Aurora Borealis

[his_angel16]

Title: Aurora Borealis (Part One)
Author: his_angel16
Pairing: Baekhyun/Jongin, Chanyeol/Jongdae, Kris/Yixing, Joonmyeon/Kyungsoo, Sehun/Tao, Minseok/Luhan
Genre: Fantasy, Angst, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I own the plot, not the people. Any actual likeness to any given person is purely coincidental.
Summary: Even a candle stands in it's own shadow. There can't be light without the overwhelming presence of darkness.
A/N: I'm warning you now that this includes Jongin being cheesy, Kris being a pansy, and Baekhyun trying to be a badass. ^^
Warning: Implied sexual situation


He wasn't going to lie. It was weird. Chanyeol was weird. At least, this version of him was. He tried to stay as far away from the other as possible, but Kris kept throwing them together, trying to jog the firebug's memory. Nothing was working. Baekhyun even showed Chanyeol the ruby around his neck, but he didn’t seem to remember that either. He was getting tired of trying, of hoping their Chanyeol would return.
  “Baek, you have to be patient,” Kris stated, running his hand through his hair. It was a tangled mess, him managing to only tangle it further.
  “I have been patient!” Baekhyun replied. He stared at the ground, knowing he would get even angrier if he looked into Kris’s judgmental eyes. He didn’t mean to, but he had gotten worse since Chanyeol came back. With the secret out, everyone seemed to shift automatically into some sort of weird phase. “It's not my fault we're horrible people and he wanted to forget about all of us except you.”
  Kris’s expression softened, eyebrows shooting into his hairline. “What?” He moved so he was standing in front of the younger, hands on Baekhyun's wrists to keep him from hiding behind his hands. “Baekhyun, look at me. You think he wanted to forget everyone?”
  “Why else does he only remember you? You're the one that became his legal guardian seven years ago. You're the one that put a roof over his head, food in his stomach.” Baekhyun sniffled, inwardly growling at himself for tearing up. “Why would he remember us when we never gave him anything?”
  “Hey, that isn't true. You're like a brother to him. You're just as important to him as me.” Kris frowned, pulling Baekhyun into a hug. “I don't ever want to hear you say you're a horrible person.”
  Nodding, Baekhyun pushed Kris away, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand. “I'm going to grab Jongin and go for a walk.” He got off of the couch, leaving their tiny apartment. They had gone back to their place, the one before they joined the others. He, Kris, Chanyeol, and Yixing shared it now. Jongin lived in the apartment across the hall with Luhan and Minseok; Joonmyeon, Jongdae, Sehun, Tao, and Kyungsoo shared one down the hall. It was their best option at the time, since Kihwan destroyed their home, Joonmyeon's home. Baekhyun didn’t even see it as their home anymore, not since Chanyeol had died. This new Chanyeol, he wasn't right. He didn’t pull pranks, crack jokes. He didn’t smile the same. He was an empty shell, a former image of who he used to be.
  Luhan had probed into his mind one night, after Chanyeol went to sleep. There weren’t any walls up that Chanyeol had placed there, but Luhan described it as this pitch black void. A dark hole, he called it. It seemed to pull every piece of their Chanyeol into it while he died, but refused to cough any part of him back up after his resurrection. Their Chanyeol was gone and Baekhyun was going to give up on trying to get him back.
  “You shouldn't do that,” Luhan said, leaning against the doorway into his apartment. His arms were crossed, frown so deeply set on his face, Baekhyun was almost positive it would get stuck that way.
  “Do what?” Baekhyun shouldered passed the elder, searching for Jongin inside the small apartment. He was about to call out the other's name when a hand on his forearm stopped him.
  “Jongin went with Minseok to the store. Faster that way.” Luhan motioned for Baekhyun to enter the apartment, a silent offer for him to wait. Once they were seated, he watched Baekhyun intently.
  After ten minutes, Baekhyun sighed. “What, hyung?” He looked up, eyes sharp. “What do you want to say? I can practically see the words rolling around on your tongue.”
  “I want access to your mind.” Luhan was good for that now; being short and straight to the point.
  Baekhyun snorted. “Since when do you ask permission? Just invade my head like you always have.”
  Luhan clenched his hands into the fabric of the couch. “Watch your mouth, Baekhyun. Just because you're pissy because we haven't made any significant progress with Chanyeol, doesn't mean you have the right to disrespect those older than you.”
  “We haven't made any progress with Chanyeol!” Baekhyun was on his feet, anger flashing in his eyes, vision tinged red. His hands were shaking, the wolf in him snarling. It wanted out. “You're all acting like he's made all of these leaps and bounds, but he hasn't! He hasn't remembered any of us! And do you want to know why? He isn't our Chanyeol! He hasn't been since he woke up! He'll never be our Chanyeol! That Chanyeol is gone.”
  Baekhyun felt his head snap to the side, a mental slap that stung just as much as a physical one. He growled, slowly turning to face Luhan again. He lunged, but didn’t hit his mark. No, he wasn’t even close. Luhan had known, had seen into his mind, and anticipated it. He had flown the younger against the wall, mental shackles pinning him to it. It didn’t matter how much he fought, how loudly he growled, Baekhyun wasn't getting free.
  “If you took the time to be around Chanyeol, you'd know we made some progress.” Luhan wiped away the bead of sweat rolling down his face. He wasn't prepared for all of Baekhyun's fighting, for his mentality level to be so high. “He started talking about things, little things, from the past. No one bothered to tell him about the secret chamber hidden in the library, yet he spoke about it. He asked what happened to the table with the markings on it.”
  “That doesn't mean anything. Someone might have been talking to someone else about it. Just because he brought it up, doesn't mean he remembered it.”
  “Why are you so against all of us? What the hell is running through your head?” The frown was back on Luhan's face, but this time, it was accompanied by worry. His eyebrows were knitted together, eyes searching Baekhyun's face for some sort of indication as to what he might have behind those walls. They were nearly unbreakable.
  “I don't want to be hopeful.” It came out as a whisper, carried through the quiet room. Baekhyun turned his face away, tears threatening to fall. “I don't want to get my hopes up, wishing and dreaming that Chanyeol will remember us one day, just to have him be like this forever.”
  Luhan eased Baekhyun to his feet, watching as he crumpled to the floor. Hurrying forward, he helped him sit on the couch, taking a seat across from him on the coffee table. “Is that everything? Or is there more that you just don't want anyone to know about?”
  “That's all.” Baekhyun was lying, and he knew Luhan easily saw through it, but the elder didn’t show any sign that he was going to pursue the issue. Of course there was more. There was always something holding him back, making him get all tongue-tied and clam up. He glanced at Luhan, finding him staring again. He was trying to get inside Baekhyun's head, trying to figure out what he was keeping locked up. Stop it!
  Luhan blinked, sighing as he turned his attention to the door. “Fine, you win. I won't invade your mind right now. Minseok and Jongin are back.”
  The words had barely left Luhan's mouth and the door swung open. Minseok and Jongin carried in their few shopping bags, eyeing Baekhyun as they put their things in the tiny kitchen. “Jongin, let's go for a walk.” Baekhyun got to his feet, holding his hand out for the younger.
  Jongin looked at Minseok, the elder nodded for him to go. He wiped his palm on his thigh before taking Baekhyun's hand. “Where do you want to go?” he asked, smiling a little.
  “Anywhere. Just, I want to be away from here for a while.” Baekhyun stared at Luhan as he spoke, silently telling the elder that he was going far away so he could think about things privately. He smirked at the look of disapproval on his face right before they vanished in a puff of smoke.
  “Baekhyun's struggling with something,” Luhan said, looking at Minseok. “But he won't let me into his mind.”
  Minseok shrugged. “Force your way in?” he suggested, pulling ramen out of a grocery bag.
  “I tried.” Luhan pouted. “He has these walls up and I can't seem to get through them. I have one of the strongest minds out of all of us. Why can't I get into his mind?”
  “Maybe he has a stronger mind than you?” Minseok wasn't going to lie. Luhan had one of the strongest minds he's ever encountered. But, not having telepathy, he only went by what he witnessed. Maybe, just maybe, Baekhyun's mind was just as powerful.
  “I'm going to talk to Tao about this.” Luhan was still pouting when he left. “Stupid Baekhyun. Why does he have to have a powerful mind, too?”

Jongin smiled sheepishly at Baekhyun. They were standing on a beach, the coastline of an island. It was secluded and far off from any known civilization, but it was perfect. Baekhyun needed to come to a place like this. Jongin told him in the past that he used to frequent an island or two, but he didn’t know it was like this. There as a tiny cottage up on a hill, nestled in the shade of palm trees. Hibiscus, lilies, and ferns blanketed the island where the cobblestone path didn’t.
  “This place doesn't seem real,” he whispered, looking over at Jongin. The younger merely shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. “It was home for a little while. But I found a new home.”
  “Are you crazy? Why would anyone want to leave this? It's paradise.” Baekhyun sat down in the sand, lying back to let the sun hit his face.
  “I found a reason to leave.” Jongin was staring at Baekhyun, dazzled by the way the sun danced off of his skin. “And my paradise is wherever you are.”
  Baekhyun opened his eyes, turning his head so he could look at Jongin. A light pink dusted his tanned skin and he shuffled nervously on his feet. He held his hand out, beckoning the younger to him, glad that he obliged. Jongin took a seat next to Baekhyun, face burning under his scrutiny. “Why do you like me?”
  Shrugging, Jongin grinned. He reached out to trace the lines in the elder's palm. “You're a very warm, very bright person. You have a way of lighting up every room you walk into. Everything just seems better when you're around.”
  Baekhyun snorted, rolling his eyes. He missed the way Jongin's face fell at his response. “You must be hanging out with the wrong Baekhyun.” He sat up, shaking his head. “I'm not this bubbly, ball of sunshine, Jongin. If anything, I’m the opposite of what you said. The only way I light up a room is if I use my power. Even then, it's gotten dull.”
  Jongin dropped Baekhyun's hand in the sand, a frown tugging the corners of his mouth down. “I'm going for a swim.” He stood, tearing his shirt off as he ran toward the ocean. If anything, he was running from the hurt Baekhyun caused. This was a happy place, or it should have been. But he supposed Baekhyun couldn't even keep the shadows of his heart at bay forever.
  Lying back in the sand, Baekhyun closed his eyes again. He braced himself mentally before allowing the thoughts he kept hidden from Luhan to assault his mind. Memories of goofing off with Chanyeol, fighting with Jongdae, living with just Kris and Chanyeol. Everything shattering when he found out Chanyeol died, protecting Jongdae. He blamed the other, but he blamed himself, too. Why wasn't I there? Why didn’t I go? He felt the familiar burn in his eyes, the liquid building behind his closed lids. He sat up, wiping his eyes with the backs of his hands before pressing his palms to them, trying to fight off the urge to cry. The crashing of the waves against the shore, the birds singing their happy songs, the crickets chirping. It made him feel out of place, out of his element. He forced his eyes open, staring toward the water, toward Jongin. The younger was swimming off his anger, his frustration.
  “I'm sorry,” he whispered, watching Jongin's form as he splashed around in the ocean. “I'm sorry that you like someone like me, Jongin. I’m not the same person anymore. A piece of me is missing; it died with Chanyeol. The reason the my power has become dull, the reason the light is dimmer than it used to be, is because I lack the will to use it. Nothing's been the same; everyone's different.” He sniffled, standing up. “The light that used to be in me, it's gone. And I don't know how to find it again.” He started for the water, Jongin swimming toward the shore.
  “You want to leave?” Jongin asked, balancing in the pull of the tide.
  Baekhyun shook his head, toeing off his shoes before stepping into the water. It was cold, but it felt refreshing after being in the sun. he stopped in front of Jongin, catching himself on the younger as a wave crashed against them. He felt Jongin's hands grip his elbows, keeping him steady in the current. “Jongin.”
  “What?” Jongin found himself staring at the elder, drawn to him, being pulled in by his eyes. He could see the hesitation reflected in the dark orbs, a sigh already working its way from his lungs. He was about to push Baekhyun away, tell him that it was okay; that they didn’t need to rush into things just because they were alone. He could wait, if that's what Baekhyun wanted.
  In one motion, Baekhyun wound his arms around Jongin's neck, pulling him down and into a kiss. He could feel the shock rolling off of the younger, but he was waiting for something else. He was waiting for Jongin to push him away despite liking him. The thought made him tighten his hold around his neck, locking his arms in place. His fears of being rejected were vanquished the moment Jongin's arms encircled his waist. It was a tight hold, but not tight enough to constrict anything. He felt the urgency in the way Jongin kissed him back, felt the emotion lying just below the surface. He soon found his legs wound around the other's waist, his warm hands on the back of his thighs. They didn’t break the kiss until they were inside the small cottage. And even then, it was only so Jongin could pull Baekhyun's shirt off of him.
  Baekhyun whined when Jongin held him at arms' length, keeping a firm hold on his shoulders. “Jongin, let me be close to you.”
  “I want you to ask yourself something,” Jongin replied, not letting up on his hold. “Is this really what you want? Right here? Now?”
  Nodding, Baekhyun placed his hands on Jongin's forearms. “I've been battling with those questions for months. Jongin, I need this.” His eyes bore into the younger's searching for any sign that could mean he was going to lose this little battle. He could barely see the hesitation in Jongin's eyes, just beyond the surface. Whatever his own eyes showed, it removed any doubt in Jongin's mind that he wasn't ready. And when Jongin's lips touched his again, something inside of him sparked.

“Have you found them yet?” Tao asked. He was sitting in Minseok and Luhan's living room, Kris beside him with a worried expression on his face. He kept swatting at him, trying to keep him from gnawing on his nails.
  Luhan shook his head, forehead creased as he sighed. “Nope. Nothing,” he mumbled. He was hoping that they hadn’t gone far, that they could be reached somehow, but neither had taken their cell phone and Luhan couldn't talk to them telepathically. Which could only mean one thing. They weren't even in the same city, probably not even in the same country. “If they weren’t so sneaky, I could have caught a glimpse of where they were headed.”
  “Damn, where are they?” Tao frowned. He wasn't sure if Jongin had taken Baekhyun to one of his places across the world or not. There were so many, it would take forever to find the right one. By then, they might be back and then others would be lost. It was best to just wait for them to return.
  There was a knock on the door before Kyungsoo poked his head inside, frowning as Luhan shook his head. “I'll let Joonmyeon know they're still gone,” he stated. He closed the door, going back to the apartment he shared with the majority of the group. Sehun was sitting by the window, fully ignoring Jongdae. Kyungsoo didn’t blame him, really, for doing it. He had taken the elder's words to heart when he was told to go away. He ad always been the one to hold grudges and they could last a lifetime. “Still nothing.”
  “Okay,” Joonmyeon replied, sitting back against the couch. “Will you go check on Chanyeol? I think he's still in his apartment with Yixing.” He waited for Kyungsoo to leave before he ran a hand through his hair. “Why do we keep splitting us like this?”
  “Because we all deal with things our own ways,” Sehun murmured. He was still staring outside, watching the cars drive around on the streets below them. “It just so happens that the way we always deal with things, is by running away from it for a while.”
  “Do you think Chanyeol will get his memories back?” Jongdae asked. He had directed the question to the both of them, but as soon as he spoke, Sehun fell quiet, withdrawing into his own shell. He frowned when the younger stuffed his earphones in his ears, the music so loud he could hear it clearly.
  Joonmyeon offered Jongdae a sympathetic smile. “He'll soften up.” He ruffled Jongdae's hair, trying to comfort him a little. “And I'm certain Chanyeol will get his memory back. It'll just take a little more time.”
  Kyungsoo was standing inside the apartment, finding Yixing consoling a hysterical Chanyeol. He turned his attention to the television, awed by the fact that Disney's Sleeping Beauty made him bawl that much. Granted, he teared up when he watched certain things, but it was usually in the quiet, secluded darkness of his own room. “Why's he crying at Sleeping Beauty?”
  Yixing merely shrugged, patting Chanyeol's back as he sobbed. “I don't know,” he replied. “He was just sitting here watching it. Then all of a sudden, here came the waterworks. It's not even that sad of a story. I mean, Prince Phillip wakes Princess Aurora up in the end and they defeat Maleficent.”
  “You shouldn't be able to name all of the characters, Yixing.” Kyungsoo shook his head disapprovingly at the elder. “Can you still name the seven dwarfs, too?”
  “Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey.” The complete innocence on Yixing's face made it that much worse. Kyungsoo found himself leaving without another word. He returned to Luhan's apartment, shaking his head as he plopped down in a chair.
  “Kris, how do you put up with Yixing?” Kyungsoo was rubbing his temples, trying to wrap his head around how two grown men, despite being mushy and overly sappy, could ever fall under the spell of Disney movies so entirely.
  “I love him. Why? Is he being weird again?” Kris replied. He couldn't keep the small smile from his face at hearing the tone in Kyungsoo's voice. He was genuinely shocked and irritated about something.
  “Him and Chanyeol both are.” Kyungsoo grumbled under his breath, causing Luhan to smile. “Chanyeol was watching Sleeping Beauty and started blubbering like a baby. And then Yixing starts rattling off the storyline and how it isn't even a sad story.”
  “Then you challenged him to name off the seven dwarfs?” Luhan asked, laughing. “Kyungsoo, they love Disney movies. All of them do.” He glanced at Kris, finding the blush creeping across his cheeks. “Gosh, you guys are how old now? Five?”
  “Hey, just because we like our fairytales, doesn't mean we aren’t mature. Hell, Baek and Yeol used to watch Sleeping Beauty together all the time. They'd bawl their eyes out every time, too.” Kris crossed his arms over his chest, finding that the room fell completely quiet. “What?”
  “They used to watch it together?” Luhan asked, staring at Kris. When the other nodded, Luhan felt hope begin to bloom in his chest.
  “Yeah. Why? They haven't watched it together for a while, but it's one of their favorite movies.” Kris looked from Luhan to Kyungsoo; Tao to Minseok. He was obviously missing something since they were all wearing matching expressions. “What the hell am I missing here, guys?”
  “Chanyeol is crying watching Sleeping Beauty,” Minseok stated. He pronounced each word carefully, trying to get the point across. When Kris still seemed oblivious, he growled. “He might have remembered Baekhyun, dumbass!”
  “Oh.” Kris nodded and then it finally sank in. “Oh!” He jumped up, tripping over his own feet in his haste to get across the hall to his apartment. He threw the door open, finding Yixing and Chanyeol bawling their eyes out as the end credits began scrolling across the screen. “Hey, have you remembered anything?” He let out a frustrated sigh when Chanyeol ignored him, swaying back and forth with Yixing. “Hey, Park Chanyeol!”
  Sniffling, Chanyeol turned his tear stained face to Kris. “What? I was just watching Sleeping Beauty with Yixing.” He hiccuped, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. “Baekhyun wasn't around to watch it with me, so I settled for Yixing.”
  “Do you remember anything? Anything about Baekhyun? Your relationship with him? Or even any of the others?” Kris was having a mini panic attack, heart beating so fast he could feel it hammering away in his chest. It sounded like a drum getting the crap beat out of it.
  Chanyeol shrugged. “Like what?”
  “Anything. Do you remember anything about any of them?” Kris was getting frustrated all over again. The blank look on Chanyeol's face only confirmed his fears that he hadn’t remembered any of them. Then what's with the crying over the damn Disney movie? Sighing, Kris waved him off, going to the kitchen. He downed a glass of water, staring at his reflection in the window. Does he remember he used to watch that movie with Baek? Is he remembering things subconsciously? Maybe Luhan should knock him out for a few hours, dig around in that thick skull of his. He peered over his shoulder, finding Yixing popping in another Disney movie for them to watch. His ears perked up at hearing the familiar opening to Bambi. He shuffled across the apartment, sitting down on the couch as he watched Yixing and Chanyeol sprawl out on the floor. If that was Baek next to him, this would be deja vu.

Baekhyun was staring at the ceiling, fingers carding through Jongin's dark hair. The blanket was covering them, keeping them warm in the air-conditioned room. He could hear Jongin's heart beating, could feel the thrum of his pulse. It matched his own. Is this what it's supposed to be like? Lying with the person you love, giving yourself completely to them? He felt the younger shift next to him, felt his lips graze his skin just under his collarbone. They had nipped at each other, leaving marks all over each other's skin, claiming each other. He couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face. He ran his other hand over Jongin's bare shoulder, biting back a giggle as he squirmed.
  “You hungry, Baek?” Jongin asked, voice hoarse.
  “Starving,” he replied, smiling at how scratchy his own throat was. He watched as Jongin sat up, stretching to work all of the knots and kinks from his muscles. He smiled as the younger pecked him quickly on the lips before dragging him toward the door. The blanket had fallen from around them and Baekhyun tugged against Jongin. “We should get dressed first.”
  Jongin stopped, looking at both of them. The shade of red Baekhyun's face turned made him laugh. Kissing the elder's forehead, he released his hand so they could pull some pants on. He pulled on a pair of sweats, grinning at the look Baekhyun gave him. “Why waste a pair of underwear when I know we might do it again after we eat?”
  Baekhyun could feel himself flush as he tugged on a pair of shorts. “We can't stay here forever. We have to go home sometime.” He led the younger into the kitchen, deciding quickly to just make sandwiches. It was too hot on this island to use the stove or oven to cook something. Once they sat down at the two person table, Baekhyun found himself staring at Jongin.
  “Eat your damn sandwich before I snatch you up and drag you back to the bedroom.” It was meant to be threatening, but Jongin was smiling, his words holding no anger, no real threat. As much as they both would love nothing more than to ignore their stomachs and to stay here longer, they knew they needed to eat and return to the others. It was weird when Baekhyun really thought about it.
  On this tiny island, when it was just the two of them, it felt as if the world stopped spinning, time stopped flowing. “Can we come back here?” Baekhyun polished off his sandwich, wiping his hands on his shorts. “Once everything is over with Kihwan, once Chanyeol regains his memories. Hell, even if he doesn't get them back, can we still come back here? Just the two of us like today?”
  Jongin nodded, gulping down his glass of water. “We can come back whenever you want to. This can be our place. Just ours.” He smiled at the grin on the elder's face and he leaned over the table, kissing him. He forced himself to pull away, chuckling at the pout on Baekhyun's face. “We can kiss again later. The sun is setting and we should probably get home.”
  Baekhyun wanted to protest, but he simply nodded. “Let's change first. We need to look like we didn’t just spend all afternoon having sex.” He whined when Jongin flicked his nose. “What was that for?”
  Leaning close to the other, Jongin fought to keep his voice serious as he whispered in Baekhyun's ear. “We didn’t have sex, Baek. We made love. There's a difference.” He pulled Baekhyun to his feet, leading him back into the bedroom. They changed quickly before Jongin held his hand out to the elder. “Let's go back to the others.”
  Instead of taking Jongin's outstretched hand, Baekhyun walked by it, hugging him around the waist. “Okay, let's go home.” He buried his face in the crook of Jongin's neck, biting his lip to keep himself from giggling. He felt Jongin's arms go around him before they disappeared with a small poof.