✏ project exo {chapter eight}
⇢ authors:illegiblesigns andmouthwash
⇢ fandom: exo
⇢ pairings: various
⇢ 8244 words
⇢ PG-13 (language)
p r o j e c t e x o : chapter eight
Watching the sun rise together was an experience Suho would never forget. The memory latched itself to his mind, and there was no turning back now. It was only the beginning.
When the sun burned high and bright in the sky, Yunho led them down stairs. From outside, the place looked like any other residence on the block, a modest Corinth two-story house. However, they would soon find out that this was no ordinary place.
The first and second floor maintained a certain sense of normality. Upstairs, there were two bedrooms. There was also another space, a control room, filled with computers a large flat screen. Yunho mentioned that Kai made the place his own personal movie theater, using it to pass his insomniac nights watching Old World movies.
The floor below revealed a living room with a red couch, a wood coffee table marked with circular cup stains, more bookshelves with books and pictures. Vases of orchids of many colors decorated the corners of the room; from Yunho’s personal garden, Yuri mentioned, opening the sliding glass door to the backyard and revealing a beautiful garden. Suho couldn’t wait to spend hours and hours lost within the many flowers and herbs. It smelled lovely, exhaling nature and reality.
The kitchen was vast. A great white table occupied most of its center space. Light green counters and cabinets spread around the walls. Nothing lavish or striking, only basic necessities. From the looks of it, it was barely even used. A layer of dust covered everything like a soft blanket.
Jessica punched a code in a keypad by a door in the corner of the kitchen, it unlocked with a pop. As they walked, faint lights began to light a staircase, it’s walls made Suho feel a bit claustrophobic, and from the looks in the other’s faces he wasn’t the only one.
They reached what Yunho called the main floor, the area they were being held before. It was a spacious room with many doors, two on each wall, and eight in total. Behind each door was a room, build exclusively for them. Yunho explained that there were two more floors below; a garage and a small warehouse with supplies.
The boys claimed their spaces. Too shaken up to actually sleep, Suho ended up on Lay’s room. His company was comforting. Suho saw the other boy boy space out from time to time while they talked, letting his eyes wander around the bedroom, counting the cracks on the dirty white walls. A few hours later, Lay placed his head on the pillow, falling asleep to Suho's soft hands running through his hair.
They rested for the entire day. Not leaving their rooms and keeping to themselves as much as possible. Mrs. Victoria and Yoona came by to check on them often, calling them for meals and bringing in fresh, new clothes. Common attires, not the customary white uniform they used to sport. Suho looked at his new jeans and stripped sweater and felt something tug on the corner of his lips. The fabric reached his skin and brought a strong sense of normality. He wasn’t a prisoner in a glass cell anymore, but a regular member of society. Who so happens to have a few unique abilities.
The next day, they woke them up at the crack of dawn.
They got shoved into separate vehicles. Yoona drove Lay, Kris, Tao, and him through the highway in conspicuous silver car. They didn’t tell them where they were going exactly. The upbeat atmosphere surrounding the Resistance members contrasted heavily against the looming sense that they were on the edge of a cliff, as if something awful could happen at any time and push them in.
About one hour into the quiet drive, the landscape around them started to change. From the arid desolation of the decaying buildings by the highway near Corinth, to lush green hills and tall pine trees as they entered the Gaza area. Yoona rolled down the windows so they could take in the aroma.
“This is my favorite area in all of Athena,” she said, as they drove by a faded sign announcing they were close to a neighborhood called Ceres. “We are close to one of the last natural parks in the world. Doesn’t it smell wonderful?”
Kris poked his head out the window, closing his eyes as the wind tangled his hair. His nostrils flared as he breathed deeply, inhaling the rich fragrance with a smile. Suho did the same, absorbing the scenery as the powerful lush smell overwhelmed his senses. This was something they had only seen on screens before, now they were living it.
When they passed a large sign that read Iris National Park, all cars took a sharp turn to the right, following a dirt road, barely wide enough for cars to pass. About a mile in, the track came to an end in a circular opening. They began to park next to each other. Yunho was the first one out. A broad smile on his lips as he stretched his arms over his head. A grumpy Kai stood by his side, scratching his eyes and yawning widely. They came together in front of a sign, which pointed out the beginning of a narrow trail.
“From here we go on foot,” Yunho announced.
Suho heard a lengthy disappointed groan come from behind Yunho, and he craned his neck to see who was the one responsible for it. Chanyeol quickly hid his face behind his large hands. Baekhyun breathed in deeply and rolled his eyes. The others around them allowed themselves to chuckle at the scene.
“Let’s go,” Yunho said, swinging a heavy backpack over his shoulders. Yoona, Yuri, Jessica, Krystal followed him, leading the way.
Victoria stayed a little behind with Kai. The two of them shared a private conversation, the woman using the boy’s bronzed arms for stability as they walked over tree roots and loose rocks.
Suho, mesmerized, examined the area curiously. As they walked, he let his fingertips brush by plants and tree trunks. The atmosphere incredibly intoxicating.
After a few minutes into the trail, something flooded Suho’s senses. He closed his eyes, and he could feel the energy of his power pulsing through his veins. Certainly, there was water nearby.
“Do you have a clue to where we are going?” He asked Lay, whose gaze was lost above the trees that enclosed them.
“No idea,” he answered, his mouth gaping in awe. “I didn’t even know this place existed.”
In front of them, Chanyeol stomped his feet tiredly on the ground, kicking a pile of fallen leaves.
“How much longer exactly?” He wailed, breathlessly.
Baekhyun turned his head around to face the lanky boy. “What a wimp,” he mouthed before taking a few quick steps to catch up to the group in front of them.
A low snicker escaped from Yunho’s throat. “Not much further,” he called out. “We’re very close now!”
And they continued.
In front of Lay and Suho, Tao and Kris walked together. They hiked as far away as they possibly could from each other. From the body language alone, Suho could see that there was something up between them. Tao slowed his pace to stand next to Lay that. Kris took a long leap off the ground, joining Sehun and Luhan up front.
"Can we talk? In private?" Tao asked, and Lay nodded, offering Suho a tiny smile before turning away and standing with Tao behind the group, leaving Suho to walk alone.
He heard Chanyeol let out another winded grunt, his long legs shaking. “I can’t do this anymore,” he panted, whipping a layer of sweat from his forehead.
There was a crack, and from thin air, the boy named Kai appeared next to him, forcefully removing the backpack from Chanyeol’s shoulders with his eyebrows together in annoyance. Chanyeol’s hands found his knees, and he stayed put with his head down.
“Just be quiet,” he murmured, swinging one strap on his shoulder.
Chanyeol straightened his back, towering over Kai, pointing his index finger at his nose.
“Easy for you to say. You can teleport anywhere. Why are you even walking beside us mere mortals? Go on! Lead the way! I’ll meet you up there the next hundred years or so-WHOA-”
Baekhyun put his leg in front of Chanyeol, who tripped, staggering clumsily before stabilizing himself against a tree. Baekhyun strode on, leaving him behind.
“Thanks for shutting him up,” Kai said, and Baekhyun offered the tanned boy a wink in response. Sehun, Luhan, and Kris laughed openly. Suho cackled from behind, giving Chanyeol a timid tap on the back as he passed him.
Suho saw two boys approach him with their backs turned to the group. He recognized them. Chen and Xiumin, the two kronians. Chen had high cheekbones, sharp features, and no sense of personal space. He immediately swung an arm over Suho's shoulders.
"How come you're over here all by yourself?" He asked.
"Don't mind, Chen. He's has an insatiable need to befriend everyone. It's like he's addicted to meeting new people." Xiumin chimed in, and Chen brushed him off.
"I don’t know. It's just hard to join in sometimes." Suho mumbled.
"Come on, these are your friends. I'm sure they would love to have your company. Just be yourself!" Chen exclaimed, giving Suho’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.
Suho frowned. "That's the problem." he said. I don't really know who am I.
Chen and Xiumin exchanged a distressed look. There it was. They pitied him.
"Well, these days are over, man. You got yourself a clean slate!" Chen said, cheerily. "Just don't be an idiot like your friend over there." He pointed to Chanyeol, who whined with each step.
“Sedentary New Rome spoiled brats.” Krystal whispered to her sister, who gave Chanyeol a look of pity before shaking her head.
They start to descend the hill, picking up their pace. Chanyeol’s complaints slowly died down. They arrive at a clearing. That's when they see it. A sign hung above them, the wood was eaten away at the corners, and the letters were barely legible.
Lake Flora.
Suho could feel the body of water even before he saw it. It was massive; the water beautiful shades of blue and green, and the other side almost a blur in the horizon. Around the shore, mansions in decay surrounded it, together with tall hills and majestic pine trees. They stood in awe, absorbing the scene.
"Thought you might like to see a bit of the world now that you're free," Yunho said, giving them a smug look.
Victoria stepped up to stand beside him. "I've read about this place. Can't believe it's been abandoned. It's so beautiful."
“Who owns these houses?” Kyungsoo asked, pointing to the large palaces in corrosion.
“A while ago, Lake Flora was a really hot stop. All the millionaires had houses here. Soon, something else became the new it thing to have. So this place ended up abandoned. A pity. It’s Athena’s only natural lake.” Victoria answered and Yunho placed a hand on her shoulder.
“I used to spend my summers here when I was younger.” He pointed out a house to their left, probably the biggest one. There were holes in its structure and the roof caved in. White picket fence all twisted and covered with vines. Tree roots destroyed the porch. "That's my parent's summer house."
Lay returned to Suho side, giving him a tender smile. "Wow, have you ever seen anything more beautiful in your life?" He questioned, eyes lost in the horizon. Suho looked at him, admiring Lay's wide grin. Yes, he thought but kept that to himself.
Instead, he said, "This is probably the first time in my life that I can say I'm glad to be alive." Lay’s gaze fell on him. He put an arm around Suho shoulders affectionately, as they watch the water glitter, reflecting the sun rays.
--
Ridiculous. Absolutely pathetic.
Kai was never good with remembering names. Victoria tried to help him place names and faces together during their hike. Chanyeol is the one who complained a lot, the little one who always stood next to him was Baekhyun (Victoria wouldn’t shut up about him), and Sehun was-oh fuck it.
He crossed his arms over his chest, not believing what he was witnessing. They stood together by the lakeshore, playing and laughing with ease. He wondered what their life in the Center was like. Clearly, he had an entirely different experience. Before leaving that place, Kai never quite learned how to laugh. The memory of the first time he felt that bubbling inside his chest, climbing his breathing pipe, and exploding in his mouth was still fresh on his mind. It was about two years after he escaped, and over something downright stupid.
They were still in Egypt, and Yunho had inelegantly tripped in the middle of Cairo’s main market, falling face first on the asphalt, and Kai could only stand there, bursting in laughter, emotions coming out of him all at once. He couldn’t control himself. When Yunho finally managed to push himself off the ground, with the help of one of the shopkeepers, he smacked the back of Kai’s head playfully and called him a brat before pulling Kai by the arm through the market as they laughed wildly together.
Kai felt two hands on his back. He turned his head to see Victoria, giving him a gentle push.
“Just go,” she insisted.
He breathed deeply, grudgingly making his way down the shore, trying as best not to draw any attention to himself.
“Hey, do you guys know how to fish?” Xiumin asked, eyes fixed in the water. Tao nudged him.
“I’m sure they had many opportunities to fish while they were locked inside a government facility,” Tao nagged. Chen covered his face with his hands in embarrassment.
“We’ll teach them!” Chen beamed.
The long-limbed awkward kid stepped up, “I've fished before,” he said. “But we need rods, hooks, line-”
“Well, we do things differently in Kronos.” Tao cut him off, and the boy shrugged.
“Yeah. It’s way more, I don’t know, rustic?” Xiumin said. “We’ll show you guys, come on.” He gestured towards a path to the woods. They all followed in line behind him. Kai’s feet stayed planted where he stood.
Someone turned around to face him, large eyes opened wide. He blinked a few times. Kyungsoo, he remembered.
“Are you coming?” He asked, a hopeful expression flushed his face.
Kai raised an eyebrow at him. Just because they all had the same messed up experiences, didn't make them friends. He shook his head and the boy sulked, resuming his way into the trail, disappearing behind the trees.
He closed his eyes, the image of the front of Yunho’s house fixed on his mind as he ripped through space, and his body twisted in the darkness. A second later, he felt his feet hit the grass, as the world began to make sense again, putting itself together around him like puzzle pieces.
“You scared the shit out of me.”
Kai eyes searched for the owner of that voice. He looked down and saw Yuri, a hand placed firmly over her chest and her eyes wide in shock. Victoria and Yoona sat next to her over a red blanket. The women laughed, holding wine glasses in their hands.
“Where’s Yunho?” Kai asked.
“Where do you think?” Victoria said, gaze turning towards the rotting mansion behind them.
The house was the perfect picture of broken memories and melancholy. He knew Victoria was right, he would find the man inside, mind wandering through memories of a better time, before the war and the estrangement between him and his family. Yunho always had a thing for nostalgia.
Kai climbed the steps up the porch, the wood creaked under his feet. The front door had rotted away, but a welcome mat still remained, its corners fraying and the word welcome barely legible.
Yunho stood in the center of the sooty living room, a Polaroid camera hanging from his neck. On the walls, Kai saw pictures, cracked glass and faded images of Yunho, who didn’t look a day older than thirteen, in an army uniform, his sister at his side and Lake Flora filled the background.
There was a flash. Kai whipped his head around in shock. The corner of Yunho’s lips curved upward, shaking the polaroid he had just taken.
"Had a lot of happy memories here." Yunho said, flipping the image over to himself and then to Kai, who rolled his eyes at his captured stunned expression. "Hope you are able to build some too. Something to look back on when the dark times come. Why aren't you out there with the others?"
Kai’s face turned sour. He turned away to look at the pictures on the wall.
"Not really interested," he replied.
Yunho walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Make an effort to be nice at least? They are all going through a tough time."
Kai froze in his place, he pushed Yunho's hand away. "They were very fortunate to have you on their side. I was all alone," he noted.
"You don't have to be alone anymore." Yunho pressed on. "You know, I've lost a lot of friends since this whole thing started. It made me appreciate my friendships a lot more."
Kai furrowed his eyebrows, not truly seeing Yunho’s point. "Why get close to someone if they might be gone tomorrow?" He questioned.
"Everyone is going to hurt you. You just gotta find the ones worth suffering for," Yunho said, his voice low.
"I still think it's stupid," Kai retorted, his fingers brushing against a picture of a little girl doing a military salute, and then a picture of Yunho in his teens, sitting by the lakeshore, a boy laying beside him. I wonder if this is-
"You might be right," Yunho pulled a book from a shelf, whipping the layer of dust away on its cover, "friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art. It has no survival value. Rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.”
Kai sighed. He knew that had to be a quote. Yunho loved speaking in quotes and crazy metaphors, which took Kai ages to understand. He knew he would never win an argument against him. Even if he still didn’t understand his reasoning.
"Fine, whatever. I'll try to blend in, I guess." he said, defeated.
Yunho patted him on the back. "Go on then. I'm gonna stay here awhile."
Kai frowned at him before teleporting back outside. He knew this site brought bittersweet memories to Yunho, and it pained him to see him swamped in these emotions, but Kai, of all people, understood that some things were hard to let go.
He found them all gathered in a big circle in the grass. Tao, Chen and Xiumin instructing the others on how to make fishing lances, and patiently explaining the steps to them.
He stood far away, awkwardly. Kyungsoo raised his eyes to meet his, only to drop them back to the stick he was holding a moment later. He not so subtly nudged Sehun and Luhan, who were sitting with him. The two of them raised their heads to look back at Kai.
"Come on," Sehun called out, motioning the space next to him. "We'll help you catch up."
--
Sehun looked at the branch between in his hand pathetically. His desire to take part in the finishing venture was close to zero. To his left, he saw a beaten down path, a trail up a hill and into the woods. He noticed Tao, Kris, Lay and Suho sitting together. Tao leaned over Kris,
explaining how to sharpen the tip of the fishing lance. Kris looked up at him, a bright grin on his lips.
“Like this?” He asked in a playful tone, biting his lower lip. Tao’s face contorted, almost like he was in pain, before nodding profusely. He moved away from him, walking gingerly in their direction.
"Are you all doing okay here? You two haven't even started sharpening your tip," he pointed out, looking at Sehun and Luhan's hands. They shrugged. Kai and Kyungsoo worked in silence beside them. Tao kneeled over to check on their work.
"Sehun, are you really into this whole fishing thing or-" Luhan started
"Can we please get out of here?" Sehun begged, cutting him off.
They dropped their things at once, waving them all goodbye as Sehun tugged Luhan’s long sleeve towards the path in the woods. Luhan stood close to Sehun's side, eyes fixed on his shoes. Tall trees surrounded them, covering the sky. They walked in silence for a while, until they reached a clearing, and Sehun stopped admired their discovery in awe. Flowerbeds covered patches in the ground with lilac, and he could hear birds singing softly above him. He sighed, feeling an overwhelming sense of security as high as the trees encircling him in an earnest embrace. Nature was welcoming him home.
“Luhan?” He called, noticing that the boy didn’t stand by his side anymore. Luhan stood a few steps in front of Sehun, his eyes dim.
He turned around slowly, looking as if he carried the burden of the world in his shoulders. "What is it?"
"Are you happy?" Sehun questioned, eyes on to the little flowers involving his shoes. He dropped to the ground, sitting cross-legged and Luhan joined him. A strained smile tugged the corners of his lips, but Sehun knew it was insincere. His eyes remained bleak.
"Of course I'm happy. We're in this beautiful place. Alive. Together." He touched Sehun's arm, and the pressure was comforting. Still, Sehun knew something wasn’t right.
Knowing that soon enough Luhan would use his telepathic abilities to dig through Sehun’s questioning thoughts, he decided to think of something else. Before, he used to try to divert his mind from diving into thoughts of Luhan. Now, he didn’t care anymore. He basked in Luhan's beauty. Noting the way the light hit his skin, dewy, soft, and warm under his touch. He craved it like substance, wanting to explore every pore with his palms, his fingertips, and his lips. The skin on Luhan’s neck turned rosy, and Sehun licked his lips in satisfaction. Luhan lowered his eyes, and the shadow of his eyelashes fell on his cheeks.
You’re so beautiful.
Luhan let out a quivering breath, his fingers curling on Sehun’s forearm delicately. He could almost feel Luhan’s pulse quicken.
Sehun looked at the flowers underneath them, and something clicked in his head. He absent-mindedly started linking the stems together, as they sat in silence. Luhan watched curiously as the younger worked, his lips slightly parted. Sehun thought about how incredible they felt against his. The way Luhan's tongue shyly flickered inside his mouth. It was inimitable. Nothing else compared. From day one, he knew he was smitten. Luhan became his past, present, and future.
Soon, he raised his finished work for Luhan to see. The other boy laughed as Sehun placed a makeshift flower crown on top his head.
"I know that inside the Center you had that thing over your wrist that meant you were above us all. Which was kind of like a crown. So here," he adjusted the flowers on Luhan's head, "this is your new crown. You could be important here too. You could be our leader-"
Luhan pulled Sehun in, their noses brushed together for a second. He left soft nibbles on Sehun’s bottom lip, teeth pulling on skin as a low moan escaped the back of Sehun’s throat. Luhan’s lips moved with fervor as his nails dug into Sehun’s shoulders, underneath his sweater, leaving marks on his pale skin.
This kiss was more adventurous and intense than the others they shared before. Sehun’s hands tugged on the bottom of Luhan’s shirt, and Luhan understood immediately moving closer, almost gluing his body to his.
The world was so full of potential, and in his mind, everything included Luhan. He knew the other boy was listening to his thoughts. So he dared to think what he couldn't say out loud.
I love you.
--
Chanyeol had to hold his breath, or else he would’ve gasped loudly and made a fool of himself. Again. But how was he supposed to control himself when Suho was standing above the lake, literally walking on water, globes floating by his side with little fishes inside. Baekhyun splashed at him.
“Fishing is quite easy,” he said with a fake innocent look and Baekhyun rolled his eyes.
“You’re ruining the fun!”
He watched as Suho sank into the lake gracefully, moving his arms and the water spheres started to move towards Lay, who stood by the margin with a huge basket in his hands.
“Damn,” the boy exclaimed, as he watched the basket getting full, “you could feed the whole Gaza with this.”
Suho chuckled, and Chanyeol gave him a pat on back.
“This was so cool,” he said.
“It’s funny that you’re so amazed, though,” he heard a deep voice behind him, Kris looked at him amused, “you have powers too.”
“Yeah but I’m not used to yours,” he replied, taking a wet towel which Mrs. Victoria was giving to them. She placed one on Baekhyun’s head, messing with his wet hair as they laughed together. Chanyeol felt something burn inside his chest, memories of a woman smiling at him like that creeping in his mind. He had to shake his head to throw them away.
Don’t think about it.
“Did you know your power is the same as Sehun’s?” Chanyeol started and Kris looked back at him, drying his dirty blonde hair with a towel. “I mean,” he stopped, placing the towel on the top of his head, Kris, Tao and Baekhyun giving him confused expressions, “you can dominate air too, but using to fly is a lot harder than using it to blow air at people.”
Kris chuckled in a greasy way, looking from Tao to Baekhyun while scratching his chin.
“Sehun can’t even get five feet off the ground without falling on his ass,” Kris murmured, elbowing Chanyeol. They roared together, whereas Baekhyun and Tao conserved their expressions blank.
“Are you guys done?” Tao said, suspiring and steering Kris by the arm.
“But really, your power is neat too,” the Prototype delivered him an indulgent smile and Chanyeol felt a sudden flush of heat spread through his face, his ears burning hot.
A towel hit him harshly on the head.
“Get a room you two,” Baekhyun hissed. When Chanyeol belatedly recomposed himself, the boy was already far distant, walking away with determined strides. He glanced back at Kris, who had Tao smiling radiantly by his side, whispering something on his ear.
“What’s with him?”
“I don’t know,” Kris returned, shrugging.
“Why don’t you go find out?” Tao supposed in a melodious voice.
He turned on his heels, following the boy, and having to run in the process. For a kid with short legs he sure walks fast, he thought, so he yelled his name, and Baekhyun paused in front of Yunho’s house.
Chanyeol got closer to him, his breath unsteady by all the running and Baekhyun leaned against a tree, his eyes locked on the soil. He remarked Baekhyun’s shivering due to the cold air dusk brought with its arrival. The damp shirt he had on glued to his body and Chanyeol sensed his mouth running dry, his cheeks feeling hot.
This is so not the time for this.
He flung his towel over Baekhyun's shoulders, who at last looked up at him.
“Cover yourself, it’s chilly,” he said softly, and Baekhyun yielded for once. “Are you still mad at me?”
The Prototype stayed quiet, and Chanyeol let out a long sigh, aware that it would be difficult to bring Baekhyun back to his arms.
“I didn’t know I hurt you,” he started, taking one step closer and stopping just as he saw Baekhyun flinching, “I didn’t mean to lie to you.”
“But you did.”
“I didn’t lie I just-Look, I’m sorry,” he spotted Baekhyun’s eyes looking directly at him, “I didn’t mean to lie but it’s-It’s hard to talk about these things. About my father. And what he’s done to me. I was embarrassed. Of everyone, including you.”
Baekhyun’s expression softened, he bit his lower lip, silence falling on them. But Chanyeol did nothing to break it, giving the boy all the time he needed.
“I want you to understand,” Baekhyun finally said. “I was upset because I felt like I could never trust you again.”
“But you can!” He broke into a smile, and Baekhyun stared at him with doubt. “Look, we can start over! You’re not the same boy I met cloistered in that place, and I’m definitely not the same
guy who hid things from you. It's all different now.”
Baekhyun gave a low chuckle. Chanyeol felt his heart coming alive again, beating loudly inside his rib cage.
“I don’t know, this sounds weird-”
“Just give me another chance,” he begged. Baekhyun lingered speechless, ogling at Chanyeol with inquiring eyes, “please?”
Baekhyun took a step closer to him, his eyes fixed on Chanyeol’s.
“Promise you will never leave me in the dark again,” he asked in a brittle voice. Chanyeol bestowed him a slight smile, the kind of smile he had reserved for Baekhyun, and exclusively to him.
“I promise.”
“Let's start over then,” he blurted out, stretching out his right hand, “I’m Baekhyun, by the way.”
--
Baekhyun wrapped himself around a blanket, looking at the lake in front of him. He extended his hands, a fragile ball of light formed between them, like a tiny star. He blew it away, its light reflecting on the water until it vanished.
“That was beautiful,” Chanyeol whispered, close to the soft spot on his neck. He flinched a little, making the other boy laugh.
Spending a whole day with Chanyeol made Baekhyun realize two things. One, the boy did everything exaggeratedly. Two, he was actually head over heels for him. Even though, he tried his hardest to stay mad at him, he ended up succumbing to the boy’s pleas. There was also Mrs. Victoria’s, he likes you, I know he does, you have to be a little more flexible, Baekhyunnie.
Bliss was all he could feel. He had everything he ever wanted, like the main character in the movie they saw, when she finally realized she was in love with the hero the whole time. The kind of happiness when you discover something you always had, but never actually paid attention to it. He finally was treasuring himself.
“Let’s start a fire!” Chen blurted.
Baekhyun turned to see him standing in the middle of everyone. They were all sitting on the ground, wrapped around blankets while Yunho was preparing the fish. Yuri let out a mocking chuckle.
“No way. It's going to attract attention to us,” she said.
“This is an abandoned area,” Professor Victoria pointed out, a little softer than the dark haired woman, “I don't know the regulations about campfires-”
The loud sound of something breaking made her stop. Yunho came out of the darkness, a piece of wood on his hands. He held it like a trophy, singing something like a victory song. The boys’ started to laugh, while the man made his way towards Chanyeol. Victoria and Yuri exchanged annoyed looks.
“Would you do the honors?” Yunho said, bowing in front of Chanyeol.
He stood up, rolling up his sleeves. A golden glow ran through his exposed veins, followed by sound of combustion. The top of the wood caught fire and Yunho raised it high. Loud claps and shouts echoed around the area until the man placed it on the ground. Kai appeared out of nowhere, his arms filled with small branches. Soon, all of them started to throw twigs and sticks into the flame.
When the camp fire was at its full radiance, Baekhyun went a little closer, feeling the warm coming out of it.
“It feels like you,” he said, and Chanyeol’s cheeks turned red. The boy started to stutter furiously, and Tao gave him a cheesy grin.
“It feels like you,” the kronian boy echoed in a funny accent. Baekhyun went back to sit by Chanyeol’s side, making annoyed faces at Tao, telling him to stop it.
Yunho came to his feet, looking at the crowd with a pleased smile on his lips.
“If it’s okay, I’d like to recite a poem-”
“Oh fuck, here we go,” Kai whispered, and they all laughed. Yunho kicked his legs playfully.
Jessica rolled her eyes, a smirk on her face. “Just the old man do his thing.”
“It is a part of a poem by E.E Cummings. My father always used to recite it whenever we came to this place,” he stopped, as if the memories were so vivid that he had to take a moment to relive them.
“I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of the trees and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is everything, which is yes.”
Baekhyun closed his eyes, being surrounded by the words, and the feelings it brought him. He had always been in love with writing, literature, languages, and everything that words brought him. But at the Center, the closest thing to actual literature he had was the little quotes and stories Professor Victoria told them in a rushed tone. When Yunho finished, he opened his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. Chanyeol looked at him, ruining everything with the dumb look on his face.
“I don’t get it,” he whispered, but his deep voice betrayed him. Lay smacked him, making half the camp laugh.
“Of course you didn’t,” he said.
Chanyeol cursed furiously at him. Lay shrugged, saying Chanyeol had a dirty mouth for a New Rome playboy. Baekhyun watched as Lay laughed, wondering if he had ever seen him laugh like that before. He remembered Lay in the infirmary, quiet and withdrawn. Sometimes he would sneak a sweet smile to Baekhyun but never something like that.
He leaned back, embracing the blanket all around him, watching as Yunho and Kyuhyun went around with plates in their hands. On the opposite corner, Chen, Xiumin and Yoona were engaged in a conversation about Kronos and its culture. By their side was Lay and Suho, who seemed quite interested in the fish, followed by Luhan, Sehun and Kai. Luhan seemed a bit down, his eyes lost in the campfire while Sehun was cheerfully talking to Kai. Kyungsoo, by Kai’s side, was giving hopeful glances at them, trying to find a way to fit in their conversation. And then, there was Chanyeol, sitting to his left, still talking to him.
“Do you need anything? Another blanket? It’s kind of cold. Maybe I should get you an extra blanket-”
“Hmm,” Baekhyun scratched his chin, “I’m kind of thirsty.”
“I can bring you something. Do you want water? Beer-Oh, no, Victoria would kill me. Tea? You like tea right?”
Baekhyun nodded. When Chanyeol stood up, he felt a blow against his right ear.
“You’re a jerk,” Kris hissed, grinning and Baekhyun did the same. The attention Chanyeol was giving him was terribly over the top. Of course, Baekhyun would take advantage of it. The tall boy came back, cold tea in his hands. Yoona came along, offering them two plates with roasted fish.
“This seems delicious!” He said, his mouth watering at the smell.
“It use some pears to be quite honest,” Chanyeol held his fish between his fingers, a slight look of disgust on his face. “We look like Old World savages.”
“Oi! I’m talking to you!” He looked back at the direction of the voice finding Kai looking at him. Baekhyun couldn’t help but note the boy looked slightly less intimidating. “You’re quite good at soccer.” He referred to the match they played earlier, when Yunho emerged from the house with a ball under his arm.
“It’s the only thing that requires moving that I'm good at,” he said, and they all laughed, except Luhan, who still had his eyes on the flames, a heavy sigh coming from his mouth.
“Where did you guys learned to play soccer like that?” Kai asked.
“In the Center!” Kyungsoo finally spoke, excited at the opportunity. “General Changmin always said it was fitting for us to learn about group dynamics because in the battlefield-”
Kai’s expression went dark, his eyes emotionless. Kyungsoo, who obviously noticed the sudden mood change, started to stutter, his eyes going back to the ground. The mysterious boy turned his back to him, looking at Luhan.
“Sehun said you play well. Why didn’t join us?”
Luhan looked away from the fire. Something felt heavy on Baekhyun’s chest. The boy’s eyes were simply empty.
“I didn’t feel like it,” he deadpanned. Kai nodded, not pressing on the matter. Baekhyun eyes lingered on Luhan. He wanted to ask him what was wrong.
“You sucked, though,” Kai pointed at Chanyeol now, who widened his eyes at him.
“What-”
“If we didn’t make him goalie he’d ruin everything.”
“Shut up,” Chanyeol snapped, incredulous. He muttered to himself of how unfair Kai was being. Baekhyun gave him a reassuring tap on his shoulder.
Xiumin and Chen got closer to them. The first one sitting right in front of Luhan. "All you Athenians play badly,” he added.
“And you Kronians are cheaters,” Kai hissed, pointing at Tao, who was startled by the sudden attention he was receiving.
“I was tired of playing,” he said in a blasé tone, causing another explosion of laughter. Chanyeol clapped violently by his side. Kai elbowed Sehun, who looked up at him beaming.
“And you went all around blowing dust in everyone’s eyes-”
“You told me to do that!” Sehun exclaimed, smacking Kai’s arm. Baekhyun saw Luhan rolling his eyes.
“And you’re going to do everything I tell you to?” Kai laughed, amused. Sehun looked at him, a daring smile on his lips.
“If it seems like fun-”
“Do you guys wanna hear something funny?” Luhan started, his hollow eyes not letting go of the flames. “Our friend Kris over there,” he pointed at him, “is responsible for the roof in our training yard. He flew too high and pissed soldiers off.”
The camp went silent. Luhan lifted his head, a cynical smile on his face, but Baekhyun could read sadness all over it.
“You thought no one knew, right? How stupid are you?” He motioned to his head, referring to his powers. Kris balled his hands into fists. “And him,” he turned around, looking at Chanyeol, who just seemed terrified, “he cries all the time because he blames himself for his mother leaving. How old were you when she left? Eight?” He shrugged, as if it didn’t matter. Chanyeol’s eyes filled with tears.
“Stop it, Luhan!” Baekhyun shouted, his heart racing in his chest.
“Baekhyunnie here, likes to preach about friendship. But he never trusted us. He doesn’t trust anybody. And Sehun,” he turned around again. Sehun was still sitting on the floor, his eyes emotionless against Luhan’s fierce ones, “desperately prays for a happy family. It's so pathetic. How many times you dreamed of calling General Changmin daddy-”
“Now listen to your friend and shut the fuck up,” Kai stormed, his eyes full of anger.
“And you,” he started in a low, quiet voice, “how can you sit here and laugh when you killed a poor, innocent woman for your own selfish reasons?”
It all happened so fast, Baekhyun almost didn’t see it. Kai pounced towards Luhan, his hands already closed into fists. There was a sound of bones against flesh. Luhan backed away few steps, blood dripping from his lip. Sehun shot up, holding Kai by the arm. Yunho’s loud voice rang in their ears.
“Enough!” He shouted. Luhan ran off, disappearing in the dark. Yunho walked towards Kai, whose expression screamed of pure hatred.
“Calm down,” Yunho said, holding the boy by his shoulders.
Sehun looked in the direction Luhan ran, taking a step towards it before Kai held him by his arm.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Are you really gonna go after that asshole?”
Sehun paused for a second. He shook his head sadly, returning to his spot on the ground.
“You guys are the jerks,” Lay called, his eyes locked on Sehun with disappointment. “He’s going through a massive change. All of you are. Of all people, you should be the ones to understand-”
“Whatever,” Kris interrupted him with a cold voice. Lay turned his back to them.
By watching that weird, unusual scene, Baekhyun knew that something was seriously wrong. At normal times, Sehun would be the first one to run behind Luhan, eager to know what was wrong. Or at least he would’ve stop him at the middle of his fit, ignoring the judging looks, and just taking the boy in his arms.
Still, he pitied Luhan. Even after the things he said about Chanyeol. The boy was curled, his head resting against his knees. When Baekhyun got a little closer, he could hear the boy sobbing quietly. His heart was torn in pieces, but he tried to recollect himself for his sake. He watched as everyone went back to their places, a heavy silence among them.
He wanted to talk to Chanyeol. Ask him what happened, but he didn’t feel like it was right. I’m being selfish, he thought. This is too deep. When he wants to talk about it, I’ll be there to listen.
“Party is over,” Baekhyun whispered, as he leaned his head against Chanyeol’s shoulder, hands gently caressing the boy’s soft hair.
--
Lay marched in a hasty pace after Luhan, watching as the boy walked by the shore, holding his jaw. When the fire became a faint glow in the background, Luhan found a place to rest. He sat in the steps of one of the abandoned houses, the lake had invaded the yard, and Luhan removed his shoes to dip his feet in the cold water. Lay stood back, watching as Luhan’s sobs were muffled by the splash of rocks flying into the water. Luhan’s eyes tracking them until they disappeared in the darkness of the lake, leaving circular ripples on the surface.
Luhan noticed Lay's presence and a rock dangled above the water for a second, before dropping in it with a plop. Luhan wiped the blood away from his lip. He looked disappointed.
Lay let out a bitter chuckle. "Not who you were expecting?"
"No," Luhan replied honestly, rubbing his eyes. "Why do you even care anyway?"
"I came to see if you’re okay. Your lip is bleeding." Lay said, sitting next to him.
Luhan turned his face away. “I’m fine,” he grunted. “He throws a mean punch, though.” He snickered dryly. Lay followed, shaking his head.
"Listen, I know you are having a tough time. With all of this.” Lay started, and Luhan grimaced, lowering his head and kicking his feet in the water. Of course, he knew where the conversation was going. Lay wondered how hard it was for him to see people as transparent beings. And how others shied away from him, scared of his abilities. He never interacted with Luhan much before, except for the few times he visited the infirmary, or when he had to go over to his room to get blood samples. Luhan was a respected figure inside the Center, despite it all. The scientists respected his opinions, and so did his fellow Prototypes.
“They only respected me because they were scared of me,” Luhan said. “After my abilities expanded, they were afraid that I was going to turn on them, so they have me all those stupid privileges. It meant nothing in the end.”
“You don’t like it out here, don’t you?” Lay asked, and Luhan’s sucked on his bottom lip, holding back a sob.
"I'm trying, okay? I'm trying to adjust. The truth is I don't want to get involved with these people. I don't really know what I want. I just-"
"You need time. They will understand. I'm sure you'll be happy here. With us.”
"I don't know," Luhan's eyes trailed off in the distance. "But it's too early to judge, right?" he smiled slightly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "I feel kinda bad for-you know."
Lay scoffed, "Oh don't worry. A few drinks and they'll totally forget what happened. Until then, I can keep you company?"
Luhan nodded, throwing yet another rock in the lake. "I guess it's okay."
--
Tao picked at his food with his chopsticks, his eyes fixed on the gangly boy perched next to him, observing as he chewed meticulously. At this point, he didn’t give a damn if Kris noticed.
The mood around the campfire took a drastic slump. Chen made an effort to lighten up the air a few times, cracking his usual mindless gags. In the end, he was laughing alone. A sullen silence governed most of the night.
The boy named Kai vanished without excusing himself as soon as he finished his food. Yunho and Victoria observed with concern as he dropped out of sight.
"I wonder what really happened to him." Kyungsoo asked thoughtfully.
"I guess we'll never know," Kris answered. He sent a sheepish glance over in Tao’s direction before dropping his eyes back to his food.
Tao recalled their moment at the rooftop. He had always been a decisive person. When he found something he liked he tracked it down like a hunter. Kris was his next target.
This is purely physical, he thought to himself. A game.
"Tao, come on over here for a sec. Let's have a smoke." Xiumin called, his eyes judging.
Tao nodded in acknowledgment as Chen trailed after their leader down to the lakeshore, a white stick hanging from his lips.
"Don't fly away, little bird. I'll be right back." He muttered in Kris’ ear and winked. Kris gulped, but his eyes flickered with excitement.
Tao came to his feet, shuffling towards the lakeside. Chen lit up a cigarette and extended him the pack. Unfiltered Kronian tobacco. His favorite.
To the side, they saw Yunho abstractedly sticking polaroid pictures against a tree trunk. He took a couple of steps back to relish the end product, adjusting a picture that hung too low. He noticed the three of them and raised the Polaroid camera with a tender look.
"For when we come back. So we can remember." He remarked, before snapping a picture of the three of them.
Just as the film was done developing, he taped it to a tree, together with others he had been taking throughout the day. He wandered away with a wave, leaving the three Kronians alone as the fumes from their tobacco contaminated the air.
"He's such a weird character," Xiumin remarked.
"Shut up. I like him," Chen returned, punching their chief playfully on the arm.
"What did you all want to talk about?" Tao urged on, impatient.
Xiumin’s eyes shifted from side to side, monitoring if they were truly alone before switching to their native tongue. "Now that we have the sample. One of us needs to go back to Kronos to deliver it safely."
“Would you like me to go?” Tao inquired with a frown.
“It can’t be you,” Xiumin responded, taking a long drag and letting the smoke escape gradually through his nostrils. “The Prototypes trust you.” His gaze fell on Chen, and they boy’s mouth gaped.
“No!” He grumbled. “I like it here!” His tone was childlike, and Tao couldn’t help but break into a smile. He enjoyed Athena and its wonders. Unlike Tao, who counted the days until he could leave this mission behind.
Xiumin rolled his eyes. "Just go. Report everything. Don't relay the news about the Resistance just yet. This will be my report."
Chen let out a disgruntled groan, putting his cigarette out on the sole of his boot.
"Fine," he declared in unwanted agreement. “I think it will be good to see how my folks are doing.”
“Prepare to be grilled by the agency, though.” Xiumin said with a sneer, causing Chen’s face to twist in agony.
"What are we doing exactly? For now on?" Tao asked. Since the escape, the three of them had little time to gather and deliberate the coming course of action. From the look on Xiumin’s face, he surely had a scheme under his sleeve. The job was far from over.
"Watch. Observe. But let's not get too entangled. We have gained their trust, and that's the most critical element. Let's just see how this whole thing unfolds." Xiumin said his eyes locked on the group gathered by the pyre.
Tao questioned if he would ever see home again.
⇢ next: chapter nine
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
a/n: some sort of miracle happened and we were able to put this chapter together LAST FUCKING MINUTE. it was originally over 10k, then i went on an editing spree, cutting a bunch of things. actually, we plan on writing a little side story with different drabbles about the things that went on during their adventure to lake flora that didn't fit in the chapter. going more in detail and exploring other characters. idk when but it should happen.
sobs we really wanted this to be special ;~; i personally have been looking forward to this since like 4 chapters ago lmfao. to those who follow me on tumblr, if you noticed random pictures of landscapes/lakes/trees with weird tags THIS WAS THE REASON.
we really wanted to explore more the relationship between the boys BECAUSE OT12 EVEN IF IT'S KINDA DYSFUNCTIONAL. it's a super challegenging task since everyone is at different levels of acceptance (prototypes) while secret spy trio are dealing with their own thing and lay/chanyeol are both re-descovering their own native land, and seeing things through a new perspective.
anywaaaaaaaaay for now on things are gonna get much more intense. DUN DUN.
as always, thank you for sticking with us. your comments make me smile when i'm stressing over real life stuff sdojfoiigj.
see you next week!
⇢ fandom: exo
⇢ pairings: various
⇢ 8244 words
⇢ PG-13 (language)
p r o j e c t e x o : chapter eight
Watching the sun rise together was an experience Suho would never forget. The memory latched itself to his mind, and there was no turning back now. It was only the beginning.
When the sun burned high and bright in the sky, Yunho led them down stairs. From outside, the place looked like any other residence on the block, a modest Corinth two-story house. However, they would soon find out that this was no ordinary place.
The first and second floor maintained a certain sense of normality. Upstairs, there were two bedrooms. There was also another space, a control room, filled with computers a large flat screen. Yunho mentioned that Kai made the place his own personal movie theater, using it to pass his insomniac nights watching Old World movies.
The floor below revealed a living room with a red couch, a wood coffee table marked with circular cup stains, more bookshelves with books and pictures. Vases of orchids of many colors decorated the corners of the room; from Yunho’s personal garden, Yuri mentioned, opening the sliding glass door to the backyard and revealing a beautiful garden. Suho couldn’t wait to spend hours and hours lost within the many flowers and herbs. It smelled lovely, exhaling nature and reality.
The kitchen was vast. A great white table occupied most of its center space. Light green counters and cabinets spread around the walls. Nothing lavish or striking, only basic necessities. From the looks of it, it was barely even used. A layer of dust covered everything like a soft blanket.
Jessica punched a code in a keypad by a door in the corner of the kitchen, it unlocked with a pop. As they walked, faint lights began to light a staircase, it’s walls made Suho feel a bit claustrophobic, and from the looks in the other’s faces he wasn’t the only one.
They reached what Yunho called the main floor, the area they were being held before. It was a spacious room with many doors, two on each wall, and eight in total. Behind each door was a room, build exclusively for them. Yunho explained that there were two more floors below; a garage and a small warehouse with supplies.
The boys claimed their spaces. Too shaken up to actually sleep, Suho ended up on Lay’s room. His company was comforting. Suho saw the other boy boy space out from time to time while they talked, letting his eyes wander around the bedroom, counting the cracks on the dirty white walls. A few hours later, Lay placed his head on the pillow, falling asleep to Suho's soft hands running through his hair.
They rested for the entire day. Not leaving their rooms and keeping to themselves as much as possible. Mrs. Victoria and Yoona came by to check on them often, calling them for meals and bringing in fresh, new clothes. Common attires, not the customary white uniform they used to sport. Suho looked at his new jeans and stripped sweater and felt something tug on the corner of his lips. The fabric reached his skin and brought a strong sense of normality. He wasn’t a prisoner in a glass cell anymore, but a regular member of society. Who so happens to have a few unique abilities.
The next day, they woke them up at the crack of dawn.
They got shoved into separate vehicles. Yoona drove Lay, Kris, Tao, and him through the highway in conspicuous silver car. They didn’t tell them where they were going exactly. The upbeat atmosphere surrounding the Resistance members contrasted heavily against the looming sense that they were on the edge of a cliff, as if something awful could happen at any time and push them in.
About one hour into the quiet drive, the landscape around them started to change. From the arid desolation of the decaying buildings by the highway near Corinth, to lush green hills and tall pine trees as they entered the Gaza area. Yoona rolled down the windows so they could take in the aroma.
“This is my favorite area in all of Athena,” she said, as they drove by a faded sign announcing they were close to a neighborhood called Ceres. “We are close to one of the last natural parks in the world. Doesn’t it smell wonderful?”
Kris poked his head out the window, closing his eyes as the wind tangled his hair. His nostrils flared as he breathed deeply, inhaling the rich fragrance with a smile. Suho did the same, absorbing the scenery as the powerful lush smell overwhelmed his senses. This was something they had only seen on screens before, now they were living it.
When they passed a large sign that read Iris National Park, all cars took a sharp turn to the right, following a dirt road, barely wide enough for cars to pass. About a mile in, the track came to an end in a circular opening. They began to park next to each other. Yunho was the first one out. A broad smile on his lips as he stretched his arms over his head. A grumpy Kai stood by his side, scratching his eyes and yawning widely. They came together in front of a sign, which pointed out the beginning of a narrow trail.
“From here we go on foot,” Yunho announced.
Suho heard a lengthy disappointed groan come from behind Yunho, and he craned his neck to see who was the one responsible for it. Chanyeol quickly hid his face behind his large hands. Baekhyun breathed in deeply and rolled his eyes. The others around them allowed themselves to chuckle at the scene.
“Let’s go,” Yunho said, swinging a heavy backpack over his shoulders. Yoona, Yuri, Jessica, Krystal followed him, leading the way.
Victoria stayed a little behind with Kai. The two of them shared a private conversation, the woman using the boy’s bronzed arms for stability as they walked over tree roots and loose rocks.
Suho, mesmerized, examined the area curiously. As they walked, he let his fingertips brush by plants and tree trunks. The atmosphere incredibly intoxicating.
After a few minutes into the trail, something flooded Suho’s senses. He closed his eyes, and he could feel the energy of his power pulsing through his veins. Certainly, there was water nearby.
“Do you have a clue to where we are going?” He asked Lay, whose gaze was lost above the trees that enclosed them.
“No idea,” he answered, his mouth gaping in awe. “I didn’t even know this place existed.”
In front of them, Chanyeol stomped his feet tiredly on the ground, kicking a pile of fallen leaves.
“How much longer exactly?” He wailed, breathlessly.
Baekhyun turned his head around to face the lanky boy. “What a wimp,” he mouthed before taking a few quick steps to catch up to the group in front of them.
A low snicker escaped from Yunho’s throat. “Not much further,” he called out. “We’re very close now!”
And they continued.
In front of Lay and Suho, Tao and Kris walked together. They hiked as far away as they possibly could from each other. From the body language alone, Suho could see that there was something up between them. Tao slowed his pace to stand next to Lay that. Kris took a long leap off the ground, joining Sehun and Luhan up front.
"Can we talk? In private?" Tao asked, and Lay nodded, offering Suho a tiny smile before turning away and standing with Tao behind the group, leaving Suho to walk alone.
He heard Chanyeol let out another winded grunt, his long legs shaking. “I can’t do this anymore,” he panted, whipping a layer of sweat from his forehead.
There was a crack, and from thin air, the boy named Kai appeared next to him, forcefully removing the backpack from Chanyeol’s shoulders with his eyebrows together in annoyance. Chanyeol’s hands found his knees, and he stayed put with his head down.
“Just be quiet,” he murmured, swinging one strap on his shoulder.
Chanyeol straightened his back, towering over Kai, pointing his index finger at his nose.
“Easy for you to say. You can teleport anywhere. Why are you even walking beside us mere mortals? Go on! Lead the way! I’ll meet you up there the next hundred years or so-WHOA-”
Baekhyun put his leg in front of Chanyeol, who tripped, staggering clumsily before stabilizing himself against a tree. Baekhyun strode on, leaving him behind.
“Thanks for shutting him up,” Kai said, and Baekhyun offered the tanned boy a wink in response. Sehun, Luhan, and Kris laughed openly. Suho cackled from behind, giving Chanyeol a timid tap on the back as he passed him.
Suho saw two boys approach him with their backs turned to the group. He recognized them. Chen and Xiumin, the two kronians. Chen had high cheekbones, sharp features, and no sense of personal space. He immediately swung an arm over Suho's shoulders.
"How come you're over here all by yourself?" He asked.
"Don't mind, Chen. He's has an insatiable need to befriend everyone. It's like he's addicted to meeting new people." Xiumin chimed in, and Chen brushed him off.
"I don’t know. It's just hard to join in sometimes." Suho mumbled.
"Come on, these are your friends. I'm sure they would love to have your company. Just be yourself!" Chen exclaimed, giving Suho’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.
Suho frowned. "That's the problem." he said. I don't really know who am I.
Chen and Xiumin exchanged a distressed look. There it was. They pitied him.
"Well, these days are over, man. You got yourself a clean slate!" Chen said, cheerily. "Just don't be an idiot like your friend over there." He pointed to Chanyeol, who whined with each step.
“Sedentary New Rome spoiled brats.” Krystal whispered to her sister, who gave Chanyeol a look of pity before shaking her head.
They start to descend the hill, picking up their pace. Chanyeol’s complaints slowly died down. They arrive at a clearing. That's when they see it. A sign hung above them, the wood was eaten away at the corners, and the letters were barely legible.
Lake Flora.
Suho could feel the body of water even before he saw it. It was massive; the water beautiful shades of blue and green, and the other side almost a blur in the horizon. Around the shore, mansions in decay surrounded it, together with tall hills and majestic pine trees. They stood in awe, absorbing the scene.
"Thought you might like to see a bit of the world now that you're free," Yunho said, giving them a smug look.
Victoria stepped up to stand beside him. "I've read about this place. Can't believe it's been abandoned. It's so beautiful."
“Who owns these houses?” Kyungsoo asked, pointing to the large palaces in corrosion.
“A while ago, Lake Flora was a really hot stop. All the millionaires had houses here. Soon, something else became the new it thing to have. So this place ended up abandoned. A pity. It’s Athena’s only natural lake.” Victoria answered and Yunho placed a hand on her shoulder.
“I used to spend my summers here when I was younger.” He pointed out a house to their left, probably the biggest one. There were holes in its structure and the roof caved in. White picket fence all twisted and covered with vines. Tree roots destroyed the porch. "That's my parent's summer house."
Lay returned to Suho side, giving him a tender smile. "Wow, have you ever seen anything more beautiful in your life?" He questioned, eyes lost in the horizon. Suho looked at him, admiring Lay's wide grin. Yes, he thought but kept that to himself.
Instead, he said, "This is probably the first time in my life that I can say I'm glad to be alive." Lay’s gaze fell on him. He put an arm around Suho shoulders affectionately, as they watch the water glitter, reflecting the sun rays.
--
Ridiculous. Absolutely pathetic.
Kai was never good with remembering names. Victoria tried to help him place names and faces together during their hike. Chanyeol is the one who complained a lot, the little one who always stood next to him was Baekhyun (Victoria wouldn’t shut up about him), and Sehun was-oh fuck it.
He crossed his arms over his chest, not believing what he was witnessing. They stood together by the lakeshore, playing and laughing with ease. He wondered what their life in the Center was like. Clearly, he had an entirely different experience. Before leaving that place, Kai never quite learned how to laugh. The memory of the first time he felt that bubbling inside his chest, climbing his breathing pipe, and exploding in his mouth was still fresh on his mind. It was about two years after he escaped, and over something downright stupid.
They were still in Egypt, and Yunho had inelegantly tripped in the middle of Cairo’s main market, falling face first on the asphalt, and Kai could only stand there, bursting in laughter, emotions coming out of him all at once. He couldn’t control himself. When Yunho finally managed to push himself off the ground, with the help of one of the shopkeepers, he smacked the back of Kai’s head playfully and called him a brat before pulling Kai by the arm through the market as they laughed wildly together.
Kai felt two hands on his back. He turned his head to see Victoria, giving him a gentle push.
“Just go,” she insisted.
He breathed deeply, grudgingly making his way down the shore, trying as best not to draw any attention to himself.
“Hey, do you guys know how to fish?” Xiumin asked, eyes fixed in the water. Tao nudged him.
“I’m sure they had many opportunities to fish while they were locked inside a government facility,” Tao nagged. Chen covered his face with his hands in embarrassment.
“We’ll teach them!” Chen beamed.
The long-limbed awkward kid stepped up, “I've fished before,” he said. “But we need rods, hooks, line-”
“Well, we do things differently in Kronos.” Tao cut him off, and the boy shrugged.
“Yeah. It’s way more, I don’t know, rustic?” Xiumin said. “We’ll show you guys, come on.” He gestured towards a path to the woods. They all followed in line behind him. Kai’s feet stayed planted where he stood.
Someone turned around to face him, large eyes opened wide. He blinked a few times. Kyungsoo, he remembered.
“Are you coming?” He asked, a hopeful expression flushed his face.
Kai raised an eyebrow at him. Just because they all had the same messed up experiences, didn't make them friends. He shook his head and the boy sulked, resuming his way into the trail, disappearing behind the trees.
He closed his eyes, the image of the front of Yunho’s house fixed on his mind as he ripped through space, and his body twisted in the darkness. A second later, he felt his feet hit the grass, as the world began to make sense again, putting itself together around him like puzzle pieces.
“You scared the shit out of me.”
Kai eyes searched for the owner of that voice. He looked down and saw Yuri, a hand placed firmly over her chest and her eyes wide in shock. Victoria and Yoona sat next to her over a red blanket. The women laughed, holding wine glasses in their hands.
“Where’s Yunho?” Kai asked.
“Where do you think?” Victoria said, gaze turning towards the rotting mansion behind them.
The house was the perfect picture of broken memories and melancholy. He knew Victoria was right, he would find the man inside, mind wandering through memories of a better time, before the war and the estrangement between him and his family. Yunho always had a thing for nostalgia.
Kai climbed the steps up the porch, the wood creaked under his feet. The front door had rotted away, but a welcome mat still remained, its corners fraying and the word welcome barely legible.
Yunho stood in the center of the sooty living room, a Polaroid camera hanging from his neck. On the walls, Kai saw pictures, cracked glass and faded images of Yunho, who didn’t look a day older than thirteen, in an army uniform, his sister at his side and Lake Flora filled the background.
There was a flash. Kai whipped his head around in shock. The corner of Yunho’s lips curved upward, shaking the polaroid he had just taken.
"Had a lot of happy memories here." Yunho said, flipping the image over to himself and then to Kai, who rolled his eyes at his captured stunned expression. "Hope you are able to build some too. Something to look back on when the dark times come. Why aren't you out there with the others?"
Kai’s face turned sour. He turned away to look at the pictures on the wall.
"Not really interested," he replied.
Yunho walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Make an effort to be nice at least? They are all going through a tough time."
Kai froze in his place, he pushed Yunho's hand away. "They were very fortunate to have you on their side. I was all alone," he noted.
"You don't have to be alone anymore." Yunho pressed on. "You know, I've lost a lot of friends since this whole thing started. It made me appreciate my friendships a lot more."
Kai furrowed his eyebrows, not truly seeing Yunho’s point. "Why get close to someone if they might be gone tomorrow?" He questioned.
"Everyone is going to hurt you. You just gotta find the ones worth suffering for," Yunho said, his voice low.
"I still think it's stupid," Kai retorted, his fingers brushing against a picture of a little girl doing a military salute, and then a picture of Yunho in his teens, sitting by the lakeshore, a boy laying beside him. I wonder if this is-
"You might be right," Yunho pulled a book from a shelf, whipping the layer of dust away on its cover, "friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art. It has no survival value. Rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.”
Kai sighed. He knew that had to be a quote. Yunho loved speaking in quotes and crazy metaphors, which took Kai ages to understand. He knew he would never win an argument against him. Even if he still didn’t understand his reasoning.
"Fine, whatever. I'll try to blend in, I guess." he said, defeated.
Yunho patted him on the back. "Go on then. I'm gonna stay here awhile."
Kai frowned at him before teleporting back outside. He knew this site brought bittersweet memories to Yunho, and it pained him to see him swamped in these emotions, but Kai, of all people, understood that some things were hard to let go.
He found them all gathered in a big circle in the grass. Tao, Chen and Xiumin instructing the others on how to make fishing lances, and patiently explaining the steps to them.
He stood far away, awkwardly. Kyungsoo raised his eyes to meet his, only to drop them back to the stick he was holding a moment later. He not so subtly nudged Sehun and Luhan, who were sitting with him. The two of them raised their heads to look back at Kai.
"Come on," Sehun called out, motioning the space next to him. "We'll help you catch up."
--
Sehun looked at the branch between in his hand pathetically. His desire to take part in the finishing venture was close to zero. To his left, he saw a beaten down path, a trail up a hill and into the woods. He noticed Tao, Kris, Lay and Suho sitting together. Tao leaned over Kris,
explaining how to sharpen the tip of the fishing lance. Kris looked up at him, a bright grin on his lips.
“Like this?” He asked in a playful tone, biting his lower lip. Tao’s face contorted, almost like he was in pain, before nodding profusely. He moved away from him, walking gingerly in their direction.
"Are you all doing okay here? You two haven't even started sharpening your tip," he pointed out, looking at Sehun and Luhan's hands. They shrugged. Kai and Kyungsoo worked in silence beside them. Tao kneeled over to check on their work.
"Sehun, are you really into this whole fishing thing or-" Luhan started
"Can we please get out of here?" Sehun begged, cutting him off.
They dropped their things at once, waving them all goodbye as Sehun tugged Luhan’s long sleeve towards the path in the woods. Luhan stood close to Sehun's side, eyes fixed on his shoes. Tall trees surrounded them, covering the sky. They walked in silence for a while, until they reached a clearing, and Sehun stopped admired their discovery in awe. Flowerbeds covered patches in the ground with lilac, and he could hear birds singing softly above him. He sighed, feeling an overwhelming sense of security as high as the trees encircling him in an earnest embrace. Nature was welcoming him home.
“Luhan?” He called, noticing that the boy didn’t stand by his side anymore. Luhan stood a few steps in front of Sehun, his eyes dim.
He turned around slowly, looking as if he carried the burden of the world in his shoulders. "What is it?"
"Are you happy?" Sehun questioned, eyes on to the little flowers involving his shoes. He dropped to the ground, sitting cross-legged and Luhan joined him. A strained smile tugged the corners of his lips, but Sehun knew it was insincere. His eyes remained bleak.
"Of course I'm happy. We're in this beautiful place. Alive. Together." He touched Sehun's arm, and the pressure was comforting. Still, Sehun knew something wasn’t right.
Knowing that soon enough Luhan would use his telepathic abilities to dig through Sehun’s questioning thoughts, he decided to think of something else. Before, he used to try to divert his mind from diving into thoughts of Luhan. Now, he didn’t care anymore. He basked in Luhan's beauty. Noting the way the light hit his skin, dewy, soft, and warm under his touch. He craved it like substance, wanting to explore every pore with his palms, his fingertips, and his lips. The skin on Luhan’s neck turned rosy, and Sehun licked his lips in satisfaction. Luhan lowered his eyes, and the shadow of his eyelashes fell on his cheeks.
You’re so beautiful.
Luhan let out a quivering breath, his fingers curling on Sehun’s forearm delicately. He could almost feel Luhan’s pulse quicken.
Sehun looked at the flowers underneath them, and something clicked in his head. He absent-mindedly started linking the stems together, as they sat in silence. Luhan watched curiously as the younger worked, his lips slightly parted. Sehun thought about how incredible they felt against his. The way Luhan's tongue shyly flickered inside his mouth. It was inimitable. Nothing else compared. From day one, he knew he was smitten. Luhan became his past, present, and future.
Soon, he raised his finished work for Luhan to see. The other boy laughed as Sehun placed a makeshift flower crown on top his head.
"I know that inside the Center you had that thing over your wrist that meant you were above us all. Which was kind of like a crown. So here," he adjusted the flowers on Luhan's head, "this is your new crown. You could be important here too. You could be our leader-"
Luhan pulled Sehun in, their noses brushed together for a second. He left soft nibbles on Sehun’s bottom lip, teeth pulling on skin as a low moan escaped the back of Sehun’s throat. Luhan’s lips moved with fervor as his nails dug into Sehun’s shoulders, underneath his sweater, leaving marks on his pale skin.
This kiss was more adventurous and intense than the others they shared before. Sehun’s hands tugged on the bottom of Luhan’s shirt, and Luhan understood immediately moving closer, almost gluing his body to his.
The world was so full of potential, and in his mind, everything included Luhan. He knew the other boy was listening to his thoughts. So he dared to think what he couldn't say out loud.
I love you.
--
Chanyeol had to hold his breath, or else he would’ve gasped loudly and made a fool of himself. Again. But how was he supposed to control himself when Suho was standing above the lake, literally walking on water, globes floating by his side with little fishes inside. Baekhyun splashed at him.
“Fishing is quite easy,” he said with a fake innocent look and Baekhyun rolled his eyes.
“You’re ruining the fun!”
He watched as Suho sank into the lake gracefully, moving his arms and the water spheres started to move towards Lay, who stood by the margin with a huge basket in his hands.
“Damn,” the boy exclaimed, as he watched the basket getting full, “you could feed the whole Gaza with this.”
Suho chuckled, and Chanyeol gave him a pat on back.
“This was so cool,” he said.
“It’s funny that you’re so amazed, though,” he heard a deep voice behind him, Kris looked at him amused, “you have powers too.”
“Yeah but I’m not used to yours,” he replied, taking a wet towel which Mrs. Victoria was giving to them. She placed one on Baekhyun’s head, messing with his wet hair as they laughed together. Chanyeol felt something burn inside his chest, memories of a woman smiling at him like that creeping in his mind. He had to shake his head to throw them away.
Don’t think about it.
“Did you know your power is the same as Sehun’s?” Chanyeol started and Kris looked back at him, drying his dirty blonde hair with a towel. “I mean,” he stopped, placing the towel on the top of his head, Kris, Tao and Baekhyun giving him confused expressions, “you can dominate air too, but using to fly is a lot harder than using it to blow air at people.”
Kris chuckled in a greasy way, looking from Tao to Baekhyun while scratching his chin.
“Sehun can’t even get five feet off the ground without falling on his ass,” Kris murmured, elbowing Chanyeol. They roared together, whereas Baekhyun and Tao conserved their expressions blank.
“Are you guys done?” Tao said, suspiring and steering Kris by the arm.
“But really, your power is neat too,” the Prototype delivered him an indulgent smile and Chanyeol felt a sudden flush of heat spread through his face, his ears burning hot.
A towel hit him harshly on the head.
“Get a room you two,” Baekhyun hissed. When Chanyeol belatedly recomposed himself, the boy was already far distant, walking away with determined strides. He glanced back at Kris, who had Tao smiling radiantly by his side, whispering something on his ear.
“What’s with him?”
“I don’t know,” Kris returned, shrugging.
“Why don’t you go find out?” Tao supposed in a melodious voice.
He turned on his heels, following the boy, and having to run in the process. For a kid with short legs he sure walks fast, he thought, so he yelled his name, and Baekhyun paused in front of Yunho’s house.
Chanyeol got closer to him, his breath unsteady by all the running and Baekhyun leaned against a tree, his eyes locked on the soil. He remarked Baekhyun’s shivering due to the cold air dusk brought with its arrival. The damp shirt he had on glued to his body and Chanyeol sensed his mouth running dry, his cheeks feeling hot.
This is so not the time for this.
He flung his towel over Baekhyun's shoulders, who at last looked up at him.
“Cover yourself, it’s chilly,” he said softly, and Baekhyun yielded for once. “Are you still mad at me?”
The Prototype stayed quiet, and Chanyeol let out a long sigh, aware that it would be difficult to bring Baekhyun back to his arms.
“I didn’t know I hurt you,” he started, taking one step closer and stopping just as he saw Baekhyun flinching, “I didn’t mean to lie to you.”
“But you did.”
“I didn’t lie I just-Look, I’m sorry,” he spotted Baekhyun’s eyes looking directly at him, “I didn’t mean to lie but it’s-It’s hard to talk about these things. About my father. And what he’s done to me. I was embarrassed. Of everyone, including you.”
Baekhyun’s expression softened, he bit his lower lip, silence falling on them. But Chanyeol did nothing to break it, giving the boy all the time he needed.
“I want you to understand,” Baekhyun finally said. “I was upset because I felt like I could never trust you again.”
“But you can!” He broke into a smile, and Baekhyun stared at him with doubt. “Look, we can start over! You’re not the same boy I met cloistered in that place, and I’m definitely not the same
guy who hid things from you. It's all different now.”
Baekhyun gave a low chuckle. Chanyeol felt his heart coming alive again, beating loudly inside his rib cage.
“I don’t know, this sounds weird-”
“Just give me another chance,” he begged. Baekhyun lingered speechless, ogling at Chanyeol with inquiring eyes, “please?”
Baekhyun took a step closer to him, his eyes fixed on Chanyeol’s.
“Promise you will never leave me in the dark again,” he asked in a brittle voice. Chanyeol bestowed him a slight smile, the kind of smile he had reserved for Baekhyun, and exclusively to him.
“I promise.”
“Let's start over then,” he blurted out, stretching out his right hand, “I’m Baekhyun, by the way.”
--
Baekhyun wrapped himself around a blanket, looking at the lake in front of him. He extended his hands, a fragile ball of light formed between them, like a tiny star. He blew it away, its light reflecting on the water until it vanished.
“That was beautiful,” Chanyeol whispered, close to the soft spot on his neck. He flinched a little, making the other boy laugh.
Spending a whole day with Chanyeol made Baekhyun realize two things. One, the boy did everything exaggeratedly. Two, he was actually head over heels for him. Even though, he tried his hardest to stay mad at him, he ended up succumbing to the boy’s pleas. There was also Mrs. Victoria’s, he likes you, I know he does, you have to be a little more flexible, Baekhyunnie.
Bliss was all he could feel. He had everything he ever wanted, like the main character in the movie they saw, when she finally realized she was in love with the hero the whole time. The kind of happiness when you discover something you always had, but never actually paid attention to it. He finally was treasuring himself.
“Let’s start a fire!” Chen blurted.
Baekhyun turned to see him standing in the middle of everyone. They were all sitting on the ground, wrapped around blankets while Yunho was preparing the fish. Yuri let out a mocking chuckle.
“No way. It's going to attract attention to us,” she said.
“This is an abandoned area,” Professor Victoria pointed out, a little softer than the dark haired woman, “I don't know the regulations about campfires-”
The loud sound of something breaking made her stop. Yunho came out of the darkness, a piece of wood on his hands. He held it like a trophy, singing something like a victory song. The boys’ started to laugh, while the man made his way towards Chanyeol. Victoria and Yuri exchanged annoyed looks.
“Would you do the honors?” Yunho said, bowing in front of Chanyeol.
He stood up, rolling up his sleeves. A golden glow ran through his exposed veins, followed by sound of combustion. The top of the wood caught fire and Yunho raised it high. Loud claps and shouts echoed around the area until the man placed it on the ground. Kai appeared out of nowhere, his arms filled with small branches. Soon, all of them started to throw twigs and sticks into the flame.
When the camp fire was at its full radiance, Baekhyun went a little closer, feeling the warm coming out of it.
“It feels like you,” he said, and Chanyeol’s cheeks turned red. The boy started to stutter furiously, and Tao gave him a cheesy grin.
“It feels like you,” the kronian boy echoed in a funny accent. Baekhyun went back to sit by Chanyeol’s side, making annoyed faces at Tao, telling him to stop it.
Yunho came to his feet, looking at the crowd with a pleased smile on his lips.
“If it’s okay, I’d like to recite a poem-”
“Oh fuck, here we go,” Kai whispered, and they all laughed. Yunho kicked his legs playfully.
Jessica rolled her eyes, a smirk on her face. “Just the old man do his thing.”
“It is a part of a poem by E.E Cummings. My father always used to recite it whenever we came to this place,” he stopped, as if the memories were so vivid that he had to take a moment to relive them.
“I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of the trees and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is everything, which is yes.”
Baekhyun closed his eyes, being surrounded by the words, and the feelings it brought him. He had always been in love with writing, literature, languages, and everything that words brought him. But at the Center, the closest thing to actual literature he had was the little quotes and stories Professor Victoria told them in a rushed tone. When Yunho finished, he opened his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. Chanyeol looked at him, ruining everything with the dumb look on his face.
“I don’t get it,” he whispered, but his deep voice betrayed him. Lay smacked him, making half the camp laugh.
“Of course you didn’t,” he said.
Chanyeol cursed furiously at him. Lay shrugged, saying Chanyeol had a dirty mouth for a New Rome playboy. Baekhyun watched as Lay laughed, wondering if he had ever seen him laugh like that before. He remembered Lay in the infirmary, quiet and withdrawn. Sometimes he would sneak a sweet smile to Baekhyun but never something like that.
He leaned back, embracing the blanket all around him, watching as Yunho and Kyuhyun went around with plates in their hands. On the opposite corner, Chen, Xiumin and Yoona were engaged in a conversation about Kronos and its culture. By their side was Lay and Suho, who seemed quite interested in the fish, followed by Luhan, Sehun and Kai. Luhan seemed a bit down, his eyes lost in the campfire while Sehun was cheerfully talking to Kai. Kyungsoo, by Kai’s side, was giving hopeful glances at them, trying to find a way to fit in their conversation. And then, there was Chanyeol, sitting to his left, still talking to him.
“Do you need anything? Another blanket? It’s kind of cold. Maybe I should get you an extra blanket-”
“Hmm,” Baekhyun scratched his chin, “I’m kind of thirsty.”
“I can bring you something. Do you want water? Beer-Oh, no, Victoria would kill me. Tea? You like tea right?”
Baekhyun nodded. When Chanyeol stood up, he felt a blow against his right ear.
“You’re a jerk,” Kris hissed, grinning and Baekhyun did the same. The attention Chanyeol was giving him was terribly over the top. Of course, Baekhyun would take advantage of it. The tall boy came back, cold tea in his hands. Yoona came along, offering them two plates with roasted fish.
“This seems delicious!” He said, his mouth watering at the smell.
“It use some pears to be quite honest,” Chanyeol held his fish between his fingers, a slight look of disgust on his face. “We look like Old World savages.”
“Oi! I’m talking to you!” He looked back at the direction of the voice finding Kai looking at him. Baekhyun couldn’t help but note the boy looked slightly less intimidating. “You’re quite good at soccer.” He referred to the match they played earlier, when Yunho emerged from the house with a ball under his arm.
“It’s the only thing that requires moving that I'm good at,” he said, and they all laughed, except Luhan, who still had his eyes on the flames, a heavy sigh coming from his mouth.
“Where did you guys learned to play soccer like that?” Kai asked.
“In the Center!” Kyungsoo finally spoke, excited at the opportunity. “General Changmin always said it was fitting for us to learn about group dynamics because in the battlefield-”
Kai’s expression went dark, his eyes emotionless. Kyungsoo, who obviously noticed the sudden mood change, started to stutter, his eyes going back to the ground. The mysterious boy turned his back to him, looking at Luhan.
“Sehun said you play well. Why didn’t join us?”
Luhan looked away from the fire. Something felt heavy on Baekhyun’s chest. The boy’s eyes were simply empty.
“I didn’t feel like it,” he deadpanned. Kai nodded, not pressing on the matter. Baekhyun eyes lingered on Luhan. He wanted to ask him what was wrong.
“You sucked, though,” Kai pointed at Chanyeol now, who widened his eyes at him.
“What-”
“If we didn’t make him goalie he’d ruin everything.”
“Shut up,” Chanyeol snapped, incredulous. He muttered to himself of how unfair Kai was being. Baekhyun gave him a reassuring tap on his shoulder.
Xiumin and Chen got closer to them. The first one sitting right in front of Luhan. "All you Athenians play badly,” he added.
“And you Kronians are cheaters,” Kai hissed, pointing at Tao, who was startled by the sudden attention he was receiving.
“I was tired of playing,” he said in a blasé tone, causing another explosion of laughter. Chanyeol clapped violently by his side. Kai elbowed Sehun, who looked up at him beaming.
“And you went all around blowing dust in everyone’s eyes-”
“You told me to do that!” Sehun exclaimed, smacking Kai’s arm. Baekhyun saw Luhan rolling his eyes.
“And you’re going to do everything I tell you to?” Kai laughed, amused. Sehun looked at him, a daring smile on his lips.
“If it seems like fun-”
“Do you guys wanna hear something funny?” Luhan started, his hollow eyes not letting go of the flames. “Our friend Kris over there,” he pointed at him, “is responsible for the roof in our training yard. He flew too high and pissed soldiers off.”
The camp went silent. Luhan lifted his head, a cynical smile on his face, but Baekhyun could read sadness all over it.
“You thought no one knew, right? How stupid are you?” He motioned to his head, referring to his powers. Kris balled his hands into fists. “And him,” he turned around, looking at Chanyeol, who just seemed terrified, “he cries all the time because he blames himself for his mother leaving. How old were you when she left? Eight?” He shrugged, as if it didn’t matter. Chanyeol’s eyes filled with tears.
“Stop it, Luhan!” Baekhyun shouted, his heart racing in his chest.
“Baekhyunnie here, likes to preach about friendship. But he never trusted us. He doesn’t trust anybody. And Sehun,” he turned around again. Sehun was still sitting on the floor, his eyes emotionless against Luhan’s fierce ones, “desperately prays for a happy family. It's so pathetic. How many times you dreamed of calling General Changmin daddy-”
“Now listen to your friend and shut the fuck up,” Kai stormed, his eyes full of anger.
“And you,” he started in a low, quiet voice, “how can you sit here and laugh when you killed a poor, innocent woman for your own selfish reasons?”
It all happened so fast, Baekhyun almost didn’t see it. Kai pounced towards Luhan, his hands already closed into fists. There was a sound of bones against flesh. Luhan backed away few steps, blood dripping from his lip. Sehun shot up, holding Kai by the arm. Yunho’s loud voice rang in their ears.
“Enough!” He shouted. Luhan ran off, disappearing in the dark. Yunho walked towards Kai, whose expression screamed of pure hatred.
“Calm down,” Yunho said, holding the boy by his shoulders.
Sehun looked in the direction Luhan ran, taking a step towards it before Kai held him by his arm.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Are you really gonna go after that asshole?”
Sehun paused for a second. He shook his head sadly, returning to his spot on the ground.
“You guys are the jerks,” Lay called, his eyes locked on Sehun with disappointment. “He’s going through a massive change. All of you are. Of all people, you should be the ones to understand-”
“Whatever,” Kris interrupted him with a cold voice. Lay turned his back to them.
By watching that weird, unusual scene, Baekhyun knew that something was seriously wrong. At normal times, Sehun would be the first one to run behind Luhan, eager to know what was wrong. Or at least he would’ve stop him at the middle of his fit, ignoring the judging looks, and just taking the boy in his arms.
Still, he pitied Luhan. Even after the things he said about Chanyeol. The boy was curled, his head resting against his knees. When Baekhyun got a little closer, he could hear the boy sobbing quietly. His heart was torn in pieces, but he tried to recollect himself for his sake. He watched as everyone went back to their places, a heavy silence among them.
He wanted to talk to Chanyeol. Ask him what happened, but he didn’t feel like it was right. I’m being selfish, he thought. This is too deep. When he wants to talk about it, I’ll be there to listen.
“Party is over,” Baekhyun whispered, as he leaned his head against Chanyeol’s shoulder, hands gently caressing the boy’s soft hair.
--
Lay marched in a hasty pace after Luhan, watching as the boy walked by the shore, holding his jaw. When the fire became a faint glow in the background, Luhan found a place to rest. He sat in the steps of one of the abandoned houses, the lake had invaded the yard, and Luhan removed his shoes to dip his feet in the cold water. Lay stood back, watching as Luhan’s sobs were muffled by the splash of rocks flying into the water. Luhan’s eyes tracking them until they disappeared in the darkness of the lake, leaving circular ripples on the surface.
Luhan noticed Lay's presence and a rock dangled above the water for a second, before dropping in it with a plop. Luhan wiped the blood away from his lip. He looked disappointed.
Lay let out a bitter chuckle. "Not who you were expecting?"
"No," Luhan replied honestly, rubbing his eyes. "Why do you even care anyway?"
"I came to see if you’re okay. Your lip is bleeding." Lay said, sitting next to him.
Luhan turned his face away. “I’m fine,” he grunted. “He throws a mean punch, though.” He snickered dryly. Lay followed, shaking his head.
"Listen, I know you are having a tough time. With all of this.” Lay started, and Luhan grimaced, lowering his head and kicking his feet in the water. Of course, he knew where the conversation was going. Lay wondered how hard it was for him to see people as transparent beings. And how others shied away from him, scared of his abilities. He never interacted with Luhan much before, except for the few times he visited the infirmary, or when he had to go over to his room to get blood samples. Luhan was a respected figure inside the Center, despite it all. The scientists respected his opinions, and so did his fellow Prototypes.
“They only respected me because they were scared of me,” Luhan said. “After my abilities expanded, they were afraid that I was going to turn on them, so they have me all those stupid privileges. It meant nothing in the end.”
“You don’t like it out here, don’t you?” Lay asked, and Luhan’s sucked on his bottom lip, holding back a sob.
"I'm trying, okay? I'm trying to adjust. The truth is I don't want to get involved with these people. I don't really know what I want. I just-"
"You need time. They will understand. I'm sure you'll be happy here. With us.”
"I don't know," Luhan's eyes trailed off in the distance. "But it's too early to judge, right?" he smiled slightly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "I feel kinda bad for-you know."
Lay scoffed, "Oh don't worry. A few drinks and they'll totally forget what happened. Until then, I can keep you company?"
Luhan nodded, throwing yet another rock in the lake. "I guess it's okay."
--
Tao picked at his food with his chopsticks, his eyes fixed on the gangly boy perched next to him, observing as he chewed meticulously. At this point, he didn’t give a damn if Kris noticed.
The mood around the campfire took a drastic slump. Chen made an effort to lighten up the air a few times, cracking his usual mindless gags. In the end, he was laughing alone. A sullen silence governed most of the night.
The boy named Kai vanished without excusing himself as soon as he finished his food. Yunho and Victoria observed with concern as he dropped out of sight.
"I wonder what really happened to him." Kyungsoo asked thoughtfully.
"I guess we'll never know," Kris answered. He sent a sheepish glance over in Tao’s direction before dropping his eyes back to his food.
Tao recalled their moment at the rooftop. He had always been a decisive person. When he found something he liked he tracked it down like a hunter. Kris was his next target.
This is purely physical, he thought to himself. A game.
"Tao, come on over here for a sec. Let's have a smoke." Xiumin called, his eyes judging.
Tao nodded in acknowledgment as Chen trailed after their leader down to the lakeshore, a white stick hanging from his lips.
"Don't fly away, little bird. I'll be right back." He muttered in Kris’ ear and winked. Kris gulped, but his eyes flickered with excitement.
Tao came to his feet, shuffling towards the lakeside. Chen lit up a cigarette and extended him the pack. Unfiltered Kronian tobacco. His favorite.
To the side, they saw Yunho abstractedly sticking polaroid pictures against a tree trunk. He took a couple of steps back to relish the end product, adjusting a picture that hung too low. He noticed the three of them and raised the Polaroid camera with a tender look.
"For when we come back. So we can remember." He remarked, before snapping a picture of the three of them.
Just as the film was done developing, he taped it to a tree, together with others he had been taking throughout the day. He wandered away with a wave, leaving the three Kronians alone as the fumes from their tobacco contaminated the air.
"He's such a weird character," Xiumin remarked.
"Shut up. I like him," Chen returned, punching their chief playfully on the arm.
"What did you all want to talk about?" Tao urged on, impatient.
Xiumin’s eyes shifted from side to side, monitoring if they were truly alone before switching to their native tongue. "Now that we have the sample. One of us needs to go back to Kronos to deliver it safely."
“Would you like me to go?” Tao inquired with a frown.
“It can’t be you,” Xiumin responded, taking a long drag and letting the smoke escape gradually through his nostrils. “The Prototypes trust you.” His gaze fell on Chen, and they boy’s mouth gaped.
“No!” He grumbled. “I like it here!” His tone was childlike, and Tao couldn’t help but break into a smile. He enjoyed Athena and its wonders. Unlike Tao, who counted the days until he could leave this mission behind.
Xiumin rolled his eyes. "Just go. Report everything. Don't relay the news about the Resistance just yet. This will be my report."
Chen let out a disgruntled groan, putting his cigarette out on the sole of his boot.
"Fine," he declared in unwanted agreement. “I think it will be good to see how my folks are doing.”
“Prepare to be grilled by the agency, though.” Xiumin said with a sneer, causing Chen’s face to twist in agony.
"What are we doing exactly? For now on?" Tao asked. Since the escape, the three of them had little time to gather and deliberate the coming course of action. From the look on Xiumin’s face, he surely had a scheme under his sleeve. The job was far from over.
"Watch. Observe. But let's not get too entangled. We have gained their trust, and that's the most critical element. Let's just see how this whole thing unfolds." Xiumin said his eyes locked on the group gathered by the pyre.
Tao questioned if he would ever see home again.
⇢ next: chapter nine
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
a/n: some sort of miracle happened and we were able to put this chapter together LAST FUCKING MINUTE. it was originally over 10k, then i went on an editing spree, cutting a bunch of things. actually, we plan on writing a little side story with different drabbles about the things that went on during their adventure to lake flora that didn't fit in the chapter. going more in detail and exploring other characters. idk when but it should happen.
sobs we really wanted this to be special ;~; i personally have been looking forward to this since like 4 chapters ago lmfao. to those who follow me on tumblr, if you noticed random pictures of landscapes/lakes/trees with weird tags THIS WAS THE REASON.
we really wanted to explore more the relationship between the boys BECAUSE OT12 EVEN IF IT'S KINDA DYSFUNCTIONAL. it's a super challegenging task since everyone is at different levels of acceptance (prototypes) while secret spy trio are dealing with their own thing and lay/chanyeol are both re-descovering their own native land, and seeing things through a new perspective.
anywaaaaaaaaay for now on things are gonna get much more intense. DUN DUN.
as always, thank you for sticking with us. your comments make me smile when i'm stressing over real life stuff sdojfoiigj.
see you next week!