pouting when a beautiful little boy refused to give the star he saw first back to him. The beautiful little boy just laughed and ran around the classroom with it, angering the tall little boy. ‘Hyun!’ he whined, slumping down onto his chair. Hyunjin finally stopped and wrapped his arms around his best friend, pecking his cheek. ‘Sorry, don’t be sad Seung. Here, you can have it.’ Hyunjin said, and offered him the star. Seungmin beamed and reached out to take it, but Hyunjin suddenly pulled back and ran away with an even louder laugh. ‘Got you!’ ‘Hyun!’
From the other side of the room, Felix watched his friends with a grin as they left the room to go to the other classroom, hugging his mother’s leg. The pregnant woman crouched down and ruffled his hair. ‘Go help Seungmin get his star back, yeah sweetheart?’
Felix nodded and did as he was asked, and his mother went over to where three mischievous siblings were… wrapping their youngest brother into a Christmas tinsel?
She raised a brow and sighed. What had she expected? It was a typical behavior with those three.
‘Minho, Donghyuck and Jeongin, what on Straya are you doing?’ she asked, smiling at the three little boys who smiled at her, actually proud of themselves. ‘Jeongin is a Christmas tree!’ Minho exclaimed and Donghyuck dropped a bauble atop his head at this exact moment.
This time, their teacher facepalmed. Literally.
‘Sweethearts, that’s-’ she began but was interrupted by a knock on the door. ‘Teacher?’ someone called out and she turned around to see one of her eldest student at the door. ‘Ah, Ten.’ she smiled, leaving the three siblings to untangle their youngest by themselves, and approached a bench where a young boy was sleeping. She took him in her arms carefully, gently rocking him as she gave him to Ten. ‘Here. I assume that you’re here to see him.’
Ten smiled at her politely before he looked down at his brother, a fond look and a lopsided smile on his lips. She noted that Ten only ever had this look and calm behavior when it came to his brother – the rest of the time, he was more out going, dare she say ‘diva-ish’.
‘Yedam has been really calm today. You can take him a bit with you,’ she informed, smirking internally at the joy on Ten’s face. ‘just be sure to bring him back here for his meal.’
The boy smiled and left to the other classroom. When he entered it, he was surprised to still see two of the youngest kids running around and another one – the teacher’s kid, he recognized – trying to stop them. ‘You’re still fighting for the star?’ he blurted out in surprise, sitting Yedam who was slowly waking up down a bench.
The tallest kid turned to him with a huff. ‘I’ll chase him around the entire planet until he gives me back the star!’ And with that he resumed his chase, following the beautiful one, both finally leaving the classroom. The son of the teacher sighed at that and gave up, sitting on a chair to catch his breath. Knowing that he was a calm one, Ten sat beside him.
Felix looked at the young boy next yawning next to Ten, recognizing him as Yedam. He had played with the boy a few times but he never knew Ten was related to him. ‘He is your brother?’ he asked, his voice at the time still chirpy and but soft. Ten looked up with a small but proud smile and nodded. Then the older boy handed him a hot cocoa. Felix stared at it. It was pretty, with wiped cream on the top and a broken candy cane on top, but most importantly it smelled heavenly – even better than those his mom makes.
‘You like it?’ Ten asked with a small smile when Felix took a sip. ‘My teacher made-’ ‘Come back here Hwang Hyunjin!’
Ten sighed and rolled his eyes and Felix watched stunned as his friends came back running around. ‘Be careful of the fireplace!’ he warned them when they dashed too close to it.
When Seungmin was about to finally snatch the star however, a girl stepped in front of them, seemingly older than them all. She was really pretty, with long black hair and a reindeer headband giving her an angel look. Felix recognized her as an ancient student, the pretty girl who had brought with her the Christmas trees and whom his mom had told him was one of the best student she ever had. He also knew she was one of the few human teens around and the daughter of his mom’s boss. ‘Stop running around you two.’ she instructed Seungmin and Hyunjin, crouching down to give them both a flick on the forehead, which made them whine. Rolling her red sweater’s sleeves up she held her hands out. ‘What do you say we go put that star on top of the tree together?’
His two friends exchanged a look and Felix was not sure they were about to accept since they were known to always cause trouble. But this pretty girl’s charms must have worked because the two little boy nodded and grabbed her hands, Seungmin finally letting go of his candy corn. She smiled and stood up, seemingly feeling great and excited. ‘Let’s go then!’
As she was about to exit, a young man slightly older than her entered, dress in an ugly Christmas sweater and a warm looking yellow scarf- oh! It was the Trashee leader! ‘Suzy, the other pine tree is here.’ he informed, wiping the frost away from his hair.
As Felix heard Ten mutter a ‘finally’, the pretty girl – who he now knew as Suzy – turned around and grinned at the leader. ‘Great, I’ll help you carry it here. Just wait for me one minute- yah, you two rascals come back here!!!’
‘Fe? Felix, you’re with me?’ Hearing these words, Felix blinked and focused back on his surroundings. Oh, yeah, he still was in the classroom. Feeling Changbin slightly tightened his hold on him, he relaxed in his embrace and smiled. ‘Yeah, yeah. I just remembered something.’ Changbin hummed so he went on, ‘I just remembered a day in winter when I was a kid and we had put Christmas trees everywhere in the human school… my mom was a teacher at the time and we all had fun- Seungmin and Hyunjin had even fought for the Christmas star tree topper.’ he chuckled, deep and melodious and it made Changbin smile. The human dropped a kiss on his shoulder and moved away. Keeping an arm looped around Felix, he moved to the side and watched the kids putting an atrocious but endearing assortment of baubles onto the tree. ‘It’s… colorful?’ he tried, wincing slightly when Felix jabbed his side. ‘What? You gotta admit that it’s… quite something.’ ‘Alright,’ Felix conceded, taking a good look at the tree. ‘- but they like it. We gotta let the kid’s imagination and creativity run wild- even if it means staring at this Skittle like Christmas tree.’ he snorted, trying to remember if his choices of Christmas tree decoration back in his childhood were that… original. Changbin shook his head and put back Felix’s green Santa hat in place. ‘It suits you.’ he commented, grinning. ‘You look like a Christmas elf.’ ‘A cute one I hope- stop wiggling your eyebrows Seo Changbin.’ he laughed, hitting his shoulder. ‘Anyway, why are you here?’ Changbin looked at him confused. ‘You don’t remember? It’s time to go to the party.’ Felix blinked for one second before he was scrambling over to his desk. ‘Shit, it’s already time…’ ‘No curse words babe.’ Changbin playfully reminded his husband, earning himself a playful glare from Felix and multiple reactions from the kids ranging from ‘aww’ to ‘ugh’. Felix dropped his hat onto the desk with a sigh, glaring at Changbin when he said that he should keep it, and grabbed his scarf. ‘Kids,’ he called out, waiting to have all of their attention before he went on, ‘Rosé is going to watch over you from now on.’ he announced, the other teacher in the adjacent room waving at the couple, causing the kids to scramble toward him to hug him goodbye and ask him why he was leaving so early. Felix chuckled and took Changbin’s hand. ‘Because we have somewhere to go. But I’ll be back the day after tomorrow, don’t worry. Be kind with Rosé, yeah?’ The kids all eagerly agreed, all loving the kind other teacher. Changbin on the other hand ruffled the kids’ hair and led Felix to the door. ‘How are we going to the base, Binie? Should take a walk?’ the Stray asked as he intertwined their fingers, pecking his cheek and grinning when Changbin blushed a bit. But the scientist shook his head. ‘Look ahead.’ he instructed and Felix did just that. ‘Dab!’ he gasped, running to his Young Wing and hugging her neck. ‘Careful!’ Changbin warned with a wince as Felix ran on the frost, following behind him. When he reached his partner, Felix was already on the pink creature. ‘I rod on her to come here. It’s been a while since you had time to fly with her so I thought it would be a good idea to fly a bit before going back to the base.’ he smiled and Felix leaned down to peck his lips. ‘What would I do without you…’ he muttered between two kisses, hand brushing his jaw fondly. ‘Are you coming with us?’ Changbin leaned back and shook his head. ‘Nope.’ Turning to his left, he looked around a bit and whistled. Soon enough, a blue creature dropped onto his shoulder, climbing down from a nearby tree. ‘I’ll spend some time with Gyu and join you at the base in a few. Have some fun with Dab first, alright?’ he chuckled, stroking Guy’s head fondly. Felix nodded and patted his Young Wing’s side. ‘See you later then!’ he yelled, already up in the sky. Changbin chuckled at his lover and began to walk a bit in the forest, frost crunching under his feet. He couldn’t wait to celebrate Christmas at the base.
* *** *
‘-and then he sat down and we heard a crack! The poor boy had sat on the vials!’ JYP finished retelling Woojin, who was laughing his butt off. ‘Oh, so that’s why you had a cut on your butt cheek at the time! And to think I thought it was a scar you got during training.’ he teased his husband, who pretended to be too busy stuffing his face with cinnamon rolls to hear. ‘Hmm, Suzy those cinnamon rolls are wonderful! What did you use to make them?’ Chan said instead, grinning at the woman, though the blush on his cheeks let everyone around know that he was indeed embarrassed by the anecdote. Jae, that was a story he had never wanted Woojin to know because he knew he’d never hear the end of it. Suzy smirked at him and wiped off some crumb of breads of his ugly Christmas sweater – in her opinion – with mirth in her eyes. ‘Do you plan on saying that every time my father says something embarrassing Chan?’ she snickered, and Chan swore to Jae that he would never trust a woman based on her angelic features ever again – Suzy was a devil. Said woman went behind her father’s wheelchair and moved him a bit away from the buffet. ‘C’mon dad, as interesting as your stories are, I’m sure Woojin and Chan would appreciate some quality time alone.’ she winked at them and made a U-turn under the protests of her father. Chan smiled. Well, maybe she was only half the demon. Then, screeches were heard. Woojin rolled his eyes and wrapped a hand over Chan’s elbow, gently guiding him toward the entrance double door. ‘Always the dramatic entrance, these two.’ he muttered under his breath and Chan chuckled, silently agreeing. Well, what was to expect from Jisung and Minho other than loud, dramatic and extravagant, really? Doors sliding open just in time to see a magnificent blue Young Wing spread its wing widely over the frost, Chan and Woojin stepped outside to greet the newcomers. The frost cracked under their feet as they ascended the set of stairs and Chan held out a hand for him – an old habit that never failed to make Woojin smile – helping him step off the platform. ‘Chan!’ Jisung hysterically greeted, his grin broad as he gripped his own husband shoulders to get off the animal. Minho barely had time to grab his waist and propped him off his Young Wing that Jisung was already scrambling toward his childhood friend. Chan let go of his husband’s hand to wrap his arms around Jisung, laughing from happiness. They all had been so busy these days that they barely had time to see each other, Chan as a scientist, Jisung as both a medic and clan leader’s partner – and with those two, Minho and Woojin knew that duty comes first. Arms wrapped around his shoulders, startling him out of his reverie. ‘Hey Woo.’ Woojin smiled warmly at his friend, welcoming him in his arms. ‘Hey Min.’ ‘You got tanner.’ the leader pointed out, leaning back a bit. ‘And you got buffer. How come?’ ‘Oh c’mon.’ Minho snorted, leading the both of them inside the base. ‘I’m not that lazy.’ Woojin just patted his shoulders.
* *** *
‘Minho, son, com’ere for a minute.’ Minho raised his head and looked around, finding JYP beckoning him forward, the bells of his Christmas hat ringing in his movement. Him and Jisung had arrived around one hour ago and his husband was nowhere to be seen. But the brunette feared not, he knew perfectly well where and with whom Jisung was. Crouching in front of the CEO, he was surprised when his calloused hand made contact with his cheek, gently – almost fondly – stroking it. ‘The more he grows, the more Jeongin looks like your you. I thought for a minute that you were him.’ he commented with a chuckle, finally settling his hand on his shoulder. ‘Though, he obviously has less fashion sense than you do. What a beautiful Christmas sweater son~’ The boss was obviously teasing him now, so he snorted, standing up and going around the wheelchair to grab its handles. ‘It was Jisung idea.’ he informed with a grimace, looking down at his green knitted sweater that had a reindeer with pompoms sewn on it as he began to wheel the boss toward the entrance door. ‘Never let him choose again.’ JYP begged grimly. ‘Never again.’ he swore, knowing fully that he would, in fact, let Jisung decide again. ‘Speaking of him, let’s go find our three favorite grown children, shall we?’ JYP nodded, reaching over to put his palm on the detector, the door then sliding open. ‘Great idea. The Christmas ham is about to be served anyway.’ ‘Say,’ Minho began as he wheeled JYP around the platform, toward the small lift. ‘-how’s your leg since the wound?’ he asked, eyeing the cast that had little Christmas trees and presents doodled all over. ‘Healing, slowly as ever but, ya know, a bit of patience and Christmas magic, and it will be over soon.’ Minho laughed loudly at that, finally pulling JYP onto the ground and carefully wheeling him onto the frost. ‘Look at them, they’re worse than our children.’ ‘Well, I’d rather see them like that than with weapons in their hands, don’t ya?’ JYP asked, turning to look up at the leader. ‘Yeah, I guess when you put it like that I can’t but agree.’ Minho smiled, crossing his arms over his chest at the cold. He was really never letting Jisung chose the ugly thin knitted sweaters as matching couple outfits ever again – well, he was partially to blame too when insisting that not wearing a coat would be fine when it clearly wasn’t. At least he wasn’t alone in this hell, Woojin and Felix had inherited of gorgeous red and pink typical (read: ugly) Christmas sweaters respectively. ‘I hate Jisung sometimes.’ he mumbled, grimacing when wind whooshed past them. Speaking of the devil, the Trashee leader waved at his husband when he came running toward him, the fond smile on his lips betraying his previous words. Minho scooped him up in his arms and Jisung turned to JYP with a broad grin. ‘Hey gramps.’ JYP chuckled at that, waving the younger scientist off with a hand. ‘I’m not yet that old son.’ ‘Hmm, beginning to see signs though.’ Jisung teased, dodging when JYP made to jokingly punch his side. Turning to Minho, he quickly kissed him and asked why he was here. It was not that he was unhappy to see his beloved out there but Minho rarely ever missed a chance to stuff his face with food when there was one, everyone knew it. ‘The turkey is almost ready.’ he informed him – ah, so that was about food. Jisung nodded and looped his arms around his shoulders, leaning against his torso for warmth. Minho fought the urge to snort, he was the one freezing his butt cheeks off here. But when Jisung snuggled further into his embrace and offered him a small smile, Minho knew he was screwed. Jisung never failed to make him feel like that, did he? ‘Go finish that snowman with the guys but comeback soon, alright?’ he muttered against his hair, warm breath fanning over him, creating a mini cloud of smoke. ‘Not sure I’ll be able to keep you a plate otherwise.’ ‘Probably because you would have already eaten it.’ he snickered, wincing soon after when Minho slapped his scalp. ‘I’ll be there.’ he pouted, rubbing his sore scalp. ‘Let me just give this snowman a head.’ With that he jogged back to the other humans. JYP watched, Minho wheeling him back onto the lift, as the three humans build the snowman – frostman? –, when Chan suddenly threw a snowball at Jisung. The later threw his gloves on the ground after a moment of shock and literally threw himself at his older friend, screaming something along the lines of ‘making you eat snow you mother-’- okay, he had heard enough. ‘Some things never change, do they?’ he hummed in contemplation. Minho looked back as they stepped off the platform and smiled at the sight. ‘Yeah, they don’t.’
* *** *
‘Okay, okay mercy Ji! I give up!’ Chan huffed, trying to breath under the weight of Jisung and the multiple mouthfuls of frost the boy was trying to make him eat. Jisung was about to speak when Changbin cursed. The two boys turned to him with raised eyebrows and Changbin turned to them, face morphed into a pure expression of disaster. Okay, what the fuck? ‘You’re okay mate?’ ‘Guys.’ Changbin began gravely. ‘We don’t have carrots.’ Jisung blinked. ‘Oh yeah. That’s a problem here.’ Chan looked at the both of them in disbelief, sitting up on the frost. ‘Guys, where’s your imagination?’ he began, patting Jisung off of him and standing up. ‘Don’t you remember when we were kids and you guys told me exactly that?’ He looked expectantly at them when they just stared at him confused. Sighing in exasperated fondness, he smiled at them and looked around a bit. ‘There was this one time when we went to the beach, one night, and there was snow everywhere so we decided to build a snowman. That day, we had no carrot either.’ he pointed out, going around the area in search for something in the shape of the vegetable. Then, Changbin beamed, clapping Jisung’s shoulder as he remembered. ‘Yeah! I remember that day! You were the one with no imagination back then!’ he laughed, pointing at Chan. Then, it seemed it hit Jisung too because he hit his hand with his fist, nodding super fast at Changbin and laughing out loud. Chan smiled at them, when he spotted just what they needed. Jogging to fetch it, he ran back to his friends and stuck it into the frostman’s face. Stepping back, he looked at his friends expectantly. ‘I like it.’ Jisung declared, grinning. ‘Would have never thought of using a stalactite for a nose. Nice one Bang leader.’ he admitted, turning back to the frostman but stopping mid-way when his eyes fell on Changbin. ‘Binie?’ he called out, frowning. His friend looked so pensive, what was he thinking of? ‘You’re okay there?’ ‘Hmm?’ Changbin turned to him, breaking of his reverie with a smile. ‘Oh yeah, just remembering that one evening Chan was talking about…’
/flashback/
‘Chan, that’s not how you make a snowman!’ a little Changbin exclaimed, nose red and eyes puffy from the cold. Sniffing, he brought his scarf back up his chin and ran to his friend. ‘Why? What’s wrong with it?’ Chan asked in confusion, stepping back when Changbin stood on his tiptoes to put something on the snowman’s face. It was a large seashell in the nose spot. ‘Ah. Shouldn’t we put a carrot though?’
Jisung rolled his eyes from his seat by the seashore, and turned to his friends, his beanie almost falling over his eyes. ‘We don’t have any carrots hyung, so we have to use our imagination!’ he exclaimed, patting the snow next to him in invite. When his two other friends joined him, the waves crashing silently a few meters away from their feet, he pointed to the factories on the other side of the beach. ‘You see that? That’s because our parents and every grown ups lost their imagination. We can’t ever be like them!’ he huffed in anger, chubby cheeks puffing out as he pouted and crossed his tiny arms.
‘That’s not true!’ Chan countered, pointing to the sky. ‘My aunt and the other scientists are heroes! They went into space and found that planet that looks so cool!’
Changbin turned to them with sparkles in his eyes, boldly contrasting with the bags under them. ‘Then I wanna be like them when I grow up!’ he informed, tiny fists balling with determination and Jisung nodded.
‘Yeah, I want to be a hero too and respect our world.’ he agreed, eyes sparkling with a new found will.
Chan looked at his two younger friends and grinned, extending his tiny hand out. ‘Then let’s make a promise. Let’s go to Straya 801 one day and become heroes too!’
Changbin and Jisung nodded, humming in agreement. And with that, they covered Chan’s hand with their own, ignorant of the starlight shooting over their heads.
‘Love? Love, you’re okay there?’ Changbin startled and blinked. Oh yeah right, they were inside the base right now. He had almost gotten caught up in his memories here. Putting down his plate of turkey, he turned around and made his way toward the chimney where Felix was, smiling at Suzy who was to busy bickering with her father on the way. ‘Stop frowning like that babe, it doesn’t suit you.’ he smiled and reached out to ease it out of his face when he noticed something. More importantly, something above Felix. Smirking, he held out his hand and slowly approached him. ‘Don’t move.’ Felix’s eyes widened and Changbin’s instruction did nothing to ease his frown out. ‘What do you-’ His words were cut off when his husband looped an arm around his waist and brought him forward, their lips crashing together in a not so elegant kiss, even clumsy if he were to note it on a scale going from clash of teeth to passionate kiss – but he was currently too busy kissing back to make such scale, so instead he closed his eyes and looped his arms around his husband. ‘What…’ he gulped, pressing their foreheads together. ‘-was that for?’ Changbin chuckled and pointed upward. Felix raised his head. Above them was a mistletoe. ‘Couldn’t pass a tradition.’ Changbin cheekily said, grinning at him. Felix grinned back and toyed with the hair at the base of his neck. ‘Smooth bastard.’ he chuckled. ‘In that case…’ he pressed their lips together, capturing Changbin’s lower one between his own and slightly biting it before he pulled back. ‘I guess I gotta answer traditions properly too.’ ‘Kids,’ JYP called out, waving them forward from the his spot at the table, a knowing look on his face. ‘Dessert is served.’ he informed, smirking slightly at the couple. Changbin rolled his eyes at him and laughed silently, intertwining their fingers as they joined his boss. JYP always knows what’s going around, that’s no myth for sure. With that thought, Changbin took a seat at the table.
*
The party at the base went on, some couples leaving an hour or so before Christmas, others staying to celebrate it here at the base. And when the bell struck midnight, cheers erupted in the place, Minho and Jisung by the Christmas tree of the base, helping their youngest adopted daughter open her present while their oldest was running around happily at the sight of all the wrapped presents by it. Meanwhile Chan and Woojin were celebrating with champagne by the fireplace with their good friend Rosé, her partner and their little boy – which they happened to be the godfathers of – who was hugging Woojin’s leg to tug him toward the Christmas tree. Changbin and Felix chuckled at that, the later raising his glass of champagne in his brother’s direction when he looked up to ask for help, Chan too busy laughing at the sight to help his poor husband. Changbin turned slightly from the sight, eyes falling on their own adopted son, who was eagerly opening his presents under the giant Christmas tree with the kids of other scientists. Standing up, he went over there and crouched next to his little boy. ‘So big guy, what did you get this year?’ he asked, ruffling his hair with a warm smile. ‘Look dad!’ he beamed, excitedly holding out his present and shaking it everywhere like the excited little boy he was. Changbin beamed with him, making his son giggle and grin widely. ‘Wow, Li! That’s so cool! Who gave it to you, honey?’ Felix asked their son, joining them and crouching down next to his partner. Li, of his full name Elijah, looked at the name tag and beamed even harder than before, if possible. ‘Uncle Minho and uncle Jisung!’ he exclaimed, turning around to wave the present at said people who winked and grinned respectively at him, the baby girl in Minho’s laps blinking in wonder at the commotion. It made the big family laugh, the endearing little girl too adorable for anyone to resist. Changbin’s attention was pulled back from the scene when fingers tugged at his own. A chin dropped over his shoulder, a tender kiss pressed against his neck. ‘Merry Christmas, love.’ Changbin smiled. ‘Merry Christmas, cub.’
~~~~~~> Merry Christmas & Happy New Year~
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
CHAPTER 12: On that Fateful Day…
‘Sir?’ The man standing by the big window of his office turned around, red velvety suit catching light of the rising Glow. ‘Yes Elya?’ he asked, voice deep and velvety. Elya, a tall boy from Asian descent with a strong built and dark blue hair falling over his eyes bowed to his boss in respect and stepped into the room. From afar, he might have looked composed and calm, cold even, but if you were to look closely you would distinguish the slight tremor in his fists and the tightness of his jaw. When he straightened up, his boss had his back to him once more, and Elya took it as his cue to speak. ‘The celebrations have finally ended, sir. A New year has begun. After the successful attack against the Young Wings last time, the team and I…’ he paused, hesitating on his next words. ‘… were wondering if now was the time.’ Silence followed into the large room, his boss not saying a word. Elijah internally gulped and waited patiently but anxiously. It was not a simple question but a primordial one, and he needed an answer. It was vital, because if his boss didn’t plan on telling him, then- ‘If by “now” you mean this year…’ his boss’ voice resonated into the room, startling him a bit. ‘then the answer is yes.’ Elya’s eyes slightly widened but he quickly composed himself when his boss turned around, eyes dark and cold, unreadable as always. ‘Tell your men to begin the preparations. Our next move is a hit or miss.’ Elya stood unquivering as his boss approached him, one calloused strong hand squeezing his shoulder. ‘You’re never afraid of anything Elya, not even of me. That’s why I like you, son.’ he paused, then his grip tightened. ‘Don’t disappoint me.’ His boss’ eyes met his and he stared straight into them as he nodded. His eyes were trained so as to never betray him, something he had learned to do to survive there and to climb to where he stood now. But deep down, he was frightened. This was bad. ‘I won’t.’ he ensured, bowing before he turned around to leave, chest heaving and lungs tightening. He needed to leave now. As he grabbed the handle, his boss voice made him pause. ‘By the way,’ the slight amused tone in his voice caused a shiver to run down his spine and he turned sideways to face his boss. And the glint in his eyes and slight smirk on his features made him pale. ‘How’s Seraphina's pregnancy going? Send her my regards.’ Elya stood frozen for a minute but eventually nodded and hurried out, face still cold and unreadable. Walking past the secretary outside his boss’ office proved to be an ordeal, as his legs were this close to giving out – his lungs too – and before he knew it, he was outside, leaning against the wall for support. He was glad that no one was around to witness him in such state, it would have risen too many suspicions. Usually, he would wait to be in a secluded place to let his mask down, but today he couldn’t help it. The underlying threat that his boss had made… shivers ran down his spine at the thought and he straightened up, face pale and alert. He needed to get to Seraphina. Running down the aisle, he made sure no one was there before he pushed the door 314 open. Stepping in, he shut the door behind himself, startling the woman braiding her hair. ‘Elya-’ Her words were cut by arms wrapping around her slender frame, the boy’s shaky breath hitting the side of her neck. Confused but worried, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. ‘What is it? Did the meeting go wrong?’ Elya leaned back shakily and took a sit on at the table. Seraphina and him were two of the six team leaders there, so they had bigger and comfier rooms, spacious enough to be considered studios – which came in a handy seeing their situation… Serving himself a glass of water, he gulped it down and put his head in his hands. ‘It has began, Sera.’ he announced gravely, palms still shaking, and his best friend’s alert gasp did nothing to ease him. Sera and him were not blood related but they had grown up together, and she was his best friend. She was the only family he had left, and he would protect her at all costs. ‘Fuck.’ she cursed, standing up and quickly pacing the room, arms loosely but anxiously wrapped around her stomach, where a small baby bump was visible. ‘This is bad. Really bad.’ ‘That much I’m aware of.’ he snorted, glaring back when she glared at him. ‘Keep your sarcasm to yourself Elya, we don’t need it right now. What we need is to keep our cool and act like nothing’s wrong.’ she declared, face etching into a deep frown. ‘Easier said than done…’ he mumbled, staring at the raising Glow through the window. His team had pulled an all nighter and the conversation with his boss had been the last straw, draining him of all the energy he had left. ‘What do you mean?’ she asked, stopping on the spot, turning to him. ‘Nothing.’ he brushed off, smiling. ‘What are you still doing up? That’s not good for the baby, you should take care of you-’ ‘Elya.’ she interrupted him sternly as she crouched by his side, taking his hands into hers. ‘You’re my best friend, my brother, I know when you’re lying. And when you’re not telling me something.’ she added, smiling softly at him. Elya chuckled and sighed in defeat. ‘I don’t wanna impose any more stress on you and the baby-’ Seraphina rolled her eyes at that. ‘-but the boss is suspecting something Sera.’ he whispered, fully knowing that no one could hear him but he couldn’t help being cautious. Seraphina paled. ‘What do you mean? Does he know we are snitches-’ Elya was quick to shake his head. ‘No. Or at least, I hope so. But he knows something is up, there’s no doubts left. Fuck, Sera, I’m sure he knows I’m not the father of the baby. I don’t know how he found out but he knows.’ he grunted, cursing under his breath and lowering his head. ‘And he just threatened me with it.’ Elya bit the inside of his cheeks, anger and guilt poring off him. ‘I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you…’ Seraphina shook her head with soft eyes and took his hands in hers. ‘No, don’t say that. You’ve done more than enough already. At least he’s not found out that the father is a Stray because if he did…’ she trailed of, shivering at the mere thought, pictures of her lover and the baby at the hands of her boss clouding her mind. Elya sighed and shook his head, squeezing her hands to bring her out of that state. ‘Let’s hope he never finds out then… You have to be careful, okay? No more going out carelessly, no more suspicious night escapades- at least, not that often. I’m sure he’s keeping an eye on you and we’ve just been too careless to notice. And God knows what he plans on doing.’ Sera stared at him with wide eyes, fear etched in them, but judging by the way she was holding her belly, she was determined not to let her boss touch the baby. ‘I won’t let him touch him.’ Elijah smiled at that and ruffled her black hair. ‘How can you be sure he’ll be a boy?’ Seraphina shrugged with a smirk. ‘Just a feeling.’ ‘Then you should think of names soon. You’re six months in.’ he reminded with a quiet laugh. ‘Say that to the father.’ She snorted and stood back up, back aching a bit. ‘This idiot is so bad at coming up with names, I swear- everytime I try to make suggestions he panics and just changes the subject!’ ‘Oh, is that the beginning of a couple fight I see here? Should we get into a “girl talk” mood and bring in some ice cream and nail polish?’ he teased, wiggling his eyebrows playfully at her, wincing when she hit his skull. ‘Oh shut up.’ she laughed but soon began pacing the room again. ‘But enough talks about me. If the boss knows something is up, then our cover won’t last long. They need to extract us soon.’ she announced grimly. ‘I’ll them know as soon as possible.’ he assured. ‘Great. And if this sick bastard plans on launching his third attack soon, we need to warn them.’ Elya nodded, looking grim once more, and took a shit of paper out of a folder. ‘I’ll send them a warning tonight then. But for now, let’s get some sleep. We’ll meet the team later today to plan the attack.’ Sera nodded reluctantly at his words, making him sigh. ‘Listen, I hate being part of this team as much as you do, but we have no choice. If we wanna be useful snitches and get intel, that’s the only way.’ He smiled bitterly and put down his pencil. ‘It’s our mission as rebellion leaders Sera. We can’t let everyone down.’ ‘Yeah, yeah… you’re right.’ she lowered her gaze and took a deep breath, steeling herself. Elya knew that with the pregnancy it was becoming harder and harder for her to keep her emotions and feelings at bay, but he knew she could do it – she was a leader both there and in the rebellion for a reason. ‘Let’s sleep.’ she declared, resuming her braiding. ‘This sick bastard needs to be stopped.’ he declared with determination. Looking out the window though, he felt his guts churn, his fingers absentmindedly crushing the sheet of paper as anxiety rolled in at the sight of flying Young Wings. ‘I just hope our real boss will be fast enough to warn the clan leaders.’ ‘Fear not.’ Sera smiled, tying her braid. ‘My father and my sister won’t let another war happen.’ Elya nodded with a smirk and cracked his knuckles. ‘Yeah. Let’s take down this sick bastard.’ – – – – – ‘Seungmin, stop moving around or we’ll never get this done.’ Rosé complained for the umpteenth time, trying to get the silky material properly around his shoulders. ‘Sorry.’ he mumbled, worrying his lower lip as he stared at his Pali outside the shop who was playing around with another one. He was overly excited because Hyunjin promised him he would stop by and he had missed him. A lot. He hadn’t seen Hyunjin much these days, the boy and Jeongin having left for the Yui territory right after the end of the Ordeal Ceremony to visit a professional healer. In their clan there was only one healer and she was skilled, but not as much as the one of the Yui, and so, Mark had offered for every injured contestant to go see her. Meanwhile, the rest of the little family had gotten a very well deserved rest after the week long celebration. That was, until Felix and him were dragged out of bed today by a just as sleepy Minho to go to Rosé’s shop, where the lady was eagerly waiting for them. Today, was the try on of their outfits for Ten and Mark’s brother’s wedding. Usually, they would be overly excited, but after a week full of celebrations they were just… sluggish. ‘Why are we here…’ Felix whined, splayed like a gracious potato onto the flower couch, his cheeks digging into the large petal. Oh, how he missed his bed. ‘Because a wedding’s happening! C’mon guys, it’s been years since there was one on Straya. Everything needs to be per-fect.’ she punctuated, leaning back with squinted eyes. ‘And… beautiful.’ she muttered, spreading her arms and staring at her work. Seungmin raised a brow and turned to face the mirror- and gasped. ‘Jae, that’s gorgeous Rosé! You truly outdid yourself!’ he whistled, staring at his own reflection. As the wedding was taking place during the last warm ones before the raining season, meaning in a few days, Rosé made them wear leather pants and long robes. His own were of a pale yellow fabric, rimmed with white strips and intricate silver designs, contrasting beautifully with his complexion and dark hair. His leather pants, on the other hand, were of a pretty brown color. ‘I love it.’ he declared with a bright smile and Rosé smiled back, nodding. ‘Great, because I’m not doing another one. I’ll need to choose a few discrete jewelries but we can see that on another day.’ she chuckled, a smirk on her lips that made the boy roll his eyes. ‘Take it off, now! We don’t want you ruining it before the d-day.’ she ordered, ushering him towards the changing rooms. Seungmin shook his head at that and moved over to Felix, slapping his butt to make him stand up. ‘Your turn.’ he declared with a yawn, going into the changing rooms while Felix grumpily made his way toward the woman. ‘You’ll love it Lix!’ she declared, as she took his arm to lead him toward the mirror. ‘I choose a beautiful shade of pale blue to go with your new hair color- don’t you dare changing it before the wedding day.’ she threatened. ‘Yeah, yeah.’ Felix yawned, waving her off. ‘Let’s just do this so I can go back at home and sleep.’ – – ‘Move, you’re heavy, you Yeshihk!’ Seungmin whined, trying to shove a laughing Felix off of his side as they exited the local market. After the try-ons, they had stopped by there to buy a few things for their respective houses, and had walked in town, thinking that today was a beautiful day to wander around a bit – that was until Felix had latched onto his arm complaining of being tired. ‘Nah.’ Felix declared as he grinned up at his friend. Seungmin flicked his forehead but let him be in the end. As they walked around, the Glow shone down pleasantly on their skins and the laughter of the kids running around made them smile. ‘Do you remember when-’ he began recalling as they walked closer to white marble house, but stopped himself right away. ‘Hey Seungmin, isn’t that Hyunjin with Fayre?’ Seungmin chocked on his Honuk. ‘What?! Where?’ he coughed, slapping his torso to chase the choke away. And the gargling noises were enough to catch the attention of the brunette, who turned around and let go of Fayre’s neck with wide surprised eyes. Oh Jae. Seungmin cursed under his breath and forced a smile, mentally wanting to dig his grave. How mortifying that was. Hyunjin smiled back and began to walk toward them, and Seungmin felt his breath leave him. He looked freshly in shape, hair pushed back up and wearing only pants. He looked healed. Seungmin was glad. And would have been gladder if not for the fact that Hyunjin looked like a god on legs. ‘And that’s my cue to leave.’ Felix hummed, swallowing a mouthful of Gyujak. ‘Oh, and you have a bit of drool on the corner of your mouth.’ And with that, he walked away, whistling so that Dabby would land and come get him. And soon, Seungmin blinked away from his little staring session, and wiped the corner of his mouth. ‘Fuck you.’ he muttered under his breath when he noticed that there was, in fact, no drool on the corner of his lips. ‘Seung.’ It was like magic, the sensation he felt when he heard him call for him. It was like some sort of electricity went through him, making his heartbeat quicker and his mood happier. Oh Jae, he sounded like a pregnant woman, what was wrong with him. And then it hit him. Hyunjin was back. With a bright grin as the realization finally settled in, he ran toward him. ‘You’re fucking back!’ he grinned, throwing his arms around his shoulders. Hyunjin laughed with him in surprise and spun him around, making a couple of ladies on the side look at them with amused smiles. ‘Yes I am.’ Hyunjin let him go with a quick squeeze and Seungmin stumbled back, not letting go of his shoulders. ‘When did you come back?’ he exclaimed, grinning even more as he took in Hyunjin’s healthy state. ‘Is Jeongin with you?’ ‘No.’ he chuckled, shaking his head softly as he put Seungmin’s hair back in place. ‘I came back yesterday night but I was too tired to come see you. Jeongin is supposed to leave today though, that boulder left a nasty bruise.’ he grimaced and Seungmin hit his bicep lightly. ‘You should have told me, I would have come to see you.’ he mumbled, pissed over the fact that he could have seen the boy sooner. Fingers grazed his chin and raised it, making his breath hitch at the unexpected touch. Looking into Hyunjin eyes, he felt a familiarity he had not felt in a long time, a warmth in those chocolate brown eyes that he had never seen – not even in his brother. Well fuck. ‘I’m back now, it doesn’t matter. You can see me all you want.’ he teased with wink. Before Seungmin could groan and slap him, the words he spoke to Minho came back rushing into his head and he blushed. He couldn’t back up anymore, now that Hyunjin was back home. Oh dear Jae, why did no one stop him when he made that bet? Praying that the boy blamed the redness of his ears on the heat, he made to look away, but Hyunjin tugged lightly onto his chin and smiled softly. ‘Let’s go home.’ the fighter finally said, never taking his eyes off of his as he wrapped an arm around him. Seungmin felt his heart miss a beat and butterflies in the pitch of his stomach. Oh Jae, he was doomed. Oh, he was so doomed. Taking a deep breath, he simply smiled and led the way, walking toward the boy’s house under the warm rays of the Glow. And no matter how flustered or whipped he was, today Hyunjin was back and nothing could make this day a more beautiful day in his eyes. – – – – – Jeongin watched as the healer finished wrapping a bandage around a petite woman’s ankle and left the room. He remember her, she was the one dressed in pink during the Ordeal. Shaking his head, he stood up from the bed in the resting area and stretched a bit. His right rib cage still hurt a bit, but nothing too bothering. As for his arm, it left a nasty bruise but he couldn’t feel any trace of pain anymore. This healer was really amazing. Picking up his shirt, he threw it over his ripped torso and fastened his belt around his jeans, careful to wrap his orange fox fur tightly around it. It meant too much to him to afford losing it – kind of like Minho’s spear’s feathers. It was something very precious to him. Turning around, he shrugged on his hoodie and waved at the “pink girl” on his way out. Putting the entrance curtain back in place, he took this chance to look around the place and carefully walked to his left, exiting the place and sighing in relief when he did not meet- ‘Hey, going somewhere?’ Jumping on the spot, he closed his eyes and exhaled through his nostrils, mentally screaming. Well, fuck. If this wasn’t the one and only Bang Yedam he had carefully and successfully avoided the whole week~. The boy stood there, leaning against his Pali, arms crossed over his chest and clad into a white shirt and ripped old jeans, his ever so charming bold but awkward smile crossing his features. Jeongin gulped and let his arms fall to his sides, looking everywhere but at the younger boy, like a deer caught in headlight. ‘N-no, just… home.’ he finished lamely, wincing and internally cursing when he stuttered. ‘Oh. I see. Say, are you free today?’ Yedam tried boldly, looking up at him with those damnable hopeful eyes. And that, that was the exact reason why he tried to avoid him the whole week. Why in the world did he even ask Yedam to spend a day with him if he won the Ordeal?! What kind of masochistic dude was he to say such thing? He mentally whined at his fate and threw a glance at the smug-looking younger boy. And it made him snort. The clever Yeshihk knew Jeongin was never going to ask him so he asked instead, Jeongin was sure of that. But fuck, Jeongin was not ready. At all. But by making the mistake of looking at the boy and his beautiful eyes, Jeongin felt his anxiety and resolve to say no respectively come and go. Boy, he was screwed. – – ‘JAE, SLOW DOWN YEDAM!’ Jeongin shrieked and wrapped his arms tighter around the boy’s waist, face pressing into his broad back as he closed his eyes, the wind wiping him as they dashed through the jungle. The boy laughed out loud and, at last, slowed down, and Jeongin wasted no time to let go of him and hit his back. ‘Yah! You idiot, I was this close to flying off Chittaprr!’ he yelled, finally stopping his hitting session with an annoyed pout. He had never been on a Pali before and Jae prevents him from ever doing it again – he’d seen his life pass before his eyes. ‘Ouch…’ Yedam grumbled with a frown, massaging his sore back the best he could, and Jeongin was almost afraid he had hurt him, alas the laugh bubbling in his throat betrayed the boy and made him scowl. ‘You- just shut up.’ he scoffed, hitting his back one last time for good measure – making sure to hit extra hard so as to actually hurt him. A bit. – before leaning back on his hands this time. ‘What? You can’t blame me. You’re too easy to mess with.’ Yedam shrugged, focusing back on the road ahead. ‘I know.’ he laughed, throwing his head back and closing his eyes mid-ways. He could hear the mutters of Fyrs in the tree and that was so soothing. By now, Jeongin realized as he took in his surroundings, they had left the Yui territory and entered the Neutral Territory. ‘People tend to say that a lot.’ he added with a short laugh. Yedam cast him a curious look over his shoulder but said nothing, instead focusing once more onto the road ahead. They strolled past the Grand Tree and Jeongin almost fell asleep, lulled by the Pali’s pace and the noises of the jungle. But the sudden vivid images of them holding hands in the water under the sacred tree and the electricity he had felt coursing through his veins kept him wide awake. It’s what kind of started everything, now that he thinks back on it. Then, it hit him. ‘Yedam.’ he called out, sitting up and peering at the younger. When Yedam hummed, he went on. ‘I don’t have a Pali but I know how they work… so how come I can ride on yours? I thought they only let their partners ride them.’ ‘Well, you can get close to Midnight, can’t you?’ ‘That’s not what I asked Yedam. I asked why it let me on.’ ‘If a Pali likes you, it just lets you on.’ he shrugged, eyes still focused ahead, but Jeongin didn’t miss the way his ears reddened. ‘Oh really?’ Jeongin inquired, eyes squinting at the blatant lie. ‘Yeah, really.’ Yedam shrugged again, this time sitting straighter on his partner. ‘Then, if I were to suddenly want to take a stroll and borrow Midnight from my brother, nothing would happen to me, right? It’s not like he would violently throw me off?’ he sassed, watching Yedam’s every move with curiosity. ‘I wouldn’t say ‘violently throw you off’-’ ‘Oh yeah?’ he taunted with a scowl. ‘Yeah, rather smash you onto the ground.’ he corrected with a smug grin and Jeongin scoffed loudly, hitting his back. Yedam hunched forward and cast him a glare, a quirked eyebrow that never failed to make Jeongin gulp. ‘Careful, or I’ll accelerate again.’ he warned, sitting back correctly. ‘C’mon, I know there’s a reason why some people can ride on Palis that are not theirs. Just tell what it is.’ he asked again, not believing Yedam’s threat. ‘No, I’m not going to. This is… a well preserved secret among Palis riders.’ he declared. Jeongin gaped in disbelief. It was blatantly obvious that Yedam had just made that up, why couldn’t he just tell him the reason? ‘And, Lee Jeongin, if you keep on poking my ribs, I swear to Jae-’ Alas, Jeongin was not known for listening to people, and so he poked Yedam’s ribs, making him flinch. ‘Tell me the truth.’ he demanded with another poke. ‘Jeongin.’ ‘Tell me.’ Yedam inhaled. ‘You asked for it.’ he exhaled, patting Chittaprr’s haunches. ‘No wait-’ his plea was interrupted by his oh so manly screech, and with that he clung back onto Yedam waist, face burying into his nape. ‘Pleeeaaase, slow down!’ he begged, not used on being on a Pali and afraid of flying off. Yedam cast him an amused look over his shoulder and let out a chuckle. ‘Only if you don’t ask anymore.’ Jeongin whined and clutched harder onto the white shirt, mumbling something unintelligible but alike to a curse and nodding. ‘Ishra.’ Yedam commanded, Chittaprr slowing down to a trot right away. He watched as Jeongin took a deep breath and leaned back, eyes closed. ‘I hate you Bang Yedam.’ he declared solemnly. ‘Sure.’ Yedam smugly said, patting the clutched fingers over his ribs. Jeongin, realizing that he was still holding onto the boy, automatically let go, fingertips burning from the contact. Yedam, not having expected the sudden move, felt his ribs ache at the loss and cleared his throat, turning around properly. The rest of the ride was done in silence. – – ‘Are you going to keep on sulking the whole day?’ Yedam asked as he looked over his shoulder while laying a blanket on the ground. ‘I’m not.’ Jeongin simply declared as he put a basket of fruit that Yedam had brought down the red rug. Truth to be told, he wanted nothing more than to dig into that beautiful basket, but he wanted to keep the act for a while longer, just to tease Yedam a bit more. Sure, he was a bit annoyed because his curiosity wasn’t satisfied in the end, but in all honestly? He just couldn’t care less – he just wanted to mess with him a bit. Yedam sat down and offered him an amused albeit exasperated smile. ‘Why do you even wanna know that, that much?’ he questioned with a short laugh. ‘Because-’ Jeongin stopped himself with a breathless laugh and plopped himself down the rug as well, eyes leaving the roaming Chittaprr a few meters away to settle onto Yedam. ‘How can you expect me to just here and ask nothing, when I just rode with you on your Pali?’ Yedam let out a short breathless laugh too and Jeongin offered him a quirked brow. ‘What? I mean, everyone knows that Palis don’t usually let random people on. This got to mean something, right? Why can’t you just tell me!’ he chuckled, shaking his head a bit. Yedam sighed and leaned back on his hands, staring at the bright blue sky and few pale orange clouds. ‘Jeongin, it’s… things that might mean nothing to you, might mean a lot to me.’ Jeongin looked at him in surprise. What did he mean by that? Did the answer to his question meant so much to him? Was there really something secret going on amongst Pali riders? Or… was there something more laying beneath those words? ‘Sometimes, it’s just better if you don’t know, trust me.’ Yedam muttered with a smile. ‘And if I want honesty?’ Jeongin declared, looking up at the sky too. ‘Did you take that into account?’ Yedam let out a startled noise. ‘I… didn’t.’ he admitted, blowing a strand of hair away from his eyes. ‘Are you sure you want honesty, though?’ ‘I don’t know. It’s just- every time I see you, you just bring everything I have always known my whole life into shambles. And I-’ His own honesty surprised him, making him pause, his words going beyond the yearning of knowing why he could ride Yedam’s Pali, seeking something more. He exhaled and worried his lower lip. ‘And I just… want it to stop and not stop at the same time, if that makes sense.’ Yedam looked stunned for a moment, his unreadable eyes finally setting onto Jeongin. Then, he spoke: ‘If I’m honest with you, if I don’t keep any secrets from you,’ he whispered, startling Jeongin. ‘I’m afraid that it might not be what you wanna hear.’ That rendered him speechless. Was Yedam fearing losing him? Him, who had been in awe before the Panther his whole life, even before personally knowing him? That seemed surreal- but then again, Yedam didn’t know of all that. ‘I don’t care.’ he blurted out, startling the younger. ‘I’ll hear it, all of it. That way, I’ll be honest with you too.’ he chuckled, finally digging into the basket and biting into the fresh Gyujak. He couldn’t help but moan in delight, Jae, it’d been too long since Minho brought some back home, he had missed his favorite fruit. Yedam laughed at his reaction, and looked at him in confusion and amusement. ‘Has it been so long?’ ‘Jae, you’ve no idea, it’s been weeks since I’ve wanted to eat some. Minho always forget half of the groceries when he goes to Ulma – our clan’s market – and Gyujaks are my favorite fruits, so yeah.’ Yedam dug in too and smiled cheekily at him, albeit Jeongin could detect some shyness behind it now. ‘Do I mark points then?’ Jeongin hummed teasingly and nodded. ‘Let’s say half a point.’ ‘Hey, that’s not fair!’ he laughed, throwing him a handful of grass. Jeongin laughed and ducked the best he could, sticking his tongue out childishly. ‘Give me at least two.’ ‘Seems excessive for getting me fruits.’ Jeongin scoffed, taking another bite. ‘Yeah, but they are your favorites.’ he pointed out with a broad grin. ‘All right, you get one point.’ he conceded, laughing behind his palm and leaning back onto his elbow on his side. ‘On what scale?’ Yedam asked, doing the same. ‘Let’s say… one hundred?’ Jeongin laughed out loud when Yedam scoffed and fell back onto his back in fond exasperation. ‘One hundred? Really?’ he scoffed in disbelief, amused smile on his lips when Jeongin nodded. ‘Then… maybe I can do better than just one point.’ Jeongin watched in confusion as he stood up and went to his Pali, retrieving something from the bag strapped to him. When he came back, he was holding a large jar with a lid on. ‘What’s that?’ he asked when Yedam sat back down. ‘Something I had with me for a long time.’ he explained, handing it to the older. ‘I had planned on dropping it to your house that day when CL and I visited your clan, but we had no time to do so, so… here you go.’ he finished lamely, grinning and rubbing his nape sheepishly. ‘Yedam, that’s…’ Jeongin’s words died in his throat as he stared at the jar’s content. Blue paint. ‘Do I get my two points?’ he wondered with a teasing smile, genuinely happy. ‘You remembered?’ he whispered, totally ignoring the question, his eyes still tuck onto the blue paint in disbelief. ‘How to forget that magnificent sight of you covered in orange paint from head to toe?’ he teased, Jeongin putting the lead back on and kicking him right away, embarrassment written on his face. ‘Oh Jae, don’t remind me of that.’ he mumbled, rolling over to bury his head into his arms. ‘I was so embarrassed.’ ‘Really? Didn’t seem like it.’ he pointed out as he quirked an eyebrow, amusement and surprise written on his features when Jeongin peeked at him from behind his right arm. ‘Well, I had to keep the face- don’t even start laughing.’ he warned, rolling over to lie on his back as he closed his eyes and let the Glow’s warmth shine down his face, half shaded by the tree. ‘Wasn’t going to.’ Yedam lied, coughing slightly. Jeongin flipped him the bird before putting his arm back under his head. He heard rustling beside him and figured Yedam was laying down too when he felt an elbow against his own. ‘Thank you.’ he finally said after a moment of silence. ‘It means a lot to me, more than you might think.’ he admitted. ‘Is that so? I would have given you more if I’d known.’ Yedam chuckled. ‘It’s more than enough.’ he assured with a smile, feeling the glowbeams tickle his eyelids. ‘Now I can finish my drawings.’ ‘The drawings in your cave?’ ‘Yeah.’ ‘Will you show them to me one day?’ Jeongin felt heat rush his cheeks the moment the younger uttered those words. Jae forbid he ever saw them! ‘Hmm, sometimes, it’s just better if you don’t know, trust me.’ he said, quoting the younger. Yedam laughed beside him and elbowed his arm playfully. ‘Not fair.’ ‘Very fair.’ he countered, jabbing his arm back. ‘When were you even planning to give this paint to me? Did you really carry it with you the whole week so that you could give it to me once we met?’ ‘Well, I would have given it to you days ago if you’d not been so keen on avoiding me-’ he remarked, tone a bit accusing but not mean, making Jeongin blush. So he had been caught. ‘But, no, I had planned to ask you to spend the day with me, like you asked, and then, give it to you at the end.’ Jeongin whistled. ‘You sure like to leave me with a strong impression each time, don’t you.’ he snickered, remembering each of Yedam’s dramatic and unnerving departures everytime they interacted so far. ‘You caught me.’ he declared, with a dramatic heart clutching, making them both laugh. ‘Too bad, you ruined your plan already.’ he pointed out, pointing to the jar. ‘What are you gonna do to impress me now?’ ‘Ah shit, you’re right.’ Yedam blurted out, crossing his arms over his chest. ‘Hmm, don’t I already impress you right now, though? Isn’t it enough?’ Yes. ‘Nope.’ he lied instead, cheeks flushing a bit as he turned his head to look at the younger. ‘So, what are you gonna do?’ ‘Well, it would ruin the surprise if I told you now.’ he chuckled, turning his head to the side and grinning. ‘Stop pouting, it won’t work on me. You’ll just have to wait.’ ‘You’re no fun.’ he declared, stopping. ‘Can’t we just call it a day, then?’ ‘Jae, you’re really impatient.’ Yedam laughed out loud, eyes turning into crescents. He was cute like that, Jeongin noted, looking more his age and less mature than usual. ‘But no, we can’t.’ he decided, something sparkling in his eyes. ‘Why is that?’ he wondered curiously. ‘There’s something I wanna show you.’ – – – – – ‘Sir? CB97 is here to see you.’ JYP took off his glasses and looked up at the Corporal Wooyoung, standing at the doorway of his office. ‘Ah, great! Let him in.’ he nodded with a smile, standing up to welcome Chan when he bowed to him. ‘Come in son. You can leave us Wooyoung, thank you. I’ll pack up and join you in the hangar in a few.’ he informed, nodding at the man with another smile when the door slid shut. ‘Sir? You wanted to see me?’ asked Chan in confusion, watching his boss pack up his belongings. When he was called by Wooyoung, he was freshly out of the shower, getting ready to spend his lovely day off mixing sounds – the activity was his little guilty pleasure anytime he has a day off alone – so he hope he was at least presentable. Catching his reflection into the floor-to-ceiling window wall, he quickly tried to flatten out his messy curly hair. ‘Don’t bother, Chan.’ JYP chuckled with a warm smile. ‘It’s your day off, no need to be so formal.’ Chan smiled and lowered his hands, and he couldn’t help it when his eyes fell once more onto the window wall. The Glow was shining brightly onto the jungle today and everything seemed so vivid, it was beautiful. It made him want to go outside. ‘Alright, I think I have everything.’ JYP declared, standing up, briefcase in hand. ‘Let’s go.’ Chan followed him in confusion as they exited the office, into the large corridor, greeting some scientists as they passed by. ‘Sir,’ he began after the silence became too unbearable. ‘Why did you call me?’ ‘Ah, yeah, right. I wanted to tell you that I’m going to the base Mirror-02 for a short while.’ he declared as he opened the door to the large circular main lobby of his scientific base. Chan started at the revelation and stared at the back of his head in disbelief. His boss was going up to their space base? That base was the only way they could keep contact with the Earth, and it was situated in space, just above Straya 801 from what he recalled. But he also knew that they had scientists up there keeping in contact with the Earth and relaying every information to their boss directly here in Straya, so that he didn’t need to be there himself. ‘You’re leaving?’ he blurted out before he could catch himself and JYP turned around to smile at him while they waited for the elevator to come down. ‘Only for a few months. The O2 Environmental Conference is going to be held on Earth and I’ll be talking live. People are becoming more and more engaged with the environmental situation, and the youth seems to see in Straya a role model.’ Chan’s eyes reflected his boss’ excitement and joy at those words. The ding of the elevator startled him and he let out a scientist – a good friend of him, Lisa – who bowed to their boss in surprise and turned to Chan in confusion as she walked past them, making a phone motion and mouthing a ‘call me’. Chan chuckled and winked, stepping in after his boss. ‘That’s really good sir, I’m really happy to hear it!’ he exclaimed at last, once the doors shut close. ‘Are you holding the speech alone this year?’ ‘No, I’m taking Corporal Wooyoung with me on that one. He’s one of those that’s been there the longest. He grew up here and he’s seen Straya 801 before and after the war. I believe he has a lot to say.’ he informed, eyes looking at the bunch of scientists talking animatedly into the lobby, as the elevator went down. Being made of glass, it gave a great overview of the facility, but it also reflected the brightness of the Glow outside. His boss really did think the architecture through – it reflects his love for the planet and nature. ‘I’m sure of that too, sir.’ Chan agreed politely, clasping his hands behind his back out of habit. ‘Who will be in charge then?’ ‘My daughter, Suzy.’ JYP nodded, looking through the glass walls at each floor they passed by. ‘But I won’t be gone for long.’ he assured, patting his shoulder. ‘The base is just above Straya though, so don’t worry, there won’t be any time dilatation and I’ll be back in a few month as young as I am now.’ he joked and Chan stared at him blankly. ‘There’s a time dilatation between Earth and Straya?’ he blurted out, rubbing his nape with a sheepish smile. JYP raised a brow and stared at him in disbelief. ‘With how much basic information you lack, it’s a wonder you passed the tests successfully.’ Chan had the decency to blush and feel embarrassed, at least. ‘How many classes did you guys skip?’ JYP wondered in curiosity and Chan told him it was better if he did not know, so he simply shook his head and went on. ‘But yes, there’s a time dilatation between Straya and Earth. Time elapses more slowly here than on Earth, so one year here is the equivalent of 6 years back there.’ Chan’s files clattered on the floor. ‘S-sorry!’ he chirped, kneeling down to pick up the scattered files on the grounds. As he grabbed his binder, JYP land a hand onto his shoulder, kneeling down too. ‘You’re alright, son?’ he worried, and Chan realized how much the papers in his hand shook. No, how much he was shaking. He opened his mouth to say yes but nothing came out. The reality came rushing down onto him, smashing him like a tidal wave. This meant that everything he knew on Earth would have changed by now, maybe even disappeared already- and he was to stay on Straya for at least six years! And if he does go back on Earth, that means he would grow old faster than Woojin and Felix and everyone here! While he’ll take six years, they’ll only take one… would he even have the chance to come back there, if he left? ‘Chan?’ JYP called out, handing him his binder. Chan wordlessly took it with a small thanks and stood up, but his thoughts were elsewhere. His heart was aching at the mere thought of leaving this planet and everything it meant. No, he can’t leave. They can’t ever leave. He was not ready to let go of this world, of those Strays yet, he couldn’t- He must see Woojin. The ding of the elevator brought him back into reality and he exited, following his boss who cast him an unreadable look. Stepping into the corridor leading to the hangar, JYP spoke again: ‘You know, I would have offered you to come up with me, but it seems like you’ve already made a choice.’ JYP chuckled with knowing eyes and Chan staggered on his words, trying to answer something, but then the older man pushed the door open and Chan was left gaping. ‘Wow.’ ‘I know right?’ JYP grinned, walking toward the Corporal Wooyoung. Chan stepped into the hangar in awe – well, if it could be called a hanger. He had expected one of those hangars like on Earth, but instead of steel walls and angular ceiling, he was met with pure solid rock. The broad and wide hangar was actually the cavity of a cliff down the undersides of the planet. And inside were at least twenty spaceships of different size and colors. From the corner of his eyes, he recognized the very large ‘Hellevator’ he came here with, and he couldn’t help the smile growing on his lips. Then, he looked at the bright horizon standing a few meters ahead. Every ships probably come and go out through that cavity and fly right into it. The roar of an engine made him turn around and he saw Wooyoung step onto the platform of a small white ship. Quickly walking to his boss, he stopped before him and greeted Suzy, a knowing look into both of their eyes. ‘Hi Chan.’ she smiled, looking pristine perfect into her light blue dress shirt and pressed pants, her hairs tied into a neat bun. She looked so different from that time in the jungle, still just as regal, but less… wild, let’s say. She turned to her father with a small smile. ‘You better deliver the speech of the year.’ JYP laughed and hugged her. ‘I will.’ he leaned back and put his sunglasses on. ‘Take care of my birds for me, will you?’ ‘They are in good hands.’ she assured, stepping aside to let him step onto the platform. ‘Wooyoung, make sure to eat your vegetables!’ she screamed, Wooyoung laughing in response but quickly composing himself. JYP shook his head in disbelief at the two best friends and turned to Chan as the trap began to close. ‘Chan.’ he called out. ‘Sir?’ ‘All is up to you.’ With that, the trap shut close, and the ship took off. Chan and Suzy watched it fly into the horizon, one with a pensive look, the other with a knowing smile. The woman turned around and patted his shoulder on the way. ‘With time, you’ll understand.’ she assured, smiling warmly at him but with a certain bitterness that didn’t escape him, before she retracted her hand and walked away. Chan watched the clouds pass by for a little while longer, eyes following a stray Young Wing flying by, before he left too. – – – – – The Glow shone down pleasantly on Woojin’s skin as he stepped into the cool water. Today was a beautiful day, he could already feel it. Many Young Wings were out of their caves, flying high up in the sky and creating a fabulous and colorful flight, and the flowers were blooming more than usual and smelling delicate and fresh. Closing his eyes, he dipped his head in and let himself be surrounded by the silence of the water. Fluttering his eyes open, he smiled at the sight of the tiny sparkles of holography. They reminded of stars. Breath coming short, he resurfaced with a gasp and wiped his face with hand, blinking the wetness away when Luwen suddenly screeched by his side, catching his attention. Turning around in curiosity, he rose a brow at the sight. ‘Oh my god Gyu, let me go- oh, hi Woojin!’ declared Jisung with a bright smile as he finally took notice of the man in the Neutral Grounds’ lake. Woojin smiled widely at him and waved, finally distracting “Gyu” enough that he would let go of the human arm and go see the Stray. ‘No Gyu, wait- I swear to god you only listen to Changbin or food!” he sighed in fond exasperation as he facepalmed, shrugging off his jacket. Woojin cast him a curious glance and Jisung mouthed a ‘sorry, long story’. Taking it as his only chance to get free of this unplanned baby-sitting (“C’mon, Guy just wants to go outside, and I can’t because I need to examine those samples. Please, Ji, take him with you just this one time.”), the scientist sat down on the blue grass next to the lake. ‘How are you?’ he wondered, noting that the older’s hair were back to black and promising himself to inform Chan of it just to see him daydream. And Jisung realized at that exact moment that more than a week had gone by since he saw any of his Stray friends. Time surely flies. ‘I’m good. What are you doing here Jisungie?’ Woojin asked as he dropped the blue Fyr on a tree branch just above him. ‘Oh, just studying and wandering. Felix did provide us with a lot of data when he hacked into Changbin’s datapad on his first night on Straya. But we literally never found time to check it before, so…’ he declared, shrugging and speaking quickly as usual when he was excited, but Woojin was already used to that, so he had no trouble understanding Jisung fast Straynian – which had gotten better since last time. ‘Oh! How did the celebrations go by the way?’ the cute human then asked, referring to the whole week they spent celebrating the beginning of a new year and Jae – Jisung had been disappointed that he and the 3racha Unit couldn’t go, being too busy working. But he couldn’t wait to go next year. Woojin leaned his forearms onto the grass and dropped his chin onto them, smiling up at the human in amusement. ‘It was great. We ate a lot, danced, went to the Grand Tree- the usual. But the kids were really funny to watch this year, they were all impressed and full of energy, so we had a really great time – except when Seungmin almost fell from a tree-’ ‘What?!’ ‘Yup. I swear, he and Minho play around a bit too much.’ he sighed, but the amused smile on his lips let Jisung know that Woojin had had a great time watching these two idiots. Though, Jisung winced and shivered, the mere thought of falling down one of Straya’s tree sending shivers down his spine. ‘But he’s so agile! I mean, I saw him during the Ordeals and he was basically flying when climbing and running! Not talking about the one time we met!’ he exclaimed, vividly remembering how he had fought the attacking scientists. Woojin chuckled and turned around, upper arms resting against the grass as he faced the sky. ‘That is, when he’s not with Minho – Ordeals aside.’ he precised. ‘Put them together and shit happens.’ he snickered, shaking his head with a fond smile. ‘I’ll remember that.’ Jisung laughed and looked down at him. ‘You look a bit worn out though…’ ‘Hmm,’ Woojin hummed. ‘I’m a bit tired, but I can finally rest today.’ he chuckled and glanced up cheekily at him. ‘I would have gladly brought Minho here with me but when I left he was still snoring his ass off – probably dreaming about you.’ he teased, smirking when Jisung blushed and anxiously laughed. ‘What are you saying hyung…’ his friend mumbled, rubbing his nape and looking away as he swat his arm. Woojin grinned at the use of ‘hyung’ that had escaped Jisung – he had learned from Jeongin what it meant and tried to make him use it, but it didn’t work. Then, a conversation he overheard between Seungmin and their leader came back into his mind. ‘Jisung.’ he called out softly, the human looking down at him with a slight pout. ‘He… offered you to stay here, didn’t he?’ Jisung bit his lower lip shyly and looked down, nodding. Woojin smiled at that and pushed up his arms to get out of the lake. Water rippled off his muscles as he sat on the grass, leaning back slightly on his palms as he let the Glow dry him. ‘Do you know why?’ Jisung let out a strangled noise and Woojin had his answer. ‘So you do know.’ he concluded, nodding to himself with a proud smile. Jisung turned to him quickly, face beet red. ‘It’s not like that hyung!’ Woojin laughed out loud, startling Luwen who turned to them with wide eyes. Cooing at his startled beast, Woojin beckoned it forward with his hand, drawing arabesques on its head to calm it down. Luwen was the opposite of Dabby, calm and patient, it hated when he grew noisy. Shushing it, Woojin peered at the human, Gyu coming back onto said man’s shoulder, probably sensing the human’s inner conflict. Fyrs often feel people’s emotions. ‘Then what is it like?’ he asked. ‘I- I…’ Jisung stammered and looked down at the holographic water, that was even more bright today due to the glowing Glow. ‘It’s just not like that.’ he grumbled, kicking the water, refraining a pout when he caught Woojin’s reflection giving him an amused smile. Gyu peered curiously at him and Jisung patted its head to reassure him. ‘You, humans are so complicated sometimes.’ Woojin chuckled, rolling his eyes. ‘We’re not- okay, maybe we are. But he also offered Changbin to stay here, what do you make of that?’ he countered with a smile as he bumped Woojin’s shoulder with his own. ‘I make it that he noticed the obvious and monstrous attraction growing between Changbin and my brother, and that he knows what his own heart wants.’ he stated, grinning back at the younger boy and bumping his shoulder back. Jisung groaned at that, flopping onto the grass with a sheepish smile. He couldn’t help but ponder over his hyung’s words as he watched the flight up above. And it reminded him of when he had protected the kid… and Minho had protected them in return. When he thinks back on that, he can’t help but think that he was an idiot, not pulling the trigger because JYP and his teachers’ warnings were running too clearly into his head at the time. But even though he wished he could do it all over again, a part of him was glad he didn’t pull it… because it’s what earned him Minho’s trust and respect. Without that action that scared the life out of him, he wouldn’t be where he was with Minho now. And when he healed the baby Young Wing… he had found the strength to do it all thanks to Minho. Even when his brothers’ voices couldn’t bring him out of his stupor, Minho’s did… His eyes flickered onto a flash of blue – a Young Wing dashing past all the others, seemingly smaller but just as beautiful, extending its beak to catch a pink fruit in a tree, juice flying everywhere but dissipating quickly in the air, and soon the beast had flown away. Its color reminded Jisung of the constant tickle under his neck, the pale blue feather – almost silver with all this light – seating comfortably against his chest, resting next to his dog tag and still smelling of the beach they sat at eleven days ago. ‘You’re right…’ he declared after a moment, eyes flickering to where Luwen was happily resting. Woojin raised a brow at him in curiosity and Jisung closed his eyes, his smile turning content. ‘Maybe we’re just too complicated.’ Woojin chuckled at that and patted his hair gently, offering him a fond gaze. ‘You’re not on Earth Jisung. There’s no need to be afraid here, at least not of that.’ Jisung felt his heart miss a beat at these words and a soft hue of pink grazed his cheeks. Life on Earth had been so… lifeless, that to even think love was still possible seemed unreal. And yet… ‘I’ll try.’ he declared, butterflies swarming into his stomach at the simple thought of staying here, in the arms of someone. Woojin smiled and retracted his hand, his own eyes falling back onto his reflection, reminding him of his first encounter with a certain human. Back when he first saw Chan, he had been intrigued. Now, he was captivated. ‘I know you will.’ he finally whispered, the ‘I will too’ left unsaid. They, as Strays, were never afraid of feelings, but what scared him was humans’ reluctance to love. And, for the first time in his life, Woojin felt a bit afraid of love. But Woojin was known to be brave, and he would not let fear get into the way of his own happiness. Then, he thought back of Mark’s offer. With a mischievous grin, he turned onto his side, facing a yawning Jisung. ‘Say,’ he began, startling the boy who had begun to doze off. ‘Would you guys like to come to a wedding-’ ‘God yes!’ Jisung exclaimed, sitting up with stars in his eyes. ‘I mean, I’ll have to ask my boss first but I’ve never been to a wedding! Are we all invited? Is Minho gonna be here too? Is it in your clan? Wait whose wedding is it?’ Woojin watched with a parted mouth as Jisung kept asking questions and bouncing on the spot, not having expected such excitement. ‘- and is there- oh, I’m asking too much questions, aren’t I?’ he stopped, smiling sheepishly at the older. ‘Sorry, it’s just that I never thought I would ever go to a wedding in my life.’ Woojin sat up and patted his hair fondly. ‘You’re cute, so I’ll allow you to go onto rambles.’ he teased, Jisung swatting his hand away with a ‘yah’. ‘But to answer your questions, yes you are all invited, it’s not in my clan, it’s actually Mark’s brother’s and Yedam’s one’s, and yes, Minho will be there.’ he concluded, with a wink. ‘I didn’t ask.’ Jisung blurted out, punching his arm. ‘Yes you did- Jae, do you always hit that hard?’ he complained, rubbing his sore bicep. ‘Only if I’m feeling like it.’ he grinned, Woojin grumbling something under his breath and hitting him back in the process. ‘Ouch- damn, hyung you hit hard.’ he winced, rubbing his shoulder in awe. Well, seeing the older’s muscles there were no doubts about his strength to have, but being the victim of it was another story. ‘I like being fair.’ he shrugged, smirk back in place. ‘Say, will-’ ‘Woojin!’ Woojin turned around, slapping Jisung’s face with the wet droplets of his black bangs in the process, and stared in surprise at the newcomer. ‘Chan?’ he called out, smiling at the heaving boy who raised a hand in greeting. ‘And that’s my cue to leave.’ Jisung announced, standing up and whistling – a trick he’d learn to do to call Gyu – waving at Woojin and wiggling his eyebrows at his brother when he passed him by, the Fyr climbing down a tree and onto his arm on the way. Woojin watched Chan catch his breath and pulled his shirt back on. ‘What brings you here?’ he wondered in curiosity. ‘I-’ Chan straightened up and smiled at him, blowing a strand of hair away from his forehead. ‘I wanted to see you.’ Woojin blinked and stared at him in shock. ‘Oh. You did?’ ‘Yeah.’ Chan assured, worrying his lower lip. ‘Are you planning on doing something this afternoon?’ ‘Actually,’ Woojin began, smiling and eyes full of a glint that scared Chan a bit. ‘I do. And you’re coming with me.’ – ‘I think I’m going to throw up.’ Chan declared, retching as he clutched his heart. Woojin laughed out loud and offered him a hand. ‘C’mon, get off now or Luwen will get offended.’ Chan cast a worried look down at Luwen and accepted the older’s hand, hurrying off the beast. As soon as he step off, Luwen folded its wings under itself and laid down, eyes closing, and Chan finally glanced at the view. ‘Wow, I never thought I’d ever see that.’ he breathed out in awe, the wind blowing into his hair. In front of him stood the Floating Sea. Or Floating Mountains, as they call it on Earth. It was magnificent, rocks levitating in the air, full of creepers and tiny flowers, and in the middle, a condensation of foggy like clouds, probably hiding tons of species he had yet to know of. Chan couldn’t believe he was standing onto one of its rock, in the middle of the sky. When Woojin had asked him to climb onto Luwen he had said no, and how he had regretted agreeing in the end when Luwen took off – boy, he had flown into space, but on a Young Wing? It had scared him to hell. But in the end, he would do it all over again if it meant standing there, in the middle of the sky and in front of this fog of a sea. ‘It’s my secret hideout.’ Woojin declared, breaking the silence as he sat down onto the rocks, leaning back onto his hands and dangling his feet in the void. ‘Is it? Then why did you bring me here?’ he asked as he shrugged his shoes off. ‘Dunno, just felt like it.’ he then turned to him. ‘Be honored, you’re the first I bring here.’ Chan smiled cheekily at him as he sat down, bumping their shoulders together and raising an eyebrow. ‘Is that so? Careful, I’m going to think I’m special.’ ‘Yeah, well don’t let it get to your head. I just wanted to see you scream like a baby on your first flight.’ he teased, Chan gasping in fake hurt. ‘You Yeshihk.’ he laughed shaking his head, remembering how he had indeed screamed like a baby and clutched onto Woojin for dear life. ‘You’re learning fast.’ the boy commented, applauding him. ‘You’ve really improved your Straynian.’ ‘Well, I was not expecting a compliment while saying that, but thank you I guess.’ he laughed, plopping his chin onto his raised knees. ‘What do you usually do up here? It’s pretty, but there’s not much to do.’ ‘I like to sleep or just watch the scenery. Sometimes think.’ ‘And right now?’ Chan asked, eyes flickering onto the Stray before settling back over the foggy clouds. ‘Right now?’ he contemplated, eyes trained onto the silhouette of an animal behind the fog. ‘I guess I’ll reveal to you that you can come here without flying.’ Chan’s jaw dropped. ‘You made me fly on Luwen when I could have walked there?’ he gasped in disbelief, staring at the sleeping Young Wing in betrayal. ‘Climbed there.’ he corrected, pointing to a chain of rocks on their right. ‘But yeah, I did. Told you I wanted to hear you scream like a baby.’ he ended, grinning teasingly at the younger. ‘I’m seriously reconsidering our friendship right now Woojin.’ ‘Oh please, a few more flights and you’ll be a pro, don’t try to make yourself a martyr here.’ ‘Was that a compliment?’ Chan inquired, quirking a brow with a slight amused smirk. ‘Maybe. You’re surprising, I wouldn’t even raise a brow if I was told tomorrow that you mastered Young Wing flying overnight.’ ‘I hope that’s a compliment.’ Chan said, letting out a breathless laugh. ‘It is.’ Woojin assured him with a wink. Chan laughed too and focused back onto the sea, a smile still etched on his features. ‘But I am not flying on Luwen ever again.’ he eventually declared. ‘And how do you plan on getting down then?’ he asked, quirking an eyebrow. ‘I’ll climb down.’ ‘Oh, sure.’ ‘I will.’ he assured in a laugh. ‘Can’t wait to see you trying.’ he assured in return, thumbs raising in the air. ‘Will you believe in me a bit?’ Chan whined, a broad grin on his features and Woojin both burst out laughing, shaking his head. ‘Oh fine, I’ll fly, shut it.’ – – – – – Felix peered from behind a tree in curiosity at the scientific faculty standing a few meters away. It was impressive. ‘C’mon Lix, you can do it.’ he whispered to himself, gulping down the anxiety he felt being in front of this huge settlement, a place where he had only been once or twice as a kid, the place where his mother had spent a good part of her life in. He didn’t remember much of it but from his blurred memories it hadn’t changed much, just renovated. Actually, he hadn’t plan on coming there, but he had stumbled upon Jisung in town, the boy seated amongst the kids at school and silently observing the whole class. He had wondered whether Chan and Changbin were with him but the human had told him they were at the base. So there he was, waiting for his courage to muster up so he could finally go surprise his friend. Gulping down one last time, he finally came out of his hiding spot and walked a head, careful to look straight ahead and make no eye contact. Being self conscious, he had worn shoes, and his feet were screaming so hard to be freed that he began to walk faster, blending perfectly with the crowd of ever-so busy scientist, who couldn’t even bring themselves to care about his whereabouts it would seem. Reaching the front door felt like succeeding on a mission and he breathed in relief, opening it and stepping inside, where he was greeted by a sterile smell and – surprisingly – many green plants and natural light. With a pleasant smile, he made his way to the center of the circular lobby and tried to read the words written in an alphabet he knew was Korean – which he understood only so little – and, thankfully, in an alphabet he knew of – the Latin one. Though he couldn’t speak proper Earthian speech, he could pretty much read it and understand it. ‘Where would you be, human boy…’ he muttered under his breath, eyes squinting as he looked at the diverse designations, Conference rooms, emergency exit, Meeting Rooms, offices 01-12, offices 13-24, Main Office, storage area, laboratories, common areas- Laboratories. ‘Bingo.’ he smirked, walking toward the stairs, climbing up to the fourth story, where he turned left, entering a long corridor full of blurred glass doors. ‘Well, shit.’ he cursed in English. As he was about to look through one of the glass, someone bumped into him, causing him to pale. ‘Oh sorry.’ To his utter surprise, the man that had bumped into him not only didn’t look up at him, too focused on whatever was written onto his tablet, and spoke in English. Didn’t Chan said that the scientist at JYP speak Korean and Earthian? Casting a quick look down at his lab coat, Felix understood right away why. B. Smith, the man was of English descent. He must have been so focused onto whatever he was reading that he didn’t realize he was speaking his mother tongue instead of the common Earth language. As the man was about to walk away, Felix realized he couldn’t let this chance pass and called out for him. ‘Hey, do you know where Changbin is?’ he asked in English, mentally praying for him not to turn around or be alerted by this unknown voice. ‘Uh? Oh, probably lab 13- if he is not, then he must be in the bathroom, the man never leaves his lab, I swear to God- fuck, why is there so many grammar errors in this report?’ And with that, the man entered lab 3, with no other words addressed to Felix. Said boy slumped against the wall in relief, dreading the idea of a scientist asking what a Stray was doing there and perhaps throw him out. Shaking his head, he marched in search of lab thirteen, and when he found it, he didn’t wait to crack the door open. The room was mostly silent, safe for the scrapping of a pen against a book and the drumming of latex gloved fingers against vials. It was also really pretty for a lab, white walls ornate with many drawings of things Felix did not know and floor carpeted, big large window filtering natural light straight onto a certain ravenette, who was busy checking… things into vials? Tiptoeing behind the boy, he made sure to be a swift as a feline when walking behind him, staring at the broad shoulders of this man in contemplation and examining the speed at which it raised and fell to the beat of his breathing. It was almost hypnotizing to watch, and Felix would have stared at it all day if he had not gotten so close that he could now almost breath down his nape. Which he did. ‘What the-’ Changbin gasped, attempting to spin his chair around but failing midway when delicate hands wrapped around his eyes. This unknown unique scent, he would recognize it anywhere. ‘Felix?~’ he singsonged, fingers prying the hands away with a smile as he properly turned around. ‘What are you doing here?’ he exclaimed, standing up to wrap his arms around the younger. Felix melodious laugh echoed into his lab as he reciprocate the hug, head teasingly coming to a rest over the scientist’s one. ‘Stop trying to prove me I’m small, I can see you standing on your toes.’ he grunted, gently shoving the other off him. ‘Just admit you’re small and I’ll stop.’ he teased, hands dropping back by his side and causing Changbin to miss the proximity. ‘Never.’ he chuckled, gesturing to the seat next to him. Felix sat down and peered curiously at all the vials and sketches in front of him. ‘What’s all that?’ he wondered, taking a drawing into his hands. It was something weird, like… an infinity sign? ‘That,’ Changbin began, snatching back the drawing and putting back in front of him. ‘Is a cell. Well, a drawing of it.’ ‘Oh, so that’s what you do up here.’ he stated, nodding as he clasped his hands under his thighs. ‘Hmm.’ Changbin then looked at him. ‘Did you miss me that much to come all the way here?’ he then asked with a smirk, eyes still focused onto his datapad. ‘Yes. Terribly.’ His datapad almost smacked the table. He hurriedly turned to Felix, eyes wide and flustered. ‘Tha-that wasn’t what I expected.’ Felix shrugged, a smirk on his lips. ‘You asked, I answered.’ ‘Oh shut up.’ the scientist laughed, bumping their shoulders, feeling his heart fluttering at the sight of these freckled cheekbones emphasized by his smile. ‘Sorry though.’ Felix looked at him curiously. ‘What for?’ ‘I didn’t know you were coming and I have work.’ he winced, offering him a sorry smile. Felix shook his head and told him it was fine, that he would look around for a bit. As he stood back up, he began to look around. The room was rather large with three lab tables, work surfaces all around two walls, a big white board with a projector, and a resting area. Walking over to the later, he found himself sitting onto a blue couch and staring at a piano. He knew of this instrument, his people have one similar. ‘Why do you have a piano here?’ ‘Huh, we like to practice- shit.’ he cursed when he broke his lead. ‘-to practice music to relax after a long day of work.’ he answered, taking another pen, focused on his drawing. ‘Do you mind?’ he found himself asking before he could stop himself, Changbin finally raising his head at his words. With a sigh, he took off his gloves and rubbed his sore jaw. ‘Sure. Though I don’t think you’ll be able to play it for long. The noise can get unbearable when you don’t know how to play.’ he explained at Felix’s raised eyebrow. The boy nodded and went over the bench, slowly dropping his fingers over the keys and his foot on the pedals. Tentatively, he brought a finger down, a note echoing into the air. Felix let out an awed gasp, eyes round with surprise at the resonance. The sound echoing… he had never heard a noise this loud before. He pushed another key. ‘Don’t push another key, the magic will break.’ Changbin assured him with a short breathless laugh, turning back to his work. Felix threw him an amused glance over his shoulder and turned back to the piano, fingers back in position. Taking a deep breath, he pushed three keys at the same time. And that’s when the magic began. Changbin let his pen drop, the object clinking onto the surface of his glass desk and rolling onto the floor as his hand stood motionless mid-air. Slowly, he turned around and stared in astonishment at the moving shoulders and back of the beautiful man back facing him. How… Standing up, Changbin walked toward him as in in a trance. The music was… melancholic and full of love and longing at the same time. It was the kind of music that gets you in the gut everytime you listen to it, that makes you fill a lot. Leaning against the side of the piano, he crossed his arms and glanced down at the boy, the way his eyebrow furrowed in concentration, his eyes focused on the keys, his small perfect nose, his pouty lips almost pursed. It was not just the music that knocked the air out of his lungs. Felix sensed the eyes on him and glanced up at him, a small smile etched on his lips when Changbin’s eyes met his, the expression in them something he couldn’t understand but that sent butterflies down his stomach. Changbin smiled back, and it was like his whole world collapsed, his eyes flickering back onto the piano as he kept playing. Changbin… was like an enigma to him. His feelings for the boy were no secret any longer, but Changbin and what he might feel for him? He just couldn’t figure it out. Changbin could be very expressive when he wanted to, but most of the time he seemed like this unreadable guy, this beautiful creature call human that came from Earth to torment him. If Changbin had been a Stray, Felix would have been sure of the boy’s feelings for him by now – the gestures, the glances, the actions and the words, all of this matches up to what liking someone is like for his people. But the scientist was a human, and humans were so… unreadable, unpredictable, complicated and overthinking. And Felix did not want, under any circumstances, to misread the situation. He might not fear his own feelings and love Changbin, but he feared the ones of the human. He just sincerely hoped that all Changbin was doing and saying was not… just out of friendship. As his fingers hit the last keys, he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and lifted his shaky fingers off the piano. When he lifted his head, Changbin was grinning down softly at him. ‘That was crazy. Never knew you could play the piano. Where did you learn?’ he asked. ‘I never learned, we just have a very similar instrument of our own.’ he explained. Changbin quirked an eyebrow and Felix chuckled. ‘I took a wild bet here, if it didn’t work I told myself it would at least make you suffer.’ Changbin gave him a side glare, the amused smile on his lips betraying him. ‘Move over.’ he gestured, sitting next to him. He closed the piano’s cylinder and leaned his elbow onto it, head in hand. He stared at the Stray for a little while longer making him squirm a bit. ‘Are you just gonna stare at me like that?’ he chuckled uncomfortably, shifting on the spot and eyes flickering over the man. ‘Why not.’ he shrugged, eyes still onto him. See what Felix was saying earlier? An enigma. Was there a book out there focused deciphering human behavior? It would be a great help right now. ‘Why indeed.’ he mumbled with an inhale, fingers drumming over the cylinder. Not able to take this anymore, he stood up abruptly and walked to the blue couch, sitting crossed-legs as he kicked his shoes off. ‘Fucking finally.’ he grunted, head hitting the back of the couch. He heard a laugh on his left and lolled his head around, watching Changbin take his lab coat off to reveal a sleeveless black shirt and – most importantly – gorgeous Apollo like muscles. ‘Wanted to get rid of them that much?’ he laughed, nodding to the poor befallen shoes by the coffee table. ‘These are inventions straight from hell.’ he complained, wiggling his toes in delight and eyes never leaving Changbin’s upper body. As the boy folded his jacket onto the bench he looked up and flushed. ‘Stop looking at me like that Fe, I’m not some sort of Greek God.’ ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if you were. Dude you’re ripped.’ he whistled, Changbin shaking his head and sitting down next to him. ‘Well, then you haven’t seen Chan. He is ripped.’ he commented, reaching over to grab a small round device. ‘And I don’t want to. But I’ll be sure to relay the info to Woojin.’ he glanced at the device. ‘What’s that?’ ‘You’ve never- oh, let me show you.’ Changbin excitedly said, pushing a button down. And then, as he set the device down the coffee table, a holographic screen appeared, igniting a gasp from the younger. ‘Oh my Jae, what’s that?!’ he exclaimed in glee, watching whatever was going on on the screen with awe. ‘It’s a TV. Never seen one?’ he wondered, Felix shaking his head quickly. ‘In the past they had screens but now that we figured out how to do holograms, TV became this little thing.’ he singsonged pointing to the little round device on the table. ‘Is that true that you can see movies on it?’ Felix wondered in shock, scanning the diverse things onto the large screen with his eyes. ‘Yup. You could even watch one if you’d like, lots of them are old movies that are in English.’ ‘Really?’ Felix beamed, staring at a woman running after a man under the rain. ‘Hmm. We have the whole afternoon, do you want to watch one?’ Felix turned to him in surprise and his eyes squinted into suspicion. ‘I thought you said you had to work.’ ‘Well, how can I when you’re being such a distraction.’ At that Felix laughed frankly, throwing his head back. ‘Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself excuses Seo Changbin.’ Changbin just stared at him with those unreadable eyes again. ‘You have personality.’ he declared with a slight smile. ‘I like that.’ ‘And you are an enigma.’ Felix finally retorted, head pressed against the backrest and hair falling over his eyes. ‘And you hate complicated, don’t you.’ Changbin finished, with a lopsided smile. ‘Actually, I kind of like ‘complicated’.’ he smirked, blowing the air away from his face. Changbin laughed and quirked his brows before he questioned, ‘Oh you do? Though, I thought I had stopped being ‘complicated’ a long time ago.’ he stated, a tinge of surprise in his voice. Felix raised a brow at that. ‘Trust me, you, humans are way more complicated than you think you are. And you don’t even realize it most of the time.’ he commented, extending a hand absentmindedly to loop a finger into Changbin’s jeans’ hole. ‘But you and the guys are not so bad.’ he admitted after a second. ‘Not so bad?’ he quoted in disbelief. ‘Hmm.’ he nodded, tracing patterns onto Changbin’s knee. ‘You have changed since your arrival. You’re more daring, you think less. What made you change?’ he wondered, glancing at the screen where a woman and a man were talking under the rain. ‘A lot.’ he muttered, eyes trained onto the obvious Stray. With no second thoughts, he reached out and grabbed his hand and pulled him in, startling him. Wrapping an arm around the younger and propping his chin onto his head, he extended an arm and swiped the screen to the left, the image changing to a setting menu. Felix on the other hand was so stunned he could not move, a soft hue of red grazing his cheeks and ears. That was really unexpected. Was that Changbin’s answer to not being complicated? Because he really liked those kinds of answer. His heartbeat quickened when the large hand at his hip slightly tightened and warmed his skin. ‘So cub, what should we watch?’ ‘I- what do- yes.’ Felix stammered, mentally facepalming at his ridiculous answer. Clearing his throat, he allowed himself to relax into the embrace and tried to think of how to form a proper sentence. ‘I want to watch an animation movie.’ he declared, and as much as Changbin wanted to be surprised by the answer he just couldn’t. It was so… Felix. Not that he was complaining. ‘Alright, animation that is.’ With that, they both snuggled comfortably and played the movie. Felix, for once, forgot his hammering heart and the butterflies in his stomach in favor of watching the mesmerizing movie. He remained unaware of the pair of eyes watching him instead of the movie the whole hour. – – – – – ‘Why in the world did I never heard of this place before?’ Jeongin exclaimed with a laugh, running into the water of the cave they were currently in. The place Yedam had wanted to show him was beautiful, a high ceiling cave with precious stone hanging down from it, and a beautiful waterfall in its center. There were plants all over the walls, dripping water cause by the mist condensation above the little natural pool of water under the waterfall. Not caring to discard his shirt, he just plunged into it. The water was warm, it was so enjoyable onto his freshly healed skin. When he resurfaced, he heard Yedam laugh and smiled. ‘Worth the walk wasn’t it?’ he declared as he shrugged off his shirt and jeans to join him, swimming toward the waterfall. Propping an elbow onto the ground by his right, he turned to Jeongin with a bright smile. ‘I was sure you would love it.’ ‘I would have walked the whole day to see that.’ he confirmed, voice louder now that they were standing next to the loud rustling. ‘How did you even, find it? The entrance is so hard to find!’ he complained, remembering the complicated pathway they took. ‘That’s because it’s not the entrance.’ ‘What?’ ‘It’s on the other side of the waterfall.’ he winked and ducked underwater to Jeongin astonishment. ‘Yedam?’ he called out after a few moments when Yedam didn’t resurface. Worry began to pool into his stomach. The boy didn’t drown did he? Was there some kind of creature underwater that took him away? As he was about to call for him again, an arm extended itself through the waterfall, making him shriek. Yedam. The hand gestured forward and he groaned. ‘You Yeshihk, scaring me like that…’ he grumbled as he took the hand and held his breath. The water hit him like a tidal wave and pushed down his shoulders with a force he had never felt, and the pressure would have made him fall over was it not for the hand tugging forward with strength. He gasped out when he came out of the other side, chest colliding into another one as he lose footing. An arm looped itself around his shoulders automatically and Jeongin looped his own around Yedam’s waist without thinking as he struggled to catch his breath, other hand shaking the water off his eyes. ‘I swear to Jae, something’s wrong with you.’ he mumbled against his shoulder and Yedam laughed, patting his head. ‘It was the only way to get you through. The pressure would have been to strong underwater, you’re not used to it.’ he explained and Jeongin raised his head. ‘And why are we here-’ he stopped himself midway to stare behind Yedam. ‘Wow..’ he breathed out, casting a confused look and a smile at Yedam. ‘Is this… the Ancient Grounds?’ Yedam nodded with a smile and Jeongin let go of him, swimming over the bank. Stepping out of the water he turned on himself, admiring each of the nooks. They were no longer into a cave but outside, on the good side of the waterfall. In front of it were small boulders, leading on both sides to a central larger one, just in the center of the round lake. Then, outside the lake was just a large patch of tall grass surrounding the area, that was still as wild as the tales said it was. ‘The tales were true, this area is really bare of flowers, plants, there’s just… grass.’ he whispered, shivering when the wind blew past him and stuck his shirt to his skin. ‘Yeah, before the war our people strove to keep it as pure and wild as Jae handed it to them. Something about thanking Jae for giving them his blessings. Rumor has it that at one point it was filled with luxurious flowers and plants.’ Yedam explained as he whistled and stepped out of the water. ‘Tales never said that.’ Jeongin commented with amusement as he shrugged off his wet shirt. ‘That’s because the people retelling them were not here when it happened. But CL keeps talking about how her grandma had witnessed it with her own eyes and how she wishes to see it too now.’ he chuckled, shaking his head in remembrance. ‘Oh. Do you think it will ever grow back?’ Jeongin wondered as he untied his fox fur from his jeans and looked around, not having any problems in picturing it. It would be regal. ‘I don’t know. Back then, weddings took place often but now that almost none do… maybe the nature is just waiting for us to come back here.’ he shrugged, sitting down onto the grass and waving his Pali over. ‘Understandingly. But I want to believe it will come back.’ Yedam quirked a brow and hummed for him to go on. ‘I mean okay, true, we don’t come here anymore. But that’s because we were all too young to marry for a while! So, who knows? Maybe the oldest of us will want to marry more in the years to come and the nature will grow back to what it once was?’ Jeongin suggested hopefully as he took a seat and shimmied his way out of his wet jeans. ‘Hmm, you’re right. And maybe this place will be grandiose again sooner than expected.’ Yedam grinned as he took two robes out of the rucksack. Jeongin glanced up with a quirked eyebrow. ‘You mean your brother’s wedding?’ he questioned, laying out his clothes so that they would dry under the Glow. ‘Where else did you expect their wedding to take place?’ Yedam laughed, handing him a robe. ‘I don’t know.’ Jeongin laughed, sliding an arm into it. ‘You really did think everything through.’ ‘I was desperate.’ Yedam admitted, chuckling as he tied his robes. Jeongin snorted and playfully punched his chest. ‘I hope your plan was not to bring me there to propose?’ he joked, and Yedam shook his head with a wink. ‘I wouldn’t dare. Not before having earned all my one hundreds points.’ he chuckled, laying his back against his seated Pali for support. Jeongin laughed frankly at that, and Yedam noted that it made him look like a fox. Jeongin leaned against the bark of the tree, shading his skin from the Sun and closed his eyes. He heaved a sigh and crossed his arms, thinking back on how Yedam had no idea of all he was thinking of him. ‘You know how we talked about honesty? I don’t think I can go on without admitting it.’ Yedam quirked a brow and grinned anxiously. ‘You’re very scary when you say stuffs like that.’ he admitted, rubbing his nape. Jeongin blushed and put a hand over his face. ‘It’s nothing scary! If anything I’m embarrassed by what I’m about to say. Promise you won’t laugh.’ he begged. ‘Go on.’ Yedam nodded, sitting up. ‘I… for a long time I admired you.’ There, he said it. A weight lifted itself off his chest, and he suddenly felt like he could go on with their weird friendship more easily. Yedam blinked. ‘Oh my Jae.’ he chuckled, grinning brightly and covering his face with his hands. ‘You promised you wouldn’t laugh!’ Jeongin shrieked, throwing him his wet jeans in the face. Yedam yelped and threw it off his face, still laughing his ass off and cheeks still flushed. ‘So-sorry, sorry.’ he apologized, throwing his hands in the air. Jeongin grunted and began to regret saying it out loud. He almost forgot for an instant that Yedam was so blunt behind his shy and composed behavior. ‘In that case,’ Yedam began, laughter dying down but cheeks still pink. ‘Can I tell you something too?’ ‘Go ahead.’ Jeongin answered warily, still a bit cautious and bitter. ‘I wanted to know you too. Really, really bad.’ he admitted shyly, grin sheepish and cheekbones red. Jeongin blinked. ‘For real?’ he blurted out, mouth agape. Surely that was a joke? Yedam was just mocking him, right? But the boy was looking down at the ground, nodding shyly. Shyly. ‘Hmm. I guess that makes us even?’ he offered, looking up. Fuck. ‘I guess so.’ Jeongin smiled, biting his cheeks, the rays of Glow cast behind him making him look younger than the teenager he was. Yedam smiled back and reclined against his Pali, closing his eyes, and Jeongin decided to do the same against the bark of the tree, exposing his bruised chest through the opening of the robes. ‘Does it still hurt?’ Jeongin peeled an eye open and followed Yedam’s eyesight. ‘No, not really. What hurt the most was my lower back and my arm.’ He rolled up his sleeves and showed the nasty bruise on his arm, which made Yedam grimaced. ‘But it doesn’t hurt anymore, the healer was amazing. ‘ ‘This Ordeal is way too violent.’ Yedam declared, spreading his arms out onto Chittaprr. ‘Nah. It’s great, allow us to externalize a bit for one evening.’ he grinned wolfishly, and Yedam was more reminded of Jeongin strength and how devastating he had been on the field. ‘Say, why were you here? I don’t recall you getting hurt.’ he frown, confusion etched on his face as he scanned Yedam for injury. ‘My scar.’ he explained, gesturing to the three claw marks on his shoulder. ‘Mark told me his healer has really great ointment, so he offered me to tag along.’ ‘I thought it was healed.’ ‘It is, has been since I was a kid actually. But it still needs proper care.’ Jeongin hummed and played with the grass for a moment before he dared asking, ‘How did you get it?’ Yedam threw him a smirk. ‘You heard the story, didn’t you?’ ‘So it’s true?’ he exclaimed in bewilderment, excitement pooling into his stomach. ‘People like to embellish stories.’ he laughed, shaking his head. ‘I didn’t get this scar when I was 10- how ridiculous is that? A kid against a giant panther?’ he rolled his eyes and muttered a ‘people’ under his breath. ‘But CL said that it would create stories to talk about for a while, make people forget about stuffs. So we kept the story going.’ ‘So you never fought a panther?’ Jeongin moaned dejectedly, leaning back onto his hands. ‘I never said I didn’t.’ he smirked and Jeongin propelled himself forward at the speed of the light. ‘So you did!’ he grinned jabbing Yedam’s chest, who nodded and reached over to ruffle his hair. ‘Ah, stop it.’ he whined, flicking his damp hair back. ‘Sorry, I forgot you’re not tactile. But yeah, I did. When I was fifteen.’ he laughed. ‘But that’s so recent, and you already had a scratch…’ he muttered in confusion. ‘Okay, let me give you the whole story.’ he conceded, crossing his arms over his chest. ‘So, few know it but I got this scar when I was playing with my panther, Swan, as a kid- let me finish, I’ll tell you how I got him. Remember how humans brought some animals from Earth here? Panthers were among the lot, and Swan was a baby at the time. Babies are wild, I was a child, and what was bound to happen happened: One day I was playing with Swan and my brother, and I stepped on his paw, so he scratched me.’ Jeongin blinked once and burst out laughing. ‘Oh my Jae, I can’t believe it- it breaks the myth, let me tell you.’ Yedam sulked and hit his shoulder. Hard. ‘Hey, I did fight with him a few years ago!’ he complained, wincing when he recalled the event. ‘What happened?’ Jeongin wondered, laughter still on the tip of his tongue. ‘I think you figured it out but I adopted Swan, I grew fond of him.’ Jeongin silently gasped. So that time, when he heard a panther roar from his room… it was Swan? Yedam went on, ‘But because I’m afraid some humans would want to take him away from me, I keep it a secret from the other clans.’ ‘So you trust me?’ Jeongin teased, wiggling his eyebrows and Yedam rolled his eyes. ‘Wouldn’t have brought you here otherwise. So, yeah, but one day someone tried to take him away from me.’ Jeongin’s eyes dimmed at that, smile disappearing from his face. ‘I have no idea who it was or what he wanted, but he was stupid to think he would success. Swan is a wild and strong beast.’ he smirked proudly. ‘And he wouldn’t ever give up without a fight. All I remember is trying to stop Swan from killing the man on the spot. Sadly, the bastard got away while I was stopping my baby.’ Jeongin gulped and looked down a mere second, having no doubts on who the bastard was. He would need to talk to Minho. ‘Yeah, so that’s the story. Less impressive when it’s told like that, huh?’ Yedam chuckled, rubbing his sweating nape sheepishly. ‘Remind me to never get close to Swan.’ Jeongin laughed nervously. ‘I’ll remember to introduce him to you next time.’ he winked, ducking when Jeongin made to flick him and going to hug his waist instead. Jeongin whined and trashed around, trying to free himself while trying not to die internally and control his blush. And let me tell you, Jeongin has never been good at multitasking. Yedam, seeing the struggle he had to free himself, enjoyed the moment and cuddled the older boy, head snuggled into his neck as he chuckled silently. Jeongin, realizing how doomed he was, finally relaxed and relented, wrapping his arms around the younger. ‘We’re gonna get sweaty.’ he complained, a pout on his lips. ‘We’ll get sweaty anyway with this weather.’ Yedam shrugged and Jeongin pouted harder, chin slumping onto his broad shoulder. Jeongin had been thinking about something for the whole week now, actually, he had been thinking of it since that moment on the beach. But was now a good time to do it? As he was about to speak, Yedam beat him to it, ‘Jeongin. The Glow is setting, we should get going.’ Oddly, Jeongin was the one who protested, shaking his head into his neck. Realizing his own actions, he blushed and internally wailed. ‘Oh, hum.’ Yedam stuttered, blushing at the totally unexpected reaction, all his confidence dying in his throat. But unknown to the older boy his action comforted Yedam in saying what he was about to say. ‘You know how I always leave you with strong impressions? Well, I think today I’ll give you answers.’ Jeongin perked up at that. ‘The reason why Palis would allow certain people on and why my Pali allowed you on is…’ he gulped and bit his lower lip, blushing all the way up to the tips of his ears. ‘because you mean a lot to me.’ Jeongin let out a gasp and raised his head slowly. ‘As in… more than a friend?’ he uttered, fingers frozen over Yedam’s shoulder blades in anticipation. Yedam gulped and decided to go for it. He turned his head sideways and dropped a kiss on cheek. ‘Is that enough of an answer?’ he whispered, hazed gaze set onto the older boy. Jeongin stood frozen, not daring to turn his head sideways, in fear that he would just melt into the other’s embrace and that his heart would explode. So he dumbly nodded, one hand letting of Yedam’s shoulder to touch his cheek. It was burning. The horror. A shaky hand grabbed his trembling one, pulling his fingers away from his cheek and holding them tight. ‘Would you… do you think you could give me a chance?’ the way the younger’s words came out of his mouth, still straightforward but freed of their usual bravado and nervous, just as nervous as he was, oddly reassured him. At least Yedam was feeling as nervous as he was. ‘The way you acted today gave me a reason to hope that maybe this could work out. Can you… no, can we give us a chance?’ Apparently, Jeongin took too long to answer because of his inner turmoil and poor brain frying, because Yedam lowered his head and began to remove his hands from him. What, what? No, no, no, no. Jeongin brain went on autopilot. He snatched the arms back around him, reached around him to grab his pants, snatched the fox fur off of it and tied it around his right bicep. ‘What are you-’ Yedam stopped himself as he stared at the fur around his arm, eyes wide. He raised his head in a hurry but Jeongin had already buried his head into his neck. ‘Just- just keep it okay?’ he mumbled, face as red as burning embers. Yedam just stared at him – well, his nape – in bewilderment. ‘Are you serious? You’re really giving us a chance?!’ ‘Ah, ah, ah my earbuds Bang Yedam.’ he complained, leaning back slightly, too shy to meet Yedam’s eyes. But when the boy lowered his head to the right to meet his face, Jeongin relented and shyly glanced up. ‘Do this look like a joke to you?’ he mumbled, looking away barely one second after. But when Yedam beamed at him and offered him a bright blinding grin, Jeongin shrieked and stood up. ‘Ah, would you look at the time! Time to go home!’ he stated falsely merry, grabbing his jeans and shirt from the ground, not forgetting to dig into the rucksack to grab his jar of paint and, without waiting, dashed the other way around. Yedam stared at him in shock and burst out laughing, waving at his retreating back. ‘Make sure not to get lost foxie!’ Jeongin spread his arms around himself and declared, ‘I was born there Bang Yedam!’ Yedam laughed and untied the fur from his arm, staring down at it. ‘See you at the wedding.’ he whispered, clutching the soft material in his hands with a warm smile. Jeongin bit his lips and starred at the retreating Glow as he walked home. His fingertips brushed against his cheeks and he bit back a smile. ‘See you at the wedding Yedamie.’ he muttered, hurrying home to find Hyunjin. – – – – – Jisung stiffened a yawn as a kid shown him a drawing of a flower he did, and pointed his thumbs up with a bright smile, telling him how great it was, leaving the kid shocked because- ‘Teacher, Jisung speaks our language!’ he screamed, pointing at him excitedly and Jisung sighed fondly, ruffling his hair. ‘You learned?’ The woman asked him, casting him an amused look and crouching down next to another kid. ‘Hmm. You really think I would stay the whole afternoon if I couldn’t?’ he chuckled, the woman offering him a vibrant laugh in answer. ‘You’re so curious, I thought that was why.’ she explained, helping the kid draw. ‘Well, I mean, I knew you understood some words, but not that well. You’re really good.’ she praised, offering him a bright smile. ‘That’s because I have the best teacher.’ he smiled, looking down at the ground and shifting on his spot on a rock. ‘Who is it?’ the kid by his side asked, eyes shinning in glee. Jisung reached down and pocked his cheek. ‘You’re leader.’ The kid gasped and put his hands in front of his mouth, a bright smile seeping through, and even the teacher stopped drawing to look at him with amusement. ‘Minho taught you?! Then you must be someone super kind and great!’ the kid beamed, jumping on the spot excitedly and throwing his arms around him. Jisung sputtered in surprise but put his arms around him with a short laugh. ‘I guess so~’ he answered with a laugh, wiggling his eyebrows teasingly at the giggling kid. But as soon as he looked up, his eyes met beautiful hazelnut ones. ‘Minho…’ he breathed out, the man smiling at him and leaning off the tree to walk toward them. The teacher hurriedly stood up and offered Minho a bow and bright grin, casting a teasing side glance at Jisung. The kid let go of Jisung and clumsily bowed at Minho who chuckled fondly and ruffled his hair, before he looked back up at Jisung. ‘Hi.’ he said, opening his arms wide. Jisung chuckled at him and stepped forward, closing his arms around him with a bright grin. ‘Hi.’ he said back, peering curiously at the children when they gasped and muttered incomprehensible stuffs. ‘I think you scare them.’ he whispered with amusement, Minho leaning back and looking around. ‘Nah, they’re just shocked.’ he smirked, rubbing his sore muscles. Jisung raised a brow but did not bother to ask why, instead focusing on the frown on Minho’s face. ‘Are you tired?’ ‘Hmm? Ah, just a bit. I wanted to sleep in this morning but I had stuffs to do.’ he smiled, then he saw the way the kids were looking at Jisung with stars in their eyes. ‘You would make a good leader you know? They all love you. Interested in replacing me from time to time?’ he joked. Jisung shook his head immediately. ‘God no. I’m way too lazy for that. Sleep is precious Minho, you should know that.’ he smirked giving him a look. ‘My bad.’ he laughed, throwing his hands in the air as the teacher ushered the kids home, the Glow lowering into the sky. ‘Shall I walk you home?’ Jisung let out a strangled noise as he picked up his bag and looked up with a slight flush over his cheeks. ‘S-suddenly?’ ‘Nah. I was walking by and saw you, so I thought it would be nice to spend a little of time together.’ Jisung offered him an amused glare as he stood up. ‘Look at you being a gentleman.’ Minho scoffed and led the way. ‘Like you never knew.’ Jisung caught up and punched his arm. ‘I was being nice, at least thank me.’ Minho chuckled and did the unthinkable: he lowered himself a bit and kissed his temple. ‘Thank you Jisungie.’ Jisung froze on the spot and looked in front of him in shock. ‘Did you just k-kiss me?’ ‘Yup. On the temple-’ he stopped himself and looked at him with amusement. ‘Why, are you flustered?’ he giggled, that annoying giggle that drove Jisung crazy. ‘You.’ he glared, cheeks aflame. ‘You better run.’ Minho’s eyes widened and as soon as Jisung took off to tackle him he ran, leading him god knows where into this jungle but Jisung couldn’t care less. ‘You can’t just do that without warning Lee Minho!’ he yelled, ducking under a tree branch, making said man laugh. And god, was his laugh contagious. Jisung soon found himself laughing too as chased him, the reason why he did so long forgotten in favor of just trying to catch up with this hella fast runner. Soon, they exited the jungle and Minho came to a stop, Jisung collapsing against him. ‘Okay, okay, you win, next time I’ll warn you;’ he conceded with such a condescending smirk that Jisung still found the strength to punch him trough all of his heavy breathing. ‘You bastard.’ he huffed, pushing against his torso to stand up properly – and enjoying the merch on the way. And as he looked around, he was stunned to find out that they were in front of his flat. He looked at Minho with a slight smirk, and punched his chest. ‘You smooth bastard.’ he corrected, Minho grinning down at him in pride. ‘Good night Jisungie.’ he finally nodded, walking past the younger with a warm smile. But as soon as he began walking, a hand pulled him back, warm lips dropping a peck on his cheek. ‘Good night, Minho.’ The sound of the flat door shutting behind him was what put him out of his trance, and he let out an astonished laugh. ‘And I’m the smooth bastard.’ he chuckled, shaking his head as he walked back into the jungle, eager to see Jisung again in a few days for the wedding. – – – – – ‘Here you are.’ Seungmin jumped on his spot at the foot of the Grand Tree. He had left Hyunjin’s house after waking up from their nap to think and reflect on his feelings. And it had been so peaceful, just a few Palis strolling by or Fyrs stopping by, so he had not expected the sudden noise. He turned around, shinny eyes staring at the newcomer in surprise. ‘Hyunjin-ah.’ he greeted, smiling fondly at his friend, his heart fluttering. The man smiled back and lowered himself next to him. ‘I searched for you everywhere. When I woke up, you weren’t here anymore.’ he said, pouting slightly. ‘Ah, I woke up a few hours ago but I couldn’t find it in myself to disturb you.’ he explained, rubbing his left arm anxiously. He picked at a flower amongst the tall grass and glanced up at him, the man looking ethereal in the night, the tiny shiny dots on his bare arms and beautiful shiny eyes making look like a deity. Seungmin was so mesmerized. And in love. ‘You should have woke me up;’ Hyunjin commented, drumming his fingers on the earth. ‘You needed to rest.’ ‘You don’t need to pamper me, Seung…’ he groaned, eyes rolling. ‘I just take care of you because you don’t.’ he chastised, rolling his eyes too. ‘I’m not a kid.’ Hyunjin mumbled, dejectedly. ‘Trust me, in my eyes you are everything but that.’ he confessed, gasping with wide eyes and quickly changing the subject when he realized what he said. And that’s when something shifted in the taller’s eyes. ‘How did you know to find me here?’ he tried, hoping to make the other forget what he just admitted. But the intensity in Hyunjin’s eyes was still there, and Seungmin’s smile almost faltered, not comprehending it. ‘I just knew.’ he declared, voice set as he shifted closer, hand clasping the trembling one of Seungmin. ‘Hyunjin-’ ‘I like you.’ The wind blew harder in the air, carrying one stray tear away from Seungmin’s shocked eyes. Hyunjin clasped his hand tighter and looked at him with determination, thumb brushing away a second tear. ‘And I want you to be my One.’ That was all it took for Seungmin to lean in and capture Hyunjin’s lips between his own, hands coming up to frame his face as he let out a shaky breath. And Hyunjin took it as his cue to loop an arm around his waist as he answered the kiss, his other hand too busy caging the one on his face. And all Seungmin could think of was how much he loved him and ‘fucking finally’. Hyunjin smiled against his lips and captured his lips once more, arms tightening around him, and Seungmin felt his heart beat faster. Jae, he was so happy. How stupid had they been to wait this long. But as he was about to lean back, he heard it – the mutters filling the air, swooshing past them for mere seconds, almost inaudible but unmistakable. And it was like a jolt of electricity swam through their connected hands and Seungmin pulled back in shock. ‘Did you feel that?’ he gasped, looking at their joined hands. ‘You bet I did.’ he whispered, darkened eyes still focused on Seungmin’s every features. ‘Say it.’ ‘Say what?’ he smiled, Hyunjin pressing their foreheads together. ‘That you like me.’ he demanded, his nose brushing against Seungmin’s one tenderly as he breathed out the words. ‘That you want me to be your One.’ Seungmin just smiled and pressed their lips together, eyes fluttering close. ‘I love you. Jae, you have no idea how long I’ve waited for this.’ he whispered against his lips, palm pressing against his torso, where Hyunjin’s heart was. ‘Was that enough of an answer?’ Hyunjin grinned. ‘More than enough.’ With that, he pressed their lips back together, the leafs of the Grand Tree dancing above them to the rhythm of a universal melody, the one of love and joy. – – – – – Felix yawned against Changbin’s arm that he held hostage- sorry, cuddled as the boy walked him back home. ‘I’m sorry I fell asleep like that. I didn’t even felt myself falling.’ he apologized again, eyes barely staying open. ‘Don’t. I didn’t wake you up for a reason, you looked so exhausted.’ he chuckled, reaching over to patted his head. ‘I thought you had a few days to rest?’ ‘Yeah, that was until Minho woke us up early to try on outfits for the wedding.’ he grumbled, sending mental punches to the imaginary Minho in his head. Changbin laughed and shook his head. The boy would be so doomed if he were a scientist having to wake up at 5 and sleep at 11. ‘We’re here.’ he announced, nodding at the tree house, slightly lit up outside by the light of purple and yellow Lubias. Felix looked up and whined. ‘Can’t you carry me upstairs?’ Changbin snorted and freed his arm, patting his shoulder. ‘Yeah, no, I’m too old for that.’ Felix gave him an unimpressed look. ‘You,’ he began, gesturing to his ripped self. ‘A grandpa? Yeah, I don’t think so sir. You’re like-’ my living dream. ‘a strong healthy man.’ he finished lamely. ‘Yeah, well, the strong healthy man needs to take care of his back and go home before mama Chan turns the whole jungle over.’ he commented, shuddering at the mere thought. Felix was about to protest when he caught two figures walking toward his home, hand in hand. ‘Oh… my Jae.’ he gaped, mouth falling open when he recognized the two Yeshihks. Changbin followed his line of sight and let out a strangled noise. ‘Is this Hyunjin and Seungmin- why are they kissing- Oh my god!’ Changbin screamed in a whisper, staring at a stunned Felix in excitement. ‘Are they togeth-’ ‘I need to go.’ Felix declared with a broad grin. ‘See you at the wedding Changbinie!’ he chuckled, quickly turning around to kiss his cheek before climbing the stairs to the house at the speed of the light, door slamming behind him. Changbin stood there, stunned. ‘Oh my god, I’m so whipped.’ he declared to no one, mechanically turning around to walk back home, hands fawning his burning cheeks but doing nothing to refrain his broad grin. He couldn’t wait for the wedding day. Later on, when he was back into his lab to finish off what he had left, he stared at the piano with a fond look in his eyes and, for once, neither Jisung nor Chan told him anything, both too busy sorting their hearts and thoughts out. That night, as Straya’s own moon stared down at them, each and everyone of them went to sleep feeling content. They couldn’t wait for the wedding day. They couldn’t wait to see them again.
~~~~~~> To be continued.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The sea washed off the shore on that fine morning. The Glow was slowly rising over the horizon, the wind breezing softly over the turquoise palm trees and the Fyrs were slowly creeping back into their branches, the first cries of Young Wings and Palis’ neighing lulling them to sleep. It was a beautiful day and Changbin couldn’t help but smile at Gyu, the little baby sleeping into his arms as they sat on the shore on that fine morning. “Shh… listen to the see, Gyu. Can you hear its song?” he muttered, eyes semi closed as the Glow rose higher. It was so early but he wasn’t tired at all. Him and his two brothers had agree to call it a day at 8 yesterday, and had fallen asleep the exact moment they stepped into their flat. The creature let out a sound that he had grown to identify to a hum, and gnawed its small teeth onto his finger. Changbin chuckled at him, the teeth that had scared a few weeks ago now looking harmless – and they were, though pointy, Gyu never put any strength into it so as to not harm him. “You’re so cute.” he chuckled, watching as the baby went to sleep. Fyr were really loyal beasts. “Sleep now, we have a long day ahead of us.” And what a day it would be. The 3racha unit had planned to take off at noon to meet with the guys and head off to the ceremony, which was meant to be held on the Ancient Grounds. And Changbin was thrilled at the prospect of stepping into this area of this planet – he had only heard so much of it through books and tales back on Earth. But he also knew that almost no one ever go to those grounds now, with them being too young to wed and all. So he was quite thrilled to see a wedding. A Straynian one at that. Behind him, the grass rustled and sound pit-a-pats on the sand were heard. Then, the wind carried one very peculiar unique scent he knew of and he fluttered his eyes open. What was he doing there so early on? He waited for the footsteps to stop, and when they did, he couldn’t help but smile, the situation way too familiar. Just like the first times they had met, the Stray was now standing behind him, a few centimeters away, silent and discreet as ever, his short intakes of breath barely audible among the light crashes of morning waves onto the sand. “Should I pretend to sleep, like on the first day we met?” he chuckled, not moving an inch in fear of waking up the blue Fyr in his arms but desperately wanting to, just so he could see the light flush he knew would graze the boy’s freckled cheeks. A deep, mellow laugh was heard behind himself. “Your cheek wouldn’t survive another poke, Changbin.” The boy finally moved, ever so gracious, to take a seat next to him. And when Changbin turned his head to the left, his breath almost hitched. Felix was in a fur sleeveless hoodie, with armholes way too wide on the sides showing way too much skin for Changbin’s health. He knew Felix has muscles – he had seen them when he healed him that one time – but to see them again, as well as the tattoo peeking from the side of his rib cage, was one big slap in the face. Or a caress, if you will – he, himself, had yet to decide. “Oh Jae, is that Gyu? He’s adorable!” Changbin jumped at the voice and blinked furiously to get back on track. Per chance, Felix was too busy cooing over the sleeping Fyr to notice his gaze on him. Thank god. This day was really a beautiful day. “What are you doing up so early, cub?” he wondered out loud instead, smiling down at the boy. The sight of him cooing over the ball of fluff in his arms was really endearing. He could get used to it- Changbin’s eyes slightly widened at his own thoughts. Oh. This was happening way too often these days, he needed to do something about it… but if only Felix could do something concrete to at least show him he was really interested in him, he would be grateful. Like, really grateful. After all, weren’t Strays the ones supposed not to be complicated? Then why was Felix confusing as hell? Sure, the boy had shown dear attachment to him and was more than affectionate with him, but Felix was that lovely with his family and friends too. He stared at the beautiful boy, the way his eyes were still shining of that beautiful gold, the way his arms were covered with those white shiny spots, the perfect echo of the few constellations dusting his face. Where was Felix’s line drawn? Where was the moment he stepped further than friendship in his actions, if there was one?
Did you already show me a sign, cub?
“I couldn’t sleep.” Felix’s words brought him back on earth and met eyes with the boy, who had now sat up and left the Fyr sleep in peace. His eyes’ shone was slowly dimming but still slightly shining, the daylight not fully slipping through yet. But his smile was brighter in Changbin’s opinion. “I thought I’d come and see the rise of the Glow. Didn’t expect to see you there, hyung.” Changbin smiled at his words, the Korean word sounding oddly satisfying in the way he said it. “Gyu woke up early.” He bit his lips and looked at the sea, somewhat embarrassed about what he was about to say. “And to be honest… I was too excited with the wedding to sleep.” Felix grinned, amused, and raised a brow. Changbin blushed and nudged his shoulder. “Shut up… What about you? What kept you up all night? If I recall correctly you’re one heavy sleeper.” he commented with a slight smirk. Now, Felix was the one embarrassed. “Let’s say… we had a night full of gossiping.” he declared, the statement followed by a giggling fit that made his nose scrunch up adorably so. Changbin raised his brow even higher if possible and delicately shifted the Fyr on one arm. “Care to enlighten me?” he said, his free hand now playing with a fist of cold sand. Felix bit his lips for a minute, hesitation visible in his eyes, but it did not last long. Soon enough, he was jumping on the spot, black ink on ribs flashing in the process, coloring the human’s cheeks of pale red. “Okay, okay- but promise me you won’t tell anyone, hyung!” he squealed, grinning when Changbin dumbly nodded. “Hyunjin & Seungmin are One!” This statement created quite the contrasted reactions – on the one hand, Felix let out a scream of joy, talking way too fast in Straynian for the scientist to understand, and on the other, said scientist was left blinking stupidly, the words slowly churning inside his brain but making no sense at all. “They are… ‘One’?” he repeated dumbly, obviously completely and utterly lost. Okay, he wasn’t an idiot and judging from what he saw yesterday evening, Felix was referring to them being together. But the term “one” surely meant something more. Felix nodded fervently, his pajamas pants wrinkling under his calves from jumping on the spot so much and revealing black ink. Changbin raised a brow. Another tattoo? Interesting… He looked at the Stray and noted that his eyes were no longer shining with a tinge of disappointment. He turned his head from the sun on legs in front of him to look at the Glow. It had fully risen. He wished it could just go back under the horizon, so that Felix’s eyes could shine once more. He would need to go back home soon. They had to eat and get ready, and with three dudes in one flat, the bathroom was about to know a personal riot. “Oh. It means they are your destined lover.” Felix’s voice cut the air as he explained, as if it was the simplest thing ever. But for Changbin it was not, far from it. Did it meant that every Stray had a destined lover? Did Felix have one too? He noted with a tinge of amusement at his own bitterness that he was not fond of that notion. At all. “Oh. That’s cool.” he stated lamely, mentally wincing at how uncool he sounded. With a shaky sigh, he tried to loosen the tightness in his jaw, and control his bitter ass. And Felix must have noticed it because he raised a brow in curiosity and looked at him worry. “I mean, that’s really great for Hyunjin and Seungmin. I’m really happy for them.” he finally managed to say without sounding like an arse, a genuine smile on his lips, trying to forget what all of this meant for Felix but failing miserably. And when said boy seemed to relax at that, a content smile on his plump lips, Changbin took it as his cue to grow some balls: “Do you have a One too?” The boy immediately lost his smile. Oh shit. Way to go Seo Changbin. Felix sighed and leaned back on his palms. And suddenly it was like his mood was really down, his eyes dimming and his lips turning downward. And Changbin now genuinely regretted asking. But before he got the chance to apologize or change the topic, Felix was already answering. “I mean, I do guess I have one? I don’t really know, since I’m half human and all…” he trailed off with a grimace and Changbin frowned. “Are you still insecure about your origins? Cub, we already talked about it-” “No, no. That’s not that.” the younger interrupted. “It’s just that… I’m not sure I want a One.” he confessed, looking down almost ashamed by his words. Changbin was dumbfounded to say the least. Wasn’t having a soulmate a dream for everyone? “I don’t understand- you have someone waiting for you, destined for you, isn’t this a blessing? Aren’t you grateful?” Felix looked even more ashamed and Changbin regretted talking even more – he really needed to work onto his social skills. But the boy simply bit his lips and looked up at the Glow with such red cheeks that the human felt his heartbeat quicken at the pace of a racing car. He was so damn beautiful. And Changbin found himself leaning back onto the sand, eyes fluttering close as he thought of how he would not mind putting red on the boy’s cheeks everyday, for the rest of his life. Could humans be Strays’ Ones? “I am but…” Felix trailed off and looked down at Changbin’s resting form. “I don’t think I need them at the moment. I have all I need right now.” Changbin’s eyes snapped open in surprise. His eyes found Felix’s set ones. What… Was Felix implying what he was thinking he was? His face was now burning red at the intensity of Felix’s gaze, the boy’s words ringing into his ears again and again and again. Felix’s sign. That was Felix’s sign. Butterflies swarmed into his stomach as he leaned up onto his elbows, and he found his nape and ears flushing harder and his breath coming short. Oh god, he was an embarrassment on feet. But before he could open his mouth and speak, Felix was already up and running back in the jungle. “See you at the wedding, Binnie hyung!” he chirped with a wave of his hand, Changbin watching how red his ears were as he slowly disappeared from his sight. The scientist sat there, dumbfounded and cheeks cooling down and now matching with the pale coral red of the flowers blossoming in the palm trees behind him. And after a few seconds, he was left gaping incredulously at the sea, Glow now fully risen and laughter bubbling in the pit of his stomach. He put Gyu into his hoodie’s hood and crawled toward the sea water. With a sharp laugh he brought his hands into the cool holographic sea water and splashed his head. “Felix, you smooth bastard.” he laughed, free hand swiping his wet hair away from his face. He looked down at his reflection when the foamy water hit his knees and wet his calves. He was beaming. How transparent he must have been if he was like that every time they interacted. “And I’m the complicated one.” he tsked, shaking his head with a bright grin, cheeks hurting so hard as he stood up and walked back home, bare wet feet picking up sand on the way. Felix wanted to flirt? Alright, then so be it. He will gladly answer. Because sometimes, love didn’t need words, actions was all it took. As he pushed a large palm leaf away from his face, he glanced at the mountain over the horizon. It was beautiful, glowbeams shining down onto it, making its turquoise and violet grass covered soil more orange than usual. The trees blooming on it were already losing some of their leafs. The cold days were approaching. As he stood there, mud and sand on his feet, and water slowly drying on his face, he couldn’t help but contemplate how much things have changed since his arrival on Straya 801. Climbing onto the mountains were once his premier goal. But now… Now, everything has changed. He had another goal. And this one involved bright eyes, freckles, deep voice, and a blinding smile. “Can’t wait to see you at the wedding, cub.” he chuckled as stepped further into the jungle, ready to make himself as handsome as possible for the wedding. Minho’s words and his offer to stay there forever were booming at the back of his mind. Take a leap of faith.
Stay here forever?
He needed consider it a bit more seriously now. After all, he finally had a reason to. – – – – – The moment Changbin set a foot into the flat, cheeks still flushed and grin still as wide and fond, Jisung smirked. “Seems like someone had fun this morning.” Jisung hummed in amusement, biting into his buttered slice of bread. Changbin simply grinned harder and sat at the square table, mindlessly playing with a grapefruit. Jisung raised a brow, dipping the bread into his warm chocolate. “I’ve only seen you smile that hard on two occasions, and the first one was when you were told we were going on Straya, so it’s got to be Felix.” At the mention of the boy’s name, Changbin’s cheeks grew redder and his grin broadened, and the improbable happened: Changbin giggled. He giggled. Hysterically, may he add. “Chan!” Jisung called out, eyes wide in fear, bread dropping onto the table and chair scratching against their wooden floor as he leaned as far away as possible from his brother. “Changbin’s gone crazy, I’m scared!” The words that would have riled Changbin up by now left him unbothered, the boy too busy giggling-thinking-whatever he was doing, to care. Jisung stopped his complains to stare at the boy, unimpressed. “Heol, he’s whipped.” he muttered to himself, eyes lightning up when the bathroom door opened to reveal an almost naked, panicked Chan – the towel the only thing hiding his modesty – and as much as he had eyes only for Minho and loved Chan on a strictly platonic brother-like level, Jisung could not help the playful whistle escaping his lips. “You should go like that to the wedding hyung, I know someone who would melt on the spot.” he cackled behind his glass of orange juice. He beamed when he saw it was his favorite cup, the teal blue large plastic one, with an orangie yellow sun behind a white smiling cloud on it. Chan stopped, looked between the two, and groaned, burying his now red face behind his hands. “Shut up, Jisungie.” he groaned and stepped out. “And I’m sure Woojin does not wish to see me half naked yet.” “Yet.” he emphasized with a laugh when Chan gave him a pointed look. Their leader took a seat at the table and served himself a glass of orange juice too, staring at Changbin with confusion and profound fond despair. “What’s wrong with him?” he asked, the worry that should have been in his voice completely out smacked by his evident amusement. “I wish I knew.” Jisung snorted, picking up his slice of bread after he rolled up his pajamas sleeves. “He just came back home, with this whipped smiled of his and blushing like a six year old- and listen to that extraordinary discovery I made hyung.” he fake gasped to Chan’s amusement and then turned to Changbin with big doe eyes. “Changbinie, how is Felix?” he asked, overly sweet, and Changbin fucking beamed at the name. Jisung groaned and slumped back into his chair with a shiver of disgust. “See? He is crazy.” Chan raised a brow and bit into a croissant. “I don’t see any difference between you and him, when it comes to either Felix or Minho.” he pointed out with a snicker, Jisung chocking onto his mouthful. “Pardon me?” he shrieked with his squirrel cheeks, looking at Chan like he’d grown two heads. “I’m not giggling like a maniac everytime you guys mention Minho-” “Nope, but you do blush and grin like a smitten tart.” Chan commented, spreading the blueberry jam onto his scone. Jisung sputtered and dropped his slice of bread onto the table. “A smitten tart?! I- Whatever, at least I don’t go crazy like him! Look at him hyung, any time you say Felix now, he goes- oh, for fuck sake, stop giggling Changbin hyung!” he exclaimed, turning to the boy with a toast ready to be thrown, but at the sight of the grinning man, he felt laughter bubble in his chest. “Dammit, he has no right to be this cute so early on in the morning, what the fuck…” he slowly laughed, turning to Chan who was watching the two of them with fondness in his eyes. Jisung groaned, a smile fighting its way onto his face. “Hyung, stop looking at us like that.” Chan looked at him with a smile. “Can’t help it. You’re my way too cute but gross little brothers.” he shrugged, ducking Jisung’s toast with a laugh. “We don’t play with food Jisung-ah.” he reminded and the younger threw both hands in the air, looking nowhere near apologetic. “You looked for it.” he simply stated, angelic grin on his lips. Chan simply shook his head and turned back to his breakfast, already too used to this kind of scenario. But his eyes almost immediately went back to Changbin, and he watched in amusement as he rocked onto his chair, smiling behind his hand and biting his lower lip. There was also this something in his eyes… and it made him beam. And that’s when Chan got it. He grinned and turned to Jisung, who was already staring at him with a knowing smile. “He is cute when he is in love, isn’t he?” he commented, Jisung snorting in fond amusement but nodding nevertheless. “Yeah, he is adorable.” he agreed, turning back to watch their brother now shake his head with a short laugh, probably recalling something that made happened this morning. “And judging by his reaction, it’s mutual.” Chan laughed and stood up, chair scrapping behind himself as he took off his towel – more than fifteen years of life together & brotherhood really did kill any notion of modesty between them – and opened their closet, in search for something suitable to wear for a wedding. Needless to say, not having expected to go on a wedding during their stay, the choices were close to nonexistent. “Of course it’s mutual, Ji. Only a fool would think Felix is not just as whipped.” he chuckled, taking out a black dress shirt from the hanger. Jisung looked at his choice and grimaced. “Nah, not black hyung, it’s a wedding. Go for the baby blue, you’ll look great in it. And yes, you’re right, it’s almost as if Lix is more whipped than he is.” Chan looked over his shoulder and raised a brow. “Almost? Surely you meant definitely.” Jisung burst out laughing at that, swallowing the last bit of his warm cocoa. “Well, if you put it like that- oh, yeah, baby blue definitely. Pick my black slacks too, you’ll look as handsome as a Greek god.” he commented, looking at his hyung’s figure with appraisal. “Yeah, they’ll definitely suit you and Woojin will be awestruck.” “You think so? But won’t you need them?” Chan smiled and asked shyly, and Jisung almost cooed and gaped in disbelief. “Hyung, just take them. I’ll take the navy ones.” he just answered, shaking his head in disbelief. Chan picked up some briefs and began to slip them on, when he thought of something and turned around to look at Jisung with a slight smirk. “Say, don’t you think we’ll stand out too much like that?” he asked, hands on his hips and staring in disapproval when Jisung dumped his bowl and cup into the sink. “Ji, we’ve got a dishwasher.” “Oops? I’ll put it in it later.” he grinned sheepishly and walked toward the shelve to pick up a clean towel. “And what do you mean by that hyung?” Chan rolled his eyes and pushed him into the bathroom, letting the door open to keep an eye on Changbin – with his daydreaming, an accident could always happen – and sat onto the washing machine as Jisung stripped and entered the shower. “What I mean is, what do you think Strays wear at a wedding? Probably not slacks and dress shirts.” Jisung turned on the faucet and peeked from behind the curtain with a raised eyebrow. “And? I mean, it’s not like we’ve got those gorgeous party cloths of theirs- oh god, I wish I could have kept Suzy’s coat!” he moaned in despair, scrubbing shampoo onto his hair. He really wished he had, just so he could see Minho’s stunned eyes once more- Jisung shook his head, what was he saying… It was way too early to think about Minho and his amazing self for Jisung’s poor heart. Chan on the other hand literally facepalmed, the slapping sound echoing into the bathroom followed by his little “ouch”, and Jisung stopped the water. “You’re alright, mate?” he wondered with a small laugh. “He’s all good, just facepalmed because of your dumbness.” Changbin’s voice interrupted and Chan jumped in surprise, his thighs smacking onto the washing machine, another whine of pain echoing into the bathroom. Jisung’s upper half emerged from behind the curtain once more, hair completely wet and matted on his forehead, cheeks puffed, and torso covered in soap. “Never do that again Seo Changbin, I almost slipped on the tiles. God, man, you finally came out of your daydream! How does it feel to be back on Earth?~” he grinned, a mischievous glint in the eyes as he turned on the faucet again. “I’m delighted to be back among you and your stupidity Jisung-ah, really, does a wonder for the mind.” he snorted, going over the sink to splash some water onto his face. Looking into the mirror, he saw Chan looking at him with a smirk and mouthed a “shut up”, the flush on his cheeks still present. Jisung snorted. “You’re so funny on that fine morning Changbinie hyung. I wonder what’s got into you.” he fake gasped, turning the faucet off. Changbin groaned and handed him his clean towel as he stepped out of the shower. “Shut up and hurry. I need to take a shower too.” Jisung blinked innocently as he rubbed his face with the soft blue towel. “But didn’t you wash into the sea with Felix already? Did you guys frolic and flirt all morning long, like cute little Suhus in the water?” Changbin was this close to punching Jisung but one look at his cute brother and he whined, defeated by his annoying squirrel of a best friend. “Stop that Jisung-ah, and no we didn’t- anyway, you have no right to speak, because you wouldn’t be any better with Minho hyung!” he retorted, hiding his face from Jisung as he took off his hoodie – Gyu no longer into the hood but carefully tucked into his makeshift bed by the couch. Jisung was about to yell something back at him but Chan stopped the two of them from bickering any longer. “Ya, ya, ya. Stop it you two. Changbin go shower, Jisung stay here and don’t go put on those slacks.” he ordered, Changbin obediently stepping into the shower and sighing in relief when he was able to get rid of all those sand grains and that salty smell. Jisung on the other hand just wrapped the blue towel tighter around his waist, shivering and stepping into Chan’s open arms to keep himself warm. “Why aren’t we getting dressed hyung?” he asked in confusion, teeth clattering as he buried his head into Chan’s torso. “Is the wedding’s theme “nudity”? I don’t recall getting the memo.” he joked lamely and Changbin snorted behind the curtain. “Well, as I was saying before the two of you interrupted me,” he gave a pointed glare at both his friends, Changbin even feeling it from behind the shower curtain. “I was thinking we could ask Suzy if she had some cloths we could borrow?” The water turned off and Changbin stopped massaging his scalp. “That’s a good idea. A very good actually.” If he wanted to impress Felix and tease him all day long, maybe surprising him by wearing clothing of his tribe would be a good starting point. Jisung on the other hand couldn’t help but once again recall the way Minho had stared at him that night, during the Ordeal, when their eyes had met. It was almost as if Minho had seen him in a new light, looking at him like… he belonged.
It is your home Jisung… only if you want it to be.
Those words of Minho’s echoed into his mind. So Minho did stare at him like he belonged… because he did. And Jisung oh so desperately wanted for Minho to look at him like that again. “I agree.” he found himself nodding and Chan smiled, satisfied. Now they just had to pray that she would agree. Though, something told him she would, words she said when JYP departed to base Mirror and her knowing eyes perfectly engraved into his mind. “Good. I’ll go see if I can-” His words were interrupted by their doorbell ringing, Changbin stopping in his movements, purple towel halfway wrapped around his waist. The three stared at each other in surprise before Changbin marched forward, intrigued. Who the fuck in their right minds would ring their doorbell at seven in the morning, on their day off? “I hope it’s not an emergency, I explicitly told Suzy and the major Wooyoung that we were not to be bothered today.” Chan clicked his tongue, hopping off the washing machine and taking Jisung by the hand to follow their friend to the front door. Changbin set his best “glare face” – the one that had many (those who don’t know him) shivering in fear – and pressed his palm against the hand detector, the screen flashing green and the door sliding open, to reveal- “Suzy?!” Changbin stepped back in stupor and tightened his towel around himself, crossing his arms over his torso, Chan hid behind the tall flower pot – bamboo, for those wondering – while Jisung stood there, completely unbothered, simply waving at the woman and offering her a bright grin. “Hi guys!” she chirped, standing in front of them, hair let loose and wearing a simple pair of jeans and a white dress-shirt. She looked so much more laid back than in her usual cloths. She waved back at Jisung with a fondness equal to the one of a big sister, but looked at the other two and raised a brow. “Oh please, I’ve seen more bare arse than you can imagine each time I go to the infirmary, children. Now stop hiding your modesty and step out, your kids limbs fail to interest me in any ways.” she snorted with an eye roll, stepping inside with three large boxes in her arms. The boys watched her go in, not sure whether to feel offended or reassured, but one look at each other and they slid the door close, following her inside. Chan, still feeling as self conscious as ever, grabbed the blue dress shirt that he had left hanging on the couch and put it on. Suzy dropped the boxes on the kitchen table with a huff – though Changbin suspected it was more out of habit than actual struggle, for she was stronger than she let on – and did a quick once over of the flat, nodding in approval at the cleanliness of the place. “So,” Chan began, buttoning the last button of his dress-shirt – Suzy looked done but said nothing, so he went on. “To what do we owe the pleasure?” he grinned, now leaning comfortably onto the couch’s back. “As I am a very benevolent superior of yours,” the boys would usually make a snarky remark at this point, but Suzy had indeed been very benevolent, so they shut their mouths. “And I can’t let you tarnish our reputation by going to the wedding in slacks and-” she mentioned to Chan. “- dress-shirts, I thought I would act kind and order you some proper garments.” Changbin blinked at her and leaned off the wall. “You ordered us cloths? Like, not the ones you have in that chest in your cabin, but actual cloths from Rosé’s shop?” he gaped incredulously, exchanging an awed glance with Jisung. “Can we keep them?” he asked in glee, eyes sparkling when Suzy nodded, flipping her hair to the side. “Of course, it’s yours. And I was not about to let you go to that event in one of those old rags I keep in my chest. Plus, Rosé was more than happy to do clothes for you three.” she chuckled with a wink, the underlying message very clear for the three boys who bashfully looked down. “Kids…” she mumbled with a fond smirk, as she waved Chan forward. The leader of the 3racha unit walked toward her with a warm smile on his lips, and took the large blue box in her hands. But before he could thank her properly, she grabbed his hand over the box, gripping tight. He looked up with confusion, noting the serious note in her eyes. “Did you understand yet?” she wondered, looking at him with a short smirk. Chan got what she was referring to right away, causing a soft hue of red to blossom onto his cheeks, and smiled, looking up with confidence. “I did even before you told me I would. Seeing him that afternoon only strengthened my convictions.” Suzy nodded and let go with a firm nod. “Great. Because I didn’t want to see one more obnoxious chick running around our facility’s grounds.” she scoffed, eyes flickering pointedly over the other two boys in the room. Chan laughed, stepping aside to nod his head at Changbin who was too busy talking with Jisung about god knows what to notice. “Make that one chick. He came home today with an epiphany. I give them one week at most.” “Two. They seem like the kind to play around a bit, to see who will cave in first.” she commented, taking the pink box in her hands. “I give them two days. They’ve staled for too long already, my man here wants his “cub”.” Jisung suddenly chirped in, surprising Chan and Suzy who thought he was not listening, and earning himself a betrayed scowl from Changbin. “We just agreed on not teasing each other about Felix and Minho, and you do that now? Seriously, Jisung?” he asked, eyes following a smug Jisung as he walked over to retrieve the pink box from the woman. “Technically, I’m not teasing, I’m rooting for you.” he corrected, going to thank Suzy with a warm hug, only to yelp when he slipped onto the wet floor tiles – all thanks to Seo Changbin, here present. His face paled. Oh shit. Thankfully, before he could face plant, Suzy’s mother-like reflexes kicked in – bless her – and she snorted, catching his elbow midway before an unwanted incident happened, and lifted him back onto his feet like he weighted nothing. “What am I gonna do with you boys.” she deadpanned, slapping her forehead in despair. “I have no idea, but I do know what I’m about to do with those two idiots back there.” Jisung declared as he looked at her with a grateful but sheepish smile, and turned around to face the two wheezing boys. As soon as they saw him, Chan and Changbin both froze. “Run.” the youngest declared, coming after them, grabbing a rug on the way to whip the first one he would get. Suzy watched bewildered but not surprised as Jisung ran after a cackling Chan and a fighting-to-breath wheezing Changbin. “And people wonder why I never got kids.” she sighed, dropping the purple box back onto the table. “Guys I’m leaving Changbin’s outfit… on the… table…” she trailed off, watching as a now butt naked Jisung jumped over the back of the couch to land onto an equally butt naked Changbin with a whoop as he tried to punch him. Goodness gracious. "Sweet Jesus." she whispered. Chan resurfaced from behind the couch, blue dress-shirt thankfully intact – that’s a wonder as to how this happened – and saluted her. “Thank you ma’am!” he grinned, only to be pulled down by Changbin with a yelp. Suzy slowly nodded, thoroughly unimpressed by them. And people call them “the most promising unit” of their generation? She scoffed and turned around to leave. “Be ready at 11! And wear some decent makeup, you look like you haven’t slept in two months, great god!” she exclaimed, the inner big sister in her tempted to stay and help them, but as another yelp echoed into the room, she quickly pressed the door open. Better not to be involved. The door slid open to reveal the major Wooyoung ready to knock. He looked at her in bewilderment the moment he heard something crash in the house but Suzy simply shook her head, letting the door slid shut behind her. “Don’t question. Bunch of hormonal teenagers.” she simply stated, straightening her shirt before she walked back to the main building, followed by an amused Wooyoung who began to recall his own playful brawls with his friends. ~~~ ~~~ “Do you think the fourth clan leader will be there too? Been a long time since we saw her.” Seungmin asked as Minho, who was still in his pajamas, helped him into the incredibly tight but gorgeous orange-brown custom leather pants Rosé crafted for him. He groaned. Jae, did his butt grew curvier since yesterday or had Rosé tricked the measurements after his departure to make the pants more skin-tight? Well, not that he was that upset with it – actually far from it since he knew that it made his long legs stand out all the more – since he was actually looking forward to punch Hyunjin’s breath out of his lungs the moment he sees him. “Huh, no-” Minho grunted as Seungmin jumped into the pants, holding onto their edge to help him fit his long legs into them. “She is not coming because she had to assist her step-sister’s pregnancy, but she sent her regards and I think her brother will be there on her behalf, with some other friends of Ten’s soon to be husband. Other than that, us, the rest and CL are going- I mean, obviously, since Ten is from her clan after all.” “Oh that’s going to be nice! Plus, there will be Yedam.” he singsonged, exchanging knowing smirks with Minho through the mirror. But when he looked up and properly stared at himself, he felt shocked. Now, Seungmin was not one to compliment himself too much, but Jae, did he look fine today. Maybe it was the afterglow of finding your One? Anyway, he was beaming. Minho had already done their makeup, and the liner around his eyes and warm eyeshadow did their job at making his eyes even warmer, and the pants- the pants were definitely tightened by Rosé, and thanks Jae she did. They fit his legs perfectly. Hyunjin better get a nosebleed. Minho looked into the mirror a second time and wiggled his eyebrows, catching Seungmin’s gaze. The boy blushed, embarrassed to be caught staring, and cleared his throat, looking elsewhere. “I know someone who’s gonna like what he sees today.” his best friend teased, poking Seungmin’s bare sides, and the boy yelped, covering his torso. “He better…” he mumbled, a pout on his lips and Minho snorted. “Minie, he finds you handsome even when you’re sick. That says a lot.” he pointed out, Seungmin laughing outloud, finally stretching and enjoying the pop in his bones. “You’re right.” he declared, grinning confidently at his best friend. “Of course I am.” Minho smirked in pride as he stood back up. “After all, you are each other’s Ones.” Seungmin grin at the mention, heart fluttering into his chest and Minho cooed, going over the bed to pick up the pale yellow traditional overcoat like robes. “You guys are cute, but please don’t be too gross in front of us.” he reminded as he walked toward the younger. “There will be enough love in the air today.” he chuckled, shaking his head as he unfolded the robes. “You’re just jealous because you like Jisung.” Seungmin smirked, holding out his arms. “Touché.” Minho smirked back and held the robes out, Seungmin freezing and sending him wide eyes through the glass at his answer. “Explain. Right now.” he demanded as he made wide hands movement for him to elaborate and Minho chuckled, about to explain himself, when knuckles drummed against the door. Both boys stopped in their movements and turned out, only for Minho to bit his lips so as not to snicker and for Seungmin to gape. Hyunjin was standing in the door frame along with Jeongin, both boys already clad in their outfits and ready for the wedding. Jeongin had added strands of hair extensions to the back of his own dark auburn hair and tied them up in a thin lose bun at the back of his head, held by an intricate hair stick with gems dangling from it. He also had silver earrings on his left ear, that were dangling close to the white collar of his lilac silky robes, which had flowers sewn on it and reached the ground in a very short trail behind him. They were partially open in the front, revealing his brown auburn leather pants and the birth of his fit torso, as it was tied thanks to a ribbon bow around his left hip. He was really regal looking. Jeongin waved his hand, covered of silver rings, at them and Minho waved back, noting with a slight confused frown that his trademark orange fur was nowhere to be seen. Weird… On the other hand, Hyunjin was slowly making Seungmin’s heart beat faster than ever. The boy was looking down at him with warm dark eyes, darkened by the liner and silver specks of glitter around his eyes. He was standing against the door, loosely curled hair falling onto his forehead and his long water green robes hugging his form beautifully. Seungmin noted with amusement that Hyunjin had tied them very loosely – the tease – revealing his brown leather pants and a part of his broad muscled torso to the world, though partially hidden by the long silver necklaces dangling from his neck. As Seungmin’s eyes devoured his body, Hyunjin’s own never left him. “May I?” Hyunjin asked, holding a hand out, and only then did he moved his eyes from Seungmin to Minho. Minho blinked one second and with no further thoughts let out a strangled laugh and shoved the robes into his hands, taking Jeongin’s ones and leading his brother out as he shut the door behind them. Seungmin was now backfacing him, standing before the mirror, and Hyunjin slowly approached, intently watching the muscles in Seungmin’s back. They were developed, beautifully so, all thanks to his constant stroll on Fayre and the many tree climbing he did on a daily basis. It worked wonder on his tan back, and Hyunjin couldn’t help but drop the yellow robes back onto the silk bed sheet so that he could wrap his arms around him from behind. “Hello, there.” he whispered as he planted his palms flat onto his stomach and kissed his shoulder. Seungmin yelped at the contact and fought the blush out of his cheeks as he gripped his hands. “Hello to you too.” he whispered back as he leaned onto his boyfriend, the boy rocking them on the spot. “Slept well?” Hyunjin only hummed against his shoulder, warm breath sending tingles down the younger’s spine. Seungmin watched him through the mirror with amusement, secretly loving the attention he was getting from his One. “What about you?” the taller asked, voice muffled by his shoulder and Seungmin softly nudged him. “I did, except that when I woke up you were nowhere to be found.” he sulked, shivering when Hyunjin’s dislodged his face from his shoulder, only to hook his chin onto it. Their eyes met through the mirror. “I wanted to get ready early so I could help you after.” he admitted and Seungmin would have melted by now was it not for the intense gaze locked on him. He gulped and raised a brow. “I don’t see you doing any of that, right now.” he pointed out, cheering internally when his voice did not waver. Hyunjin grinned, eyes turning into crescents as he slowly let go of Seungmin, dropping one last kiss onto his bare shoulder. “Got me, here.” he singsonged, grabbing the yellow dresses and holding them out for Seungmin. Said boy watched him, at loss for words, and shook his head at his best friend and lover. Hyunjin was impossible. He slipped an arm into the robes and was surprised with the delicacy which Hyunjin demonstrated when he slowly slipped the soft material onto his shoulder, doing the same onto his other one, not before grazing his tattooed arm of his knuckles and dropping one last kiss onto his shoulder. Seungmin’s eyes fluttered close at the contact and he bathed into the older’s embrace as he wrapped his arms around his waist once more. “What’s gotten into you on this fine morning?” he muttered, really amused but frankly fucking content with the attention he was getting. Hyunjin didn’t answer, simply turning him around and sliding his hands up his sides until he reached his collar and straightened it out, Seungmin watching his every move as his hands went to the side of his robes and tied them. He flattened imaginary wrinkles out from the robes and he watched as Hyunjin’s eyes devoured him, his hands refusing to leave Seungmin’s side. The Pali rider raised a brow in confusion and reached up, knuckles softly caressing his jaw. Hyunjin exhaled through his nostrils and leaned into the touch, jaw constricting a bit. “Hyun?” he wondered out loud, the boy bringing him closer with another exhale, bringing their foreheads together. “You’re beautiful Seung.” he declared, the younger blushing at his words. “So are you.” he retorted, hands caging Hyunjin’s cheeks, feeling them move when Hyunjin smiled. “Let’s stay like that for a little while longer.” he whispered, thumbs rubbing circles on his hips. Seungmin cast one last look at the silver and amber jewelries waiting for him onto the bedside table and sighed, nodding. Those could wait. “Alright.” he complied, hands grabbing his nape and playing with his short hair at the back of it. “I’m not leaving. I’m not going anywhere.” he assured, Hyunjin exhaling once more at his words. Seungmin smiled, knowing he properly reassured his One. “It’s just…” Hyunjin broke off and gulped, eyes fluttering open to meet those of his One. “I’ve wanted you for so long, I just want to enjoy every moment together to the fullest, now that I finally have you.” he explained, leaning in and kissing Seungmin, almost shyly. “And I want to show you just how much I fucking long for you.” he breathed against his lips, eyes fluttering back close. The admittance had Seungmin voiceless. All that Hyunjin said was exactly how he felt, but to hear someone- Hyunjin say that about himself… it just made him smile. He wanted to kiss him, just to show him how much he meant to him too. And so he did. ~~~ ~~~ “The fuck are you doing Bang Christopher Chan.” Changbin deadpanned in horror as he watched Chan try to draw a liner properly. Chan lowered the pencil with a gulp, seeing the murderous look in Changbin’s eyes as he marched forward, his light pink robes flowing behind him and his white leather pants making loud noises as his muscled thighs collided together. He finished putting on a silver earring and sat down next to him, taking the pencil from Chan’s hand and grabbing his chin firmly. “I can’t believe I know how to do this shit better than you…” he muttered through gritted teeth as they held the pencil’s cap. “You had your emo period, that’s why.” Chan explained, a smirk on his lips when Changbin tightened the grip onto his chin. “If you don’t want me to poke your eyeballs, you better shut up Chanie hyung.” he threatened and Chan chuckled, fluttering his eyes open when Changbin tapped his jaw and went to rummage through Jisung’s (and his) makeup pouch. “Jisungie is gonna get mad at you, you know, you’re getting spit onto his stuffs.” he commented, eyes following Changbin’s movements when he finally found the brush he was looking for in order to smudge his friend’s eyeliner. He finally removed the cap from in between his teeth and put it back onto the eyeliner. He looked up at Chan with a wide satisfied grin. “So be it.” Chan laughed and let Changbin smudge his liner. “Do you want me to add some gold to it?” he asked, Chan nodding, because why the hell not? He was on Straya after all, no one would judge him for trying new stuffs, and if he didn’t like it, he could always remove it. Changbin looked him up and down and nodded in approval. “Yeah, gold would look beautiful with those long sea blue robes and navy blue leather pants. Fuck, Rosé really wanted you to get Woojin today.” he praised and snickered, putting back the simple long silver chain around his neck back in place around his half exposed torso. “Ah. Ah. You’re so funny.” Chan deadpanned, the pink on his cheeks ruining all hi sarcasm and Changbin smirked at him before turning to the mirror. He had curled his hair for the occasion, after seeing Chan let his own curls run wild, and catching their reflection into the mirror, he didn’t regret it one bit. Picking up the golden eye liner he called out for Jisung. Said boy came out of the bathroom, honestly looking like a whole meal on feet. “Yes hyung?” he answered, intensely lined in light brown and surrounded by pale pink eyeshadow eyes setting on him. Changbin whistled in awe. “Damn you look good Ji. Coral suits you.” he complimented, referring to the long robes the boy was sporting, their low cut offering a beautiful view of the birth of his torso in a V shape, down to his bellybutton, which he had – for the occasion – ornamented with a golden piercing. The dresses were tied low on his hips and revealed pale pink, almost white leather pants, hugging his legs perfectly as he walked confidently toward them. Changbin smirked. He knew someone who will love that. Rosé was about to get a raise if she kept doing stuffs like that. “Help hyung wear his jewelries while I finish his eyes.” he instructed, pencil soft onto Chan’s eyelid. Jisung looked around the boxes. “The golden necklace?” he asked, taking the beautiful piece, similar to his own, and putting it around his hyung’s neck. “And the earrings.” Changbin nodded, going over the other eye. He smirked proudly at his work. Damn, Woojin was really going to have a heart attack. “Ah, it tickles!” Chan complained with a short giggle when Jisung’s golden chain link bracelet made contact with his neck. “What a baby.” he tutted teasingly, putting the earrings on his oldest friend very carefully. “And… done!” The three boys leaned back and stared at each other in appraisal. Each of them smirked. Rosé did a very fine work. Each of them was looking forward to meeting their Strays. “YIHIHIHIHI!” Well, looked like they would faster than expected. Jisung and Chan both stood up, alert, and Changbin put a hand onto his leader’s shoulder in reassurance. Chan looked at him in confusion when Changbin simply walked toward their entrance door. “I hope you guys are ready.” he declared with a whistle. Not even a few seconds later, Gyu emerged from the flower pot next to their door, climbing onto Changbin’s shoulder. “Hello there.” he chuckled as he flicked Gyu’s button nose and pressed his palm over the detector – he’s been doing that a lot today. “We are ready, but what was that?” Jisung asked as he put the last element to his outfit – a beautiful golden flower crown, with coral and mint gems embedded in it – which he felt a bit self-conscious about since he was the only one having a hair piece, nonetheless a crown. He wondered why Rosé did that… “Because our lift is here.” the shorter simply answered, pushing the door open- only to stumble face into a neck, arms wrapping tightly around him. “Huh?” he gasped out, eyes going wide. What the actual fuck? He looked up- and was met with an actual fucking angel. Okay, that was it, Felix was an angel, there were no other words for this dude, that’s official. There he was, staring down at him with that knee-weakening smirk, clad into golden jewelries, hair – his fucking that had extensions tied into a thin lose blond fucking braid ornamented with golden chains and pearls that flew in the wind floating behind himself, and baby blue robes tied at his hip that were hugging him so beautifully that Changbin just wanted to squeal. Alright, so he was going through a maximal “cute thing” alert. At this rate it wasn’t even an alert anymore, but a code red. Did he mention that Felix’s robes had a cut similar to his own, meaning that there was actual exposed torso just in front of his eyes? And that his muscled thighs were perfectly clad into brown leather pants? Yeah? Well, that was a “hot stuff in less than a five feet radius” alert. And those two alerts combined with the fact that Felix was the cause of them only equaled to one thing: a fucking smitten Changbin. “Hello again.” the boy spoke, deep voice an octave lower, chest heaving as he let out a breath. Seemed like someone had ran there. “Hello again.” Changbin replied with a soft smile, amused, as he stepped back slowly. And that’s when Felix caught sight of him- actually, properly looked at him. And froze. Changbin watched in amusement as Felix looked him up and down, his freckled cheeks growing redder the longer he stared, completely crimson when he saw the beginning of that dragon tattoo around his stomach area. Changbin smirked. Two can play the game, cub. “Hum hum.” Someone cleared their throat and Felix broke his staring with a cough, quickly turning to Jisung with a sheepish smile, almost as if he was both proud and embarrassed at the same time of what he had just been caught doing. “Hi Jisungie!” he chirped and latched onto his side when the three boys came out, the two engaging in a very heated discussion about Seungmin and Hyunjin- oh, right the “One” story. “What’s going on with Hyunjin and Seungmin?” Chan asked him in confusion, eyebrow raising when he saw the excitement blooming onto Jisung’s face. Changbin snorted, arms crossing as he nodded toward Felix. “He told me they were Ones.” he explained. Chan gave him a face and Changbin sighed. “Yeah, I know, I was confused too. But it makes sense. Basically they are together now and are some sort of soulmates.” he went on, a soft smile blossoming onto his lips. Chan nodded in understanding, recalling Woojin’s words the first time they spoke. He wasn’t still too fond of that notion, but he had no doubts Hyunjin and Seungmin were meant for one another. “That’s cute.” he commented, Changbin and him watching the two youngest excitedly whispered about what was going to happen during the wedding. That’s when he noticed Felix glancing more than once to Jisung’s crown with mirth in his eyes, mirth that he quickly managed to conceal so as to not raise any suspicions. Chan quickly glanced at Changbin, to see if he had noticed it too, and of course he had, and he all but smirked. “Why can I bet my ass that it involves a certain clan leader…” he mumbled and Chan chuckled. Changbin knew the Stray all too well and Chan trusted him if he said that Felix’s constant glancing at the crown had to do with that. Though, it didn’t take a genius to figure it out. As they approached the main grounds of the facility, they finally took notice of the numerous people stopping their activities to gape at them, as well as the many hushed whispering going on. He smirked. Well, it was not every day that you got to see a Stray, a Young Wing, and humans clad in such outfits standing in front of JYP Facility. “FELIX YOU DUMB YESHIHK!” a scream echoed from the sky. Chan immediately looked up with a bright grin, recognizing this voice way too well. Changbin raised a brow. There came Woojin. A green and indigo, broader than Dabby Young Wing spread its wings (hey hey~) and landed on the concrete, causing the numerous humans on the site to gasp and step back. Luwen screeched, its long yellowish green and purple wings spreading before them as it stretched, and the three humans could only gasp in awe. With how often as he had seen Luwen, you would think Chan was used to its magnificence, but he was not. Even less now that Woojin was dressed regally in peach robes, golden jewels and brown auburn leather pants, looking regal as the Glow shone behind him. “There, there, Luwen.” Woojin whispered with a soft smile, eyes catching those of Chan. He smiled softly, hands calming down Luwen, but then he turned to a gulping Felix with a glare. “Oh shit.” the boy cursed in English, making the three humans snicker, and he half hid behind Jisung. Woojin stepped off, a stubborn dad face on when he wiped off the imaginary wrinkles on his robes – seriously, what material did Rosé use? – the sun catching the gold of his necklace as he approached the younger Stray. “Lixie, I told you-” he paused and smiled sweetly at the blinking Jisung who was now a human shield for the semi human. “Hi, Jisung deary! Can you move aside please? Thank you- LEE FELIX I TOLD YOU WE WERE GOING THERE TOGETHER!” he yelled as soon as Jisung was back in the safety of Changbin’s arms, actually a bit scared of Woojin. Both boys shared a glance. Now they knew never to upset Woojin. The man calmed himself with a short breath, and flicked his sheepish little brother’s forehead with a fond smile. “Yah.” he began as he pointed at Dabby, who was currently busy scaring the hell off of the poor humans who had never seen a Young Wing so close. “- your girl over here is going to terrorize those poor humans.” Jisung perked up at that and turned to Dabby with a bright grin. “Oh god. I think she’s good. They’ll handle it.” he nodded, an evil smile on his lips, and Felix highfived him, delighted to have a friend on his side. Woojin stared at them in despair, but he soon began to laugh too when a human yelped, Dabby having shrieked at him when he came too close to her. “Okay, I guess, we can let her have some fun.” he conceded, watching fondly when Felix beamed and praised her to go on in Straynian. A yelp interrupted their little play session. “OH SHI- hey, there Luwen! You scared me!” he heard a familiar voice laugh and he turned around to see one of the most endearing sight ever. Chan was currently cuddling Luwen’s face in his arms, fist gently rubbing its beak as his other hand rubbed his sore ribs. Woojin chuckled, shaking his head at Luwen who had probably headbutted Chan. He watched as his Young Wing came close to purring and he would have laughed, was he not so entranced by Chan’s looks. He never had any doubts that Chan would look regal into his own tribe’s outfits, but to that extent… Chan looked up and their eyes met. “Hi there.” Chan softly said, gorgeous grin etching on his features. Woojin’s heart missed a beat. “Hi there.” he answered, smile equally soft as he approached him. He cradled Luwen’s face, mirroring Chan’s actions from the other side. “You look good.” Chan smiled harder, eyes flickering to the side before they settled back onto Woojin. “Thanks. You too.” His hand brushed Woojin’s fingers. “You really do.” Woojin never answered, instead intertwining their fingers as he guided their hands off Luwen. Chan stared at their intertwined hands in something Woojin considered akin to human satisfaction, and he felt butterflies swarm in his stomach at that. Chan was about to say something, but his eyes fell onto the Stray’s left collarbone. “So that’s what it is…” he whispered absentmindedly, fingers itching to reach out and touch the tattoo he finally, finally put attention onto. “What is what?” Woojin wondered as he swung their hands together, shivers running up his arm when Chan began to rub circles over his knuckles. “Your tattoo. I’ve been wanting to see it for so long now.” he admitted, almost shyly, not meeting Woojin’s eyes. Woojin softened at that, and tugged Chan closer. He watched as Chan’s cheeks turned a beautiful shade of pink at that and smiled at him. “You could have simply asked me, you know?” he chuckled, Chan joining him and, finally, looked at him. “I guess I like making things hard for myself?” he shrugged. “Do you like it?” he wondered, head gesturing to the tattoo. “I-” the human gulped, eyes once more finding the black ink that had intrigued him so much these past months. And maybe it was Woojin’s bold moves, or maybe it was the magic of this day, he had no idea, but finally, he found the courage to raise his fingers and graze them against the elegant swirling black inked flame. His index finger traced the pattern, eyes focused in awe, until it reached its swirling top, pinkie catching onto Woojin’s collar. Then, he was reminded of the day they first met, in the lake. That day, they had stood that close, face to face, but they had not touch at first, except when… Woojin watched him silently as he parted his mouth in awe and moved his fingers down, toward the center of his chest, and stopped right there, to where his heart was. “I love it.” he finally declared, eyes meeting those of his friend. Woojin blinked, the gesture making his mind flash with a whirlwind of memories. Their first glance, alien to one another, their first touch, a foreign burn over their chests, and their first words, a name with a unique tone. Almost staggering, he heaved a deep breath as he moved his hand above Chan’s own and offered him the most blinding grin ever. “I’m glad.” This simple statement satisfied Chan way more than anything he had expected to hear Woojin say, and he opened his mouth to say something, but loud gallops tore them away from their moment. Chan turned around- only to see Changbin, Felix and Jisung staring shamelessly at them, not even trying to hide that they’ve been eavesdropping – when suddenly, Hyunjin and Jeongin leaped off the trees at the jungle’s border and ran toward them, highfiving each other. Chan smiled at them. They were so beautiful like that. Not even a second later, Minho and Seungmin emerged from the jungle, scowl on their faces as they slowed Fayre and Midnight down. “You let them win!” the leader accused as he put back his dangling gold earring in place, his best friend scoffing as he stepped off his Pali, yellow and white robes fluttering behind him. “I did not! I was just… fairly distracted by this Yeshihk.” he wailed pointing at Hyunjin, punching him away when he went for a hug. “Fairly distracted my ass-” Minho stopped himself when he caught sight of a certain human, talking animatedly with Jeongin, Felix and Changbin. And Jae, was his breath cut short. He had not expected to see Jisung dressed like that. His hand went up to his own hair, fingers stopping onto the pointy edges of the golden thorn crown embedded in coral and mint gems. Fucking Rosé. He made his way toward the boy, own mint, gold and white robes and hair extensions, held into a lose ponytail similar to the one he sported at the Ordeals, flapping in the wind behind him. The golden necklaces around his exposed torso caught the light of the Glow as he marched forward confidently, the darker green leather pants doing wonder to his thighs. He looked regal. He looked the leader he was and all the humans standing around them at the moment didn’t even question his identity. At last, Jisung finally took notice of Minho and did a double take. Marry me, was his first thought. His second was: Am I in the presence of a god right now? As if hearing his thoughts, Minho smirked and stopped before him, the three others long gone now, talking in hushed voices and spying on them a few meters away. “Hi!” Jisung chirped, so happy to finally see Minho, temple burning from the ghost touch of the kiss he had dropped there the night before. Minho spread his arms in similar fashion to what he did last evening and grinned. “Hi?” Jisung simply shook his head and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around the leader with a content grin. “Is this going to be a ritual now? Hugging everytime we meet?” he wondered out loud, head nuzzling his chest, ear absentmindedly pressed against it. He could hear Minho’s heartbeat. It was beating so fast. It made him feel warm. “I’m never saying no to a good hug.” Minho declared with a shrug, but then he looked down at Jisung with his infamous Cheshire cat-like grin. “But I’m not sure you’d like that.” Jisung bit his lip and stepped back, hands toying with the ribbon tying his robes together. “Well, after all the skinship we’ve initiated already, a few more hugs won’t make much difference now.” he shrugged, trying to play it cool but failing miserably when Minho read right through him and raised a brow. “Oh shut up, yes you can hug me, you- you- you smitten tart.” he declared, wincing at the lameness of his words, and cursing at Chan for ever using it in the first place. It’s not his fault he said that, it just… came out, like that? Minho frowned. “Smitten what?” Jisung was mortified, and the two obnoxious idiots laughing in the background were not helping. “No-nothing hyung, aha, just forget about that.” he waved off, mentally dying. Minho was about to protest but was interrupted by a commotion. A woman who was telling the bunch of gaping humans surrounding them to get back to work was slowly making her way toward them. The sight was a bit ridiculous if Minho was frank, the woman yelling at the humans while standing in a grayish blue tulle gown dress ornamented with flowers. She was with a man, who looked like he was having the time of his life watching her yell at the terrorized humans workers. He raised a brow, amused. Humans were funny. But as she came closer, he realized who that woman was. He had not recognized her, too long since he last saw her. But she was still as gorgeous as ever. He grinned, stepping forward to greet her properly when she finally reached them. The other Strays let out a gasp of surprise, Woojin looking particularly moved as he tightened his hold onto Chan’s hand, and the three humans stared at each other in confusion. “Suzy.” Minho greeted and then, to the humans’ surprise, bowed down to her, one knee hitting the ground, the other Strays following suit. “What… is happening? What is Suzy doing here?” Jisung asked, as he joined his two brothers. The two shrugged, not knowing what in the world was going on. Chan had suspected that if Minho had allowed her to keep her little shack in the jungle and freely roam onto his grounds, she was important. But for them to bow down to her like that… His eyes fell onto Suzy’s gracious form, and for the first time, she reminded him of a person of strength who had seen too much of the world. Who was she exactly? However, Suzy immediately grabbed Minho’s shoulders and raised him up, the other Strays following after their leaders. “Please stand up, I was never…” she paused and toyed with the pendant of her long necklace. “You don’t have to bow to me.” she chuckled, and the humans watched in bewilderment as she looked with equal fondness at all of them, stepping toward Woojin to caress his cheek. Chan ignored the useless pang of jealousy he felt at the gesture. “I missed you. You all look fantastic.” she praised, and Changbin was genuinely surprised. She looked so different than from earlier on, and not just because of the dress. She walked over to Jeongin and gasped at him. “Jeongin! Look at how much you’ve grown!” Jeongin, though he did not remember her much, had heard of her a lot and smiled brightly in acknowledgment. “Suzy?” Minho interrupted as he stepped back beside Jisung and unconsciously grabbed the younger’s hand. If Suzy saw anything she said nothing however, and nodded for him to go on. “We need to go now if we want to be on time.” he informed her, already turning to Jisung. “Hyung? Is Suzy coming to the wedding too?” he wondered, wanting to get an explanation but Minho simply nodded, signifying that he would not get further information. Jisung inwardly groaned. He wanted to know why she was there. Reluctantly, he nodded back and looked around. “So? How do we go there?” he asked. He couldn’t wait to step onto the Ancient Grounds. He had only dreamed of ever seeing so much of Straya. “Are you fine with going onto one of the Young Wings?” Minho questioned, worry prominent on his features. “I can always walk with you.” he offered and Jisung almost melted. Just how devoted could he be? He smiled and squeezed the older’s hand. “You don’t have to walk with me. I’ll go with Luwen.” Minho looked about to protest, but with a courage he had no idea he possessed, he leaned in kissed his cheek. “I’ll be fine.” he assured, stepping back and letting go of a stunned Minho’s hand. “If you say so.” Minho finally shrugged as he blinked. “Too bad, you won’t get any Changlix blackmail material.” he snickered, Changbin ready to throw hands at him from his spot next to Dabby. “Yeah, well I would have loved to, but I want to stay alive. Luwen seems like…” he looked at the wild Dabby and winced. “Yeah, Luwen is definitely a much safer option.” Minho nodded in agreement and reached out to put back Jisung’s necklace- his feather – back in place. “Okay. But the minute you don’t feel safe, you tell Woojin and he lets you down. I’ll come find you and we will walk together, okay?” Jisung felt his heartbeat quicken at Minho’s worry. He slowly nodded, looking down the ground. Minho let go of the feather and patted his hair with a nod as he stepped back and onto Midnight. He looked at Suzy with a smile. “Luwen is strong and bigger than Dabby, it will deliver you safely to the Ancient Grounds.” he assured her but she only laughed and shook her head. “There will be no need for that.” she declared, and Minho frowned, wondering if she was really going to walk all the way there. Then, a beautiful plain white Pali with lilac eyes emerged from the jungle, calmly trotting its way over them, until it stopped in front of Suzy. The Pali was taller than the two others, and seemingly older, but it still stood as humble and regal as when it was young. “Hello there.” Suzy whispered as she caressed its jaw, before she slowly circled it and, with the help of Wooyoung, mounted it. “God, I hate dresses…” she complained under her breath as she tried to find a comfortable position. Everyone watched stunned. While every humans wondered how in the world Suzy had a Pali, Minho and every Stray looked at her with veiled sadness and pride. But all agreed that she looked like a queen at the moment. She imposed respect. “All this time? You took care of her, all this time?” Woojin voiced what every Stray was thinking and Suzy nodded, a melancholy ever so present in her eyes. But there was fondness in them too, Changbin noted as he took Felix’s quivering hand in his. “Yes. I couldn’t leave her all alone just because he is gone. She is my responsibility, just as she was his, no matter what people say.” she explained as she patted the Pali’s jaw, and it seemed to make sense for everyone but the humans – once again – as all the Strays nodded with pride their eyes. Suzy strengthened up and nodded at Wooyoung, who took it as his cue to leave with a last salute. Then, she looked up at them all with a smirk, looking like the woman she was this morning again. “Shall we go?” Minho nodded and marched forward onto Midnight, Suzy just behind him as Woojin, Chan and a shaky but trusting Jisung stepped onto Luwen. Jisung was squeezed between his two hyungs, the two reassuring him that all would go well. Jisung squeezed his eyes shut and grabbed tightly onto Woojin, who felt his older brother’s instincts come out at full force as he gripped Jisung’s hand reassuringly, Chan even forgetting his potential motion sickness as he made sure that he was holding Jisung safely in front of him. And with a last prayer for their asses, Jisung nodded, and Luwen took off. Changbin watched them go with a sigh of relief when Jisung didn’t scream or panic, and squeezed Felix’s hand, sliding just behind him with a gulp. Seeing the world from the back of a Young Wing was pretty intimidating. He tried not to think too much of it when he wrapped his arms around Felix’s thin waist and looked behind at Jeongin and Hyunjin. “Go, I’ll…” Hyunjin trailed off and looked at Seungmin who was waiting for him to come and say goodbye. He smirked and looked at the younger with a tiny smirk. “I think I’ll test it.” Jeongin’s eyes tripled of volume. “Huh… are you sure that’s a good idea?” he chuckled anxiously, rubbing his nape out of habit. “Well, there’s no better time to find it out than now.” he shrugged and Jeongin laughed out loud. “You’re crazy, you Yeshihk. I’ll tell Felix to wait to take off, in case you fail.” he winked, snickering as he ran to Dabby and climbed behind Changbin. He wrapped his arms around the older contently, and hooked his chin onto his shoulder happily. “Don’t take off just yet, Felix.” he instructed with a smirk. Felix and Changbin threw him amused looks. “What is it?” the eldest asked. “Just look. You’re about to witness either the most beautiful act of love ever or the biggest rejection in history.” he cackled, almost wishing he had some food to snack on. And so they both did what he said and turned around to watch. Seungmin looked at his One warily when he walked towards him, having heard Jeongin’s hyena cackles. And that never meant anything great. “Hyun?” he called out, unsure. Hyunjin only smiled softly at him, sea green robes’ large sleeves flapping in the wind as he took both Seungmin’s hand in his own and kissed them. “Do you trust me?” Seungmin nodded right away. Hyunjin smiled when Seungmin didn’t even hesitate once. Off to a good start. “Then go onto Fayre.” he instructed and Seungmin, though reluctant and wary, listened. He went to her side and Hyunjin softly caressed her mane as he helped Seungmin up. Once he was properly seated, Hyunjin’s hand still loosely holding his own, he watched as the boy went to Fayre’s head and looked at her in the eyes before he closed his own and put his forehead against her temple. Seungmin furrowed his brows and looked at them in confusion. It was as if they were having a silent conversation. What in the world was Hyunjin doing? Then, Hyunjin snapped his eyes open and leaned back, taking a deep breath as his eyes met Seungmin’s and he came back to his side. “Okay…” he huffed out, jumping on the spot, and looking a bit anxious. “What are you doing Hwang Hyunjin?” he finally asked, truly worried now. “Just testing a theory of Jeongin’s little crush.” he explained though an exhale. And that’s when Seungmin realized what was going on. Oh no. Oh no, no, no. “No Hyunjin, don’t-” “Okay let’s do this.” he cut in, swiftly tearing his hand from Seungmin’s and putting it along with his other onto Fayre’s back. And with that, he propped himself up and over her, landing with a soft thud, both boys shrieking in fear as Hyunjin grasped Seungmin’s waist tightly, expecting the worst. Nothing came. Fayre just softly neighed, almost bored. Hyena cackles resonated in the air, followed by soft chuckles and whooping and Hyunjin finally peeled his eyes open. Oh Jae, oh fucking thanks Jae, Yedam didn’t lie. He breathed out of relief and tightly hugged Seungmin as Dabby took off, laughing out loud in happiness. Seungmin stared at Fayre and then the arms around his waist in awe. “What the fuck?” he cursed, not comprehending a thing. He turned around to ask Hyunjin for explanations, but the boy quickly shut him up with a kiss. Hyunjin leaned back and Seungmin fluttered his eyes back open. “I’ll explain on the way, I promise. But we need to go now if we wanna be on time.” Seungmin simply nodded, too stunned with the fact that he was looking at Hyunjin while he was sitting behind him, onto Fayre, to complain. Hyunjin laughed at his state and took it upon himself to slowly hit Fayre’s sides so that she would begin to trot. And when she complied diligently, Seungmin couldn’t help the snort of disbelief that escaped his lips. “I knew it. See? I told you she would gladly let you on one day!” he whined, feeling betrayed by the two. “Oh, but I always knew she would. I just never knew why until now.” Hyunjin simply laughed at his confusion and kissed his nape as they entered the jungle. “I’ll explain everything, let’s go.” ~~~ ~~~ “Oh my god Chanie hyung! Look! The Ancient Grounds are down there! And there’s already so many people!” Jisung squealed as Luwen soared above the jungle, past Minho’s territory and the Neutral Grounds, heading straight to the wedding venue. Chan, pale as snow, just stared dumbfounded at the back of his head as he kept squealing and pointing at things down there and ahead. Woojin, who was frankly amused, turned his head around and raised a brow at Jisung. “Weren’t you supposed to be the one scared?” he asked, stiffening a laugh when he pointed to an almost green Chan. “I thought they were scary beasts, but they are just plain awesome!” Jisung yelled with a whoop, arms spreading out to try and catch the pink clouds that they were flying by. “C’mon Chanie hyung, I can’t believe you’re not enjoying this!” Jisung laughed, turning his head toward him. “I’m not scared.” the blond answered, eyes wavering when Luwen started to tip down. “I just… need time to get used to it.” he explained, closing his eyes with a prayer when Luwen picked up speed. Woojin laughed out loud at his answer and let out a high pitch noise. Chan paled. Oh no. “I think I’m going to throw up.” he announced, hands tightening around Jisung’s robes. Luwen’s head perked up at the noise and suddenly, he dived down, straight toward the Ancient Grounds. Chan and Jisung let out high pitched screams, the wind slapping their faces as they all but slammed into Woojin, the boy not moving an inch, instead laughing even louder now. Then, Jisung gasped and pointed to four figures riding three Palis under them. “Look! It’s Minho hyung! Minho!” he called out, yelping when they dived past the Pali riders at the speed of the light and were squished even more against Woojin’s back. The boy, used to that kind of pressure, did not even move, simply crouched on the beast and made more strident noises, until Luwen soared close enough to the ground that he could swiftly jump off. He landed on the soft grass at the same time as Dabby made her appearance a few meters further away. He smiled when Felix waved at him and turned around just in time to catch an excited Jisung, who had not as swiftly but still very well leaped off Luwen. “Hey there-” he huffed, clasping Jisung’s hands in his own as the younger collided into his chest but quickly pulled back, bouncing on his feet as he looked around at the magnificent area. The place was wild nature, barren of all plants and flowers, just fields of turquoise and blue grass that reached the middle of his calves. He couldn’t help but marvel at the sight as he twirled on himself, smiling at a few kids here and there, before his eyes caught sight of the beautiful, tall waterfall in front of them. “Wow.” Jisung breathed out, gobsmacked. Woojin who was helping Chan off, turned to him in amusement. He, himself had never went there and he was really mesmerized by the place too. Tales did not do it justice. They began to walk, going straight toward the row of already seated people, Jisung still gaping at everything he saw. He was about to walk further into the field when he heard someone call for his name. “Huh? Minho hyung?” he whispered to himself as he turned around. Did he heard it right? Was it Minho? He began to make his way back from where he came from, swiftly moving through the crowd, only to finally see Minho get off Midnight, his eyes darting all over the place in search for someone. “Minho hyung!” he called out, as he slipped between two tall and elegant dark skinned women dressed in yellow and pink flowy dresses. The two women exchanged amused smiles and he smiled back, but the moment he raised his head, Minho was nowhere to be seen. Shit, did he miss him? But as soon as his eyes drifted to the left, he found Minho. Not even greeting anyone as he made his way through the crowd, Minho’s sole focus seemed to be Jisung. The human sighed in relief and hurried towards him, smiling brightly the moment they met, Minho catching his forearms between his hands as he studied Jisung’s face and body with a frown. “I thought I would never find you.” the human declared with a chuckle, watching Minho sigh in relief. “Why did you call for me?” he asked when Minho slightly pulled back. “I thought something happened to you.” he explained, obviously relieved by now. “Although it seems like I worried for nothing.” he smirked, hands reaching up to put back Jisung’s crown properly over his head, taking a moment to appreciate the softness of his hair, hands gently combing through them. Jisung didn’t seem to mind it, he noted when the boy unconsciously leaned into the touch, and so he kept his hands there a bit longer. “You shouldn’t have. It was amazing. I realized I had nothing to be scared of.” he chuckled, chuckling that stopped midways when he noticed people whispering more and more and pointing at something. “What’s happening?” he wondered out loud, Minho raising his head in the direction of the commotion too. In the back of the field stood Suzy, still on her Pali, surrounded by Strays. What was happening? He was about to go and see for himself, afraid for Suzy, but a tug on his sleeve stopped him. He raised his head towards Minho in protest but the boy simply gestured to the scene. “Don’t.” he simply said. Jisung turned back and watched, staying put. Even though he was reluctant to obey, he trusted Minho. Minho would have never brought her here, were it unsafe for her. His free hand unconsciously went to grab the feather around his neck. Minho protects those he loves, he had nothing to fear. He smiled and decided to look and wait. The first arm extended itself out, and soon was followed by at least ten others, everyone trying to grab Suzy’s hands. The whispers grew louder, actually beginning to form words, her name being said more than once to Jisung’s utter surprise. How did they all know her? And then, he remembered that she grew up there and probably knew all of those faces, faces she must have not seen in a long time. But why were they all reaching out to her and saying- no, calling her another word? He listened carefully, eyes squinting. What was it? Kha- Kre- Khae. He turned to Minho, face pale and lips parted. “Minho… what does all of this mean?” his voice wavered as he uttered those words, a chill running down his spine. Surely he had learned wrong. There was no way what he thought this word meant was actually right. And yet, he had heard it way too many times, whether to refer to Minho or CL, to not know what it meant. Minho simply smiled, but it was sad and full of nostalgia as he grabbed his hand. “You heard right.” he simply said, voice soft and thumb circling the back of his hand. “Bu-but how- she’s a human Minho!” he whispered harshly, suddenly overwhelmed by all that was happening and what it meant. “How can she- possibly be a leader?!” “She is not.” he softly answered, head cast down. Jisung staggered and stopped at that, taking in Minho’s whole posture. He frowned. “Then why are they calling her “leader”?” he demanded, hand squeezing Minho’s one firmly. “What did you not tell us.” he stated more than asked, but to his own surprise and the one of Minho, there was no bitterness in his tone or anger, simply confusion and despair, a despair to understand. Minho sighed and began to walk, dragging Jisung behind him as they approached the sitting area. “Don’t worry, she’ll be fine. They all love her.” he paused and observed her with a small smile. “They all missed her.” He snapped out of it and tugged Jisung forward, rolling his shoulders back. He quickly cast a glance around the area, relieved to see Woojin and Felix explaining everything to the two other humans. “Come, let’s sit. I’ll explain everything.” Jisung frowned in confusion and reluctantly followed Minho through the field. As the boy walked them down the aisle, toward the row of sit on the left, he began to explain. “Before the war, our previous leader fell in love. With a human.” Jisung gasped and snapped his head up. “You mean-” Minho nodded. “Yes, Suzy. They loved each other. They had grown up together, it was to be expected. Everyone thought they would rule together, that they would marry and have kids. As he was known to be the future leader of our clan, everyone valued her as his partner – a leader’s partner.” he explained, a distant smile on his lips. “But that was all before the war erupted.” Jisung almost froze at that, a sickening feeling settling into his guts. He didn’t like where this was going. At all. “After the war was fought, Suzy on our side of course… decisions had to be made.” he winced and instinctively tightened his grip around Jisung’s hand, almost like he was afraid he would suddenly vanish. Jisung frowned at that and immediately tightened his grip too. Minho’s shoulders seemed to sag at that and he let out a short exhale. “My predecessor survived the war and was made leader of our tribe- of what was left of it.” Jisung felt relief hit him like a tidal wave. They had not killed Suzy’s lover. “But Suzy and him were both too hurt by the damages of the war. He had lost an entire family and had been given the Trashee clan’s lead. Suzy had lost her little sister to it, accidentally killed by a bomb thrown by a Stray.” he confessed, and Jisung felt like throwing up. “After the battle, they sought comfort in each other but it was too hard. He told me, when he passed the torch to me, that they knew they had done nothing wrong, that they were not the ones at fault. But he also explained that they no longer saw one another in themselves, but the Stray that killed her sister and the human that killed his people.” Jisung stopped in his track and Minho didn’t feel the strength to tug him forward. “They needed time to mourn and learn to make the difference.” he went on, eyes veiled in sadness. “But as you know, him and all the previous leaders had agreed that keeping the humans away for now was the best solution, and before they knew it, they were kept apart. He felt awful for this decision but he had no choice, and luckily Suzy understood. In the end, he was too busy mending back our clan, and she became resolute that they would not see each other ever again and began to dedicate herself to her work. Seeking a better future for us, the new generation. And before they knew it, he was no longer a clan leader and went to lead a life of exile, never seeking back Suzy for he could not see himself as worth enough for her, after what he had done.” he concluded. Jisung felt Minho’s fingers wipe his tears away before he even realized they were rolling down his cheeks. “I never knew.” he managed to croak, a newfound compassion for the woman born in his heart. He pressed his eyes close, truly feeling sick and awful. What they had done had terrible consequences, he knew it, but to know how deeply their actions had wounded people he personally knew of brought things to a deeper level. “I’m so sorry. For everything.” he whispered, eyes refusing to meet Minho’s. “Why’s that?” he softly asked, palms raising the human’s head and Jisung tried to shy away from the touch, feeling awful. But Minho wouldn’t have it, and kept him there, in his hands. “You’re not responsible for anything your kind has done. If anything, I’m sure you would have been on our side, were you there at the time.” Jisung could only weakly nod, eyes still downcast. “You know, if I told you this story it was not to make you feel bad.” Minho explained, index finger brushing away a stray tear. “I wanted to show you how strong she is and how much she’s done for everyone who’s here today.” Jisung frowned at the ground. “What do you mean?” he croaked out. “Look all around you. It’s her sacrifice that made all of that possible. They both accepted to stay apart so that we could all heal, so that you and your friends stood a chance in coming here one day, so that one day humans and Strays could walk hand in hand, together again. So that Strays could live without constant fear, and love freely. She strove for that, like my previous leader did, all those long years, never sure of what the outcome would be. But she didn’t lose hope.” he paused and breathed out with a smile. “She watched in the shadows over all of us, and when I became a leader, she came to me and told me how much she had hopes for the future generation- us and all those kids. I observed the humans too, you know?” he chuckled at Jisung’s poorly masked surprise. “When I was chosen to be a potential leader, I observed the scientists. And I saw how those people that were still on Straya were good. They were genuinely good. So I accepted JYP’s demand of letting you, the new batch of kids coming here, on this planet, not because I was moved by his work and researches, or the love he had for nature- because I believed in her and what she said. Because I hoped for a better future too.” he took a deep breath and put his fingers under Jisung’s chin. “And then I saw you, and I knew I was right.” Jisung’s eyes snapped open at that, finding those of Minho. “She might not have married him, but she was a leader’s partner nonetheless to all of us, and she never stopped being it. Not ever.” his eyes left Jisung’s and he glanced at Suzy, now off her Pali and talking with CL. He smiled. “She’s my Khae.” Jisung’s ears were ringing and he suddenly felt lightheaded. He glanced at the woman he only began to know a few months ago, and yet he felt like he was looking at a totally different person. She was so much more than she let on, and she never asked for any recognition. All she had hoped for was for them, the newer generation, and she was satisfied of staying behind the spotlight if it meant peace for both their kinds. Minho was right. She was indeed a leader. He gulped and slightly swayed, but Minho was quick to see that and grabbed his waist to steady him. “Are you okay?” he wondered, worry on the edge of his voice but Jisung nodded. “Yes, yes I am. It’s just… a lot to take in.” he swallowed thickly and frowned, finally looking up at Minho without feeling like throwing up. “But why… what changed when you saw us? Why did you chose us, why did you believe in us?” he questioned, brows furrowing in confusion. It made no sense to him. What had made them so special? Minho simply grinned down at him, hands stilling on his hips. “Because you were kind, you were… everything I had not seen in a human since a very long time.” he leaned down and pressed their foreheads together, their noses grazing each other’s. “Even when JYP had shown great devotion to our planet, he had self interests, selfish purposes that were harmless but selfish nonetheless. You? You were curious, you were kind, you were pure in a certain way… but you were also brave and selfless.” Jisung’s frown deepened. “We’re not selfless-” “I’m not talking about Chan or Changbin, Jisung-ah. I’m saying, it’s you.” Minho interrupted him right away, nose brushing against his and breath fanning over his lips, and Jisung felt his own being blown away, Minho’s dark eyes trapping him into their enthralling maze. He felt his warm hand brushing against his chest when he took hold of the blue feather there. “It’s you, Han Jisung, that changed everything. You saved this little girl’s life, going against the rules, just to do what was right. Just to save the life of a person you knew nothing of, not caring about her species. You didn’t even think twice.” “It doesn’t matter what she is, she was a child in need of help. That was the normal thing to do.” he mumbled with a frown, sincerely explaining his thoughts. Minho smiled at this and resisted the urge to lean in. “And even now, when I lay it out to you, you remain humble and selfless.” he slightly shook his head with a short laugh, which caused Jisung to blush. “That’s something I admire about you.” he confessed and Jisung shyly brought his hands to Minho’s chest, clutching his mint robes tentatively. “You’re like that too, hyung.” he admitted, oddly shy at the moment. “I wish.” he chuckled and plunged his eyes into Jisung’s ones once more. “But I did gave into selfishness.” “How so?” Jisung breathed out, eyes having trouble staying fixated onto Minho’s and not to flutter close. “By allowing myself to keep you by my side.” he declared, eyes finally closing when Jisung wrapped his arms around his neck and literally jumped into his arms, soft breath hitting his neck. Jisung heaved a breath and clutched him tight, afraid that this moment would just be a dream. But when Minho circled one arm around his waist, he knew it was no dream and grinned, hard, eyes prickling as he buried his head into his neck. God, Minho would be the death of him… And yet, as he felt the hands caging his hips holding him safely, he knew that death was more than far away and that nothing would come to harm him. Minho was his anchor. Since his arrival on Straya, he had somehow brought him back to life. Every of these beautiful and awesome boys they had met brought the three of them back to life. And it felt like… home. More than Earth and their parents ever felt. Was this what belonging and finding yourself was like? “C’mon.” Minho finally whispered after a moment, leaning back ever so slightly just so he could smile at Jisung. “The wedding’s about to start, let’s take a seat.” Jisung, still in a daze and wanting nothing more than to stay into his embrace forever, nodded without thinking and let himself be led to where Woojin, Chan, Hyunjin, Seungmin, Changbin, Felix and Jeongin were sitting. And as he sat on the grass, Minho by his side and the rest of his friends in the same row, he couldn’t help but smile and take Minho’s hand into his own. He stared at it, their fingers lodged between strands of grass, so different from the concrete his palms were used to graze. And that’s when he knew. He was home. – – – – – Voices were ringing in the air as the fog rose higher over the lake. The Strays sang in harmony, joining the leading voices of the Senders, the people sending of the two grooms to one another. Mark whispered the soft lullaby as he crouched on his knees before his older brother, own dark blue robes pooling around him as he pulled his hands flat onto his brother’s chest, covered by the traditional wedding white, golden and red robes. He stared straight into his brother’s eyes, feeling his own redden because of the incense Johnny’s best friend was lightning up and the tears of happiness he tried so hard to keep at bay. On the other side of the lake, Yedam was doing the same to Ten, hands trembling over his white, red and black robes. He wasn’t crying however, just smiling in pure joy at his older brother who was standing there, eyes closed, trying to get a grip, but smiling. When Ten’s best friend was done lightning up the incense on their side, the soft smell of red berry hitting their noses, he stopped his chant, eyes leaving his brother’s as he reached out for the crushed red berries in the basket next to him. He dipped his fingers in and shakily rose them to Ten’s face, tracing a large stripe from his right cheek to his left one, Ten chuckling when Yedam’s finger tickled his nose. On the other side, Mark was already done with it, wiping his hands onto a soft cloth as Johnny’s best friend handed him a crown. It was made of wood, flowers, gems and pearls – Mark had done it himself, as tradition wants it. It was his sort of parting gift, his blessing of their union. Johnny took a deep breath and nodded at his little brother, and Mark grinned, slipping the crown onto his soft black hair. As he did so, he closed his eyes and muttered quick words – blessings he had learned by heart. Yedam snapped his eyes open and let go of the crown, mouth closing as he sat back on his calves. He was done. He could now send Ten off. Ten fluttered his eyes open and offered him a sweet smile, so different from his many playful ones, gratefully taking the younger’s hands as he pulled him up. His robes blew in the wind, and with a quick nod, he let himself be led to the lake’s border. The fog had risen so thick that he could see nothing but the boulder in front of him. He slipped out of his shoes and finally put a foot onto a small boulder, Yedam still holding his hand as he stepped into the water besides him, walking him through the first step. Ten put his other foot onto the boulder and Yedam let go, his last touch being his lips against his cheek. “I love you brother. I hope he treats you well.” he whispered, breath hitting his cheek as he stepped back. Ten smiled down at him tenderly. “I love you too. Thank you Yedamie.” he whispered back, and Yedam smiled back, sending him off with a bow. Yedam walked back to the shore, ready to take his seat by the edge of the right front row, Mark doing the same on the other side. Mark sat down next to Minho with a quick smile, turning back to watch the ceremony with red eyes. Minho side glanced at him and felt a fond smile tug at the corners of his lips, and discreetly reached out to pat his thighs, Mark silently patting his hand back, thankful for the support. Minho allowed his eyes to roam over the scene with a lightness ha had not felt in years. Today he was not Minho the Trashee Clan leader, but Lee Minho, the Stray kid. He looked with awe at Ten and Johnny as they both walked onto the boulders on either sides of the lake, each eager to meet the other onto the large central one, where CL was waiting. His eyes roamed to the tall waterfall behind them, standing magnificent as it hit the lake, and probably splashed onto them a bit. Then, he looked at Yedam who was walking over the other row- and choked on his spit. “Lee Jeongin-” he hissed as he turned to his silently sinking down the ground brother while blushing like a red tomato brother in betrayal and disbelief. Jeongin moaned in despair and hid his face in the shoulder of a smug Hyunjin who was patting his head proudly. “You and I are talking after this ceremony.” he yelled in a whisper, giant grin blooming on his features as Jeongin sunk deeper into Hyunjin’s side, ready for the ground to swallow him whole. Jisung threw a curious glance at the two brothers and Minho just smugly pointed at Yedam. Jisung turned to look. “Oh.” he declared, smile tugging at the corner of his lips when he saw the orange fur hanging down Yedam’s large leather belt at the hips of his red and golden robes. So that’s where Jeongin’s trademark fur went. “Does that mean…” he trailed of as he turned to look at Minho, who merely shrugged. “I think that means they are officially courting or envisioning being together- or some bullshit of that sort.” Minho snorted as he watched Ten and Johnny finally meeting, smile widening. He was really proud of his little brother at the moment but he’d rather watch the wedding and discuss that issue later. This day was a very important day in the history of Straya. Next to him Jisung chuckled and turned back to the wedding too, letting his head drop onto Felix’s shoulder. Felix was watching awestruck as Ten and Johnny finally held hands, as CL instructed them to do. They looked so… in love. They were beautiful, standing there and staring in each other’s eyes while CL muttered Strayan priers and draw signs on their joined hands with the same crushed berries the brothers had used on their faces. “What is she drawing?” asked Changbin as he intently watched the scene too. Felix smiled and played with the grass, eyes sparkling. “The rune of infinity, symbolizing the eternity of their relationship, as well as the “till death tears us apart” promise.” he explained, unconsciously switching to English. “The four dots around it represents the four elements, symbolizing the fact that Jae give them his blessings, that nature is on their side.” “Oh. That’s very poetic.” Changbin commented, nodding along to everything the younger said. Next to this, human weddings seemed less magical – he knew that back in time there used to be ceremonies and festivities in weddings, but now, there were just signed papers and a quick formal after party, no different than that of a company’s gala. So he couldn’t help but feel warm at the notion that weddings like these still existed, somewhere in the universe. “I wish my wedding would be like this.” Felix froze and looked down at the ground, stuttering. “O-oh, yeah, I guess that would be cool. Who wouldn’t love such a wedding. I’m sure you’ll have one like that too, hyung.” he mumbled, with a quick forced chuckle that didn’t escape Changbin. The human raised a brow at Felix’s obliviousness and thickness, and grasped his fingers amidst the grass, startling the boy. “I’m sure I’ll love it.” he agreed, playing with Felix’s fingers as he focused back onto the actual wedding, secretly aware of Felix’s burning face and wide eyes on him. In front of them, CL was now wrapping a creeper from the Grand Tree around their joined hands. When she was done, she spoke: “You can now pronounce your vows.” she offered, voice softer than anything they had ever heard. “I’ll be your knight, your protector, your heart’s shield & sword,” they both stated loud and clear, voices filled with many emotions. The first tears began to roll, but they went on, eyes in eyes. “I’ll be your confident, your home, your shelter & forever. I am yours and you are mine, under the Glow, let us be One.” they both concluded, breaths catching in their throats. CL smiled tenderly at them, and let go of their two tied hands as she stepped back. “By the power vested in me, today, on these sacred Ancient Grounds, witnesses and benevolent guardians of your union, I thereby declare you Ones.” Without waiting for further instructions or cheers from the crowd, they both leaned in and kissed. Felix and Changbin jumped from their spots with loud cheers and applause, joining everyone. Loud cheers, tribal cries, claps and crying could be heard, but Changbin was so focused on wiping his own tears and clapping loudly – way too moved by what had just happened – that he gasped when a strong body latched onto his side. What the fuck? But he calmed down instantly when a wave of a familiar scent hit him. Changbin grinned down at him but Felix had his head buried into his neck as he jumped up and down, babbling stuffs way too quickly for Changbin to follow, so the human just sniffed and wrapped his arms around him, clapping louder when the couple parted. He whooped and cast a glance at Chan who was whistling and clapping, feeling really happy suddenly. His leader, friend, and brother had fought all his life to bring them there on Straya, to bring them the happiness they deserved. So he deserved of happiness too. And this wedding, the joy of being all together and included into that society was all he could have hoped for. And seeing him being so free and thrilled really brought warmth into Changbin’s heart. Yeah, Bang Chan deserved the world. Changbin felt his eyes prickle and chuckled, feeling oddly content at the moment and ready to take on whatever would come at them. He felt Felix look up and his heart did somersaults in his chest. Without thinking twice, he looked down, beaming down at the Stray when their noses brushed. He felt Felix freeze in his arms but couldn’t care less when a tiny genuine and shy smile appeared on the boy’s lips. He was damn beautiful. So Changbin grinned back and did the unthinkable: he gently skimmed his nose back and forth against his, just for a second. Felix whole world slowed down and he almost fell limp in Changbin’s embrace, hands unconsciously tightening around the pale pink robes. Did Changbin… really do that? Was he aware that this was a Straynian custom that you did to show your deep love and care for someone? Something you only did when overwhelmed with strong feeling and emotions? Surely he was not and only did it in the human way, right? But when he shyly looked up and saw the way Changbin looked at him with an intense and tender gaze, he knew his answer. So Felix gently rubbed his own nose back against his, watching unsure of how the older would react, only to sag in relief when Changbin’s eyes turned into crescents and his cheeks grew pinker. So Felix forgot everything around them, not even blinking when the ladies behind them threw petals in the air and one fell on his cheeks before it dropped onto the ground. The only thing he could hear, feel and see was Changbin and his very own heart beating quickly, loud and clear into his eardrums. All he could see was Changbin. Jae, he was so in love. Who would have thought he would fall for this intriguing human? And to say he almost never met him, were it not for him venturing into the Neutral Territory on a whim! To be completely frank, tiny, muscled, dark haired guys were not his types, but Jae, did Changbin blew all of that away! When he first caught sight of him laying all alone in that grass, he had been so intrigued, but when their palms had collided, he had felt that jolt of electricity run through him. He had no longer felt intrigued but mesmerized, even more so when he was losing consciousness and the last thing he saw was this human. The human that had saved his life, stitching him back to life, both metaphorically and literally. He was the one who made him feel no longer ashamed to be part human, of who he was. Changbin’s hand settled onto his scared side – Felix had no idea whether it was deliberate or not – but it felt warm and secure, and so he grinned, chuckling as he nuzzled the side of Changbin’s face with his nose fondly. Behind them, the Glow shone down onto the wedded couple, spraying its light all over the Ancient Ground, and everyone began to run toward the couple to meet them halfway into the lake, all eager to congratulate them. Changbin felt Jisung pat him on the back, but he stayed put, laughing with the younger blonde in his arms. Only when Felix tugged him forward and dashed toward the lake, arm caged between his own, did he move and join everyone in the water, joining Chan’s side as Felix went to Woojin. But their fingers remained tied. – – – – – Minho parted with Mark after a quick embrace and left him to Jeongin, swiftly walking back to the shore. His robes were floating all around him, the mint, white and golden merging perfectly with the color of the water, and he smiled at it. It were these kind of details that made him love Rosé’s work – she always knew what she was doing. “Thank you Chaerin. It’s so good to see you too. I think Ten is searching for you- yeah, see you later.” he heard Suzy promise with a quick laugh, as she parted with CL and walked left, towards the other side of the Ancient Grounds that overlooked the Neutral Territory as well as the Trashee and Sureki clans. Minho cast one last look at his family on the shore before he turned left. “You know, I almost forgot how beautiful this world is.” she began as she sat down on the grass, legs dangling in the air and hitting the back of the hill. Minho stopped in his track, stunned at how quick she heard him come for a human. He smiled and sat next to her. “You were always so perceptive. You didn’t change.” he noted, and she laughed, clearly pleased by his remark. He looked back at the landscape and hummed appreciatively. “Yeah, it’s really beautiful.” “Not just here.” she precised, gesturing to the view with a lazy hand. “You, your people, your customs- being locked up between my lab and that old shack kinda made me forget that. Being locked away in memories.” she mumbled, eyes looking at the sky while she toyed with her necklace. Minho looked down at his laps and toyed with the ribbon at his hip. “I just realized I never properly thanked you. For all you’ve taught me all these years and for never leaving the clan behind.” Suzy chuckled and shook her head. “You don’t have to, Minho. You owe me nothing, I was never-” “You are.” he cut her, eyes boring into hers. “Don’t say you’re not when he loved you so much. You’ve done so much for us. And no matter what you think, to me and the rest you are.” he declared with finality. She stared at him a moment longer, gaze unwavering, probably searching for Jae knows what, but the corners of her lips finally perked up and she turned back to the horizon. “You’re a good leader, Minho. He would be proud.” she stated with a snort, leaning back on her hands. “Say, what do you think of Jisung?” Minho turned to her in surprise. “What do you mean?” he asked, one eyebrow raised as he crossed his legs. She chuckled and shook her head. “Don’t give me that, Minho. You know damn well what I’m referring. That hug back then? There was nothing platonic about it.” she smirked, but before Minho could protest or agree, she interrupted him. “Whatever it is, you shouldn’t let it pass. Regrets hurt too much.” she ended in a whisper, eyes misting over. Minho watched her, stuck with the parallels. Suzy, a scientist faced the brokenhearted fate of being let go off by a Stray, a leader – even though for the greater good, a broken heart remain a broken heart. Minho looked behind him, catching glimpse of coral robes and golden crown somewhere behind Seungmin and Jeongin. His heart missed a beat. “I won’t.” he whispered, the promise echoing into the night as Suzy looked up at him with hope and relief. His eyes were still fixated onto Jisung when she reached out and took his hand. “Good.” Her eyes went back to the sky, watching the horizon with longing eyes, but happier ones. “Good.” she repeated, this time nodding to herself, Minho squeezing her hand back as he settled back properly next to her. Without asking for permission, he lowered his head onto her shoulder and sighed when she carded a hand through his tied hair. “Thank you for never leaving us. I would have never been able to do it all alone.” he confessed as he squeezed his eyes shut, looking like the little lonely and lost boy he was a few years ago. “You’re not alone anymore Minho.” she chuckled, free hand gripping her necklace as she looked back at his family. “You never were.” She let her eyes roam over the three humans. No one would guess they weren’t Stray like that, with Chan hugging Jeongin tightly, Jisung playing around with Seungmin and Changbin being clutched on by Woojin. She smiled knowingly and turned back to the view. “You’ve got your entire family now.”
~~~~~~> To be continued…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Hi guys~ Sorry, not an update aha but I had some announcements to make. First things first, I wanted to let you know that this story is being translated in polish by @-CE_MB on Wattpad, which I am very thankful for! So don't worry if you see it on there, she's got my permission & ofc go read it if you're interested in it ;) . Secondly: I was supposed to post a prologue/teaser for my new fanfic on the 12th but you know me by now, I am never on time. But since I promised a snippet, well here it is! Remember though, it's fantasy, so I've invented some species, which you obviously will have no idea what they are in this snippet but fear not: I'll explain and introduce everything properly in the actual first chapter! So, sorry if for now it confuses you aha! Also, there are other things which are probably ominous and confusing, but remember this is just a teaser so I couldn't reveal too much yet aha, please bear with me some more, I promise it will be worth it! Without further ado, enjoy~
“Welcome to Miroh. I’ll be your instructor for the day, you can call me Hyuna.” a gorgeous girl with red curly hair instructed, watching the students in front of her stare back at her in awe.
Jisung, who was hiding on a low wall nearby had to refrain a snort. Hyuna’s Siren genes always had these effects at first. He had been subject to it too last year, when the now fourth year woman had looked him in the eyes. Now, he was immune to it.
He leaned forward with a short giggle and watched in amusement as the man next to her stepped forward.
“Show respect to your seniors, kiddos.” E'Dawn warned, showing them how to bow properly. In front of him, the kids hurriedly copied his moves.
“Cute.” Jisung commented with a smirk, swinging his legs in the air. He fiddled with his sweater paws and glanced over to the rest of the schoolyard. “Where the fuck are you, you little harpy…” he mumbled, eyes scanning every blond hair in a teen feet radius.
Suddenly, a puff of gray smoke appeared on his left.
“Lee Yongbok!” he shrieked, jumping on the spot. Felix laughed out loud and sat on his laps, curling into him.
“God, your a blessing on feet.” he mumbled in greetings, cooling down the scorch of his skin from the spring heat with Jisung’s ever so cold body.
Jisung snorted and smacked his scalp. “Yeah, yeah, well if you want to keep that freshness I heavily suggest you stop ‘poofing’ yourself out of nowhere.”
Felix grinned in his hold, looking like a cat and shrugged. “I know you love me.”
Jisung snorted at his best friend. “I love you when you’re not using your Hurleur’s abilities on me- so basically, that means never.”
Felix pouted and leaned away. “Meanie.” he complained, hitting his chest.
Jisung cackled at that, unknowingly attracting stares from the bunch of new students down there. One of them, a cute boy with red copper hair looked around, trying to find the source of these cackles. He was really tall for his age, and a bit lanky according to some, but no one would deny him the obvious strength running through him, at the simple view of those lean muscles under his hot pink shirt.
“What was that?” One girl mumbled, eyes wide and the boy raised a brow, amused. Most of the students around him were confused, looking up at the low wall and balcony nearby but not seeing anything. But the boy didn’t miss the shadows of two seemingly tangled up bodies onto the white rock. He smirked and looked back at his two instructors, focusing on what they were saying.
Up on the low wall, Jisung squinted his eyes at the bright haired boy. Who was he?
“He saw us, didn’t he?” Felix stated more than asked and Jisung exhaled, releasing the hold he had on their two energy flows, making them visible again. He hummed in doubt, head tilting to the side as he wrapped his arms around the blond’s waist.
“I doubt that. Only another Ripper would see us. But this one is not. Either he felt us or he is very clever and noticed our shadows.” he commented with a slight smirk. He would have to keep an eye on this one.
Felix noted his expression and smirked, turning back to face the entrance gates. “You like him.”
Jisung shrugged, fingers drumming against Felix’s rib cage as his smirk widened. “He is cute. And cunning. But there’s still innocence in him.” he declared, his eyes shifting a very pale pink color. He stared at the boy, who was now walking away with the rest of his group, towards the school’s entrance. “His energy is mostly pure and light. There’s a part of darkness flowing through his veins though… But it has not tainted him yet. I think it’s mild darkness.” he chuckled, eyes shifting back to their usual brown as he looked back down at Felix. The boy frowned at him and raised a hand to his cheek.
“Don’t use your power carelessly Ji. I don’t want you to become blind.” Felix muttered sincerely, fingertips worriedly brushing over his closed eyelid.
Jisung merely shrugged and smiled at his best friend, hand coming over his own. “I don’t care, and you know it Lix. This witch’s curse will never stop me from using my gifts. To hell, if I end up blind.” he chuckled darkly, internally swearing like a sailor at that witch whom he never saw once in his life but who decided it would be a great idea to curse him while he was in his mother’s belly for some reasons, rendering him blinder while and the more he used his powers – thank god, the witch was “kind enough” so that the curse wore off each time he stopped using his powers, meaning he could perfectly see with his normal brown eyes no matter what. Basically, it was just a pain in the ass, but Jisung was never known to abide by the rules and bend under fear, so he was pretty much keen on using his powers as he pleased, no matter the consequences, and he showed it to Felix by grinning proudly.
Felix huffed in exasperation but his smile betrayed him. “You’re impossible. And here I thought summer break had changed you.” he sighed in fake disappointment as he leaped off Jisung and dived down the ground in a poof of gray smoke.
Jisung groaned and threw his arms in the air. “Lee Yongbok stop doing that!” he yelled, jumping off the low wall with an expertise only someone who had done that so many times would possess. His feet hit the ground and he glowered at the blond mop of hair reappearing a few meters away, on the stairs leading up to the school’s entrance. Students passing by glanced at the duo with amusement, already used to their antics. But some first years passing by looked at them in a mix of awe and fear that amused Felix to no end. Jisung on the other hand only stomped forward and grumpily bumped into the blond.
“You’re giving me motion sickness Felix. Motion sickness.” he grumbled, pausing in front of him to catch his breath. Felix only cooed, totally amused.
“C’mon don’t sulk, I’m sorry Ji!” he whined, laughing as he hugged his arm and began to march up.
“You never are Felix. Never.” Jisung pointed out with a pout, and Felix laughed some more.
“You’re right. But c’mon, let’s get settled in. I want to see Lia, I missed her so much!”
At that, Jisung’s eyes lit up and he ran up the stairs, dragging a yelping Felix behind him.
As they passed by the entrance doors and into the school, Jisung’s shoulder brushed against someone, but he paid no mind to it, keeping a steady pace as he dragged the flailing blond behind him.
Yet, the person stopped in their tracks, pausing their conversation to look back at the disappearing dark blond hair and tan nape. His cyan blue doe eyes darted back to his very own shoulder, where the boy had bumped into. He raised a hand over the spot, fingers coming in contact with the electric blue shiny fabric of his bomber jacket and he raised a brow.
“Weird…” he mumbled, his head tilting to the side.
“Minho?” someone called him and he snapped out of it, eyes fading back to their original soft brown. He looked up and at his bleach blond friend who was waiting for him, down the stairs. “You’re okay?” the boy asked, an eyebrow raised in amusement.
Minho shook his head and leaped down the stairs to join him. He wrapped an arm around his shoulders and smiled at him. “I’m all good Chan, don’t worry. Let’s go, I know you’ve been dying to treat me to jeonbokjuk.” he exclaimed with a wild gasp, eyes sparkling at the perspective of eating an abalone porridge.
Chan raised a brow. “Since when am I the one paying?”
Minho grinned down at him, cat like. “Since I decided so.” he simply declared, like it was the most evident thing in the world. Chan snorted but didn’t protest, instead pointing out that Minho was wealthier than him.
“An unimportant detail.” he shrugged, blinking innocently.
Chan stared at him suspiciously. “You forgot your wallet again, didn’t you.” he deadpanned, looking done with the younger.
Minho coughed and cleared his throat. “It wasn’t intentional, okay? Sunmi asked for my credit card next week and I just forgot to take it back- stop laughing Bang Chan! Chungha is bringing it with her later anyway, so I’ll pay you back tonight, I promise!” he pleaded, referring to his two older sisters.
Chan facepalmed and pretended to mull over his answer, just to tease his friend a little bit. Minho whined and hit his arm.
“C’mon, I’ll treat you next week I promise!” he whined, batting his pretty eyelashes at the older. Chan sighed, but nodded with a big grin, dropping the act.
“Alright, alright. But you better treat me to dakgalbi!” he made the boy promised, eyes sparkling with longing. “And at Madame Plume’s Inn!”
Minho laughed and held his hand out for a high five. “Alright, that’s a deal!”
Chan cheered and highfived him, eagerly following his best friend out of the gates.
A figure watched them from afar, seated on a balcony outside their school’s east wing. He watched them run out with amusement, eyes a pretty topaz color as he closed his book. With a chuckle, he clasped his fingers in the air. Suddenly, the two boys yelped and clutched their jackets closer to their body, hit by a tickling gust of wind. They both shrugged it off and laughed, resuming their walk.
On his left, a mauve magic portal opened up and he blinked with an angelic smile at the dark haired man that stepped out of it.
“Seungminie.” the boy chastised with a small laugh. Seungmin’s eyes faded back to their original copper brown as he laughed and leaped forward into the man’s awaiting arms. “Can’t believe you’d rather pull pranks on the kids rather than come and greet me.” he went on, leaning back from the embrace.
Seungmin grinned at him as he shoved his book into his satchel and shrugged. “Hyung I saw you the whole summer, I just couldn’t let this opportunity go to waste! This period of the year is the best to pull pranks and you know it. Everyone just thinks it’s a dumb first year playing around.” he explained, throwing a last mischievous look at a tree nearby. Suddenly, all the cherry blossom flowers went swirling down, over a group of first years who squealed in awe.
Seungmin grinned and blinked innocently at his hyung. “Plus, I’m making their day better.”
His hyung laughed at his proud grin but still crossed his arms in fake exasperation. “Still, you could have at least come and greet me. What kind of dongsaeng are you?” he tsked, shaking his head.
Seungmin pouted and offered him puppy eyes. “C’mon Woojin hyung! You can’t be mad at me for that. And you always know where to find me, don’t you?” he whined, holding open the balcony’s french window for Woojin.
Woojin looked at him in fond exasperation and Seungmin internally smirked knowing the battle was won.
“Alright, alright. But you have to at least trick one professor, if you want me to forgive you.” he declared, grinning evilly. “And I still haven’t forgotten those thirty laps Mr. Kim made us run last year.”
Seungmin cackled in glee and with that, they both walked down the corridor, going down the stairs at the same time another tiny but strong man walked them up.
His steps were almost jumpy as he brought his hood over his head, like he was bouncing on his feet, very lightly. He smirked as he round the corner, quickly sniffing the air.
“Found you.” He whispered, suddenly disappearing in a puff of red smoke.
He reappeared straight into the dinning hall, none of the students even blinking when the red smoke materialized, all too used to seeing every species able to poof themselves in the air do it. The boy just waltz towards the terrace, shading himself from the sun as he plopped himself down a bench, in front of another gorgeous boy. He leaned his elbows on the wooden table and cocked his head to the side. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you bought yourself a jade chain.” he commented with a pout.
The gorgeous boy, who was too busy slurping his pastas to notice him arrive, choked on them and quickly wiped his mouth with a napkin his friend handed him.
“And I can’t believe you didn’t let your presence be known.” he counter-attacked, glowering playfully at him.
The tiny boy shrugged, eyes still focused on the jade hanging down his friend’s neck. “Not my fault if my steps are too light.” he smirked, waving him off playfully.
“Seo Changbin, you and I both know you have total control over the weight of your steps, don’t even try to bullshit me about that.” he deadpanned, throwing him his used napkin. Changbin simply chuckled and dived left, efficiently ducking it.
“Anyway, back to business, where did you get that jade Hyunjinie?” he asked, pointing to the necklace while he took his best friend’s fork and dived into the plate.
Hyunjin blankly stared at him for a second before he chuckled. “You’ve really got no shame.” he paused and took the fork back from a protesting Changbin. “And this jade is a present from my mom, so no, don’t even think of stealing it.” he added, winking at him knowingly.
However Changbin just put his chin in his hand and lazily smiled. “Darling, you know that if there’s one person I’ll never steal from it’s you. Your jade is safe.” he clarified, stiffening a yawn.
Hyunjin smiled, deep and genuine. “Good.”
Changbin watched him resume his pastas eating and discreetly sniffed the air. “However,” he went on, smirking when Hyunjin froze, “Know that these gold earrings of yours are going to end up mine by the end of the semester.”
Hyunjin snorted and dropped his fork back on his plate in offense. “No they’re not. I’m done making deals with you, you cost me way too much.” he huffed, leaning back on the bench and glaring at him.
Changbin just smiled behind his fingertips, which were covered in rings, some set with precious stones, others simple gold bands. “You say that now, but you and I both know you’re gonna ask me for deals.” he singsonged, this time really yawning.
Hyunjin pouted in betrayal and put a hand over his earrings. “You’re so mean. Why can’t you just let me pay you with something else than jewelries- can’t I give you money or secrets?” he whined, face slumping onto the table.
Changbin watched him in amusement and raised a brow. “You have no secrets for me Jinie. And, got any currency made of gold?” he asked him.
Hyunjin groaned and hit his forehead against the table. “I hate you.” he declared, the words so familiar to Changbin that he now took it as “I love yous”.
He grinned and reached over to ruffle his hair. “I love you too darling.”
As he said that, a horn blew. They both looked up and grinned.
“Let’s go.” Changbin declared, catching Hyunjin’s hand over the table. As soon as their skin touched, they both disappeared in a puff of red smoke, leaving behind a plate of half-eaten pastas.
At the same time, Hyuna stepped in front of a large bush, the shape of a wall. She turned to face her group of first years with a smirk. The students were all gasping, some whispering in awe, others trying to figure out where the sound came from.
“My beloved dongsaengs, you now stand before the source of our school, its first and most ancient part.” she stepped aside and before the first years’ dumbstruck eyes the plant wall parted. The tree branches curled onto themselves, green leafs retracting so that before them stood an entrance.
E'Dawn stepped froward with a warm grin. “The moment you stepped in, will be the moment you officially become students here.” he declared, standing tall and proud before them. He looked at them one by one as he uttered those words, and then he bowed, arm spreading out to invite them forward. “Welcome to the Miroh Maze.”
He straightened up and waved a finger around, angling it straight towards the entrance. In his movement, topaz specks of Mage dust escaped his fingertips, creating a path along the maze’s corridors for the students to follow.
Hyuna smiled at him and turned back to the students, offering them her most charming bow. “Now my beloved, follow the path and reach the place where the horn was blown. There, our principle and some students are waiting for you, to properly welcome you.” she stated, with a wink. She stepped aside and towards E'Dawn and linked their arms, inviting the students to step in. “This step is yours to take, we will wait for you inside.”
The moment she said those words, the first students rushed forwards, some giggling, others anxiously holding hands as they stepped in. A boy with a hot pink shirt looked to the side and held his hand out. Another hand clasped his, nails paint a golden yellow. He smiled and intertwined their fingers.
“Let’s go Ryu.” he declared with an excited giggle.
“Let’s go Innie.” the girl on his left agreed. She smiled at him warmly and tugged them forward, both laughing out loud as they stepped in and after the other students as they followed the topaz sparkling dust through the maze’s corridors.
As they ran through, both gasped in awe at the many beautiful corridors, some of the maze plant walls having flowers growing on them, a dead end they ran past leading to a waterfall, an opening to their left seemingly leading to a forest while another one seemed to lead to an ancient building made of large stones. As they passed by a circular plant wall, a pink butterfly caught his attention and he slowed down to stare at it, but Ryujin tugged him forward with a laugh.
“Quick! Before the trail disappear!” she exclaimed, Jeongin hurrying his steps to match hers. And soon, as they rounded the corner, they abruptly stopped and gasped.
In front of them, hundreds of students and adults were grinning and applauding them, welcoming all of them to Miroh, the familiar smiling faces of their two instructors warming their chests. They exchanged quick smiles and joined the other students in the clearing, running to sit with other first year kids on the grass.
As they did so, a mauve portal materialized into thin air and Woojin stepped out, holding hand with Seungmin. The two boys grinned at the newbies surrounding them and quickly joined acquaintances on the side, Woojin reminding the younger to not take a first year under his wing if it was to create another Satan span, reminders falling deaf to his ears as he scanned the area with mischief in the eyes.
As they skipped towards their friends, a red puff of smoke appeared in the air and Changbin stepped in with Hyunjin, leading him tiredly toward the side, lightly bouncing off the grass.
“But Binnie, I really want to-” Hyunjin began but Changbin tugged him forward with a “later”, declaring that he wants to find a wall to lean against and sleep. Hyunjin pouted but followed, taking pity on his friend and instead opting to hug him from behind as they waddled towards a wall, walking past a cackling boy and a dizzy boy.
“Never again, Lix, I swear.” Jisung moaned in anguish, as he held his tummy, feeling like his insides were about to combust. Felix only laughed and patted his head as he walked him toward the side, patting his hair weakly.
“You’ll get used to being poof around Ji, don’t worry.” he promised, kissing his temple with a barely contained chuckle when Jisung moaned in distress. “C’mon, the headmaster will be here soon, let’s join the rest.”
As he uttered those words, a tall man with a white pristine smile and a parrot on his shoulder stepped in, roots cracking under his feet as he marched forward. The talks turned into whispers, then to silence. Behind him stood some fourth year students and professors, who surrounded him on both sides when he stopped before the first years, stance warm and welcoming, but undeniably powerful. His eyes were closed as he breathed in and planted his staff firmly into the ground. Next to him, Chan and Minho stood tall and proud among the fourth years, hands behind their backs as they scanned the area, assessing power and respect. All the first years held their breathes, waiting for the headmaster’s next move.
Finally, he snapped his eyes open, topaz iris scanning over them, knowing and wise. He smiled.
“Welcome to Miroh.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The sun was slowly coming down the sky, casting everything in a pretty dark orange hue as drinks were poured into cups and meat into plates. The air was filled with a pleasant melody, along with the laughter and singing of the invitees. Hyunjin eyes fell onto Suzy, seated on a tree root and singing a song along with the now grown up people she had known as a kid. He smiled, heart filling with warmth at the sight. “Hyunjin-ah! Over here!” Hyunjin turned at the sound of an all too familiar voice, his heart missing a beat. His water green robes spiraled around him when he hurried to Seungmin, grabbing both of his hands and bringing them to his lips. “Yah, why so touchy? We’re going to steal the spotlight at this rate.” Seungmin declared with a short laugh, rubbing his thumb along his jaw. Hyunjin just smirked and looked him in the eyes, proud of himself. Seungmin rolled his eyes at him but let him settle behind him. So Hyunjin hooked an arm around his waist and leaned back against the nearby tree, bringing his lover against him. “So, why did you call me over?” the fighter asked, hooking his chin onto his shoulder. “Can’t a man just want to see his One, love?” Seungmin teased, casting him a look over his shoulder. “Anything you want.” he chuckled, not giving into Seungmin’s teasing. “So?” he asked instead. Seungmin pouted slightly, muttering under his breath. But before he could properly explain why he asked Hyunjin to join him, several screeches resonated in the air. “Is that…” Hyunjin trailed off as he straightened up and looked up in the air. Seungmin nodded, grabbing the hand laying over his waist and intertwining their fingers. “Yes.” He looked up too. “This is Johnny’s present to Ten.” A screech was heard again, followed by others, and soon a flight of at least fifteen Young Wings emerged from the clouds. One was red, another other blue and green, the other purple and so on, and soon many others followed, creating a rainbow of birds in the sky. But the leading one was more magnificent, larger than the others – a blue and purple one. Mark’s Young Wing. Around them, people cheered. Hyunjin hollered and looked to the side. Ten was looking delighted, unshed tears of happiness gleaming in his eyes. It made the couple smile. Hyunjin squeezed his One’s fingers and Seungmin squeezed them back. They both meant to train their eyes back onto the show, but the wind slapped Hyunjin’s curls away from his forehead and Seungmin froze. His man was stunning. Without thinking, he leaned in and kissed his jaw. Hyunjin gasped silently and looked down at him in surprise. Seungmin just smiled and turned back to the show. Hyunjin stared at him some more, something obviously going on in his mind, but at last, it seemed as if he’d found a satisfying answer, for he resumed his watch too, a smile on his lips. – – – – – “What are you doing Jeonginie?” Chan wondered, as he came next to the younger. He crouched next to him, flapping his sea blue robes behind him. He stared at the colorful powder in the younger’s hands curiously. “It’s a custom, hyung.” the younger replied, handing him some yellow powder. “During a wedding, invitees must spread those powders onto the dance floor.” “What for?” he asked, following the younger’s movements of his eyes. Jeongin dropped his magenta powder onto the ground of the cave, curving it into a spiral. Chan proceeded to mimic the move. “You draw well.” he commented, truly impressed by the younger’s skills. Jeongin smirked and nodded at his hyung’s turquoise spiral. “I used to draw everyday when I was a kid. Now, I do when I get time to. But my walls are beginning to get packed. You’re not bad too, hyung.” he chuckled, smearing the powder a bit further right, colliding with Chan’s spiral. The oldest playfully grunted and elbowed him, sending Jeongin in a chuckle fit. “I used to, too.” he then explained. “But then I got busy. But I never got the chance to work with powder. It’s a first.” he commented, a somewhat nostalgic smile on his lips. Jeongin saw that and patted his shoulder comfortingly. “If you want… one day I can show you my drawings? Jisung hyung already saw them.” he laughed, reminiscent of the time he knocked him out. Chan smiled, amused. “I’d love that.” he declared, standing up. Jeongin followed suit but stopped straight once his eyes spotted someone. Chan looked in front of them in amusement and felt his smile widen when he saw a young boy clad in black and red robes leaning against a cave’s wall, a familiar orange fur over his belt. “Will you show them to me too?” Yedam asked, his grin bright and obviously content. By now, Jeongin was frozen on the spot. His heart was racing with just how good the younger was looking, but seeing that orange fur on him was not helping. Around them, people were finally catching up – now that their attention was no longer on the grooms – and shocked mutters could be heard all around the cave. Jeongin wanted to flee. Chan’s eyes flickered to Jeongin, eager to see his reaction, sure that he would fluster. After all, it was probably not everyday that a clan’s chief’s little brother and a future leader were courting. But as music began to gently fill the air, the unexpected happened. Jeongin’s eyes filled with something he recognized as determination and he lowered his head – obviously trying to hide his flush. He began slowly marching forward. Chan noticed his steps were slightly bouncy, almost as if he was in rhythm, and- Oh. He watched stunned as Jeongin stopped in front of Yedam and held his hand out. “No, I won’t. But I can offer you a dance instead.” he offered, smirking smugly at the younger boy, all trace of flush gone from his face. If Chan didn’t know him better he would almost believe in all that confidence. Yedam seemed taken aback for a while however. But as the sitars and flutes began to get louder his smirk returned. He slowly took Jeongin’s hand and nodded. So Jeongin dashed past Chan, feet carrying him to the center of… the drawing made of powder? Chan watched stunned as the boys got ready, a circle forming around them as the instruments got louder. What were they about to do? Weren’t the newly wedded couple supposed to open the first dance? Then again, Straynian customs were probably different. Jeongin met eyes with him once more and winked, as if to say watch and learn. Then, he returned his undivided attention to the boy in front of him. So Chan settled back, eager to see what would happen. Jeongin settled into position slowly, the both of them languidly circling each other. His dark gaze met Yedam’s one, before it traveled lower, to his hip, where the orange fur laid. Yedam made it clear that he was courting him. Then what better way than inviting him to a dance to show that he was interested? He looked up, eyes not missing Yedam’s small proud and amused smile. So, when the first drum began to get louder, Jeongin automatically moved, arms raising sideways as he spun around. Yedam mirrored his actions, sending a cloud of yellow smoke around them as their feet swiped the powder around. Their hands meet midways and both boys smiled, feeling a spark of tingly energy run down their arms. The crowd began to cheer, and Jeongin held his other hand out. Yedam took it with no hesitation. Dancing together was exhilarating. As Yedam sent him spinning left, a curl of blue smoke surrounding his robes, his feet carried him to an all too familiar person, surrounding them in the circle. With a genuine smile, he held his hand out. Mark looked up in surprise, but slowly grinned. He accepted the hand and slowly moved into the dance floor, joining Jeongin into the dance. Their hips moved in sync as they stepped further into the circle. Jeongin looked to the side, only to see that the smug little Panther had sought Chan out. Jeongin almost burst out laughing here in there. But his mouth was quick to shut once he saw the human move. Chan was skilled. Really skilled. His movements were even better than some of the Strays. And he wasn’t the only one to think so apparently, for some of his people were cheering for the human. It brought a smile to his lips. These three humans were truly exceptional. His attention was brought back to his childhood friend when Mark slightly bowed to him and spun around toward the still forming crowd, a cloud of pink powder trailing behind him. He watched amused as he sought a flustered but more than happy Felix out. Jeongin shook his head and gently move forward with the intent of bringing a certain brother of his out. – – – – – Seungmin spun Jisung around with a chuckle, sending apple green powder flying above them. The human laughed and wrapped an arm around his waist to sway them to the beat. Seungmin rested his head onto his shoulder with a smile and let Jisung do all the work. Jisung snorted at his laziness and strongly sent him twirling away. Seungmin yelped in shock. Jisung smirked, proud of his little trick, and was about to twirl him back into his arms when he saw a certain tall Stray dressed in green not far away from them. Good thing Jisung was a professional at aiming. With a wink, he let go of his hand. Seungmin looked at him in confusion before he stumbled straight into a strong torso. Jisung watched amused as Seungmin jumped on the spot and almost hit Hyunjin in the face. Laughing outloud at that, he spun around and held his hands out, eager to see in whose arms he would end up. His hands caught tiny ones. Jisung stopped abruptly and looked down. His wide eyes met beautiful shining ones. “Sosoil.” an all too familiar little girl called out, a bright grin on her features. Jisung watched in silence as her golden-green eyes turned into crescents. He broke into a huge grin. “Natee!” he called out in excitement, crouching down to her level so that he could hug her. He stood up and spun her around, chuckling in joy. The little girl laughed and hugged his shoulders even tighter. “I’m so glad you’re okay…” he mumbled, the girl startling at his near-perfect Straynian. She leaned back and nodded happily, and then put her tiny hands onto his cheeks. “Let’s dance!” she announced. Jisung laughed and nodded, lowering her to the ground, ready to go slow for her. But he was once more smacked in the face by her skills. She danced nearly like a pro. Were all Strays skilled in everything? His mind wandered back to Minho nearly crashing into a tree while ridding a Young Wing. Probably not, then. Jisung quickly shut his gaping mouth and followed suit, copying her movements. As they danced, Jisung couldn’t help but feel relieved. The girl could dance and bounce again properly, her ankle injury seemingly not having left any after-effect. Suddenly, she bowed. And before he could even say a proper goodbye to her, an older woman with matching green eyes snatched her away. Natee giggled and happily hugged the woman’s arm as she was spun around. Jisung smiled warmly at the two sisters and waved them goodbye, turning around to grab someone else out of the circle. His chest collided with another one. He gasped as arms sneaked around his waist, and snapped his head up. His eyes met beautiful shining hazelnut-golden one. “Shall we dance?” Minho asked him, a small smirk on the corner of his lips. His breath fanned over Jisung’s lips and their noses were so close to brushing that Jisung felt warmth sprung all over his skin. He audibly gulped, angling his head sideways and a bit away from his, but nodded nevertheless. He settled his hands over Minho’s own and gently peeled them away from his waist. Instead, he intertwined their fingers and stepped back. Now able to breath, he met eyes with Minho. The boy wasted no time and spun him forward. Jisung almost lost his footing here en there, but thanks to his quick reflexes he managed to follow Minho’s moves and speed. He playfully glared at him, trying his best to follow the other’s moves. “Show off…” he mumbled to himself. Minho only smirked and twirled him again. Jisung scoffed, snatching his arm away from his grip. The smug bastard. But then something sparked inside him. He smirked and swirled around Minho, feet sending powders of multiple colors flying around them. Once he was behind Minho and sure he had inhaled enough powder for a lifetime, he leaned down and picked some of it up. He moved closer to the leader and brushed his hand along his nape, sideways to his neck, and down to his torso. He then ran his fingertips up, straight to the man’s lips. He smeared his thumb along his lower lip. Minho’s breath caught in his throat. Leaning forward, Jisung smiled. “Show off.” he repeated, this time straight into his ear, breath fanning over its shell. He leaned back and admired his handwork, swirls of blue running down the man’s neck, then his torso, and of course, his lips. He watched as Minho brought his fingers to his lips. The leader then looked at his hand and something seemed to shift in his eyes. Jisung then noticed the mutters around them. He looked, amused to find the people dancing glancing at them with knowing smiles. He raised a brow. That was weird. “Min, why are they-” he turned around to ask Minho, only to stop when he was swooped forward by the waist and straight into the leader’s arms. This time, their noses brushed and their breathes mingled. Jisung’s whole face radiated with warmth and his eyes met his – for once, not shying away from them. “… staring at us…” he ended his sentence in a whisper. Well, if he had no idea why before, now he definitely did. This surely did give them a reason to. “Simple,” Minho declared with a shrug as he gently swayed them to the beat. “They’re just wondering who finally caught my attention.” (I love how I wrote this sentence like he was fifty or something and never ever had a lover, when he’s only twenty.) Jisung’s breath caught in his throat and he suddenly had troubles dancing correctly. So that is why he had a crown too… Fucking Rosé. His heartbeat was racing at an incredible pace and he suddenly felt like stumbling forward to crash their lips together. But he refrained. Minho often said that humans were complicated, but in that moment it felt like Strays were the complicated ones. For them, love was with one person for a lifetime – it was all about sharing your remaining years with your One. And Jisung was no fool, no idiot – he knew what he was beginning to feel for the older Stray. But Jisung could never guarantee that to Minho. Not without knowing if he was himself ready for such a commitment. Not without JYP’s agreement and promise of never sending them back to Earth. Chan and Changbin were aware of that too but probably had more positivism than he did and too much faith into their boss. But no man could promise them a stay forever in a planet that was not theirs – especially not when what they wanted from it could forever compromise their peaceful relationship. He knew that Minho said that Suzy, JYP, the previous leader and himself worked hand in hand to grow peace. But Jisung never believed in fairy tales. And this, this was reality. He couldn’t give his heart to Minho and promise him eternity, as of now. His hand went to his dog tag, resting over his chest, next to the blue feather. But he could promise Minho that he would, once he could. He reached out and settled his hand over his jaw. He had to tell him to wait for him. “Minho, I-” But before he could even finish his sentence, cheers erupted into the place. Minho snapped his attention to the newly wedded pair, who was now dancing in the center of the dance floor, surrounded by a cloud of diverse colors. He laughed and joined the clapping, slowly stepping back like everyone else and tugging Jisung along. Jisung looked down with a sad smile. He guessed that could wait. It’s not like he was leaving any time soon. Instead, he wrapped his hands around Minho’s bicep and cheered, stepping back next to him to leave the dance floor to the couple, and clapped happily with a bright grin. After all, this was Johnny and Ten’s moment. He looked up at Minho’s profile, heart melting at the man’s beautiful cat-like grin. They would have their own moment later. Cheers erupted once more when the music stopped. Ten and Johnny shared a kiss and Jisung whistled loudly, one arm pumping the air. He looked back up at Minho with a beaming grin. “This is my first wedding ever! I love it!” he squealed, eyes darting back to the newly wedded who were hugging as he leaned into Minho’s side. Warm lips met his forehead. Jisung stilled, the lips still on his skin. “You really like kisses, don’t you?” he mumbled, eyes slowly fluttering close. Minho wrapped an arm around his shoulders and loosely hugged him, his lips curling into a smile. “Look at the ground.” he whispered instead of answering him. Jisung reopened his eyes and did exactly that. And gasped. “Wow.” he let out, staring in awe at the beautiful soil. It was covered in smears of all colors forming a beautiful tree-like shape. “The Grand Tree, huh?” Jisung chuckled, snuggling comfortably against the older. Minho raised a brow in surprise but let it go and smiled. “Yes, the Grand Tree.” Jisung hummed and simply wrapped both his arms around Minho’s middle. In that position he could feel even more the cold of his dog tag, urging him to give it to the older. He stared at the drawing. The Grand Tree was their most important thing in the world. There, is where he would make his very own promise. – – – – – Night had finally fallen onto this part of the universe. The invitees were finally sitting around large wooden tables in the cave, covered with luscious food. Minho and Jeongin stared at each other in utmost disgust for the umpth time. “Are we really forced to watch that hyung? Can’t we just ditch them?” the youngest whined, snarling at his best friend who was now feeding Seungmin Gyujaks in a disgustingly adorable manner. “I’m in. C’mon let’s leave.” Minho answered, his own judgmental eyes set onto his own best friend who was rolling his eyes fondly at his partner but still accepting to be feed. Minho snorted. “I can hear you. Stop complaining just because you’re jealous your boys aren’t giving you any attention.” Hyunjin called from his seat. This caused Jeongin to choke onto his drink and Minho to not-so-subtly fan his own face. On the other side of the table, Felix stared fondly at Changbin, Chan and Jisung. The three humans were marveling at the food in front of them, and Felix found their interest and thrill just absolutely adorable and touching. Next to him, Woojin wrapped an arm around him and fondly nuzzled his cheek. Felix playfully whined at the motion but Woojin only laughed and stayed put. Instead, he went to look at the boys too. “They seem to fit in just right. They look like they belong here.” he commented, laughing lightly when Chan’s whole face went red after biting into a spicy cake. “Because they do. They belong here, with us. They’re our family now Woowie.” he declared confidently, looking up at his brother. “You know, I really like them. I don’t want them to go back home- I mean, on Earth.” Woojin looked down at his brother with pride. He’d grown so much. He carded a hand through his long blond hair. He liked the thin ponytail on Felix, it looked great. His hand stopped over the jewelry holding them tied. “I don’t want them to leave either.” he confessed, eyes flickering over a certain blond. “But that’s something they’ll have to decide with their boss first. You know Minho gave them the green light.” Felix hummed, contemplative. “I’m sure Suzy would want them to stay. It’s everything she’s ever wanted.” he commented, eyes falling onto Changbin and Jeongin playing a hand game. “But Suzy’s not their boss,” he paused, chuckles dying. “And this decision is theirs, first and foremost.” “You know they want to stay here.” Felix stated, throwing him a knowing look. Woojin flicked his forehead, a shy smile forming on his lips as he looked away. “I know nothing.” he retorted, focusing instead on his food. Rosé, who was sitting next to them with her partner, snorted in amusement and shook her head. Woojin threw her a betrayed look, as she tugged her own lover up for a dance. “Look! Ten’s about to sing a song!” Jeongin squealed from his seat, latching onto his brother’s arm. Minho smiled down at him and raised his drink for the newly wedded. Woojin followed and so did Felix and most of the table. Soon, Ten began to sing. It was a beautiful love song, his voice sounding beautiful along with his sitar. Woojin watched as Rosé and her lover began swaying gently to the beat, quickly joined by other couples. Woojin cast a warm look at his little brother and brushed a strand of hair away from his face. Felix looked up, eyes sparkling. “Care for a dance, little brother?” he chuckled, warmly smiling. Felix grinned back and simply nodded, pulling him up by the hand. They reached the dance floor by the time Ten was midway through the song and Felix leaned his head over Woojin’s chest. The older gently hugged him and swayed them to the melody. The residual powders flew around them as Woojin twirled them around. Their once pale blue and peach robes were now stained with spots of colors, but if anything they loved it even more. It was a memory of the wedding they’ll keep forever and laugh at ten years in the future. “You know…” Woojin suddenly said as he spun Felix around. “No matter what happens, when all ends or even before- if you… if you just feel like Changbin is the one for you, then go for it.” he advised, wrapping his arms around Felix’s waist. Felix stared at him in surprise, mouth agape. Woojin stopped swaying them. “You shouldn’t waste time just because of what ifs or because we’re about to face hard stuffs.” he chuckled, bringing his face closer to his. The underlying message concerning the bad humans’ threat was clear in their heads but Woojin’s words managed to settle a bit of hope for what’s to come into Felix’s heart. “If anything, being together makes one stronger.” Woojin assured him. Felix closed the distance and rubbed their noses together, tenderly. His eyes fluttered close. “I really like him, Woowie. I was hoping for your approval.” he confessed, smile tiny but content as he fluttered his eyes back open. “Then give him a reason to stay.” the older stated, slightly leaning back with a smirk. He looked him in the eyes. “Give him a reason that will make him fight to stay here, if it comes to it.” Felix laughed lightly and shook his head. “I know what you’re implying.” “Then, will you?” Woojin asked, raising a brow. “Who knows?” he shrugged and then suddenly spun the older around. As Woojin caught his balance, he glanced at the table and laughed out loud once he saw Hyunjin and Jisung getting up. “Hyunjinie! Let’s go!” he declared as he dragged Hyunjin by the back of his sea green robes. “They say you’re a dancing king, well so am I, and it’s time to prove it!” he laughed, happy when Hyunjin’s eyes lit up with passion at the mention of dance. Hence how they both began to dance like there was no tomorrow, in a succession of very… original moves, Woojin noted. Seungmin cackled from the table, having the time of his life watching them dance some seriously disputable dance moves. He cheered for his lover, Minho and Jeongin joining the other invitees in their laughing fit. Chan and Changbin on the other hand cheered for their little brother like their lives depended on it, happy to see him dance again. The three of them really enjoyed music in their spare time. It had been a long time since they had danced this freely. Suddenly, Chan’s eyes met Minho’s. A smirk bloomed on both their faces as they watched more people join their little group of friends on the dance floor. Minho suddenly kicked Seungmin out of his chair and Chan pushed Changbin forward. The two boys stumbled next to each other and shared a look of horror. “Absolutely not.” they both declared, trying to step away. But Hyunjin and Jisung grabbed their arms and pulled them into the dance floor. Chan and Minho chuckled as they watched them get lost into the sea of bodies, now dancing to some more upbeat oriental-like beat played by three women. A cough made them turn around. Yedam was standing in front of Jeongin, offering him his hand. “Care for a dance?” The oldest stared at the hand in shock, wide eyes darting to both sides to check how many people were witnessing this. And judging by the whispers and smile, many had caught on. To say he was a blushing mess would be an understatement. Nevertheless, Jeongin did not back down and confidently grasped his hand. Minho laughed and raised his glass at Yedam in approval. The younger beamed and grinned before he tugged Jeongin onto the dance floor. Minho chuckled at that and turned to Chan. They were now the only ones of their family left at the table. “I wanted to thank you, Chan.” the leader said, making eye contact with him. The human raised his brow and brought his drink to his lips. “For everything, for coming here- all that.” he explained, turning his eyes back to Jisung who was now dancing with Rosé. Chan smiled at him and settled his drink back onto the table. He stretched his arms and glanced at the starry sky. He could see Orion. And he could also see Woojin’s orange star – Helios. Discreet but glowing. “I’m not to be thanked, Minho. You did the most. You let us have so much freedom, you let us got close to you. You made us your family, even though you have no guarantee we’ll stay here…” he whispered, eyes still focused onto the orange orb. Minho hummed, nodding pensively. “You do know that my offer is extended to you, right?” he asked, eyes set onto the dance crowd. Chan chuckled, knowing full well what Minho meant. “Of course. And I think you already know my answer Minho. Our answers.” he answered, eyes finally falling onto the leader. Minho’s eyes were already on his, slowly turning into crescent as a content smile bloomed on his face. “But we need to formalize it with our boss first – while he would never object, he needs to make it official to everyone.” he precised, a dreamy expression on his features. Minho nodded happily, well aware of this very fact. But he was optimistic. He had a gut feeling everything would turn out well. He turned to stare at the dance floor once more and his eyes caught Hyunjin’s ones. The boy was dancing with Changbin, a radiance to his face Minho had rarely seen so far. “We make a lovely family.” he commented, hand coming over Chan’s on the table. The human hummed in approval and squeezed his fingers back. “We do.” – – – – – Changbin brought his cup of ale to his mouth as he stared at the starry night. It was a beautiful night, though chilly. But he would have to get used to it if he were to stay there forever. A smile crept up his lips. Thinking those words and knowing it was most likely to be true was making him feel more alive than ever. He could see himself running after work to the beach in summer and up the mountains in winter, eating luscious fruits under the shade of a turquoise palm tree and going back home with- Home. This was going to be his home, the tree house might one day become his home and these friends of his family. “What are thinking that is making you smile that hard?” Felix asked as he came closer and sat down next to him on the hill. Changbin chuckled and offered him some ale. “Nothing much, just thinking about how bright the future sounds. You know, I’ve always dreamed of climbing these mountains when I was a child.” he revealed, pointing his finger to the beautiful chain of mountains further away in front of them. Felix took a last sip and furrowed his brows. “Really? They aren’t that extraordinary, you know? We’ve got prettier places on our planet. Don’t you have mountains back on Earth?” he wondered. Changbin smiled and shook his head, shoulders slumping. “No, I guess they’re not. But for a boy like me, who’s grown up in a facility and a city that’s full of technological stuffs and buildings, it looks amazing.” he explained, turning his his body sideways so that he was facing the younger. “The most we did see was this little river behind our dormitories. We used to sneak out at night and go play there. It was so amazing to see something so natural in a place like that that we used to say it was a “sea”. It was the most water we’d ever seen.” Felix grinned at him and took a sip of his cup. “It must have been a shock then, seeing our sea.” “Yeah, it was.” Changbin admitted, laughing. He leaned back on his palms, fingers intertwining with the mint green grass as he stared at the stars above. “So was your whole planet, to be fair.” Felix looked down at him, bright eyes studying his face. “Yeah, we’re pretty amazing.” he shrugged in fake nonchalance. Changbin laughed and hit his shoulder, making him laugh too. “Don’t brag too much. Earth was better on some parts.” Changbin conceded, as he leaned back on his elbows. Felix’s eyes widened in curiosity and he hovered over him. “Like what?” he whispered eagerly, almost like he was asking for a secret. Changbin chuckled at his cute demeanor and brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead. “Well, first the food-” At Felix’s offended gasp he held his hand up. “Wait, wait, wait I’m not saying yours is bad, it’s actually amazing. But our hamburgers, pizza, pastries- all that? It was to die for.” he stated, eyes sparkling with memories. Felix huffed but as he was intrigued with the strange names and the way Changbin seemed to really love it, he granted him that. “What else?” “Hmm, I’d say our night activities?” Felix coughed next to him, a soft blush rising on his cheeks. Changbin’s eyes widened and he quickly sat up. “No, no! Not those kind of activities!” he was quick to rectify. “I meant, going out at night, to see movies, have a drink, go clubbing or to the restaurant.” At Felix’s incredulous face he crossed his arms over his chest. “What? You can’t deny that it’s really calm here. What do you guys do at night anyway?” he wondered, genuinely curious. Felix blinked at him and burst out laughing. “Oh my Jae, Seo Changbin you’re unbelievable! You go out at night here three times in months and you think you already know everything?” He leaned forward and smirked at him, breath fanning over his lips. “Straya is everything but calm at night, human boy.” Changbin gulped and blinked. “Then show me.” he whispered, eyes darting from his shining eyes to his plush lips. Felix’s smirk turned into a wide grin and he took both his hands in his. “Come with me.” Felix whispered, and suddenly he was pulled up. Changbin blinked out of his reverie as Felix dragged him through the depth of the bioluminescent jungle. He stared at the back of Felix’s head and couldn’t help but grin. Together, they both ran away from the wedding. – – – – – It was well through the night when Minho began saying goodbye to everyone, having night duties to perform. Wedding or not, he had things to check up on. “Already leaving, Min?” CL asked with a warm smile as she came to him. He smiled and nodded, letting go of Midnight. On the way, she nodded to Jeongin and Yedam who were talking in hushed voices. They nodded back with bright smiles. She reached Minho and patted his shoulder. “Their union will be a good way to strengthen our clans ties, with Jeongin being a leader’s younger brother and Yedam a leader.” she commented, arm loosely hanging off his shoulder. Minho turned to her in shock. “You’ve already taken a decision?” he wondered. CL nodded. “I’ve known it for a long time that it was going to be him. I feel like everyone has known. Having other candidates was more out of formality, but even they knew that they were no match. Actually, I plan on handing him the crown sooner than expected.” she revealed. At Minho’s shocked gasp she grinned and looked him in the eyes. “I’m getting too tired of this. To be honest I’m thinking of a retreat to the South, beyond the Sea.” she whispered, looking down, a sad and regretful smile on her lips. Minho froze and blinked his tears away. So soon? Without waiting for his reaction she went on. “I’ll ask Suzy to go with me.” she sniffed, wiping her nose with a chuckle. Minho could only stare at her in shock. “You do know she won’t give up her position here for a chance to see her lover again, beyond the Sea?” he asked. CL chuckled and shrugged. “I’ll try. But I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” At Minho’s confusion she went on. “Now that everything she’s worked for is coming to an end, that she no longer has another purpose refraining her from loving him to her truest and someone to take her place, I don’t think she’ll be that reluctant. Actually, she might seize the opportunity.” she revealed, eyes reminiscent of all their memories as youngsters. “A successor?” he wondered out loud. CL nodded to he left. Minho followed her direction and his eyes fell onto a familiar blond. “You don’t think… Chan?” CL nodded. “Yes, him. He’s a born leader from what I’ve seen. She’s seen it in him too, I can feel it from the way she speaks and appraises him. She’s considering it. I know her better than anyone here, I can assure you of that.” Minho chuckled and nodded, walking back to his Pali. “You’re probably right. She’s too old now anyway.” CL snorted in indignation. “And it’s time for her and him to reunite, their love tragedy has gone for too long.” he scoffed, an amused grin on his face. CL burst out laughing and clapped him in the back. “You and your sharp tongue.” she laughed. Minho winked at her but then calmed down and looked at her. Her, who’d always been there for him. He’ll miss her. But her time has come. She needed to step down and he understood that perfectly. “Says hello to everyone for me. To him.” he declared, suddenly going forward and enveloping her into a tight hug. She yelped in surprise but relaxed and hugged him back. “I will. I’m sure he misses you dearly. He would be proud to see his training did not go to waste. You’re a worthy leader.” she mumbled into his neck. Minho closed his teary eyes. “I miss him too.” he whispered, hand blindly reaching for one of his trademark blue feather hanging from his necklace. “Give it to him for me, will you?” he smiled, leaning back and handing her a feather. She gently closed her hand over his palm. “I will.” she swore. “I hope to see you there soon too, when everything has calmed down and you’re allowed to roam this world freely. With your family. All of them.” “You know it’s unlikely to happen.” Minho pointed out, suddenly grim. With those relentless attacks from the humans he felt like he was never bound to be free. Yet, CL smiled warmly at him, eyes all knowing. “It will happen Minho. Sooner than you expect. I know you can feel it too, everything’s about to come to an end. Soon, no more of this.” she promised, hoping that those bad humans could be rode off soon. “Soon.” he promised, a tiny smile on his lips. She nodded in approval but suddenly slipped a note into his hand. “They are coming Minho. You have to warn your humans and ask for their help.” she whispered, eyes fearful but hopeful as she let go of his hand. Minho nodded in confusion and fear, clutching the note in his hand as a bad feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. She was right, he had to protect not only his people but the good humans who’ve strove to make peace with their kind. If this note was so worrisome that CL asked that of him, then he would. “I will.” he assured, eyes falling onto Jisung. A wave of protectiveness enveloped him and a newborn fire erupted in his eyes. He clutched the note tightly in his hand, his eyes never leaving the human. “I will.” – – – – – Changbin could only blink in utter astonishment as he toyed with his cup. “I never thought your world would be this lively.” he commented, eyeing the people dancing and drinking inside the small pub-like cottage. People were dressed in colorful garments, drinking around tables or dancing on a dance floor. Outside these walls people were sitting on the grass under the bioluminescence and enjoying an evening snack together, while others were playing around. There was also music everywhere. Felix had told him there was also an animation with the skulls of long extinct beasts on the other side of their tribe, where the oldest members retold the stories of their clan to their youngest. Felix chuckled and reached out to pat his hair. “I know, I know. You’ve been repeating that for one hour straight now.” he pointed out, biting into his Honuk. “I know, sorry, it’s just… so unexpected.” he lamely said, wide eyes still scouring the place. “Seriously?” he asked, genuinely surprised. “Did you think we spent all of our nights inside?” Changbin looked at him guiltily but shook his head. At this moment Gyu climbed up his sleeve, sitting on his shoulder. The cute ball of fluff let out tiny yawn and Changbin petted its head, telling it to rest. “No, no, it’s just… I’ve been here for so long and I never knew.” he explained with a sigh, wondering just how many more things he was kept in the dark from. His hand left Gyu to settle on the table, centimeters away from Felix’s. “We don’t bring everyone in town, you know?” the blond stated more than asked. Changbin raised a brow at that. Guess that made sense. They would not go around revealing everything to the first newcomer. “Oh, so I guess I’m special?” he smirked, reaching out to play with Felix’s fingers over the table. The boy blushed and looked to the side, eyeing the Lubia on their table, its dully shinning purple petals swaying in the wind. “You could say that.” he mumbled, biting his lip. Changbin’s hand froze over his. At this, the blond looked back at him, wondering why he stilled. However, when their eyes met he stopped breathing. The human’s ones held something he could not decipher, but it was profound and passionate. So much, that he felt like if he were to stare at it any longer he would do something thoughtless. He had never been stared at like this. Not able to take this any longer, he cleared his throat and stretched. “So? Were your Earth night escapades better, or this?” “To be frank, this is better.” “Really?” Felix gasped, genuinely surprised. Seeing the three humans together had him thinking that they were always doing cool and amazing stuffs back on Earth. “Yeah. Back in Seoul we had a lot of fun. But it was not the same. There were those few times we would sneak out when we were younger and we would go and play in arcades or simply walk around at night- these were really good times and we had a lot of fun. But…” he paused and looked around at the warm atmosphere, so different from the cold and devoid of emotions streets of Earth. “This does not compare to the feeling of warmth reigning over Straya.” Felix let go of his cake and wiped his hands on his leather trousers. “I think I get what you mean.” Changbin chuckled and shook his head. “I doubt that. Back there, we only had each other. It was just the three of us against the whole world. Here? Even if you’re alone, you’re never really alone. There’s always those warm smiles and touches and the kindness- everything is basically warm, while Earth is… frozen.” Felix sighed and looked down at the table. It saddened him to hear that. But what saddened him the most was the perfect picture Changbin seemed to draw in his mind of their planet. The boy had seen so few of it and yet, with all its flaws, judged it warm… he could not even begin to imagine how horrible half his other legacy was then. “Well, I am sorry to tell you I perfectly get that feeling. When I was a kid, our history made it that Straya wasn’t so warm for me. But I don’t blame my people for that. Actually, I don’t even think I had it that bad. My mom probably did.” Changbin frowned and reached out for his hand. “She was a scientist, right?” “Yeah. One of the most brilliant here. Or so I heard. But she was the one warm thing I remember from my youth. Then, came Woojin, Minho and all the rest. They were warm and we were a lovely family. But the streets were not as warm as they’re now. I won’t go as far as to say it was freezing but… if Woojin’s love for me was an ardent flame, theirs was a chilling blizzard.” he paused, eyes unfocused, then smiled. “Then, the years went by and all the fear with it. But… I get where you’re coming from Changbin.” he ended, looking up at him with a tight smile. To say Changbin was speechless would be an understatement. For a while, he had forgotten that the bright ball of light and joy seated in front of him went through hell and back. Funny how appearances could hide so many deep wounds. “My mom died when I was a kid too.” he confessed, surprising himself as well. “She did? I’m sorry to hear that.” “That’s alright. I never knew her that much. But I remember her smile. It was beautiful.” he stated, unconsciously smiling at the memory. “People say I share it.” Felix smiled at that and intertwined their fingers. “I guess you do.” he nodded, surprising the human, whose cheeks slightly went pink at the compliment. “People say I share my mom’s hair. But that’s not true. She was blond but… she had that cold blond type of hair while I hae the golden type one.” “Your natural hair color is blond?” he gasped in surprise, imagining him with his natural blond hair instead of his colored version. “God, I bet it suits you. Why don’t you let it be, instead of coloring it the same? What does it change?” Felix looked at him like he was an idiot. Which he probably was. “That’s soft blond!” he exclaimed, pointing at his hair. “Golden blond is not the same.” he huffed, pouting as he looked to the side. “If you say so, cub.” Changbin chuckled as he reached out to wipe his lips. Felix had soft lips. His thumb stayed a bit too long over his lower one and Felix’s heartbeat quickened. He looked back at the human. Changbin’s eyes were on to his lips. Suddenly overwhelmed, Felix let go of Changbin’s hand and stumbled up, face in flames. “Let’s go! There are some other things I’d like to show you-” he paused and shyly looked at him again. Changbin’s eyes were now on his, but they still held this thing that made his skin feel tingly. “That is, if you want to.” he carefully added. Changbin simply reached out for his hand again and intertwined their fingers. His eyes never left Felix’s. “Let’s go then.” he simply said, raising from his seat. The blond gulped and nodded, shyly leading Changbin out. He couldn’t stop his beating heart from drumming so fast. In fact, he feared Changbin would hear it. But the human only warmly held his hand, like he was shielding him from everything and making him stronger at the same time. So Felix relaxed in his hold and decided to trust him. – – – – – Minho was taking a stroll on the beach, along the sea, when the palm trees’ leafs shook. He looked up in surprise, not expecting to see a familiar humane step through the foliage. He frowned. Straya’s moon was up in the sky, way too up for the human to still be awake by now. “Sosoil Minho.” he greeted him, slowly extirpating himself from the thick foliage of the forest’s edge. He ran up to him, feet plunging into the water as he reached him. It was cold but welcomed after all the heat that had rushed through his body with all this dancing. “Sosoil Jisung.” Minho answered as he settled properly over Midnight’s back and looked down at him. The boy was obviously tired and Minho wondered if it were the nights spent in the labs or the training sessions that tired him out that much – he had seen the bruises on the boy. And while he knew Jisung was just as much a fighter as him – “soldiers” they call them on Earth – it still pained him to see the boy harmed in any ways. He remembered the first time he saw him hurt. His eyes were shaking and almost closing, his face sweaty and his feet bloody and battered by the rough nature. At the time, he had only felt pity and annoyance for the boy. But now… just thinking of it made him want to rip off the roots and stones that hurt him from the ground. “What are you doing here?” “Well, you didn’t say goodbye so I thought I had to find you.” he cheekily answered and Minho snorted in amusement. “Sorry, didn’t want to interrupt the dancing king. Are you leaving?” he asked instead, a hand reaching out to tuck back a strand of hair behind his ear. Jisung laughed at that but nodded and tiredly hummed, leaning into his touch. “It was fun, but I have to go back.” he chuckled, wrapping an arm around himself. He sighed and looked around, longing in the eyes. Minho raised a brow and leaned back. “You don’t seem eager to go back.” he commented, scanning him of his eyes. He was good at reading people but so far Jisung had been full of surprises, he must admit. The boy was still as spontaneous as ever, but he had begun to let loose on some reservations and beliefs he had. Or so, Minho liked to hope. “Much work awaits for me at the base. Though, I think it can wait until tomorrow. I’d rather go sleep at the moment, to be frank.” he revealed with a soft chuckle, massaging his arm. “So going home, it is.” Minho nodded, smiling down at him. He was actually relieved the boy would get some sleep. It was already way past his normal sleeping time, he should rest now. Jisung hesitated a second. “Yup.” he then confirmed, popping the “p”. Minho frowned at him. “What is it?” he asked, hands toying with his Pali’s short mane. “Oh, nothing. It’s just… you mentioned home, but our little flat does not really feel like home anymore.” The confession had Minho shocked, stomach churning. What did he meant? Was Straya no longer good enough? Did he miss Earth… did he wish to go back on Earth? The simple thought made him pale and he felt the urge to reach out and tuck Jisung away from everyone, in the safety and comfort of his tree home. Jisung must have seen his dreaded face for he was quick to smile and explain. “It’s your house that feels like home, Minho.” Minho gasped at that, breath knocked out of his lungs at that simple admittance. That, he had not expected at all. But the pure image of Jisung laying on the couch in their home, bathing into the Glowlight and eating a Gyujak while they laughed to some silly jock Jeongin made, brought a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach. A smile etched its way on his lips. He got down from Midnight, gently patting its side. Midnight understood the message and slowly trotted away, leaving the two of them for a moment alone. Minho turned to face Jisung, who looked at him in surprise. “I thought you were going home too.” “Walk with me.” he simply offered, walking ahead. Jisung only laughed and nodded, catching up with him and spraying sand everywhere. Some got into Minho’s eyes and he stopped, glaring at the shorter human. The boy only shrugged innocently. Minho shook his head in amusement and firmly took his hand in his, not wanting him to go around and spray sand down his throat this time. “Come.” he simply said, tugging him forward. Jisung’s breath caught in his throat and he looked down at their joined hands. His were so warm… he had never felt this kind of warmth before. And he was not saying this because the weather had dropped significant degrees this evening, rather it was because Jisung had mostly been alone his whole life. His two childhood friends he now called brothers had already held his hand like this. But it had never felt this warm and safe – it had never felt this love. The way Minho was holding it was so tender and steady – it felt like the leader would never let go of it, even if they were to face a storm. A soft smile blossomed on his face. Minho led them to a boulder, halfway into the water. He turned to smile at him. “Come.” he repeated, never letting go of his hand as he reached out for the tall rock and began climbing it. Jisung stared at him like he’d grown two heads. Did he really expect him to go up with only one hand? Now, he knew he was excellent when it came to climbing on things, but that was when he has two hands to do it. Minho turned his face sideways and looked down at him expectantly. Jisung blinked but finally grinned and shook his head. “You’re nuts.” he declared, reaching out and grabbing the cold rock with his free hand. He thought back to the time they climbed that volcano for the Ordeals. “But so am I.” he laughed. He quickly pulled himself up and was surprised with how firm and steady Minho’s hold on him was. The boy’s hand did not even shake. Instead, Minho hauled him up even further, catching him by surprise. He quickly took hold of the rock higher up and turned to glare at his friend. “You have no patience, I swear…” he facepalmed, eyes following the leader as he continued to climb past him, not missing the smirk on his face. “Motherfucker.” he mumbled in Earthian as Minho hauled himself up onto the top of the boulder. Not wanting to be “accidentally” tugged by the taller, he quickly caught up, for the first time struggling to do so. As he was about to join Minho on the flat top, another hand caught his upper arm and pulled him up. Jisung yelped as he lost his footing, closing his eyes as he expected his body to slam into the rock. But instead he was hauled up and thrown against an all too familiar strong torso. “Yah. You motherfucker.” he deadpanned, head resting into his neck as he slowly inhaled. “Never do that again. What the fuck is wrong with you… is that the Straynian way of helping someone up?” Minho chuckled, his breath tickling his neck. “No. I’d simply heard that you were an excellent climber, so I wanted to see if you could handle the way our excellent climbers do it.” Jisung finally looked up, a somewhat doubtful look on his face. “You guys really do it with just one hand?” “We like the thrill.” “You’re really plain mad.” “Probably.” Minho shrugged and Jisung snorted at that, leaning back once the crashes of the waves against the rock reached his ears. “Woah, that’s so cool.” he breathed out, walking to the edge. “Is that what you wanted to show me?” Minho hummed and Jisung smiled. Minho was a sweetheart. All around him was a wide expanse of holographic water, with slow but tall waves crashing down white sand and boulders. The hills on both sides were covered with bioluminescent grass and plants, and the horizon ahead was full of colorful stars. Jisung could even see a planet from up there. There were no clouds tonight and Straya’s aster was up in the sky, standing in the center of all stars, her reflection a glaze over the sea. “What is beyond there?” he asked, pointing at the horizon, his voice barely heard over the strong crash of a wave. “Other lands.” Minho commented from behind him. “Inhabited?” “Yes.” Jisung’s eyebrows shot up at that. Humans had never heard of it. Though, their satellites never got to fully fly around this planet, blowing up into space the moment they tried to go further, so he shouldn’t be that much surprised by this new piece of information. However, he was eager to know more. But he knew Minho enough by now to know that if he did not elaborate it meant he didn’t want to talk about it. So he closed his mouth and simply stared ahead. Suddenly, a stronger and bigger wave crashed against the boulder, sending water flying all over them. Jisung gasped and stumbled back- Straight into Minho’s arms. He yelped but his words of apology died down the moment the boy tightened his grip around his waist, nuzzling his neck and shakily breathing in. “Stay.” Jisung stilled in his arms, eyes wide. What did Minho… meant? “Please don’t leave-” Minho paused and swallowed, seemingly struggling to find the words. Jisung didn’t dare to say or do a thing as he waited for him to go on. He could not even breath properly, too shocked to. But then, Minho said it: “… me. Don’t leave me.” It was like a slap in the face, a wild wake up call, like a heart attack even. Minho wanted him to stay here. To stay with him. Not leaving him any more time to proceed what was going on, Minho shakily gulped and lowered his head against his nape. “I don’t think I can handle to ever let you go.” he admitted in a whisper, one that Jisung didn’t miss against the waves’ crashes. After a second, he finally found the strength to wrap his hands over Minho’s. “Minho,” he began, voice surprisingly calm and steady. “How could you even think I would leave this place? I never intended to. All my life I fought to find a home and now that I have it… there’s nothing left for me on Earth.” he confessed. He turned around in his hold and grabbed his face with his two hands, leaving a wide eyed Minho stunned. “You doomed yourself to have me forever by your side the moment you’ve let me come here.” Jisung admitted, omitting the few small details that made everything so complicated. But for now they did not matter. Minho could not help but let a shaky breath out, a smile blooming over his face. His hand went to Jisung’s chest, over his heart, where the dog-tag and the blue silvery feather rested. “Good.” he declared, feeling the cold hit his cheek as one of Jisung’s hand left it to settle over his own. Jisung stared at Minho’s shining eyes for one more moment. And in that moment, he realized that Minho knew and understood Jisung’s feelings as well as accepted that he had to wait for them. And he was willing to do so. So he let go of Minho’s other cheek and tugged off his chain, the metal breaking. His neck should have felt bare, now that it was gone. But the simple weight of the light string holding the blue feather around it made it feel like nothing had changed. Minho stared down at their joined hands in shock, the cold chain in between sending shivers down his skin. Jisung let go of his hand, letting the dog tag rest in it. It had a new owner now. “I’m not leaving.” he promised again, looking him in the eyes. Minho clutched the necklace tightly and looked up. “Good.” Not even five hours ago Jisung had thought that the Grand Tree would be the place he’d made his promise. Yet, right in that moment, nothing felt more perfect than there and then. – – – – – “Did you like it?” Woojin asked Chan from his spot next to him on a large tree branch in front of his house. Chan turned to him, knees tucked under his chin. “You mean the food?” he smiled, eyes turning into crescents, seconds away from letting out a goofy laugh. Woojin playfully rolled his eyes and elbowed him in the ribs. “No, you Yeshihk. The wedding.” “I know, I know.” he chuckled. “To answer your question, yes I absolutely loved it.” Woojin smiled at him in happiness, glad to hear that. He always had this stupid fear that Chan would not like what he saw. But as soon as he was next to the human and saw the vibrant spark in his eyes that fear disappeared, like it never existed in the first place. “Actually, it was my first ever wedding and I’d feared it would grow to be boring at some point. On Earth that’s the case, but here… it was fun from beginning to end.” he confessed, looking up at the starry sky. He could see their stars from up there. Orion and Helios. “Why was that?” he genuinely wondered. Chan turned to him, eyes falling on his. “Because you were with me from beginning to end.” Woojin’s eyebrows shot up and he chuckled. “Did you say that to all your girls back on Earth?” Chan smiled cheekily. “Only if we were sitting under the stars like we are tonight.” Woojin burst out laughing at that and Chan soon joined him, their laughter echoing in the silent night. “No but seriously,” Chan began after a while, now calmer. “I meant it.” Woojin’s eyes turned into crescents as he smiled. He reached out for his hand and placed his over it. “I know you do.” he then looked in front of them, at the tree house. “Will you stay the night?” Chan looked ahead too and hummed. He squeezed his hand. “Never had any intentions of leaving.” Somehow, these words felt like they held another meaning. But neither commented on it, well aware of it but not needing words to state it, instead opting to hold hands a little bit longer into the quiet of the night. – – – – – “Oh god, how many Honuks did you eat, cub?” Changbin huffed as he reached Felix’s bedroom. The boy mumbled something against his shoulder, along the lines of ‘shut up you Yeshihk and let me go’. Which Changbin did gladly once he reached the boy’s bed. Felix slumped onto the covers, yawing and stretching tiredly. “You should change before you fall asleep-” the human however cut himself the moment he saw the boy curled up on his sheets, looking seconds away from passing out. He sighed and sat himself next to him. He reached his hand out. “Arms up, cub.” he asked, tugging the boy’s sleeve. The blond whined but sat up, letting Changbin undo the knot tying his robes together. Amusement took over the human’s features as he reached out to undo the hair extension and jewelries off the boy. This scene seemed so familiar, and he was suddenly all too reminiscent of their second encounter. Now that he thought of it, not much had changed. Changbin then moved to the silky pale blue robes and slid it down his shoulders. He took in the marvelous expanse of slightly tanned skin. He couldn’t help but admire Felix’s well sculpted body. It was like he had been carved by the gods, looking more beautiful than any human could. His eyes traveled from his shoulders to his back and back to his torso, once more in awe before his tattoo and bellybutton delicate piecing. His eyes fell onto his ribs. They darkened a little, the long scar making images flash before his eyes, images he’d rather erase from his memory forever. Not thinking twice, he reached out and thumbed the scar. Felix’s stilled at that, now wide awake and conscious. He looked at Changbin in worry. While he considered this scar a strength and was in no way ashamed of it, he knew that it wasn’t pretty. He wondered if Changbin thought any less of him for it. “What do you think of it?” he asked, voice low and strained. Changbin didn’t even hesitate to answer, eyes never leaving it. “That it’s beautiful.” he declared in all honesty. Felix choked on his breath, not having expected that answer at all, and Changbin looked up at him. “That you are beautiful.” Felix blushed and sputtered. “You’re beautiful too.” he honestly said, wanting the human to know it. Changbin chuckled and shook his head. “You’re too kind.” “I mean it Changbin. I really do.” he assured him, eyes wide and honest. Changbin stared at him in bewilderment. He was surprised by his earnestness. But it made him smile and warmed his heart. He reached out and tucked a loose curl behind his ear. Felix’s eyes fluttered close and he leaned into the touch, relinquishing into his warmth. The moment stilled for a minute and Changbin suddenly had troubles breathing, too close to this marvelous creature, feeling like his fingertips were about to get burn by the bright light sitting in front of him. He hastily stood up and Felix blinked at the loss of contact, confusedly looking up at him. Changbin cleared his throat and straightened up his clothes. “I think it’s time for me… huh… yeah I need to-” “Stay. Please.” Changbin’s words died in his throat at the quiet plea, eyes meeting Felix’s dejected ones. His heart broke at the sight. And he realized that never again did he want to see them like that, worst, be the cause of it. So he snapped. He kneeled before him, reaching out for his face, desperate. “Listen, one word of you and I’m gone Lix, out of your life, out of everything. But-” he paused, choking on his words, all coming to him in a tangled mess. He took a sharp inhale of air and tried to calm his nerves as he stared into those shining golden orbs. “If you… If you want me to stay, if you want me here…” Changbin cursed under his breath when he saw those eyes well up and brought their foreheads together. He stared him in the eyes, eyes hopeful and determined, never wavering. “Then you have me kneeling at your feet, ready to do whatever you ask of me, be whatever you want of me.” A single tear rolled out of Felix’s unblinking eyes. He slowly and softly uttered those words out: “Even if what I want is not what you want?” “I’ll take it still.” “Kiss me.” The words had not even fully fell out of his lips that Changbin’s own were already crashing over his. Felix choked on a sob as he reached out for his nape and pulled him in, their lips moving in harmony. He had never felt so loved, tingles exploding all over his skin. Changbin gripped the back of his head and bit his lower lip, tasting what he had died to taste for so long. He could not believe this perfect, strong but delicate being was finally his. Felix answered just as passionately and shakily inhaled, not believing what was happening. Changbin protectively wind up an arm around his waist and brought him closer, promising to always be there for him if needed be. Felix could only desperately hold onto him, as he swiped his tongue over his own. He wanted Changbin to stay true to his words. Changbin only wiped his tears away of his free hand in answer. “Kiss me.” Felix could only repeat against his lips, the moment Changbin leaned back. And so, the human did. – – – – – Jeongin woke up to a snowflake hitting his nose. He blinked his eyes open in confusion. How in the world… His eyes widened as he looked outside the big rectangular window hole in his bedroom. The first snow had fallen. It was still dark outside, it was probably only four or five in the morning. But their soil was already covered in a small coat of it. He shivered and rolled over in his bed, seeking more sleep. His eyes fell on his orange fur. They widened and he looked up, almost screaming out loud once they fell onto Yedam’s sleeping face. The boy was still sleeping soundly, so Jeongin quietly got out of bed and settled to sit on his windowsill, one leg hanging outside. He reached for the ground and wrapped the first robes that came to his hand around himself. Black robes. Yedam’s robes. He smiled to himself as he stared at the beautiful landscape outside. Now that everything was clearer, all came back to him. Yedam and him had danced the night away and were too excited to just settle back down onto their chairs. So they ditched the wedding and had a night stroll on Chittaprr before they let him go and settled for the Sureki grounds, in that one clearing Jeongin had stolen some orange paint. There, they had talked for hours and chased one another through the jungle like they were children. When they had reached his house, Yedam had planned on leaving but Jeongin had simply tugged him inside, where they barely even had time to take off their robes before they had collapsed onto his bed and slept like snoring Palis. All had been so fun, in fact, the most fun he had in a while. He chuckled in reminiscence and focused back onto the boy in his bed. However, this time Yedam’s eyes were staring right back at him. “Sosoil.” “Sosoil.” Yedam smiled, somewhat shy, and stretched, looking like a panther. That made Jeongin smile. The boy then sit up and rolled to the bed’s end. Jeongin’s eyes never left the scar on his bare shoulder. There, Yedam sat and looked for the pouch he left on the ground. He took out a small ointment and pulled the cap open. Wordlessly, Jeongin walked up to him and took it from him. He poured a generous amount of it onto his palm and kneeled on the bed, behind him. The silence that engulfed them as he worked his palm gently over his muscle, that once would have been just plain embarrassing, was now nice. As he finished to rub it in and hovered his palm over his warm skin, Yedam reached out for it. He intertwined their fingers and brought it his lips. He closed his eyes and kissed his palm, and Jeongin reached for his jaw and lifted it. He stared at Yedam’s face and smiled. “Do you know where I see myself in the future?” “Hopefully with me.” he sheepishly grinned. Jeongin chuckled at that and lightly tapped his cheek. “I always pictured myself staring at a sunset on the beach, alone and painting my last work onto a seashell that I would send to the sea, hoping it reaches the other side.” Yedam hummed thoughtfully, leaning back onto his hand. “That’s a nice perspective.” “It is.” But as he uttered those words, his eyes could not stop staring at the younger boy. He had thought of it for a while but having the boy so close to him now, it all seemed so much clearer. In fact, now that this boy had wrecked into his life, he could no longer imagine this future anymore and be content with it. No, what he pictured instead was himself running back toward the jungle into a certain person’s awaiting arms, the both of them holding hands and walking back home. He stared some more at the beautiful boy in front of him. Said boy smiled at him, seemingly content with what he had. Now that he thought of it, it was true that Yedam was not difficult to please and never really asked for much. Jeongin could probably give into his requests a little bit more. “There’s something I want to show you.” he declared, hand carding through his dark locks. Yedam’s smile made it all worth it. – – – – – “To all units, ready your guns. We’re about to leave.” “Rogers.” Elya gritted out, turning off his mic and earphones. His eyes were red and swollen, unshed tears in them. He turned his head to the side, worriedly eyeing his sister. Seraphina looked even worse, anger all over her face as she covered her belly with one arm. She hastily wiped off a tear from her cheek before anyone could see them, smearing her camouflage paint all over her cheek. “I can’t do this Elya.” she groaned, head hitting the backseat of the helicopter they were in. Elya tightened his jaw and looked down. “I know, I’m sorry. I had no idea this asshole would bring the attack sooner.” he cursed under his breath and loaded his gun. “I swear he found out about us and tricked us.” “We’re not going back there alive.” she declared, eyes closing. Elya bit his lip, brain churning. No, they were indeed not going back there alive, if they were going back at all. But he could not let that happen, not to Sera, not to the baby. “We have to retreat. It’s either that or we get caught and he gets to do… god knows what he’ll do.” he whispered, frowning in horror and pain at the image of Seraphina facing the asshole’s craziness. “But we can’t leave the boy, Elya. We promised we’d free him. He helped us so much, we can’t leave him to them.” she whispered, anger taking over her features once more. And she was right. They could not let the boy in there. “Alright. Then I’ll go back-” “No!” she hissed, quickly looking around to see if they were spied on. Elya smirked. “What? You think I’m going to go all hero and sacrifice myself? That’s not knowing me well, Sera. Our colleagues here are probably ordered to kill us the moment this attack begins. What do you say we discreetly ditch them like the professionals we are and smuggle the boy out before all the units are ordered to leave? All this asshole’s elite is on this mission, no one really scary will be guarding him and,” he looked down at his watch and pursued his lips with a shrug. “That leaves me fifteen minutes to get him here unnoticed, which is more than enough.” Sera pursed her lips, thinking through his plan. “Sneaking in and out won’t be an issue. But what about the attack?” she demanded, eyes firm. It was clear that she would not leave before she could prevent those innocents’ deaths. Elya paused. “Then what about this… I go smuggle the kid out and you run to your father, your sister, Minho or whoever you want to get help from, and save them?” “And with what do you plan to reach us? Running is not an option.” Elya smirked. “With what, my darling of course.” Sera’s eyes softened. “You really think that after all these years it will answer your call?” she gently asked. Elya smiled at her, love in the eyes. “Of course. A Young Wing never leaves its partner’s side.” Sera smiled at him and nodded, eyes set as she took hold of the helicopter’s commands. “Good. Then get off my baby and go get him.” she declared making him laugh. He hoped off the engine and offered her a salute. “If anything ensues or if there’s any issue, you call me. Got it?” she asked, tapping her earphone. Elya smirked and nodded. “Count on it. Now go save them.” he instructed. “Mode incognito on?” “Mode incognito on.” she confirmed as her helicopter turned invisible. A formidable technology the asshole acquired after stealing some of the Stray’s bioluminescence. “Stay safe.” He smiled and looked up at the top of the building’s east tower, where the light was still on. “You too Seraphina.” “Hyuna. My real name’s Hyuna.” she suddenly declared as the helicopter rose from the ground in total silence. Elya smiled and nodded as he sneakily approached the building. “Then stay safe Hyuna.” Hyuna laughed and nodded, though he could not see her. She rode away, amused but not surprised that Elya did not tell her his real name. That could wait for later. For now, they had people to warn. They had people to save. As her eyes fell onto a familiar base ahead over the horizon she slowed down, longing filling her eyes. “It’s good to be back home. Wait for me Suzy.” She looked down at her tablet, where data was stored in. Her eyes fell onto a file called “future leaders”, something her sister had sent her a while ago. Under it was one name, a name she was sure would change many things. “May you be as great as my sister claims you to be, or else we’re all doomed to face some deep shit.” she muttered to herself as she dashed into the night. “Let’s see what you’ve got Unit 3Racha.”
~~~~~~~~> To be continued…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Minho stirred in sleep, frowning as a dangling red leaf from his bed fell on his face. It was ice cold. Finally, the cold season was there. He swiped it off, turning to the side, finding warmth next to him. Jisung was there, sleeping soundly, curled into his red and mint sheets, a crown of dead leafs in his hair. He smiled and reached out to brush them. But, a strong gust of wind seeped through his window hole, casting the bedroom into a freezing cold and sending red leafs from the headboard down on the bed and tiny white and mint flowers from the twigs dangling from his ceiling down the floor. Minho froze, watching them loose their shine as they died. A shiver crept up his arms, his pulse slowing down as seconds passed, and, finally, he realized it. Straya’s winds were never this strong. He hurriedly jumped off the bed, running to his balcony. His eyes shone a threatening hue of gold hazelnut as he scanned the area, white shiny dots on his bare chest giving him an air of beacon into the bioluminescent night. Shivers crawled up his arms as trees shook and sandy mud flew off the ground. What was going on… Then he saw it. Although silent and transparent, Minho could perfectly distinguish the curves and shapes of a helicopter dashing through the sky – so well that it would have fooled anyone who was not familiar with this advanced technology into thinking that there was nothing in the air. But Minho was not just anyone, he was a Stray and a leader, and he knew what was theirs. This technology – it came from their bioluminescence. Who dared steal it. He clenched the railing and growled as he followed it of his eyes, fearing the worst – only to gap in utter astonishment as soon as he saw where it landed. “What in the utmost fuck.” He growled, eyes darkening. “Jae help me, if we’re not already all dead by tomorrow.” he cursed, dread filling his veins. Minho was rarely, if never, angered and panicked. But this was too much. He needed clearance and explanations, and he needed it right now. Or else there won’t be any mercy. For anyone. He hastily turned around, tugging a cloth off the straw chair, and slip his hand in Jisung’s own on his way. He kissed the knuckles and woke him up, confusing the tired out boy. “Minho?” he mumbled, eyes fluttering open.”What is…” “Not now, Ji. I’ll explain on the way.” Minho shushed him and pulled him out of bed, handing him one his warmest robes on the way. Not wasting one more time, he quickly ushered him out, straight into the living room. Woojin was already in to his relief, seated on the couch and nursing a warm brew while carding his hand in a sleeping Chan’s hair. He looked up in worry, face tight. So Woojin had figured it out too. “Minho, we can’t let them in the dark no more.” he softly spoke, as if scared he would trigger more anger in him. But Minho just sighed and nodded. Jisung looked at him in confusion at that. “What is Woojin on about?” He asked, taking a step to the side, not in fear or distrust but to properly look at him. Just as he uttered these words out, Felix and Changbin opened the door, looking like they had been awake all along. “What was that, Minho?” Felix asked with fear in the eyes, arms crossed over his chest as Changbin wrapped one around him. The leader simply grabbed his spear, keeping a hand tightly locked over Jisung’s wrist. “Go wake up the others. I’ll explain on the way.” With that, he made his way to the front door, with one direction in mind. As he ascended the spiraling staircase his eyes fell over the JYP Facility. He clenched his jaw and tightened his grip over his spear. No mercy. – – – – – “I can’t believe someone broke through our defenses-” Suzy cursed, tying the belt of her pink dressing-gown as she slammed the security hall’s doors open. Wooyoung followed behind her, shoulders tensed as he glared at the shaking guards. He watched the woman furiously type codes on the keyboard, only for her to curse and slam it. “Damn it!” she yelled, turning around to lean on the desk. She pressed a hand over her face and Wooyoung worriedly eyed her. In all these years he had known her, she had only lost her cool three times. She quickly straightened up and walked to the security guards’ chief. “You better get all your units ready, there’s probably an attacker roaming freely inside this facility right now, and god knows what they’re after but there’s too much to loose for them to take another step in. So. Get. Your. Fucking. Arse. Moving.” she growled, finger hitting his chest with each punctuated word. Wooyoung would have interfere, really, because Suzy was damn too scary, but he was on her side on this one. She was right. There’s too much to lose and as the commanding figures they have to do something. No time for sugarcoating shit. He watched as the chief quickly nod and went to his units. Suzy turned around to face him, panic written all over her outraged face. “Someone is roaming freely in the East wing. God, someone is roaming freely in our building! How could they escape our security check…” Wooyoung had to frown at that. “That’s technically impossible, no one can enter this facility at night without being registered into our data. Your father made sure of it. They only way they could have gotten in, would be…” he trailed off, wide eyes looking up at her. She seemed to catch on too as she parted her lips and brought a hand to her heart. “To either disable the security check or be part of tour data.” she concluded, turning around to face the computer screens. At the same time, the door slammed open. “Did I scare you all?” Suzy and Wooyoung turned around at the familiar voice, hastily ordering the soldiers to put their guns down. Suzy’s eyes welled up with tears when she laid eyes on the slender figure at the door, a smile and eyes she shared greeting her. “Damn right you did, you idiot.” she groaned, sniffling as she ran up to the other woman. She embraced the girl, gasping when her toned stomach hit a round one. “God, I don’t see you in years and you come back knocked up. You’ve got a lot to explain, little sis.” Hyuna laughed, crying in her shoulder. “And you’ve become a grumpy bitch, great. I always knew you’d grow wrinkles before dad.” she grumbled, biting back a sob. Suzy laughed at that and slowly leaned back, taking in Hyuna’s skinny appearance as a new wave of tears hit her. But beyond her aghast appearance, the lack of life in her brown orbs was what made her shiver. “Oh god, what did they do to you.” Hyuna sadly smiled, eyes darkening. “To me? Nothing much, thank god. But we’ll catch up later. I have escaped-” Suzy’s eyes widened. “You what?!” Hyuna smirked. “Well, what did you think? That I just randomly left that asshole’s facility to have a chit-chat with y’all?” she snorted but turned serious again. “I escaped Suzy, it was time to. We couldn’t wait for your retrieval operation. They found out about me and Elya-” Suzy frowned. “Who’s Elya?” Hyuna waved her off. “A spy from SM.” Suzy nodded, acknowledgment on her face. This reassured Hyuna. So, SM and JYP do still work together. “He arrived on the same day I did. We’ve stuck together all this time, he’s like a brother to me, but that’s beyond the point. What I’m trying to say is that we had to escape now, because…” She paused, words mixing and tangling in her mouth as a new wave of sobs wrecked through her. She tried to steel herself but could not, so Wooyoung brought her to a chair. Suzy kneeled at her feet, worriedly taking her hand. What did that asshole do? Hyuna took a deep breath and hugged her swollen belly as she rocked into the chair. Then, she looked her in the eyes, pure dread and fear shining into her eyes. “Because they wanted us dead. Suzy, they’re about to attack.” Suzy fell back on her arse at the same time the room’s doors slammed open once more. There, stood a fuming Minho and a disbelieving Chan in front of their crew. “What in Jae…,” he breathed in, face red with anger. “Are you saying?” – – – – – Changbin paced in the room, mind running with thoughts he could not control. How in the world had all of this been going on without him- them noticing anything? He ruffled his hair in frustration, unaware of Felix’s eyes on him. The Stray was worried. Did it matter so much to the human, having been kept in the dark? Felix bit his lip and looked down at his joined hands over his thighs. How many times had he wanted to say something but could not because it was not his place… He just knew these three humans would be of great help to all of them, but Minho had had judged it better not to get them involved just yet. So Felix had obeyed. Though, now that all was unveiled, he felt guilty. Whether the guilt was warranted or not… that he did not know. A hand was laid on his shoulder. He looked up and saw his older brother. Woojin was smiling, albeit bitterly, and slowly shaking his head. Felix would have made a snarky remark about hypocrisy and his own face, but as of now his heart wasn’t in it. They had barely began to built something overnight with Changbin and now… it was menacing to just come crashing down all together. Wasn’t there at least one moment of full completion waiting for him in this world? Frankly, with the upcoming news, he was starting to believe there was none. His eyes flickered over Changbin’s form once more. He just prayed to Jae they would hold on. He leaned into Woojin’s side, barefoot tapping over the metal ground. Last time he had went there he had worn shoes. So that is what unnatural ground felt like. It felt rough and cold. Not what he thought it would be. On the other side of the room Minho was sitting with Hyuna, Suzy, Chan and Wooyoung. “So your little sister is not dead.” he stated, a bit hurt by the lie that had been shoved at his face all these years. “I asked my father to spread the lie,” Hyuna explained as she hugged the blanket thrown over her stomach. “So that not even the enemy would suspect I was Hyuna. I worked under the name Seraphina, going undercover as a girl who hated the Strays after she lost her mother to the war, and who wanted to kill them. I joined Mr. Kim’s facility, feigning rage and vengeance.” “And they bought the lie?” “At first, no, I don’t think they did. And they probably wouldn’t have if Elya hadn’t helped me.” “Elya?” Minho wondered out loud, first time hearing the name. “Yeah, SM’s spy.” she explained as Minho nodded in recollection. “His full spy name is actually Elijah. He had already been in the base for two years when I came in. I had no idea he was a spy until he came up to me and told me that I was blowing it up. At first I didn’t believe him and thought it was a trap to test me made by Kim- he’s sick, so nothing would have surprised me. I had eluded his assumptions and pretended like nothing was wrong. But by chance I received a letter from father, telling me I indeed had a friend in here called Elijah. He helped me out, told me what to do to appear natural, and… what to do to gain Kim’s trust.” she trailed off, shuddering. “What do you mean?” Minho wondered, curious but dreadful. Hyuna winced and shrunk into her wheelchair, suddenly looking uneasy. “They actually had me under watch until I fully gained their trust… which was when I participated in their plan for an attack. I’m so sorry about that, Minho. I wish I could have had done otherwise… But we had to find out the real reason Kim stayed in the dark and sought to hurt your people. Otherwise we could never have dreamed of having him under justice back on Earth. We would have lost without proofs, and if we just killed him right on the spot and words got out, we would have had been asked to return back on Earth and sentenced to death. I’m so sorry, I can’t be forgiven, I know… But please don’t blame anyone else in this room. I made my choices alone and I’ll bear their full weight.” she ended in a whisper, head lowering in apology. Minho stared at her some more. It’s true she had hurt his people. But it was not voluntarily. She had no other choice. And when JYP had told him about the bad humans hiding in the depth of Straya’s jungle, he hadn’t done anything to stop it. After all, Strays never strike first unless threatened. When the third batch of humans had came in and the attacks begun, after he had been warned that Kim was back into motion, the humans had asked him to wait, just the time they could find out what Kim was really after, so that justice could be made down on Earth. He had accepted – promised to wait until the next attack. Now that it was coming, the humans’ time for research was up. He could only hope they had found what they needed. But if that woman was back… It meant things might not have gone well. “You helped us, right? You were the one who warned us, weren’t you?” “Well, yes. But-” “Then I forgive you. Casualties are meant to be during war times, sadly. You did what you had to do. I may not understand what being a soldier means to you, humans, but I know that it means to be brave,” he stated, eyes flickering to her belly for a moment. “And you were. You risked getting caught for us the moment you sent us those warning letters. You risked everything for us.” He went down on his knees and took her shaky hands in his. Looking her in the eyes, he said, “We value bravery, here, on Straya. And we value selflessness. You tried to save us, Hyuna. There’s nothing to forgive.” Hyuna’s tears fell out but no sound left her lips. She only stared, dazzled, at him. “… Thank you, Minho.” she finally managed to say, voice broken and suddenly looking petite on her wheelchair. “I also wanted to tell you… Kim had a kid he held hostage. A Stray.” “… What?” he brokenly whispered, his whole world crashing down. “But he’s fine, he really is!” Hyuna hurriedly reassured him. “At first, Kim ran tests on him. But as soon as we found out we managed to hijack the test sessions. We want you to know that no harm was done to the kid ever again for years, no matter what lies Kim might want to feed you.” she pressed, squeezing his hands tight in hers. She needed him to believe her, she knew how vicious Kim was, and she couldn’t risk their people going at war over lies. “Elya was supposed to retrieve him before he ran away. That’s why I came back here alone.” “What about now? Has he succeeded?” Chan asked, finally speaking. Thankfully, a smile blossomed on the girl’s lips and she nodded. “Yeah. Now, Elya is back to SM Headquarters. ‘Sent me a code.” she explained, tapping her earphone. “Whether the kid got injured or not during the escape, I don’t know. You’ll have to go and see for yourself how he is. You would have had to go anyway, Elya’s the one holding any information you might need.” Minho rubbed the bridge of his nose. Was there anything else coming up or were they at peace for now? But he smiled at her anyway. “Thank you. For protecting him the best you could. You’ve really done so much for us. I hope we can repay you one day.” Hyuna draped an arm around her belly. “Well, a small peaceful cottage for the baby, Hyojong and I wouldn’t be a bad prospect.” she joked, tiredly chuckling. Minho chuckled and nodded, while Suzy laid a hand on both their shoulders, making them look up. “Thank you, Minho, really. For understanding.” she thanked in a whisper, eyes brimming with unshed tears. The boy nodded, lips pressing together. She turned to her sister and smiled gently. “We can catch up tomorrow, when peace is made again. For now, you need a well deserved rest.” she chuckled, carding a fond hand through her pink locks. “Minho, if you don’t object, could we call a certain Hyojong over? So that they can reunite? Wooyoung will send one of his men to watch over them. If you want some of your people watching over them as well, feel free to send as many as you see fit.” Minho smiled, sweet and genuine. “Thank you. And of course, I’ll send Felix to get him.” he assured, calling the boy over. “Thank you so much.” Suzy chuckled, bringing her sister to her side. “What about I braid your hair while we wait for him – just like when we were kids.” Hyuna smiled up at her, catching her hand and squeezing it. “That would be lovely.” Felix – who finally let go of Woojin – came closer. “What can I do?” he asked, putting a hand on Minho’s shoulder. “Please go find Hyojong. I want him to reunite with his family.” he demanded, smiling at him. Felix turned in surprise to Hyuna. He smiled fondly. Seemed like there would be more people like him on Straya soon. He nodded, ready to leave. “Of course. I’ll bring him here in a few.” “Thank you,” Minho called out, the boy already out of the door. He looked around and noticed that Changbin was also missing. He smiled. Seemed like humans and Strays did have peaceful years ahead of them. He turned back to the sisters. “I’ll have Hyunjin watching over you.” He had a mind to say Jeongin, for the boy was less about brawl and more about slyness and smarts when it came to fighting. But in time like these, he’d rather have his little brother close by. “Good.” Suzy breathed out, actually relieved the leader put one more man on the watch. If Kim was really out to catch his sister, she’d rather have a strong man by her side. “Chan, will you have someone stay?” Hyuna snapped his head towards the boy. So that was Chan. It made sense, now. Of course, she should have made the link. And seeing how close they were to the Strays, she now understood why Suzy saw endless potential in them. Chan blinked his thoughts away and focused back on the world around him. “Huh me? Isn’t there someone else more… suited to decide? Isn’t there already one of Wooyoung’s men anyway?” he asked, looking sheepish and unsure. Suzy chuckled and shook her head. “Better three men than two. And you and your team are the only humans aware of the full issue at the moment. Squads 2 to 6 are in the rebellion. You know our soldiers the best, you can choose among your men or mine.” she offered, wheeling Hyuna around. She reached her office’s elevator and turned to him, expectant. Chan pondered over her words for a minute and finally cast a worried look at Minho. The boy will not approve of his choice. But feelings can’t be taken into consideration at the moment. But they were both leaders – although he was not on Minho’s scale – so he could only hope he would understand. As much as he trusted Suzy’s men, he would never trust them as much as his own. And Chan was not an idiot, Jisung would be a distraction for Minho – the boy already had too much to worry on. “Jisung will be on watch.” he declared, loud and clear, voice authoritative. Said boy only nodded from his spot by the window-wall. Jisung knew when a situation was serious and had no rooms for protests. If his duty was to watch over and not take part into the upcoming probable fight, then so be it. Never had he been so glad of having hit up the training grounds the whole week. However, Minho stood up at once. “It is dangerous.” he pointed out, jaw tight and fists balled, containing obvious disapproval. Chan raised a brow at that. “We’re all aware Minho. Jisung is a soldier, he’ll hold his ground if needed be.” he countered, hoping his tone left no room for arguments. Minho bit his cheeks and turned his head to the side, feet tapping the ground in a familiar pattern. He had nothing to retort but his worry for the younger boy. He knew Jisung was strong – never doubted it, in fact – but he simply wished he would have had him by his side. Chan took his silence for an approval and nodded at Suzy. The woman nodded back and pushed the button. “Very well. Jisung and Hyunjin can come up with me, I’ll show them the room. I’ll entrust Jisung to show Hyunjin around while I help Hyuna to settle. We’ll leave for SM Headquarters the moment I am done. Where should they send Felix when he comes to them with Hyojong?” she asked as Hyunjin came to a stop next to her. “Tell him to come and meet us at SM Town Headquarters. I don’t think he’ll handle very well being away from Changbin for so long yet.” Woojin informed, gathering confusing but unprostesting glances from everyone. Jisung on the other hand quickly waved it off and squeezed Chan’s arm firmly on his way. He stopped in front of Minho. He raised a hand to his chest, palm pressed against the cold dog-tag around the leader’s neck, subtly hidden by his shirt. “I’ll be okay. You need to focus on what matters Minho.” he whispered, so that only the two of them would hear as his feet moved to trap and steady Minho’s ones. Minho finally looked at him, anger and frustration in the eyes. “But you matter too, Jisung. How can I stay calm if you’re not in sight?” he hissed quietly. “It will just be worst if I’m in sight, hyung. You’ll focus on me, and that’s not good. You need to focus on protecting yourself, your brother, and your people first and foremost. There’s no need to add useless loads of worry to the equation.” he retorted, taking Minho’s own hand and bringing it to the feather hanging loose around his neck. “You’ll be by my side, anyway. We’ll meet again when all is settled, Minho. Just have faith.” Minho sighed, resigned, and Jisung let go. He walked over to the elevator, stepping in, close to Hyunjin. He sent a last warm smile to Chan. The doors slid close. – – – – – – “Felix!” Changbin stopped in the corridor, looking left and right. He had lost sight of Felix on his way down. But he couldn’t afford letting him go on his own like that. Not when the enemy was lurking around, ready to attack whatever they planned on attacking at any moment. “Shit…” he bit his lip in worry, eyeing the outside world from the corridor’s window. The weather was outcast, first snow slowly falling, bioluminescence giving way to dull purple and blue clouds against the gray of the early morning. As he kept walking, hoping to catch Felix by the facility’s entrance, he heard something. Music. Someone hitting the keys to a piano. Changbin’s eyes alight. He turned left and pushed open a lab’s door. His lab door. The music stopped. “Don’t tell Minho I’m not gone yet.” Felix said from his seat on the piano bench. His eyes were facing the horizon. “Why?” “Because I was waiting for you.” Changbin smiled, tenderly, at him. “I’m here. What now?” Felix ignored his question and brushed the keys of the pad of his fingers. “I really was about to exit. But then I remembered this place. It’s like it was calling me.” he explained as he finally looked back at Changbin, piercing eyes losing their nightly golden shine. “Changbin, do you really think we stand a chance?” Changbin leaned against the door-frame and frowned. “Well, I surely hope we do. I mean, we have weapons, fighters, good leaders-” Felix’s bittersweet smile interrupted him. He turned around in his seat and faced him, forearms on thighs. “No, I mean… Do we stand a chance?” Changbin was in front of him in five strides, taking hold of his face and raising it. “We do.” he assured, jaw set. “We’re not gonna give up on us because of some war, waged by a scumbag’s tantrum. You were so sure yesterday, what makes you doubt now? You were aware of it all along.” “It’s everything.” he confessed bluntly, lips turned down and voice deeper than usual. “One day I have you, the next I’m not sure I’ll do. I love you Changbin, I know I really do. But I don’t want to lose you.” The confession rang in the air like the sound of a key. Soft and frail, but resounding. Changbin brushed his cheek of a thumb, eyes softening. The fear had long left his heart, replaced by an unknown emotion. Was it understanding? Before he could dwell on it further, Felix spoke again: “And I thought I finally didn’t have to be afraid – that you’ll be here forever… But now so much shit is going on, and here we are… trying to make this work when a second war is blowing up. Will we hold on? I may have known it all but I didn’t think it through, Changbin. And I know you didn’t too.” Felix declared, raising his eyes to look him in the eyes, not in accusation but in helplessness. “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done Lix.” he sighed, Felix’s words causing guilt to churn in the pit of his stomach. Should they really have thought it through? Probably. But Changbin didn’t care. What’s the use of dwelling on what ifs? And if Felix believed in Jae, shouldn’t he believed that the entity was the one who brought them together? “Still-” He leaned down and brushed their noses together. Felix let out a little gasp at the gesture, making him smile.“We will. We will hold on, Lix. Don’t you understand we must?” he questioned, desperate. Fuck, he hadn’t promised something to the boy yesterday for it to be challenged so soon. Was this because he was human? Did Felix really think he would run away at the first difficulty? Felix chuckled, bitterly as he leaned away from the touch and threw his head backward. “I wouldn’t have said ‘kiss me’ yesterday if I didn’t, you Yeshihk.” Changbin blushed even though he tried not to. But that did nothing to change the serious atmosphere at hand. At least, it did reassure him on the strength of their feelings. “Then why doubt? Trust me, everything will work out just fine. I promise Fe.” “Because I’m scared Changbin.” Changbin immediately brought the boy’s head against his chest, caging him. He released a shaky breath. “It’s okay. I am scared too, you know? This is all new to me as well. But I’m not a coward and I’ll face everything that comes our way, rest assured.” He got down on his knees and raised Felix’s head again. “That’s what being together means, right? Facing shit and holding on.” Felix brought his hands onto Changbin’s cheeks, thumbs lingering on his lips. “… I always thought you were a reckless idiot,” he said quietly. “But you’re a brave person. That first night you came here and stayed out in the wild, I thought you were just someone who didn’t take the dangers of our planet seriously. But now I know it was not the truth. You were simply choosing danger over safety for the sake of that you loved.” Changbin couldn’t speak. While he never had worded it that way, Felix’s words did held the same meaning as his. His lover had seen right through his soul. “Well, I always knew the world held something better for me. And I was ready to find it no matter the obstacles.” he explained, cupping his hands. “I simply had no idea it would be you, Felix.” he muttered, leaning in and sealing their lips together. The kiss was short and not deepened, it was a simple press of lips. Yet, it held just as much meaning as the ones they shared in the night. Changbin sincerely hoped, as he pressed his lips even more firmly against the younger boy, that Felix’s fear would vanish. He could imagine how scary this was for this boy, who had always been so different and sheltered from that world. But he sincerely hoped that through this kiss Felix would turn out braver than he already was. For the two of them, he needed Felix to be just a little braver. And once all was settled, he would give him the life he deserves. All of it. – – – – – Suzy stood before the pink and white entrance gate, stomach empty and eyes framed by dark circles. Her coat seemed to barely shield her from the wind and first snow, and yet she stayed rooted on the ground. To say she was not happy to leave her sister alone when they barely even had have time to reunite was an understatement. But knowing her happy with Hyojong and safe with Hyunjin, Jisung and Wooyoung’s men was enough for now. Besides her Wooyoung stood, silently taking hold of her hand. She squeezed it back, wishing for nothing more than to get in and get this done with. As soon as the Earth government hears of Kim’s scheming, they’ll send a retrieval team and Kim will be sentenced back on Earth. Even those supporting his evil doings could do nothing in the face of public exposure. They would not risk the humiliation and losing the face. Everything will turn out well. They just needed those pieces of information Elijah held. Behind her, the Strays and the two members of the 3Racha unit were silent. Changbin had left Felix, heart light and tight at the same time. He would have went with the boy, but he trusted Felix. The boy was strong. And Chan needed him. Silently, he stepped closer to his leader, snow cracking under his combat boots. Everyone had changed, outfit proper for battle, weapons by their sides. All but Suzy, who insisted on leaving right away as soon as she left her sister. “What do you think we’ll find in there?” he asked Chan discreetly, already disliking the place. Chan eyed the tall white walls of the base, already feeling like he was back on Earth again. “I don’t know. I used to dislike the place as a kid when they told us about it back on Earth, but now that Kwon took over some yeas ago… Seems like SM became a better place.” Changbin nodded, a hand coming to a rest by his hip, fingers meeting cold iron. “I surely hope you’re right ’cause by the look of it, I already want to destroy them.” Chan smirked. “Well, you might get a chance at it if there’s an attack. Say it was a casualty or something.” “I can’t believe you’re joking about something like that right now, hyung.” Changbin snorted. “Anything to see your ass getting whooped Binnie.” “I hope you get shot.” “You definitely have a talent to lighten the mood.” Chan joked but when Changbin didn’t relax he grasped his free hand in his. “We’ll be okay Changbin.” Changbin only sighed and squeezed his hand. “May you be right.” “I always am.” - Minho was looking more restless than anyone else, head turning left and right every now and then, foot tapping the glaze-like ground of the jungle. Seungmin took his hand. “Breath in.” he ordered under his breath as burrowed his chin inside the unfamiliar fighter jacket. “We’ve faced worst.” he reminded. This seemed to do the trick. Minho breathed in and relaxed his shoulders, the familiar weight of his spear crossing his back comforting him. That was true, they had faced worst when they were kids. This was nothing compared to being on a battlefield weaponless. He looked around again, this time not in stress but in readiness. Changbin, Hyunjin, Yedam, Jeongin- everyone was on edge. If him and Chan were not as calm and composed as Suzy then everyone was bound to lose it. They needed to be strong. So he straightened up and tightened his hold onto Seungmin’s hand, grounding him. “You’re right. Sorry for loosing it.” “Don’t apologize. It’s okay. We need to trust one another as much as we can. That’s the most we can afford.” “You’re getting wiser day by day, Minie.” “Well, you do need someone to counsel you when you’re too spellbound to respond properly.” “What do you mean?” Minho wondered as he looked at him with an eyebrow raised in confusion. “What I mean is that these days you’ve been way too head over heals for a certain someone to work properly. So I’ve been talking to a few elders. They offered me guidance and their knowledge, so that I can shoulder you at times you need to have a life.” “That’s… oddly lovely coming from you.” “Oh, shut it Minho.” Seungmin huffed, a slight blush raising on his cheeks as looked the other way. “Oh, what’s that? The great Seungmin being swept off his feet by me?” “Please. I already have someone.” “Oh that’s true. Looking for an affair?” “If you speak one more word, I’m telling Hyunjin to kick your Pali.” “Oh, I can definitely see him do that.” “Yeah. So shut up.” “What a grumpy husband you’ll make, Seungminie. I pity Hyunjin.” “Well at least I’ll get a husband. I pity Jisung. With your micro guts, you two will be married at age seventy at this rate.” he snorted. Somehow, the mention of such an old age made Minho lose his smile. Seungmin frowned and turned to him, grabbing his shoulder. “Minho? Are you okay? Oh no, I brought the mood down again. I was only joking, you know it. I’m sure you two will be together soon.” Minho squeezed his eyes and smiled with difficulty at him. “Yes, of course I know you’re joking Minie. It’s just… I suddenly wondered if we’ll live such a long time…” Seungmin’s eyes widened. “Oh, Minho…” He quickly wrapped his arms around him and held him tight in the cold late night. “I’m sure we will.” he promised, squeezing his eyes shut. “We’re stronger than them.” “How do you know that for sure?” “If Hyuna has so much faith in what they got… If Suzy is sure justice can be made back on Earth… We have to believe in them. We have weapons if we need to strike, and even if we fail it’s only just one more blow to take before we take these assholes down.” He leaned back and looked him in the eyes with certainty as his fingers dug into his shoulders. “And then we’ll do what they’ve been trying to prevent all these years.” “What?” Minho wondered, voice small and uncertain. “Unite Stray and humans.” As he uttered these words, it was like the whole nature had agreed in a silent approval. The cold breeze had waltzed by them, sneaking into the collar of his soldier jacket and emphasized the cold of the necklace around his neck, the dog tag sticking close to his heart. Minho silently brought a hand to his chest. “Do you believe me, now?” Minho looked him back in the eyes, this time, certain of their fate. “I do.” The moment he said it, a tiny woman emerged from behind a side door on the left of the portal. She was really pretty, so pretty in fact for a human that she could have passed as a Stray. She bowed to them but offered them no smile, her face stoic in the silence. "Welcome to SM Town Head Quarters. I’m Irene. I’ll lead you all in, please, follow me." – "Of course.." Suzy grumbled as she took in the pink, rosegold and white interior while walking up the stairs. She waved everyone to follow her, overtaking Irene and leading the little troop forward. "Can never do anything like anyone else. No elevator, what in the world…" The girl who led them in hurriedly matched up her pace. “We don’t like elevators here. Boa-ssi strongly encourages us to take the stairs so we don’t fall for idleness.” she explained, waltzing through the corridors next to Suzy as she showed her a data-pad. This did nothing but remind Chan and Minho of the urgency of the situation. Exchanging a quick anxious glance with one another they quickly ushered everyone forward. At last, they reached a meeting room. Irene turned to them. "Boa’s waiting for you inside. You’ll also be meeting our spy, the man who’s been accompanying soldier Seraphina on the mission. We ask you to be considerate with him, he’s in a bad shape right now. The Stray boy we’ve retrieved is currently under treatments in our infirmary. Thankfully he is okay, just a bit shaken up. You can of course see to having him back under your care at any given moment. Madam Boa will see to giving you all the information you require during the meeting." Chan smiled at her, grateful and pushed the doors open. He stepped to the side to let the others in and eyed the room. It was not so different from JYP’s headquarters, only more… pink and chandeliers (I swear the first one that starts the song in the comments-). He looked down to find a woman dressed in a white tuxedo sitting at the head of the marble table in silence. She wasn’t looking at them but at the man in the wheelchair next to her, listening to his whispering. The boy was in a bad shape, indeed. A black eye, sullen cheeks, blood that had dried on his jaw and chin, his shirtless torso covered by bandages that were still coating in red, his arm in a cast, and bruises… lots of bruises. What had they done to him… They only seemed to notice them when Suzy entered the room. Woojin stood next to him, laying a hand on his arm in comfort. “Chan.. We don’t have to stay if you’re not feeling like it.” he whispered to him. Only then did Chan noticed he was trembling. But not from fear or being distraught. He was mad. “No. I’m alright.” He simply answered, voice hoarse as he walked to the closest chair. “Welcome. I’m glad you’re here.” Boa greeted, her voice so warm but so firm. “Allow me to introduce you to Hui, whom you might better know as Elijah.” The man greeted them with a nod and turned his eyes to Suzy. “Is Sera…” “She’s alright, don’t worry.” she answered, eyes softening. “She and the baby are being taken care of at this very moment. Hyojong is with her now.” Hui let out a shaky breath and smiled. His eyes glimmered under the light of the chandelier as he looked up and blinked his tears away. “Thank god. I’m so glad.” “I wanted to thank you. For protecting her there.” Hui looked back down at her, his expression pensive. “I did what I would have done for my very sister. But she was strong. I think… she had my back more often than I had hers in the end.” Suzy’s mouth closed and opened, but no sound came out. She didn’t know how to take that news. “We’ll have time to discuss that later, I believe,” Boa cut in, folding her hand under her chin as her piercing gaze met Minho’s. “For now, let us discuss the incoming attack.” “Please,” Suzy replied, nodding as she took a seat. “The information that are about to be shared are of top notched secrecy. I’m sorry but I have to follow the protocol. I’ll need to ask some of you to leave, only leaders are allowed to stay.” Boa apologized as she took back her seat. Suzy’s brow twitched but she turned to Wooyoung. “Should we argue?” she muttered. Wooyoung rubbed the bridge of his nose but eventually shook his head. “This is too important. We can’t loose that piece of information. I fear the rest we’ll have to wait until we come out. We can tell them after anyway.” With a nod, Suzy turned to Chan and Minho, who were surprisingly calmer and looking more resigned than she was. Perhaps they did realize the importance of this meeting more than she did. “Let us seat down for now.” she said slowly, turning around to sit the closest to Boa. Chan turned to his friends and smiled at them warmly. “We’ll meet you outside.” He gave Changbin’s arm a small squeeze as he exited and turned to Woojin. “Sure you can handle yourself without me?” the eldest taunted. “I’ll have you carry me back home.” Chan chuckled as he squeezed his hand, fingers lingering on his as he turned around and walked to the table. “Irene, please be kind to show our guests the waiting room. I’ll call for you when we’ll leave to meet the rescue.” Boa instructed with a warm smile as she nodded to her assistant. Irene nodded as she held the door open for everyone. When she closed it, Boa’s smile dropped and she looked into Minho’s eyes. “I think Hui has pieces of information you’d like to hear Minho.” – – – – – Irene was leading them all to a cozy – pink – waiting room. Seungmin and Woojin were at the front while Changbin was walking a little bit behind, lost in his thoughts. Behind them all, Yedam could not help but stand close to Jeongin, afraid that the minute he losses his grip the boy would vanish. "Don’t." Jeongin simply said, swatting the arm around his shoulders away. "Stop looking like I’m about to die, it’s making me uneasy." Yedam offered him a grimace. "Sorry. I’m just on edge. With those assholes on the loose trying to harm us, I can’t help but worry for my people and Swan." Jeongin pulled his lips in a tight line at that and nodded. “I see.” With this, he slipped his hand into Yedam’s own, offering him silent comfort. Yedam looked down at their hands in surprise. “Don’t look so surprised, I’m not repulsed by you.” Jeongin mumbled with a slight blush. “Never thought that,” Yedam answered. He bit his lips to repress a smile. “I’m merely surprised since you don’t seem that fond of having me touch you.” “That’s not true!” Jeongin hissed, swatting his shoulder of his free hand. Yedam winced but laughed discreetly. “I mean, I’m fine with you touching me, I’m just… not used to it. You do know that you’re really bold?” “So I’ve been told.” He shrugged. “Mills tells me it’s my main charm.” “I’m not sure you should listen to him.” Jeongin grimaced. Yedam side-eyed him with a raised eyebrow. “Isn’t it what made you fall for me?” Jeongin sputtered, face beet red. “Do you always have to make bold statement at impromptu moments?” “Should I keep quiet?” Yedam suggested, sounding genuine. Jeongin groaned, trying to will his cheek to cool down, trying not to think too much of the orange fur hanging loose at the boy’s belt. “Just keep walking.” Yedam smiled and obeyed. “Jeongin.” he called again after a while. “What?” Yedam tugged his hand, making him stumble back. Jeongin turned to him in wonder. “Promise me… That you’ll trust me.” Jeongin kept a poker face, but internally he was intrigued. Why this sudden statement? Had he something to hide? He didn’t like the sound of that… Suddenly feeling bad in the guts he forced himself to look down at the orange fur. Trust. It was their most precious ally. “Sure.” he nodded, looking back at him, eyes worried. Yedam’s features softened, whether in relief or actual fondness that he did not know. All he knew was that he leaned into his touch when he cupped his face. “… Don’t make me too worried though.” he mumbled as he fluttered his eyes close for an instant. Yedam leaned in and delicately brushed their nose together, almost imperceptibly, but Jeongin still felt it. Then, he nuzzled his cheek, breath warm against his ear, as he held him tight. “I promise.” “Don’t lie about things you can’t control.” he whispered as he tightened his eyes. “We might reunite with Jae today.” “If that’s our fate… I’ll do my best to go against it today.” he assured with a steady voice, steadier than anything Jeongin had ever heard. It made him open his eyes to look at the boy. And for the first time, Jeongin felt like he was standing in front of the leader Yedam was meant to be. And that scared him. All the leaders he’d known were prone to do great sacrifices. Suddenly scared senseless, he squeezed his eyes back shut and wrapped his arms tighter around his back. “Please don’t die.” “Jeongin? What are you…” he trailed off as he felt something wet touch his neck. “I’ve lost someone I love once. I don’t want to lose another one.” he confessed, voice a dark sound. Yedam’s breath was cut short and he reluctantly pulled back. Wiping the boys silent tears off of his cheeks, he looked him in the eyes. “Jeongin… I can’t promise you lies, you said it yourself. Don’t ask that of me…” When Jeongin’s lips began to tremble, he hesitated. “But I can promise you I’ll do my best to survive. I won’t be reckless unless I have no other choice. I won’t try to foolishly protect you with my life but I’ll fight alongside you. Even when I am meters away from you on the battlefield and I fall down, and you’re not here, I’ll stand back up and try to find you. Find strength in my words, even if I can’t offer you what you’d like to hear, please. We promised honesty to one another, right?” Jeongin breathed in and sniffled. The boy was right. No need to sugarcoat stuffs when they both know that the doom is impending – Jeongin may be goofy, but he was not naive. But, if they can promise each other to fight for survival, then that is enough for Jeongin. Jeongin pulled him back into his arms and bathed in his warmth as he looked outside the glass-walls of the walkway they were standing on. Outside, the snow was falling, tainting the ground white and casting frost on the glasses. How long till it became red? “We did.” he agreed. “And I promise you I’ll do my best to stay alive too.” Yedam’s hands closed around his shoulder blades. “Good.” – – – – – Minho’s chair fell backward as he looked down at Hui in horror. “What…” Chan stood up next to Minho, eyes wide with horror as he laid a hand on his chest, heart barely beating. “Hui, are you sure of what you’re advancing?” Hui nodded, eyes dark as he rolled backward. “I’m one hundred percents positive. The boy they kept… He was a Stray, as you know it. That’s what they took his blood and DNA for. They tried to mix his with that of humans, to create… to experience. Anyway, it was just pure torture to even think of it.” he explained, throat closing. He looked to the side, Minho’s gaze impossible to hold. “When I found out, I wanted to tell Sera- I mean, Hyuna. But with her pregnancy, she would have became paranoid or crazy mad, afraid at each step she’d take for her kid. She would have blown up our cover. That’s how I knew I had to get her out of there as soon as possible.” Suzy leaned heavily onto her armrest as she breathed out. “I think I’m gonna throw up.” Wooyoung worriedly supported her as he cast an alert glance at Minho who was already pacing. He had rarely seen a Stray so… emotional. “I’ll leave you to decide what you do with that piece of information. Just know that, whatever your choice is, I’ll stand with you. We won’t let Kim go away with it.” Boa assured, dropping her hand onto Wooyoung with a tight but determined smile. “Now, if you want to, we can go see the kid-” Suddenly, a gasp was heard and everyone turned to Minho. The boy was standing, frozen in the middle of the room, shaking, his gaze lost onto the table. “Minho?” Chan worriedly called out, voice dying down as the leader raised his shaking pupils on him. “What’s happening Minho?” “Felix. Felix and Hyuna.” Suzy frowned in confusion, about to ask a question but Boa beat her to it as she stood up. “What do you mean, Minho? Where are they?” But before he could even answer, Chan seemed to get it as suddenly stood up and ran to the door. “Shit! Changbin!” his yell echoed as he ran down the corridor. “Chan, wait!” Wooyoung yelled as he ran after him, mind a havoc. Suzy cursed under her breath and turned to Minho, now frantic. “What the hell is going on?!” Minho could only blink his tears away as he slowly fell over. Hui was quick to wheel over and catch him. “I can’t… I can’t believe I’ve been so stupid… Fuck…” he heaved out, fist tight against the wheel chair. “Minho?” Hui tentatively tried as the boy looked up at them, eyes red with tears and face white with rage. “Don’t you understand? We’ve been played by Kim all this time. His goal was to get his hands on half-bloods – Don’t you all understand? Felix, Hyuna’s baby… His attacks were never meant for him to get more bioluminescence or hurt us… It was to get his hands on something bigger- Felix and, now, Hyuna’s baby. This sick bastard…” he trailed off as another wave of madness and tears hit him. He felt like he couldn’t breath and his head fell back onto Hui’s laps. All he could hear and see were Felix’s smiles and laugh. His precious friend he promised he would protect… Suzy was the first to get her hands on a gun and run out, Boa pale and falling back onto her chair as she dialed a number. “Suho? Get your unit ready to escort Suzy and her team back to JYP’s headquarters. We’ll need your best men over there…” she declared, casting a worried glance at the remaining people in the room. Minho vaguely heard her words, a sudden fear gripping at his chest. He frowned and looked to the side, outside, to the Glow, trying to regain his breath. The brightness of the white was blinding him, making it impossible to calm down. The light was glaring at him, almost trying to tell him something but he couldn’t see it clearly through the fog. “No. That won’t be needed I fear.” Boa’s voice cut in. “We’re probably too late. There won’t be much survivors.” The fog lifted. “Jisung.” The name had barely left his lips that Minho was on his feet running out. His eyes were wide in fear, his ears ringing with silent but strident noises as his feet met the snow. His mouth had already whistled and he had not even registered it – he only realized he had called for Midnight once he was gripping him as they dashed through the jungle, faster than they’ve ever been. He clutched him tight as they came closer to the base, heart beating faster than ever. Only one name rung in his head. “Jisung…” His mutter echoed in the silent greenery as he strode closer, dread in his tears when he grabbed the dog-tag and clutched it tight. He grabbed his spear and urged Midnight to go faster. “Hang on.” – – – – – “Hyunjin…” Seungmin mumbled mindlessly over and over again as he tore apart labs after labs on his way. His hand was twirling an iron bar he found on his way, ready to swing it at any given moment. On his left he saw a man in black, breathing quickly, red blood marred on his body, eyes barely open. One of Kim’s henchman. He looked up and held a weak trembling hand out, eyes hopeful. “Pl-Please, don’t… don’t kill me, I-” Seungmin flipped the lab table over and pounced on him, the iron bar making a shrilling sound as it smashed against his skull at once. The man didn’t even have time to scream. Changbin or Chan should have had stopped Seungmin. Having a murder on the hand was not something anyone ever wanted. But they were no better, their own hands already bathing in fresh blood. Kim was such a nasty fuck. Rather than picking up his wounded soldiers from the assault, he had left them there, slowly dying, to the hands of whoever would find them, knowing full well that it would be them and that they would have no mercy on them. He was nothing but a sick bastard. “Fuck.” Changbin cursed as he found one of JYP’s scientist clutching his chest in pain, fresh red blood pouring out of his wound. He ripped open his shirt and pressed onto the wound, making the scientist scream in pain. “It’s going to be okay, hold on…” he grimaced, casting a glance at his leader. “Chan, I found San. He needs medical assistant right now.” “On it.” The leader assured as he held his talkie close to his lips. “Suho we found a survivor in the West Wing, 3rd floor, Lab Violet. He needs an immediate intervention.” “Roger.” The other team leader answered from the other side of the line, voice half muffled. “How many survivors so far?” Chan dared to ask as moved to the next lab, flipping a trolley to the side, freeing a door. “More than expected.” Suho informed him. “You guys seem to have put up one hell of a fight.” Chan smirked as he tried the knob. It was locked. He frowned and moved away. “We are well-trained. Each of us knew the risks coming here. Just didn’t expect it would come from our people.” he explained as he lunged forward, his shoulder colliding with the door in a loud thud. The door slammed against the wall and Chan fell forward. “Any sign of Felix and Hyuna?” “None yet, but I’ll let you know when we do.” “Okay. And… Jisung?” he asked, voice strained as he slowly rose on his knees. He winced and flunk a shard of glass away from his palm. “Neither, but don’t worry I’m sure he’s somewhere- Chan? Are you alright? Why are you breathing so heavily?” Suho asked. But Chan could not answer, the sight freezing him on the spot. He paled, barely able to walk in further as he took in the massive stain of red and blue blood on the white walls all around them, signs of obvious struggle, unlike any they had seen so far. On the ground, a large puddle of purple blood stained the carpet. His thumb let go of the button, cutting off contact with the team leader. “Chan, are you okay? We heard the noise-” Jeongin asked as he stepped into the room. He stopped right away, eyes widening as he took in the room. “They were in here Jeongin.” Chan whispered, suddenly tipping forward. “Changbin! Guys!” Jeongin yelled, as he rushed forward and held the unsteady human. His eyes welled with tears as he saw the blue blood still dripping on the glass wall. Yes. They had been there. “What’s wrong Jeongin?” Changbin asked, out of breath as he ran in. “Did you guys find-” He gasped, livid as he saw the mess. His eyes fell onto the carpet. “No. No fucking way.” he growled, eyes red with tears as he yelled and flunk an empty tray against the wall. “Changbin…” Chan called, weak as his brother looked at him, eyes begging him to keep quiet, not to say it. “I’m sorry.” Changbin brought a hand over his mouth and shook his head, taking a step backward. When Chan shook his head, adverting his eyes to the ground, Changbin lost it. “Fuck!” he raged, exiting the room without saying anything to anyone. Woojin, whose tears were slowly rolling down his impassive face, silently went out too. Chan didn’t miss his trembling fists. Suddenly, they heard a gasp. “Hyunjin!” Seungmin climbed over the bed and shoved the upside-down armchair away from an unmoving body. “Hyun…” his voice broke as he took in the sight of his One, bathing in a pool of his own blood, a gash in the stomach and a wound on the temple, his mouth still dripping of warm blood. His eyes were closed but his chest was heaving still. Seungmin brought his lover’s head onto his laps and held his head close as he rocked him. He pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I’ve got you… You’re okay, love. I’m not letting you go, you’re okay.” Wooyoung entered the room at this exact moment, followed by Yedam and two members of the EXO team. Seungmin looked up at him, his hands and lips now stained blue and his eyes pleading. Wooyoung gasped but steeled himself as his gaze dropped to Seungmin’s knees. “Call for medics. Ready an emergency room as soon as possible. We have another survivor.” Seungmin silently thanked him as another wave of tears hit him. He clutched the unconscious Hyunjin closer to his chest and dropped his head on his as he let out a sob. Jeongin silently walked over, putting a hand on his shoulder in support, eyes dark but silent tears rolling down his cheeks as he plotted revenge for his best friend. Chan silently thanked Yedam as the sat him down onto a bench outside the room. “Are you okay hyung?” he asked, kneeling in front of his friend with worry. “There’s no hope…” he muttered instead, face falling onto Yedam’s shoulder. The boy stood frozen for a moment, until he hugged the human, burying his own face into the crook of his neck. “I’m sorry hyung.” Chan shook his head, about to reply something when they heard a familiar voice down the corridor. “What’s going on over there? Did they find Hyuna and the guys?” Their blood froze. “Was that…” Yedam trailed off, the silent question answered when Suzy came running in. “Hyuna!” her voice cracked as she shoved a panicked Wooyoung away from the doorway and ran into the room. Her throat close as she looked at Hyunjin being put onto a stretcher. “Thank god, he is okay.” She helped Seungmin up and hurried him to follow his lover. She turned to Wooyoung. “Did you find anyone else in here?” Wooyoung shook his head. “Shit.” she gritted out, eyes welling with tears. “Not even on the balcony?” Wooyoung froze at that, confused. “The… balcony?” Suzy’s eyes widened in hope and she shoved him out of the way, towards the knocked over wardrobe. “Help me Woo!” Wooyoung was on the other side of the wardrobe at once, pulling the massive piece of furniture away. His eyes widened as the beginning of a door was revealed. He pulled harder and freed the way enough that Suzy could slip between the wardrobe and the wall. She slid her hand over the entrance pad and the door slid open. Suzy went in. Wooyoung heard a scream and knocked the wardrobe over at once, Chan and Yedam running in. They found Suzy on her knees, a cold body before her. “Hyojong…” she whispered as her trembling hands raised his body to her lap. Chan, Wooyoung and Yedam felt their heart miss a beat at the name, the cold slapping their face so hard, like the wrath of Jae was unleashing on them all. Chan looked up to the Glow, silent tears running out as the dull light glared down at him. There will be heavy consequences to this, wouldn’t it? Breathing in, Suzy pressed two fingers to his neck. One second passed, then another. The wind blew harder. Then, finally, she gasped. “He’s breathing… He’s breathing! Suho, Sehun, someone! Call a fucking medic and save him!” she yelled, red with madness as she turned to the three. She had hope in the eyes. A tall boy entered the room and wordlessly picked the man up in his arms. Chan recognized him as EXO’s youngest but exceptional member: Admiral Sehun. Chan had read so much about him in his years on Earth. How he wished they would have met under other circumstances, he had so many questions to ask him. But that would have to wait for now… He turned back around when Yedam tugged at his sleeve. He could only watch stunned as Suzy went back in and turned the room upside down. He would have had stopped her, and so would have had Yedam. But the sight was really too chilling. The room was full of so much blood, red, blue, purple… Sheets were thorn, bullet holes had pierced the glass wall and lamps were broken. It looked like wild animal had been let in. And yet, it had only been a human. Suzy fell on her knees as she clutched a pillow to her chest. Her eyes were void of emotions as she stared at them outside. “She is not here. That can’t be. Why… her.” Chan felt himself choking up and looked down. That was only then that he noticed something under his foot. He lifted it and fought back a choke. Leaning down, he grasped the familiar blue silvery feather into his palm and clutched it. “Jisung-ah, where are you…” “Soldier CB97!” Chan looked up at once and was running towards the voice before anyone could stop him. When he reached the stairs, his heart missed a beat. There, on a stretcher, was Jisung, unconscious but breathing through a mask. His torso was rising steadily but his face and chest were soaked with blood. “Jisung-ah…” Chan croaked out as he jumped over the railing and onto shards of glass. He reached them and cupped his little brother’s face as tears ran down his cheeks. “It’s okay, you’ll be okay Ji.” he promised, a grin stretching his lips as he sniffed. “They said he was stable for now. More superficial injuries if anything.” Chan looked up in surprise at Minho’s voice, only then noticing his presence. The boy was clutching Jisung’s hand desperately, his eyes refusing to leave him, as if he would vanish if he did. “Great, that’s very… great.” he swallowed, looking back down at him. “We found Hyunjin. And Hyojong. They’ll both be okay too.” Minho nodded at that, wordlessly. But Chan could see the immense relief in his eyes. “And Felix?” he asked, voice strained as tightened his hold over Jisung’s hand. Chan bit his lip as his vision blurred once more. He could only wordlessly shake his head. Minho let out a muffled cry and closed his eyes as they began to march toward the infirmary. As the doctors pulled Jisung in, Minho and Chan sat on a bench outside. “Do… Do you think they took him?” Minho finally asked, voice tinier than anything Chan has ever heard. “I don’t know.” he answered frankly, face dropping in his palms. They reeked of blood. Jisung’s blood. Blood he would forever carry on him. “We are not done looking into every rooms, so he could be out there. But let’s be real, they wouldn’t have left without him. Hyuna’s baby is about to come, but Felix? He’s already here. He was their winning ticket.” Minho let out a desperate wail and threw his head back, Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he contained sobbing. “I promised to protect him.” Chan glanced at the infirmary through his fingers, the glass doors revealing the frantic pacing of medics inside the room. “So did I.” – – – – – The day after, not many people had slept. The search had went on, some survivors were found, but no Felix or Hyuna. There was no doubt left anymore: Kim had taken them. The base had been mostly cleared up thanks to SM’s help and no one saw Suzy since her break down. Her and her associate had locked themselves in her office the whole night, not to be disturbed, not even for food. JYP had been made aware of the situation and it was said that the negotiations between her and her father had been hectic. On the Strays’ side, nothing was better. Minho, Mark, and CL had met up when the night had fallen. But they had not been able to take a decision on what to do with the situation at hand, as the fourth leader had not yet arrived. But if Minho were honest, he was lost, and for the first time since he was a leader, he wished nothing more but not to be one. Suzy had always been ready to sacrifice for the greater good, and so had the previous Strays leaders. He feared that this time the sacrifice would cost them all too much. On the brighter side, Hyunjin had woken up during the evening. To say Seungmin was mad with rage and not ready to leave his side any time soon would be an understatement. But Minho could understand. Minho sighed as he carded a hand through Jisung’s hair. He took in his beautiful and peaceful looking features as he slept, the medicines putting him into artificial sleep post-surgery. But Minho was not fooled, he knew Jisung was far from being at peace. “I miss you.” he whispered in the silent room. Only the beeps of the machine answered him. “Everyone is doing pretty much okay, I guess. Things could have been worse. Tonight, Suzy will announce what you guys are gonna do to parry Kim. I fear that she’s came up with a plan many of us won’t like.” he whispered as he stared outside, at the snowy landscape. Night was falling slowly, the last rays of Glow shining in the gray sky. “I… I don’t know Jisung, I want the best for my people too, but… Suzy is always so radical.” he sighed, looking back down at the sound boy. His thumb brushed against his warm cheekbone. “If she decides that humans and Strays shouldn’t see each other anymore, that humans should be forbidden from crossing our lands… just like in the past, I-” he broke off, eyes squeezing shut. “I think the fourth leader and Mark will agree. CL will do what’s best for her people without a second thought and, I… It hurts to say it but I don’t want my people to feel pain again.” He stood up and walked to the window. He stared outside, watching the Young Wings fly in the sky. “I need this asshole away, and I need any possible future threats away from them. That’s why I was elected Jisung-ah… Because my predecessor knew I would take the right decision.” He turned around and walked back to the bed, kneeling next to it as he lowered his forehead onto their joined hands. “But I want you. Why can’t I have the one thing I’ve ever wanted the most in my life…” He looked up with shiny eyes. “I hope you’ll forgive me and understand. I’m a leader. I’ve got to do this.” He kissed his hand and shut his eyes. “You’re the only person I’ll ever love Jisung. You have to believe me. But I promise you that, one day, when we’re all ready for you to cross the borders once more, we’ll meet again.” With that he stood up. “Sleep well, Jisung-ah.” Casting a last look at the boy, he left the room, the blue silver of his feather catching the light of the Glow one last time. Darkness finally settled over Straya. – – – – – Chan paced in the Strays living room, mind churning. Changbin and him had spent the night searching and looking after Jisung and Hyunjin. Minho had insisted that they should go back home while he looks after Jisung, insisting that Woojin and the kids would need them. So they had reluctantly agreed. And here they were, Changbin getting a bit of sleep – the few hours he could before being haunted by horrible sights from his imagination – while he paced in the living room over and over again. And he was scared. Tonight would be the reveal of Suzy’s decision, and by extent her father’s decision – which meant, straight incontestable orders from the government. Only the four Straynian leaders would have a say in this. And Chan feared for the worse. The crime Kim had committed was unforgivable. His objectives… they were sick, they were vile- so inhumane! And because of one man’s act, everyone’s fucking decision would inevitably affect JYP and SM, in the worst way possible he feared: separation, just like in the past. He looked around the living room. Was it the last time he would see it before he was cast away into the sterile labs and cold flats of JYP’s base for the rest of his time here? To bear it would be too much. “Jae… Why did you send me here? What’s my purpose if you take it all away at once?” he pleaded, eyes looking up at the sky as he stepped onto the balcony, taking a seat on the couch. “Chan?” Woojin called out, entering the balcony. Chan jumped on the spot and looked up. He calmed down at the sight of the familiar face. “Woojin… Why are you still up?” Woojin walked over and took a seat next to him. “I can’t sleep.” he simply answered, eyes veiled with sorrow as he clutched his plaid tighter around his bare shoulders. Chan startled at that. He had forgotten it for a while, but Woojin's brother was taken by Kim. He leaned his over head over his and held his hand. “We’ll find him, don’t worry.” “But in what state? A day has passed, Jae only knows if-” Chan clutched his hand tightly, cutting him off. “He’ll be fine. I can’t promise you he’s alright at the moment, but he’s alive. He’s too precious for Kim to kill. We just have to hope that the leaders’ decision tonight will enact a fast retrieval operation.” Woojin buried his face in the crook of his neck as Chan held him tight. “He’s been hurt so much already… I just want him to be free of any harm.” Chan said nothing, just rocked him as he stared at the starry sky. Outside, the trees, the plants and the snow had begun to glow. Their star was beginning to shine in the sky too. “When I saw him coming out of the room this morning, with Changbin, I thought… that he was finally done with all of the hardships. That he would finally be happy. But people like him… they are bound to suffer, right?” Woojin asked, puff of smoke coming out of his mouth. “Here, amybe not. But on Earth, definitely.” Chan confirmed, carding a hand through his soft silky locks. “Back there, there are many people, of many origins. Not everyone looks like Changbin, Jisung and I. Sadly, many confront difference with hatred. But it never stopped love or… people of different colors and looks to create beautiful children, part of a double heritage. Some accepted the difference, didn’t even understand why there was an issue with it for starters. Some hated it, so much, it created horrible things… But thankfully, there’s still people willing to fight for them, so they can have the life they deserve one day. Hoping that, one day, all this hatred based on difference would be ridden off on Earth.” Woojin looked up. “Do you think it will happen one day?” “I think the human is bound to hate. It’s one of our biggest flaw. But I’d like to hope that one day we’ll be able to control it, tame it, so that no one ever has to face it again.” “You don’t sound very hopeful.” “Because, with what happened today, if humans back on Earth learn it- there’s only two outcomes possible. They’ll either be horrified and ask for Kim’s death… Or they’ll support him, as some humans always do when they think they’re superior to everyone else.” “Do you think, you’re superior?” “No. At this rate, with what we’ve done here- bringing so much pain and selfishness to all of you… I might believe we’re even inferior to you guys.” he whispered, ignominy in the voice. Woojin sat back up and cupped his face, thumb rubbing his cheekbone. Chan’s eyelids fluttered close, not able to look him in the eyes. “Don’t be so hard with yourself, Chan. You’re better than that.” Chan pried his face away and gritted his teeth together. “I’m not.” Woojin forced his face back to him and clutched his jaw tight. “You are. I can’t speak for the other humans, but Jisung, Changbin, and you- you’ve brought to us so much joy and good things from Earth we had no idea existed- and love. You’ve given us so much love, Chan. We never knew humans were capable of that- to such an extent. You’re someone good Chan. Don’t doubt yourself.” he pleaded, sad frown on his face. Chan finally dared to look at him, uncertainty in the eyes as he put his hand over his. “Do you really mean it? Don’t you resent us, at least a little bit for what happened?” Woojin smiled, tight and sad, as he shook his head. “Kim is a deviant. Not like you. I can’t put the mistake of one person on the behalf of a whole species.” “But so many are like him, Woojin, it’s insane. You’ve no idea how twisted men’s minds can be.” Woojin’s eyes darkened. “Oh, trust me. I know it better than you think I do.” Chan stilled, chest tightening. The Great War. Woojin had experienced it. “But as long as there will be people like you, I refuse to believe all of mankind is bad.” Woojin promised, eyes beginning to glow. Chan chuckled and looked down at his chest, taking hold of his dog-tag. “She used to say that too. Said we were assholes, but assholes to be redeemed,” he looked at Woojin with a bright smile, eyes shinning with the love and admiration he had for the woman on the picture on the necklace. “She was firmly convinced that our generation was the only hope mankind had. If we were failures like our ancestors and didn’t learn from the mistakes of the past, then she used to say we were doomed.” he chuckled, fond of the memories. “Who? Your aunt? Doctor White?” Woojin asked him with a smile. “Yeah. That’s her.” Chan nodded he flipped the tag around, revealing a woman with blond hair and a white lipstick. “She looks nothing like me but people say we share the same character- Woojin?” Woojin’s eyes were round and his mouth agape, his eyes set on the picture. Shakily, he stood up, without looking at Chan. “Follow me.” he requested, almost robotically walking towards the bedrooms’ corridor. It was almost as if he was possessed or frozen in a state of shock. Chan wordlessly and worriedly followed him, grabbing his wrist to keep him close by. He was scared for him. Woojin stopped in front of Felix’s bedroom door. He pushed it open and turned to look at him. His eyes were still veiled and shaking. “Go in. Look into the drawer.” Chan frowned and was about to refuse. But something told him he had to do it, like a gut feeling. So he entered the room. Woojin didn’t follow, simply left back for the living room. Chan looked around, clueless. Where was the drawer? All there was was this darkness, slightly illuminated by the drawings in bioluminescent paint. He couldn’t see much. How did Changbin knew where to look at when he was with Felix? That said, he probably didn’t look at anything but Felix. Chan blinked a few more times to adjust his vision to the darkness, and when he could see properly again, began to move. The room was nor big, nor small, but it had a warm feeling attached to it. He had not been in it much despite spending months hanging around so it didn’t feel as familiar as he he’d like it to be. The idea of looking around was not… something he liked very much. But if Woojin had deemed it necessary… He could only believe in the boy’s brother’s decision. “What are you hiding Felix?” he whispered as he brushed the drawer of his fingers. He opened it, rummaged through the clothes and books. “Earthian studies, Tales of the First Leaders, private diaries- hell, I’m not looking into this.” he cursed as he shut the drawer and threw the pile of books onto the bed. He sat down and looked at the diary. “Oh, God. It’s in here isn’t it?” he groaned in anguish, as he began to flip a book’s pages. “What do you want me to see? Hopefully not something related to Changbin-” Something slipped. Chan looked down in surprise. The shine of the object unmissable in all that darkness. He took hold of it. It was a golden and white pin, shaped in a rose. Deadly but beautiful. Just like Felix. Just like… “That’s impossible…” he mumbled, vision beginning to blur. He shakily turned the pin around. His eyes widened as he saw the initials engraved in the gold, the first one an added carving: F. L. W. As in… Chan shook his head. That couldn’t be. A choked sob broke through his lips as he hastily put the pin down and flipped the pages of the book over again. A picture. Chan dropped the diary next to the pin and shakily held the picture up. Carefully, he flipped it over. The picture fell onto the ground, revealing a beautiful woman holding a baby, her lips smeared in white lipstick. ~~~~~~> To be continued... on the 15/01/2020.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Woojin looked up when he heard footsteps. His eyes were no longer unfocused. He was now calm. Chan was at the doorway, eyes red but hopeful. “Was she his mother?” His question resonated in the air, but it sounded more like a statement if anything. “And she was your aunt.” Woojin stated, voice strained. Chan shakily breathed out and drew a chair from the kitchen’s table. He collapsed in it, a muffled sob mixed with a chuckle escaping his lips. “We are family. I have a cousin.” he chanted like a mantra, incredulous. Woojin smiled, happy for him. “Yes. He finally found his real family.” Chan stopped and finally looked at him with a frown. “He’s always had one. What are you talking about?” “Yes, I know that.” Woojin chuckled. “But I mean, he and I are brothers by heart, by choice. You, you are his cousin, by blood. Felix was always afraid he would never belong with the human side of his family. But he does now!” Chan’s mouth opened and closed, but he couldn’t find a thing to say. Instead, he just chuckled, still not believing that Felix was part of his family. “I can’t believe it either.” he voiced his thoughts. “All my life, I thought I had no relatives, that they were all dead. But my aunt, she was never dead, she was just living here! And Felix he is…” he trailed off, wide determined eyes meeting Woojin’s. “We need to find him. He needs to know.” Woojin smiled back at him, confident. “And we will. I believe you will find him. Now you must go, the Council’s about to start. You don’t wanna be late.” Chan hastily stood up and walked over, wrapping him in a tight hug. “I promise you I will. The Council will take a good decision and we’ll retrieve him quickly.” Chan was out of the house before Woojin could add anything. The wind blew in the now empty, silent house, causing shivers to run down his spine. “But at what price…” Woojin whispered. He sighed and fell back onto the swing chair. He dropped his head into his hands and thought back to yesterday. The worst was inevitable now… “Please, Jae. Don’t let them repeat the mistakes of the past.” – – – – – Everyone was squirming in their seats, scientists of each bases, Strays from the four clans all impatient and dreading the outcome. Scientists were mainly silent, not daring to look at the Strays in shame for what one of their people did to theirs. The Strays were divided, some smiling and trying to reassure them that they were not responsible, some looking more hostile, some curious, and others looking a bit fearful. This sight only made Changbin sigh harder. That is exactly what happens when only so few of the Strays get to know mankind – the rest of the Strays see humans as strange things, even maybe monsters after what happened. Heck, some of them probably came to that Council only to take a look at humans for the first time. And probably the last one if the outcome of the Council is indeed the forbidding of crossing the Strays’ territories once more. To Changbin this outcome made no doubt: it was the only way to prevent something from happening again. But the first ban lasted a decade, how long would this one last? While he understood, that made him mad, so mad. What would he do with Felix? He promised him they would be happy- heck, that they would face this shit together! How were they supposed to that if they were not able to be together? That made his headache grow. The crowd quieted down as a young lady made an appearance, a man looking like her by her side. As she walked down the aisle toward the circle of boulders where Minho, CL, Mark, Suzy and Boa were already seated, Changbin realized she was Suhyun: the Fourth Leader. “She’s prettier than I expected.” Changbin’s heart missed a beat and he turned around with a huge smile, welcoming his brother with open arms. He was still bruised, but otherwise he looked fine. “I missed you Ji.” he sighed, breathing in his scent. God, he had missed his little brother. If Kim dares to lay his hands on him again- Jisung laughed into the hug, sensing his sour mood. “I missed you too hyung.” he replied, thanking Wooyoung of a nod as the man wheeled a wounded toward someone. “Are you gonna be ok? Aren’t you… wounded?” Changbin asked in surprise, somewhat clumsily. “I think we’re just all glad to be still alive.” Jisung answered, looking at the wounded. Changbin then realized that all those that could afford to move were there, all brought in by EXO and Wooyoung’s unit – but they were no more than fifteen. The commotion intrigued a few Strays from the fourth clan. After all, the youngest ones had never seen a human. Some were taking in the sight, their bruises and the bandages on their bare skins. The expressions on their faces changed as the realization that humans suffered for their cause hit them. Strays who were familiar with the trio and scientists muttered some stuffs in their ears. The silence into a noisy mess of hushes. Jisung exchanged a confused but amused look with Changbin as he sat down next to him on the grass. “Are we that good looking?” “How are you?” he asked instead, choosing to ignore Jisung’s words as he worriedly pressed a hand onto his good shoulder. “Good. No seriously, don’t look at me like that. It could have been worse.” he remarked as he nudged his friend with a small smile. “Take Hyunjin for example. Gosh, he was still handsome even under all these bruises. I hate him.” “You saw him?” Changbin asked in surprise. “Yeah, this morning. He told me everything Binnie,” he admitted, glancing at his friend with sorry eyes. “I’m sorry they took him. I got knocked out towards the end of the fight while Hyunjin was dealing with Hyuna’s assailants. I… I can still remember Felix’s yells as I let his hand go.” he trailed of, hands gripping his hair as he closed his eyes. Changbin’s hand dropped on his, prying his fingers away. He fluttered his eyes open again. “I’m proud of you Ji. And so is Felix, I’m sure. You guys put up one hell of a fight.” Jisung smiled, fingers intertwining with Changbin’s. “Thank you.” Then, he looked around. “Where’s Chan?” Changbin chuckled, pointing to the front. “Over there.” Jisung whistled as he saw him take a seat next to Suzy. “Got promoted?” “No. Suzy choose him as her adviser for this Council.” he explained, eyes on Seungmin as he sat next to Minho and on Yedam as he sat next CL. Mark had his older brother sitting next to him, Boa had Suho, and Suhyun had the man who looked like her – he guessed he was her older brother, Chanhyuk. “I really thought she was staying hidden in her clan because she was evil or ugly or something. Then again which Stray is ugly? What a disappointment, the story would have been more thrilling to tell-” “Sosoïl everyone.” Suzy’s voice cut in in perfect Straynian, making them turn around at once. “Thank you for all coming here. I am Suzy. But you all already know me.” The Strays greeted her with respect – even the fourth leader, in all her regal, seemed in awe before her. “Today, I’ll speak on behalf of my father, but not as a scientist. I’ll speak as the rightful leader of the Rebellion.” she declared, startling more than one Strays. Many of them were still ignorant of the existence of the group itself – human scientists had it all revealed to them in the aftermath of the attack. Changbin couldn’t help but think the debate was going to be heated that night. “Me, Boa-ssi, and my father have came to an agreement, if you’d like to hear it.” she informed them, going on when no one objected. “Our Elite soldiers, a few of our best men handpicked by the three of us, will lead a retrieval operation tomorrow to rescue the two people who’ve been taken away from us. Do you agree with that?” No objection was heard, only the cries of approval of scientists and Strays alike in the public. The Stray leaders exchanged quick looks and nodded of approval. Mark raised a hand, crossing his legs. Suzy gave the floor away to him as she sat back down. “I agree. On the condition that you let me put some of my best men to the work as well. I believe we have a revenge to take.” “I want some of mine on it too.” CL added, nodding at Mark. She looked at Minho, but the leader shook his head. “I want my brother back, but too many of my people have been targeted so far. I won’t risk no more.” He looked at Chan with trust, a small, almost imperceptible smile on. “I know that they’ll bring him back alive.” Chan discreetly smiled back at him, eager to get into action. To be honest, he had been quite shocked when Suzy had asked him – not Wooyoung – to be her adviser. Now, he knew why. There would be no better assurance for the Strays than knowing that someone they trusted would be on the operation. “I won’t lend any of my men.” Suhyun intervened, voice soft and serene. “Suzy-Khae, will bring victory to us.” she declared, unanimous. You could feel the utmost respect and trust in her voice miles away, it was almost shocking. Chan wondered what backstory these two had together. “Granted.” Suzy declared, face still impassive. Yells and roars of happiness and excitement resonated in the bioluminescent jungle. Changbin and Jisung nodded in pride in the public, ready to fight too as they clapped in approval. They will bring Felix and Hyuna back home. “Now, onto our second decision.” Suzy’s voice cut in, stopping any sound at once. Jisung and Changbin’s faces drained of color at that. They exchanged a glance, pupils shaking as beads of sweat began to form on their skin. So it was coming… “Let’s put the frontier back up.” Protests arose at once. Exclamations of agreement confronted them. “Shit, this is worst than I thought.” Jisung muttered as he looked at the chaos around helplessly. “Keep faith, Jisung-ah. This is not over yet. Not as long as we have allies.” Changbin mumbled, fingers picking at the grass in anxiousness. “I object.” CL declared right away, standing up in front of Suzy. “I’ve let your father do that mistake once, I won’t let it happen twice.” “This is not about sentiments Chaerin. Don’t let it cloud your judgment.” Suzy snapped, voice close to begging. “Don’t you see it’s for the best? At least just for a little while, so you guys can heal.” On the left, Suhyun leaned away from her brother with a nod and raised her hand, with grace, cutting at once the chatters. “We might not agree of these terms, as we don’t see the harm you’ve caused us,” Suhyun interrupted, speaking on behalf of her clan. “But if Suzy-Khae judges it necessary, we’ll follow her choice.” she informed, nodding at Suzy with trust. Suzy thanked her quietly, relief flooding over her. She turned to Mark, expectant. To be frank, she hadn’t planned on facing such objections… “I… Quite frankly, I didn’t think we’d need to go to such lengths.” Mark declared as he rubbed a palm over his tired face. Next to him, his older brother leaned over his shoulder. “You don’t have to feel pressured. We chose you as a leader, we’ll follow you no matter your choice. Do what you deem best.” he reassured, wrapping a strong arm around his shoulders in support. Mark thanked him with a small smile and cast a look at Minho. His heart clenched in his chest as he tried to convey his apologies through them. Minho sighed and nodded, resigned as he turned back to his discussion with Seungmin. Mark’s heart broke. But he had to. “I-,” he began, turning back to Suzy with the same look in the eyes. “This has nothing to do with you and the few humans I know, but I can’t risk and trust those I don’t know. I- My clan has already lost too much to the hands of your kind in the past. I don’t want the ill-intended ones among you to try and harm us at our weakest again.” he explained, nodding at Suzy. “I want the frontier back up for a while.” Suzy and Boa nodded at him, thankful. But Mark looked nothing like satisfied or glad. CL gritted her teeth, casting Yedam a helpless look. The boy’s face was closed off, like he was already resigned. It angered her even more and she scoffed at the assembly. “Look at them all… Judging the neighbor without even trying to know them first. Your words have created the frontier already…” she realized, bringing a hand to her mouth as tears began to pool in her eyes. Yedam stood up at that, unable to stand seeing his strong leader reduce to such a state, unable to see his people so divided. He glared at the two human women. “And now? What do you offer we do, now that we are stuck in a draw?” “Who spoke of a draw?” Boa intervened, raising a brow. “What?” “Minho has yet to give us his answer.” CL gasped and tears fell from her eyes, as she pointed Minho. “He’ll never agree to that, this is madness! For the love of Jae, half of his family is human!” Silence. “Minho?” Cl called when he had no reaction, voice breaking at the end. “Surely you disagree, right?” When the boy failed to meet her eyes, she sat back down in disbelief. “You can’t be considering it, Minho.” “And why not?” Seungmin cut in, ready to defend Minho no matter what – even if he disagreed with him. “Of course Minho and I are not happy with it. But our clan is the one that suffered the most out of all you. I believe that considering a small ban, that will last just enough time so that we can all rest and reconstruct, is not a crime.” “There will be no exceptions made, though.” CL intervened, eyes sad. “Promises will have to be broken, at least for a while. You’ll save Felix, but you’ll cause him greater pain again if you say yes. You’ll save Hyuna, but you’ll cause her and her child to suffer for a while.” she explained, casting a nasty glare at Suzy, who only looked down in shame. “Of course, the ban will be lifted eventually. But I think you should consider whether years of pseudo-peace for us all is worth years of suffering to you and everyone who ever knew humans – which is, half of us tonight.” That caused everyone to quiet down, to think for a while. Even Chan, Jisung and Changbin, who had resigned to their fate, began to question it all over again. Changbin looked up at the sky. Will there really be no exceptions made for lovers? “We can make an exception for lovers.” Suzy finally conceded, as if she had heard his thoughts. “But they’ll have to choose a side, on which they’ll stay during the totality of the ban. There won’t be any back and forth until it’s lifted.” she offered, making Changbin sigh. But reality hit him just as fast. He could never make Felix leave his family like that, just like he could never leave his. The choice was too hard. “This will never work…” he muttered, making Jisung squeeze his eyes shut to prevent tears from falling. Back at the front, CL grunted and threw her arms up in the air. “This is madness! Why can’t you see it will hurt more people if anything?” “I see it but there’s no other choice!” Suzy snapped as she stood up. “Can’t you see that we are toxic for you guys? Even for ourselves! Everywhere we go we bring misery and suffering! I can’t let it go on anymore!” “That’s bullshit! JYP would never agree to this and I know it!” “And why the hell not? He’s got his bioluminescence! He might as well just send it back on Earth and stay in his little base for the rest of his life! He would have had everything he needed and ever wanted!” Suzy yelled back. CL paused at that and sat back down, eyes still on Suzy and still filled with disappointment. “You can say whatever you want. I know there’s something you’re not telling us. And I know him and I know he loves our planet. And he would never let us down like you do.” Suzy tried to say something, but nothing came out. The blow was too hard. Still she sat back down and ignored her pain, turning to Minho. “You’ve heard it all. Now what’s your choice?” Minho turned to look at Chan, not knowing what else to do. And seeing his friend so resigned broke his heart. What was Jae trying to do? Didn’t he bring these humans inside his life for a good reason? So that his family would finally be complete? Why take them away from him so hastily then… He was lost, he had no idea what to do. Couldn’t Jae send him a fucking sign for once? His trail of thoughts was interrupted when Wooyoung hurriedly came up to Suzy, muttering something in her ear. Her face grew white like a sheet and she turned to him with sorry eyes. “Hyojong didn’t survive the night. I’m sorry.” Minho’s breath left him, a gush of wind grazing his face. So that was it. That was Jae’s answer. He shakily turned to the assembly. Hyojong’s sister had fainted into the arms of a friend while his two brothers were crying in rage. Their eyes begged him to end their suffering once and for all. And so did all of his people. Even CL looked resigned. The harm of their people was one thing, the death of one… It couldn’t be looked over. He looked to his other side. Seungmin begged him of his eyes not to say it. “Please, Minho… There are other ways.” he begged in a mutter. “Seungmin… I am a leader. I must protect my people. It is my duty.” “Don’t do that to yourself. Please.” Minho didn’t answer him, simply turned to Chan. The human was discreetly sniffling but he smiled at him, proud. Minho’s heart broke. Even Chan, who had everything to lose, supported him. Minho hoped his eyes conveyed his sincerity and his deepest regrets over his decision. He turned to Suzy, whose eyes were brimming with tears. Her lips mouthed an apology and he nodded, fully accepting it. “As of today… humans are banished from our four clans’ grounds.” – – – – – “Minho- Hyung, wait, listen to me-“
“My decision is taken Innie.” Minho declared, jaw tight as he walked up the stairs to their home. The Council had been over since a few minutes now, and he hadn’t even gotten the chance to hug Chan, say to Changbin he was more than welcomed here, and to Jisung that… His eyes were prickling too much. He needed to be alone. Just for a little while, so that he could… breath. It was all too much for him.
Jeongin caught his hand however, stopping him.
“Please, don’t do this,” he begged, looking at him pleadingly. "You have the power to make the right choice. Don’t become the leader I feared you would be." Minho turned around, wide eyes finally shedding tears as he looked at his brother in pain.
"What’s that supposed to mean? Am I supposed to endanger our people? My family? I don’t want to lose you!"
Jeongin stepped back, jaw tight. His eyes pined Minho on the spot. They were veiled. A shudder ran through the leader.
"If family is just the people in this tree to you, then you’re an idiot."
Minho tried to reach out for his little brother.
"Innie that’s not what I meant. You know Jisung, Chan and Changbin matter just as much to me, but sometimes I gotta make choices that won’t please everyone… Just for the greater good."
Jeongin seemed to relent at that, eyes filling with understanding but also with pain. A lot of pain. “I’m so sorry Innie, I wish it could be otherwise, but if I had said no… I fear a war would have blown up, especially with Hyojong’s sudden death. People would have feared and they would have fought. People want a punishment, and I am sorry it has to fall on them. On us. I really am.” At last, Jeongin nodded. "I understand hyung. And I’ll respect your choice as a leader. But I can’t support you as a brother." he declared, as he took a step to the side and brushed past him.
Minho caught his arm, trembling. "Are you against me?"
Jeongin stilled for a while, then glanced back at him. "I’m following my heart. If that means being against you, then, yes. In that case I am."
Minho’s eyes widened and watered. No... His little brother couldn’t go against him. They had stuck together no matter what, faced hardships head on through thick and thin. Why couldn’t Jeongin be on his side?
"Goodnight Minho." He whispered as he snatched his arm away. “Why?” he cried desperately, turning around hastily and almost falling over the roots serving of stairs. Jeongin stopped at the door, where he picked up a Lubia and kissed it. They watched it light up, a dull beautiful blue. Jeongin turned to him, a sad smile on the lips. “’Cause I can’t support something that hurts you.” With that, he dropped the Lubia at the doorstep and went in, the door gently shutting behind him. On the stairs, Minho stood silent, feeling the wind brush against his skin, like a gentle caress. “Did I misread you?” he whispered to the wind, trying to find answers and getting some he could not understand. “Oh, Jae, please, I’m so lost right now. Please guide me, please.” he broke down as he sat down the stairs in despair, finally letting out his wails. That night, not a soul was heard, letting his wail echo instead, inside that cold jungle. – – – – – “You asked for us-” Jisung stopped in his track, startled to see the room full of scientists. “Oh? Why’s everyone here?” Suzy looked up from the auditorium’s desk, her eyes tired. She smiled at the confused 3racha Unit and gestured for them to take a seat. When they did, she rose, stepping in front of all the members of the JYP Facility. Jisung, Chan and Changbin were suddenly reminded of one of their first day here, when they learned of their goal from JYP. It was the day Jisung realized he had fucked up with Minho – or so he thought. Heck, if you had told him that they would grow so close instead, he would have laughed at your face and ran to hide from everyone, thinking Minho would kill him instead. The memory caused him to chuckle fondly. What a great time that was… Hopefully, he’ll get to sneak out a bit to see Minho during the ban. That shouldn’t be an issue, he was a real master at that. Perhaps some would find him too optimistic or careless, but he would rather try that – even if it means getting ignored or rejected by Minho – than stay in the base for years and years while waiting for it to be lifted. Suzy cleared her throat to gain their attention. “Thank you all for coming here, even though it’s really late and, after the exhausting events of these couple of days, we all just wish to sleep.” That ignite some tired and amused chuckles from everyone in the room, lifting the mood. “I know that… what I’ve announced this evening has probably shocked some of you- though I know most had already guessed it.” she chuckled dryly, rubbing a hand over her tired face as she leaned onto her desk. “After all, it seemed like the only acceptable issue to mend for the mistakes our kind made. Some might find it hard on us, but… I’d like to remind you all that if Kim could complete successfully his machinations it is because of us and only us. We asked Minho and CL to let us carry our infiltration till the end so that we could legally bring him down. They could have had kill him long ago if not for us. We are… the ones responsible for Felix and Hyuna’s abduction.” No one dared to protest in the room, the words sitting too heavy on their chest. “But that’s not what I brought you here for. What’s done is done and there’s no use lamenting over it. Only acts can redeem our kind now. That’s why, I’d like to announce something.” Chan, Jisung and Changbin exchanged confused glances, not at all understanding where all of this was leading. “There will be no ban.” Chan opened his mouth in shock, ready to speak, but Suzy beat him to it. “We are leaving Straya 801.” The world seemed to slow down for Chan, his vision blurring, his heart rate slowing down, his ears ringing. Only the loud scratching of Jisung’s chair against the floor was able to reach him. He slowly turned his head around, risking a glance at Changbin. The boy was livid, no better than him. Chan felt like he was about to throw up. Oh, god, he was going to throw up. “- You can’t do that!” “That’s not fair! I’ve spent my whole life studying that planet, trying to get that bioluminescence!” someone else protested, while shouts of agreement and outrage filled the room even more. “As I’ve announced during the Council,” Suzy answered, her voice distinct amidst the cacophony. “We’ve already gotten our hands on the bioluminescence. Our purpose here is no more. The only thing left to do is rescue the two hostages.” Chan could finally hear well and gasped, breathing in, the shock finally over. He rose too, anger visible on his face. He was mad. And that rarely ever happened. “You can’t do that Suzy. Not to us. Not to yourself.” he intervened. “The decision is already taken Chan, there’s nothing you can do to change that. The Governor is expecting all of us, humans, in every facilities on Straya, back on Earth in two months – meaning, the length of our travel, starting tomorrow.” “JYP would never agree!” someone protested. “My father loves this planet, but he also loves its inhabitants. And if leaving means protecting them, then so be it.” “But the Governor- he would never let us leave because of sentiments!” “Ans as I said, we have the bioluminescence, all we have ever worked for. It was easy to convince him we were no longer needed here.” “Then why lie about it to everyone?!” Jisung exclaimed at loss, hurt gripping at his chest like never before as he struggled against the hold his coworker had on him. “If the Strays had known, they would have done everything to prevent it. It’s better they don’t know it. They’re too kind for their own good, we’ve seen it one time too many. At least, that way everyone is safe. We’re leaving tomorrow and there’s no undoing it.” Jisung collapsed back onto his chair, looking shell shocked. But Chan was not done with it. “That’s bullshit.” Suzy’s tired eyes fell onto him. “You seem mad.” “Oh yes I am, you have no idea.” “That’s good. I was expecting no less coming from you. Though, I must admit that, with how clever you are, I thought you would have guessed that this was the real outcome. That’s sad.” “That’s it? That’s all you have to say about it?” “No, actually, that’s not.” she declared, standing straight as she glanced back over at the assembly, ignoring him. “But first, please, everyone return to your quarters. There’s no use protesting anymore. I’d like to have a private discussion with Chan and his friends. Ready your belongings and get some sleep. The departure lists are in the main hall. Please make sure to check when your ship is departing for Earth. Good night everyone.” As Wooyoung opened the doors with a stance that left no place for protests, people began to fill out of the room, looking just as shell shocked as Changbin and still protesting. Suddenly, Chan gasped. “And what about Felix? And Hyuna? Are we leaving them here?! What about the baby? You can’t let him grow up on Earth!” That caused most soldiers to stop in the room, turning expectantly to Suzy for answers. She sighed and nodded. “What was said during the Council about their situation was true. A unit of our Elite soldiers will retrieve them tomorrow morning. These people are already aware of their mission and currently getting ready. Anymore information is confidential.” Changbin finally spoke up, sitting up in his chair. “We are not… part of it?” Suzy inhaled and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Please, everyone, just leave. I’d really like to speak privately with Unit 3racha.” At once, Wooyoung urged them out and the room filled out. Chan was the one to snap. “Suzy, what the hell is all of this about? First you lie to everyone, then you take massive game-changing decisions that none of us approve of, and now you don’t even let us retrieve a precious friend- and lover, before we leave?” he gasped, voice high pitched and full of venom as he pointed at Changbin. “Chan, please-” “Do you realize that you’re robbing him of the love he barely even had time to enjoy?” “Chan-” “And what about your sister? Her baby will face hell on Earth!” “Please-” “And what about us?! We made fucking promises to all of them, that we would stay, that we would form one family! I was okay with a ban but this-” “For goodness’ sake, would you let me speak for a minute?!” she snapped, grabbing his jacket to push him down his seat. Chan bit his cheeks to refrain from adding anything – oh, he could go on for hours. He nodded at her to go on. “Chan…” she muttered crouching in front of the three of them. “I’m not that coldhearted of a person. I… I didn’t put you on the mission to give you a shot at a better future.” “What do you mean?” “There’s something else I lied about.” she admitted. Chan could only stare at her, not knowing what to think or do anymore. How many more fucking secrets and unexpected news are they to face? “Hyojong he is… He is not dead.” “What?” Suzy adverted her eyes down to the ground, shame in the eyes. “He is alive and he is okay. He is only waiting for his wife’s return, so that they can run away, somewhere on Straya where they won’t be bothered. Don’t think I orchestrated that on my own, please. Hyojong was the one who suggested it when we tried to come up with a solution for lovers. He suggested we pretended he was dead so that no one would search for him, and by extent, Hyuna and their kid. We agreed wholeheartedly.” she explained as she glanced at Changbin with a smile. “You guys may be few, but you matter.” “What are you trying to say.” Changbin growled, trying to clear his mind up. “I mean to say- and I mean it for the three of you – if you were to want to stay with your lovers, it’s now or never. Changbin, you can stay here and wait till we retrieve Felix. Then run away, somewhere, with him. Lead a happy life, where no one would know where you are- we could pretend you’re dead so no one would bother you! And you two- go, run and ask them to run away with you. If they really love you they’ll do it.” “That’s… insane Suzy. It is the perfect plan for Hyuna and her family, but not for us. We are not that engaged with them.” Changbin resonated. Suzy glared at him. “If you really think that, then you’re really letting Felix down. Don’t forget that love doesn’t work the same way for them. They only give their hearts to one person, for the rest of their life. If they made it obvious they loved you, then you’re the one thing that matters the most to them. If they chose to love you, then they’ll choose you over everything.” Changbin shook his head. “It might be true, but that’s too cruel. I can’t rob him away from his family like that.” Suzy sighed. “It’s your choice then. I’m so sorry, I wish it could be otherwise. I suppose the same applies for you two, right?” she chuckled, sounding down right heart broken. “I can’t.” Jisung whispered, looking down. “No leader would run away for love.” Suzy grabbed his hands tightly. “No, they would.” she ensured him, eyes full of regrets. “One word from you and they’ll be convinced that the best thing to do is either to run away with you or sacrifice their love for you.” “Is that what happened?” Jisung asked her. “With you and the previous Trashee leader?” Suzy smiled and stood up, letting go of his hand. “Back then, I thought it was for the best. I never envisioned running away with him because I was scared that without us people would be lost or in danger. But with no humans left on Straya but true lovers, there’s no danger.” Jisung mulled over her words for a while. Finally, he stood up. “I’ll speak to him.” Suzy smiled and nodded. She turned to Chan and Changbin. “I think, I’ll just… go to sleep.” Changbin declared, looking drained. “Of course. If you change your mind and choose to stay, just let me know. And you Chan?” “I… I’ll think about it too.” Suzy clapped her hands together. “Alright. Now, no matter your decisions, know that I fully support you and will cover up your disappearances if needed be. The ship you’re all in will depart at 8 sharp, and it will not wait for you a minute more. So take the good decision, please, ‘cause there won’t be no turning back tomorrow.” They all nodded and turned to exit, no words added. Suzy smiled, heart filled with hope, as she watched them leave, a silent tear rolling down her cheek. “May you lead a happy life.” she declared, packing up her stuffs and shutting off the light. “Farewell, my dears.” The doors closed behind her, forever. – – – – – – “Woojin!” Chan’s screams echoed in the jungle as he ran through it. The Glow has yet to rose but he still feared he would be too late. He whistled, desperately hopping to call Luwen over. He had no idea if that would work but the Young Wing was his only chance – Woojin was probably up the Floating Sea. There was no way he was at home sleeping, Chan knew him too well now to believe that. “Woo-” His scream was interrupted by a loud screech. Chan covered his face, coughing his lungs out because of the dusty earth sent flying. “What the fuck…” he grumbled. Was that a nocturnal wild creature? Another loud screech made him snap his eyes open. Before him stood a magnificent green and indigo beast. “Luwen!” he exclaimed with a big grin as he hugged its neck. The beast nuzzled him and tried to bite his hair, making him laugh. “Okay, okay, now. Do you know where Woojin is?” The beast’s eyes lit up at the mention of his partner. Chan beamed and stepped back. “Can you take me to Woojin?” he tried again, hoping it would catch on. The beast analyzed him some more, almost as if seeing right through his soul which made Chan squirm on the spot. But eventually, it crouched and lowered its wing. “Thank you…” Chan sighed in relief. As they dashed through the sky, Chan mulled over Suzy’s ultimatum. Was it all really worth it? Before he could dwell further onto the matter, the Floating Sea came in view. It was beautiful during the night, the silhouettes of unknown animals and creatures visible behind the pastel bioluminescent smoke. Finally, Woojin came in view. So he was right, he was indeed there. Luwen dropped him a few meters away and flew back to where it would sleep for the night right away. Before him, Woojin gaped, standing up. “Chan… I wasn’t expecting you. Why aren’t you-” Chan didn’t let him finish as he walked over and grabbed his arm, pulling him into a hug. “Woojin, I- I-” Woojin shushed him, at loss for words. He had never seen the human like that, pale, sweating, trembling, so scared. He took a step back and frowned in panic as he saw the fresh tears in his eyes. A bit apprehensive, he cupped his cheeks. “What’s wrong?” “All of this- whatever Suzy said about the ban, it’s bullshit. She wants us to leave tomorrow morning.” Woojin’s eyes widened in horror. “What?!” He suddenly felt very lost and he couldn’t breath. No… That was not how things were supposed to go! “You can’t leave!” he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around him to bury his face in his neck in distress, trying to keep him as close as possible. “I know!” Chan agreed, hugging him back just as strongly. “I don’t want to! The only way for me to stay is if you run away with me.” Woojin felt his cheeks grow red. And he would have minded it, if he were not so shaken at the moment. “What are you implying Chan?” Chan stepped back and stared him in the eyes, determined and deadly serious. “You know what I’m implying, Woojin. You’ve known it for a long time now.” he declared, hands sliding down to catch his. “Ask it of me. And I’ll stay here with you.” “Chan…” Woojin sighed, gently snatching his hands away. He smiled at him, but it held no joy. “I’m not doubting your feelings for me now. But will you still love me in five years? Will you really love me forever?”
“I…” Chan’s eyes widen, clearly taken aback. He hadn’t expect for the older boy to bring up this question. Seeing his lack of reaction, the boy smiled and patted Chan’s shoulder gently. “You are not meant to stay here. If you were, you would already know. You must go back. I can’t run away with you.”
“Woojin, I-”
The boy cut him with a smile. But his eyes held a sorrow that Chan had dreaded to see graze the boy’s features.
“Please. Go. Go back, they’ll need you.” he pleaded quietly, his voice slightly trembling, but still strong.
Woojin looked at Chan and tried to offer him his most convincing smile. As much as he wanted to tell him to ask him, for the boy to stay here with him on Straya, he knew he wasn’t meant for the human. He knew he had to get back on Earth and live a new life, meet someone and perhaps have kids. He knew the human belonged somewhere, but that somewhere was just not here. Not with him. So he smiled and hoped it held his convictions.
But Chan could see the quiver of his mouth, and the veil of sadness over his eyes. And for two whole seconds he thought about going back on Earth. Back to his family. Leaving the Strayan boys. Leaving him.
And his heart clenched.
A snowflake fell on his nose. Its coldness reminded him of how he felt during these two seconds at the prospect of leaving the boy in front of him.
So he raised a brow, and with a gaze and a mind more set than ever, looked straight at the boy.
“And you?” he paused, watching Woojin opening and closing his mouth. Before the boy could say something he went on. “What about you? Won’t you need me too?” Woojin brought a hand over his jaw, gently, and leaned closer, shaking his head. “I need you even right now Chan. But things are not so easy.” “They are,” he ensured, cupping his face as he wrapped an arm around his waist. “Just ask.” “I can’t.” “Ask me.” “I can’t.” Chan grunted, nose brushing against his own, daunting. “You can’t what?” he taunted in a mutter. “Ask me or run away? You all say that you’re not afraid of love, so how come you’re so afraid of taking risks when it comes to it, hmm?” “I can’t give you my heart if that’s not forever.” he clarified, voice barely a whisper as Chan leaned closer. “You can.” he assured, breath fanning over his lips. “I could. But it’s not in my morals.” he whispered as his eyes fluttered. “Fuck morals.” Chan declared as he captured his lips. Woojin’s eyes closed. He gasped into the kiss, hands gripping his hair as Chan deepened it. “Chan I-” he tried to say, but Chan bit his lip, rendering him speechless. Woojin could feel all the love he had for him in this kiss, and it was overwhelming. Suddenly, it was all so clear, the two of them running away and living beyond the sea, in the uncharted territories, building a house there, Chan waving at him from the kitchen as he played with Luwen. It was so beautiful. He would love it. But the single thought of the rest of their family believing them dead and gone for good sent his heart shattering on the floor. He let a tear roll down his cheek, where it met Chan’s hand. This caused him to pull back. Chan stared at him some more, in silence. The crashes and rolls of the waves next to them were the only sounds they could hear. Woojin’s eyes were shut and his head down, the fresh warm tears rolling down his face melting tiny bits of frost at their feet. “I’m sorry.” Chan nodded, vision blurry as he managed a smile. “Okay. So that was goodbye?” Woojin couldn’t say a thing. All his life he had been so strong, but now… he felt so weak and helpless. It was as if all his energy was drained, his barriers gone. “Can I at least ask you why?” Chan asked, voice breaking. He hugged himself, both because of the cold and trying to hold himself together. “Because running away and abandoning my family is not the solution. Have you thought of Jisung and Changbin? Are you really ready to leave them forever?” Chan, this time, was the one looking down. “We could all run away together…” he mumbled, trying to hold in his tears. But he knew deep down that it was impossible. Felix might not have an issue in running away with Changbin, but that would be so unfair for Minho, Jeongin and Hyunjin and Seungmin. They would loose so much… Love was never supposed to be so unhappy. “Chan…” Woojin exhaled fondly as his hand grazed his cheek. “I love you with all my heart but we are not meant to be. This is too cruel of a choice.” Chan breathed out and let himself fall onto the snow, knees close to his chest. “Cruel is a weak word for this.” he commented, voice hoarse and not as light as he would like it to be. Woojin pressed a hand onto his shoulder, trying to comfort him. “At least we had a great time.” Chan chuckled at his words, half bitter half amused. He looked over the horizon, the sky still full of stars but the weather slowly turning colder. The Glow would rise in a few hours. He rummaged through his pockets and got a letter out. “This is a letter fro Felix. Changbin wrote it. Can you give it to him, once you’ve got him back?” Woojin took the letter from his hands and nodded. “Of course…” Chan’s fingers lingered on his, not able to let go yet. “I’m glad I got to meet you.” “I am glad too.” he whispered, voice strained. Not able to bring himself to look at Woojin, he stared at their stars instead. “Can I stay with you until the Glow rises?” Woojin sat down next to him, hand finally closing around his own. Chan let his head fall into the crook of his neck, watching the stars in the sky and the animals rocked by the Sea. That night, a rain of snow fell onto the jungle. – – – – – Dawn came around, the Glow rising over the white sanded beach, slowly, barely even there. Yedam watched it rise as he climbed down from a boulder. His feet hit the now frost covered sand, making him flinch. He never liked that period on Straya. At least, Swan kept him warm. He loved to sleep curled next to his panther – actually, he just loved to feel a presence next to him while he slept. Clutching his cloak tighter around his chest, he walked down the sand, knowing exactly where to go. As light of a fox as he may be, Jeongin was nothing against the elements. His feet stepped over the footprints and led him to a chain of large rocks, two time his size. He sighed and easily climbed over them, finally reaching his goal. “Jeongin?” The boy raised his head from his knees with a gasp, his eyes wide and red, cheeks freshly wet. Yedam’s lips turned downward and he walked over, spreading his arms open. Jeongin immediately clutched his coat and buried his face in his neck. “I said horrible thing to my brother!” he wailed, clinging to Yedam for dear life. “Shh, I know.” Hyunjin had overheard everything, he was the one to tell Yedam how to find Jeongin. He knew his best friend like the back of his hand and knew the boy would hate himself for it. And he also knew that it was Yedam’s duty to be there for him. “I am horrible.” “You’re not.” “And he’ll probably never see Jisung again! The previous ban lasted so long, this one is probably going to last an eternity too.” he cried harder, hate and despair filling him. “Shh. He will, trust me,” Yedam promised, eyes opening to look at the rising Glow over the Sea. “They’ll find their way back to each other.” He stared at the Glow some more, until it was fully out, shining in all its glory. “Fated Ones always do.” The day had risen. – – – – – “So it’s finally time.” Jisung smiled at the sky, the Glow’s dull warmth doing nothing to warm up his skin against the accumulated cold of the night. He brushed the snow off his coat and hair as he looked back at the Grand Tree once more. His eyes were beginning to feel heavy. After all, his convalescence was not really over. Maybe it was indeed a bit reckless coming there and staying out all night in the cold… But he had to try. With a sigh, he rested a palm against the tree, his feet now numb against the iced spring he was on. “He won’t come, will he?” he muttered, heart shattering a bit more. He had hoped all night that a sign from Jae or whatever sentinel was out there would report to Minho that he was there and that he would come but… “I guess this is really goodbye then.” he chuckled, fingers lingering against the bark before he took a step back. “I wish trees were just as magnificent and magical as you back on Earth.” he confessed, staring up at the beautiful and grand tree. Its leafs were beginning to crystallized, shining against the light of the morning Glow. “I’ll miss seeing that everyday.” he chuckled, finally turning around. As he did, he came face to face with none other than the Stray he had wished to see all night long, standing on the other side of the spring. “Minho…” he sighed, a small tired smile on the lips. “You shouldn’t be here, Jisung.” Minho said, eyes surrounded by dark circles. Seemed like he had not slept either. “Are you going to turn me in?” he joked, but really, it sounded nothing like humor. Just… exhausted bitter words. Minho said nothing for a while. Then, in not even five seconds, he had Jisung in his arms, relinquishing in his warmth. Minho sighed and held him tighter, carding a hand through his cold locks. “You Yeshihk, are you crazy, staying here all night long?” he scolded, though it was too gentle and soft to even hurt a fly. Jisung chuckled and nuzzled his cold face into his neck. “Well, if you had came sooner, I would have gotten back home long ago.” “…” Jisung leaned back with a frown. “You were not here all along, were you?” When Minho failed to answer and looked to the side, jaw set, Jisung scoffed and punched his chest away, stepping back. “And I’m the Yeshihk here. You really are heartless, Minho.” he tsked, crossing his arms. But Minho did not chuckle or crack a smile, stunning Jisung. Him, who would usually react to his antics, simply looked back at him with sad eyes. “I was afraid of what you would ask me.” Jisung’s eyes softened and he smiled, gentle. He reached out and cupped his cheek, stroking it with love. “Would you be so stupid that you would believe I’d ask you to leave with me?” Minho sighed in relief at that, eyes fluttering close as he leaned into his touch and put a hand over his. “I didn’t want to break your heart.” Jisung was glad that Minho had his eyes close or else he would have seen the anguish and regrets and multiple apologies flashing in his eyes. Instead, he forced his voice to be light as he brought their foreheads together. “You’re the biggest idiot in the world then.” he murmured, glad when his voice did not waver. “I would never ever have asked that of you.” “Oh Jae- I would have- Under any other circumstances I would have, but I’m a leader and- I can’t abandon my clan- And, Jae, I don’t even know anymore, if you had asked, I might have-” “Shh, I know. You don’t need to say anything. I know.” he cut in, voice tender through the pain. He understood. When he saw Minho opening his eyes back however, he closed his own, unable to bear his gaze without spilling everything out. Minho seemed to take it for shyness or just for being in the moment, as he brushed their noses together. “Then, will you stay on my side?” Jisung wanted to laugh. Minho’s words could mean so much, and he probably had no idea they did. But instead, what came out was a strangled noise and he stepped back, taking Minho’s hand into his own and holding it tight. “You know, I always thought the Grand Tree would be the spot where I would do grand things,” he confessed, finally opening his eyes and looking around. “It doesn’t deserve to witness sad things.” Minho frowned, not understanding. “What? Why are you being so cryptic suddenly?” Jisung smiled and finally looked at him, tears falling down his cheeks as he laughed and wiped them off. “Nothing, forget it. Alright, I’ll stay on your side,” he promised, leaning in and wrapping his arms around his neck for a hug. Minho sighed in relief as he hugged him just as tight, a weight seemingly lifted from his shoulders. Jisung breathed in, eyes tightly shut to prevent anymore tears from falling and lips bitten red to stop his sobs. Oh, god, why was this so hard to do… Finally, he let one of his hand drop into Minho’s one and held it tight. “But please, forget me.” he whispered, as he forcefully pushed him away, making Minho stumble down onto the slippery ice, his head colliding with it. Jisung took advantage of his surprise to run away towards the thick foliage as fast as he could. “What-” he grunted as he managed to sit up, wide eyed when he saw Jisung already so far away, already at the jungle’s border. The boy stopped, staring back at him with tears in the eyes. “Goodbye Minho.” he whispered, as he stepped into the foliage. Minho tried to stand up to catch him but something in his hand prevented him from it. Minho blinked and looked down at the object in his hand. His feather. Jisung gave him his feather back. Trembling, he reached out for his neck. The dog tag was no longer there. Tears spilling out from his eyes, he called after him, wandering around the jungle in search for him. But he was too late. Suddenly, he couldn’t breath and fell on his knees, his hand clutching his chest as he heaved. “Khae!” Minho turned his head towards the noise, vision blurry as he reached out. “Ji… Jisung?” he croaked out, hand meeting a tan arm. But when he looked up, his eyes met those of one of his sentinels. His throat closed. Fuck, he needed air. But too soon, his vision turned to dark. – – – – – “Knock, knock.” Changbin yawned, the sheets rustling as he turned around. Chan greeted him, knuckles and hip against the door of their bedroom. He looked just as down and devastated as him, but at least he was smiling. Changbin couldn’t bring himself to wave at him. “It’s seven Binnie. Time to go. Wanna eat something first?” Changbin ignored his question as he sat up, the sheets falling from his body to reveal that he was already fully clothed and ready for the departure. “You’re not staying?” he asked instead. Chan pressed his lips together and shook his head. “Could you give it to him?” Changbin asked hopefully. Chan nodded. Changbin sighed in relief, for the first time since the kidnapping looking a bit “alive” as he let his back collide with the wall in respite. At the same moment, the front door opened, revealing sniffles and curses from Jisung as he stepped in. The boy entered the room in silence and headed straight to his bed, where he pulled an already full duffel bag from under it and shoved something in it. Changbin frowned. “You never planned on staying.” he stated out loud, stopping Jisung in his movements. The youngest of the three turned around, his eyes red and his lip pressed in a thin smile. “Yup. I made my bag during the night.” “Then… you told him we were leaving?” Chan asked, anxious. “No. I just… gave him back his freedom.” he explained, shrugging as he slipped on his hoodie and changed his jacket. Changbin finally broke away from his stage of lethargy and opened his arms. “Oh, Ji, c’mere.” Jisung’s shoulders were shaking as he tried to resist and hide his face in his palms. But Chan was not having any of it and slowly guided him toward the bed, where they hugged him. Nestled in the arms of his brothers, Jisung finally broke down and told them everything. Changbin and Chan’s hearts clenched, his feelings all too familiar. The only things they could do were to hug him tighter and support him through it. Holding on was the only thing left to do anyway. But at least, their three sacrifices wouldn’t be in vain. It was… better this way. When he calmed down, half an hour had passed. Chan looked at them both, eyes soft. “No matter what, don’t forget: we have each others. And that’s all that matters. That’s all that’s always mattered.” he declared, kissing both their heads as he stood up. He grabbed his bags and looked back at them, determined. “Time to go.” – – – – – “Can he hear us?” “I don’t know, he fainted rather abruptly. It’s hard to say when he’ll- oh, he’s waking up!” “Thanks Jae.” “Innie?” Minho groggily whispered as he blinked his eyes open. His little brother gasped and jumped onto the bed, hastily grabbing his hand. “Yes, it’s me! Are you okay?!” “Go easy Innie. He’s not fully awake.” Woojin chuckled, helping him to sit up against the headboard. “Seeing the dumb smile he’s sending his brother, I’m wondering if all his brain functions are alright.” Seungmin commented from the other side of the bed with a snort. Minho gave him a nasty glare, the best he could manage in his groggy state. That made Seungmin laugh and turn to nod at Woojin. “’Said nothing. He’s perfectly fine.” “Shut up, you Yeshihk.” he grumbled as he threw his head back and inhaled. It felt good to breath again. “What happened Minho?” Seungmin finally dared to ask as he leaned back into Hyunjin’s hold for moral support. Minho chuckled, dark and bitter. “I got rejected.” Hyunjin sputtered in shock. “What?! By whom?” Minho threw him an unimpressed glance while Woojin slapped his shoulder, hard. “Hwang Hyunjin, would you stop being so inconsiderate-” he hissed, turning back to Minho in worry. But his expression was blank. “That’s okay Woojin. It was because of my decision anyway, I must own up to my choices. I should have known that he would not give up his life on the other side of the frontier for me.” He laughed bitterly, shaking his head in disbelief. “Fuck, I can’t believe I got tricked so easily- by own words at that. I’m really stupid.” The last word caused his heart to clench in his chest and he squeezed his eyes close, to prevent unwanted tears from falling. “Minho… He didn’t tell you?” Woojin cautiously asked him, sitting next to him onto the bed. Minho looked back down in confusion, dread pooling in the pit of his stomach. Woojin was rarely that worried. “Tell me what?” Woojin bit his lip and looked at everyone in the room. “I think you might want to sit down as well, guys.” – – – – – “To all units aboard ship ‘Hellevator’: Departurefrom Straya 801 estimated in 5 minutes. Put on your gear and get ready to leave. A squad will be waiting for you back in two months and will be escorting you safely to the Earth Facility. I expect to see you all in a while. Have a safe trip.” JYP’s voice disappeared and Wooyoung shut the video. He walked over to the intercom and pressed the button. “All units aboard the Hellevator. The last packages are being loaded. We’ll be ready to leave in five minutes, my commandant.” Wooyoung informed as he let go of the switch and walked back to the sitting area in the ship. On his way, he caught the sight of a tattooed chest from the corner of his eyes, ink forming a Chinese dragon, being attended to by a medic wrapping bandages around it. He stopped in his tracks. “No way…” he mumbled, slowly turning around. And true to his vision, Jisung was being looked after by a medic, the wound from the atrocious events almost healed. Their eyes met. Jisung smiled at him but it held nothing but sorrow. The boy adverted his eyes and smiled down at the medic when she stood up, pulling his shirt back on. Wooyoung then looked to his left, where Chan was looking out the window and Changbin was sleeping – or at least pretending to – on a seat. “No way.” he repeated, hurriedly walking towards Suzy. But when he reached her and he saw her eyes, he knew she already saw them. “This is too sad.” he declared, taking a seat next to her. She smiled and sighed, looking outside the ship, at Straya, as the motors began to turn on. “We did all we could. It’s their choice and we can only support them through it.” Jisung, seeing the two of them talk together, could only tear his eyes away. He didn’t want to see the sadness in their eyes. He stood up and joined the few scientists toward the opening, helping them carry the last of their belongings in. As the last box was brought in, the girl stepped off the platform and waved at him. “See you in two months?” Jisung felt his heart miss a beat and he hugged the box tighter to his chest. He managed a small smile and a nod as she departed. Left alone, his thoughts wandered. His eyes fell onto the landscape. His base, this jungle… the first he had stood there was one of the most magical moment in his life. He’ll miss it. It suddenly felt so tempting to just jump and stay. His hand reached his neck. It felt so empty. He felt so empty. Under him, the ground began to slightly shake. So it was time. An arm slipped around his shoulders and he looked to the side. Chan was there, smiling at him, Changbin on his other side, a tiny smirk on the lips. “At least, we realized our dream.” Changbin commented, making them laugh. Jisung looked back outside, knowing these were the last glances he would get at the beautiful greenery and salmon colored clouds. And now, it was time to wake up and go back to reality. Not many people get to live the dream, but they did. And they’ll forever be grateful for it. “Yeah.” Jisung declared, a smile on the lips as he leaned against his brother. “We did.” “Hmm.” Chan agreed as he ruffled his hair. Changbin’s head fell into the crook of his neck and he hugged them both, not letting go as the opening began to close. “We came here as mere humans but today? We leave as heroes.” “People won’t see us as that.” Jisung commented, his distaste for fairy-tales and stories of heroes obvious in his tone. “No one will even remember us.” “That’s okay.” Chan chuckled. “We’re not meant to be known by the whole world. There’s no need for that. All that matters is… that our acts changed the fate of a world.” At least, those words brought a bit of solace to their pain. Jisung sighed and nuzzled his neck. “You should have been a poet.” Chan’s eyes shined with mirth as Changbin halfheartedly snickered. “Nah. If I did, I would have never seen this.” he whispered, as the Glow cast its morning ray of lights down onto the jungle, making it look exactly like the first time they saw it, except now with frost. It was shining even more though, bright and grand. Just like their experiences. “I’ll miss it.” Changbin declared, voice soft. Chan blinked his tears away but he smiled, his heart suddenly light. “Me too, Binnie. Me too.” Together, they cast a last longing look at the planet. “Goodbye, Straya 801.” The door slid close.
~~~~~~~~> To be continued…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Felix fluttered his eyes open.
Everything was bright, white and bright.
He groaned, bringing a hand to his eyes. Then he smelled it. Blood.
He hurled forward, almost falling off the bed he was lying on. But he couldn’t throw up. Everything hurt so bad.
He looked up, finding a limp figure in front of him.
All came back to him at once.
He gasped, fighting his way out of bed and toward the other.
“Hyuna-“ he called out, voice thankfully still intact. He bet he could not say the same about his face or legs. From what he remembered and the pain in his left ankle, it shouldn’t be pretty to look at. For all that matters, he won’t look.
He crouched in front of her face, wincing when his ankle throbbed in pain. But Felix ignored it and clasped her face in his hands. She didn’t stir. At least she seemed fine, unharmed even. But that didn’t make any sense, she took some good punches too-
They healed her. The bastards already came in the cell while they were sleeping. Shit. They had to run away, find something-
“Shit, Hyuna, wake up-“ He hissed, shaking her shoulders.
“She won’t.”
Felix’s head snapped to the door. There stood a man in a white uniform. In his hand was a syringe.
Felix tensed, not liking where this was going one bit. He sat up and gripped the sheets, his bloodied knuckles turning white. But he didn’t let his fear show on his face. His eyes remained fierce. Like Woojin always taught him to when he was scared. Like Minho always did when he was terrified. Like Chan would do to protect Jisung and Changbin. Like Changbin would want him to be. Like they were when the assaillants tried to corner Seungmin. Like they were when people tried to hurt his mother in the past. When people tried to hurt him for being a half blood. This was no different. Except…
His eyes flickered to Hyuna’s belly.
Except he was not the most terrified here. He was no longer the one to quiver. His fingers were shaking but not in fear, he realized. It was in rage.
“What do you mean,” he began in a perfect Earthian speech, looking back at the medic. “She won’t?”
The medic barely masked his surprise at Felix’s words and leaned against his tray of tools. “Patient H03 is under sedatives. She’s due in two days.”
Felix’s head snapped back to Hyuna’s unconscious body in shock. “She can’t give birth, it’s too early. What do you mean
due
?”
“Don’t worry, the baby is in perfect health, it can come out now. You, half bloods, are incredible creatures.”
Felix ignored the insult in favor of pleading her case. “It’s unhealthy, she’s a human and she needs to give birth when the time is right. You can’t force it out of her!”
“As long as the baby is alive, we can handle it from there.”
“But she’ll die!”
The medic shrugged and began walking toward him. “None of our concern. Our only instruction is to keep the baby alive. And you.”
Felix stood up in front of Hyuna’s body and readied himself to fight, ignoring the agony shooting through his leg. “Don’t come any closer. I’ll snap your neck.”
The medic raised a brow and smirked. “Well, it’s up to you really,” he informed, his syringe pointing to Hyuna. “You can try and strangle me and Hyuna’s delivery won’t go well. Or, you could kindly let me heal you and take you to tests, and I’ll do my best to keep her alive.”
Felix’s resolve shattered. He shakily looked back to the unconscious human, terrified. “Are you… the one in charge of the operation?”
The medic stalked forward, taking Felix by surprise, leaving him no time to react. He grabbed his shoulders and pushed the syringe down his neck.
“Please cooperate,” he whispered, almost inaudible. “Just do what I say and you’ll both live. It’s all I can do for you.”
Felix’s eyes widened, but soon, the sedative took over. He fell limp in the man’s arms.
— — — — — —
Changbin was restless. Fussing, pacing and biting his nails. Really, he looked like a father waiting for his wife’s labor to be over. Now, Chan knew it was hard to leave everything behind. Changbin was mostly, if not always, composed during hard times. Angry, yes, but never a… mess?
He gestured to Jisung that he was heading to see Changbin. Jisung only groaned in answer. A medic was by his side, trying to help him, but it was never easy to take off when your scars and bones were barely healed. Really, Chan wished he could have broken Minho’s nose in retaliation for making Jisung wait the whole night outside in that shape — the idiot actually managed to reopen a wound running away and only realized it once in the ship. The joys of adrenaline.
Chan went to stand next to Changbin, in front of a circular window. For a moment, they stayed silent, both staring at the sky as they slowly but surely maneuvered through the falling snow. From up there, it barely looked like glaze anymore. More like… thin cotton.
“Why are you staring outside so hard? It’s not gonna stop snowing at your sole will, you know?” He tried to joke but Changbin only smirked bitterly.
“My sole will, huh?... I guess my sole will wasn’t enough, in the end. Shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up after knowing there were chances it’d fail… but I guess I’m only human for hoping.”
Chan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “What? I was only joking about the snow, you know? Like-“
Changbin stopped him with a sad grin, tears in the eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“What?” Chan whispered, completely lost, alarms ringing in his ears. His hands cupped his face in automatism and Changbin leaned in, looking oddly guilty. “Changbin. What did you do?”
“I-“
His voice was interrupted by a strong turbulence. Gasps and curses were heard all over, belongings rolling off their supposed spots as the ship tipped backward. But Chan and Changbin could only hear one thing.
Screeches
.
Changbin’s eyes widened and he hastily stood up, not even helping Chan or caring for Jisung — he was probably throwing up his guts at this point anyway. Instead, he gripped the window ledge to steady himself against the ship’s shaking and breathed in, hope drumming in his chest.
He looked outside the window.
For a minute, there was nothing but a strong snowstorm. Hope plummeted in his chest. No… It couldn’t be just a coincidence.
And then he saw it.
“What the fuck…” Chan trailed off, now beside him and staring outside in disbelief.
Swarming in the sky and blocking their way were of at least seventy Young Wings, of all sizes and colors, forcing their ship down.
“That,” Changbin answered with bright eyes. “Is my sole will.”
— — — — — — —
One hour ago...
Hyunjin rested his head along the trunk of his and Seungmin’s tree, perched high on it. The snow was hitting his chest and his lips were slowly turning blue. But it felt good. He felt alive that way.
The other day… he’d been so scared. He thought he was done for. When that bastard cocked his gun into his jaw and sent him falling on the ground, and then he saw the wardrobe ready to fall on him from the corner of his eyes-
His squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to think about it anymore.
Jae, he had almost left Seungmin alone. All along he had feared Seungmin would be the one to vanish into thin air, but he had been the one to almost leave this world.
“You shouldn’t be out of bed.”
He turned his head around, seeing Seungmin swiftly climb his way up to him. He was blowing out cold air and frowning.
“You fighters, always testing limits- have you seen yourself, babe? You’re so done for once we get home, Hwang Hyunjin, I swear….” he grumbled, pushing himself up.
Hyunjin smiled and waved him over.
“How’s Minho? Jeongin’s still with him?” He asked, linking his arms around his waist when Seungmin sat down on him.
Seungmin hummed and carded a hand through his hair, almost making him purr.
“He’s… crestfallen. I’ve not seen him like this since… well, since Donghyuck.”
“Is it because of the guys leaving or Jisung’s rejection?”
Seungmin sighed, holding Hyunjin closer to himself. “I frankly don’t know. Both I guess.” He closed his eyes, shuddering, Hyunjin’s cold bare skin making him want to curse. “I still can’t believe they’re gone. How could they leave us…”
Hyunjin looked up and brought a hand to his cheek, catching a teardrop.
“They didn’t have a choice Seungie. Rules are rules, we know something about it.”
Seungmin squeezed his eyes shut, chest aching. “I-I know but I just wish we were not all so stupid-”
“Shhh, love it’s okay-” he comforted, throwing his leg back on the branch to steady the both of them. “No matter where they are, they’ll forever remain our family.”
Seungmin only shook harder, his nails digging into the bandages on Hyunjin’s back. “But they’re gone. What does it matter now? We’ll never see them again.”
Hyunjin smiled, cupping his face. “Look at me, Seung. It’s okay. It’s okay now.”
Seungmin sniffled and wiped his eyes, nodding.
“When someone dies, does they not matter anymore? Do you forget all of your memories together?” Hyunjin asked, thumbing that little shiny spot beneath his eyes that he loved so much.
Seungmin shook his head, grabbing his hands in his and prying them away from his face. “No, of course not. It’s just… I can’t believe it.”
Hyunjin pulled him back into his arms, the first rays of the Glow barely shining through the thick foliage. “Me neither for all that matters. But we must be strong. For Minho, for Chan and for Felix once we get him back.”
Seungmin nodded, wiping off his tears. “You’re right. Let’s do this.” He breathed out and finally looked Hyunjin in the eyes. The later found determination in it. That made him grin.
“Here’s my little fighter.”
Seungmin scoffed, rolling his eyes. “
Little-
And you’re the one who’s a fighter, don’t mix things up. Did you hit your head that hard?”
The last bit had Hyunjin stiffening. Seungmin realized his mistake right away.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-“
“You always have a way for dampening the mood, don’t you…” Hyunjin sighed, patting his head in mid exasperation and fondness. “That’s one of the thing I love about you, though.”
“Eh? What’s there to love about that?”
“You’re frank, never afraid of speaking the truth even if it hurts.” Hyunjin explained, exhaling loudly. “Even if it’s sometimes beyond annoying, it’s what makes you charming.”
Seungmin blushed at that, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sudden compliment. But he couldn’t bring himself to look away from his lover.
“I need someone like this to keep me in check.”
“I keep you in check?”
“You make me face things head on. If it weren’t for you I’d be a coward.”
Seungmin gaped in disbelief. Hyunjin was anything but a coward!
Hyunjin sighed and cupped his jaw, leaning in. “You’re the one who makes me strong, in other words.”
Seungmin’s eyes fluttered close as Hyunjin captured his lips. He had had no idea…
When Hyunjin leaned back, he kept their foreheads close. “When I fought these Yeshihks, I only thought of you. That I had to live through it and be strong so that I could see you again.”
“Hyunjin…”
Said male intertwined their free fingers.
“When I collapsed yesterday, I thought I’d never see you again. I couldn’t forgive myself. I prayed to Jae so hard to let me live. There’s so many things we jsut haven’t done, I couldn’t believe it was over.”
“I thought I’d lost you…” Seungmin confessed, kissing the palm of his hand. “I don’t want to feel that ever again.”
“Me neither.” Hyunjin confessed, scooping an arm around his hips. He kissed Seungmin again, this time stronger, making him gasp at his fervor. “Jae, I love you so much…” he mumbled against his lips, a silent tear rolling down his cheek.
“Don’t cry. I’ll protect you from now on.” Seungmin swore, voice breaking. He held Hyunjin just as hard, afraid the minute he would let go he’d vanish. Fuck, how much he loved Hyunjin… “I’ll protect you.”
Hyunjin stared at him, eyes unreadable — just like that time at Ten’s wedding. It’s like he was thinking about something to ask him. The intensity of it made Seungmin blush. He opened his mouth to ask him what he was thinking about, but Hyunjin shushed him with yet another kiss, rendering him speechless.
“Nothing, love. I’m just glad I have you. C’mon let’s go back home. I’m starving,”
Seungmin let out a strangled noise — half between a laugh and a snort. “You Yeshihk- you’re so getting it once we get home.”
“Alright, alright, let’s go love.” Hyunjin laughed, sticking out his tongue. The sight of the piercing made Seungmin smile internally. He had left his own back at home. As soon as they get there he will put it back.
With these thoughts in mind, they began heading home.
— —
Woojin stared in front of himself but he wasn’t looking at anything. His mind was a haze and he felt sick. Seeing Minho, their leader, break down like he never did since Donghyuck was shocking and horrible. He sighed, trying to get rid of that constricting feeling in his throat, as he absentmindedly fanned himself with the envelope Chan gave him on Changbin’s behalf… Oh Jae, just thinking of these two reminded him of Felix so bad. It made him want to forget everything, for a little while… wish for a time when the first batch of humans never came and those bastards working with Kim never stayed.
“Aren’t you going to read that?”
Woojin‘s head snapped up to the entrance of the living-room. Jeongin was there, leaning against the wall and looking worn out. Poor child, that probably meant Minho was unbearable to watch if even he couldn’t stay with him anymore.
“That?” He asked, shaking the letter in his hand. “It’s not mine to read. It’s from Changbin, for Lix.”
“Then why is your name written on the back of it?” Jeongin asked, frowning as he sat down next to him.
Woojin furrowed his brows. “What-“
His eyes widened as he saw that it was indeed his name written down in shaky Straynian.
“But Chan said it was for Felix?” He repeated what he heard cluelessly.
Jeongin shrugged. “Chan probably assumed that. I mean, no offense but why would he write something to you?”
“I wonder too…” he mumbled as he stared at his name cluelessly.
“C’mon then, open it! It must be important, if he wrote something directly to you!”
Hurriedly, Woojin pried it open. Jeongin was right. What was that all about? Why would Changbin write something to him?
His eyes fell onto the first words, written in perfect, steady writing. A clear sign that Changbin was sure of what he was stamping down this paper. But it was also hastily written, some ink drops staining the paper. That meant nothing good in his experience.
“Dear Woojin,” he began out loud for Jeongin, whose Earthian was still a bit shaky. “I know this must be unexpected- I don’t even know why I’m doing this or if you’ll even read it in time or at all. But if you do, forgive my direct speech, I don’t have much time. We are leaving Straya 801, but I know Chan told you. I bet he also asked you to run away. Chan loves you,” his voice shook on that part but he went on, ignoring Jeongin’s worried glance. “And I know you love him too and that you’ll both be stupid enough to give it up.” Jeongin snorted by his side and Woojin glared at him. Now was not the time to have such reactions.
“Sorry, sorry, go on.” He apologized sheepishly.
“... I also know that Jisung is in love with Minho-“
“Fuck, i knew it! Why did he reject him then?” Jeongin gasped, leaning in closer and trying to read.
Woojin nodded, but he already knew why without having to read the rest. But he did it for Jeongin anyway. “I don’t know about Minho, but I know Jisung would give him up. Not for his own sake but for all of yours and Minho’s, as he knows you’ll need your leader. He probably also won’t tell Minho we’re leaving because he figured it would be game changing. You guys all are stupid for giving up so easily. But I understand where you're coming from.” He stopped, his eyes widening as he read the next lines.
Jeongin raised a brow. “Hyung. What is it? C’mon tell me!”
Woojin sat up, turning quickly to him. “We need to tell Minho-“
“Okay, okay we will! But tell him what?” He asked eagerly, gripping his shoulders.
“No time for that, come with me!” He exclaimed, taking him by the hand and running to Minho’s bedroom.
Jeongin barely had time to react that Woojin had already slammed the door open.
“Minho! Get your head out of the gutter and read that!” He yelled, turning Minho around by the shoulders and making him sit on his balcony’s ledge. He shoved the letter in his hand and wiped his face clean. Minho just blankly stared at him.
“Woojin?” He mumbled dumbly, almost as if he was half intoxicated. Jeongin had to look away.
“Yes it’s Woojin. Now read. It’s from Changbin.”
That
at least seemed to get Minho’s attention. He slowly brought the letter to his face, the cover falling from one of his shoulder. He didn’t even bother picking it up and just read.
Jeongin worried his lower lip all the while, his feet tapping the floor anxiously, picking up his brother’s habit. What was there written in that damn letter for Jae’s sake!?
Minho gasped. Jeongin looked back at him, expectant. But Minho’s eyes were on Woojin, staring at him in disbelief.
“You’ve read it?” Woojin asked hopefully, gripping his shoulders.
“Jisung does love me…” he mumbled, eyes full of hope as he lowered the letter. “He did it for us.”
Woojin slowly lowered his hands. “Yes, but I thought that was a given. Did you read the rest, Minho? What’s your answer?”
“Oh, huh, no, not yet-“ Minho admitted, blinking his bliss away.
Woojin rolled his eyes with a groan, snatching the letter from his hands and mentioning Jeongin forward. “Forget it, I’ll read it. You’re too slow.”
Jeongin had never seen Woojin that exasperated. Or maybe it was enthusiast.
“Thankfully for us all,” he went on reading. “I can think straight. I made a promise to Felix and I intend on keeping it. If you’d allow me to. The truth is, Suzy lied to you to pressure you in saying yes to the ban: Hyojong is not dead. I hope knowing that will change your decision.”
Jeongin gasped and turned to Woojin in shock. “This changes everything!”
“Yes but that’s not all,” Woojin agreed, immediately going on: “So while dumb and dumber were out there playing the selfless heroes, I decided that I’d give you more time to think this through, now that we are all heartbroken and regretting our decisions. After all, Suzy played dirty on that one, it’s only fair you get your dirty trick too. I’ll hijack the system in our base tonight and I’ll have Hui do the same in SM. All the ships will be leaving with one hour of delay. Of course, no one knows, and everyone will believe it’s 8 when in reality we’ll take off at 9. If you read this on time and find it in your hearts to still have us around, please stop us. Nothing I’ll say to Suzy would change her mind, she is certain that she is doing the best thing. I understand her. But I disagree. Rather than saying “impossible”, I want to say “we tried”. I want to live my life with Felix. I know it’s selfish. If you refuse, I won’t blame you. I’ll understand. Then give the second letter to Felix please. I want him to read it. But… if you choose to come to us- If you still want us, please, stop us. You are our family no matter where we are. With all my love, Changbin. P.s: the guys have no idea I’m doing this, they would never have agreed. Selfless bastards. Anyway, please don’t blame them. We all love you.”
The room was silent. Jeongin couldn’t see clearly, everything was blurred.
“There’s a way…” he muttered, a grin taking over his face. Immediately relief took over his body and he felt himself falling backward, his legs giving away.
A pair of arms caught him. The back of his head collided with a chest and they tumbled on their arses. The person under him winced and Jeongin snapped his eyes open.
“Jae, you’re heavier than you look.”
“Ye-Yedam?!” Jeongin shrieked, wiping his last tears away. “What are you doing here?” He asked, hurriedly sitting up and turning around. Yedam was dressed in human clothes, all black, and he was really handsome to be honest. If the situation wasn’t so dire, he would have probably smashed his lips against his-
Wait, what?!
Jeongin averted his eyes and quickly tried to focus on the important matters again. “Nevermind why you’re here, the thing is we can prevent all the humans from leaving!”
Yedam frowned, crossing his arms. “Okay… Since when are they leaving?”
A loud slap against the door was heard, followed by heavy breathing.
“Jae, would someone respect that door?” Jeongin grumbled as he looked up at the newcomer. “Oh? CL? Why are you…”
She held a hand out, silencing him. She breathed out, trying to regain her composure. “Jae, these stairs are hell. I’m not cut out for being a leader anymore- So, who’s leaving?”
“The Humans,” he announced, making CL scream. Jeongin winced, covering his ears. “Calm down, please, there’s a way-”
“Fuck Suzy. I knew there was something fishy about that whole ban thing. Jae, I’m gonna rip her throat out once I get my hands on her-”
“Which you won’t get to do if we keep talking.” Woojin cut in, already done with them. “What time is it?”
“It’s- 8h54?!” Jeongin shrieked, scrambling up to his feet and snatching a jacket from Minho’s wardrobe. “Hurry, hurry we must-“ He stopped himself and turned to Minho, who hadn’t spoken since the end of Woojin’s speech. “Minho, what do you say?”
Minho looked at him, a small smirk finally gracing his features. He turned to CL.
“Are you with me?”
“
Ay, ay, ay
!” CL yapped, her Young Wing diving down.
Seungmin grinned at that, running down the jungle’s path on Fayr to the scientists’ base. He couldn’t believe they were doing that. He could see sand and earth flying everywhere— both because of the ships taking off and their own incessant running and galloping. A green and indigo Young Wing flew above him, carrying two men.
Minho and Woojin.
Seungmin waved up. “Hurry up! You’ve got this!”
Hyunjin smiled behind him, tightening his hold onto his waist. He kissed his shoulder. “We’ll make it on time, don’t worry.”
Seungmin nodded just as a black Pali dashed past them.
Yedam.
The young boy hurried forward on his mount. He was anxious, hoping they would be on time. From the corner of his eyes he detected movements. A man leaping from branches to branches and waving him over. He smirked, galloping over.
“I told you you couldn’t run. You haven’t slept in two days, Foxie.” Yedam reminded him as he slowed down.
Jeongin only jumped down and onto Chittaprr. He hugged his waist from behind and dropped his chin on his shoulder. “Just shut up and carry on.”
Yedam grinned at that and urged his Pali forward.
When they reached the base, the ship was lowering itself down on the ground. Jeongin couldn’t help but let out a high pitch noise in victory, pumping his fist in the air. Seungmin laughed out loud and joined too, soon followed by all the Pali riders and the rest of their clans who joined by foot.
As they halted to a stop, Seungmin slowly led Fayr forward, eyes squinting because of all the smoke. When he reached the front, Luwen landed, followed by the rest of the Young Wings’ riders. He exchanged a glance with Minho.
They did it.
They really did it.
“Go get your man.” He mouthed proudly.
Minho snorted, eyes rolling. But his smirk betrayed him.
In front of them, the ship’s trap fell open.
— — — — —
“What in the whole world-“ Jisung heard Suzy bark as she fought her way through the mass of scientists. “Everyone stay calm and don’t create a commotion. Now, move your arses and let me through!”
Everyone did and Jisung sat up with the help of a medic. What was happening? Can’t a man barf in peace? God the moment he gets his hands onto the one doing all that shit he’ll kill him.
He risked a glance at Chan- only to find him gone.
“Eh? Binnie, where did Chan-” his words died in his throat as he watched Changbin.
The boy was wiping his tears, head thrown back and shoulders shaking.
“Are you laughing?” He asked in disbelief. What in the world was happening.
Changbin smiled at him and took his hand, swaying it. “I’ll explain everything in time,” he promised, gently patting his hair. “We’ll be alright now. We’ll all be alright.”
Jisung stared at him cluelessly, stopping his hand. “What do you-“
Changbin stood up, not letting him finish anything. He tugged him up with care but hastiness, and led him forward. “Let’s go find Chan.”
Jisung could only follow him, his brain not processing what was going on, too focused on acknowledging the ache in his ribs. Changbin carefully helped him off of the platform and when his feet touched the ground, his breath left his lungs.
But not from the pain.
In front of them were hundreds of Strays. In front of them was his family. In front of him was Minho, landing on Luwen with Woojin.
Jisung bit back a gasp and fisted his jacket over his chest, where his heart was menacing to give away. Trying to hide from the sight, he half slid behind Chan-
Chan?
He frowned and hit his back, shaking the frost of his shoulders. “Don’t leave like that, you idiot! You scared me!” He hissed in a whisper.
But Chan did not answer. Instead, his eyes filled with tears as he stared at Woojin, watching the man leap off Luwen. Their eyes met. And Chan finally let his first tears out.
Woojin startled at that, stopping every movements. He quickly exchanged a glance with Minho. The later nodded. And so, with that, Woojin ran towards them.
Chan didn’t wait any more seconds to shove his fellow soldiers away and let himself be tackled by Woojin who successfully fought his way through. They both slipped on the frost, barely finding their footing again. But none of that mattered.
“Fuck, I thought I’d never see you again.” Chan cried in his hair, holding him close and blinking his tears away. God, it felt so good having him back in his arms. He wa so warm, so comforting- like a safe haven, away from all his problems and worries. How did he even believe he’d be alright not having him in his life… God, if this was a dream never let him wake up from it, please.
“Me too…” Woojin whispered, and, oh god, his voice was so close, so real.
Real… ity.
The reality. What was happening?
Chan stepped back with a frown, lips trembling and breath puffing as he stared at the assembly in shock.
“What are you guys doing?” He asked, not letting go of Woojin. His hands were trembling as they clutched his bare arms. Too afraid the moment he let go Woojin would escape his grasp forever.
Before Woojin could say anything, Suzy spoke, silencing them all.
“Minho. CL. What is that all of about-“
“You broke our pact.” Minho began, stalking forward. Suzy stepped back in shock.
On the other side of the compound, Jisung shivered at the voice. The last time he had heard it was only yesterday, but it felt like an eternity now that he had made up his mind. The only pain he could feel at the moment were the frostbites on his fingers and the ache in his heart, his ribs gone numb. He could not resist it. He peaked over Changbin’s shoulder, his new refuge. Minho’s eyes were burning, with anger, passion, disappointment, relief and so many other things Jisung had never seen in them before. It was a… good change in a way. Minho had always felt somehow distant. Like he had some walls and barriers shielding his every thoughts and emotions. Something he had yet to ever unlock and something he had never even seen his little brother achieve. But he looked fierce, not ready to relent. As he walked closer, the Glow caught the shine of something around his neck. A blueish silver thing. Jisung’s guts twisted.
Suzy took a step back, her arms coming before herself in a defensive barrier. “It’s not-“
“Don’t try to play the hero here. You don’t have to shoulder everything alone, you idiot.” CL interrupted, her arms crossed as she leaned against her Young Wing. She looked unaffected by the cold. As all Strays. A stark contrast to the shivering humans, who were barely holding themselves together though the thin layers of their combat jackets or shirts.
But these words, at least, rendered Suzy speechless.
“We don’t want you gone.” Minho insured her when she failed to add anything else, slowing down his pace. He was now standing alone in the middle of this snowy field, weaponless and only wearing long robes over his worn out pants. And yet, even like that he looked regal and powerful, with so many people and creatures standing behind him to support him. A passive army, the youngest of the 3Racha Unit realized. Truly amazing. Jisung could not believe he had been close to someone that incredible. “You are wrong. You don’t only bring harm wherever you go.”
His eyes fell onto Jisung, startling him. How did he find him in the crowd ?! He felt his face grow hot at the attention and fully stepped back behind Changbin, unable to whistand his gaze any longer. He was burning with shame. How could Minho still look at him with tenderness after what he did to him…The man was truly too good.
“You bring joy, life and
love
as well.” He added, eyes flickered to Changbin. “Rather than saying “
impossible
”, I want to say “
we tried
”.”
Changbin grinned, startling Jisung. What did that mean?
He watched as Suzy sighed and rubbed her face with both hands, not once shivering from the cold. “I wish I could say yes, but my father is already expecting us back-”
“Nothing, I’m sure, a little message couldn’t fix. Your father’s got ties up there, he can arrange your stay if it’s needed. And I’m sure your little
minister
won’t care about it as long as he’s got his bioluminescence.” CL snorted, rolling her eyes at her friend’s stubbornness.
Minho gave her an appreciative smile before he set his eyes back onto Suzy. “So please,
stay
. We need you here. All of you.”
Jisung’s mouth fell open at these words. Did he really hear Minho well?
To everyone’s surprise, Suzy only sighed and facepalmed. “You guys already went all this way to make us stay, how could I…” she trailed off, peering from behind her fingers in worry. “Can I really take your word? You won’t decide to have us gone as soon you get your hands on Kim?”
Minho raised a brow. “That will only give me more reasons to have you stay here.”
Suzy risked a look behind her, finding hope in the eyes of all her soldiers. She bit her lip, unsure. “I…”
Her eyes fell onto Chan and Woojin’s entangled form. Then, she saw Jisung’s eyes fixated onto Minho, still shell-shocked. At last, her eyes met Changbin’s, who looked half-guilty, half-pleading. God, what could she do now that Minho has given them all back hope?
“I…”
The pilot finally came out from the ship’s entrance, looking bewildered. His eyes met Suzy, waiting for further instructions as he pointed to his watch. They were wasting precious time. A few minutes of delay here could mean months of difference back on Earth.
What should she do?
Suddenly, a loud noise was heard in the sky.
Everyone gasped and looked up, ready to shield or fight. Then they saw it. Something was falling down from the sky. Upon a closer look, this was a small white ship-
“Dad?!” Suzy shrieked, running toward his landing spot, all stance lost.
The engine was turned off and the trap fell open, revealing a man dressed in a colorful Hawaiian shirt and white shorts, his little parrot on his shoulder. He shielded his eyes, blinded by the snow’s whiteness. “Ah. Forgot we were in the cold season. Jae, I should have brought something warmer.”
“Father… you’re back!” She exclaimed, relief clearly taking over her features as he walked down the ship.
JYP only frowned at her, guilt on his features. He waited until she reached him and let out a sigh. “My dear Suzy… Hasn’t Chaerin told you not to shoulder everything by yourself?” He asked, gently stroking his daughter’s cheek. “Why would you make our Straynian friends here believe we were merely putting up a ban? Make them all believe
you
agreed to go back on Earth as well, when you’re the one who insulted the prime minister in the face the moment he announced our withdrawal from Straya after learning for Kim? Honey, I didn’t almost lose my job because of your actions for you to comply afterward.”
Suzy looked down in guilt. “I… I didn’t want the Strays to think humans were rotten to the core-
assholes
that sent their tropes back home as soon as they got what they needed under the pretense that it was
‘becoming too risky to stay here’
to quote his words. I wanted us to save the hostages, leave and give the next generation a shot at coming back here. I wanted us to be remembered as selfless heroes. That’s why I pretended his order was my choice, dad.”
JYP sighed, patting her hair. “I’m sorry I took so long. You did amazingly well in my absence, thank you.”
Suzy shook her head. “No I didn’t. Hyuna-“ her voice broke saying her sister’s name. She cleared her throat, shoulders sagging. “-and Felix got captured. I failed the Rebellion and almost separated families-”
“Don’t worry about all of that, you did it for the sake of us all. You’re the real hero there, honey. But from now on, I’ll handle the governor and the minister. I’ll write to them as soon as we’re done here to tell them we’re staying. I’ll find an arrangement. So don’t worry about engagement or anything okay? What can these old men do anyway? We’re galaxies away from them.” He snorted, an amused smile on the lips when his bird chirped in agreement.
Suzy nodded, dumbfounded but also relieved. It was like that weight in her chest had disappeared, now that all was settled. But then it hit her. “Wait, dad. How did you know about all of this? I never told you I took the responsibility of the governor’s choice or that Minho asked us to stay!” She exclaimed in stupor, taking a step back.
“Ah… about that,” JYP chuckled guiltily, tapping his ear where a little earpiece was. He glanced at Changbin with a grin, nodding gratefully. “Thank you son for the message yesterday and for the mic and all. Really saved us on that one.”
Suzy’s round eyes found the mic strapped onto Changbin’s jacket and she swore her brain was going to explode. She gasped in disbelief. “He did what?!” She shrieked, turning back to her father in betrayal.
Jisung and Chan both turned to Changbin in disbelief and betrayal too. “So that’s what you were up to the whole night!” Chan exclaimed dumbfounded, leaning back against Woojin’s chest.
“Only part of it.” He admitted sheepishly, not looking forward to explaining the whole shenanigan to them. But there was no escaping it, it seemed, judging by Jisung’s intent glare.
“You, mister, have some explaining to do later.” The youngest of the three hissed, poking his chest relentlessly.
Changbin could only nod, defeated. Thankfully, JYP kind of had his back on that one.
“He did what none of us had the courage to. After all, you were never a coward SpearB. Love only strengthens your determination, I see.” JYP chuckled, ignoring his daughter’s sputtering in favor of stalking towards the center, where Minho was standing. He stopped in front of him and smiled. “We’d be honored to stay, son.” JYP declared, holding out his hand to shake.
Minho only let out a sigh of relief and firmly shook his hand. “It’s good to have you back, sir.”
JYP patted his shoulder, smile turning into a grin. “Well, I must admit it feels good to be back. Let’s take this bastard down and work things out for a better future.”
Minho smiled back and nodded. “Yes. Let’s do that.”
— — — — — — —
Jisung thanked the medic as she finished wrapping up the bandages around his chest. The pain was still there but it was bearable. What was not however was the dull pounding in his temples and the anguish in his chest. He looked around their flat, still intact and clean, bare of all their personal belongings, just like they had left it not even one hour ago. Although it shouldn’t, it felt weird to be back there. When he had stepped out of it, his mind had been made up — there was no coming back. And yet… Here they all were, settling back into their flats, the wounded from Kim’s previous attack under the care of medics until their medical ward was up for use once more, the others helping to unpack everything. Jisung wished he were in a good shape. Carrying everything off the ships would have taken Minho off his mind at least. Really what a rollercoaster of emotions in such little time.
Jisung closed his eyes and leaned back into the couch. He pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping to erase the image that came before his eyes. He could still see it all in his mind. Minho’s face as he pushed him away on the lake, his eyes when he managed Jae knows how to find him among the crowd this morning, him and JYP shaking hands as everyone cheered. He felt like throwing up.
The medic put a hand on his shoulder, asking him if he was alright and offering him some more pain relievers. He took them wordlessly, not finding the strength to speak. Someone told her something that made her look up and nod, but Jisung barely registered it. In fact he would not have if not for the clicking noise the door made when it slid close.
“Are you okay, Jisungie?”
Woojin’s voice startled him. He had almost forgotten his presence. Once the new deal was sealed, JYP had swept away Suzy, Wooyoung, CL, Minho, Changbin and Chan with him, to deal with formalities. In the meantime, Chan had requested Woojin to stay with him in the flat and make sure nothing happened to him. Woojin had taken that time to explain Changbin’s plan to him. Needless to say it had been shocking. And while he couldn’t bring himself to feel mad at Changbin for his actions, he couldn’t bring himself to feel the happiness he thought he would.
He offered him a simple smile, nodding, his eyes falling onto the clock. It was back on time. Ten thirty. Changbin, that smooth bastard… Just a few more hours before Mark’s men and the rest of the Rescue Squad met on the Neutral Ground and left for the infiltration. That one thought brought warmth to his heart at least. He hoped for their success.
“You’re sure?” Woojin insisted, getting him out of his reverie.
“Yes, don’t worry. Just a massive headache. You know, because I stayed out the whole night yesterday, so I couldn’t receive my treatment- the medic was so mad this morning, she scared the hell out of me…” he trailed off when he saw Woojin staring at him in confusion. “Yeah, anyway, I guess
he
probably didn’t tell you about that. It might be better this way actually…”
Woojin sighed and sat down next to him. “Are you telling me that you stayed out the whole night, barely recovered, and ran back to base when you rejected Minho, with two wounds in the ribs and
that
face?”
Jisung’s face fell, his shoulders tensing. “So he did tell you… Aren’t you mad?”
Woojin gasped, leaning forward — and it looked like he would have clutched Jisung’s arms to death if he were not that bruised already. “Are
you
kidding? I’m mad at Minho for letting you out in the cold the whole night when he had known you were there the whole time and in the worst shape I’ve ever seen a human be!”
“Well, you haven’t seen Chan after a whole week without sleeping.” Jisung slightly chuckled, feeling a little bit better. At least Woojin was not hating him for his actions. He knew how much the eldest cared for his leader, the one who gave him and Felix a home and a family when no one else would. Such a kind person definitely belonged with Chan. “Thank you Woojin.”
Woojin smiled, gently grabbing his hand. “How can I be mad at you, when
I
crushed Chan’s hopes, Jisungie? We did what we deemed best in the short time we were given to decide. I think… I’ll be eternally grateful to Changbin for what he did.”
Jisung took a warm sip of his herbal tea, wincing. The medic said it would be great to help him heal but it truly tasted like shit. “Do you…” he began, halting when he felt his heart clench painfully in guilt. He breathed in, soothed by Woojin’s calming strokes over his hand. “Do you think Minho would have stepped in when learning we were leaving, if Changbin hadn’t written that letter or changed the hours?”
Woojin bit his lower lip, looking to the side. He seemed hesitant to speak. Jisung didn’t want to press but he felt like they owed each other the truth, now.
“Please, be frank. I need to know, hyung.” He pleaded, squeezing his hand.
Woojin finally nodded, though still refusing to look at him. “You have to know… that Minho was found unconscious in the jungle by one of his sentinels when he lost your trail.”
Jisung gasped at his words, not believing what he was hearing. He quickly nodded at Woojin to go on. Woojin hesitated, throwing him a worried glance, afraid to put too much emotional pressure on the younger. But he could see in Jisung’s eyes that he’d rather take another bullet in the chest rather than not knowing the rest of the story.
“When he woke up this morning, it was almost eight already. So… even if he had wanted to, he couldn’t have… you leaving would have been inevitable. But yes. Under other circumstances he would have stopped you, I’m sure of it. No matter what happened between you two, family bonds are stronger than it.”
Jisung nodded, gladly accepting the hug Woojin gave him. Straya did really change him. In the past, he would have said no to such display of affection from anyone else than Chan and Changbin. Now it felt like embracing an older brother.
Woojin chuckled and pulled away, the noise reverberating in the silent flat. It put a smile on Jisung’s face. But his heart still sat heavy in his chest. “I understand, Woojin hyung. We really do owe Binnie on this one, don’t we?”
Woojin sighed heavily, completely agreeing. Changbin’s doings were the real heroic actions here. Without them, Chan would have been so broken… He felt so bad now, especially after seeing Chan’s tears this morning. He shook his head, trying to clear up his mind. Right now, Woojin needed to tell everything to his friend.
“And-“
“There’s more?” Jisung whimpered in his shoulder, voice muffled but quivering. When Woojin nodded, he slumped back into his chest in helplessness. He breathed in, trying to calm himself. Woojin’s scent was just like… Gyujaks, today. It comforted him. Reminded him he was home.
“Listen Jisung,” he whispered, slightly tightening his hold around him to keep him grounded. “Minho he… when he woke up and realized you gave him up, he was in a state that I had not seen him in ever since he accidentally pushed Jeongin off a cliff and broke his arm.”
Jisung half smiled and winced, perfectly picturing the scene.
“But when he learned you guys were leaving… I was facing Minho losing Donghyuck all over again.”
Jisung froze. Donghyuck. Minho’s younger brother and Jeongin’s older one. He could remember the child’s face drawn over the walls of Jeongin’s secret hideout. The kid was beautiful and, judging by the way Jeongin had drawn his eyes, mischievous. Donghyuck would have been his age. He wondered what he would have looked like. From the painting, he was tanner than his brothers, but he shared their eye color. He also had lighter hair. If Jisung’s intuition was right, he’d bet Donghyuck would look nothing like his brothers but be just as extraordinary handsome nonetheless. Actually, Jeongin took after their father — once again, judging from the drawings on the walls. But Donghyuck and Minho on the other hand were just… nothing like their parents.
Before he could further dwell onto what would have been of Donghyuck’s life, Woojin’s words came back to his mind. And it was soon filed with images of a broken Minho trashing, screaming, crying, torn apart and then lethargic. Jisung squeezed his eyes shut to will the images away.
Woojin’s hands squeezed his. “Don’t cry Jisung-ah.”
Jisung willed the tears away but found it hard. “I didn’t want him to suffer.”
“I know you didn’t.” He sighed, watching as the Glow was slowly rising to its zenith.
“I thought that if I pretended I didn’t like- if he resented me for what I did, he would have a shot at finding happiness again.” The words sounded easier to say in his mind. But each of them ripped his heart a little more. “Will he even forgive me? Will he believe me after what I did?”
Woojin bit his lip, hesitant to say that Minho already knew the truth thanks to Changbin’s letter. But he decided against it. It was their relationship, he shouldn’t say what was not his to reveal. Instead, he cupped Jisung’s cheeks and raised his face, staring into his eyes with certainty. “Jisung-ah… Minho is not an idiot. He probably guessed why you did what you did. But if you don’t go and tell him yourself,
then
he will never be sure and will have a good reason to believe you don’t
love
him. He needs to know he is still wanted, needs reassurance. We all do…” he whispered, knowing he owed it too to Chan. “I don’t need to tell you where to find him?” He teased, hoping to lit the spirit in Jisung anew.
“Who do you take me for,” he snorted playfully, a tiny smile on the lips as he straightened up and slowly stretched. “I’ll talk to him once they’re done.”
Woojin tsked, standing up. “You will take a nap in the meantime, mister. I refuse to let you out of this place before you’ve at least slept a few hours.”
Jisung went to protest but a yawn escaped his lips. “Fuck. I can’t even move a toe.”
“But you have enough strength to sprout shit, I see.” Woojin chuckled as he went over the kitchen and put some stuffs out of the fridge and onto the counter.
Jisung pouted, laying down on the couch. “I hate that you’re always right.”
Woojin laughed out loud at that, slicing up fruits. “Just go to sleep. I’ll brew you some of that tea your medic talked about. But if you want a better medicine, try and take a dip in our sea while you wait for Min. It’s got healing properties.”
“I know, I know, later,” he mumbled against his pillow, voice already distant. That fact surprised Woojin, but he said nothing. “For now, I think… just a few hours of sleep is okay.” With some last mumbled incomprehensible words addressed to Woojin, he finally let slumber take over him.
— — — — —
Felix winced as the syringe was plunged into his vein. The scientist in front of him raised a brow.
“I told you I could administer you a sedative.”
Felix glared at him, his fingernails hurting his palms. “No thank you. I want to remember every ounce of pain I feel so that when my friends come to free me I can give it back to you in tenfold.”
The scientist smirked and nodded. “Fair enough. Though I’m not sure you should have that much faith in them.”
Felix snorted. “And why is that? You don’t know them nor what they’re capable of.”
The scientist hummed and pulled back the syringe. “Do enlighten me please.”
Now, it was Felix’s turn to smirk. “So that you can run and bark what you found out to your master like the good pet you are? Please, don’t take me for an idiot. Only a fool would tell you anything.”
The scientist laughed at that, sounding genuine to Felix’s surprise.
“You’re a funny one. I told you I don’t like Kim’s methods. Why would I go and tell him something that would make me do dirty work for longer than necessary?”
Felix warily looked around, searching for cameras and mics. “Aren’t you… afraid of what Kim will do to you if he hears you speak?”
The medic looked around, shrugging. “This room is free of microphones. I made sure to have at least one place I could speak freely in this hell. Conveniently, this place turns out to be the loudest in the whole facility and god knows Kim can’t stand loudness.”
Felix frowned and suppressed a whimper at the implication of his words. Yet, he chose not to acknowledge them for now, focusing on prying information. “I don’t get it. Why do you keep doing this if you hate it?”
“Because I have no other choice.” He shrugged, dropping Felix’s blood into a vial. The purple color made him want to barf. “I don’t like blood for all that matters. But that’s my job so I do it. I don’t necessarily want to stay but I have a roof over my head, food profusely, and a salary. I might even get glory at the end of the day. I couldn’t leave if I wanted to, anyway.”
Felix was shocked at the reveal. “Why not? I’m sure that the other facilities would gladly help you-“
The man’s sinister laugh stopped him. “You’re so… good. Your innocence and faith in mankind truly amaze me.” He walked to him and grabbed his shoulders, gently shaking him. “Wake up, halfie. At best, I’ll be sent back on Earth and face a light sentence in prison after selling them information, at worst I spend my whole life in prison. Just like they won’t come and save you, they won’t welcome a murderer on their grounds. Humans… aren’t forgiving creatures. Never were, never will be.”
Felix could only stare at him in disbelief. “Bu-but, you’re no murderer! I refuse to believe you’ve killed someone when you couldn’t even bring yourself to kill Hyuna.”
The man let him go and raised a brow, picking up a data pad. “Ah. So her real name is Hyuna. It suits her better. Funnily enough, I never bought the whole “Elijah is the father of her child” bullshit. These two were too much like siblings to ever sleep together. Really, the other scientists here are complete idiots for not seeing through that scam until Kim told them so.” He tsked as he typed some stuffs into his datapad. The sight reminded him in a way of Changbin, the way he had scribbled hastily onto his own data pad until he fell asleep on the first day they met. Felix remembered picking it up and laughing at Changbin’s total lack of observation skills. Tears pricked at the edge of his eyes at the memory.
“Why? Why are you telling me this?” He asked, voice hoarse and fingernails finally breaking his skin.
The man looked up, appearing unaffected by Felix’s shaking form.
“Why? You really don’t see why?” He sighed and lowered his datapad onto the table, getting on his knees in front of the dark blond boy. “To Kim and most of the people here, Hyuna is nothing. Disposable and hated by most for playing them. Do you know why they ran away- ah, yes you do. But too bad, they were wrong. Kim’s aim was never to dispose of Hyuna and Elijah or lead an attack on the Strays that night. It was to get her- and by extent you. But to do so, he knew he’d have to get rid of Elijah first. He knew Elijah would rush the escape as soon as he overheard that people wanted them dead and go get the kid we kept here, separating Hyuna of him. He also knew she’d fly straight to the base, where you and your merry band of Strays would be to prepare for whatever attack was coming your way. That
you
’d be there to fight any possible threat. And just like he planned it, your friends ran to Elijah for information as soon as he reached SM Headquarters. He didn’t care where you’d end up, be it at SM for Elijah's intel or at JYP’’s to guard her -- you were not all together leaving you all vulnerable for us to take on. For years, he had planned it all out, leading you on with those attacks on creatures and keeping the boy as bait for Elijah to save. Really, really, amazing how easy it is to distract people. Fascinating, isn’t it, that some of the wisest creatures I’ve ever seen could not see that coming because of how paranoid they were?”
Felix was too busy gaping in shock to register him cauterizing his arm.
“In other words, Kim will always be two steps ahead of you guys. You’ve underestimated him. There’s a reason he was so unreachable these past few years.”
“I don’t believe you. He can’t be relying on so much probabilities to carry out his plans. Only a fool would take that risk.”
“Or a genius. I mean, he spent years and years observing you from afar, crafting his plan to perfection. But you see, that’s why he was so successful, halfie. Because while you were busy defending and weighting which was the safest option, Kim took risks and got things done. I don’t like the man, but damn is he impressive.”
Felix shook his head, still in denial.
“Believe what you will, little one. Kim wasn’t going to wait around forever.” He revealed, throwing the used cottons away.
“I still don’t believe you. Why not trap Hyuna when she was still undercover there? Why would he risk losing her baby and carrying out such a plan to get
me
? That makes no sense, not when you guys already had a halfblood handed out to you!”
“Ah. That. Well, I guess you can call it resentment.”
“... What?” Felix let out in confusion.
“You’re so young you wouldn’t know it, but your mother was someone he loved dearly. I don’t know whether it was as a friend or more, but what I do know is that he never could fathom nor accept that she fell in love with a Stray. I guess, since she fought alongside them and not him during the Great War, and by extent ruined him, he wanted to have his revenge and take what's left of her to ruin her.”
“But my mother is dead, what does that matter now?” He exclaimed, thrashing against the straps holding his wrists and waist to the chair.
“I guess to him death is too easy.” He shrugged, pushing him back against the back of the chair, his grip iron tight. “Stop thrashing. You know, Kim forbade doing anything to Hyuna until the baby is safe and sound but after that… no one wants to save a betrayer, no matter if your side is in the wrong or not. A betrayer is a betrayer. Thankfully, there are people like me who don’t like unnecessary violence. However, I do need your blood to get the job done. So trust me when I tell you that I won’t hesitate to kill her the minute you decide to fight back.”
Felix paled at that, his stomach dropping. He finally relaxed, trying to keep his anger in check. For Hyuna and the baby. He breathed in, watching the man walk back to his desk. “Why do you need my blood, anyway?”
An amused smile appeared on his lips as he tilted his head. He clicked his tongue, tapping his pen on his chin. “That… you don’t need to know.”
“Are you going to dispose of me once you’ve got the baby?” He found himself asking before he could stop himself, the dread running through his veins too hard to bear.
“Dispose of you? Why would we dispose of a precious resource that can give us five time more blood than a mere baby?”
“Then… you’re gonna dispose of me once he’s old enough.” He concluded, anger spreading through his body once more.
“There. I told you, your kind is clever.”
Felix threw his head back as laughter escaped him. “As if I’m still gonna be here when that happens. I won’t resist you but don’t expect me to stop hoping.”
The scientist sighed, looking helpless. He ruffled his neatly kept hair and shook his head. “I take back what I said. You’re hopeless. Love really makes your kind weak.”
“What do you mean?”
“You, my little friend, aren’t going to be saved. I’m not saying that no one will try. I’m saying they’ll fail. Told you Kim is always two steps ahead and your clan too passive.”
Felix raised his brows, highly doubting it. After all, his family’s skills coupled with that of his clan and the scientists should parry if not defeat that of Kim’s side. “We’ll see that.”
The man smiled and sat down in front of him, turning on a machine. He took a few electrodes and slowly walked to Felix. “We already have.”
Felix’s blood ran cold.
“What do you mean? Answer me! What have you do-”
Before Felix could say anything else, the scientist tapped the electrodes onto his skin. “Let’s begin with stage two, shall we?”
Felix’s eyes were furious but full of dread when he turned his head to look at him. “What are you going to do to me?”
The man only looked down at him, holding no sympathy— no life.
“Break you.”
— — — — —
“Don’t worry about your wounded, JYP. We’ll take care of them. After all, our medical ward is still up for use.”
“I can’t believe it,” Minho declared, astounded. While they were finishing reviewing the formalities of settlements anew, Minho had remembered something: the Stray boy Elijah— or Hui, if you prefered — had brought back with him the night they escaped. What was of him?
BoA had then explained to him that whole shenanigan that they had planned. While waiting for Hyuna to be saved, Hyojong was meant to stay with the Stray boy in the medical ward until post-infiltration, when people were supposed to find them gone — while the few humans partaking the undercover mission would board the last ship in their cave unseen, Hyojong was to flee with his lover. A bit sketchy but could have worked if the timing allowed it. And seeing that they almost pulled off perfectly the first bit of their plan, Minho had no doubt they would have had a ninety percent success rate at this point. Humans and their crazy brains. Couldn’t they just do things simply for once? Well, not that the Strays were better on that one, but still… to make a pregnant woman just rescued from a kidnapping run away and hide on their planets seemed… a bit unfair to him. He shook his head and leaned back into his chair. “You guys really did plan every single moves in a single night. You’re crazy.”
“Well, more like… sly as hell when it comes to saving our asses and still make it seem like we’re heroes in the end.” Changbin snorted, toying with his straw.
“While making a grand exit.” Chan added, eyes still scanning his report as he held out a hand for a fist bump. Changbin snorted but bumped it nevertheless.
JYP shook his head at their antics and sent Minho a smile in support. He turned to SM’s head. “Thank you Boa,” he declared, grateful. “We’ll be more than glad to take you up on that offer. I think Jisung and some others would benefit from a stitch or two. We’ll make sure to send you our guys by tomorrow.”
That had Minho, Chan and Changbin looking up.
“He’s not leaving us-”
“I can patch him up just as well-”
“He still needs stitches?!”
JYP blinked at them, once, then twice. Then he turned to Boa again. “Hyojong is still with that Stray boy?” He asked, completely ignoring them to their displeasure.
“Like we asked him to.” Boa confirmed, with a chuckle. She risked a glance at Minho. “We sincerely hope all of this is not too shocking for you. I know it seems a bit mean of us to-”
Chan snorted, flipping a page of his report. “Yes, ‘cause, you know, we merely left a poor kid who didn’t ask for anything behind, with a man officially dead. Nothing too evil.”
“How cruel.” Changbin mocked in amusement, earning himself a jab from Suzy.
“What is it with you two?” She hissed, two seconds away from smacking their heads with her folder.
“They’re just bitter you didn’t tell them everything,” JYP provided helpfully. “After all, this whole situation involves them directly. Their input should have been more valued. Hopefully we can all learn from this and never make hasty decisions ever again.”
Minho cleared his throat, putting a stop to the conversation that would have fueled more fire than necessary. “Thankfully Hyojong and Hyuna won’t have to flee anymore and you guys are staying. So all is good.” the leader added. “Speaking of, is the Stray kid doing good?”
“He’s probably around your age,” Boa snorted, shaking her head helplessly at him. “But yes. So far, he’s been doing well. A real little talker, though. You’d think a life in captivity would have traumatized him, but I’m starting to wonder whose hell it really was. To be fair, I think Kim is almost thankful we took that kid away from him.” She snorted, shaking her head, the ghost of a headache grazing her temples. “Come by tomorrow, you can see him first thing in the morning. And maybe relieve us of that chatterbox.”
Minho and CL nodded, laughing at her words. Well, Strays were indeed known for their loudness, nothing surprising here — especially if the kid knew and took pleasure in annoying the hell out of these humans.
“Thank you BoA.” JYP added once more, linking arms with the woman. “Well, meeting adjourned everyone!”
Chan groaned and slammed the report shut. He leaped off his chair and collapsed into Minho. “Now let’s go and eat. I’m starving, Jae the food they serve here tastes awful, save us Minho please.”
“My treat then. You’re all welcome to come and eat on our grounds.” Minho declared, circling one arm around Changbin’s shoulders, his other entangled with Chan’s one, pressing them close.
“And… let’s go!” Chan whooped, fastening his pace and dragging his two friends along. Everyone smirked, knowing full well what was keeping him impatient.
— —
The Glow was ascending in the sky when the Leader Team stepped out of the Meeting Center, laughing at a silly joke Wooyoung made. It felt great. Around them the last ships were being emptied out, one already flying back to the cave. The frost had melted to water and the wind had turned into a soft breeze. The sky had turned to gorgeous hues of orange and pink, the clouds a dull purple. A few Young Wings could be seen flying above the base. Some Palis were sleeping on the tarmac, waiting diligently for their partners to be done with helping the humans unpack. It was a nice sight. In fact JYP had never seen their two kinds that meddled together since his arrival on Straya years and years ago.
Some humans and Strays noticing them smiled and waved, glad to see the peace was back. JYP greeted them back just as enthusiastically and hummed in happiness. He stretched his arms above his head. “Ahh, the weather feels better. That snow really chilled us to the bones earlier.” He chuckled, his daughter rolling her eyes at his antics.
“That’s because you’re getting older, dad.”
Hyunjin, Seungmin and Jeongin who were exiting one of the ship with boxes in their arms spotted them and grinned, happy they were all reunited. They quickly bid their newfound human friends goodbye and rushed to them.
“Chan! Changbin!” They yelled, tackling the two in their arms.
Changbin laughed and hugged Jeongin and Hyunjin, Chan too busy trying not to fall down because of Seungmin’s strong hold.
“Don’t ever do that to us again, understand?!” Seungmin yelled, refusing to let go of Chan.
The man chuckled and patted his head, humming in agreement. “I promise. Now shall we eat?”
Suzy was about to leave them for other affairs when a boy came running to them. She recognized him as one of CL sentinel.
“Chaerin, why is he so sweaty? You sent him run an errand beyond the sea or what?” She asked, astonished.
But CL did not listen to her and rushed to him, letting him collapse into his arms.
“Jihoon! What happened?! Why are you alone?!” She fussed over him, her strong arms holding him up as they slowly walked to the nearest ship’s trap to lower him down.
Suzy and JYP exchanged worried looks before they rushed over. “CL. Who’s that? What happened to him?” JYP demanded, voice authoritative and leaving no room for excuses.
CL undid the scarf in her hair to wrap it around the boy’s bleeding hand. “This is Jihoon. He was part of the retrieval team we all sent off at noon.”
“The team…” Chan gasped in horror, having completely forgotten about them in his bliss. CL and Wooyoung had been the one to see them off on the Neutral Ground, while the rest of them were settling things down regarding the humans’ stay and Kim’s takedown here, at the base.
“Shit…” Wooyoung cursed under his breath. “They weren’t supposed to be back before at least one hour.”
Suzy turned to him furious. “Why are they back so soon?!”
“I’d like to know too but as you can see I was standing here with you all along.” Wooyoung argued, gesturing to the tarmac.
”Please don’t argue. Jihoon is shaken up enough as it is.” CL chastised, letting Jihoon lean against her chest.
“Shit, what were we thinking? The man is strong, stronger than he let on. And that’s without accounting for his cleverness!” JYP exclaimed, rubbing a hand over his face in utter despair. “We were stupid, we shouldn’t have rushed it. Man, we should feel blessed that at least one of them is still alive.”
That drained the colors from everyone’s face.
CL looked down at her boy, a warm hand stroking his hair. “Jihoon, you’re okay now. You’re with us don’t worry. But I need to know… what happened? Did anyone else make it out?” She whispered gently but pressing. When Jihoon only trembled and squeezed his eyes shut, CL’s face broke in horror.
“Chaerin…” Suzy tried to call in order to appease her. But CL only looked up at her with an upside down smile.
“It’s all my fault. I should never have agreed to send them on that suicide mission. Jae, I’ve lost two men and one women. I’ve lost…” She bit her lip, unable to finish her sentence. Her eyes flickered to Jeongin in horror a mere second before she looked down. But that did not escape him.
His body shook as he tightened his hold onto Chan. “Khae. Where is Yedam?” He asked softly, eyes hidden by his bangs.
CL’s mouth opened and closed, her eyes flickering left and right. And Jeongin had his answer with it. He gasped and stepped back.
“No.” He shook his head in denial. Chan’s arms caging him from behind were the only thing stopping him from stomping away or punching something. “You can’t have sent him. You can’t!”
CL cursed and teared her eyes away from him, blinking her tears away. “Fuck, it wasn’t my choice Jeongin. He-”
A loud screech was heard. At once, CL gasped, shooting up.
“The... team... “ CL whispered, bringing a hand to her mouth in shock and relief.
Jeongin’s breath hitched and he collapsed against Chan’s chest, hopeful and trembling.
“Oh Jae… Yedam… Yedam!” CL’s yelling echoed throughout the whole tarmac as she pushed BoA and JYP out of her way and ran past Jeongin.
“Oh my god, Yeri! Seulgi!” Irene cried as she followed after CL.
“Fuck, Mark…” Minho hissed under his breath as he ran to them, jerking Jeongin and Chan along by the wrist.
Jeongin couldn’t believe it.
Yedam was there. Unharmed. Carrying their two friends, Seulgi and Yeri, on his Pali — another secret rule the boy revealed to him one night: Palis could carry anyone harmed or injured when needed. Though they were creatures of pride and allegiance, they easily recognized a life or death matter and could act selflessly on it.
Yedam got off of Chittaprr, looking at CL with relief as he collapsed in her arms. When they let go, his eyes fell onto Jeongin, a grin splitting his face. That set Jeongin to rush to his side.
He reached him in no time, carefully taking his face in his hands as Yedam grabbed his sides tight, taking in his every features.
“Hey there, Foxie.”
“You have no right to call me that, you Yeshihk.” He growled, anger palpable in his voice. But also relief. That made Yedam grin harder, laughing when Jeongin hugged him tight and buried his face into his neck.
“I told you to trust me no matter what, Innie.”
Jeongin felt his heart miss a beat.
Innie
. It was the first time Yedam called him that.
“Still. Why not tell me?” He mumbled, fisting Yedam’s jacket.
“Should have told you, alright.” He admitted at last. “You were worried?” He chuckled, breath cut off when Jeongin punched him straight in the chest.
“Worried?! I was fucking losing my mind when Jihoon couldn’t answer whether he was the only escapee!”
“Jihoon? Jihoon is safe?!” He exclaimed, gripping Jeongin’s shirt tightly, waves of relief flashing through his eyes. Jeongin could only nod, his anger washing away. After all, there were more important things at the moment…
“Thanks Jae…” he sighed, eyes turning to Mark’s Young Wing that was finally landing on the ground, five people on her. Next to him, another Young Wing landed, carrying three other people. The team was full. No losses. That set everyone’s hearts at peace.
“We lost Jihoon on the way,” he resumed, finally letting go of Jeongin. “He’s our best runner so he sidetracked Kim’s minions so that we could escape when they got too close. Jae I’m so relieved.” He sighed and turned to the rest, biting his lips guiltily. “I’m deeply sorry, we couldn’t retrieve Felix and Hyuna.”
BoA turned to him, all her thankfulness shining in her eyes. “That’s okay, Yedam. Don’t worry. You guys came back alive, that’s all that matters now.”
Minho let go of Mark, whom he was holding up by the shoulders, when the boy went to talk. “Kim is too great for us to take on him like that. We’ll need more men and a better strategy.”
Yedam sighed at that, returning into Jeongin’s embrace. He turned his face to the rest, eyes apologetic. “Still, after all you’ve done for us… I’m sorry we couldn’t save them. Kim knew we were coming. The bastard played us, let us roam around like he was unaware of our presence. Then he ambushed us. He knew we were coming. We barely made it out. But…”
He fell silent, his eyes flickering to Mark, the both of them holding a silent conversation. At last, Mark nodded.
“But,” he resumed, this time looking at Chan and Changbin. “Mark and I did get to snoop around a bit more while the others were distracting Kim’s minions.”
“That was reckless, Yedam. Very reckless.” CL chided, lips pursued in disapproval. What were they to do once Yedam ascends as the Sureki leader? Minho, Mark and Yedam were all reckless Yeshihks. She should thanks the fourth clan for electing Suhyun. At least she might knock some senses into them when they go crazy.
“What did you see there?” Chan asked, knowing he could help the Strays out on that one.
“There was this… replica of our jungle behind a glass.”
That knocked everyone’s breath out.
“On a smaller scale though, it seemed. We were wondering… if they might keep them here. There was also a lab where a glass was shattered. We saw blood on the walls, blue and red. And strange equipment, with a sort of screen and a cylinder above it that sparked some of what you, humans call
electricity
.”
Changbin exchanged a glance with Chan, not liking that one bit. It didn’t take a fool to know what it was used for. This caused his blood to run cold. “This beast,” he growled, knuckles white by his sides. “I’m gonna murder him.”
“Calm down, son. We don’t have any proofs that he used it on Felix or Hyuna.” JYP tried to resonate.
“Was there purple blood?” Changbin asked instead of acknowledging his words, pupils shaking with dread.
Thankfully, Yedam and Mark both shook their heads.
“Then for now, we can assume he is
fine
.” JYP concluded. Yet Changbin was not believing in his words nor appeased. Jae knew what these bastards did to his Felix…
“He also wouldn’t have used it on Hyuna. Would have been too dangerous with the baby.” Mark concluded, leaning heavily and tiredly on Minho.
“Alright, we should talk about this another time. We’re all tired and won’t be able to do anything as of now.” He looked to the side, sending a fake smile to all the humans and Strays staring at them in worry on the tarmac. “The best we can do is to pretend all is going well. At least for tonight. Put some hope back into our troops.”
Everyone nodded at that.
“Does anyone need to come back with me to SM? Go through a check in our medical ward? Or are you all good?”
Mark shook his head, smiling tiredly. “Nothing our medicine and a little bit of sleep can’t fix. Thank you.”
BoA nodded and threw her data pad into her bag. “Great. Then let’s go eat. Is your offer still up?” She asked Minho with a bright smile.
“Of course. Your clan is more than welcomed as well, Mark.”
The boy waved his hand in dismissal, smiling tiredly. “I’ll make sure they know it. I think I’ll just go sleep.”
He let out a loud cute yawn making everyone smile. That eased the tension in the air.
Minho turned to Jeongin. He nodded to Yedam. “You can stay over at his or he can stay at ours. You two don’t seem up for a party.”
“That’s not-“
“Thank you. Let’s go, Yeshihk.” Jeongin declared, smiling at his older brother, grateful. With that, he led a protesting Yedam through the jungle.
Minho turned to Chan and Changbin, feet tapping the ground in a familiar fashion. “Are you staying over the night, too?”
Changbin grinned at that. “Are you seriously asking that?”
Minho let out a laugh in relief. But his shoulders tensed right away again.
He cautiously threw a glance at the rows of flats behind the two humans. Was…
he
there?
He knew he had postponed it long enough with the meeting and the little chit-chat — but he and Jisung had to speak. And Minho was really looking forward to it, especially know that Changbin had confirmed Jisung’s feelings for him.
“Actually,” he began, taking off his robes due to the rising heat of the night. “Start without me. Hyunjin, Seungminie, you two are in charge with Woojin for the night- actually, no. Chan go enjoy your night with Woojin.” That caused Chan to blush madly, sputtering stuffs that Minho could frankly not care less about at the moment. He had somewhere else to be. “Where is he anyway? I haven’t seen him of the day.”
“I asked him to look after Ji, so he should be inside the flat… or not.” He looked past Minho, to see Woojin coming out of the jungle.
He spotted them and grinned, jogging over. On automatism, his hand linked with Chan’s, sending the human into a proud, grinning mess. Changbin and Minho rolled their eyes, while Mark stared at his savior and Chan in surprise, mouth parting when he connected the dots. On the other hand, Suzy and JYP fist bumped discreetly.
Woojin turned to Minho, expectant. “Did you guys…”
Minho shook his head, jaw tight. “I’m sorry. The man knew they were coming.”
“I'm not surprised,” he confessed, shoulders sagging though he didn’t look horribly disappointed. Probably expected Kim to be strong. “Is everyone alright?”
Mark smiled, nodding. “We all just need a good night of sleep.”
“Sure thing.” Woojin chuckled, leaning into Chan’s embrace. “Jisung was fast asleep too when I left at noon. He told me he had somewhere to be in the afternoon anyway, so I left him be and went back home.”
The implication of his words was clear for everyone. Therefore, Minho nodded and turned to leave, an eager smile on the lips.
“Don’t you wanna know where he is?” Woojin shouted after him, a huge grin splitting his face.
Minho only chuckled as he mounted Midnight, the Glow ascending over the horizon on his path.
“I already know it.”
— — — — — — —
Jisung’s fingers reached out for the Glow hidden behind the purple clouds in the grey sky, warm water droplets running down his arm and back into the sea. On the beach, the frost of the morning was gone, sucked by the grains of sand. The last rays of daylight were shining down the sea and revealing particles of holography. It was beautiful. And to think they had almost left it forever if not for Changbin’s actions…
The guilt he felt would not cease. It felt like his ribs were choking his lungs, an invisible hand squeezing his heart. It hurt.
At the time, leaving Minho and Straya had seemed like the best thing to do. Now, it just felt like the stupidest decision to be made. If only they hadn’t been so scared or selfless — on both sides — things could have been way much easier, without a doubt.
Groaning in despair, he buried his face in the water. Jae, would Minho even forgive him for what he did? Sure, his intentions were noble and all, but it didn’t change the fact that he broke his heart. In fact, Minho must probably resent him…
Jisung snorted involuntarily. Who was he even kidding? Sure, Minho was a creature of pride, but he was also the kindest and most forgiving man Jisung had ever known. Beneath his cold facade, he was actually a very observant person, not the type to hold grudges once he understood the motives. The affection in his eyes this morning only proved that. Plus… they had real genuine feelings for each other, to the point of destruction. Add all of this and you get Minho way to weak to say no to his apologies. What he could say no to, however, was a second chance…
Jae he was screwed. He couldn’t figure which was worse between Minho hating him and Minho forgiving him. Any ways was pure torture. For fuck’s sake, Strays give their heart only once in their lifetime, why would Minho give him his after what he did? That would just be asking for constant uncertainty and fear of loss…
The thought made him smile bitterly and he slumped further down into the sea, letting the current push him down and the water heal him.
Just like that one time.
*flashback*
“Heol, I’ve really got talent for this.”
Jisung’s self-praise made Minho laugh. That caused said boy to elbow him. Hard.
“Jae, must you hit so hard?” The leader winced, fighting the urge to rub his skin. Instead, he concentrated on guiding Jisung’s hips. “Focus. These moves have to be in tune with the waves.”
Jisung nodded, once more focused. He wanted to get this right. After seeing the way Strays had danced at the Ordeals, he had been more than curious. He wanted to try it too. So he asked Felix to teach him, but the little rascal told him Minho was his teacher and that, if he wanted to learn how to dance like this, there was no better man.
So there they were, at the beach by sunset, Minho teaching him how to move like this.
Truth to be told, it was not as hard as he thought it’d be. He had no idea whether he was simply a great dancer or if the moves were easy, but so far he was doing pretty well. Back on Earth, the few times he had danced were while partying with his promotion — if that could be called dancing — and at the formal gala of graduation held at JYP’s base on Earth. But it was nothing like this.
As he turned his head to ask Minho if he was doing it right, Jisung noticed something from the corner of his eyes and turned around in his hold. He felt the wind blow sand around them and almost slipped because of the green turquoise water under his feet, but Minho gripped his shoulders firmly. Steadying himself, he grasped Minho’s hips and starred at them.
Usually, Jisung would have been flustered by the man’s deep gaze, but today he was too focused and intrigued by what he was staring at.
Minho’s right hip had black ink smeared all over, intricate lines poking out from his pants’ edge, swirling and intertwining in a shape the human boy could not really figure out.
Intrigued by it, he rubbed his thumb along the swirls of ink on the boy’s hip and followed the pattern with the edge of his digit.
Suddenly, a hand brushed his jaw and long fingers raised it slightly, cutting him from his daydream. Meeting Minho’s gaze Jisung felt himself blush and his breath hitched. Minho’s gaze always had this effect on him.
“I wasn’t staring.” Jisung lied, feeling like a downright idiot the moment the words left his mouth. “You just have very interesting… pants?” He ended lamely, wincing in despair. Really, way to go.
But the Stray merely tilted his head and chuckled lightly at him. Good, that meant he was really used to his antics. That meant whatever bullshit sprouting from his mouth in the near future won’t result in awkward silences.
“Do you like it?” the taller Stray asked amused.
“I don’t know. I can’t see it well.”
“It was made by a special someone.” The boy provided, watching as Jisung movements came to a stop.
Jisung didn’t know why he was feeling suddenly down. It was just this.. ‘special someone’. He didn’t like it very much. He shook himself internally. He felt stupid, Minho was just a friend and he had the right to have someone like that. Jisung shouldn’t let his emotions run wild.
Gulping, he lowered his eyes and started to remove his fingers from the boy’s hips. “Oh, I see. It must be very intimate, sorry for touching it-” he started but was cut of by low chuckles. A hand grabbed his wrist before he could fully remove his fingers from the Stray’s warm, bare skin.
“Jisung. Don’t be like that-”
“I’m not being anyth-”
“Yes you are. Now listen to me will you? This Special Someone is Jeongin.”
Jisung huffed.
“Yeah great, delighted to know it- wait what? You said Jeongin? As in your little brother?” he shrieked, blushing because of how stupid he felt at the moment. He had been jealous for nothing- Oh no. Not that. Oh no, no, no.
A finger poked his right cheek and he lifted his gaze to meet Minho’s one. The boy was smiling, clearly amused by his reactions.
“Feeling better now? Can we resume, or do you plan on pouting the whole day?” the Stray teased him, a small smirk on his lips as he lowered his right arm on the small of the human’s bare back to keep him from fleeing.
“Oh shut up.” the younger huffed, rolling his eyes and punching the Stray’s bare torso to free himself from his grasp, to no avail.
Instead Minho only smirked wider and held him closer.
“Great. Now, turn back around,” he instructed, wrapping his arm around his waist from behind once Jisung was in position. He placed his hand flat onto Jisung’s stomach, pressing. “Contract.”
Jisung’s breath hitched and his ears reddened at such close proximity. But he did as he was told. “Next?”
“Nothing. Just wanted to see if you’re really so strong, like Chan said.” Minho laughed, a melodious sound that Jisung would have marveled about under other circumstances. Right now, however, he wanted nothing more than to push him away. So he did just that.
Minho fell back on his ass, still laughing while he walked away, stomping.
“You moron…” he grumbled, kicking the sound with a little pout. “‘
He’ll be a good teacher
’ Felix said, ‘V
ery serious, you’ll see
’. My ass, he’s the worst…”
“C’mon Jisung, I promise I’ll focus now.” Minho laughed, sitting up.
“The audacity! Taking advantage of me and my trust to make fun of me, I can’t believe you.” He huffed dramatically as he crossed his arms and faced the sea, chin high and pout on the lips.
“Weren’t you the one feeling me up not even a minute ago?” Minho retorted, a smirk on the lips as he shielded his eyes to look up at him.
“That was different!” Jisung exclaimed, still baring him his back. “I was looking for… study purpose.”
“Study purpose?” He repeated, unimpressed.
“Yeah. You know, Strays’ way of life and all.”
“Oh, that’s funny, I was doing just that too! You know, Humans’ way of life and all.” He mocked, grinning in victory when Jisung turned to him with wide eyes.
“You-“ he stopped himself, cursing under his breath as he pointed at him. “Yah. You. You’re the reason why I don’t believe in fairytales. I’ll tell my kids about you when they’ll ask why I don’t.”
“Hmm, do enlighten me, please.” Minho entertained him, though deep down really curious.
“You look all cool and kind, a lovely, handsome and great leader-”
“Oh, I’m handsome?” He singsonged, humming with a broad grin.
“Really, the dream guy,” Jisung insisted in false adoration, before he deadpanned: “Just like those dumb prince charmings they try to sell kids back on Earth. But then, when you dig a little deeper, what do you get? Nothing but a playful, cocky Yeshihk!”
Minho hummed in agreement, smirk still on the lips. “You do know me well.”
“Please,” Jisung grunted, rolling his eyes. “Can’t you just deny it and sell yourself a little better, man? You’re a leader, a role model for Jae’s sake!”
“I’m not a leader when I’m with you.” He confessed, propping his elbow on his bent knee. “It’s actually… pleasant. Being able to speak and act so freely with someone- someone else than my family, I mean.”
Jisung relented at that, arm dropping back by his side. He slowly walked up the beach, sitting down next to him.
Both stayed silent for a minute, just watching the Glowset and the waves crashing on the shore.
“I’m glad.”
The confession had Minho turning around. Jisung wasn’t looking at him though, simply smiling at the horizon.
“That I can be that person. That you can be yourself with someone at least. I’m really glad.”
Minho smiled at that and turned back to the horizon as well, not adding anything.
“I didn’t actually mean it,” Jisung went on almost immediately, this time turning to him. “You’re not a letdown. You’re actually pretty amazing.”
“I know, don’t worry.” Minho confessed, chuckling. But this time he was the one not meeting Jisung’s gaze, his own pensive and directed towards the sky and the sea. “I like that about you actually. You’re not afraid of hurting me or speaking up. Sometimes… because of my position and, well, Donghyuck, people believe they’ll break me or make me go mad.”
“Will they?” Jisung found himself asking in a whisper.
Minho shook his head, a smile on the lips when he finally turned and looked him in the eyes. “No. None of them can. You know, I’m not afraid of getting hurt or having my heart broken. I’ve already had. Once. The moment I lost Donghyuck. Trust me, nothing they do or say can be worse than that.”
“Minho…”
“It’s okay Jisungie. It’s just life. Humans suffer of broken hearts too, right?”
Jisung hummed in agreement, though he didn’t know the feeling. Nothing he’d faced so far had him in such pains. “I guess. I’ve seen people around me break down after all.”
“You never did?”
Jisung shook his head, smiling. “Nah. Chan and Changbin made sure of it.” He chuckled leaning back on his palms and enjoying the last rays of Glow. “I can’t really relate to the pain you feel, sorry.”
Minho shook his head, mimicking his position. That felt good. It had been too long since he just took time for himself and enjoyed the simplicity of a moment. As kids, they often went there with Seungmin and Jeongin. He should bring them back here sometimes.
“It’s best you don’t, trust me. I would be sad if you ever did.”
Jisung’s heart missed a bit at that. That was… actually really kind.
“I… hope I won’t ever then. I don’t like seeing you sad.”
“But you haven’t seen me sad.”
“Hmm… I beg to differ?” Jisung snorted, throwing him a knowing look. “You always have that… veil in your eyes. Like you’re trying to enjoy the moment but… at the same time you’re somewhere else. Doesn’t seem like you’re fully there.”
Minho smiled gently at that, his hand tracing patterns in the white sand.
“You’re a good reader. I guess I tend to worry too much about things. But… ever since you guys came here, I’ve… had no time to dwell on the past or be sad, to be honest. It’s going away. You guys kind of bring joy along with you each time you come see us. I swear, that’s not only me, everyone in my clan looks forward to whenever you come. More than fascination, I think… you help my people be happier.”
“Don’t tell that to Chan and Changbin. Next thing you know, they’ll run around the jungle covered in palm trees, dancing, crying and squealing.”
“And you don’t wanna see that?”
Jisung cracked a smile. “Please. Do tell them.”
Minho laughed, shaking his head, and for a while it was silent again. The waves and the gentle flapping of the Young Wings in the sky were almost lulling them. Beneath their eyelids, the world slowly turned darker.
Minho’s eyes fell onto Jisung’s hand in the sand. What he saw made him frown.
“When did you get that?” He asked, gesturing to the nasty burn on the back oh his hand.
“That?” Jisung repeated, bringing his hand up with a sheepish smile. “Chan and I were working on a new formula when Changbin barged in- he was chasing after Gyu, and next thing you know, that little blue rascal had our lab upside down. Thankfully, that’s the only damage he caused.” He chuckled, wiggling his fingers. Not a pleasant memory for sure, but that burn was worth the scolding Changbin got from JYP.
Minho said nothing for a minute. That made Jisung wonder if he said something wrong or if Minho was growing constipated.
“Hyung-”
“Come with me,” Minho said at last, taking his non-injured hand and leading him towards the water.
“Where are you taking me? Yah, are you planning to drown me?! I can’t swim-“
“Relax,” Minho rolled his eyes, now mostly carrying Jisung as they stepped further into the water. “I’m not letting you go, so please stop digging your feet into the sand.”
Jisung pouted, reluctantly letting Minho guide him into the sea. Thankfully, Minho was still holding his hand and decided they were deep enough the moment the water reached their shoulders.
“Why?” He simply asked, his eyes squinting as the last rays of Glow lit up the water too brightly. “Is this some kind of magical water?” He snorted, eyes rolling.
Minho raised a brow, a smirk growing on the face.
Jisung’s mouth fell open. No way.
A gasp left his lips as he brought his hand out of the water and to his face.
The burn was still there, but it wasn’t fresh anymore. It looked months old, his skin renewed.
“But-” he choked, dropping his hand back into the water. “How?”
Minho shrugged, pushing his hair back and wetting his face.
“No idea.”
Jisung was not listening anyway, his attention onto the incredible water. “Who knows that? That’s madness. Or fucking extraordinary.”
“Me and Woojin. And probably CL and Mark and Suhyun. Jeongin might, I’m not sure.” Minho revealed, floating on his back. Jisung’s head popped above his, looking down at him in surprise. “What is it now Jisung-ah?”
“You’re telling me, you trust me with something no one else but leaders and important people know?” He beamed, grinning hard when Minho nodded. “Wow, I feel special now- yah, stop drifting away!” Jisung exclaimed, steadying him by the shoulders but almost drowning him by his sheer force. Minho flapped his arms, hitting him to let go. “I’m not gonna drown you, coward. Told you I was strong.” Jisung laughed, finally letting go. “Just don’t want you to drift too far away. I can’t swim.”
Minho’s eyes widened. “You can’t? Should I teach you?”
And for the next hour, Minho ended up teaching Jisung how to swim rather than how to dance. By that time, the Glow had set, replaced by the beautiful aster and stars in the night sky. Around them everything was now lit up in bright turquoise, gold and pink. Minho’s shiny eyes looked back at him when Jisung began to drift off on his back.
“This is not supposed to be an underwater piggyback ride, you know. Try to bat your legs will you?”
Jisung hummed but didn’t remove his legs from around his waist. Minho rolled his eyes at his childlike stubbornness but let him be nonetheless.
“Say,” Jisung croaked out as he fluttered his eyes back open. “If you’re not scared of heartbreaks or pain, then what scares you? Please don’t tell me you’re fearless because that would be one more feature to add to that fairytale scam you are.” He groaned, a pout on the lips when he leaned further into his neck.
“No, I’m not, Jisung-ah,” he confirmed with an amused smile. “I’m scared of many things in fact — heights, Seungmin when he gets angry, Dabby-”
That made the human laugh. Who in their right mind wouldn’t be scared of Dabby?
“But there’s
one
thing that terrifies me the most.”
“What is it?” He asked, curious as to what could scare that seemingly unshakable leader.
Jisung then noticed that Minho had stopped, swimming on the spot.
“I’m afraid of being abandoned once more.”
Jisung went silent for a minute but then cracked a laugh, relief filling him. At Minho’s surprised and offended face he smiled in his neck, forgetting the deep water beneath him.
“Then you’re all good. Don’t worry, the guys love you too much to leave you. Plus, no one’s coming to break your peace any time soon, so…” He turned to him and winked. “Set your worries aside, Minho.”
Minho finally grinned and turning his face further towards him, their breathes almost mingling in the silent sea. “See? I told you you made me happy.”
Jisung let out a shaky breath and yet again punched his arm, flustered by their closeness. But amusement and joy were twinkling in his eyes, secretly liking it. Wishing for more.
Yet instead he leaned back and looked up at the sky, purposely ignoring his burning stare. “C’mon sappy prince… We have a lesson to finish, let’s go back.”
Minho shook his head fondly at him but swam back ashore nevertheless. And so under the night sky and Straya’s moonlight, they resumed their dance.
*flashback’s end*
Jisung resurfaced, lungs burning. He took a deep breath.
What a memory.
They had been so uncaring and happy. So much time had passed. Now he could swim. But Minho wasn’t there to hold him.
He wanted him back. His first heartbreak… Minho was a liar -- that was an unbearable feeling, eating him raw and making him want to break.
He fluttered his eyes open and looked over the horizon. The Glow had set, and everything around him was dark and bioluminescent. Just like that day. It made him smile, bittersweet.
“I guess he isn’t coming for real this time…” he mumbled, slowly and painfully flipping onto his back and closing his eyes once more. He should go back before Chan and Changbin grew too worried. Just… not now.
As he was slowly rocked by the water, he couldn’t help but wonder many things. Did Minho regret showing him this place in the end? Jisung didn’t. This beach… it was just so meaningful. Plus he badly needed that water’s property at times like these. People on Earth were all about the powers of Straya’s bioluminescence. They had no idea Straya was way more than that, richer and more resourceful than they could ever imagine — and thank god they didn’t. Jisung sighed, making to dive underwater again.
Two hands grabbed his shoulders, steadying him. Preventing him from drifting away.
Jisung’s heart missed a beat.
The hands stayed put, gentle and warm, holding him against the current.
“Have you been watching me from afar the whole time?
Again
?” He joked before registering what he was saying. Great. A reference to what happened in the early morning. Way to go…
To his non-surprise Minho sighed. But he didn’t let go.
“Just arrived. How long have you been waiting?”
“Not for long… I-“ Jisung stopped, stiffening a groan. Seemed like the water was not enough for his wounds. Minho automatically reacted, gently stroking his shoulders and arms. Jisung bit back a smile. “Anyway, I figured you wouldn’t show up so I was about to head back. But now you’re here, so…”
“Sorry. The meeting took really long.”
Jisung nodded in understanding when he suddenly remembered something. He stood back up at once, eyes snapping open. “Oh my god, what about the undercover mission? Did they-” As he came face to face with him, his eyes met sad shiny ones and the words died in his throat. No…
Just as he feared, Minho shook his head, making him grimace and look down.
“Oh.”
“But everyone is alright. The team came back unscathed.”
Jisung smiled at the water, relief felling him. “Thank god.”
A silence fell between them, Jisung not knowing what to add anymore. And Minho didn’t seem too keen on striking conversation either.
“Woojin told you where I was?” Jisung finally asked, eyes flickering back to the leader. God, he was
so
stalling.
Minho shook his head, slowly straightening up. “No. I knew you’d be here. I did tell you for the sea.” He declared, wetting his air and rubbing his face tiredly.
Jisung smiled fondly at that. Jae, he looked so handsome. But poor boy, he was probably very tired after all these events and Jisung had dragged him all the way here. He should end his suffering. “Yeah. You did.” He chuckled and took a deep breath. There was no turning back now. He opened his mouth, ready to apologize and explain-
Only for Minho to wrap his arms around him.
What?
Minho pressed him close, face in the crook of his neck, shakily breathing in. Even soaked in all that water he was warm. Jisung wanted to melt in his hold. But he couldn’t, no yet, when he was so confused. What was Minho doing?
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” The Stray asked, voice giving away all his confusion and despair. “Why aren’t you asking me to forgive you or justifying yourself for your acts?”
Jisung couldn’t bring himself to lean back and look at him, too taken aback. Just like he predicted, Minho was going to forgive. Would he forget too…
He gulped heavily, fatigue taking over his body, and finally dropped all his weight on him. “I was going to. You’re too impatient.”
The murmur had Minho making a confused noise. Jisung smiled, though it was in nothing happy. He slowly raised his hand to the back of Minho’s neck, fingers tentatively resting there. When Minho didn’t move or push him away, Jisung gently carded them in Minho’s hair, hoping to calm him down and keep him in check for what he was about to say.
“I’m not saying I regret what I did. If I were to do it all over again, I would. Because I’d do the same again, and again, and again, if it meant the best for you. But…” Jisung breathed in, shyly smiling against his skin, unaware the beautiful man holding him felt it. “I’m sorry for hurting you. I thought that if… if I let you go and pained you, you wouldn’t have missed me. You could have moved on. But here we are hyung…”
Minho frowned, sighing, an obvious headache forming. “If you think I don’t know that…”
Jisung grinned at that, tone bright and remorseless. Thankfully Minho couldn’t see the dread and guilt in his eyes from their position. “Then it’s your turn to speak. What do you want? If you still feel something for me and still want to give me a chance, I can’t promise you anything. I know that… I’ll always do what duty demands of me. We will never be that perfect peaceful picture, you’d have to live with the constant doubt of whether or not I’ll leave you for a nobler cause. Can you handle it?”
“Jisung…”
The way Minho had said his name sent shivers down his spine and a blush across his face.
Unexpectedly, the leader leaned back and cupped his jaw of one hand, gently angling up his face. Their eyes met and Minho stared down at him, cutting his breath away. This time he made sure Jisung could see it all — the clear passion and love his eyes held. Jisung’s rosy cheeks and glossy eyes despite his obvious will to not let his real feelings show made him smile. He leaned in and rubbed their noses together, gently.
Jisung choked on air, eyes wide, his legs almost giving away. Okay, things were absolutely not going like he had imagined they would in his head. Why was Minho so… lovely? He should be angry or at least a bit reluctant to initiate something like that so soon-
“We’re so much alike, it’s scary.”
Jisung anxiously chuckled, completely lost, and shakily grabbed his arms to regain composure. “What do you mean? Aren’t you at least a little doubtful now?”
“Jisung-ah… I banished your kind from our grounds first, to protect both of our people. And I would again if I have to. What you did was the exact same thing. How can I hate you for something I did and would do again too?”
Jisung laughed softly, disbelief filling his mind. That made sense. Jae, they were such a pair of idiots.
“So you- you don’t mind being in constant uncertainty? Not knowing whether I’ll vanish the next day without telling you anything? I know how important that whole “One” concept is for you and I don’t want to-”
Minho silenced him with his finger. “Of course I do. But I’d take it any day if it meant having you in my life. And I can’t force you to bend to our customs. You’re human and you view things differently, I know. But I don’t care about anything if it means having you. Fuck, Jisung, don’t you realize
you’re
the reason why I stopped all of you from leaving?”
Jisung’s breath was knocked out of his lungs — again — at the revelation, shock scourging through his body, his heart beating loudly in his rib cage. The very notion of Ones… His fear of abandon… His duty as a leader… Minho was throwing it away just for him.
“I want to be selfish just once in my life and have you Jisung. I don’t care about what the other leaders will think or say. We’ll have the rest of our lives to be dutiful and selfless. And yes, maybe one day we will have to renounce to what we have. But I want us to make that decision together. Because I won’t let you go if there’s no reason to, Jisung.” He pressed, slipping an arm around his waist tightly.
Jisung nodded numbly, eyes stinging and still shaken up. He could not believe his ears. What the fuck was happening…
“I want you to talk to me every time you want to do something stupidly noble. Because I can take you doing bold and careless stuffs. I can. But I can’t take suddenly not having you by my side.”
Jisung’s tears were now freely falling as he nodded. He cursed and wiped them off quickly, looking down. “Fuck, I’m so sorry Minho,” he finally declared, voice breaking. “I thought I was leaving here forever and I didn’t want you to keep longing for me. I thought I’d free you. But Changbin had to come in and pull that on us and… fuck I’m so grateful-”
His tearful admittances were muffled by Minho’s lips crashing on his.
Jisung’s words died on his tongue, his tears mingling with Minho’s ones on their lips. He wasted no time getting on his tiptoes and answering the kiss, hands pulling his nape down.
It tasted salty. But Jisung loved it.
That kiss. That was something they had both longed for, for so very long. Both of them couldn’t believe how great it felt to finally know each other’s lips.
Jisung melted in his arms, his wet hands gripping Minho’s nape desperately. Like he was never going to let go. He had to reassure Minho that he didn’t plan to, not ever again if he could prevent it. Minho only pressed him closer as an answer, biting his lips for opening. Jisung complied.
Jae, that’s not how he imagined their first kiss to be. Not in the middle of that sea, at night time, him badly bruised and Minho so desperate. But damn did it feel good to finally be free of all barriers. Just pure, raw feels thrown into that kiss.
Jisung whimpered when Minho deepened the kiss, letting his tongue finally meet Minho’s. Minho’s hands roamed down his body and grabbed his thighs, pulling him up. Jisung swore he felt his heart plummeting in his chest when he wrapped his legs around Minho’s strong waist. So they went from beating around the bush to totally jamming into it, okay. That was fine with him too.
Capturing his lips one last time, Jisung finally leaned back and pressed their foreheads together, catching his breath. These Strays definitely had better staminas. And were definitely more beautiful during night time, Jisung decided — both on the inside out. Jae, Minho was a fucking deity on legs.
“I love you Minho…” he revealed, his fingers probably bruising Minho’s cheeks at this point.
At that, Minho simply kissed him harder even, all lips biting and exploring, teeth clashing. Too needy — like he had wanted this since day one — for his tired mind to follow. But Jae, was that
good
.
Minho’s answer to his confession was more than clear.
His lips and chest were burning from the unexpected but much awaited assault. His eyes fluttered open as Minho finally let go and leaned back. Only to see him staring at him in utmost fucking adoration, with those beautiful shiny eyes of his. Around them, the world was dark, the sky starry and the flora lit up. But Minho’s eyes were so much more brighter and prettier that Jisung felt like he was getting sucked in. Or maybe he was actually tipping forward.
Before he could yelp or warn Minho, he was collapsing into his hold, glad that his arms were strong enough to hold him up. His face fell into the crook of his neck, breathing fast. His eyelids felt so heavy. Suddenly, all the noises around him seemed to grow further and further away.
Shit. The wounds were finally getting to him…
Something brushed against his ear, warm and familiar. “I love you too, Jisung-ah.”
These beautiful words were the last thing he heard before his eyelids closed, darkness engulfing him.
— — — — — — —
Changbin sighed into the grass, his drink long forgotten at the foot of the tree. He was drunk. As hell. Or maybe the drinks were making him too pensive and lucide for his liking. The clan’s diner had been pretty nice actually. He had spent the evening sat between Chan and Hyunjin, chatting with the rest of their little family about Hyunjin fucking maning up and doing what he wanted to since Ten’s wedding -- they got so involved that Seungmin would have almost caught on if not for Woojin’s swift and quick thinking. At the time, Changbin’s mind and attention were with them. But his heart… it was with someone else.
He brought an arm over his eyes, lips trembling. Jae, he missed Felix so fucking much. Seeing everyone tonight being lovey dovey really made him happy — but that only served as a reminder of what was taken from him by that mother ducking Kim.
He will destroy him. Kim was dead meat the moment Changbin lays his hands on him.
Just yesterday morning he had promised Felix eternity and now they were robbed of it. Felix had been so anxious that Changbin would give him up with all these conflicts going on… and Changbin proved him wrong. It made him smile. In the end, he was the one who fought for everyone and everything when they thought to give up. If only Felix had been there to see him prove his worth. He would have been so proud.
A movement on his stomach made him look up.
“Hey, you’re awake big guy?” He chuckled, patting the head of the blue haired creature sleeping on him. “Gyu? C’mon, stop munching my shirt, I’m not food.”
The little blue creature sat on his shoulder when he sat up, baring its teeth at him. It made him laugh. “Yeah, like hell I’d give you up too.”
People might have forgotten it when taking their hasty decisions, but some people here had grown attached to other things than Strays and humans. Like creatures, landscapes, customs or places. Gyu was part of his life now and entitled to the same amount of care one would give to their Palis or Young Wing.
“C’mon let’s go. We’ve got someone to see.”
He yawned and stood up, groggily making his way further into the jungle, near a familiar cliff. Gyu shoved himself into his hood as he reached the top, falling asleep easily. Changbin smiled at that. His eyes then darted to the side, where he found what he was looking for. He whistled, wincing when he almost woke up half of the sleeping Young WIngs. But the pink chestnut and beet colored one he was looking for was indeed wide awake and seemingly two seconds away from biting his head off.
“Yo-yo, Dabby... “ he trailed off, wondering why the hell he went there in the first place. Call him a sentimental fucker for making sure his lover’s Young Wing and belongings were okay. “You seem okay. Good.”
He slowly crept closer, making sure not to do any sudden or wild move. Even a mere breath could make her go berserk. She usually liked Changbin but at times like this he had to proceed carefully. Fuck, the only one able to tame her was Felix… sadly, he wasn’t around at the moment. And if Changbin was afraid Dabby would sense it and do something recklessly stupid, like flying to Kim’s lair and getting killed in the process. Felix would be heartbroken to know his Young Wing died because no one cared enough to risk calming her down, and Changbin would never forgive himself for not trying -- even if it might cost him an arm. Better his arm than the death of someone.
As he came to a stop before her, Dabby surprisingly not screeching nor attacking him, he stared into her eyes. And for a moment he felt like he could read them. See the longing and confusion, but also the relief of seeing a familiar face around. Someone Felix trusted and love.
“So you’re not actually crazy... “ he chuckled tiredly, the tension leaving his shoulders. “You kept looking after Felix all these years and now he is not here... I’m sorry, Dabby. I really am.”
He sighed and sat down on the grass, toying with a bioluminescent purple tiny flower. The cliff was covered in it, all various shades of purple. His was light, almost lilac. Like the particles of bioluminescence in the water running down the waterfall at the edge of the cliff. “Purple looks great on Felix. But you know that,” he commented, looking back at the beast, now laying back down and probably going to sleep now that Changbin had came and see her. She probably thought that it meant they had everything under control. If only they did… Today’s undercover mission had been so rush and badly planned, they were foolish to believe it’d work. They had nothing under control. The best Changbin could hope for was to gain all the Stray Leaders’ approvals to fight and take back what was theirs. They already had two, but Jae only knows what Suhyun and Mark would say. Giving a cause support is one thing, but engaging into a battle and putting their own people under danger for something they hadn’t even asked for or triggered in the first place was another story. Plus, they had decided on banning humans just yesterday. Minho and CL just betrayed that pact. Why would they trust liars? Jae all that thinking was beginning to give him a massive headache. He’d better stop now before it seriously grew into one that would last the whole night.
Taking out his data pad, he decided it was a nice evening to draw some Young Wings better. His first drawings of them were a bit rough and not really on point. Felix would roll his eyes at him for not having changed that sooner. He swiped through his notes, laughing silently at Felix’s tiny, hasty notes in English, his speech indicating he was having great fun correcting Changbin’s mistakes and absurdity at the time-
His laughter stopped.
He cursed, eyes stinging. He wanted Felix back. He needed him. So fucking much, it hurt.
“I’ll save him. I promise you I’ll bring him back to you. You have my word.” he declared to the Young Wing, shoving his data pad back in his jacket. Dabby simply shut her eyes close and finally went to sleep, looking appeased. Changbin left, sure of himself. When he reached the tree house, he stopped by the door. The lights were off but there was a Lubia at its foot, glowing dully and waiting for him to go inside.
A tiny smile blossomed on his lips.
“I’m back.”
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
“Kim Seungmin!”
Seungmin looked up from his drink, only to see a — drunk? — otherworldly handsome Hyunjin run toward him like a wild Pali. The rest of their little family had gone back home to sleep, the events of the day too tiring for them to stay at the diner any longer -- which meant he was alone dealing with his lover. Just wonderful. Behind Hyunjin, he could see his sister, her lover and their friends cheer him on. He frowned. These ladies were known to handle their alcohol very well — and Hyunjin shared that lucky feature with them. That meant he wasn’t drunk. Then why was he beet red?
“Hyun?” He muttered, clueless. He handed his glass to his blood brother, Wonpil, just in time before Hyunjin grabbed him. The boy gripped his shoulders tightly, eyes boring into his. “Baby? What’s wrong-”
“Marry me.”
Seungmin’s jaw hung open. “Sorry?”
Hyunjin stared him down with determination and hope. “Marry me, Kim Seungmin.”
Behind them Wonpil and his friends joined Hyunjin’s sister’s group in their whistling and whooping, making Seungmin get back to reality. His face heated up madly and he wrenched himself away from his hold with a shriek. “Wh-What are you saying?!”
Hyunjin bit his lip and caught his hands again. He cursed under his breath and held his gaze, not fazed by his lover’s panic.
“We don’t know what tomorrow holds, we’ve witnessed it first hand- and more than anyone else these past few months! If I'm ever to put my life back on the line, I want to go down with one of my dream fulfilled.”
Seungmin could only gape like a Suhu and blink. He stared at Hyunjin like he’d grown two heads. But when his eyes fell on the bruise under his jaw and the light fresh scar along his neck, his surprise subdued. Hyunjin faced death. A man coming back from such a trauma wouldn’t want to lose an instant to live in the fullest. Not when he has realized time is so fleeting. And Seungmin could relate in a way… he had almost lost Hyunjin before they could achieve anything.
He intertwined their fingers. They were
Ones
. They were meant for life after all.
“Alright,” he whispered, gently smiling as he brought their noses together. “You are lucky you’re handsome and I’m benevolent, Hwang Hyunjin.”
Around them, people cheered loudly, their siblings running around and yapping like crazy ‘that’s my brother!’.
Hyunjin only grinned against his lips at that. “I guess I am, love.”
And for a while, the two were able to forget about the world they lived in, celebrating the impromptu news. For now, it was only them.
— — — — — —
The beeping noise was the first thing he registered. The next was the suffocating breathing mask strapped to his face. The last one was the lightness of his body, so different from yesterday. So the water really did something in the end...
His heart missed a beat.
Yesterday
... Everything came back to him at once, a flood of vivid memories making him snap his eyes open, sit up, throw his mask away, breath in and touch his red lips.
A stupid grin made its way on his face.
“You look way too happy for someone waking up at the crack of dawn, Jisung-ah.”
Jisung turned to his left, beaming.
“Chan hyung! Changbin hyung!”
The two boys rushed to his bed, hugging the life out of him. His ribs didn’t hurt anymore, he realized. With that newfound knowledge, he answered their hug in tenfold.
“I’m so happy you’re here!”
“Oh really? ‘Cause I’m ready to bet that smile wasn’t meant for us. What do you think Chanie?” Changbin teased, sitting down on a nearby chair.
“Hum… I think you’re right. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure it’s got something to do with a certain leader-”
“Oh, shut up.” Jisung grumbled, rolling his eyes but not denying it.
That got Chan and Changbin springing up from their chairs and into the bed.
“Did he confess?!” Changbin screeched, gripping the covers tight in anticipation.
“Did
you
confess- oh my god, Binnie they did!”
“No way! Fucking finally! Did you guys kiss- oh my god, you totally did!”
“Is he a great kisser?”
“Did he make you feel bad for almost leaving him? I swear if he did Imma-”
“Should I give him the talk? I mean, I’m kinda like your big brother so I guess that’s my duty-”
“If he ever hurts you, he’s a dead man-”
“Oh fuck, forget the talk! I wanna know how it went-”
Jisung cleared his throat, not following anything. “Hum guys-”
Before he could finish, Chan and Changbin gripped his shoulders and stared him in the eyes, dead serious.
“Tell us everything.”
And so, he did.
At the end of his story Chan and Changbin were rolling on the floor. Jisung huffed, hands on the hips.
“Why are you two morons laughing?” He asked, trying to hush them. The clock read 5 in the morning, have they got no decency? They were in- wait, where were they? When he asked the question, Chan and Changbin finally calmed down.
“After you kissed him and
passed out
-” Changbin stiffened a laugh and Jisung glared at him. So that was why they were laughing. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I know it’s not supposed to be funny but c’mon! You collapsed in his arms like a damsel in distress- the irony!” He burst out laughing once more, joined by Chan.
“You’re children, I swear.”
“Ya, ya, ya. We’re older, show some respect.” Changbin warned, hitting his leg.
Jisung waved him off with a wince. “Okay, okay, carry on you morons.”
“We’re in SM’s medical quarters. Minho brought you back here,” he went on, sitting by the window’s ledge to watch the snowfall. Jisung stared out too. So that was the view from SM’s building. Outside everything was still dark. He couldn’t quite discern the colors of his bedroom because of this, but one thing was for sure: there was no pink. A nice choice, in his humble opinion. “We weren’t supposed to bring soldiers here before the morning, but I guess leaders do get special favors.”
Jisung snorted. “There was no need to. I’m
not
a damsel in distress, he could have brought me back to our flat or something. Minho should keep his favors for when he’ll really need them.”
Chan and Changbin exchanged a look.
“I wasn’t talking about Minho.” Changbin precised hesitantly.
“Then who?” Jisung looked between them in confusion. Then it dawned on him. He sat up, pointing to himself. “Me?!” he shrieked.
When Chan and Changbin failed to deny it, Jisung shook his head. “I’m not a leader. Chan’s a leader!” he protested, throwing his covers away.
Chan rolled his eyes and helped him up and towards the resting area. “What do you think granted you that VIP room then?”
Jisung grunted and sat down on the blue couch -- not pink, he noticed again. “I don’t know- Minho’s power. Yours even,” he shrugged, wrapping a blanket around his bare shoulders.
“No, it’s because of your new status Jisungie.” Changbin provided, a small proud smile on the lips.
“I know it comes with privileges but… You do realize what being with a leader’s lover entails, right?” Chan asked in worry, sitting down in the armchair in front of him. “You didn’t jump in without-”
“No, I did not jump in this relationship thoughtlessly, Chan hyung,” he promised, smiling. “As a matter of fact, I thought about it more than enough. And… even if I don’t know exactly what’s in store for me and him, I think we’re both ready to face it head on.” He smiled back at Chan and leaned into Changbin’s embrace when he came to sit beside him. “I’m just really happy we’re finally together.” he whispered, head buried in Chagbin’s neck.
“Us too Jisung-ah.” Chan assured, leaning forward and squeezing his knee. “We’re happy you’re finally with him. He is good for you.”
“
Finally
is the word... ” Changbin snorted, picking up a protein bar on the table. “Always healthy, these lads. Didn’t see one drop of unhealthy stuffs in their whole base.”
“You went down at their cafeteria?” Jisung yawned, catching the bar he threw at him. “Have you seen Minho there?”
Chan and Changbin exchanged smirks.
“I was beginning to think you’d never ask.” Chan snickered.
“Oh shut it,” Jisung grinned, hiding his face. “Did you or not?”
Chan shook his head.
“Sadly, no,” he finally answered, taking a bit of his own bar. He scratched his neck, revealing bruising love bites under his turtleneck.
“Rough night?” Jisung teased.
“They’ve been at it since we came out of the meeting. I didn’t even see him at the party, he only showed himself around three hours ago.” Changbin revealed, snickering.
“You don’t look like it, but you two are wild-” Jisung whistled, dodging Chan’s punch. “Hey, hey, hey! You can’t punch a wounded man-’
“What? Need your Minho to kiss you better?” Chan bit back, his red face being the subject of Changbin’s hyena cackles.
“And if I do?” Jisung challenged with a grin. “Will you finally tell me where he is?”
“I was going to before you interrupted me,” Chan pointed out, standing up. “But maybe I shouldn’t-”
“Cut the newly weds some slacks, Chan-hyung.” Changbin chuckled, ruffling Jisung’s hair.
“Hey-” he protested, pouting and swatting the hand away.
Chan took pity on him and grabbed his own jacket. He twirled a set of card in his hands. Free passes. “He is having an emergency meeting with Mark and all the merry band of leaders. Here, catch. One for each of us, granting us free passage wherever we want in their base.”
Jisung laughed in victory and high fived Changbin. “Well, as cool as this is, I wouldn’t want to crash their little meeting. I’ll wait for him to finish and go take a stroll instead. You’re coming? I heard they have lovely labs.” He offered slyly, mirth in the eyes.
Chan and Changbin smirked, and in less than two minutes they were out the door.
“Do you know why they’re gathered?” He asked as they shut the door.
Changbin tucked the pass in his back pocket and shrugged. “Some shit regarding our next attack plan.”
Jisung threw them a curious glance. “And we’re not part of it?”
Chan shook his head, holding the corridor’s door open for him. “We should. But the meeting can’t be postponed and I’m not leaving you without one of us until you’re properly healed. Your well being is more important.”
“Aren’t you just sweet,” Jisung cooed, hugging his arm. “Couldn’t just one of you go while the other looked after me?”
“Well,” Chan threw a glance at Changbin who flipped him off before he could justify himself. “I don’t want to leave him unsupervised,” he revealed. “As much as I love you Binnie, I know you’d do everything for those you love- including reckless shit like running into the enemy's dant on a solo suicide mission to save your Felix.”
Changbin guiltily looked away under the pitying eyes of Jisung. He himself had no idea what he would have done if he were in Changbin’s shoes.
As they walked towards the elevator, Jisung noticed a light was still on in one of the rooms. “I thought no one was supposed to come here before eight?” he asked dumbfounded.
The three exchanged a look. No more words were needed as Jisung held out his pass.
At once, Chan pushed the door open.
-- -- -- -- -- --
“Suhyun is going to freak out, Minho.”
Minho groaned into his palm. He was drained, his body was screaming a him to get some sleep. Everything had just happened so fast, his brain and body were not following anything anymore. And quite frankly, he just wanted to get back to Jisung.
“I know Mark, but what other choice do we have?” He asked, leaning back into Seungmin’s chest. His best friend was truly his rock at times like these. If he wasn’t so hot headed he would have made a perfect leader. Seungmin patted his shoulder in support, silently telling him to keep his eyes open for a little while longer. Minho almost felt bad for keeping him here. He knew that he was actually dying to get back to Hyunjin. After all, he was still injured and needed Seungmin more than ever after the success of his proposal. Seungmin’s behavior did nothing to hide that he didn’t want to stay apart from him for too long either. Minho shook his head and cleared his thoughts. “We didn’t have time to ask for her opinion about humans staying, and I’m sorry for that, but the least we can do is to tell her about it face to face-”
“And
ask for her help while we’re at it,” CL intervened, looking out the window. Minho couldn’t help but notice how out of place seeing her without Yedam felt. But Yedam was probably enjoying his teenage life way more with Jeongin right now than he would in this stuffed room.
“You guys- you’re realizing she’s gonna be hella pissed?” Mark groaned, slumping back into his chair and almost knocking his IV pole over. “Suhyun may look calm on the outside but she’s got one hell of a temper when you set her off.”
“It’s not about whether she’ll react well or not, Mark. It’s about whether or not she’ll sit back and watch or take part into the war. Whether she likes it or not it’s happening and there’s no stopping it.”
Mark’s head snapped up, his wide eyes fixed on Minho.
“Wait,
war
?- I thought we were simply going to ask her for help to rescue Felix and Hyuna. Like for an undercover mission again or something!”
Minho sighed and shook his head gravelly.
“You think that’s gonna take another undercover mission? Kim is strong and sly, he’ll have an armada ready to take us down the moment we set foot in his base again. We need to do the same if we want to even have a chance. And I don’t know about you but I call two sides fighting against each other on an uncharted territory
war
.”
Mark shook in his seat, worrying Minho and Seungmin. They knew Mark was resentful and angry because of the previous war for diverses reasons — after all, his clan did suffer from the most casualties, almost being destroyed to ashes were it not for the few last survivors who fought to build it anew. But they thought he was over it now. Were they wrong? Did the perspective of waging a new war scare him?
“There must be some other way…” he mumbled, fingers anxiously drumming on the table.
Minho frowned. So they were right.
“Mark, I know you’re scared- I am too! But the only way to face him is head on. We walk in through that entrance gate and we win. That’s our only option.”
Mark stood up at once. He began pacing, arms crossed over his chest and fingers still drumming.
“Minho I… I can’t. You can’t ask that of me,” he turned around and looked him in the eyes as he said those words. And Minho could see all his helplessness and despair. The fear in them too. So close to agony. “The previous war took so much from me, I can’t allow it to happen again. I can’t lose
someone
again-”
Minho stood up and walked up to him. He grabbed his shoulders firmly.
“Mark, this is not you. This is the fear talking. We’ve all lost someone or something dear to us because of it and we were heartbroken because we were kids. But Mark, now we’re the adults. The leaders. We can’t let the children of our clans fear what we would have had to fear if the previous war hadn’t taken place. We might have lost a lot to it but it was nothing in comparison to what we could have lost- to what these kids will lose if we don’t fight back! We’ll all suffer from casualties and our children will be devastated… but when they grow up to be just like you and me, they’ll come to realize what those precious sacrifices meant. We, as leaders need to set the exemple. We mustn’t let fear cloud our judgement. So please, stand with me, Mark.”
Mark’s blinked his tears away, mouth opening and closing. Minho had made him see reason. But he was still conflicted. Between his duty and his own personal feelings.
“My clan has lost so much already Minho… How can I ask them to fight again?” He sobbed, his eyes almost tearing Minho’s heart apart. “Risk the annihilation of my clan again? I’m not sure I can, Minho… I… The risks are just so big and my motivation, beyond doing what is good, is not big enough compared to it.” He rationalized, shutting his eyes close in shame.
“Mark…” Minho whispered, understanding his friend’s motivations but still disappointed. Mark’s clan was known for its strong and talented fighters. They would have made a precious asset. “I understand.”
“Minho!” Seungmin gasped in shock. Like he couldn’t believe he was giving up so easily.
“Mark is right. His clan has suffered enough as it is. No need to mingle them into our fight.”
Mark threw him a pained glance, shaking all over. “Minho, I’m-”
“We’ll get ready to go meet Suhyun, go get some rest,” he interrupted, patting his shoulder comfortingly. His smile was warm and his eyes held no resentment. But it didn’t make Mark feel better one bit. “Meeting adjourned.”
“Wait!”
Minho’s head snapped up in shock. Han Jisung was at the door, out of breath and holding himself up with difficulty. Behind him, Chan and Changbin were catching up, screaming Jisung’s name. But the youngest boy didn’t appear to hear them, too focused on looking at everyone with wide, panicked eyes. Minho’s heart missed a beat at the sight and at once he was striding towards the door.
“Jisung? Are you alright? What are you doing out of bed-”
But as he tried to grab his waist, his lover squeezed his hands midway and stopped him from pushing him out. He looked at Mark and then at Minho. His eyes were shining with unshed tears, brimming with hope and shock. Minho almost reached out to wipe them away but Jisung’s first words stopped him. “You’ll both have a reason to fight…”
Mark let out a shaky breath, whispering a small ‘what’. Jisung merely squeezed his lover’s hands harder, almost hurting him. At that, Minho tilted his head to the side, mouthing a ‘what’s wrong’. But Jisung ignored his words and turned to Mark, eyes finally letting those unshed tears out.
“Donghyuck is alive.”
~~~~~~~> To be continued.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Hey guys~
Long time no see!!! (Please put out the fire torches, I’m still writing I swear I ain’t procrastinating this time hahah-) I hope you are all doing alright with the current ongoing mess in the world <3 I’m doing fine, no worry.
First of all I have not given up on Straya 801 hahaha, I’m still writing. But between a broken computer and whether to keep Woojin in this story or not, I’ve been struggling. However, I promised you that I would finish this story and I will! There’s not many chapters left to write but I know where I’m heading to, so please hang in there! Because some of my readers are bothered by reading about Woojin I think I’ll replace his character. Are you guys bothered by reading about him too? If so, please tell me who you’d like to see instead of him -- or any opinion you have on the way this story should move on <3
Good news though, I’m almost done with the next chapter -- but as I said I struggled with the Woojin issue and I kept writing “XX” instead of his name x). So please hang in there, I promise you it will be worth it <3
Last but not least, my former Twitter account got locked down for whatever bullshit, so I’ve made a new one:
@CeeheeOC9
. Please follow me if you want to know the latest updates or just have a chat~ My DMs are always open to talk with you guys!
Anyway, hope you’ve been doing fine and love you guys!!!! See ya soon~
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Seungmin fluttered his eyes open. The first rays of Glow blinded him. Outside, the frost had melted and the wind was blowing. What an evening. Seungmin had come back home exhausted, welcomed by Hyunjin’s awaiting sleeping arms. Minho had cried his heart out after the revelation that his brother was alive and Seungmin had stayed one hour or two with him, so he could calm down. Minho had insisted he went back home to catch some sleep. When Seungmin left, Minho was busy catching up with Donghyuck. They had also sent people out to find Jeongin but Jae knew where that boy was hiding, doing Jae knew what with Yedam. But Seungmin knew he would come by JYP facilities in the morning. All was coming together. Now, they only had to get Felix back. And Seungmin will. No matter what. Under him, Hyunjin’s chest was steadily rising and falling. It relieved him. Then his mind went back to yesterday night, and Hyunjin asking him- Seungmin internally yelled and felt his cheeks grow hot. They were going to get married. This morning. Just before going to wage a war. What the fuck had he agreed onto? There were surely better settings for a wedding than this one! This was not romantic or thought through. At all. They were so not getting married in the morning. They had better stuff to do anyway, like preparing to fight, getting Fayre ready or reuniting with their human friends for instance. Hwang Hyunjin and his stupid ideas. Kim Seungmin and his stupid heart. Under him, Hyunjin stirred. “Hgn- Seungminie?” Seungmin looked down with huge wide eyes, not expecting the boy to rise so early in the morning after drinking so much. Talk about time to make up ideas to get away with these stupid marriage plans. While ruminating he failed to notice Hyunjin’s drunk-dazed gaze on him. Unbeknown to him, Suengmin was glowing. Not literally, of course, but his features were bathing in the glowlight, that little shiny spot under his eyes and the one on his jaw still shining. His eyes were losing their brightness but the spots just behind his ears were still pearlescent due to last evening’s abuse. That made Hyunjin’s heart swell in pride and joy. “Hey there,” Seungmin whispered, leaning up to steal a kiss from him. Hyunjin chuckled against his lips. “What got you in such a good mood?” Seungmin pulled back and rolled on his side, Hyunjin turning to face him. “I don’t know. Maybe because I slept well?” Hyunjin hummed and pulled him close by the waist. “Hmm, just that? Sure it’s not my handsome face? Or yesterday night-” he joked, dodging Seungmin’s punch. “Shut up, you Yeshihk,” Seungmin growled, cheeks heating up. He pushed the boy away and stepped out of their now shared bed at Hyunjin’s. Seungmin walked over the window hole and grabbed Hyunjin’s robes that were hanging there. As he pulled it over his back, arms crept their way up around his torso and a chaste butterfly-like kiss was pressed against his shoulder. Seungmin leaned against Hyunjin’s torso and sighed. “You need to let me go, you know, so that I can go back and get changed.” Hyunjin hummed but did nothing to let him go. “I know. Just a little longer.” Seungmin laughed but relented. A few minutes passed but Hyunjin made no sign of moving. His One was usually not so silent unless dead tired. Something was wrong. “Hyun? Are you okay?” he asked, a frown on his delicate features. “I am not actually,” Hyunjin revealed, voice low and serious. “We’re supposed to celebrate the best day of our lives today today but instead we are at the dawn of some war we didn’t ask for. This was supposed to be some grand wedding but instead there will only be the two of us. Jae, Felix should be there too. Fuck, I know we should just reprogram but if something happens to us I couldn’t stand not being with you... ” Hyunjin trailed off with a sigh. Well. That was unexpected. Seungmin took in Hyunjin’s words, matching his own previous thoughts. Sure, he wanted that wedding postponed, but hearing how much it wounded Hyunjin… Should they actually get married? “Shit,” Hyunjin cursed, leaning back. He lowered his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I made it worse, didn’t I? Sorry, this is just… This has been plaguing my mind ever since you fell asleep last night. I just… Want to give you the world, you know?” Seungmin turned around and pried his hands away from his face, stroking his cheeks with fondness. He looked at Hyunjin with understanding and sorrow. “Yes, my love, I know. And you will. I don’t care if our wedding is not that grand celebration like Yedam’s brother or that we’re just the two of us. All I need is you. Okay?” Hyunjin nodded, unable to answer. His frustration was still visible but at least he seemed to settle for Seungmin’s answer. For how long, though, this he had no idea of. Hyunjin was known for his stubbornness and these thoughts will definitely plague his mind as long as they were not married. Seungmin pinched his lips and looked outside, contemplating on what to do. The Glow was still rising but knowing Rosé she was probably already working in her shop. So be it. Seungmin turned his head back to Hyunjin, eyes determined. He grabbed his hands and walked to the door. “Minnie?” Hyunjin asked, clueless but willing to follow Seungmin. “Let’s do it now. Why wait? I’d rather we marry while we can.” “Wow, slow down. It’s barely six in the morning. We are in pyjamas and slept like two hours, we can’t-” “Hwang Hyunjin, you will marry me now, or you won’t,” Seungmin threatened, which was a blatant lie. But it still worked. Hyunjin shut up and complied, even taking the lead in the walk. As they stepped outside, rustles in the trees stopped them. Hyunjin tensed and listened closely. These were not Jeongin’s feet. They were… Changbin’s? “Yah Hyunjin-ah! Seungminie! Wait up!” Yes, that was definitely Changbin. The boy emerged from the turquoise palm tree and leaned heavily onto its trunk. He was sweaty, like he had run there. “Changbin? What's bringing you here?” Hyunjin wondered, hoping over to the tree to help him stand. “There’s… there’s something you must come and see,Hyunjin-ah,” he managed to say between breaths. Seungmin sighed. Hyunjin wasn’t aware that Donghyuck was alive yet. And Jeongin will probably need him once he learns the news too. “Can’t this wait a bit longer?” Seungmin asked him, hoping that they could have some time alone a bit longer. Changbin shook his head. “I’m sorry. Jisung said that he knew where Jeongin might be and we thought that… He might need Hyunjin by his side.” Hyunjin looked at the two cluelessly. “Why would he? Did something happen?” “Yes. But it's good news, albeit a bit unexpected,” Seungin explained. “I’ll tell you everything on the way. And I guess Minho could use my presence as well.” “Minho needs you too Seungmin-ah, no matter what he says,” Changbin agreed, leading the way. “We should hurry up.” Seungmin and Hyunjin exchanged a glance, nodding at each other. Their union would have to wait. Their family needed them.
----------
“Jeongin? Jeongin.” Jeongin snapped his eyes open. The first thing he saw was Yedam’s face just above his, circled by the Glowlight. The next was the scent of earth and leaves. Then came the feel of the mud and carpet under his body. And Jeongin realized: Yedam was in his secret hideout. Jeongin sat up at once, almost headbutting Yedam. He gripped his shoulders tightly, blushing at the closeness of their faces -- Yedam, the smirking Yehshik, as always, not minding the proximity -- alas, Jeongin had more pressing matters at hand. “What are you doing here?” he winced, eyes darting to the left where the huge portrayal of Yedam in pink, blue, green and purple paint lay. “You don’t remember? We didn’t go to the party and you were so worried and mad at me for leaving without telling you that you took me here-” Jeongin stopped listening and recalled the way he had led the boy here, insisting on showing him the painting -- showing him that he mattered to him. Then Yedam had been so spent and tired that he had fallen asleep and Jeongin had painted some more before going to sleep too. He looked down at his hands. There were traces of the orange paint Yedam had gifted him.“-and then- Foxie?” Yedam called, following Jeongin’s gaze. He raised a brow and stood up. He looked around. “Did you paint last night?” Jeongin’s eyes widened and he scrambled up to his feet, quickly going in front of the younger boy. “Yes I did. But it doesn’t matter. C’mon we should go back to the base, I think my brother-” “Is that it?” Yedam asked sidestepping him to walk toward the back of the cave, this time being the one ignoring the other. Jeongin paled, quickly grabbing his arm. “Please, don’t look.” Yedam raised a brow and smirked. He quickly shoved Jeongin away, wanting to march forward. And that he almost did. But he forgot that Jeongin was a Fighter. One feet hooking his ankle had him crashing face first into the mud. Just under the small hole in the cave’s roof that was currently allowing the morning tropical drizzle to pour inside. “Oh Jae, are you okay?!” Jeongin gasped, crouching by his head. “I didn’t mean- I thought your reflexes would kick in- Eh?” Jeongin’s words were cut by a fist of mud shoved into his nose. He coughed and wiped the wet mud away from his face, falling on his ass. Yedam rolled on his back, his loud ass snorting laugh resonated in the cave. “You should see your face, Foxie!” Jeongin blinked. “Oh no, you didn’t... “ he growled under his breath. Suddenly, the boy was over him, and Yedam let out a pained grunt. He felt muddy copper sand rise around their lying bodies and cough a bit. Then he became aware of the situation they were in, and he looked up to the smirking boy straddling him, with amused eyes. Said boy had his right elbow set next to his head, supporting his weight. His right hand was holding his own, pressed on the muddy ground on the other side of his head, their fingers intertwined.Yedam's own free hand had found its way on the boy’s hip along the way, and he watched as he leaned down, their faces growing a few centimeters closer. Yedam bit back a playful smile and squeezed the boy’s hand.“Well, well Jeongin, seems like you caught me this time,” he chimed playfully.Jeongin laughed lightly, his black curly hair wet from the tropical drizzle flowing down on them, and Yedam looked at him fondly. He had always known Jeongin was the one. And now more than ever, he was sure of it.The boy’s nails pressing on the back of his hand brought him out of his reverie, and he found the older smirking at him.“Well, well Yedamie, seems like our roles are finally reversed after all this time.”Yedam let out a playful soundless laugh. His hand gripped Jeongin’s hip harder and his feet dug in the mud. He watched as Jeongin's eyes suddenly widened in realisation, and smirked at the boy. Jae, he loved the boy.“Not for long,” he muttered, before flipping them over in a swift move. Jeongin squealed when his world was turned upside down and Yedam’s hands caged his face. He blinked and blushed, their noses brushing. Yedam’s eyes fluttered closed and he began to gently rub his nose against his, left and right. Jeongin smiled, his own hand reaching out to cup Yedam’s strong jaw, smearing remains of orange paint on his wet skin. “Yed?” he whispered, voice soft. “Hmm?” “Can I kiss you?” he asked, smile widening when Yedam’s movement stopped and his breath hitched.“Please do…” he croaked weakly, almost shaking all over.Jeongin leaned up and boldly captured his lips between his own. Yedam trembled and pushed him back on the ground, eagerly answering the kiss. And Jeongin was too overwhelmed to go any further than this move, letting Yedam do all the work. His brain had fried. Yedam was kissing him. And, damn, was he a good kisser. “Freaking finally,” Yedam muttered against his lips, forcing Jeongin’s mouth open and meeting his tongue halfway. Jeongin hit his bicep, straight onto the drenched orange fur he had given him, as a way to tell him ‘ shut up ’. And it worked because Yedam was too busy deepening the kiss to add anything. Jeongin thanked him by finally functioning enough to wrap his arms around his neck and answer the kiss. Jeongin would have gone on for hours honestly, but the footsteps coming their way had him brusquely shoving Yedam away and behind him. Jeongin growled and crouched on a defensive stance in the wet mud, eyeing the entrance. Who knew of his hideout? Jeongin listened to the hurried footsteps and gasped. Jisung. It was Jisung. He immediately stood up and ran to the entrance. Of course the human knew his hideout! He was probably the only one of his whole family that could grab a hold of him. And if he was in such a hurry it had to mean something was wrong! “Hyung?” he called out, feeling grounded when Yedam came up behind him to hold his waist. Jisung popped up from a huge tree branch, eyes wide and out of breath. “Oh thank god, I was starting to believe I had forgotten the trail- Innie you have to come with me right now,” he pleaded, words stumbling over the others, still failing to catch his breath. He looked behind Jeongin at Yedam -- and Jeongin just knew he was going to hear about it later. “You too, Yedam, you have to come. Jeongin will need you.” “What’s wrong, hyung?” Jeongin asked worriedly, feeling suddenly terrified. Did something happen during their sleep? “I’ll tell you all about it on the way, just- please hurry and follow me.” Yedam nodded, untangling himself from Jeongin. “Lead the way.”
----------
Changbin loaded his gun. “Let’s go get these motherfuckers,” he declared, kicking the box at his feet close. “Keep that energy for the fight. You’ll need it,” Chan instructed. But deep down he was feeling just as anxious and boiling. He couldn’t believe that they were about to wage a full on war. When he had dreamed, as a kid, of coming here, on Straya, it was to study. Not to make friends, find a family, and even less to fight in a war. But Jae, was he ready for it. He would save Felix. For his family, for Changbin and for himself. After all, the boy was his cousin -- his duty was to protect him. “Did you fetch Seungmin and Hyunjin?” Hearing Changbin sigh, he turned around. The boy was breathing heavily, trying to load his rifle properly. Chan reached over and patted his shoulder, encouraging the boy to let him load his weapon in his stead. “Yes. They’re going up to meet with Minho and Jeongin. I saw Jisung-ah come in with Jeongin and Yedam in tow, when I was coming down earlier.” “Good.” Chan glanced at Changbin only to see him anxiously strap and unstrap his gloves. “You’re good?” Chan asked, raising a brow. “Amazing.” “Okay listen. You can’t waver now, Binnie,” Chan carefully and calmly instructed. “I know that it’s nerve racking for you, but I can’t have a soldier in my unit unprepared. I need you to clear your thoughts and forget your emotions. You need to listen to me and my orders. Now, I’m going to be very serious with you and I want you to be honest with me, Changbin. Can you fight ?” “Hyung,” Changbin started after a moment of silence. “I don’t know if I can hold back from killing Kim when I see him. But I can assure you that until we’ve safely escorted Hyuna, the baby and Felix out, I’ll follow your command, whatever it is.” Chan nodded and handed him back his rifle, convinced. “Good. I’ll hold you to that. Now let’s go meet the rest.” Changbin nodded and pushed the door open. A compound filled with gearing up soldiers was what greeted them. SM and JYP soldiers were fussing around with guns, bombs, amo and other things. Going up the glass elevator were Minho, Jeongin and Mark accompanied by a medic. They could all see Jeongin crying in Minho’s arms and their hearts clenched, happy for the boy. “Hey, guys!” The two friends turned around to find Jisung, fully geared up and running toward them. “Yo Jisung! I’m glad you found Jeongin-ah,” Changbin greeted, quickly hugging his friend. “Are you ready?” Jisung let go and lifted his shirt up. His ribs were bandaged, but obviously in a better shape than they were earlier on. That was great. Jisung would be able to fight on his own, and that was an amazing thing to hear. Jisung, while more of a scientist than a fighter, was an excellent runner, doubled of a peerless infiltrator. These skills of his would be useful for the mission. “Did grandpa tell you how our unit would proceed?” Jisung asked Chan, signing a document on the pad a small scientist offered him. Jisung would be in charge of the east bomb cargo and would have to be accountable if something went awry. Changbin had had the same responsibility on their last mission on Earth and, sadly, their cago was stolen -- Changbin’s paycheck did not appreciate that. So JYP entrusted Jisung with it this time. Chan shook his head, leading them toward the cafeteria of SM’s base. “No, not yet. I just know that we won’t fight together.” That had Chan and Changbin freezing. “What?” Changbin muttered, shell shocked. In their twenty or so years spent together they never had to split or fight separately. This had to be a mistake, right? Chan sighed and mentioned for them to follow him, to a secluded part of the room, a small bar towards the kitchen. He sat down on a stool and kept his head down, unable to meet their eyes. “JYP informed me of it last evening. I’ll still lead our commando unit but Jisung will be in charge of the East flank to get to the place where they keep their weapons, while you, Changbin, will be in charge of the retrieval operation. I’ll lead the infiltration to get to Kim, along with Hui and Suzy.” “Why are you only telling us that now? You’ve had hours,” Jisung asked, fists balled and eyes stinging. “Do you realize that if something goes wrong that might be the last minutes we spend together? And you wanted us to talk about strategies?” “Yes, which is why I didn’t say anything until now,” Chan answered, finally looking up with bloodshot eyes. “I didn’t want you to be plagued with what ifs . You have to get your heads in the fight, both of you. This is nothing like fighting on Earth. Luckily we know Straya 801 the best among humans, but Kim and his minions spent twice the amount of time we did on it. They know how to fight here, we don’t. So be careful, okay guys?” Jisung and Changbin softened hearing his words, and relented. They nodded and went to hug Chan on both sides. “Are you okay with that, hyung?” Changbin asked, eyes closing to keep the tears in. “Tell me you didn’t agree to that just because I wanted to retrieve Felix personally.” “ No -” “Oh fuck, you did,” Changbin groaned, hiding his face in the crook of Chan’s neck. “Well,” Chan tried to explain, smiling sheepishly. “I really wanted the three of us to rescue Felix but I knew that I was needed elsewhere. So is Jisung.” Changbin hugged him tighter. “Thank you, Chan-hyung.” Chan smiled and hugged them both. “Anything for you. You don’t mind, Ji, I hope?” “I understand, don't worry. We’re no longer the little soldiers we once were, are we?” Jisung chuckled and let himself be hugged longer. “Nah, we’re not,” Changbin agreed. He looked up and outside, at the rising Glow. The sun was cast in morning pinks and grays. A beautiful sight. It gave him hope. Hold on, Felix, he thought. I’m coming.
-- -- -- -- -- --
“Where are they?!” Hyunjin panted, bracing himself on his knees. Seungmin rolled his eyes and pulled him back up by the back of his collar. “Calm down, you’re making a scene,” Seungmin reprimanded, apologizing to the startled scientist. “Do you know where the Trashee leader is?” he asked in Earthian speech with a small smile. The scientist nodded and pointed to the door on their left, apparently surprised Seungmin spoke her language so well. “Thank you miss!” Seungmin yelled, already running to pry the door open. Hyunjin followed suit. But both stayed at the doorway. Hearing about the news was one thing but seeing him in real life, grown up and breathing... Hyunjin couldn’t believe it. “Dong... Hyuck?” Hyunjin whispered, taking a step back. He gaped, his eyes moving from Donghyuck to Minho by his side, to Jeongin’s crying face on his laps and to Mark’s still standing shellshock at the foot of the bed. Donghyuck’s eyes were stuck on Mark -- as they had been for a good part of the night while Seungmin had been there, and he knew why. He knew that years meant nothing when it came to feelings. He knew because Seungmin had the same look in his eyes when it came to Hyunjin. “Well,” Minho exclaimed, looking at the two newcomers with a soft smile. “I think Donghyuck and Mark have a lot of things to say to each other. Innie and I will be back later on.” Jeongin wiped his tears and nodded. “You’re right hyung, we’ll talk later. When everything is over, we’ll catch up,” Jeongin promised, standing up. Before he left, though, he looked at his hand and smiled. He slid something off his finger and dropped it on Donghyuck’s laps. “It was yours. Hyung and I kept it safe. I think… there’s someone else that should have it now,” he muttered with a grin. When he stood up, Seungmin saw it. Donghyuck’s ring. As he welcomed Minho into his arms and the four friends exited the room, Seungmin decided to keep that picture of happiness in his mind. Because it gave him hope. Hope that everything will turn out well for them in the end.
-- -- -- -- -- --
Chan loaded his gun and set it in the holder at his waist. His subordinates were lounging behind him on the tarmac, trying to calm themselves down and relax before the war. The glaze-like frost was crunching under his feet with each step which made him frown. That was bad. The weather will make them too noticeable. Forget the infiltration part in their mission, they had better run through the front door at this rate. When he voiced his thoughts at a passing Hui, the man stopped for a moment to ponder on it. “You know what, that’s actually not a bad idea. Kim is expecting us anyway, going through the front door might take him by surprise.” Chan stared at him incredulously. “Well, I was actually joking, but now that you put it that way… It would give a chance to the retrieval unit to go unnoticed and unbothered. It seems like a pretty good deal.” “A risky deal,” Suzy pointed out as she stepped down from a platform. She was geared from head to toe, ready to capture Kim. “We’ll be the most exposed ones. Needless to say our unit’s frontline will have… Little chances to make it out alive in one piece.” Chan risked a look ahead. Woojin was there, getting Luwen ready along with all the Young Wings’ riders. “I’m ready to take that risk,” Chan assured, turning back to face his comrades. “But I need to tell him first.” Suzy and Hui nodded and let him go. Chan jogged toward his lover, surprising him from behind. He kissed his shoulder, hugging his waist tight. “Sosoil,” he greeted his lover. “Sosoil Chanie.” “How are you doing?” the human wondered, eyes closing when Woojin turned around and his hand went to shake the frost flakes out of his hair. “I’m holding up,” he promised, answering the hug. “I just need to get my little brother back and then everything will be perfect.” Chan smiled tightly, heart clenching. “I want to tell him the truth. Tell him we share the same blood.” Woojin chuckled and buried his face in his neck. “You must. He’ll feel complete and thrilled.” “Yeah but… I’m not sure I’ll be able to.” Woojin immediately pulled back from their embrace and stared at him with wide panicked eyes. “What do you mean?” he pressed, hoping that Chan’s Straynian speech was just bad. But Chan didn’t dare to meet his gaze. “I’ll be part of the unit that will capture Kim. And we’re going through the front door.” Woojin’s frozen arms around him showed Chan that he perfectly understood the strategy. And that he wasn’t too happy about it. “No. You can’t,” he whispered, eyes glazing with tears of frustration. Chan tried to reach out, shaky hands reaching for his face. “Woojin, it’s our best chance…” Woojin leaned against his palms and nodded, resigned. “I know. But if you fail… I will have lost both Felix and you.” Chan closed his eyes and brought their foreheads together, frost flakes catching in his lashes. “Do you seriously think you’ll get rid of me so easily? I almost let you give me up yesterday, I can’t let you lose hope today,” he whispered, leaning in to catch his cold lips between his own. The kiss was chaste and pure, but it held all of Chan’s feelings towards his lover. He leaned back with a shaky exhale. “I need you to believe in me, Woojin.” Woojin squeezed his forearms. “You have all my faith, love. Go and kill that man.”
-- -- -- -- -- --
Jisung was tying up his shoes when he felt arms sneak their ways around his waist. Not used to such an intimate contact he stiffened and flushed, which made his oppressor laugh. “You were not that shy yesterday.” “Minho,” Jisung gasped, looking around with wide eyes. Thankfully no one else was around. “We’re at work, don’t say stuff that my colleagues could use to tease me.” Minho kissed his cheek in apology, though judging by his shit-eating grin, Jisung knew he was going to do it again and again and again. Jisung turned in his arms and took a moment to properly look at the man he could now call his lover. His eyes were sparkling with a fierceness Jisung had never seen in them. Like Minho had finally begun to live in the present. And the redness in his eyes could only confort Jisung in his beliefs. Jisung’s hand gently cupped his jaw, and the human smiled when he felt Minho tremble under his touch. “How are you?” Minho grabbed his hand and brought it to his lips, kissing his palm tenderly. “I honestly don’t know. Part of me feels thrilled, another feels like it’s just a dream and at the same time I feel drained of all energy. Everything has just been going so fast these last few days, I can’t keep up with so many new emotions.” “It’s normal Minho,” Jisung reassured, intertwining their fingers. “You’re allowed to feel overwhelmed. But you’re no longer alone. I’m here with you, we’ll shoulder your burdens together, love.” Minho smiled, stroking his knuckles. “I’m glad you’re in my life.” “Yeah, so go on. You look like you still have a lot to say,” Jisung urged him to keep talking, wanting him to empty his mind to the maximum before the fight. Minho sighed, sitting down on the couch. “I could spend the whole day talking to be honest. I mean, Donghyuck is alive. After all these years my little brother is back home. I think I’m not really realizing it yet. It’s a lot to take in. I just want to grab Donghyuck and go back to the start, when you guys came in and everything was so calm and exciting, and experience it all over again with Donghyuck in our lives. Everything would have been so much easier and more calm.” Jisung scoffed, eyes rolling as he recalled his shaky beginning on Straya. “Calm? Speak for yourself. I was scared the hell out of you and your silent treatment!” Minho stiffened a tired laugh. “Yeah, you were pretty amusing.” “You found my fear amusing?” Jisung exclaimed incredulously, smacking Minho’s shoulder. “If we were not in our current situation I would beat the hell out of you.” “Yeah, I’d like to see you try in your state,” Minho commented with a raised brow, looking him up and down. “Speaking of which, what are you doing in your gear?” Jisung turned back to his data pad hearing his words, remembering where they were. “I’m fighting today, and before you say anything about it, my ribs are fine. Your magic water is incredible.” Minho frowned but said nothing, respecting his choice, which Jisung was very thankful for. Instead he came behind him, and hooked his chin on his shoulder, watching what he was typing. “You’re sending commands?” “Hmm. I’m the leader of my unit. We’ll be in charge of taking down their weaponry. We’re thinking about burning it down with bombs but we know you guys dislike fire. So I’m looking for an alternative.” Minho thought about it for a minute and suddenly took Jisung’s hand in his. “Follow me, I know someone who can help you.”
-------------
“Are you ready?” Seungmin asked Hyunjin, entering the changing room. His One was geared up in human combat attire. Chan had told them it would be better that way because their straynian fighting gear was not made to take on bullets. Felix’s scar was a reminder of how true his words were. Hyunjin sat down, shoes untied. “As ready as I can be. What about you?” Hyunjin wondered, carding a hand in Seungmin's hair when he crouched before him. “I’m good,” Seungmin reassured him, tying up Hyunjin's shoelaces. “But I need your agreement for once thing, Hyun.” “What is it, my love?” “I want to go fight with Chan-hyung,” he revealed, eyes closing when Hyunjin’s fingers froze in his hair. “I want to get Kim. For what he did to Felix, to Minho, to our family.” “Min-ah...” “I know, I know,” Seungmin grunted when Hyunjin sighed again but he still insisted. “I’m supposed to be with Minho on the fighting ground and I’m not a fighter like you or Innie. But I owe it to Felix. To you.” Hyunjin shook his head and raised his face, forcing him to look him in the eyes. “You don’t owe me anything.” “I do. You my One and I will protect you. I can’t forgive the man that almost made me lose you. He needs to pay. And I wanna be there when we catch him.” Hyunjin smiled and thumbed his cheekbone, just around his shiny spot. “Jae, I can’t wait to marry you.” Seungmin grinned. “So that means you're okay with it?” “Of course. I can’t stop you from doing what you want. But you have to promise me to come back safe and sound. As I said, I can’t wait to marry you,” he whispered, dreaming of the day Seungmin would come walking down the waterfall’s boulders dressed in his family colors, and Minho would chant their blessings before their whole Clan, with each members of their families smiling in the front rows, offering them their blessings. “I’m sorry we couldn’t settle this today,” Seungmin admitted, standing back up. Hyunjin followed suit. “Don’t be. I’m glad that we’re going to do it properly, with our whole family there.” Seungmin took his hand to lead him out of the room. “I can promise you that this wedding is going to be incredible. Now c'mon, I think I saw Jeongin kissing Yedam and I need the full story.”
-- -- -- -- -- --
“Minho will you- slow down!!!” Jisung buried his face into Minho’s back and clenched his teeth, holding his waist tight as Midnight strode through the jungle. Minho laughed and patted his hands reassuringly. “We don’t have time. Just hang on tight, Jisung-ah, you’ll be fine,” he laughed, asking his Pali to gallop faster. Jisung glared at his nape, daring to look above his shoulder. Around them were tall ice blue trees similar to pines -- but much bigger -- with dark purple round fruits hanging from the branches. The soil was no longer mud and earth but pebble-like rocks colored black, covered with the glaze-like frost in a heavy layer. If one looked high and far enough, they’d see the huge valley ahead, devoid of any greenery and covered with frost, the caves and mountains of stone going up to humongous heights, to the point some purple and gray colored clouds hid their peaks. Jisung gasped and leaned back, taking in the beauty of the scenary. “Where are we?” he asked in awe, not familiar with that part of the territory. He had not noticed their exit from the Neutral territory. “We’re reaching the Taro territory,” he informed Jisung, taking a turn left and exiting the forest of ice blue trees. They had reached the valley’s entrance. “Suhyun’s territory?” Jisung supplied, staring in awe at the multicolored Young Wings lounging and sleeping against the rocky bluffs. In the cherry blossom-like branches sprouting from between the black pebbles on the ground were some small creatures he had never seen. They were like salamanders with iridescent black and white scales and piercing purple or pink eyes. At the end of their tail were smooth velvety pincers. Jisung wondered what their name was but a more pressing matter was occupying his mind. “Aren’t you supposed to be allowed here, to enter?” “A leader is allowed to enter any territory,” Minho reminded him, slowing Midnight down as they reached a cave entrance at the heart of the valley. “Yeah, you are allowed. Isn’t she going to… I don’t know, have me arrested for trespassing?” he winced, accepting Minho’s aid to hop down the tall beast. “First, if you were unwelcomed here you’d be long stopped by her sentinels and left at the territory’s entrance,” he enlightened Jisung, hands never leaving his waist as he guided him toward the entryway. There, two sentinels were waiting for them -- a pair of girl twins. “And second, you are allowed here. On any territory.” Jisung blushed madly in realization. Just like with yesterday and the care he was given at the hospital, he was no longer considered a mere human. He was Minho’s lover. He was a leader’s partner. Dang, that would take some time to get used to. The twins wordlessly greeted them and led the way inside. Just like Suhyun, they were calm and composed in appearance. Jisung leaned in Minho’s side and turned to whisper in his ear: “You never told me why we’re here.” Minho threw him a glance but kept his face composed and stoic as more Taro Clan’s members came into view. He was imposing and impressive to be honest. Jisung would have a lot to learn from him in the future. “To ask for help. Suhyun has what it takes to get rid of their weapons without using fire… Only, I’m not sure she’ll agree to it.” “Why is that-”
“Jisung!”
Jisung startled and looked back at the front, searching around for the voice that had called his name. He knew that voice… It was- “Natee!” he beamed, taking off to meet the little girl halfway. He spinned her around, igniting some whispers all around them. “You’re grown so much!” “What are you doing here?” she asked, tugging him along God knew where. He threw a helpless look at Minho who merely shrugged and gestured for him to tag along. “Minho and I have come to see Suhyun,” he explained, watching the cave grow larger and wider and a throne room at the back of it becoming more and more apparent. On the left throne sat Suhyun, who smiled at their entrance. “Then come this way! She’s been waiting for you!” The little girl giggled, urging him to walk faster. “But- wait, slow down, I’m following. What are you doing here?” he asked her, stumbling on his steps. “My sister married into this Clan a few weeks ago! We’re now part of the Taro Clan,” she informed him, coming to a halt before the throne. She grinned, her green eyes sparkling with joy as she bowed before her new leader. “Sosoil, Khae. I bring you the honorable Jisung.” Jisung stifled a laugh at her introduction and bowed politely at Suhyun. That little girl was too adorable for her own good. “And his beloved partner,” Minho added, coming to a stand next to Jisung, arms going back to their original position by his waist. This time, Jisung didn’t jump at the contact. Suhyun stood up and smiled warmly at them both, her eyes crinkling. “It’s my honor to receive you both on my grounds. I’m thrilled to see that you’re still among us, Jisung. I’m sure you’ve all taken the best decision by staying on our planet.” Jisung smiled back at her. “I’m sure of that too.” Minho gazed at him fondly. Suhyun joined them on the ground, putting a hand on both their shoulders. “What can I do for you?” “We’re planning on attacking Kim’s base today,” Minho informed her, gaze back to sternness. “My men will join the fight,” she announced immediately, nodding at a nearby sentinel to warn her troops. “Thank you,” Minho added quickly. “The thing is we’re also planning on destroying their weaponry. Jisung will be in charge of this unit but their only mean of destruction is fire-” “Which I know you dislike,” Jisung cut in, a frown on his face. “Minho told me you could help me and my guys. Is it true?” Suhyun’s eyes sharpened. She turned to Minho, face suddenly cold and devoid of emotions. “Why would you suggest that… You know I refuse to use this resource to do any harm, no matter the cause.” Minho grabbed her hand desperately. “Would you rather see them use fire?” “Of course not! But… This resource is supposed to be used for the good of our people,” she sighed, gaze turning pleading. “I really can’t spend it on this. Especially not with the cold season arriving. We’re going to need it to keep our territories warm.” Minho sighed but nodded, leaning away from her. “I understand. I hope you won’t mind the fire too much, understand that it’s our last resort.” Suhyun cast her eyes on the ground, a tiny nod leaving her. “Sure, I understand.” “Khae.” Everyone snapped their heads towards Natee. The girl had taken a step forward, her hand on her heart. “Forgive me for intruding on your conversation but there’s something you need to know.” “What is it?” she wondered, crouching before the child. “I once made a Sacred Vow to Jisung,” Natee revealed, igniting a gasp from the assemblee. Jisung looked around, clueless. What in the world was she talking about? He turned to Minho in hopes for some help but the boy was staring at Natee hopefully. Okay, so he really was the only one not aware of what was going on. “What do you mean? Speak, Natee,” Suhyun ordered, thoroughly intrigued. “Jisung once saved me from a Young Wing,” she went on. “Without him I probably wouldn’t be here today. So I vowed him my eternal devotion.” “But I don’t remember you doing any of that,” Jisung intervened, shell-shocked. “You were passed out on the couch,” Minho revealed, smirking. “Oh shut up,” Jisung grumbled, embarrassed at the recollection of his stupid bravado at the time, that had resulted in him almost losing his feets. “You’re embarrassed?” Minho taunted, pinching his waist. Jisung elbowed him in retaliation, relishing in Minho’s stiffened grunt of pain. “By you ,” he corrected, smirking victoriously. “Keep the dirty laundry home, you’d be a dear. I have black material on you too, don’t forget that.” “Natee, be a dear, go on,” Minho said instead with a tight smile. “Your brother told me he was sleeping,” Natee grumbled with a pout, feeling betrayed that Jeongin lied to her. “Anyway, I have nothing to add. Just make a wish, Jisung.” Everyone smiled at her innocence and Suhyun turned to Jisung with a vanquished sigh. “You can ask her, or well, me as I’m her leader, anything you want.” Jisung promptly choked on his saliva. He turned to Minho for help. “What do I want?” Minho rolled his eyes and answered in his stead. “He’d like you to help us get rid of the weaponry.” Jisung almost facepalmed. Of course that was what he wanted! “Please give us that resource you talked about. I’m begging you,” he implored Suhyun, grabbing her two hands in his. Suhyun startled but sighed. “If that’s what you really want, I can’t refuse,” she decided. “Follow me.” Suhyun was escorted by six sentinels during their way up the cave, leaving some space between them. Jisung took that opportunity to pull Minho aside. “I have questions,” he revealed, careful eyes imprinting his surroundings in his mind. Minho nodded. “Ask away.” “What is this resource?” “Remember that energy Kim is trying to recreate with our bioluminescence? We actually have something similar and natural, steaming from the top of this valley.” “Oh. I get why she didn’t want me to use it. We’ve seen what giving your gifts to humans has done.” Minho shook his head, intertwining their fingers. “It’s not that. She trusts in humans. Suhyun is a firm believer of your species’ fundamental good. Of course, she knows that some of you are undeserving of her kindness, like Kim, but she likes you guys.” “She admires Suzy a lot,” Jisung commented, starting to notice a source of light at the top of the stairs. “Suzy has done a lot for her and her older brother,” Minho agreed. “The reason why Suhyun initially refused to give it to you is because she is a pacifist. She doesn’t want to use the gifts our planet grants us to bad ends.” “Why did she agree then?” “Because Natee made a Sacred Vow to you.” “She could still have refused,” he insisted. “If someone asked for her to murder someone or, I don’t know, harm your planet, would she?” Jisung scoffed. He couldn’t believe that they would simply say amen to each demand, no matter how sacred these vows were. “No one here would ask for such things. And if I’m being honest with you I think Suhyun was only waiting for a valid reason to accept our demand, which prompted her to say yes. As I said, she fully supports the good of mankind.” They finally reached the top and Jisung had to hold back his gasp. In front of him was a cave full of gorgeous sharp precious stones of an ice blue shade. “This is the resource you were talking about all along?” he asked in awe, spinning around. “If you throw these stones onto something, it will spread around it and sort of freeze it. As minutes pass, the stones will start eating its captive until nothing is left, then resorb to a very warm steam that will evaporate into thin air,” she explained to Jisung. “We usually use it to dispose of our trash and warm our homes when the cold comes in.” “Oh. That’s absolutely not what I imagined you would do with it,” Jisung admitted. “But it’s very cool.” Suhyun smiled and gestured to the stones. “How many do you need?”
-- -- -- -- -- --
When Minho and Jisung reached the Neutral Ground, followed by an Army of Taro soldiers on foot, Palis and Young Wings, it was an army of armed soldiers composed of humans and Strays that was waiting for them. The sight made them smile. Their two worlds, finally reunited. “I suppose this is goodbye?” Minho sighed with a small smile, watching as Jisung climbed down Midnight. Jisung rolled his eyes and fixed his gear. He leaned on his tiptoes and grabbed Minho’s collar. “Can you not be so dramatic?” he whispered against his lips before diving in for a deep kiss, promising many more beautiful things as soon as night would fall on Straya 801. “I’ll see you for dinner.” “Jisung if something happens-” Jisung put a finger on his lips to shut him up. “Minho, love. Nothing will happen. Fate has worked her ass off to keep us together and barely succeeded until yesterday, so don’t think you’re getting rid of me so soon.” Minho laughed and let him go. Getting ready to meet with his own Clan, he looked him in the eye one last time. “I love you.” Jisung grinned, hand coming up to the feather sitting next to his dogtag. “I love you too.”
Minho stared at his retreating back longingly before he set his eyes back to his troops.
“Let the war begin.”
-- -- -- -- -- --
Chan’s unit was slowly advancing in the jungle, the damn frost crunching under his boots. Above him, some Young Wing riders were soaring silently, keeping an eye over the horizon for any movement. Chan knew that Luwen and Woojin were among them. It reassured him. Made him feel stronger. “CB97 for J.One and Spear B. Do you receive me?” he mumbled lowly but distinctly, mentioning for his unit to stop ten meters away from the site. Some YG soldiers were patrolling but other than that the field was clear. That shouldn’t be too complicated. “ Affirmative, ” both his friends responded. “We’re going to make our entrance. Your missions can start.” “ Good luck, hyung, ” Jisung wished him before going offline. “ Be careful, ” Changbin warned him, before going offline too. Chan smiled for a brief moment before he schooled his face to appear composed again. He turned around to face his unit. “We’re going to enter soon,” he explained, nodding at Seungmin. “First, we take down these soldiers discreetly. No killing. Remember, we’re trying to get the least damages possible. Once we’re in, I can’t guarantee your safety anymore, however. You’re all volunteers, but if you want to step back in the second line, you can. No one will judge you. But now is the time to do it. Afterward, it’ll be too late.” When no one made a move, Chan smiled and cracked his knuckles. “Good. Once we’re in the building, one of us must find Kim no matter what. Once we do it’s checkmate.” Everyone nodded and Chan pointed to the soldier on the left. “This one is mine.” Slowly but surely, his elite battalion took out the poor watchdogs. Suzy dropped the last soldier next to the other and joined them. “He’s K.O. What’s next?” she asked, reloading her gun. “Next?” Chan repeated, holding his rifle in front of him. “We enter the den.” On these words, Chan kicked the double doors open. Immediately, dozens of armed soldiers came running at them. “Let the party begin,” Chan yelled, pulling the first trigger.
-- -- -- -- -- --
A loud gunshot echoed in the jungle. Jisung winced, not used to hearing that sound on Straya. “I see the festivities have begun,” he mused, swiftly rounding a corner. He gestured to his teammate to go left, where two patrolers were guarding the weaponry. From his field of vision Jisung could see their stock. Well, it looked like all their ammunition would be needed. Kim really was a greedy fucker. His teammate nodded and silently knocked the two guards out, his rifle crackling sickeningly against their skulls. Jisung mentioned his unit forward and closed the march. “We’re in,” he informed his army, holding his earpiece closer to his ear as more gunshots resounded from the other side of the line. “Is everything alright?” “ Awesome ,” Minho grunted, muttering a swear word in Straynian that Jisung had never heard yet. So more troops had joined the fight then. That meant that Kim was very well prepared. “We’ll get this thing to explode, it will draw their attention and some of the soldiers will leave you alone for a moment,” he promised, sneaking in the weaponry, back against a cupboard. “ Please hurry, ” Hui grunted, the piercing screech of a Young Wing heard from where he was. Jisung turned them off and focused on the task at hand. One of his teammates came back jogging in front of him. “The sector is clear, leader J.One. We can proceed,” she informed him. Jisung nodded and dropped his backpack on the floor. “Get in position. Once these crystals are thrown we have less than one minute to evacuate or we will go fried shrimps.” Without waiting for their answers, he took his own crystals and went to the furthest spot. It took him more than one minute total to get there. God, he will have to run fast. Jisung looked at the crystals in his hands wondering if he should have told Minho of his position. As the leader of his unit it was only normal that he would take the most risks, but this… there were barely any chance he would come out unscathed. “ J.One? We’re ready, ” the voice of his subordinate had him focusing again. He couldn’t falter. He wasn’t the only one putting his life on the line here. He hurried up the stairs and went to the furthest row. “I’m in position. On my count. One…,” he began, surveilling the room for a quicker escape. “Two,” he went on, his eyes falling on a nearby window. That was the best solution although he would probably break an ankle or something. Or maybe not, seeing all the time he spent jumping from trees on this planet. “I hope you’re ready... “ he whispered more to himself than his crew. “Three!” On his yell, he began taking off, throwing the first crystal stones at the stock. Jisung watched in fascination as the crystal melted into some sort of ice blue liquid that imprisoned the cupboards. What couldn’t be reached would probably melt with the insufferable heat these crystals would cause. As he reached the last few cupboards, the first waves of heat began to hit his back, sending him forward with a grunt of pain. Damn, that was scorching. “Everyone out! NOW!” he ordered, hoping they were already on their way out. With a yell of pain as more heat reached him and burned his palm when he propped himself up the iron railing to reach the window, he took his rifle and shot the glass. With a sigh of relief, Jisung threw himself outside, uncaring of the way he would land on the ground. All that mattered was that he was out. Luckily for him his fall was only one story high. He landed brutally on his side -- luckily unburnt -- scratching his arm and leg. His ribs were not so lucky and Jisung could feel the pain radiating in his thoracic cage. Shit. Minho will kill him. “J. One!” his crewmates yelled, reaching him and helping him up. His second in command -- a girl by the name of Ryujin -- assessed him, looking for the injuries. “You need immediate care.” Jisung waved her off, knowing from experience that he could go on at least one more half hour. “Is everyone safe?” he asked instead, counting each of them. “Yes. And we dropped all our ammunition. The mission is a success,” she declared proudly. Jiusng turned around and grinned, watching the whole weaponry burst in blue steam. “Yeah, it is. A decade of research blown away. Take that in your face, Kim,” he declared, smirking. “Let’s go help the others in the fight.” His unit nodded and, without another word, followed him to the battleground.
-- -- -- -- -- --
Changbin was breathing heavily. Him and Mark were on edge. They could hear the rifles shooting outside and the yells of men and women. But inside the quarters they had infiltrated? It was calm. Too calm. There were only seven infiltrees but they felt like fifty people stuffed in a small, opressing, silent room. Mark pointed to a room with a light in it. Changbin nodded and stepped inside, expecting to find it empty. It was not. A scientist was sitting at a desk, taking off gloves full of red blood. Human blood. Hyuna . Her baby. Changbin saw red and armed his rifle toward the surprised scientist. “Hands up, motherfucker,” he growled, carefully advancing toward him. The scientist obeyed him but looked bored to hell. Almost like he was wishing Changbin would actually put a bullet through his skull. Which he was considering depending on the answers this man would bring them. “So you did come back,” the scientist noted, eyes never leaving Changbin. “What do you mean? Answer.” “That boy, the hybrid,” Changbin felt his anger stir up at the way his lover was called but let the man go on. “He was adamant that you’d be back for him and the woman. I didn’t believe him as I thought our kind far too flawed to be so chivalrous, yet here we are. I suppose I owe him an apology.” Changbin’s hands tightened around his gun and hope began blooming in his chest again. “I don’t care about that bullshit. Where is he? What did you do to him?” he pressed, eager to reunite with Felix. “Resting in his cell,” the scientist calmly explained. “Kim had him through a pretty rough electroshock cession early in the morning, but the woman began having contractions so-” His words were interrupted by the fist colliding with his jaw, sending a jet of blood and a tooth out of his mouth. The scientist hissed in pain and cupped his mouth, looking for once more awake. “Damn, that’s what you call a punch,” he grumbled, spitting some blood on his desk. Changbin grabbed his collar, shaking with rage all over. If eyes could kill, the scientist would be ashes by now. “You bastard, you harmed my Felix! I’ll kill you!” “Changbin!” Mark’s voice interrupted his rage, the boy bursting into the room after having heard all the yelling. “We need him to tell us where they are. Don’t do something you would regret.” Changbin let him go with a yell of rage, taking a few steps away to refrain from harming the man further. “Tell us where they are,” Mark ordered, cocking his gun against his temple. The scientist remained unbothered. “As I was saying, he is in his cell. With the woman and her baby. You have ten minutes before Kim take them away to his own personal torture room.” “I think he’ll be too busy to do anything,” Mark commented between gritted teeth, shuddering in horror at the thought of what Kim had planned. “So it seems,” the scientist agreed, eyes closing. “The cell is the first door on the left. The code is A029. Now, please, get it done with.” Mark snorted, watching Changbin take off toward the door. “Why are you so eager to die?” “Because I did what I had to do to survive in this jungle but I can’t live with it. I’m a grown up, so I owe up to my actions and wrongdoings, and to atone for my sins I see no better route than that of death.” Mark actually felt a drop of pity for the human. Kim had made them do his bad deeds, rendering them criminals. Mark closed his eyes. “May you find peace in your other life,” he whispered, finger pressing against the trigger. A gunshot resonated in the air, this time from inside the facility.
-- -- -- -- -- --
Yedam grunted as he was sent flying off Chittaprr and onto the ground. A tree branch scraped his chin and his wrist landed in an awkward position. Great. Just great. Quickly sitting up, he kicked the human’s gun away from his hand. He grabbed the weapon and gutted the man with it, before sending his head slamming against a tree trunk. The man collapsed on the ground and Yedam looked at the tree trunk with sorrow in his eyes. “I’m so sorry for hurting you,” he whispered to the tree, quickly turning around when another man came at him with a -- honestly -- ridiculous warcry. Yedam ducked but the man was swifter than he expected. The brute grabbed him by the shoulders and sent him flying a few meters away, his knee taking a crucial hit this time. Jae, he had already taken down thirty soldiers single handedly today, couldn’t Fate have mercy on him? As he made to sit up, wincing when his injured wrist had to hold up too much weight, the brute came charging at him with a spear he picked up nearby. Shit he was too fast. That was going to hurt. Yedam got in position so that his shoulder would take the blow in the two seconds he had left and shut his eyes tight, breathing in. Nothing came. Yedam snapped his eyes open and gasped. Jeongin was crouching in front of him, a fuming gun held tight in his right hand, his other one turned into a fist to manage the pain his bloody shoulder was giving him, the spear lodged in it. The brute was lying down, a hole leaking blood in between his two eyes. Jeongin staggered and fell on his ass. “Jeongin!” Yedam yelled, ignoring the pain in his knee and wrist as he caught the boy in his arms. He caged him against his chest, watching with tears in the eyes as he gargled in blood. Yedam hurriedly pulled the spear away from the wound, igniting a yell of pain from his beloved. He quickly took off his orange fox fur to wrap it around the wound. Jeongin stayed silently crying in his arms. “Don’t worry, the injury is superficial. You’ll be alright,” he promised, genuinely relieved that there was not much damage. Jeongin mumbled something but Yedam didn’t get it. Instead he whistled and Chittaprr ran over, protected from above by Woojin and his Young Wing. “Take him back to the base, to a healer.” “I’ll watch over him!” Woojin yelled from above, getting ready to escort Jeongin back. Yedam nodded gratefully at his older friend and then maneuvered Jeongin onto the Pali’s back, smiling sadly when he saw more blood slipping past the fur. “At least now we share a scar. That will be a nice story to tell, I guess… Though I wish you didn’t have to suffer for me,” he admitted, leaning in to press a kiss in the crown of his head. He let go and patted his Pali’s neck. “Now go.” With that, Yedam returned to the fight, more determined than ever to take down those who had dared harm his One.
-- -- -- -- -- --
Jisung ran on site, ducking and shooting in some limbs here and there. His back and his hands were no longer burning him, thanks to the adrenaline rushing through his veins at the moment. But he knew that one hit from someone and the pain would be pure agony. He had to find Minho. He could fight well with Minho and be on a horse, out of fatal reach. As he was shooting a woman in the foot, ensuring she could no longer walk, a flash of blue entered his field of vision. Minho . “Minho… Minho!” he exclaimed, running toward him. But his lover showed no reaction. That’s when Jisung realized that he was passed out on Midnight’s back, ran after by a man aiming his gun at his head. Jisung’s heart missed a beat. “Oh hell no... ” With a furious yell, Jisung launched himself toward the man at a speed he never knew he possessed, kicking the gun away from his hands and punching him square in the face. The man landed on the floor and tried to grab him in the fall. And Jisung let him do exactly that, taking this opportunity to take his knife out of his gear and slam it into his stomach. The man yelled in agony, trying to shove it away, but Jisung only pressed it further and harder into him. He looked him in the eyes, all his furor and hatred visible. “I didn’t hit any vital organs. If you live or die is up to Fate and your comrades,” he declared, standing back up. Midnight had trotted toward him, diligently waiting for him to protect his partner. Jisung smiled at the creature and secured Minho tightly onto its back. He began climbing on it as well. “Let’s go Midnight. I think I’m seeing Hyunjin on Fayre over there, let’s fight with him-” His words were cut when a heavy hand pulled him off the Pali from behind and onto the ground. Jisung moaned in agony, his burned flesh coming in contact with the rough, dirty glaze on the ground. The hand tightened on his throat and Jisung tried to hit his assaliant. The assaliant didn’t relent, dodging his hits and blocking his hands above his head. Jisung gargled on his saliva and tried to kick him, to no avail. His vision began blurring and he screamed, voice barely coming out. Shit. His eyes fell to the left, where Midnight was backing off, protecting a passed out Minho. “Minho…” he groaned, blocked fingers trying to reach for his vanishing figure. His vision faded to white.
-- -- -- -- -- --
Changbin carefully maneuvered through the mini jungle, fearful of whatever Kim’s sick self could have put in it. Mark was by his side, looking as thoughtful and wary as he was. The jungle was calm, no sign of life so far. Which worried Changbin a great deal. Could that motherfucking scientist have lied to them? Just as this eventuality began to take root in his brain, Mark gasped and left his side. “Hyuna!” he exclaimed, not caring any longer to be discreet as a wave of relief hit the whole unit. She was alive and breathing, although undoubtedly drained physically and emotionally. Changbin ran after him, gently helping him wake her up from her made-up bed of leaves. When her eyes fluttered open, she gasped, and coughed, and reached out to feel them, feel that they were there, her eyes welling up with tears. “You’re here, oh Jae you’re here! You didn’t abandon us, he was right, he was right…” she mumbled like a mantra, hiding her face in Mark’s neck as she held him close, longing for that reality. “Where is your baby?” Mark immediately asked, looking around. “And Felix?” Changbin looked at her hopefully. She had to know, right? Hyuna weakly pointed at a tree, ten meters away. “He hides in here, he protects my baby… He was so brave, without him I wouldn’t have lasted!” she cried, hugging Mark tighter. “They damaged him so badly, I’m so sorry, I couldn’t do anything, they were menacing the baby! I’m so sorry!” Changbin kissed her head tenderly. “It’s not your fault, don't apologize. You are alive and that’s all that matters. We’ll protect you now.” Hyuna nodded and looked at him, her bloodshot eyes holding all her feelings of gratitude and pain. “He is afraid. They tried telling him he was alone and no one loved him, so be careful. With the baby he’s grown even more protective.” Changbin’s heart broke in thousands of tiny pieces. The love of his life, alone and unloved? How broken and pained Felix must have felt... Holding back his tears, Changbin slowly approached the tree, now hidden from everyone. This scene oddly reminded him of their first encounter. Except Felix had been intrigued and eager to see him. Now, Changbin couldn’t even perceive him in all that thick foliage. His heart tightened. Was Felix scared of him? Changbin stopped in his tracks, desperately looking around for a sign, or something. Surely a part of Felix still wanted him close by, right? A part of him wasn’t afraid of him, right? From the corner of his eyes, Changbin saw the leaves move. Changbin slowly turned around, relief, longing, love and pain hitting him like a tidal wave at the sight of his familiar freckled face and gorgeous golden hazel shiny eyes. “Cub…” he called out in a whisper, voice breaking with tears. His lover was there. After days without him, he was there. Shaking, battered and hurt, but breathing and still as breathtaking as ever. At his voice, which probably sounded loud and foreign after spending days in seclusion, Felix recoiled in his tree, eyes wide in panic. Changbin’s heart broke further if possible. Changbin reached out tentatively in front of him, the trembling Stray curled up on himself, shivering and hissing the more he approached. “Felix, please. Don’t push me away…” he muttered, his fingers reaching closer to the branch where the boy was crouched. At the mention of his name, the younger raised his puffy eyes from his arm and settled his gaze on the human in front of him. At the sight, Changbin felt his heart break. How could someone so beautiful be reduced to such a state? Who would be so cruel as to do that? With the shine of the artificial astre Kim had created to reproduce the lightning on Straya 801 in the dark night, Felix exposed skin started to let its glowing white moles shine duly. Being only half Stray, Felix hadn’t many glowing spots on his skin. But the few he had were always enough to mesmerize the human in front of him. Each time he saw them it never failed to reduce him to silence. Felix was so gorgeous. Staring at the boy, Changbin’s eyes caught the trembling of his jaw and that made him clench his own. It reminded him of why he was searching for the boy at first. Changbin settled his gaze back on his warm hazelnut-golden shiny eyes. He extended his long fingers once more. “Lix... don’t be afraid. Not of me, please,” he softly pled and watched as the boy's gaze seemed to shift to his extended hand. Taking it as a signal, he slowly took a step closer to the Stray. “You know me. You trust me,” he said carefully, watching the boy's eyes well up again, arm extending slowly. Changbin breathed in deeply. He knew that for once, just this once more he had to let go of his shield and show the boy what he meant to him. “Felix, please. I need you in my arms now,” he whispered in the silent night and he heard Felix breath hitch in shock. He looked up to the boy and felt his fingers brush against his own. Without wasting any time, Changbin grabbed onto his hand and pulled the boy forward into his arms. Felix jumped off of his tree branch and threw his sobbing self around the human. His legs wrapped themselves around the boy’s waist, the latter supporting him with one arm under his butt. The Stray’s arms found themselves around the elder’s shoulder, gripping his shirt with strong but trembling fingers, face buried in his neck while he cried his heart out. “Changbin… Changbin,” Felix kept mumbling, as if to convince himself he was really with him. The human’s free hand found itself gripping the boy’s head and pressing it strongly into his neck. “Yes, my love, it’s me. I’m here,” he muttered in his ear, to try and calm him down. He sighed deeply in relief and buried his own head in the crook of Felix’s neck in return, sometimes rubbing his nose up and down along the shell of his left ear and neckline to sooth the hysterical boy. He was so relieved that the younger had let him in, for he couldn’t stand to watch him hurt. “They told me I was alone, and I tried not to believe it but they almost got me,” he whimpered, frustration visible in his hoarse and trembling voice. Hearing the boy’s whimpers, Changbin held him closer to himself and felt the boy grip his shirt tighter. “Shhhh Lix, I’m here,” he muttered comfortingly. “No one will ever talk to you like that again, I swear. No one will,” he growled in the dark of the night, tightening his hold onto his lover. Felix finally relaxed in his embrace. He shifted the boy in his arms and brushed the shell of Felix’s ear with his lips, kissing it softly, almost as if simply brushing it. “I won’t let them. You are not different, a shame for the Clan or whatever. You are unique and beautiful Felix. You are no disgrace. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Cause I fucking won’t stand it, d’you hear me? Everyone loves you and is standing with you. You are not alone. And I fucking love you.” His confession had Felix look him in the eyes, a reflection of his feelings visible in his own ones. Changbin wasted no time initiating a chaste kiss, hoping to convey all he felt without startling Felix. And it seemed to work since Felix pressed back. Changbin smiled against his lips and pulled back, keeping their foreheads close together. “C’mon, let’s get the hell out of here- oh, wait, the baby! Is it okay?” Changbin worried, letting Felix climb down. Felix smiled, tiny but genuine. He walked to the tree and picked up a small bundle from its nest. The baby. It was sleeping but apparently healthy and happy. “It’s a boy. His name is Elijah,” Felix revealed as they walked back toward the group, Felix keeping close to Changbin, still too intimidated by all these people after the mental torture he went through. “I think it’s a wonderful homage,” Changbin praised, smiling at the tired mother. “Let’s get him to safety, so his actual uncle Elijah-Hui can meet him.” Everyone laughed at his words and it lightened the mood. “Everyone, we’ve got the hostages. We’re proceeding the extraction,” Mark informed the army through his mic. He nodded at Changbin and the other soldiers. “Let’s go.” Changbin offered to hold the baby as Felix and Hyuna were obviously too weak and unarmed. He looked at the two of them sternly. “No matter what, you stay inside our circle, alright? We will protect you. I promise you we’ll get you out of there.” Felix and Hyuna nodded, holding each other’s hands. Changbin turned back around and pushed the door open. He looked down at the bundle in his arms. The baby was still sleeping soundly, unaware of the war waging around him. So much hope in one little being. Changbin would protect him. He would protect them all.
-- -- -- -- -- --
Chan shielded his face as the glass ceiling exploded from above him. “Who in the world is the goddamned idiot that shot the ceiling?!” he exclaimed, wincing from the nasty cuts piercing his skin. “I don’t know but he did some heavy damages!” Seungmin yelled from his left, gesturing to the mess behind them. Soldiers from both sides were impaled on the ground by wide shards of glass, a pool of blue and red blood forming around them. Chan felt the bile rise in his throat. Seungmin was about to go check on them but Chan grabbed his arm. “Chan we have to-” Seungmin began but Chan urged him to shut up, tugging him forward. “Look, the cost is clear. We gotta go now or we might not ever march forward,” he huffed, the pain from the incessant fighting finally getting to his muscles. Everyone was too shaken by the ceiling breaking to notice their escape. They had to ceize the opportunity. Seungmin saw his struggles and decided to take the lead, supporting Chan’s body by putting his arm around his waist. “Upstairs?” he asked, walking the stairs two by two. “Upstairs. Then take the left corridor-” Chan’s words were cut short by the searing pain he felt slashing his back. Seungmin gasped and followed him as he fell to his knees. He could feel something warm running down his arm. Blood . Quick footsteps reached his ears. “Chan watch out!” he yelled, head snapping behind them. His arm rose, shielding them from the kick the YG soldier tried to aim. Seungmin growled and took advantage of being higher than him on the staircase to strongly punch his side and send him tumbling down a few steps. He turned back to Chan and assessed the damages on his back. It seemed quite bad. The cut ran deep, from his left shoulder to his right hip. Chan’s face was closed off, beads of sweat rolling down his skin. “Can you walk?” he asked him, trying to pull him up to his feet. Chan grunted and immediately fell back on his knees. “Fuck- just go. I’ll manage.” “What? No way,” Seungmin dissmissed, turning around to grab his gun and shoot the shoulder of the YG soldier creeping up on them. “Take that, Yehshik.” Chan grabbed his arm, bloody fingers digging in his jacket painfully. He was growing paler. Seungmin didn’t like that one bit. “Seungmin. You have to go on. Get that fucker. We’re probably the only ones left,” he mumbled, eyeing the mess downstairs. Hundreds of soldiers were lying in the facility’s hall and outside, a few fifty or so from each side still hanging on. The sight was awfull, blood everywhere, Palis and Young Wings bleeding out with the men and women. “We don’t have much time left. Kim might already have gotten away.” “Chan-” Seungmin begged, eyes welling up. “ Please . Go!” Chan exclaimed, pushing him upstairs. Seungmin caught himself on the railing and stared at Chan pleadingly. But Chan refused to meet his gaze, taking hold of his own gun and sitting up properly to aim at whoever would come this way. A pool of blood was forming from under him, growing with each seconds. Seungmin cursed and tore his eyes away from the scene. “Stay alive!” he ordered, running up the stairs and taking the left. Once Seungmin was out of sight, Chan breathed out, relieved. One more second and Seungmin would have stayed with him, Chan knew it. He was begining to see black spots. Shit, that wasn’t good. He had to cover Seungmin’s back. A soldier came running up the stairs and Chan shot him. But his shaky hand made him miss his target. “Fuck…” he moaned in despair, trying to aim again. Nothing happened. His gun was out of bullets. Chan felt his eyes widen as the soldier aimed his own gun at him. No . That couldn’t be the end. Chan turned around, backfacing him, and tried to crawl up the stairs. He couldn’t go down now. Jisung, Changbin, Woojin , they needed him-
BANG!
Chan shut his eyes tight, expecting the worst. But he felt no pain. Why? Chan fluttered his eyes back open in confusion and jumped on the spot, terrified, when another gunshot was heard. He slowly turned back around, forgetting the pain in his back for a moment. His heart dropped in his chest. “No…” he whispered, eyes burning with tears. He scrambled down the stairs on all fours, spraining his wrist on the way. But Chan couldn’t care less. Because standing unmoving next to the dead YG soldier was… “E’Dawn!” he screamed, throat burning as blood managed to force its way out from his mouth. He coughed and landed on his chest next to his comrade and friend. Chan grabbed E’Dawn’s leg with his valid hand and pushed himself forward, reaching the man’s face. He looked at his chest. A bullet was lodged in his left lung, blue blood oozing out of the wound. Chan screamed and held him close. “No, no, no, no !” he cried, shaking him awake. E’Dawn remained unmoving. “No, you can’t-” Chan sniffled, grabbing his face desperately, trying to get those unfocused eyes away from the sky above and on him instead. “You can’t take a bullet for me and leave your wife and child, d’you hear me?! Wake up, damnit!” he roared, voice stranded and throat and chest hurting. “Fuck, wake up! No, E’Dawn, please…” Chan could no longer go on, the tears in his throat getting to much. Hyuna. The baby. They were rescued. But E’Dawn was gone. “ E’DAWN! ” Chan’s broken cry resonated in the whole facility. But E’Dawn didn’t wake up.
-- -- -- -- -- --
Minho fluttered his eyes open. What was happening, here? He could hear loud screams and the sound of weapons. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, trying to see the world around him. Men. Women. Fighting. And it all came back to him. Minho gasped and sat up straight on Midnight, the beast neighing wildly when it saw its partner finally awake. Minho hopped down from him, grabbing his spear. And his blood ran cold when he saw a man strangling his One. “Jisung-ah,” he called out breathlessly. Eyes darkening, he gripped his spear tightly. He aimed it. And let it go. It pierced the man’s skull. He fell down, unmoving, crushing Jisung of his weight. Minho ran to them, blood buzzing in his body in fear and adrenaline. He kicked the brute away and craddled Jisung on his laps. His chest was rising and falling steadily. Tears ran down Minho’s cheeks. “Jisung… Oh, Jisung-ah,” he whispered in relief, holding him close. “Thank Jae…” He whistled Midnight over, gently picking up Jisung in his arms. He lowered him on his partner and secured him on his sturdy back. “Bring Jisung back to the base. Find a healer. Then come back to me, Midnight,” he demanded, hugging his Pali’s neck tight. The gorgeous beast neighed and took a step back. It looked Minho in the eyes, their piercing redness a familiar sight that reassured Minho and gave him courage. “Go. I’ll be alright,” he promised, smiling. Midnight turned around at his words and galloped fast through the jungle. Minho picked up his spear, watching them leave the scene. “Thank you for protecting me.” Minho turned around and rejoined the fighting grounds by Hyunjin’s side.
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
Changbin and his teammates were running up the corridors trying to get closer to safety. But with each steps the exit seemed to grow further away. To be completely honest, now that he had Felix back in his arms, he wanted nothing more than to get him to safety and go find Kim to massacre him. Through their whole journey, Changbin couldn’t help but sneak peeks at Felix. The boy always had his eyes on him already. Changbin felt warm, knowing that he was an anchor for him. As they were turning right, a gunshot was heard. Everyone fell back, their backs pressed against the wall. Changbin couldn’t helpt but shift the baby in one arm, his free hand going to clasp Felix’s one. The boy let out a shaky exhale when their skin met, obviously terrified and relieved. Mark dared a look and came back in position really fast, the bullet missing him by a hair. He gulped and hardened his gaze. “There is at least five shooters,” he announced, looking Changbin in the eyes. “They are blocking our exit.” Changbin cursed and held Felix’s hand tighter. How was he going to get him out if these armed motherfuckers were blocking their only exit? “Last time, Yedam and I managed to get away by taking that corridor,” Mark explained, pointing to the door on the opposite side of their exit. In other words, at the other end of the corridor they couldn’t access. Which meant... “Changbin, you go with the hostages. Protect them and guid them upstairs. There you take the left and you’ll arrive in a lobby. From there on, I trust you’ll find a suitable exit. We’ll create a diversion.” Changbin immediately shook his head, refusing to abandon his commarades to a most certain death. Mark snorted. “Oh, please give us some credits. We’ll meet after all of this has ended.” “Mark… You’re a leader you can’t- and Donghyuck! You’ve barely reunited!” he protested, eyes growing wider as he heard the YG soldiers approach. Mark smiled and lifted his left hand, where a sun ring lay. Donghyuck’s ring. “And I’m doing this for him. Now go!” he ordered, stepping out and into the corridor, followed by their five other teammates, meeting the shooters head on. Changbin cursed but knew every seconds mattered. He shoved Hyuna forward and pulled Felix along with him, securing the baby in his arm. “Run! No matter what, don’t stop!” he ordered, letting go of Felix for him to run at the front with Hyuna. They all looked behind, wincing when Changbin managed to shoot some soldiers down. “Look in front of you! Reach that door! Your only focus is that fucking door!” he yelled, hurrying them to march forward. Hyuna pulled the door open with a grunt, recognizing these grounds now. She held it open for Felix and Changbin. “Hurry, climb those stairs! I know the way!” she screamed, shoving Felix in. Changbin turned back around with a huge sigh of relief. He held the baby closer and hurried up, eyes going back to Felix, believing he was close enough to the doors and safety. He didn’t see the gun rasing to aim at his head from the very back of the room, his teammates too preocupied with other soldiers to realize who that woman was trying to aim. But Hyuna did. Her eyes widened. She looked at Changbin, then at her baby in his arms. “No…” she whispered. Without thinking it further, Hyuna stepped out and shoved Changbin into the room, her body going to stand before his back. Her body fell limp against Changbin’s back. Changbin froze, and so did Felix. He slowly turned around. Hyuna was laying limp on the ground, her hand reaching out for her baby as blood flew out of her gargling mouth and the wound in her stomach. Felix yelled and hurried down the stairs, sliding Hyuna away from the open doors and tugging Changbin away from it too. They crouched in a dark corner, the boys watching in horror as Hyuna grazed the cheek of her baby with trembling fingers, hear chest moving up and down at an alarming speed. “My baby,” she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. The baby began crying. “Omma protected you ‘till the end.” Felix hurriedly removed his shirt and pressed it on her wound, shaking his head in denial. “No, no, no, everything will be alright. We’ll save you, they’ll stitch you back up-” Hyuna ignored him and shifted her eyes to the frozen Changbin. “Don’t cry,” she croaked out. Changbin blinked, finally noticing that his cheeks were wet. He was crying? “It’s not your fault. You protected my son well. Thank you.” “I’m so sorry…” he managed to say, fully knowing that she had already lost too much blood. “What are you saying? She’s gonna be alright!” Felix yelled, both hands now stamping her wound, the cloth growing more warm and red with the seconds. Hyuna smiled and put her free hand on his own two. Felix’s breath hitched and he choked on tears, refusing to meet her eyes. “Please, keep watching over my son? Both of you?” she begged, voice growing thiner. Her eyes were begining to lose their focus, making Changbin’s heart clench. “I promise you… I promise you I will,” Felix swore, sniffling. When he looked up, Hyuna’s eyes were still. The hand on his was now unresponsive, sliding down her stomach when he made to move his two own. Felix whimpered, bloody fingers hovering the wound. “Hyu-Hyuna?” Changbin grabbed his side, pulling him in. He kissed his temple, fresh tears wetting Felix’s skin. “It’s over, love. She’s gone,” he whispered, eyes squeezing shut when Felix cried out. The door was slammed open ten seconds later and Mark came bursting in, blue blood meddling with red one on his combat gear and face. Along with him were only two soldiers, a man and a Stray. They all came to a stop before the sight, their collective gasp making Changbin look up. He shook his head silently. Mark slumped against the wall, breath catching in his throat. He pressed his forearm against his eyes, his fist punching the wall behind him. “Fuck…” he groaned, a hiccup escaping him. Changbin looked at him in defeat. He took his mic and turned it on.
“To all units. Hostage number two is… gone . Over.”
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
Seungmin stopped in his run, air leaving his lungs. Had he heard Changbin right? Was Hyuna really… dead ? Seungmin stumbled over, barely catching himself onto the wall. He couldn’t believe it. His mind pictured Suzy, JYP and E’Dawn, their faces hearing his words, their pain and rage. A sob escaped his throat. He tried to stiffen it, but it didn’t work. “Seungmin!” He looked up, surprised to find Hui running towards him. The man was fuming. No . He was broken. He had tears all over his face, his skin was red with rage and his gun was almost bending in his palm. “Follow me,” Hui simply ordered, walking past him at a worrying speed. “I know where the motherfucker is. Let’s make him pay. For harming both of our families.” Seungmin wiped his tears and grabbed his own gun tight. Hyunjin’s body under the wardrobe came sitting next to Hyuna’s smiling face in his mind. It made him burn with rage.
Without another word, he followed Hui. Kim was a dead man.
-- --
Hui kicked the door open and Seungmin stepped inside, raising his gun head on at the man sitting in the chair. “Kim!” Kim was backfacing them, looking at his smoking weaponry and the battlefield through his window-wall. But Seungmin could see through the reflexion that he was unarmed. It didn’t make him drop his weapon. The only thing plaguing his mind were the images of the pain he had made his family go through. “Congratulations, you’ve ruined a decade of hard work,” Kim praised, slowly turning around. He was unamused but showed no sign of agressivity. Seungmin didn’t care. Just seeing his face was enough for him to pull the trigger. The man grunt in pain, hand coming to cage his right biceps in pain. “I had no idea Strays had changed their way of greeting people,” he managed to gasp out through the waves of pain he felt. “I didn’t think you’d have the guts for that, if I’m being honest.” “Hands up, monster,” Hui ordered, uncaring, slowly walking closer to the man. “Don’t try to get any weapon.” “Hello to you too, Elijah ,” Kim greeted with a smirk, though obeying the man, the bullet in his arm making the process excrutiating for him. It made Seungmin and Hui’s hearts swell in hapiness. “But I suppose you don’t go by that name?” he went on, taunting, trying to keep the face. “Don’t worry about the weapons, there’s none here. What use could I have of it? You guys won the minute you set fire to my weaponry. I should try to reduce my sentence to the least damages possible.” “I think that’s too late for that. And the name’s Hui. My partner was called Hyuna. Remember these names because that’s the last faces you’ll see before you die,” Hui declared coldly, his finger closing around the trigger. Before he could fire, the door burst open behind them, however. “Hui! Don’t!” Suzy yelled, running over them and tearing the gun away from his hand. Hui stared at her in shock, arms frozen in position as she hugged him tight. “You’re not like him. Killing him won’t make her comeback,” she hushed him, her own face contorted in pain. “He has to pay for what he did,” Hui gritted out, a fresh wave of tears hitting his face. “And he will. But not like this,” she promised, wiping away the wetness from his cheeks. JYP stepped in, bloodied from head to toe, his face cold and devoid of emotions. “He’ll be sent back on Earth with his subordinates and judged in adequation,” he revealed, not codoning murder. “Kim, by Earthian decree, I thereby arrest you and sentence you to go back on Earth, never to come back here.” Two men came in and roughly grabbed Kim, shoving his face down the desk and his arms behind his back, igniting a pained yell from him. JYP smirked, feeling like he deserved it. Seungmin watched in shock as the men cuffed Kim, unable to drop his arms. Was it really over? Arms wrapped around his waist from behind, making him jump on the spot and drop his gun. A kiss was dropped on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Seung. You’re okay, now,” Hyunjin promised, rocking him. Seungmin turned around in his embrace and burried his face in his neck, letting go of all his emotions. “Hyunjin-ah,” he mumbled over and over, finsting his jacket. “I know love, I know,” he sighed against his temple. “It’s over.” He watched the men take Kim away for good this time. He smiled.
“We’re finally at peace.”
-- -- -- -- -- --
Night had fallen over Straya 801. The aster was shining down the planet, reflecting on the frost, cold flakes pouring down the sky. The bioluminescence was vivid tonight, as if the world was celebrating Kim’s defeat. The man had embarqued on a ship in the late afternoon, on a one way trip to Earth, never to be seen again. Minho joined CL, Suhyun and Mark by the Grand Tree, dressed in silver and blue robes and dark blue leather pants, a silver crown sitting atop his head. In his hands was a green Lubia, dully shining. He smiled at his friends and turned to the four Clans reunited before them. “Thank you for all being here tonight,” Minho began, meaning what he said. “I know that today has been particularly terrible for many. But we stayed together, united as one with the humans, and won!” The Strays yapped at that, some pumping the air and jumping on the spot. “You can all be proud!” CL added, stepping forward, dressed in her own green and copper dress, the copper crown sitting proudly on her braided hair. “Fighters, Ridders, Flyers, Healers and Guardians! This victory is yours!” The four Clans cheered loudly at her words, causing smiles to bloom over each leader’s face. “When we will tell this story to our children and grandchildren, it will inspire them! They will be proud,” Mark stated, his yellow and black outfit matching his golden crown. “To the new harmony between us and humans!” he declared, holding his orange Lubia high in the sky, everyone joining him. “And to the fallen souls, humans or Strays, who fought valliantly! May their names be forever remembered and Jae welcome them in his arms,” Suhyun added, lowering her white Lubia in the water at her feet, the pale white and pink dress flowing in the wind, flakes of frost hitting her rosegold crown. The Strays in every Clans echoed her words, each lowering their Lubias into the lake, until it was filled with a caleidoscope of shining flowers. The four leaders brought their hands to their foreheads and then toward the lake and tree, thankfull and full of blessings. Their Clans followed their leads.
That night, the Grand Tree shone bright on Straya 801, honoring all the wariors, Strays and Men alike.
-- -- -- -- -- --
Felix fluttered his eyes open. For a solid ten seconds, he thought he was still in the jungle. But the beeping sound on his left reminded him that he was safe and sound, inside SM facilities. His hand was still warm. Changbin had been there all along. In between moments of consciousness, Felix had felt his presence. Felix smiled. His loved one came back for him. Felix wanted to feel him. Now. Slowly sitting up, he got rid of the mask over his face and pushed the bedcovers away from his body. “Jae, I’ve lost too much weight,” he commented, looking at his body in discontentment. He slipped on his slippers and exited his room. The facility was silent, everyone probably resting. Earlier, when they had stumbled out of YG facilities, the fight had been long over but the sight that had greeted him… The battlefield was worst than he would have imagined. Felix chased the memory away and resumed his walk. At the end of the corridor, a light was still on. Felix marched toward it, hoping to find someone that could tell him where to find Changbin. “Excuse me, do you know… where…” Felix trailed off by the door, eyes never leaving the backside of the man he could recognize between thousands. Changbin turned around and grinned at him. “Hey there.” Felix grinned back and stepped inside, diving straight into Changbin’s warm embrace. “Hey, Binnie…” Changbin nuzzled his head and breathed in his scent, arms secured tightly around his waist. God, Felix was really there with him. “Are you sure you should be out of bed?” he wondered in worry, eyeing his lover for any signs of pain. Felix didn’t answer him, instead diving in for a kiss. Changbin didn’t waste a second and pressed his lips harder against Felix own, moving in rythme with him, tongue pursuing Felix’s one. The kiss was messy and he could feel Felix growing out of breath, but Changbin didn’t care. He pressed harder, refusing to let go. He had wanted that so badly. “Fuck, I missed you,” he mumbled against his lips, finally letting the boy breath again. “I can feel that,” Felix gasped, stroking his nape fondly. His lips were bruised and red and Changbin made to kiss him again. Felix pressed his palm against his mouth before he could. “I promise you you’ll get to kiss me all you want by tomorrow. But right now I’m spent. Please, have mercy on me.” Changbin shook his head to clear his mind and focus back on his lover’s state. “I’ll hold you to that. Are you alright?” Felix tiredly chuckled. “I’m alright. If anything I’m starving,” he pointed out, engraving Changbin’s each and every features in his mind with his eyes. “How is the rest?” he asked, a knot rising in his stomach at the prospect of his family hurting. “Chan’s injury has been treated. He’s been put in artificial sleep for now, to recover. He will be okay but left with a nasty scar. Woojin hasn’t left his side since then, but you’re brother is okay. A few scratches here and there, that’s all.” Felix felt a wave of relief crash over him. “I’ll go see him later,” he promised himself, the prospect of seeing his brother after all this time making him feel thrilled and impatient. “And the others?” “Seungmin, Minho and Hyunjin are alright,” he explained with a small smile. “Jeongin is doing well too, he’s just got a sprained ankle and a nasty scar on his shoulder. But nothing that was infected thankfully.” “And Jisungie?” Felix pressed on, eyes wide with worry. Changbin winced, looking suddenly guilty, helpless and hurt at the same time. “This idiot always has a tendancy to hurt himself in the worst ways possible. His back was badly burned and infected, and his ribs -- once again -- broken. Oh, and I forget about his sprained wrist. And wounded throat.” Felix’s jaw fell to the ground. How in the world could one manage to get that deep into shit? Changbin saw his expression and quickly waved his hands in front of him. “But he’s okay! He’s been put in artificial sleep as well and all his injuries are being properly treated! Minho is making sure of that -- the dude barely even agreed to leave his side for the ceremony.” Felix chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Minho and his eternal devotion. Though, he deserves his peace for all he’s gone through,” he conceded with a grin, wrapping his arms around his lover’s neck, eyes darting behind him. “What are you doing in the nursery?” Changbin turned to look at the glass wall, a fond but sad smile over his lips. “I tried not to come here but… I can’t stay too far away from Hyuna’s son.” Felix stilled in his hold, images still too vivid in his mind. He held Changbin close, making sure he felt he was there for him. “It’s not your fault.” “I know. We tried our best. But we did promise her we’d take care of him. I feel like that’s the least I can do for her.” Felix felt his heart melt at his lover’s words. He recalled how, back at Kim’s, he had taken the baby from the medics and ran high into the trees, where no one but a Stray could reach. Hyuna had been so thankful and Felix had promised her to protect her son at all costs. And now that both her and E’Dawn were gone... “I couldn’t agree more,” he admitted, eyes falling on the sleeping baby. “He looks like her.” “Right?” Changbin agreed, his smile turning into a grin. “How are we gonna do that?” Felix asked, watching the baby suckle his dummy in his sleep, unaware of everything that happened today. “I thought about Hui, first. He was the closest to the couple… But you should see him… I think it will take years before he comes around.” Felix frowned. “What about Suzy?” “She has other plans that involve her finally getting her happy ending,” Changbin revealed softly, and Felix understood immediately. “That’s wonderful,” he stated, genuinely glad for her. He thought she deserved it. “JYP?” he half-joked, knowing that the kid’s grandfather was too old and busy to fully take care of a newborn. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Changbin snickered, thinking of the ugly sweaters the old man would make Elijah wear. “Heck, even his parrot would do a better job.” Felix giggled at his comment, leaning his head on his shoulder as he stared at the baby. His features were a reflection of his birth mother. Would he share some of his father’s straynian features as well? Just like Felix shared these features with his own? “He did raise two incredible daughters,” Felix commented, intertwining their fingers. Changbin brought them to his lips, kissing his knuckles softly. “That, he did.”
-- -- -- -- -- --
“I can’t believe it’s finally over.” Minho turned his head right and smiled at his best friend. “Are you saying this because you were despairing to get married?” he teased, ducking when Seungmin made to shove fistful of sand in his face. “Shut up, Min!” Seungmin gasped, blushing madly. If his shining eyes could pierce daggers in Minho’s face they would have already. “So you’re not denying it?” Minho taunted, wiggling his eyebrows playfully, completely unfazed by his violent tendancies. Seungmin groaned and hid his own face behind his hands, leaning back down onto the beach. The holographic water of the sea was tickling his toes but he made no moves to get away from the waves. Instead, he thought deeply about Minho’s words. “I guess I’m not,” he admitted, fingers playing with the white sand. “More than this, I just can’t believe our family is finally complete. Donghyuck is back, Felix too, our four clans are at peace and have healed, humans are staying for good and Kim is gone forever. This is more than I could have ever dreamed of.” Minho smiled and grabbed his hand. “I’m glad I listened to you.” Seungmin turned his head toward him, confused. “What do you mean?” “I was reluctant, at first, to have more humans coming here. But you convinced me to agree. Without you I would have never met the love of my life. And I never properly thanked you for that.” Minho turned his head right to meet eyes with him. He grinned. “Thank you, Min-ah.” Seungmin grinned back, shoving him lightly. “Couldn’t you keep it for my wedding speech?” he complained, though his eyes were shiny -- this time with tears. Minho rolled his eyes and looked back at the stars, way up high in the sky, far out of their reach. “You would have cried in front of everyone. And I don’t wanna be held accountable of Rosé’s wrath for being the culprit that ruined your makeup.” “You liar, you would have been the one crying,” Seungmin snorted, making to shove sand down his throat again. Their laughter echoed through the jungle that night, lulling it with a peace and carefreeness that had been foreign these past few months on Straya 801. Finally, the planet was at peace. Finally, Stray Kids were home.
~~~~~~~~> To be continued.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The Glow rose on the freezing Straya 801, casting a bright light all over.
Jeongin fluttered his eyes open to that sight.
He was breathing.
He couldn't believe it. He lived to see the day.
He recognized the pink ceiling. He was in SM's Headquarters. They probably healed whatever injury he had. Thinking of it had his shoulder throbbing in pain. He winced and tried to reach for it. But he couldn't. Something warm was holding his right hand back.
Was it…
Jeongin turned his head left and smiled tenderly. Of course it was Yedam.
The boy was sleeping peacefully, sitting on a chair, head on the mattress. He was bruised and his perfect sharp jawline that he loved so much was scratched -- but he looked fine otherwise. That was all that mattered to Jeongin.
Probably sensing eyes on him, the soon to be Trashee leader stirred. Jeongin intertwined their fingers.
“You’re awake.”
“
You’re
awake,” Yedam mumbled, sitting up. His eyes were red and spellbound.
Jeongin dived in and pressed his lips to his cheek. Jae, was he glad they were alive. Yedam pressed a hand to his jaw and redirected his lips to his own. The press was gentle, tired and full of love. Jeongin breathed in and swallowed back his tears, his good arm going up to wrap around his nape.
“You’re alive,” he whispered, fluttering his eyes back open to take the sight of his face in.
“So are you,” answered Yedam with a small smile. He grabbed Jeongin’s elbow to prop him up properly against the headrest. “The guys will be thrilled to see you awake.”
A rush of memories suddenly washed over Jeongin, making him gasp and reel forward.
“Hey, easy-”
“Did we win?” Jeongin interrupted, breathless, hands clutching Yedam’s wrist. A flash of freckles appeared before his eyes. “Felix. Is Felix-”
“Hey, hey, relax, Foxie,” Yedam hushed him, cupping his cheeks. He grinned and sat next to him on the bed. “Felix is okay. And yes, we won. Kim is being sent back to Earth with what’s left of his goons.”
Jeongin sagged against his chest, welcoming Yedam’s warm embrace.
“What happened, then, after that bastard hit me-”
Jeongin’s words were cut off by Yedam’s lips pressing against his bandaged shoulder. He quivered, the ghost of that spear still lingering on his skin. But he was with Yedam. Everything was alright.
“Now, you’ll have to take care of it too,” Yedam mumbled, voice soft.
“Take care of what?” Jeongin asked, confused.
“Your scar. We share the same one.”
“Oh. Right,” Jeongin realized. He acquired this scar protecting his One and oddly it was in the same spot as Yedam’s one.
“You’ll have to take care of it well. Unlike me,” Yedam giggled, tightening his hold. His breath tickled Jeongin and had him squirming away.
“Alright, alright, you Yehsihk! Let me go, I need to see my brother- I mean, my
brothers
,” Jeongin corrected himself, his grin expanding. It would need some getting used to but… he was beyond glad Jae made it possible.
Yedam kissed his shoulder one last time and helped him up. “Sure. Come with me,” he offered, leading him out.
And was Jeongin surprised when he stepped out. He ran to the patio door.
Standing on the tarmac of SM Facilities were Palis and their riders, blue, green, pink and yellow Young Wings hovering over, ships and trucks, scientists and Strays – all together.
“What… What happened out there?” he gasped, palms flat against the glass.
“A week has gone by since you passed out. Doctors said you had a small contusion. Minho and Donghyuck are down there but they’ll be glad to see you up.”
“
A week
? And you only tell me about that now?!” Jeongin shrieked, startling Yedam.
“Sorry, Foxie. Forgot to tell you. But you didn’t miss a lot! Just that we made peace and Chan told Felix he is his cousin.”
“Excuse me?”
“Yeah- oh, and Hyunjin wanted to wait for you to wake up to prepare the wedding-”
Jeongin dashed past him, straight to the stairs.
“
Hwang Hyunjin!
”
Yedam winced, running after him.
“Jeongin wait! You shouldn’t run!!” Yedam called out.
He shook his head at the boy and slowed down. It was useless to run after him. He looked at his retreating back, eyes on the bandaged shoulder, and smiled against his will. “I did miss that impatience of yours, Foxie.”
– – – – – –
Rain was drizzling inside the jungle, covering the turquoise palm trees in warm water, droplets landing on the sandy muddy ground and onto the indigo and salmon pink plants. The weather was forecast but shades of pinks and oranges still meddled with the grays. The Fyrs were sleeping in trees, covered by huge leaves, lulled by the rain’s pit pat and the quiet giggling of a pair of males. If one were to look for them, all they’d have to do would be to follow the messy footprints and the sound of their hushed voices.
“Hush, Binnie, you’ll wake the whole jungle up,” Felix whispered, tugging him faster by the hand.
“It’s not my fault, cub. You should have seen his face when you tricked him,” Changbin retaliated, intertwining their fingers. He hurried along, not wanting to fall head first into the muddy sand. Although he was more than used to running on these grounds, Felix was like a sleek feline – fast, swift and at ease. Next to him, Changbin was more of a gorilla – raw, heavy and grounded.
“Woojin should learn that playing fair with me leads to losing!” Felix laughed out loud, recalling the way Dabby had faked going left and dived past Woojin and Luwen, reaching the narrow cave faster than his older brother and sending him splashing through the iridescent waterfall. Needless to say, Woojin had been pissed. Felix had hurried away from the training grounds and reached his lover’s flat to grab him and flee inside the forest, away from Woojin’s outraged chase.
The lovers kept running and running, occasionally sending one another stumbling and rolling through palm trees and mud.
Changbin couldn’t keep his eyes off his lover. Retrieving him had been the worst ordeal of his whole life. He had felt… Torn in two. Like a part of himself was missing. Like he was merely the shell of himself. Only once Felix had jumped in his arms, everything was set back in place. Felix had been back were he belonged. The relief was immense. Of course, the following week had not been easy at all. Felix was still overcome with traumas. The memories of the torture he and Hyuna had to endure were vivid and haunting. Hyuna’s death was a memory that would haunt them both forever as well. Felix was playing the scene in his dreams every night, waking up screaming and crying. Changbin had taken it upon himself to make the flat at JYP’s their temporary home. The others had enough trauma to deal with -- and Chan and Jisung were more than happy to stay at the Tree House.
Apart from the dreadful nights, life had been quite… nice. Domestic, even. Living together with your lover had a nice touch to it. Felix woke up to Changbin’s cooking, they relaxed on the couch in the late afternoon, cleaned the dishes together, made their bed together. Changbin could see himself living like this.
“Let’s live together.”
The words were out before he registered that they had left his mouth. Felix stopped, golden hued eyes blinking and wide when he turned around. His freckles were dotted with raindrops and Changbin couldn’t help the fond smile gracing his lips.
“Sure,” Felix agreed, surprise evident in his voice. “Where’d you want to live?”
Changbin had not expected the ease with which he answered but didn’t let it stop him from bringing his lover closer by the waist. He leaned his forehead against his wet one, and rubbed their noses against each other, grateful.
“You’re sure easy to convince,” he noted with appreciation.
“Mankind simply overthinks too much,” Felix remarqued with amusement. “I never meant to spend my whole life in this house. I always knew I’d find someone to settle with someday.”
“That’s… very optimistic. I was brought up with the belief that I’d settle in a flat paid by the army back on Earth. At best, I’d live with Chan and Jisung ‘till I was thirty going on thirty five. I never expected to find… prospects of futures here,” Changbin confessed.
Felix nodded in understanding and cupped the back of his head, thumbing his wet strands of black hair.
“I understand, Changbin. But it’s no longer like that. Here, you’re allowed to dream. You can be whatever you want, with whoever you want and wherever you want. Straya is yours.”
“I am aware of that now,” Changbin assured him with a fond smile, pecking his wet lips. “And I wanna live by the jungle’s border. In a small house, that filters the light.”
“You sure have it planned out for someone that did not dream of it,” Felix remarked, amused.
Changbin chose to ignore him. “There’ll be a window hole in our bedroom that gives straight to the trees so Gyu and Dabby can come by as they want. And I want five rooms.”
“Five?” Felix repeated, laughter finally bubbling out of his throat, hearing his One’s over the top ideas. “What would we do with five rooms?”
“I can think of many things,” Changbin smirked.
“You Yehsihk, be serious,” Felix groaned, a pale blush growing on his freckled cheeks.
“Alright. One room for us, obviously. When the guys come by, they need to have their own rooms, so make that four. And I want a last one for…,” he trailed off, sounding unsure. Felix smiled and told him to go on. “I… Well, I was thinking maybe… maybe- only if you’d like it-”
“Binnie.”
“Sorry…,” Changbin inhaled, trying to calm his nerves. “I was thinking that if you’re okay with it, maybe we could adopt Elijah,” he confessed, looking Felix in the eyes.
Over the past week, that thought had been running on repeat in his brain.
No matter how he envisioned things, his perfect future held the baby as their son. They promised Hyuna to take care of him, and of course that didn’t mean adopting Elijah. As long as he was looked after and well taken care of by someone, it was enough to fulfill their engagement. But Changbin felt as if they were meant to be the ones doing so. And he truly, dearly hoped that Felix envisioned it too.
“Binnie…,” Felix gasped, eyes welling up. Or maybe it was the rain, Changbin couldn’t tell. The drizzle had transformed into a downpour and he had not even noticed it.
Felix brought the back of his hand to his own cheek, wiping it clean. “Binnie I’d be the happiest man alive if we took that kid in.”
“Oh fuck yes,” Changbin breathed out, spining his lover around.
They were both laughing so hard that Changbin fell backward into the mud. Felix steadied himself by grabbing his shoulders and stared down at him. “I’ve been thinking about it too. I am an orphan. I don't want this kid to be one as well. And I may not be ready to be a father. But I’m sure that together we’ll make things work. For Hyuna and E’Dawn. For us.”
Changbin cupped his hand and leaned into his touch. “For us.”
Felix grinned down at him and Changbin swore he shone brighter than the Glow.
“For all it’s worth, cub, I might not be a better father,” Changbin revealed. “I lack a lot in the family relationship department. But when I see you, when I look at you, I just know it’s the right thing to do.”
“You’re so sappy, Seo Changbin, but that did make my heart jump a little in my chest,” Felix teased, leaning down to kiss him. It was quick but it felt like a promise.
“God, I can’t believe I’ll spend my whole life with your annoying ass,” Changbin grumbled. His smile betrayed him.
“You’re stuck with me forever, human,” Felix singsang with a wink.
Changbin smirked and kissed his lips once more to silence him. “For fucking forever,” he swore.
“My mother would have approved of you, you know. But she’d kick your ass for that foul mouth of yours,” Felix informed him, lips trailing down his jaw. “Maybe I should too.”
Changbin scoffed and pinched his sides. “Hey, talking about mothers right now ain’t sexy at all. But I’d like to see you try and kick my ass.”
Felix raised a brow, the fighter spirit in him igniting at once. He kissed his jaw, biting it for good measure. “You sure about that, Binnie?”
“Bring it on, cub,” Changbin taunted, pushing the younger boy off him at once. He used the momentum to dash up and forward, not having to look behind to know that Felix was on his tail. He laughed out loud. That felt exhilarating.
On his left, a cottage appeared. It was slightly hidden by large palm trees and covered in wild flowers of salmon and mint shades. It looked abandoned. And as he got closer to it, Changbin recognized the place.
The old human school. The one where Felix’s mother taught kids. He had seen it in the pictures at the guy’s home. Back then, the wood had been in perfect shape and adorned in wild flowers, from what he recalled.
Arms wrapped around his waist from behind and sent him reeling forward, straight into the wall of the shack – Changbin feared it would break under their weight.
“Gotcha,” Felix giggled, his deep voice sending shivers down his spine.
Changbin smiled and turned around. “I let you win.”
“Sure, you did,” Felix scoffed, eyes rolling in fond exasperation. “Why did you stop here?”
Changbin shrugged, sagging against the wall now that he was sure it wouldn’t break. “Not sure. I guess I just wanted to see it for myself. Back on Earth, everyone has heard of that school and what it did. Chan, Jisung and I secretly wished when we were younger that it would reopen. So that once we’d get on Straya we could learn to speak like you guys. Turns out, we didn’t need it.”
“Yeah, though we were probably worse teachers than my mom. But you three did learn, so I take it we’re not
that
bad,” Felix bragged, proud. “This school is a place I love and hate at the same time.”
He let go of Changbin and looked at the place with sorrow and longing. “I remember it as somewhere my mom was happy and loved me. But it’s also the place where she died trying to protect her students. At the time, she was pregnant with my little sister. She couldn’t be saved…” He trailed off, trailing a hand over the new grown flowers.
“I hate it because this is the place my mom died for. But I love it because it symbolizes that if you have something to love and protect, it’s worth dying for.” He turned and looked a shell-shocked Changbin in the eyes. “She died protecting the peace she sought between our two worlds, the union me and my sister were the fruits of. This school… It's worth so much.”
Changbin gulped and leaned off the wall, turning around to properly take a look at it. It was indeed almost a ruin, covered by nature. Or maybe, nature was actually trying to keep it together. So that the memory of a peace that once was never died. Now that Changbin properly took a look at it, he could picture the former grandeur of the school. Doctor White did put a lot of love in building it.
“What do you say… we reopen it?”
Felix turned to look at him like he’d grown two heads.
“Think about it. Elijah will need a place to learn about his heritage. He’s just like you, man and Stray. Where else, than where it all began?” Changbin pressed on, the idea making more sense the more he voiced it out. “We could restore this school, and Strays and humans alike could come here to learn about our two cultures. Now that the conflict is over, it’s time to recall the
good
in both mankind and Strays.”
Felix was voiceless. And judging by the tears welling up in his eyes, Changbin was certain he loved the idea. He held out his hand.
“Care to show me around?” he offered with a small smile full of hope.
Felix sniffed and wiped his tears clean, nodding. He reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers.
“Only if you walk with me every step of the way, Seo Changbin,” Felix made him promise, voice cracked and full of gratitude.
Changbin brought his knuckles to his lips and pressed a tender kiss on them.
“For fucking forever,” he swore again, and Felix grabbed his hand tighter.
“For fucking forever.”
Breathing in, Felix pressed his free palm flat on the door, pushing it open.
– – – – – –
“You wanted to see me, Sir?”
JYP looked up from his files, from his spot on the couch. He grinned, waving him over.
Seeing his boss elsewhere than behind his desk was a sight. Chan smiled, unsure. He was helping Woojin tend to the wounded in their homemade tending shack - they were healing at the speed of light and it was still fascinating after all this time - when a young scientist came knocking at the door. JYP requesting a meeting was unexpected after almost a week without hearing from him or Suzy. But then again, mourning a life and all the what ifs takes some time.
“Ah, yes, Chan. Please enter.”
Chan smiled and stepped in, almost ready to straighten his uniform, before he caught himself. In a way, it did feel good to come in and not wear the uniform. He had missed sweatpants a great deal lately.
“Take a seat, son,” JYP instructed, removing the jacket from the armchair next to him.
Chan walked towards the resting area, waving at the colorful bird companion of his boss on his way over. The bird only flew away, to Chan’s amusement. And that’s when he took notice of the boxes piled up by the wall. And the cleared walls, shelves, and desk. His computer was even stored in.
“You’re leaving, sir?” Chan asked, carefully sitting down in front of his boss.
“Yes.”
The news had the effect of a bomb on Chan.
Seeing his face, JYP quickly clarified the situation. “Momentarily of course,” JYP added, laughing behind his hand. “Just so that I can clarify the whole…
situation
, back on Earth. I might be there for a few months. Maybe one year. Three maximum.”
Chan’s whole world stilled. If JYP did go back for so long… Chan and the others would have grown much, much older once he came back.
“B-but, you can’t leave
this
behind!” Chan sputtered, gesturing around the room. And he didn’t mean the office and all its treasures. He meant the whole facility and everything JYP had built. Who would carry on all his research and work? Was Suzy taking over? Was she even in a state to take over?
JYP grinned and piled up the files he was looking at when Chan came in. He flipped them over and slid them toward Chan.
“I’d like to discuss that with you, Bang Chan.”
— --
“Soldiers, stand!”
Changbin rose, putting his hand over his forehead in a salute. His eyes were trained to the front and his chest swelling with pride. Next to him, Jisung was silently sniffing, standing straight too. But Changbin didn’t worry. He knew Jisung’s tears were happy ones.
Back at the front, Chan stood up from his kneeling position as well ; but this time, his back possessed another tattoo. Surrounding the Chinese Dragon were now three spheres – one for loyalty, one for justice, one for power. The loyalty sphere, a blue sphere, was curled into the dragon’s tail. The justice sphere, a purple sphere, was nested inside the right paw’s claws. The power sphere, a red sphere, was hovering above the dragon’s open maw. These three spheres symbolized the three qualities their army’s chief should embody.
Behind Chan, JYP stood as well, bare-chested. His back, which was once tattooed with those three colorful spheres, was now overlapped with black ink. His duty had ended, passed down to another worthy of it.
JYP raised his hand and drew his knife from his pocket, splitting the skin of his palm before anyone could blink. He held his hand out, and the knife as well, this time with his good hand. From their spots at the front, Changbin and Jisung could clearly see the redness of the blade, stained by new and old dried blood. Thanks Jae they had antiseptic back home.
“Bang Chan, do you renounce your title of scientist and soldier of the JYP Facility’s forces?”
Chan breathed in and put a hand over his chest.
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you renounce your naming of CB97 and embrace the new one your mentor chose?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then I hereby name you, Commander Bang, leader of the pacified armies of mankind and chief scientist of JYP Facilities. Do you accept the duty that comes with these great responsibilities?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Commander Bang, do you swear to respect the three founding pillars?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you swear to be loyal to that you command and the sought ideal, at times needed?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you swear to serve your people the righteous justice you encompass as the hand of law, at times needed?”
“Yes sir.”
“Do you swear to use the power vested in you, by your people and I, wisely and with balance, at times needed?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then, do you swear to submit yourself to the consequences in case of failure to respect these pillars? These consequences being: bearing the marks of your failure on your body by the blade I present you, here, in my right hand, the loss of your powers and rights as Commander, and the sentences presented to you by the Earth Council. Do you abide by it, Commander Bang?”
Chan breathed out and straightened himself up.
“Yes, sir.”
JYP broke into a grin and handed him the knife.
“Commander Bang, this blade has been handed down from generations of Commanders. With the addition of your blood on it, you seal your fate. This is your choice to make.”
Chan smiled back, pressed the knife into his own palm, with no hesitation. Changbin felt the swell of pride in his chest threatening to burst. He watched as Chan drew the blade back into the holder of his brand new belt and pressed his own bloodied hand into JYP’s one firmly.
“Then, with the sealing of this oath, I pass my duty to you, Bang Chan.”
“And I receive it fully and wholeheartedly, Park Jinyoung.”
JYP nodded humbly and let go of his hand. Changbin watched him turn to face the crowd, his face solemn.
“Scientists, soldiers, and members of this facility. Please welcome your new leader, Commander Bang!”
“Long live Commander Bang!,” all shouted in unison.
Changbin felt his face split into a grin and a single tear rolled down his cheek as he watched his brother walk down the stage and down the aisle. He had promised himself not to cry, save his tears for their private moments of brotherhood, but how to keep them at bay when his older brother had become such a man?
Chan’s head was held high but he was softly smiling as he nodded at everyone. His body and features were hardened by time and the events they had to face, but his eyes still held a gentleness and a love that few people could possess. How they’d changed since their first day here… Who could have thought they’d end up here? Their only dream had always been to travel into space. Now that this one has been fulfilled, their dreams were growing diverse and being shared with others. They were pure and on the brink of being fulfilled. Chan was slowly moving towards his own. And so were Changbin and Jisung. They were now becoming greater men.
Happy men.
Happy Stray Kids.
Chan was now a leader.
And so would Jisung, soon.
As for Changbin, he was a simple lover but soon he would be much more. He would be a father.
Yes, they were slowly, steadily, and happily walking towards their dreams. Towards their futures.
— – – – –
A few days had passed since Chan took over JYP. Their old boss would leave in a matter of days and nothing would ever be the same. And yet, Jisung couldn’t help but feel like everything was just as it needed to be.
Chan’s first command had been nothing but honorable. He wanted to own up for the wrongdoing mankind had perpetrated there, on Straya 801. He supervised the opening of a hospital – one led hand in hand by Strays and humans. Chan had sent their best healers, which included Jisung himself, and let Woojin take care of the rest.
Working with Woojin thrilled Jisung. His “brother in law” (as he liked to tease him) was a wonderful person and shared a lot of the Straynian healing secrets with him. Jisung was learning so much by his side with each passing day. He felt like his teenage self all over again, discovering every corner of the planet behind the big screen of the Academy. Except that now, he was on said planet and living alongside these beautiful people. Woojin was ever so patient and willing to show him everything he wanted to know. In exchange, Jisung taught him the ways of mankind and their technology when it came to healing – one of the few things they brought on Straya that was actually helpful.
Of course, his life and career were not bound exclusively to the hospital. Each time Jisung stepped away from it, he either went on with his duties at JYP Facility or back to where he was living a dream too : the jungle. Because each time, a certain someone would be waiting for him to teach him another wonderful lesson: how to be worthy of being a leader.
Working hand in hand with Minho to make their tribe better was a real wonder.
Minho was ever so kind and patient. And amongst all the teasing he loved to induce, his lover was nothing but a wonderful mentor.
Sadly, their leading classes would have to be canceled today. Not that Jisung was too sad about it. Going for his own first mission as a leader’s partner and a member of the hospital was a bit stressful but Jisung felt ready for it. The training he was provided with by Minho and his background as a scientist-soldier would provide the level-headedness and strength needed, he was certain of it.
"You sure you don't want me to come with you?" Minho had asked, climbing off Midnight.
Jisung had all but offered him one raised brow as his answer and Minho had quickly backed up, raising two hands in surrender and helping him up on his Pali.
Before departing, he still offered him some advice.
"Don't stray too long on the road once the Glow goes out. Find shelter in one of the trees. You remember what I told you about the Spreads?" Minho asked him, settling his arms around hips in a loose embrace.
"I know, I know. You worry too much, love. Plus Woojin and Hyunjin are coming with me. They'll help me through this journey."
Minho sighed and dropped his head against the side of his thigh, reluctant to let go.
"Four days away from you is too much. How can I let you go?," he mumbled, voice small and betraying his fear and anger.
Jisung had to bite the protest off his lips. He knew Minho would be reluctant. Since he threatened to leave Straya 801 for good, that one day just before war erupted, Minho had been keeping an eye on him, refusing to let him out of his sight for more than a few hours. The injuries Jisung suffered from the battle had been enough to stress and hurt Minho for a lifetime. Jisung actually found out about his fears a few days after he was woken up from artificial sleep. Minho had refused to leave his side for a full week after that. And when he did, Jisung had been naive enough to believe life would go on like nothing had changed. Sure, Minho had been territorial and possessive towards him enough in the privacy of his lands and Jisung had put that against the worries that had grown on Minho after almost losing him twice. Jisung found this attitude normal. He was proven wrong when he found out about the sentinels watching him day by day and keeping an eye on him in case he was still or would get hurt. It truly was an incident – the poor sentinel had slipped on a turquoise palm tree and fell on the ground so bad that Jisung had to help back home. Jisung had chastised Minho so hard that one night – for both spying on him without his consent and risking his precious sentinels' heath on him when there were no longer massive threats – that they had their first real fight. Well, it was more on Jisung's half since Minho was discovering what anger towards a loved one felt like and would rather avoid it.
Jisung patted his head, mentioning for him to lean away. He smiled and pinched his cheek gently.
“Don’t pout, love,” he laughed, liking this needy side of his lover. “I’ll be back before you can blink.”
Minho nodded and stepped away to instruct Midnight to move forward. Jisung looked back and blew him a kiss.
“Be a nice Khae while I’m away!” He joked as he waved him goodbye.
Minho rolled his eyes and walked away, not before muttering these few words that the wind carried to Jisung.
“Says you,
Khae Momae
.”
Leader’s partner.
Jisung grinned, embracing his bright red face with pride, as he let Midnight guide him through this brand new journey.
The journey of a Khae Momae.
– – – – – – – –
The drums of the Shizae were loud, perhaps too loud for an untrained ear. Nevertheless, Chan could not be more proud to stand at the front row of the Waterfall, waiting patiently for his friends to arrive on that special day.
Rosé had insisted on dressing them up for the day – especially excited to have Chan wear a leader’s attire. Chan was more than embarrassed and kept declining her, but Rosé had insisted that as one of the leaders of the Human Clans he had to dress the part. And who was Chan to refuse Woojin when his lover had
kindly
insisted? Nobody wanted to deny a lover.
Now, Chan stood dressed in periwinkle baggy pants and boots, adorned in silver bells and belts. Rosé had been kind enough to spare him of a shirt, letting his back heal properly from the new tattoo. She had stuck with spiraling silver armbands and necklaces, pierced by periwinkle gemstones. Sadly, the crown had not been optional. It was pretty, a succession of silver rolling waves, tinted periwinkle at each edge. Yet, as pretty as it was, having a pure raw silver band around his forehead felt foreign. Just like his new position of power, it would need some getting used to.
Woojin had kindly painted his face in terracotta lines, similar to the ones he bore himself, in periwinkle. His outfit was identical to Chan, except in terracotta colors, with the addition of a long almost see-through piece of fabric wrapping around his left shoulder down to his waist and tied at his belt. The crown placed on his curls was also identical to Chan’s one, save for the terracotta hints instead of the periwinkle. It complemented his complexion – his skin had tanned a lot during his days at the hospital, practicing the
Turun
or ‘heal-leaf’ (a procedure Jisung had come running into the house gushing about, consisting of wrapping patients in the pink tree-palm leafs and having them rest under the Glow for half a day. Then, their bones were fixed). Woojin being an expert in this subject, having to patch Minho and Felix up often during their younger days, dedicated a lot of his working shift to this practice. Chan couldn’t say he minded. He honestly looked gorgeous with his bronze skin.
Sensing eyes on him, Woojin faced him, gaze questioning. Chan simply smiled and picked up his hand. He brought it to his lips and planted a soft peck on his knuckles.
“Nothing, my love,” he assured, intertwining their fingers over his laps. “Just thought of how handsome you were and how lucky I was.”
Woojin reflected his smile and gave him a once over too. “Well, I think I can return that compliment, Commander Bang.”
Chan laughed loudly and was gently nudged by Changbin on his left. “Hey, keep it low,
Commander
.”
Chan rolled his eyes and elbowed him back. “Stop calling me that, Binnie.”
He threw a nasty glare at Changbin (Jae, he hated his friends when they called him that, just for the fun of it). The boy was dressed in cherry red pants similar to his own, with a copper belt and breath-plate. His boots and jewelry were a mix of copper and cherry red. The lone braid in his now longer hair was adorned in small crystals. Only the armband on his right bicep stood out in this red palette – Felix had exchanged his own teal one for Changbin’s red, to Rosé’s horror. A cute token of love, in Chan’s humble opinion.
Changbin smirked to mask his wince and nodded to Woojin. “So he’s the only one to get that privilege?”
Woojin leaned in close before Chan could react and shared a conspiratory smile with their younger friend. “Bedroom privileges. I’m sure you know them too.”
Changbin laughed out loud, completely forgetting the reason he was chastising Chan in the first place, and the latter felt like he would die of embarrassment.
“Jae,” he cursed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “This is information about you and my cousin I don’t want to know about, Binnie.”
“Says, where is Lixie?” Woojin asked when Changbin failed to comment, too busy bursting out laughing at Chan's modesty.
“No idea,” Chan answered, turning to Changbin for answers. The man whipped the tears off his face, careful not to mess the red lines over his face, before he shrugged.
“He said he would help Hyunjin to dress up-”
“Sorry guys, I’m late!”
Well, speak of the devil and he shall appear.
Felix came nearly stumbling in Changbin’s laps, his teal robes tangling into his bare feet. He was sporting similar pants to their own and had a pretty teal gem over his belly button. His face was painted with intricate teal lines and the braids on both sides of his face had crystals identical to that of Changbin. And of course, the lack of sleeves in his robes made the cherry red armband all the more visible. Chan bet if he turned around, he could see Rosé fuming.
“Hi guys!” Felix grinned and wrapped his arms around Changbin, rubbing his nose onto his. “Hi, Binnie.”
“Hi, cub,” the man answered, eyeing him with such tenderness that Chan didn’t know whether to turn his eyes away or coo. The two had been so tender in their love after the war.
“What took you so long?”
Felix let Changbin go to properly sit down, careful not to mess with his robes again. He gestured toward the other aisle. “Jisung had to run to the hospital so I went with him.”
At that, Chan, Woojin and Changbin immediately went on alert.
“Is he okay?”
“What happened?”
Felix calmed them down quickly, waving his hands around. “He’s fine, he’s fine. A kid just broke an arm while playing around and Jisung carried him to Neyra,” he explained, and Chan recalled Neyra was a new friend of Woojin and Jisung, who worked with them on the Turun. “We were so afraid we’d be late. Thanks Jae we’re here now.”
Chan nodded and turned around to get a good look at his friend, still worried he would have hurt himself over running around the jungle. But Jisung looked fine, as if he had not made that little trip. Not that surprising if Chan thought about it – Jisung was used to the jungle, more than any human here, having to run around with Minho on duty.
He was talking with some Strays Chan didn’t know, looking like a Khae Momae more than ever. He was dressed in light navy blue robes that flew behind him everytime he so much as moved, tied at the waist by a see-through crystal stomach armor plate. His legs were covered in navy leather pants and knee-high boots of intricate designs, and there were so many golden pieces of jewelry on him that Chan feared he would lose count before the wedding ceremony actually began. His face was adorned with navy blue lines and his hair braided. On them sat the same crown Rosé had given him during Johnny and Ten’s wedding. Chan suddenly felt himself reminiscent of that time.
How young and careless they had been. It was such a time of joy. And now, he was about to experience another one.
The drums stopped to let the horns play and the tribal singers begin.
Chan looked back to the front, the Glow radiating over the Waterfall, only for it to part over when Minho, master of ceremony, walked out from under it. He was regal looking, dressed in the exact same outfit as Jisung, safe for his own crown and his color scheme, coral. A true accomplished and powerful leader.
“People of all Clans,”
And this time, Chan could fully understand the Straynian speech. He felt pride as Minho, who stood over the middle boulder, held out two hands, awaiting those that would take them.
“On this bright day and under the blessing of Jae, we shall welcome the love of two brave warriors and exceptional Trashee members. Please begin this tune with me, for our Hyunjin and our Seungmin !”
– –
Voices were ringing in the air as the fog rose higher over the lake. The Strays and humans sang in harmony, joining the leading voices of the Senders, Wonpil, brother to Seungmin, and Jeongin, best-friend to Hyunjin.
Wonpil whispered the soft lullaby as he crouched on his knees before his younger brother, own dark red robes pooling around him as he pulled his hands flat onto his brother’s chest, covered by the traditional wedding white, golden and red robes. He stared straight into his brother’s eyes, feeling his own ones wetting at the sight. His little brother was smiling so hard and trembling with euphoria that Wonpil felt like he would leap up and straight to Hyunjin if he let go of the robes any time soon.
To think Seungmin was leaving the family name for good now, as he himself once did. That he would settle for his found family, forever.
Seungmin had found his One True Happiness.
Wonpil could not be more proud of the man he became.
On the other side of the lake, Jeongin was doing the same to Hyunjin, hands steady and warm over his white, red and black wedding robes. His own baby blue scarf, which was fastened by a golden belt in a twist around his chest, was slapping against the material of his white pants and tickling his bare feet, and the golden jewelry all around his arms and neck were also tickling his skin, but it was not enough to make him lose focus. He felt steady.
Yes, he could only smile in pure joy at his best friend who was standing there, eyes closed, trying to get a grip and obviously anxious of what was to come. Jeongin knew this moment meant the world for him and he wanted it to be perfect. So Jeongin remained steady for him.
When Hyunjin finally fluttered his eyes open, under the comforting patting of Jeongin’s hands, they both knew he would be alright. Hyunjin looked him in the eyes, grateful and Jeongin looked back, conveying his contentment and pride.
His best friend did it.
He found his promised happiness.
Once Minho was done lighting up the incense, the soft smell of red berries permeating the air all around, Jeongin stopped his chant, eyes leaving Hyunjin as he reached out for the crushed red berries in the basket next to him. He dipped his fingers in and raised them to Hyunjin’s face, tracing a large stripe from his right cheek to his left one, in the skilled gesture only an artist possessed.
On the other side, Wonpil was already done with it, wiping his hands onto a soft cloth as he picked up a crown. It was made of wood, gems and pearls – but most important of all, it was adorned with the blue flowers from the very own secret place Seungmin had refused to tell him about. He only said that it was a place that mattered for Hyunjin and him, and Wonpil had not hesitated a second before taking the bouquet and adding the chosen flowers to the crown he crafted. He knew that that way, his parting gift would symbolize his utmost blessing of their union. Wonpil took a deep breath and nodded at his little brother, and Seungmin grinned, his nose piercing catching the light of the Glow. Wonpil was happy to see that his brother now wore it more often and proudly.
Wonpil slipped the crown onto Seungmin’s soft brown hair. As he did so, he closed his eyes and muttered quick words – blessings he had learned by heart.
Jeongin, on the opposite side, muttered his own blessings. He had spent the night carefully crafting those few sentences, knowing Jae would carry them with him and watch over Hyunjin with their intent. They were simple.
Though not my brother in blood, you are in spirit,
We’ve watched over each other for many years, and we’ll do so still for the many years to come,
But now, I know you’ll be watched over by another pure and loving soul,
Watch over this soul with the same intent,
Then, I can wholeheartedly give you my blessing.
Jeongin snapped his eyes open and let go of Hyunjin’s crown – made of the same gemstones, pearls and flowers as Seugmin’s one but from a different wood, that was taken directly from Jeongin’s very favorite weapon. He closed his mouth and sat back on his calves.
He was done.
He could now send his best friend-
brother
off.
Hyunjin offered him a sweet smile, so different from his many playful ones, gratefully taking the younger’s hands as he pulled him up. Their robes blew in the strong wind, in what Jeongin was sure was a beautiful sight for the audience, and with a quick nod, Hyunjin let himself be led to the lake’s border. The fog had risen so thick, just like that time at Ten’s wedding, that they could see nothing but the boulder in front of them.
Hyunjin slipped out of his shoes and finally put a foot onto the small boulder, Jeongin still holding his hand as he himself stepped into the water beside him, walking him through the first step. Hyunjin put his other foot onto the boulder and Jeongin let go, his last touch being his lips against his cheek.
“I love you Hyunjin. I wish you two will live the most loving union there ever will be,” he whispered, wiping away the lone tear that rolled down Hyunjin’s cheek.
“I love you too, Innie. I would never be the man I am today if not for you. Thank you, for everything,” he whispered back, sobbing silently, and Jeongin grinned. With a bow, he sent him away.
“Thank
you
, Hyunjin,” he thought as he walked back to the shore, to take his seat by the edge of the right front row, Wonpil doing the same on the other side.
Next to him, Yedam pressed a hand on his tigh in support, dressed in a rose red apparel identical to his own, safe for the small golden copper crown adorning his now blond hair. CL still wore the official crown, but the countdown for the Sureki Crowning had begun. Jeongin had refused to wear one, when Rosé offered, stating that he would surprise Yedam with a crown of his own on the day of the Crowning. Rosé, that big romanticist, had of course agreed.
“You were amazing,” Yedam whispered as he leaned in and kissed his bare shoulder, were the scar laid, now fully healed.
Jeongin thanked him with a kiss on the lips.
They both looked back towards the waterfall, watching with awe as Seungmin and Hyunjin both walked onto the boulders on either side of the lake, towards the waiting arms of Minho. As the fog cleared away, Jeongin could tell the exact moment both of them met eyes. Hyunjin’s shoulders slackened at the sight of Seungmin and the grin that split his face in two threatened to put the Glow to shame. Seungmin on the other hand let out a straight on sob, hurrying forward. Minho took both of their hands once they were close enough and finally brought them to each other, letting go so that the lovers could intertwine their fingers.
They looked so in love, it warmed Jeongin’s heart.
Hyunjin and Jeongin stood there, staring in each other’s eyes while Minho muttered blessings and drew signs on their joined hands, with the same crushed berries the brothers had used on their faces. As Jeongin recalled, it was the rune of infinity, symbolizing the eternity of their relationship, the four dots around it representing the four elements, symbolizing Jae’s blessings. Then, Minho wrapped a creeper from the Grand Tree (carefully picked this morning by him) around their joined hands.
“You can now pronounce your vows,” he offered, voice softer than usual but resonating with so much pride and love that it was moving to hear.
“I’ll be your knight, your protector, your heart’s shield & sword,” they both stated loud and clear, voices filled with many emotions. The first tears began to roll in the audience, but they went on, eyes in eyes, uncaring for the world around them. “I’ll be your confidant, your home, your shelter & forever. I am yours and you are mine, under the Glow, let us be One,” they both concluded, breaths catching in their throats.
Minho smiled tenderly at them, and let go of their two tied hands as he stepped back. “By the power vested in me, today, on these sacred Ancient Grounds, witnesses and benevolent guardians of your union, I hereby declare you Ones.”
Without waiting for further instructions or cheers from the crowd, they both leaned in and kissed.
Jeongin jumped from his spot, followed by his found family, taking part in the loud cheers and applause from the crowd. Whooping, tribal cries, claps and crying could be heard, but Jeongin was solely focused on wiping his own tears and clapping loudly, as he stared at Seungmin and Hyunjin’s hugging figures.
A day like this was beyond what he had dreamed of.
It felt good to live in such reality.
And Jeongin knew that this time, this reality would stay, forever.
– – – – – – – –
“Wow, I did not expect to see this,” Changbin moaned in distress as he turned away from the doorsill, barely avoiding the pillow thrown at him.
“Leave it, hyung,” Jeongin complained, not even blushing in shame as he pushed away from Yedam and the wall.
“Can I turn around now?” Changbin teased, used to this banter. Two full weeks have gone by since the wedding, and with the recent Crowning of Yedam, the two boys had been inseparable and many had found them making out in the house more than once. And as much as the boys liked to complain about their PDA, Changbin would rather see Jeongin like this a million times than in a hospital bed.
“Is it time, hyung?” Yedam questioned, fixing his new crown properly over his head.
Changbin nodded, dropping his playful mood for some seriousness. “Yes. CL has arrived. We are waiting for Suzy.”
Yedam and Jeongin exchanged a look, and Jeongin wordlessly took his lover’s hand. Changbin could feel so much empathy for the youngest boy. It was hard to see a leader and parental figure leave.
Yes, today was the day Suzy and CL would leave for the Holy Mountains : a recess made for leaders, both Khaes and Khaes Momae, who had passed down their crowns, to finally rest. No one else would be allowed by Jae to enter this place, nor would Jae allow you to leave it. Once you had chosen to rest, you shall for the rest of your life. At first, Changbin had found the concept abstract and unsettling, but seeing and understanding all that Suzy and CL had faced, he found out it didn’t matter whether or not he grasped it. What mattered was that they could finally find their inner peace. And come to a rest.
He led the boys out, watching as the Glow was beginning to set over Straya 801. It was a perfect moment to leave that world and its memories behind. He was glad CL and Suzy would experience that.
Felix welcomed him with open arms under a palm tree, a little bit away from the crowd. Changbin buried his face in the crook of his neck and breathed in his calming, familiar scent.
“She’s there,” Felix announced softly, kissing the top of his head. Changbin turned to face the crowd. And surely enough, Suzy, dressed in a pretty lilac floral dress – a homage to her sister – arrived on a Pali. The Crowd, mostly Taro Clan’s people, began chanting ‘
Khae Momae
’ and from his spot, Changbin could see Suzy shedding a few tears.
Yes, the two women truly deserved their peace.
“She’ll meet with her lover again,” Felix informed him with a small smile. “The predecessor of Suhyun.”
“Hmm, I heard of it,” Changbin hummed. “Heard of their first meeting as well. Quite similar to us.”
“Really?” Felix questioned, trying to recall how that happened. “Oh, right. It was when you saw me in that tree.”
Changbin chuckled and held him tighter. “And what a sight. The prettiest boy I had ever seen.”
“Oh, please.”
“You’re blushing?”
“No.”
“You so are.”
“Shut up, you Yehshik, and watch the parade,” Felix grumbled, refusing to meet his eyes.
Changbin internally danced, feeling victorious, but obeyed.
Suzy and CL were now riding their Palis up, towards the Holy Mountains – Changbin stared, until they could barely be seen, embraced by the foggy clouds at the top of the mountain chain.
Now, all was at peace.
Felix brushed a hand in his hair to get his attention. He was smiling softly at Changbin, eyes full of warmth. "Let's go, Elijah is waiting for us at home." Right, home. Changbin looked back one last time at the Holy Mountains, grateful.
The Clans would thrive and remember these previous incredibly strong leaders.
He wished them farewell.
– – – – – – –
“Say, Minho, do you think we’ll go to the Holy Mountains too, one day?”
Minho opened an eye, momentarily blinded by the Glow. He spotted Jisung from his spot on the sand, his lover kicking his feet in the water. He hummed, thoughtful. “I have certainly dreamt of it, but… Is that what you want? Not all of our family could follow us there.”
As amazing as that place had once looked, being forever separated from his found family was something he was not sure he wanted anymore. Only time would tell how he would feel once the moment came.
Jisung smiled, looking beautiful under the Glowlight. “I will follow you, wherever you go, Minho.”
Minho felt his heart leap in his chest and chose to shut his eye close once more to evade the sight. Jisung was a menace. Each day by his side made his feelings for him grow at a pace Minho never imagined. Because Jisung certainly did things to his heart he failed to apprehend, even after all these days spent together. From stolen kisses to spontaneous pillow fights, while scaring a bunch of Pali away with a stupid dance, every time was a glorious time. If you had told Minho that he would encounter a clumsy, loud, adorable, smart, brave and gorgeous human months ago, he would have probably ignored it. Today, he could not imagine waking up with his arms somewhere other than around that tiny waist and his face buried in Jisung’s soft hair. Jisung was a lifeline, a partner, and the one that held the heart he had been afraid to give away for years. With Jisung, Minho was healing, heading toward a peace and warmth he thought unreachable. And for that, Minho would forever be grateful and utterly in love with his human.
Minho smiled, content.
“Good.”
A weight settled on his chest and warm lips met his own.
“I love you, Minho,” Jisung mumbled against his lips, his warm breath tickling him.
Minho captured his lips once more, not bearing another second away from his kisses.
“I love you, Jisung.”
But that didn’t matter. They had an eternity together.
– – – – – – – –
“Sir? Should we warn Commander Bang?”
JYP stopped in his tracks, sparing a look behind himself. The jungle’s entrance stood, calm and at peace. JYP took in the palm trees, the plants, the Young Wings soaring and the noise of the waves crashing down the sand nearby. He closed his eyes and breathed in, feeling the nice odor of Gyujaks and the warmth of the Glow on his old skin. How good that all felt.
“No need, Commander Jung,” he instructed the small hologram coming out of his watch. “They’ll find out soon enough. Today is a day of celebration. Let us let them have their well deserved peace.”
He breathed in one last time and fluttered his eyes back open. With a last glance at the jungle’s entrance, he turned around and pushed the button to open the ship.
“To all units aboard ship ‘Hellevator’ : Departure from Straya 801 estimated in 2 minutes. Put on your gear and get ready to take off,” the automatic recording of the ship began.
JYP walked toward the code pit and sat down in the pilot’s chair. Next to him, his bird let out an appreciative noise.
“I know, I know, my dear friend,” JYP answered the bird, looking out the window with a grin at the beautiful planet. “We’re leaving this home in good hands. It is time for us to go back to our former home. Our friends are waiting for us.”
With a swipe of his fingers, the hologram from his watch went to the board. The woman in it nodded at him. “A squad will be waiting for you back on Earth and will be escorting you safely to the Ambassade. The Governors and I are looking forward to having you back. We expect you in a few months time, Former Commander JYP. Have a safe trip.”
“Thank you, Commander Jung,” he saluted. “The sentiment is shared.”
The woman saluted him back and the hologram turned off.
JYP felt the engine slowly raising above the tarmac and smiled yet again at the sight before his eyes. The jungle, the facilities… who would have thought that they would become one and the same ground? JYP had fantasized about it, of course, but at the time it did seem impossible. But what was the impossible in the face of feelings ? They do say that love prevails after all.
Nevertheless, what a tale to tell. To think that not only one, but several Humans and Strays fell in love. And managed to overcome their differences and prejudices to work together for a better world. Jisung, Chan, Changbin, Minho, Woojin, Felix, Seungmin, Hyunjin, Jeongin, Yedam, Hyuna, Edawn, Hui, Suzy, CL, Mark, Suhyun, Boa, himself – each of them walked that path so that future generations could run. How crazy was that?
“Yeah,” he laughed as the ship began soaring, tender eyes still set onto the diminishing jungle. “That’s madness.”
If in his own language madness was equal to love, bravery and faith, then he had no doubt that every speech on that planet had the same definition of it. But who cared, after all ? These qualities were not expressed in words but in actions.
And by coming here and meeting with six other kids, three kids set off the beginning of a change.
“Right,” he stated fondly. “Straya 801, a planet of total madness.”
These kids ? They were Stray Kids.
~~~~~~~~> “Straya 801 – Planet Of Total Madness.” The end.
- Orange