A Series of Unexpected Events: Stray Kids

Chapter 7: Head Above Water

(Note: There is some mild spice in this chapter, so keep that in mind if you choose to keep reading! Mostly fluff though. Hope you enjoy all 34k words my loves!)
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"--writing in yours?"

Someone hums, the deep sound surrounding you and filling your mind for a blissed second before you're jostled a bit, the movement pulling you back out of that comfortable headspace.

There's another hum, different from the first. Not as deep and not quite as close to your ears though you feel this one more bodily. "Mmm...okay fine if that's how we're gonna play it."

You're jostled from the other side this time and you can't help the barely there whine that escapes you as you begrudgingly accept not being able to go back to sleep with the full-on conversation and tug-of-war happening on either side of you.

There's chuckles, two sets, and you can't help but whine at that too, louder this time. It's wayyyy too early for this.

"Ah finally awake are we?"

You snort. "If you guys wanted to be gossip girls and plot whatever the hell it is you're plotting so badly at the ass-crack of dawn," you grouse, determinedly keeping your eyes shut against the brightness, "I would suggest 'whispering' a little bit quieter next time."

"It's 10 in the morning, sleeping beauty. And don't rain on our parade," Hyunjin scolds, flicking your nose. "We're just having a bit of fun."

10am? You groan. There's no way it's not at least 6am with how tired you feel and how badly you just want to burrow under the covers like a butterfly refusing to come out of it's cocoon.

But you're already awake now so you may as well entertain their antics.

"Fun huh?" you grumble back lazily, not giving Hyunjin the satisfaction of responding to the blatant goad--especially as someone who seems to sleep in just as much--but you're curious as to what "fun" they could be getting up to so early already. "Doing what?"

"Screwing with Stays," Felix responds airily.

You do peel your eyes open now, meeting Felix's mischievous gaze over his chest where your head had apparently been pillowed--though you're not sure how you got there all cuddled up to him so close while you slept.

"I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt," you drawl, "and assume you didn't realize how that phrasing is more than a little--"

"Sus?" Hyunjin supplies. Then he huffs, ever dramatic. "Yeah, he's been an absolute gremlin all morning. Don't mind him, we're just messaging on Bubble."

You move to turn around and face Hyunjin only to realize that you can't move that far. Not with how his body is pressed up against yours, spooning you from behind with one strong arm wrapped around your waist, his hand splayed out on your stomach. The most you can do is turn your head and even then, you only really see him in your periphery.

Somewhere your mind eddies at the thought of how you guys got all tangled up in each other. If you crawling your way to latch onto Felix in the middle of the night is a mystery, how Hyunjin attached himself to you is just as much of mystery too.

Last night, after your rooftop escapades, you and Hyunjin had quickly shuffled your frozen selves back inside after the promised handful of minutes on the roof. And you were both more than happy to slip back into the bed with Felix, the two of you cuddling up on either side of him, secretly leeching his warmth while he slept, chuckling at the shared theft between you all the while. So if that's how you guys fell asleep, how in the world did you all end up in this configuration?

Sighing, you shake your head against the onslaught of thoughts that has the gears in your mind grinding. You're definitely not awake enough for this yet. Or for letting yourself think about just how up in each others business you are right now.

"Mmm," you finally hum tiredly in response in order to distract from those thoughts, "so what form of torture are you guys inflicting onto our poor Stays?"

With his free hand, Hyunjin holds out his phone to you and you take it, glancing at the string of Bubble messages he's showing you.

"It's fun to mess with you guys," Hyunjin admits with a smirk, taking back his phone as the messages from Stays continue to roll in hundreds at a time.

"But it's even more fun when we tag-team," Felix adds, turning his own phone screen to you, showing a similar set-up and his own sent messages.

Here too, the messages continue to pop up, ranging from jealous to pleading, even a few reassuring Felix that his deep voice is the only one for them. Those make you chuckle, as they do Felix.

"Everyone keeps asking for proof," Hyunjin notes, scrolling through a handful more messages before locking his phone and throwing it to the side in favor of pulling you closer to him. He wraps his other arm around your waist, the fingers that are already on your stomach starting to knead ever so gently, almost as if to massage away the still lingering cramps. "Should we give the people what they want?" he muses absentmindedly.

Whether he's asking you or Felix you aren't sure either.

In the span of the seconds it took him to pull you in, you tense as well as relax, both surprised by the touch and yet also surprisingly comforted by it. Something you've never thought you could feel at the same time and the combination has you reeling.

Felix chuckles mischievously in response, even the sound of his laugh is insanely low and gravelly in a way that has your brain short-circuiting. "Y'know what? Why not?" he says with a shrug. "Y/N said Stays would like it."

"Hey now. I also said that you'll cull 75% of the fandom if you do," you warn, with half a mind, the other half long gone as Hyunjin secretly works his magic, but you're determined to keep your eyes open as you talk. "Only proceed if you're both willing to take responsibility for all the heart attacks Stays are gonna have from it."

Felix just shrugs like it's his impish acceptance of the untimely fate of the fanbase and simply goes back to his phone with a smirk.

You on the other hand can't help the content sigh that slips from your lips at Hyunjin's ministrations, his skillful fingers doing wonders for your aches and pains. And Hyunjin himself must have either heard or felt your relief because he suddenly leans forward, nuzzling his face into the back of your neck without preamble.

Instantly, you can feel his warm breath on your skin as he languidly noses your nape, taking his sweet time to make his way from one side to the other, then burying his nose in your hair and rubbing his cheeks against the side of your neck before finally settling his head against yours contentedly. And that's where he stays to join you in watching Felix scroll through his playlist to find some soothing BGM because it's quote, "too awkward to record if it's fully quiet". Not that you can really focus on what Felix is doing or saying at the moment. Your mind is far far away.

"You smell good y/n, you know that?" Hyunjin murmurs softly by your ear. He can't seem to focus either. Then he noses into your hair again, this time by the shell of your ear, taking in an audible breath. "I don't know what it is but it's addicting."

You're still gritting your teeth against the shivers that want to roll through your body from the casual stimulation of your neck, coupled with Hyunjin's blasted massaging of the muscles of your abdomen, when Felix is glancing over at the two of you, ever curious. "What's addicting?"

"Y/N." You can hear the grin in his voice even though you can't see it, but Hyunjin's voice is infuriatingly smug as he answers Felix. "Her smell. There's just something about it, I can't get enough."

Without question, Felix is leaning forward then, burying his nose in the crown of your head as if to confirm that theory for himself and determined not to miss out on also getting to enjoy your freshly washed hair.

And you aren't surprised to hear his quick agreement as he takes one and then another deep breath in, almost absentmindedly rolling toward you on the bed to avoid needing to stretch so far. And unfortunately also effectively pushing you up against Hyunjin more in his quest to chase his high.

"Mmm, you're right Jinnie, she does," Felix murmurs, apparently wholly unaware of how having gotten so close presses your face straight into his--admittedly soft and enticing--pec and also slots your leg between his, right up against--

Nope.

You don't have the willpower for this.

Unable to fight the physical reactions to all their touches anymore, you wriggle in their joint hold, careful not to hurt them but still hard enough to hopefully dislodge them from you. You can only bite back the bodily reactions for so long and with them clinging to you like this? Your composure is slipping. And fast.

"You guys are acting like cats with catnip," you huff, still desperately trying to wiggle your way out of their tangle of arms and legs so you don't break out in a sweat from how deep this is plunging your mind into the gutter. But you ultimately get nowhere with how Hyunjin is just resolved to hold you tighter. Felix doing the same as he grips your arms firmly to keep you in place as they both continue nosing around your head, unbothered by your sudden but no doubt noticeable heat. And you let your discontent about that fact be known with a hearty grumble. "Stop sniffing me you weirdos, you're gonna get high."

"Sign me up," Hyunjin says with a giggle.

"Is that the best you got?" A rough chuckle from Felix but he doesn't pull away either. "Because if so, you're gonna have to try wayyy harder."

You just glare at Felix's chest at his statement, unable to actually look either of them in the eye with their faces buried in your hair and out of view.

"What is with you guys being so cuddly this morning?" you grouse, still trying your best to play off your embarrassingly shallow breaths and the whines that you feel building at the back of your throat at your current teasing.

Finally breaking an arm free, you shove good naturedly at Felix and thankfully, he lets it happen, willingly detaching from your head and rolling onto his back again but not going any farther than that. At the very least, thankfully you're no longer flush against both of them, with your legs tangled in Felix's leaving almost nothing to the imagination about what your thigh was pressed up against. Thankfully, he removed his legs from between yours when you rolled him over, allowing you to breathe a little easier.

Instead, Felix picks up his phone again, clearing his throat with a small smile. Then he taps something and a soft jazz song flows out from the phone's speakers. "Let's do it. I wanna see Stays suffer."

"A bit dark don't you think Lix?" Hyunjin poses, still very much attached to your back and making no move to leave like Felix had, though he thankfully just reverts to holding you and just massaging. Nothing more. So you decide to let the previous transgression slide and stop struggling for now. You can't deny that his kneading fingers on your stomach is a welcome relief to the pain, so you'll stay.

So you will your mind and body to focus on that relief and not the newfound heat of your skin or the shallow heave of your chest that you try desperately to mellow.

Whether they're doing this on purpose or they're suspiciously unaware the effect that they have on people, you aren't sure but you don't have the mind to think past just simply relaxing into being held like this. That in and of itself is not something you get often, and it's a welcome comfort. So you don't want it to go to waste.

If it weren't for how sleepy you are and with your mind not fully awake enough to truly process what it means--how you guys are laying and how Hyunjin is holding you and how he's touching you...dare you say intimately--you're almost sure you would've shoved them both away and sequestered yourself on the other bed to hide, absolutely unable to take the attention without openly reacting or reciprocating in ways you're not sure they want.

What's more is the confusion of how your mind got to the point of being able to think this far. How over the past few days you felt uneasy thinking about anyone in a way that was anything but platonic given how uncomfortable you felt in your own skin. And how your mind couldn't vault over that blockade causing you to freeze at any touch you gave or received. But now...?

"Ready Jinnie?"

Looking up, you feel Hyunjin nod from where his head is still pressed up against yours. But what really catches your attention is Felix's gaze on you now, his eyes focused and a bit darker than you've ever seen them before. Almost like an excitingly new rendition of his stage persona.

"Let's just hope y/n can be a good girl and keep quiet," he simpers.

And he doesn't even give you a moment to process his words before he's tapping his screen to start the recording. "Annyeong Stays! Good morning!"

"Good morning Stay," Hyunjin parrots lazily, still refusing to release you from his hold. "Sleep well?"

Despite the previous excitement, the two of them seem to be playing it up for the audience, fully taking on that "we just woke up" role. Hyunjin is anything but half-asleep but he slurs his words as if he were. And Felix? It's like he's purposely pitching his voice even lower which was already low enough to be an open-ended challenge to the reigning king of the underworld.

"We slept good," Felix says, as if anticipating that Stays would want them to answer Hyunjin's question too. "We slept really good actually. Was nice and toasty all night."

Hyunjin chuckles at that and you have to bite your tongue at your own laugh at the memories of last night. Felix though, he shoots the two of you a look, no doubt catching the smile you can't hide alongside Hyunjin's.

But then he smirks, grin widening as he suddenly squirms about. "Don't laugh at me Jinnie," Felix openly whines. "You know I don't like being cold."

That makes Hyunjin crack up even more and it takes everything in you not to do the same. But when Felix glares at him, he sobers a bit, though you can still hear the mirth in his voice.

"I know, I'm sorry Lix," Hyunjin amends. "Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

Felix's answer is immediate. "Give me a hug."

And you quickly realize what that means for you as Felix's smirk turns cheshire. But you don't get a chance to even lift an arm to stop him as Hyunjin opens up his own from around you, beckoning the boy forward. Which Felix doesn't waste a second in accepting as he loudly rolls over the mess of blankets and sheets and right into you. This time, with his back against your front, effectively making you both the big spoon and the little spoon of this three-way cuddling session.

You freeze for a second, both happy for the new warmth as well as unwilling to process just how acutely you can feel just about every muscle in the two dancer's torsos with you sandwiched between them even tighter than before. The only difference now being that now your face is right next to Felix's lovely mess of hair, but unlike him, you will yourself to not give into burying your face into it like he did with you. Not that you don't want to.

But Felix grumbles now, the deep sound vibrating against your chest so wholly you're almost sure Hyunjin can feel it through you. "Hug me like you mean it Jinnie."

Hyunjin, still chuckling, carefully digs between you and Felix, pulling your arms out from where they had been trapped to manually wrap them around Felix himself. Then layering his own over where he placed yours on Felix's chest and abdomen before pulling the two of you tighter against him.

"Better my angel?"

Felix gives a loud but content sigh, obviously still playing it up for the camera--well mic--but very much seeming to mean it when he says, "Much."

You on the other hand--while more than happy to cuddle and be cuddled, especially if it means being able to hold Felix--can't help the rapid beating of your heart that you know both men can feel. But it's not like you can open your mouth to say anything, much less complain about how, not only are they torturing Stays, but they're also torturing you. Arguably they're one in the same but that's beside the point.

Then a very pointed thought occurs to you.

If they're going to tease you like this...if they're going to be this persistent and set on making you squirm...what's stopping you from turning the tables and doing the same?

So with that in mind, you renew your resolve and tighten your hold on Felix, pulling him in of your own will. And while he squeaks in surprise at the sudden movement, it quickly turns into a deep rumble of approval and contentment.

Not that you let him bask in that joy for long as you lean forward to press a soft kiss right behind his ear where the hinge of his jaw sits. The effect, like you hoped, is immediate, pulling a groan from Felix that he quickly muffles with a cough as if to pretend to clear his throat again.

"Well," he stammers, noticeably suppressing a shiver as you press another gentle kiss to his skin, this time lower on his neck, and at the same time, arching your back just enough to press your hips into Hyunjin's and the growing hardness you've been ignoring was there, earning a stifled, low groan from him too. "We, we just wanted to see how Stays have been d-doing," Felix continues, doing his best to keep his voice from shaking and his thoughts coherent. "What do you...what are your guys' plans for, for today?"

The second that last word leaves his lips, he lifts his finger to end the recording letting out the loudest, deepest groan you've ever heard as he rolls away. Hyunjin doing the same on your other side with a deep groan of his own, finally freeing you from their clutches.

"How could you do this to me?" Felix grumbles, the words half muffled from where he's now face down, head buried in a pillow though his ears are visibly red, that much you can see.

"Absolutely unfair," Hyunjin grumpily seconds with his back to you, though you don't miss the way he's now laying on his side with his knees pulled up and his hands tucked up between his legs.

You laugh long and loud now that you're free to make as much noise as you want, and you climb out of the bed to look at them both. "Unfair? I gave you boys a taste of your own medicine. Maybe you'll think twice next time before doling it out to me so liberally."

Despite the joking ire toward them, you take pity on their new...issues, so you turn to make your way into the bathroom, both so you can wash up and give them time to calm down and get a hold of themselves without your watchful eye to embarrass them.

So you make your way through the bathroom, running through your morning routine and enjoying the muffled jazz songs still filtering through the doors from the other room.

Once you've washed your face, did a little skincare, brushed your teeth, and changed your tampon from your thankfully lightening period, you feel worlds better.

When you finally make your way back out into the bedroom, you're stunned to find them not at all how you left them. Now with Felix laid out on his front on the bed--shirtless--and Hyunjin perched on his butt, dutifully massaging away at his back.

"I was barely gone ten minutes..." When you left you had no idea what you expected to come back to but it wasn't this.

"And my back was hurting. What does one have to do with the other?" Felix mumbles, obviously caught up in the relief of Hyunjin's arguably enjoyable touches. Much like you had been earlier.

Felix turns his head to you though and waves his phone around from where he was scrolling through it a second ago. "You were right by the way. Stays are losing their minds over that voice message. I think we broke a few of them." And he chuckles even harder when you walk over, scooping up his phone to see what the people are saying.

"So many of them are asking if we slept together," Hyunjin points out with a smirk as he works. "Wonder which way they mean it."

You just roll your eyes, handing the phone back to Felix. Then you crawl onto the bed and curl up on the blanket in front of the duo, hugging the little dragon plush from Changbin to your chest from where it got shoved aside during the night. "You know they don't mean it as an innocent question Jinnie." There's absolutely no question. You know Stays and their dirty minds.

All that aside, small as it may be, the lazy morning with Felix and Hyunjin, with your little dragon and the comfortable pressure on your fingers from the shared couple rings from them, you couldn't be more content. These boys just make you so incredibly happy.

"Hey y/n?"

You glance up at Hyunjin and hum in answer, not bothering to wipe away the satisfied smile from your face.

"When is your period over?"

It takes you a second to shake off your surprise at the suddenness and the forthright way he asks the question--and Felix seems to merely raise a brow at Hyunjin as well though it does nothing to dampen his cheerful demeanor--but you smile genuinely toward Hyunjin nonetheless. After last night and your guys' open conversation, why should you expect anything less?

"Well, it's never exact, but it's been about 4 days and my periods tend to run around 5. I guess I can count myself lucky that it's not longer," you say with a soft chuckle as you mindlessly pet the dragon plush in your arms. "Why do you ask?"

"Because we all wanted to make a visit to the hotel pool later today. I think Chan forgot to tell you," he adds quickly as he continues to massage along Felix's back. "But I wanted to make sure you'd be able to join us in the water." He pauses. "You can...right?"

"That's what tampons are for Jinnie." Felix sighs deeply then and the two of you--baffled--look to him just in time to see him roll his eyes. But when he notices all the attention, he just shrugs. "What? It's true isn't it?"

Laughing, you just shake your own head and reach out to ruffle Felix's hair, which he happily leans into.

"It's true," you affirm. "But I can't say I'll ever get use to talking to you boys about--"

A knock at the door, interrupts you. A rather firm one at that.

"Why does Changbin knock so darn aggressively?" Plucking the dragon plush from you and stuffing it under his arm like a purse, Hyunjin hops up and makes his way to the door, dramatically throwing it open. "Could've let us know you were--"

Within seconds, Hyunjin goes dead quiet, straightening like a bucket of ice water had been poured down his shirt. You don't see who it is or hear what's said on the other side of the door but you see enough to catch Hyunjin shaking his head and waving his hands, even going so far as to close the door a bit as if to shield the room from prying eyes.

After another moment or two, you see him visibly deflate and take the first real breath you think he's taken in minutes. And both you and Felix are surprised when Hyunjin takes a step over the threshold only to return back into the room pushing a cart laden heavy with plate upon plate of food.

"Room service apparently," Hyunjin grumbles, though you guys can already guess as much. He angrily throws your plush back to you. "Take your stupid dinosaur."

"Dragon," you correct him sternly, catching it and hugging it back to you again. "And why did you even take it in the first place?"

"I was gonna tease Changbin with it, but it's beside the point. That was so embarrassing," he whines, sitting on the bed again and dropping his head to his hands. "The guy wanted to come in and set all the food up. Didn't want to leave the cart and I didn't know what to say but he didn't want to take no for an answer. Gave me such a disgusted look."

You pat his arm consolingly. "It's okay Jinnie. His opinion of you doesn't matter, you know that."

You glance at Felix at that and your heart sinks a bit when you notice the way he stares blankly at the wall now. Lost in his mind with just a few words and some raw memories that plunge him in a dark place you wish he never came to know.

You reach out to him too, gentle as you rest a hand on his arm and caress your thumb comfortingly over his freckled skin.

The touch is enough to snap him from his stupor and you can tell he tries to push the sadness away again as he gives you a forced smile.

When you open your mouth to say something to him about it, you're stopped by a collective ping of all three of your phones.

The group chat if you had to guess, given that all your phones went off simultaneously. And you're proven right when Felix scoops up your phone from the nightstand and hands it to you, where plastered on the front is a message from Chan in the group chat.

Neither boy hesitates to lean in and read over your shoulder as you click the message, the two of them much too lazy to locate their own phones.

Before you can do anything more than grumble, Hyunjin is plucking the phone from your hand determinedly typing away. And you get hardly more than a second to read the message typed out there, Hyunjin angrily pressing send before you can even object. Though that doesn't at all stop you from snatching your phone back, smacking him on the arm in the process and then quickly penning your own message.

Hoping that Chan believes you, you turn to Hyunjin again, determined to teach him a lesson but you're once again cut off by another loud set of knocks to the front door. A sound that makes all three of you freeze.

"Is that them?" Felix whispers.

You think about it for a second but Hyunjin beats you to the punch, standing and dragging you along with him. "Can't be," he murmurs back. "Chan hyung said ten minutes. It's room service again if he really did get enough food to feed nine." He's leaning forward then, pulling Felix to his feet too and shoving both of you toward the bathroom. "Out of sight and don't make a sound."

You don't want to embarrass Hyunjin more than he already is nor do you want rumors to start if the servers decide to gossip, so you go, making your way into the bathroom with Felix and closing the door quietly behind you. When you turn back to him though, you suddenly realize why being in here with him in such close quarters is a very very bad idea.

Your cheeks immediately heat at the sight. No matter that you've seen his six pack so many times before from all the times he flashed Stays on stage. Seeing him shirtless like this up close and personal...is a vastly different thing.

You can see each and every freckle that dots his skin, each defined line and striation of his muscle, the V above the waistband of his--

You shake your head to clear those horrible thoughts and as you glance up to his face, you see the same far-off look from before and it instantly sobers you, your heart softening.

"Lix?"

Your whisper is hardly audible but it's enough. Blinking the haze away, Felix glances at you, so very lost and clearly trying to find his way back.

And you fully intend to help him with that.

It takes you but a moment to make your way to the counter and hop up onto it, and another moment more for you to throw your arms open in a silent invitation.

Felix being Felix, understands almost immediately and he wordlessly crosses the small space in two quick strides to slot his hips in between your open legs and burrow himself in your embrace. And you don't hesitate to immediately hug his body tightly to you the moment you're able, determined to do everything you can to make him feel better.

From his deep sigh that tickles your neck with his warm breath, to the way his hands shake ever so faintly where he hugs you back just as tightly around the waist, it's obvious he's not doing as well as you thought. And the realization breaks your heart more than you want to admit. Felix doesn't deserve this.

"Before you ask," he murmurs from where he buried his face in your neck, "I'm fine. I just, I needed a--"

"No need to explain, love," you whisper back as you caress your hands over his shoulders comfortingly--trying your best to ignore the fact that there's no barrier barring your touches anymore. That's not important right now. "Doesn't matter what the reasoning is. We don't need to talk about it."

"But we should," he relents quietly with another tired sigh. "I thought I was handling it okay but I'm clearly not. I'm just, I'm so annoyed that it still bothers me because it's one...heartless fan and her stupid words...but my brain just won't stop."

"Trust me Felix, I get it." You pull back enough to see his face, the counter height putting you perfectly level with him and allowing you to clearly see the emotion swimming in his eyes. "I wish stuff like this was something that we could just disprove and it would immediately go away and never come back, but it's not. It's like a weed in a flower garden," you tell him in a hushed whisper.

"You can try to remove it--pull it out--and yes, it'll disappear for a time, but until you remove all the poisonous roots and every last seed it spread around, it'll keep coming back. Excising it completely takes time. But slowly but surely, each time you pluck it out of your garden, you'll remove more and more. Eventually, there won't be any pieces left. There will come a time when it doesn't come back. That I can promise you."

Felix is the one to pull away this time, reluctantly releasing his hold on you and gripping the edge of the counter on either side of your legs instead. You let go of him too, allowing him the space to work through his thoughts. To let the concept you laid out take root enough for him to start to believe it. But eventually, he hangs his head with yet another sigh.

"You really think so y/n?"

Reaching out, you place a hand on either side of his cheeks, lifting his eyes to yours again so he can see your reassuring smile. "I do. And you know what else helps?"

He shakes his head and you have to suppress a giggle at how the movement cutely squishes his face in between your palms.

You lean forward, pressing a kiss to his forehead and when you lean back, you wait long enough for his eyes that had fluttered shut to open again before you remove your hands altogether. "Well, we gotta plant other things in the garden and nurture what's already there to grow big and strong," you hush, bringing up a hand to count on your fingers. "Gotta water every little rose you have up there for all of the members. Gotta replant the carnations of your confidence. Give some miracle grow to the daisies that protect your heart and your emotions. Ya know, all the good stuff."

He watches you for a second, the dark brown of his eyes so incredibly mesmerizing. Then the softest, "What about your flower?"

You blink back at him, confused by the sudden turn. "What about it?"

"You never added it to the list," he quietly points out. "It needs attention too y/n."

You can't help the wide and unwavering smile that graces your lips as you look back at him. At his seriousness and the overwhelmingly loving way he just spreads his warmth and care to everyone around him.

"Well, my little sunflower that lives up there," you say with a soft tap tap to his forehead, "just needs a few rays of light to be content. And with you around, it has all it needs."

The way he looks at you then, at your words, is indescribably soft, and though he doesn't breathe a word of his own, his eyes say more than words ever could. It's like his mind visibly clears, now on the other side of the stormy rain cloud it had been stuck in and finally settling on--

"You can come on out now! They're gone!" comes Hyunjin's yell, the sound breaking whatever deep but curious spell had been cast over the two of you. A spell resulting in such a sweet exchange of wordless and meaningful glances.

Despite the ebb and flow of voices coming from the other side of the door now, that you can only assume is the rest of the boys now joining the party, there's no question Hyunjin's proclamation is aimed at you and Felix.

So you give the freckled boy in front of you one last comforting smile. "You good to go sunshine?"

He blushes, giggling at the moniker and the sound warms your heart more than any natural ray of sunlight can. "I am now," he assures you as he takes a step back from the bracket of your knees and helps you down from the counter. Once you're on your feet and stable, he's turning and pushing out of the bathroom with you on his heels.

Every sleep-laden hello and good morning spoken to either of you is quickly followed by a double take but no one seems willing to comment on the question that's on everyone's mind. That is until the two of you finally make it back to the beds to sit down and Chan finally gets a good, unimpeded view of what everyone else was staring at. Or more like the lack thereof.

Chan lifts a brow at his Aussie brother. "I can't help but be concerned about the overall lack of clothes around y/n lately," he notes, though his comment seems less aimed specifically at Felix and is simply a general observation. "What happened to our sense of decorum?"

Felix just flops down on the bed next to Hyunjin and grumbles back, "You're one to talk Wolfgang."

Chan tilts his head at the comment but overall just looks confused until Lee Know kindly explains, "Minnie decided to fill us in on your guy's backstage escapades at the concert. We know what game you're playing old man."

No one seems surprised by the information nor the blatant and poking way Lee Know says it, not that you should be surprised by it anymore either.

"Well," Chan huffs blinking away his own surprise, throwing himself down on the other bed where I.N is already sprawled out. "It was unintentional on my end, I didn't know y/n was in the green room. Plus, Seungmin did it first. Why is he not being chastised?"

"Because he was honest and fessed up to his misdeeds. We had to find out about you secondhand." Picking his way around each of the boys, Lee Know makes his way over to the couch where he purposely sits and makes himself comfortable on Han's lap, despite the entire rest of the couch being open. Han wheezes at the sudden, unexpected weight but tiredly accepts his fate all the same. "And because it led to some interesting conversation about y/n that we wouldn't have gotten otherwise. So I've learned to forgive him."

Some realization lights in Chan's eyes and he stops glaring at Lee Know in favor of peering over at you now. "Is this what you guys were talking about in the car yesterday? Seungmin said it was about, about turn-ons."

"Yo!" Han snaps from behind Lee Know, shoving him partially out of the way so he can see the rest of you. "Seriously? Why does all the interesting stuff go down when I'm not there?! What the hell happened with you guys?"

Trying not to let your cheeks get any redder than they are, you just shrug at Han, dropping to the bed beside Felix and Hyunjin who are back to how they were before food service came. With Hyunjin sitting on top of him and still faithfully massaging away.

"I will neither confirm nor deny anything," is all you say to Chan and that makes Felix immediately burst out laughing as Seungmin bounds over offering you a proud high five. You return it but not without shaking your head. His mischievous side really has been rubbing off on Felix.

The real question is: how will you ever survive around them at this rate?

"Can we just eat already?" you whine, looking at them all with the most pitiful set of puppy-dog eyes you can muster. "I've been teased enough today and I have yet to get a lick of coffee or ounce of food in me. Drag this on any longer and my crankiness will soon be all of your guy's problems."

"Welcome to my reality of suffering at their hands," I.N plainly deadpans. But he seems to take pity on you as he rises from the arm of the couch where he had been perched and walks over to the carts of food. It takes him a second of deliberate searching but he seems to find what he's looking for and scoops up the plate of food along with a mug of coffee before setting them on the nightstand next to you. "Happy to know I don't need to suffer alone anymore."

"Misery does love company," you grumble, palming the mug of coffee and taking a blessed sip. "But don't think I won't sacrifice you to their aggressive affection and incessant doting if it means I can save my own ass," you quickly add. When I.N just stares at you at the gall of your admission, you just lift a brow back, letting the coffee you sipped warm you from the inside out. "I asked you for help once," you remind him, "and you walked away. I believe in an eye for an eye Jeongin and karma will find it's way back to you."

He surges forward. "But--"

Chan--bless his heart--is quicker, pulling him back down to the bed in a mess of flailing limbs but pinning him to the mattress all the same. "Just take the L, Iyen-ah. We should all know better than to argue with her by now."

That last part he says with a smirking glance at you but you do nothing more than stick your tongue out at him. You won't give him the satisfaction of proving him right.

Before any of you can say anything else though, Han--who managed to crawl out from under Lee Know--plucks your dragon plush from where it tumbled to the foot of the bed, turning the fuzzy animal over in his hand. "Wait...Changbin hyung isn't this yours? The one you bought at the airport to add to your collection?"

All eyes turn to Changbin at that and you see him instantly blush, though he tries to hide it. "It is," he eventually concedes, ducking his head to avoid all the attention. "But I gave it to y/n after that game of guess who. She deserves it more than me anyway."

Setting down your coffee mug on the nightstand, you make grabby hands toward Han and he tosses the dragon to you which you don't hesitate to hug to yourself once again. "And I love my little dragon friend," you assure Changbin, giving him the sweetest, most genuine smile you can muster in the hopes that he knows you truly mean your words. "That's why he was on the bed with me all night. I can't resist fuzzy things."

Not that you're going to tell him you couldn't resist two other fuzzy things that had been in the bed with you last night too. He doesn't need to know that.

His answering smile and immediate shyness at the inadvertent praise is well worth it and you're all the more glad you were able to show him that little appreciation. It's the least he deserves.

The least all of them deserve, in fact.

"That reminds me," you say as you hug the dragon tighter to yourself in quiet comfort. "I wanted to thank you all for the gifts you gave me. From the game." You anxiously fidget with the rings on your finger as you talk but you make it a point to meet each of their eyes so they can't question your sincerity. "I truly appreciate you guys and I swear to love and cherish every single piece. They all mean a lot to me."

While their reactions range, you take I.N's beaming grin and Lee Know's smug smirk as a good sign. Chan seems the most reserved from where he sits on the other bed but he nods at you all the same.

"It's the least we could do for you y/n," he says with a gentle smile of his own. "And it meant a lot for us too."

You blink. Too?

Although you're confused at his words, unfortunately you don't get the chance to ask him about it, or about his gift, as the rest of the boys each stand to grab their own plates, obviously too hungry to wait any longer. So you simply smile back at Chan and let it lie for now.

All good things to those who wait, right?

~~~

"Do we really all need to go to this meeting?" comes a grouchy grumble. "I'm so full I can barely walk."

Seungmin just rolls his eyes, expertly avoiding Changbin's answering swipe at his attitude, even in the small confines of the already crowded elevator. "After an overflowing plate of eggs, bacon, and potatoes...three pancakes...four slices of french toast...y/n's leftovers...and a fruit platter, you have no one to blame but yourself Changbin hyung," Seungmin proclaims.

Changbin whines, louder this time, the sound harshly echoing against the walls. "I'm carb-loading okay? Leave me alone Seungmin-ah. You know I need extra calories on gym days."

Seungmin just shrugs and squeezes past him to stand closer to the elevator door, also ignoring Chan's light smack to the arm in quiet retribution as he goes.

"Food aside," Chan finally cuts in. "Yes, we do all need to be at this meeting. I know it's last minute but Manager Nim wanted to touch base with a few updates, and all our handlers need to drop off some--frankly overdue--rep gifts that we should really be using, posting about, and thanking everyone for."

"Sucks for you guys," Han sneers, throwing an arm around Lee Know's shoulders as they follow Chan out of the now open elevator and down the row of conference rooms. "I don't have any rep relationships to maintain. No promo responsibilities for me."

"Keep telling yourself that," Chan fires back with a laugh. When Han gasps at the insinuation Chan simply turns to you, ignoring Han completely. "And Manager Nim wanted to talk to you too y/n. Nothing bad though, I promise."

And thankfully you don't get any time to worry about what Nim could possibly want to talk to you about as Chan pushes through one of the conference room doors and holds it open for everyone else. The boys all obediently file in, and--not wanting to get in the way--you hold back to go last, even if it does earn you a disapproving glance from Lee Know.

All the same, once you make it inside and Chan closes the door behind you, you're finally able to take in the sheer amount of people bustling around the large space. More than you had expected since there's only eight of them. All things considered though, it does make sense given how utterly...chaotic they all are. One handler for each of them clearly isn't enough. At least not if those handlers want to not go completely grey before they hit 40.

Looking over everyone, you spot Nim across the way and he gives you a soft smile and a nod before addressing the room at large. "Gather 'round children," he says reining all the boys in. "I'll make this quick so you can go through your rep gifts and make a plan on how to coordinate your posts. You all know the drill when it comes to those," he says with a pointed finger at Han who just pouts at the sudden callout and hides behind a very stoic Lee Know.

"So first things first, congrats again on a tour well done. I'm so proud of you for all the hard work you put into not just the performances but the preparation and the songs themselves. So enjoy the next few months vacation, you very much earned the break. I'll touch base with Chan when it comes time to do some SKZ-code filming during the break, if you all are up for it. Sound good?"

With a nod from each of the boys, Nim sends them off to each concerningly big pile of opulent boxes and couture bags along with their handlers. I.N, Felix, and Hyunjin all look incredibly excited as they take in their towers of gifts. Changbin just laughs at Han's defeated look at his own decently sized pile, apparently not having expected anything at all. And the rest of them just take it in stride, clearly more attuned to the responsibilities of being a pro idol.

You're so distracted watching all of them and enjoying seeing this snippet of their private lives that you don't notice Chan and Nim making their way over to you until they're nearly right in front of you. On instinct you give a short bow, still wanting to be respectful of Chan's manager. After all, he is the blessed reason you're still allowed around the boys.

Nim simply chuckles, gracefully bowing back. "Miss y/n," he greets warmly, flashing you a beatific smile. "You know that's not necessary. We're more than just acquaintances at this point."

It's hard but you tamp down the need to look away from Nim, your shyness getting the better of you. Instead, you give yourself a moment to take in the man's surprisingly casual fit compared to the prim and proper business persona from before. The big hoodie, the worn-out jeans, a few pieces of tasteful jewelry. Truly, any local who didn't know better would think he's an idol himself. He surely carries himself well enough to fit the part.

Shaking off the thought, you smile. "I know it's not, but that doesn't mean you deserve any less respect Nim. Especially because you wrangle these ones for a living," you say, poking a thumb over your shoulder at the rest of the boys who, true to form, are bickering in the background. "That takes skill."

"You have no idea," Nim jokes with an emphatic nod. Then he tilts his head, suddenly thoughtful. "I take that back actually. After the past few days, I'm sure you have gotten a taste of what it's like. I don't know how you're still sane to be honest." Then he glances at Chan. "Honestly, how in the world did you find this girl? Managing you guys on her own and she's still in one piece?"

"First off, rude," Chan rebukes with a huff. "We're a group of perfectly behaved, well-mannered men." Nim rolls his eyes but Chan continues, unbothered. "Secondly, bold of you to assume she was sane to begin with. We all know Stays are just as crazy as us Stray Kids." Nim gives an agreeable nod to that part. "And lastly, I already told you how we met her. It was--"

"In the elevator when she was helping that ahjumma, I know I know," Nim finishes for Chan. "Just my luck to be stuck with the two most annoyingly selfless people on the planet. Mark my words," he says, pointing a menacing finger at you both. "One of these days, you guys are gonna devolve into a vicious, unending cycle of selflessness because you'll try to keep one-upping each other's kindness 'cause you just can't let it go."

One of these days? As in-- Wait... You glance at Chan, a different thought occurring to you. He told Nim how you all met?

"Excuse me Nim," Chan interrupts, eagerly moving to follow his manager to the conference table, you hurrying to do the same. "Y/N and I are a damn delight to be around, thank you very much."

"For one of you, I agree," Nim grants, pulling out a chair and gesturing for you to sit. And his smile only grows when you happily take the offered seat, allowing him to push you in before taking up his own chair. Then he looks up at Chan still standing there beside the two of you, looking dumbfounded. He sighs. "What is it Chan?"

"What about...what about my chair?" Chan pouts, putting on his best damsel in distress act as he helplessly looks down at the chair in front of him like he didn't have the means to seat himself. "You use to be so nice to me."

Nim gives a long, soul-deep sigh. "I can't believe I ever questioned why Stays put you in babygirlracha..."

Before Nim can get up though, you stop him with a hand and pull out the chair beside you instead. Even patting the seat for good measure, which Chan contentedly takes, completely appeased. "It's okay," you tell the two of them. "Stays like a pretty princess, so we appreciate all the babygirls and their quirks. But what Stays like even more," you say, ignoring Chan's deep groan of embarrassment at your words and no doubt regretting his recent choices, "is a saint. It's no wonder the fandom as a whole continually declares they'd drop their bias like a hot potato for you."

Nim, to his credit, hides his embarrassment well but not enough for you to not see his reddened cheeks and poorly concealed smile. Even so, his eyes stay soft and kind, gratitude brimming it it despite the obvious shyness. Chan on the other hand is less than happy with that news, even going so far as to huff indignantly at you to let you know his displeasure.

"You're too kind y/n," Nim says, also ignoring Chan and his quiet tantrum. "I'm...I'm sure they're just saying that as a joke. It's not like I can compare to our boys anyway. They're much too talented and far more good-looking than me, but anyway," he continues with a nervous chuckle, especially as Chan gives him an appreciative pat on the arm at the indirect praise. "While I wish we could catch up and talk more, the team and I have a meeting to attend in a bit and there are a few things the three of us need to get out of the way first.

"Starting with the recent events," he hums turning his attention wholly on Chan now. "Care to enlighten me about what happened yesterday? Our driver had a very interesting story to tell."

"Dammit Michael," Chan curses under his breath. "I thought for sure he wouldn't say anything once I paid him off."

"Paid him off?" Nim parrots with a quirked brow. "Really?"

"With coffee and a three course breakfast," Chan amends, rolling his eyes. "But he's lost that privilege now," Chan decrees. "Next time, he only gets coffee."

"Man, that'll really show him," Nim retorts dryly. "I will say that you very well may have gotten away with it if Michael wasn't so loyal to me. Free meal be damned. But that begs the question: why were you all sneaking out in the first place?"

Wait. Sneaking out? But--

It never occurred to you that the group field trip to the museum could've been unsanctioned. Or that they weren't allowed out. But you can't deny that the rule makes sense in retrospect. For a brief moment you forgot they were idols with boundaries and things they can't do. Chan had been so carefree and confident when you all planned the visit. Didn't even seem at all worried about getting caught when you went either.

But Nim's current dressing down paints a different picture.

Why hadn't they told you?

Chan just crosses his arms and gives a half-hearted shrug, refusing to meet Nim's eyes. "We were going stir crazy. Needed a change of scenery."

Nim glances at you for a moment, the look in his eyes vanishing too quick for you to decipher, but he focuses on Chan again just as fast. "Would this by chance...have anything to do with what happened two days ago?"

You involuntarily stiffen.

Chan's reaction is just as immediate, his hand going to grip yours with unmistakable intent. Not that you can really process the comfort for what it's worth with your mind suddenly thrust back to that day.

You don't even get the chance to mentally question how in the world Nim knows what happened or who told him or any number of other curiosities that should be occupying your mind right now. No, all you can think of--

It had been all but a few seconds, but unsurprisingly, Nim is quick to clock your sudden change in demeanor and he takes your other hand in both of his own before you can even take another uneven breath, bowing his head deeply.

"I'm sorry y/n," he apologizes. "The last thing I want to do is upset you. You've been through enough as it is." He raises his head, meeting your eye, his hold never faltering. "Chan told me what happened so I know enough. Just...please at least allow me to ask how you are. Are you--" he pauses for a moment, seeming to search for the right words but he ultimately sighs, coming up short. "Are you okay?"

You take a focused second to forcefully push back the darkness you felt starting to descend and instead narrow in on the comforting touch both men are lending to you, your hands grasped firmly in theirs. So you paste on a small smile. It's all you can manage, but however small, it's genuine.

"It's okay Nim. I'm okay," you reiterate and Nim deflates at your words, looking a bit concerned but relieved overall, which just spurs you on. "You're not upsetting me either, so don't worry yeah?" The small, proud squeeze of Chan's hand around your own relaxes you and you return the gesture, thankful for his support. "I appreciate you checking on me too Nim, even though it's not your job and I'm not your charge."

"That doesn't mean you deserve any less care," he fires back, but with none of the bite. But you see the purposeful, recycled words of your earlier argument and you concede to it. You can't fight with yourself after all.

Nim clears his throat then, letting go of you and sitting back in the chair, scratching at his neck all the while. "Anyway...we've gotten off track. I wanted to continue by saying that after I spoke to Chan and the police officer two days ago, I got more than enough information to put our personal investigators on it.

"They're quite efficient if I do say so myself. Dug up every last dirty detail about that fucking asshole, and they did it in no time too," Nim says proudly, unbothered by your wide eyes. Whether the look is from his uncharacteristic and unexpected swearing or the truth of what he's telling you, even you aren't sure. But you listen intently all the same.

"He's a registered offender, he has a history of..." Nim clears his throat mid-sentence, quickly refocusing. "There's a whole slew of things, but the point is that we have everything we need to keep him behind bars. He won't be getting near you ever again if we have anything to say about it," Nim says with a nod to Chan at your side, still dependably holding your hand.

"I hope you don't mind," Chan adds, finally joining the conversation again. "After Binnie spoke to the police, I called Nim hyung. He needed to know what was going on in case something happened. Especially if it somehow got out to the media. I-I needed to protect the kids too," he reasons, looking weary.

You simply nod. You understand wholeheartedly, and you don't blame him for what he did. In fact you're glad he was level-headed enough to ensure they were preserving their career too. "They come first Chan, no explanation needed."

You would never ever forgive yourself if all those years and all that hard work went to waste because of you.

Chan just gives you a dark look that says he'll fight you on that point later, but continues, ignoring it for now. "That's why I followed the officer out after he took our statements. To--"

"--let him have it with a few choice words?" Nim interjects, sounding both impressed and exasperated. "Yes, we know."

"I'm human and I was angry. Sue me," Chan fires back. "But...no," he says, softer this time, turning to you now. "After everything went down and Nim rushed over here, we talked at length about what resources we can use to nail this guy. And believe me when I say Nim would've hired whoever the hell he needed to in order to protect you, even if I hadn't have asked him to. He's just that kind of guy.

"We just...we didn't want you to even have to think or worry about it until we had something concrete. Which brings us to this morning when we finally got word about the P.I's findings, hence the last-minute meeting."

Chan meets your eye then, looking nervous. "I'm sorry we did all this behind your back y/n, but I promise we had good intentions and had your well-being in mind. We just wanted to keep you safe."

For the first time since this conversation started, you allow yourself to glare at him, half joking but mostly serious. "Are you seriously apologizing for going above and beyond to protect me?"

Silence. Then, "...Yes?"

For God sakes. Only Bang Fucking Chan can feel bad for something like that. For taking matters into his own hands to protect the people he cares about when no one explicitly asked him to.

But the truth of the matter is, he and Nim had done something inconceivably caring for you. Selfless and kind and so incredibly sweet.

Knowing that--even though it doesn't erase what happened or the damage it caused--knowing that you're safe from that guy...it's yet another vice that loosens from around your heart. You feel comforted and yet absolutely awed.

"I know you know where you went wrong with that little confession," you tell Chan meaningfully. "And it wasn't when you went out of your way to keep me safe." This time, you're the one to take Nim's hand, squeezing it as you do the same to Chan. "I truly don't know how to thank you guys. I've never really had anyone to look out for me like you guys have. Us girls usually have to deal with this kind of stuff on our own, ya know?"

"Well you won't have to anymore," Chan assures you, his eyes honest and pained at the truth of your reality. "You've got us now. Eight scary guard dogs that have your back. And Nim hyung too, I'm sure. So nine."

You roll your eyes. "Scary my ass. Y'all are softer than a bucket of soot sprites." Nim cackles at your analogy and when you see Chan's brows rise in surprise, you quickly amend your statement. "Okay fine. Correction: everyone but you and Minho have the scare factor of a drowned kitten.

"You two are the only ones I've actually seen remotely angry. Or angry for real too I guess," you add, remembering just how different they had been in the aftermath of the incident. But even so... "Either way, I personally don't find either of you scary."

"I think that's the point y/n. The scary-ness is to fend off everyone else, not affect you." Nim is kind and soft with his words in a way you never truly expected from him, but you appreciate it. It's a happy surprise, especially from someone who should be blaming you for making his life oh so difficult. "And we're happy to do it, no thank you is needed. Now, moving on..." he says pulling his hand from yours and fixing Chan with a look. "Are you crazy Chan? Going out there on your own? You told me you'd behave!" Nim reprimands.

Chan scoffs. "We did behave!"

Nim deadpans and that look is enough for Chan to hang his head in submission, but only slightly. He knows when to pick his battles and even you know this is one he isn't going to win.

"You call going to that museum without guards or without me as a buffer, behaving? Even with me in a meeting at the time, which I know you knew. It doesn't matter. And after I laid off on security around the hotel for a few days like you asked me to?"

Chan asked Nim to decrease security? Maybe that's why he hadn't noticed any guards around like you expected them to have.

You glance at Chan, all the more curious and confused. Why would he do that? However much you want to ask and however many questions you have now swirling around in your head, you don't say anything. You know this is between Chan and Nim. Nothing you can say will help, even if at the root of it all it is your fault. Everyone had gone out because of you. But that guilt is something you'll have to come to terms with later.

Nim sighs then, softening and you see the tender way he looks at Chan. The unmistakable care he has for him and the boys. "Look, I get it. What happened affected all of you guys and you needed to get out of your heads for a little while. I wouldn't have stopped you, I hope you know that Chan."

Thankfully for both you and Chan he doesn't dig any deeper into the why of it all, but you know that he understands well enough. It's like he said. You all needed to get out of your head. And you all needed to do so with some spontaneity and freedom and by taking control in making a choice that isn't dictated by anyone else. Approved or not.

"I know," Chan mumbles and you know immediately by his subdued tone that he's feeling guilty. "Sorry hyung. I promise to do better next time but I swear we were careful while we were there."

"I'm sorry too," you add. "It was--"

"No." Nim whips toward you, the sharp movement silencing you immediately as does his hardened gaze. "I swear if you finish that sentence with 'it was my fault', I'm gonna sick Minho on you and feel absolutely no remorse."

You press your lips together swallowing the rest of your words, to which Nim slowly nods, appeased at your silence.

"Nothing about any of this was your fault. Cause, effect, or otherwise," Nim tells you firmly. Then he turns to Chan, nothing else to say on the matter apparently. "I believe you when you say you were careful and took precautions. You know I trust you. Just...notify me next time at the very least, okay? Or let me have some bodyguards tail you from afar, you won't even know they're there. Something, please. I need peace of mind so I don't go grey before I'm 40."

Chan chuckles, patting his arm consolingly. "Okay Nim hyung, I promise. We'll be good and keep you in the loop when we want to wander about the city."

"Good." Nim glances at his watch before settling his gaze on Chan again. "Now, with that settled, I'll let you guys get back to it. The rest of us have that meeting soon. But before I go, is there anything special planned for today that I should know about?"

Chan tilts his head, thinking about it, but you pipe up instead, an idea coming to you. "What if the boys did a live today?" you suggest. "It's been a while and I'm sure Stays would love to see the boys and congratulate them on the tour too."

In all honesty, you feel guilty for monopolizing the guy's attention. Especially for so long. They're idols. They have fans. And they have jobs to do and you refuse to be responsible for them not doing it. If you were any normal Stay, you'd want others to share, which is what you intend to do. Even if it means giving up some precious time with them.

Nim must see right through you because he chuckles heartily at your almost pained smile but his words are serious despite it. "That's a really good idea actually. Would be a good start for the promo kick. Get the buzz going and bring in more views for the posts. Would you boys be up for that?"

The two of you look to Chan and you hope he can see the apology in your eyes for just offering them all up like that without any input. They're going to be the ones doing it after all.

But Chan seems wholly unbothered by that, in fact he smiles brightly and nods at Nim. "I think we'd all love to do a live. With the hustle and bustle of the concerts these past few months, I think we miss a good ol' group livestream."

"You've got managing potential y/n," Nim admits to you with a good-natured nudge. "Good business insight. Strong authority. Great suggestions. In another universe, you and I would make a spectacular team. We'd be able to tame these wild animals in no time."

You roll your eyes but you can't hide your genuine blush at the compliment. "You say that as if you need any help Nim. You don't need me. You've got everything under control just fine."

Surprisingly, Nim rolls his eyes right back. "Trust me when I say they've all been holding back and on their best behavior with you around. Even I'm pretending to be more put-together than I am. But it's just a front. The moment we go back home, it's gonna be anarchy. And speaking of," he adds turning back to Chan once again. "Remind the boys to start getting themselves together, mentally at the very least. Our flight back home is in two days."

You feel your heart instantly sink.

Two days...?

You knew it was a matter of time but you never wanted to let yourself think that far so you could enjoy the moment. But now? With such a short timeline?

Before you can think much about it, Nim rises to his feet and you follow on instinct, still very much distracted by the fact that your sour reality will come crashing down in a few bittersweet days.

Then Nim is pulling you into a soft hug, the action jarring enough to shock you out of your stupor but not so much so that you don't reciprocate.

"I'm sorry y/n," he whispers gently. "For everything." When you hum an equally soft thank you, not able to manage anything more with your mind so very occupied, he tightens his hold on you for a comforting second and then lets go altogether. "As I'm unfortunately required, I'll be sending over an NDA for you to sign later today. And if we don't see each other again in the next two days, just know I'm...I'm thankful that the boys and I met you."

The smile you offer him is tremulous at best. You don't know how to swallow the bitter taste in your mouth, but you try.

"Have Chan give you my number before we go," he continues softly. "And don't hesitate to reach out to me for anything, no matter what it is, okay?"

When you nod, he flashes you his own pained smile, gives Chan an equally whisper-filled hug, and then leaves to make his rounds with the rest of the boys and the team.

Two days.

Two days...

It feels like so much and so little all at once.

Truth be told, it makes you want to cry knowing what it ultimately means in the end--knowing that you'll be left feeling an emptiness you're not sure you'll be able to handle. You never expected losing friends would hit you this hard. Granted, these aren't just any old friends, but you know their lifestyle and you know what the world expects of them. You know them leaving means savoring these memories and returning back to reality with the knowledge that nothing more than a handful of people, the members, and an ironclad NDA know the truth of what happened here in LA. Both good and bad. Reminders that time will eventually water down to a distant memory you'll wonder if you dreamt up or not. And that's ignoring the fact that you could still probably text and call them when they're gone. It just doesn't feel like enough.

You shake your head.

No.

Making a snap decision, you quickly steel yourself and your resolve. You refuse to spend the short time you have left sulking or being sad. You'll have more than enough time for all that sadness and trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces after everything is said and done. In the meantime you're setting a new goal for yourself: making these two days freaking count.

~~~

Curled up in that plush armchair, you suppress the urge to adjust your legs. Again. You know you've already been squirming too much. One of these times it's gonna be picked up on the mic.

When you suggested they do a livestream, you fully intended to simply go back to your room, read and sign the NDA Nim is gonna send over, check your slew of work messages, get back to Ryan with some scripts, and overall just let them do their thing. Maybe secretly tune in if you felt like spying and seeing how it's going. But all in all, essentially, just give them space.

But Chan seems to be just as affected by Nim's newly imposed timeline, if his out of the blue clinginess is any indication. So clingy in fact, that he hadn't let you out of his sight, much less let you go to your room to change without tagging along and then escorting you back to the one room they've deemed sufficiently clean enough for Stays to see during the stream.

And now?

"Plans?" Hyunjin reads from the comments on his phone. "Do you mean today or in general?" he asks Stays. "Because if you're asking about our general plans, number one on that list is to reelaax," he tells the camera, throwing his boneless form back on the bed dramatically.

"And keep preparing for the next comeback," Chan murmurs absentmindedly, also scrolling through the comments on his own phone.

But quiet as his own comment was, it doesn't go unnoticed.

"Yah! What did we tell you about taking a break?" Changbin snaps, smacking Chan on the arm. But when Chan simply ducks his head in slight embarrassment, not bothering to respond, Changbin just shakes his head, exasperated. "Workaholic."

From the armchair you've taken up behind the camera, you stifle a chuckle at the scene playing out in front of you.

There's no denying it. Chan truly is an addict. Whether it's to work or to music, you don't know. Either way it's borderline unhealthy with how little sleep and so few breaks he allows himself. But you're happy the kids don't hesitate to scold him when the situation calls for it, and to keep him in line so he doesn't take things too far. As much as Chan allows, that is. Cause while he does want to make his brothers happy, you also know he's as stubborn as a mule. That too is an attribute you two share.

"New songs? Spoi--" Minho deadpans, looking at Seungmin's camera on the tripod--which was no surprise that they dedicated his as the one they'd livestream from--dead on. "Spoilers, really? Look at what you did hyung. Now they're asking for spoilers for the next comeback already."

Chan shrugs, not bothering to look up or acknowledge Lee Know's glare that I'm sure he feels burning into his skin. He simply continues scrolling through his phone as if he had not a care in the world, but you do see the sly smile he tries to hide behind his hand. What a tease.

"We know nothing anyway," Han adds absentmindedly, seemingly more concerned with annoying Seungmin by pulling at his hoodie strings. Seungmin, who oddly isn't even sitting next to him, but that doesn't stop Han from trying and eventually succeeding in his mission.

And you see the exact moment when poor Seungmin has had enough of his torture so, he shoves Hyunjin who's nestled in between the two of them, right into Han's lap. Funny enough, Hyunjin goes willingly, sprawling his top half out on Han's legs dramatically.

"Hey my lover," Han greets his new cuddle buddy with a waggle of his brows.

"Hey my baby," Hyunjin sings back with a giggle at the memory you're guessing is replaying in his mind. A moment you know many Stays know by heart as well.

From Han's other side, I.N rolls his eyes and pretends to gag at the open display of affection, instantly going back to his phone. "No, they aren't cute. What is wrong with you guys?" I.N scolds the comment section almost immediately, no doubt reading the flood of mentions you yourself see about Hyunsung being all lovey dovey. So it's no wonder he happily takes the chance to change the subject when he sees: "What was your favorite concert moment?"

I.N pauses and takes a moment to think about his answer which is just enough time for Felix to pipe up from his spot on the floor seated between I.N's legs. "When Innie did his 'Still With You' solo! It was so good!"

Seungmin and Hyunjin murmur their agreements at that and frankly you too agree with the sentiment, though you obviously don't say so. I.N truly does have a voice that you can't help but love.

I.N ruffles Felix's hair at the compliment, fighting a bright grin and you yourself can't help the warm feeling bubbling up in your chest at the sight.

Knowing the reality of Felix's memories of the concert, seeing him able to smile like this...for him to revisit that moment, and share something else--something positive--that you know he isn't even just making up for the hell of it...you're insanely proud. His soft smile says it all, clear as day: watering the roses, right?

You watch him for a moment longer, seeing him lean into I.N's touch. And you see that even after I.N takes his hand away, Felix leans over to rest his head on I.N's thigh, wrapping his arm around I.N's lower leg as if to extend the comfort.

It's a downright adorable sight, the two of them together. I.N with a rare moment of self-initiated skinship and Felix with his ever-present need to be touching or hugging something. The two of them coming together to share the love for one small moment.

"Thank you for an amazing concert," you hear Chan say as you tune back into the main conversation. "You have no idea how thankful we are for each and every one of our Stays."

"Yeah," Minho agrees. "You supported us. Came to see us. Gave us words of encouragement." Lee Know smirks then as he walks up to the tripod and flips his phone around so the camera can see his screen. "This one was one of my favorite encouraging posters, if I may be so bold."

And it takes you but a second to recognize the picture he's showing Stays on screen. Specifically, the picture you had sent of that poster one Stay made for Lee Know's butt-hunting tally.

Truthfully, you don't know how to react to Lee Know's blatant admission. A glance at Chan has him giving you a minute shrug that no one else but you would understand, so you simply go back to staring dumbly at Lee Know, wondering how he can show off that picture so nonchalantly without worrying about each and every repercussion.

In fact the way that he slyly glances up to meet your eye behind the camera as he sits back down and gives you that evil smirk of his tells you he doesn't care about any of it one bit. No worries about Stays wondering how he got that picture when he was backstage. About what Stay took the picture. Who that Stay was so everyone can stalk their account and try to find out Lee Know's account. The list goes on. But nope. That shit-eating grin tells you everything you need to know.

"I wonder if our Stay actually kept track," Han muses as he scrolls the comments on his phone. Having been the victim of more than a few of those tallies, he knows the board definitely can't be empty.

Lee Know hums in sudden agreement. "Stay," he says firmly at the camera. "Whoever you are that was at our day 1 LA concert, I need to see the finished board with all my tallies." He smirks again but turns his attention back to his phone like he's unaware of the pandemonium that one little picture is surely currently causing. "I know I kept track, let's see if you were paying attention too."

Sighing, you shake your head. If that Stay isn't currently watching the livestream--and fainting from the direct attention from the tsundere himself--the manhunt that's going to ensue in the coming days is surely going to be one for the history books.

This man...

You know what? Instead of stewing quietly in your disappointment, you open your texts and send one off to Lee Know.

You hear the soft ding of Lee Know's phone and where you were hoping for concern as he reads your message, as expected you simply see his smirk grow as he types back.

"Is this how we can get your attention?" Chan suddenly reads from the comment section. But he scoffs back. "What? By condoning our bad habits?" He shakes his head at the livestream camera. "When it comes to Minho-yah, apparently. I can't speak for everyone else but you already know what it takes to get my attention."

Seungmin tsks, shaking his head looking truly disappointed. "Only an old man like you would need Stay to supply him with pickup lines so he can flirt."

You blink. As if to say what? That Seungmin doesn't need any of that? As if to claim that he can flirt just fine without any help?

The thought has you looking at Seungmin in a whole new light. You never expected that kind of confidence out of Seungmin but you gotta admit that it fits. He really does seem like a self-assured kind of guy. One that's confident in his skills once he masters them. Just like with his singing and proudly heading Vocalracha. So if he says he can flirt, then it stands to reason that he really truly can.

But you don't get time to ponder it further when Chan bursts out laughing. "Ah that's a good one! You guys have the best pickup lines," he huffs between chuckles. It takes him a moment but once he composes himself for the most part, he turns to Lee Know beside him, reading off of his phone. "Minho, you got no paper and no pencil but you're still drawing my attention."

Lee Know immediately makes a face at Chan, even going so far as to pretend to shiver. Which just makes Chan bat him on the arm, downright upset despite the small smirk that still graces his lips.

"Oh stop it. You gotta admit that was a good one! I bet Stay would've liked if I used it on them," he pouts.

"Sure they would've," I.N consoles with a soft pat pat to Chan's shoulder, at least pretending to be reassuring.

"Oh how about this one?" Hyunjin says turning to I.N. "They say kissing is a love language. Want to start a conversation with me?" Hyunjin barely gets through the line only to immediately crack up at just how cheesy it is. Even you can't deny it as you desperately hold back a chuckle. The line coming from Hyunjin's lips though...it's far more palatable.

Changbin seems to agree as he jumps to his feet almost immediately, thrusting his hand in the air and volunteering as tribute in their usual push/pull fanservice act the Hyunbin duo has going on.

Pleasantly, Hyunjin goes far enough to humor him by blowing a kiss in Changbin's direction and when Changbin snatches it out of the air with determined vigor, Hyunjin just shakes his head, over the whole thing just as quickly.

"I've got one," Lee Know says, rising to his feet.

And you're not the only one that seems surprised by his sudden declaration as the rest of the boys all stop what they're doing to watch this train wreck unfold with curious eyes.

The onslaught of attention doesn't sway him though. He just continues to make his way toward the tripod only to veer off camera, suddenly point at you with a devilish smirk, and then turn and walk across the screen. To which he pauses just before he walks out of view of the camera again and looks dead into the lens and goes: "Do you believe in love at first sight or do I have to walk by again?"

And as if that's not bad enough, Lee Know ties it all together with a self-assured wink that just screams trouble.

Truthfully, if you weren't so distracted by the growing burn in your cheeks, you'd have half a mind to look at the comment section blowing up on your phone to see the deaths currently happening all around the world at Lee Know's hands. But you're far too overwhelmed with the fact that he had clearly meant something with that pointed gesture at you before going through with the act.

And you certainly aren't going to ponder that here in the boy's presence, you quickly decide, where you can feel yourself growing warmer and warmer by the minute. Small and cliché as it may have been, Lee Know's supposed dedication of the line to you made your mind flood with curiosity over what it would be like for the guys to actually be saying these things to you. Each line the boys jokingly uttered now aimed toward one person, but this time serious. It's a thought that you're sure all the other delulu Stays of the fandom are currently sitting with as well. Imagining all the possibilities--

Nope. You can't.

So you don't.

Rising to your feet, you flip a quick bird in Lee Know's direction and quietly stalk off out the door and into the quiet hallway where you get a blessed moment to breathe.

There's no denying Lee Know knows how to make an impact, especially when he puts in the effort, but you're not about to give him the satisfaction. And you most definitely won't let him continue this torture with him knowing full and well you can't do a damned thing about it. Response, retaliation, or otherwise.

No, it's better this way. It's how you intended it in the first place. The boys can do the livestream with Stay and you can dip your toes back into reality a bit by doing a little digital housekeeping. You need to ease back into the real world again.

So you make your way down the hall back to your room, already compiling a list of all the things you need to get done. Sign the NDA, message Ryan, read through work emails on projects for when you get back, check the airplane ticket to print it out in the lobby office for your way home when you leave in three days.

"Y/N, wait up!"

"Changbin?" You blink away the haze of your thoughts, turning at the sound of his voice and sure enough, Changbin is jogging over to you. The sight is almost reminiscent of that night he joined you in the hallway and you cried in his arms. This time though, thankfully you're in a much better place mentally and emotionally. A bit frazzled as Lee Know would say, but otherwise fine. That aside, you shake your head at him, though you can't help your small affectionate smile at his presence. "What are you doing here Binnie?"

"Would've thought you'd be happier to see me," Changbin jokes with a small chuckle. "Wanted to make sure you're okay. Make sure Lee Know didn't take it too far or make you uncomfortable."

"I'm always happy to see you Bin, and I promise I'm okay," you assure him, continuing your trek down the hall with him tagging along.

And you mean it. Flustered as you may have been, you enjoyed the attention. And as dramatic and sudden as your reaction may have been, it was simply because you were embarrassed and trying to save face. Not because anything was wrong in the way Changbin thought it was.

"Minho didn't make me uncomfortable or anything, Binnie, so don't worry." When he just nods stoically at that, his mood dipping for an almost imperceptible second at the mention of Lee Know, you decide to change tactics. "What about the stream though? You should be back there hanging out with Stays on the live. They'll miss you!"

"I am hanging out with Stay," he shoots back with a small grin.

"You know what I mean." You glance over at him, and when he shrugs like "eh, they can wait", you stop again, unable to hold back the growing guilt and shame that continues to compound within you by the second. You turn to him, trying your best to stay calm and placating despite the turbulent emotions within you. "Binnie, you do know the whole stream was to spend some time with your fans, right? All eight of you? I suggested the live to Nim because I feel bad for monopolizing your guys' time for so long when all Stays deserve a piece of you, so you being here with me kind of defeats the purpose."

Changbin blinks at you, quiet for a moment before he tilts his head, thinking. "Are you really sending me away?" He looks at you, searching your face--though you aren't sure what for--and your heart drops the moment you see his gaze harden a bit, not angry per se, but no longer so easygoing. "So what, you enjoy everyone else's company but not mine? You accept everyone else's flirting, but not when it comes to me? Minho's distasteful lines are okay but this is too much that I need to leave?" he huffs. "Is that it?"

You can only blink back. What the hell is going on?

"Binnie, none of that is true in the slightest. Where is this even coming from?" When you take a step toward him, he just takes one back and that tight feeling in your chest just grows tighter. "Binnie, you have to know I didn't mean it like that. I'm not 'sending you away' because I prefer the others over you or that you're too much or that I don't like your flirting." You try to meet his eye, to show him you mean what you're saying but he seems more set on glaring at the floor.

You try again, stepping toward him, intent on taking his hand, hugging him, anything but this icy distance and steely glare, but he continues to evade you, stepping back again too.

"Binnie, I really am sorry," you tell him honestly, you're voice getting quieter by the second. "I didn't mean to hurt you when I said that earlier. I really was only saying it because I feel guilty and wanted to share with--"

"I get it," Changbin interrupts quickly, stopping your near-trembling voice. "It's fine." He looks up and gives you a smile but this one is far from reassuring, in fact, it's more heartbreaking than anything. "You have fun, y/n. I need to get back to the live before Stays miss me."

Before you can even say anything else, he's turned and is walking off down the hall, back the way he came. And though every fiber in your being wants to go after him and make this right...to make him listen to you so you can reassure him that none of what he's thinking is true...you also know that he doesn't want to hear what you have to say. He can't listen to what you have to say. Not until he calms down enough to see past the strong emotions clouding his vision, that much you know from all your years as a Stay.

So it's with a very concentrated effort that you too turn and continue making your way to your room hoping that you can eventually fix things between you and Changbin. And all the while desperately praying that you didn't make the wrong decision in leaving him be and walking away instead of fighting to make things right.

~~~

Despite the earlier fight with Changbin, the time you spent in your room checking things off your to-do list was productive. Although one could say that productivity was because of the fight. No better way to avoid your own thoughts than to bog your brain down so heavily until you're not able to think about anything else. Although, that's not to say you wouldn't have preferred a different form of motivation to getting some things done.

Not much that can be done about it now anyway.

The NDA is signed and emailed back to Nim. Your scripts are sent off to Ryan with a wildly apologetic but vague text explaining that an emergency came up so you're sorry you couldn't get back to him sooner. Your work emails have been sifted through and responded to in preparation for your inevitable return back. And most importantly, your flight ticket back home is now printed and secured in your bag. A flight you know you're going to hate with every fiber of your being.

That aside, like you said: productive.

And thankfully, you have enough to keep your mind occupied right now too. With the boys having finished the livestream a few hours ago and having given themselves some time since then to disperse and do their own things for a bit, the inevitable moment of togetherness has come again. Surprisingly, in the form of a text from Chan, saying nothing more than: "Evening swim. 15 minutes."

And the first thought that came to your mind at the message was the sheer luck that you had packed your swimsuit in the first place since you were planning on visiting the indoor pool yourself too. It's one of the reasons you booked this hotel after all.

You're also extremely glad the swimsuit you chose was your new--cute but conservative enough--asymmetrical colorblock bikini. You hadn't planned on impressing anyone outside of the celebrities you saw from afar at the concert. But thank god you packed like you did because who would've guessed those very same celebrities would be joining you in the water?

My, how the world works in mysterious ways.

You sigh as you put one last pin in your hair, securing your messy bun to the top of your head so it stays dry. It's only when you're tying the front of your beach cover-up do you hear a knock at the door that definitely means your fifteen minutes are up. Thankfully, you're just about finished, so you do one last once over in the mirror before shouldering your bag and answering the door.

Which, to your surprise, yields a grinning Seungmin leaning up against the doorway.

You tilt your head at him. "Pulled the short end of the stick, eh?"

Seungmin immediately makes a face, downright affronted. "How dare you? No, this," he says gesturing to himself, "is a hard-earned win of rock paper scissors, thank you very much."

Pasting on a small smile as you step past him and out of your room. Closing the door behind you, you reach out to scratch his chin affectionately. "Thank you for coming to get me puppy."

It takes him a moment to snap back to attention as you start to walk away down the hall but he catches up to you quick enough. Nor does it take long for you to feel his eyes on you, scanning and searching, ever observant.

And just when you think he's going to say something and ask you about why you're so quiet or subdued, he simply holds his hand out to you, as if in a silent offer of support. An offer you gladly take, threading your fingers through his and giving him a soft squeeze in thanks. A squeeze that he returns, which faintly settles some wandering ghost of sadness within you. Even more so when he doesn't so much as move to let go of you as the two of you join the rest of the guys waiting in the hall.

So you let the feeling of his warm hand and the reassuring weight of your bag on your shoulder steady you. You have everything you need. Key card, phone, extra tampons, you even brought your own towel. Now reunited with the guys, you feel a comforting calmness settle over you that only their presence can bring. Even through the ruckus that seems to be ever-present around them.

You watch Han and Hyunjin skip down the hall to the elevator, arm in arm, haphazardly singing along to whatever song got stuck in their head. Lee Know kicking it on his own behind them, though that doesn't stop him from yelling at the other two-thirds of paboracha that they're going to get noise complaints. Then there's Changbin shuffling along beside a thoughtful looking Chan. And Felix with I.N, the two of them laughing loudly over something I.N seems to be showing Felix on his phone.

The elevator ride down is much of the same, just in much tighter quarters, and much louder, much to your ear's dismay.

Thankfully, the elevator doors open again before long, and the boys file out. But you don't miss the way, Lee Know primely side-steps Changbin's slow movements and struts off down the recreation center hall. Changbin doesn't give much of a reaction as he loyally follows, if anything he seems to accept the whole thing with a resigned sigh.

You, Seungmin, and Chan exit the elevator last and it isn't until Seungmin quietly squeezes your hand still in his that you notice you had been clenching both of yours. Shooting him an apologetic smile, you soften your hold again, but you can't help the anger you still harbor against your self for reducing Changbin to this almost hollow, lessened version of himself. Why had you been so stupid?

For the tenth time--just on the way down to the pool--you're considering just throwing all caution to the wind and pulling Changbin aside rather than waiting for him to come to you. But you don't get the chance as the spacious, indoor pool comes into view and Felix hugs Changbin, excitedly pulling him along. At the very least, Felix is able to pull a small smile out of Changbin with the action, so you resolve to leave it for now.

So you follow the rest of them through the glass doors where the small of chlorine floods your nose almost immediately. It reminds you of your childhood and all those summer days spent floating around in the water like a "natural-born fish". Almost makes you miss the days when life was as simple as ice pops and easy subtraction homework and deciding whether to go swim again for the nth time that day. Back when reality, anxiety, and problems weren't an ever-revolving record playing in your head day in and day out.

Seungmin squeezes your hand again, giving you just enough time to pull out of your stupor and meet his eye before smiling reassuringly and letting go of you completely to join Changbin and I.N where they had set their stuff on one of the loungers.

It's with half a mind that you do the same, dropping your bag on your own lounger a few down from theirs. Although, whatever measly thoughts you had in your head at that point disappear into thin air the moment you see each of the guys--barring Changbin and Lee Know--in various stages of pulling off their shirts. And it flusters you just enough for you to immediately turn your back to them so you don't combust on the spot.

After a handful of calming breaths that you're sure, in all actuality, did nothing to calm you, you just will yourself to focus on something else. Anything else. The frigid water should do the trick in distracting you so you untie your robe and slip it off along with your shoes, intent on making a quick escape to the pool steps, but you're stopped short when you hear a muttered, "Well, shit," behind you.

When you turn, you're surprised to find that all of them stopped whatever it is they were doing and are all openly staring at you. Some of them freezing at the top step of the pool, others mid undress, it doesn't matter. Their eyes are all on you. On all the skin on display that you're just now realizing they've never seen from you before. Truthfully, you're not sure if the attention is something that you want to hide from or want more of. At this point, you just feel frozen.

Eventually, Han shakes his head and gestures you up and down. "How can any of us compete with you when you look like that?" One second. Two. He shakes his head again and scowls playfully, stalking back to the lounge chairs. "Where's my damn shirt?" he huffs, rummaging through the mess of clothes on the chair. "I can't go out looking like this, it's a disgrace."

Which is straight lies if you're being completely frank. You'd hardly call what any one of them looks like a disgrace. Not even close.

Thankfully, Lee Know stops him from his wild quest with a hand on his wrist, a disapproving hum, and a swift smack to his ass to get him moving toward the pool steps. To which Lee Know proudly follows behind his soulmate as he stumbles off and steps into the water, his mission accomplished.

The rest of the boys though, they don't even pay Minsung any heed. Nope, they just seem content to stare like Victorian men that have never seen a bare ankle before. Which is just enough to kickstart the barest hint of annoyance within you.

"C'mon," you tell the boys apathetically. "There's nothing impressive here. It hardly deserves that reaction."

"You need to buy her some new mirrors, Chan," Seungmin mutters, his cheeks steadily reddening as his eyes flick between you and the floor. Obviously trying to be respectful but still unable to help himself. The rest of them don't seem to have the same issues, instead choosing to openly stare.

"I'm just saying," you respond, folding up your towel and setting it aside nicely on the lounger, trying not to acknowledge the eight sets of eyes you can feel on you all the while. And refraining from covering yourself up again immediately. "I can point out thousands of women and a thousand more Stays that are much prettier and have...much more to offer than me." Bigger assets that's for sure.

Without waiting for the grumble of responses that are sure to come at your comment, you weave past them and walk steadily down the pool steps into the cold water, dipping down up to your neck without hesitation. It's freaking cold, yes, but it's a welcome sensation to distract you and numb the sadness gathering within you.

The boys watch you, gawking. But they seem rooted where they stand, though it isn't because of your looks this time.

You peer over at them still shivering at the steps with the water barely up to their shins. "Figured none of you have the balls. A little cold water too much to handle?" you tease softly. An easy enough task in the hopes no one will notice your real mood.

The jab seems to add enough fuel to the fire as Chan, ever-motivated, stomps down the steps, dipping completely under and then shaking the water from his face when he surfaces.

Determination set deeply into his features, he barges his way over to you and he doesn't stop even as he reaches you. He simply scoops you into his arms as he passes by, taking you with him to wherever he's going.

Wordlessly, you set your chin on his bare shoulder--wholly ignoring his skin flush against yours--and you wave sadly at the rest of the boys still shivering at the steps, letting yourself be taken. "It was nice knowing you guys."

"No one can say I back down from a challenge," Chan grumbles as he continues to march his way across the pool, you wrapped securely in his arms. "Oh, I've got some things to say to you y/n. You and your stupid beliefs. Not good enough this. Not worthy that. Bullshit," he mutters.

Despite the whirlwind of annoyance that he had swirled you up in in his short rant, he lets out a loud sigh and releases you, retreating just enough to look at your face. "Before anything else though...are you okay? I can tell something is wrong. You seem, I don't know, off? Sad almost?"

You sigh back at him, knowing that it was only a matter of time the most observant of them would see behind your façade. Of course you can't hide it from Chan. So you turn out of his arms, paddling away a bit so you can avoid his reactions and avoid your own emotions, but you stay close enough so that he can still hear you.

"Binnie is mad at me."

When you glance back after a moment, Chan blinks at you, his brow furrowing as he wades after you. "Mad at you? Y/N, why in the world do you think that?"

You clench your jaw, still angry at yourself for the whole thing. "He followed me when I left you guys to livestream and when I told him he should spend some time with Stays because they'll miss him and because I feel bad for monopolizing your guy's time lately, he got upset." You turn away, letting your eyes fall to the rippling water. "He seems to think that I care about everyone but him and now he's avoiding me. I don't know how to fix it, Chan."

Chan sighs, backstroking a few times like it could rid him of his nervous energy. You follow him with a few small breaststrokes of your own, keeping pace, curious about his sudden reticence.

"Changbin and Lee Know got into a bit of a fight this morning," Chan admits quietly.

Fight? Wait...They fought? So...you weren't just imagining the weird tension between them. The avoidance. The interaction between them in the elevator? Maybe it wasn't just you. Which, while comforting in some ways, is also an equally distressing thought.

"I'll spare you the details," he continues softly, "but the point is, they're kinda at odds right now so everyone's emotions are running a bit off. It always gets that way when any of us are fighting. Minho, while it depends on what the fight is about, is usually pretty good at compartmentalizing and pretending things are okay with the people he's not fighting with.

"Changbin on the other hand..." Chan wades forward, momentarily lifting your chin with the side of his finger so you're forced to meet his eye. "He can get emotional sometimes. You just gotta give him time to cool off and get back into the right headspace. But I can almost assure you, his anger had less to do with you and what you said and more to do with Minho. Can't say I'm happy about the fact that he took it out on you though," he says with an annoyed sniff. He eyes you, no doubt putting the dots together on your quieter mood since he last saw you and now realizing it for what it is. "Want me to talk to him?"

You think about it for a second but you shake your head in the end. "No, he deserves to work through his emotions on his own time," you decide. "I just want him to be happy and while I wish he would let me help make it better now, hopefully he'll come to me when he's ready. I know he needs his space."

"He will come to you," Chan assures you, flashing you a small smile as he floats closer while the two of you continue treading water in your little secluded corner of the pool.

When you go to respond though, you see a long, deep shiver wrack his body and you can't help the small smile that finds it's way to your lips at how cute the reaction is. Cold as the water may be, Chan didn't hesitate to dunk himself all the way in earlier just so he could talk to you. Without a single complaint.

You gear your smile toward him, soft and affectionate. "You cold, love?"

His laugh is nervous and shy but he nods all the same, clearly unable to deny it. So you let your feet drop to the pool floor to free up your hands and you reach out to him. And you place your palms on his arms, rubbing his tense and shaking muscles to warm him up. Or at least try to do so.

The surprise at your action quickly fades at the way he seems to settle into the new, small warmth. Even closing his eyes in a long, content blink at the feeling. The warmth isn't much--you can tell with how cold you are too--but it's something.

"Better?"

"Almost." Chan opens his eyes and glances around for a moment and once he spots what he's looking for, he grabs your wrist towing you along across the pool toward it. Then from one second to the next, he's plopping himself down on the underwater bench and pulling you onto his lap, back to front. Trapping you against him securely with his arms around your waist. "Now I'm better," he decrees. "This will keep us both warm."

Truthfully, he had moved so fast, you barely had the time to think about what was happening, much less stop him--not that you really wanted to. But now you're quite literally perched on his lap with every bit of him pressed tightly up against every bit of you.

It is warmer, that much you will admit. They do say body heat is the best way to share warmth, but your mind is suddenly so empty and your body is so tense you're almost afraid to breathe. Of all the things you expected, this wasn't one of them.

Chan nuzzles his nose softly into your shoulder, like it's both reassurance and a wordless request to relax. He can surely feel the tension radiating off of you. "Binnie gets emotional easily but he's a big teddy bear," Chan murmurs, revisiting the earlier thread of conversation as if to use it as a distraction. "He can't stay mad at anyone for long so its only a matter of time before he works things out with Minho. He'll come to you soon to talk it out, I'm sure of it. Don't worry y/n."

"Given our current situation, one could argue I'm the big teddy bear in this scenario," you joke, your mind hardly able to think back to the previous thread of conversation. Which pulls a hearty giggle out of him that you feel in every inch of your being. Though you're not sure if that's a good or bad thing yet. All of your senses are flooded with Chan. Much of what you feel, you try desperately to ignore.

It takes a lot of mental effort to focus on his words and not how...intimate the whole thing is. How surprisingly brazen and straightforward he was to wrangle you guys into this position in the first place. You try your best to push that all away.

"I believe you, Channie," is all you say in the end. "Thank you."

"Ah." Chan clicks his tongue, dismissing the sentiment with a wave. "You won't be thanking me in a minute when we rewind to that whole 'you bashing yourself' thing. What the hell is that all about?"

"What do you mean?"

Chan's hold on you tightens. Not a lot but noticeably so. Enough to show you he's serious. "You know what I mean, y/n. You know the eight of us couldn't have coordinated faking that reaction when we saw you. So why do you still insist that you're less than? That you're not enough. Not worthy."

He sighs again. For the fourth time since you guys have started talking. "It pains me that you don't see how beautiful you are, inside and out. You really need to stop putting yourself down and start believing us when we tell you and show you how amazing you are."

You scoff. "Pot," you say gesturing to him. And then you point to yourself. "Kettle."

He shakes his head and you return the sentiment. "I'll start listening to you when you take your own advice Chris." You stare blankly at the wall in front of the two of you as Chan stays quiet behind you. He has no leg to stand on in this argument and he knows it.  "We can work on it together and we can help each other but until you decide to start working to have a better self-image too--because you're just as bad as me and you know it--your suggestion is vetoed."

"Fine." You feel him shift under you, unwrapping an arm from your waist and reaching out a hand, offering his pinkie. "Together then. We keep each other in check."

You link your pinkie with his, kissing the front of your hand to seal the promise on reflex.

When you try to let go, he doesn't let you. You glance at him over your shoulder but he's just staring at you, dumbfounded. "What was that?"

You can't help the blush that stains your cheeks. You had done it without thinking since it was just something that's been ingrained in you since as far back as you can remember.

"It's what I was taught when I was little," you explain quickly, trying to forgo prolonging your embarrassment. "When you make a pinky promise you have to seal it." You bring your still joint hands up to show him. "I kiss here," you say tapping the side of your hand. "And you kiss there," you say as you tap his, "and it's sealed. Supposed to mean more than a regular pinky promise."

You watch as he blinks a few times, seemingly processing it. But then he lifts your hands, still linked by your pinkies, and kisses the side of his hand exactly like you told him. When he finally releases his hold on your finger, you turn back around, settling against him again trying not to think too hard about the whole ordeal.

It's quiet between the two of you for a minute or two and when you start to worry about if you broke Chan or not with that unintentional slip-up, his quiet voice is cutting through the silence again. "You're really something, you know that?"

You groan. "Are we seriously starting this already?"

He seems to ponder it for a second, and then agrees with twice as much conviction. "Yes. Yes we are. May as well get a jump start on the whole helping build each other up thing."

You get all but a second before you feel him lean forward and press a soft, barely-there kiss of gratitude to the skin where your neck and shoulder meet. You nearly whimper at the touch and you're able to bite it back but you can't suppress the deep shiver that rolls through you, unbidden.

That alone seems to stop him short because he stills under you. You swear you can feel him harden under you too, though you desperately ignore that part.

"My neck is...very sensitive," you hedge, beating him to the punch before he can say or do anything else.

Nor does it help your sensitivity that you guys are already pressed together inch for inch from how he set you on his lap. So there isn't much you can't already feel that doesn't have your mind racing in ways it shouldn't.

But you're not about to tell him that a kiss to the neck for you would just about make you melt and blindly agree to anything he would ask of you. Absolutely anything.

"That...was a good shiver?" he asks. You're reluctant to tell him the truth but you nod anyway and the pressure you feel at your backside seems to only grow at your response. Yet again, something you try to disregard. "But that wasn't even your neck yet."

Yet? "Close enough," you respond, ignoring his choice of words.

You also try to ignore the fast thump thump thump of your heart, secretly hoping he can't feel it with his chest pressed to your back. But you don't get much time to ponder whether Chan does or not when he suddenly hugs you tightly and places you on the bench alone with an exclaimed, "I have an idea!"

And before you can even start to argue, he's tearing through the water, making his way to the other end of the pool where most of the boys have congregated. Leaving you all alone.

In the time you and Chan had spent talking, you notice that everyone but Minho managed to make it into the water. He on the other hand seems perfectly content to just sit on the pool's edge, dangling his feet in as he watches the rest of the guys shiver and complain about each and every part of them that's freezing off.

Once Chan makes it over there though, you watch him motion them over and they all obediently listen, gathering for whatever it is he has to tell them. What piques your interest though is what in the world could've been that important that needed to have a team meeting in the middle of your guys' conversation. Is it music? Does he really just have songs and lyric ideas on his mind 24/7?

Interestingly enough, the conversation--even from this far--looks animated and wildly serious as you watch them talk for a bit, but it doesn't change that you can't hear a lick of what they're saying. Despite your curiosity, you know he left you here for a reason so you're going to honor that and give them the space they need for their private conversation.

Which means you have some time to kill, so you hop off the bench, intent on doing some exercise while you're already here and in the water. It's supposed to help with cramps right? So you swim your way to the other end of the pool and then make your way back to where you started. Slow and steady.

You're kicking along on your back, almost finished with your third lap when I.N pops up next to you mid-stroke, scaring you half to death. You splash him with nearly enough water to drown him but he takes it in stride, giggling all the while.

"Don't do that Innie!" You splash him again, more so to make your point than anything. "I could've hurt you!"

He shakes his hair like a dog, splashing you with all the water you blessed him with a minute ago and his boisterous laughs follow you as you shriek and paddle away. "You wouldn't have hurt me. You're too nice for that," he says, following you as you resume your quest to finish off your lap. "Besides, you can't hurt me 'cause I came here as a friend to keep you company. Can't have you becoming a stray kid after daddy Chan left you all alone."

"Daddy Chan?" You choke out. "Jeongin, what happened to you? Baby bread? The innocent little maknae that Stays know refuses to kiss Han no matter how much he tries or begs. What happened to him?"

"What about kissing me?" Han interrupts, paddling up to join the two of you, Felix hot on his heels. "Ah, I see what's going on," Han says with an understanding nod as he looks over the two of you. "You guys are fighting over me and trying to decide who's going to kiss me first." I.N groans but that doesn't stop Han in the slightest. "No need to fight my babies, I'm here now," he assures you both. "There's enough Han to go around, I promise."

"We weren't worried," I.N grumbles. "Like, at all. Besides, we weren't even talking about you. Not everything is about you hyung."

"Yeah, okay. Keep denying it jagiya." Han turns to you and Felix. "You guys want to play a game of chicken fight?"

"You realize you need at least four people to play that game, right?" I.N mutters, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. "But y/n and I can win against the two of you, easy peasy." He grins at you, his eyes lighting with mischief in a way that has you returning it with a genuine smile. "Want to show them how it's done?"

"As long as they don't cry when they lose," you tell him. Which has Han gasping and immediately dipping underwater to perch Felix on his shoulders. Which has I.N following suit to do the same to you.

"Felix is the king of chickens," Han asserts when he surfaces again, Felix balanced perilously on his shoulders. "He was made for this."

You laugh as you feel I.N scoop you onto his own firm shoulders, rising up out of the water and taking you with him. "I don't think that's as much of a compliment as you think it is, Han."

"Whatever," he huffs. "Point is, you guys are going down."

I.N's hands are firm on your thighs above the knee, his tight grip keeping you locked in place. And you further that by threading your feet behind his back to keep yourself stable. You've played enough games of chicken fight to know all the tricks and best ways to win. Not like Felix and Han need to know that. So you simply give the sunshine duo a self-assured grin as I.N approaches them.

The first match doesn't last long. In fact, it ends exactly how you and I.N predicted it would. With Felix in the water and Han whining that you guys cheated. Round two ends about the same way, except you can tell that Han and Felix are taking you guys a bit more seriously now, apparently having expected an easy win against you two. Not that their added effort does much in gaining them a win this time either.

By the time round three rolls around, Hyunjin is joining the fray with a playful growl, an evil-looking Seungmin on his own shoulders. Much to your surprise, this time, you and Felix both end up in the water after a dirty play of Seungmin tickling you and you accidentally taking Felix down with you as you fell. Which ultimately ended with the lot of them chasing after Seungmin looking ready to drown him for his cheating.

So much for keeping your hair dry though. But it was a worthwhile trade-off in getting to play around with the boys and hear their playful laughs, the lighthearted teasing, the joking fights. If that's what it takes, you'd do it all again in an instant. Somehow they know just what to do to make you feel better and bring a smile to your face.

A smile that's still lingering on your lips as you all towel off, all the while listening to Hyunjin wail forlornly that's he's turned into a prune and his skin is doomed with all the chlorine drying out his pores.

You're finally dry and just about done tying your robe up when you hear someone clear their throat behind you. When you turn to see who it is, you find Changbin standing there wringing his fingers.

After what Chan told you, you soften at the sight of him. "Everything okay Binnie?"

He blinks at you like he wasn't expecting your kindness but he quickly shakes it off as he takes a step closer, the movement more determined than his previously withdrawn demeanor. "No, everything isn't okay. I yelled at you earlier and that's unacceptable." His gaze drops then, his gusto fading. "I'm sorry for what I did and what I said, y/n. I know you were just trying to remind me that Stays need me too. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I was just so angry that I blew up and took it out on you and--"

"Hey..." Stepping forward, you bridge the rest of the gap between you two and place a hand on his shoulder. "There's really no need to apologize, Bin. Chan told me you and Minho kinda had a little spat," you interject before he can get any farther in his apology. "You needed to let off some steam, and that's okay. It's normal. I'm more than happy to be an emotional punching bag when you need it. Just tell me next time so I can help you, yeah?"

Changbin opens his mouth like he's about to say something else but Seungmin is walking up behind him and pushing both of you toward the pool doors to follow the rest of the group that already left. Whatever it was he wanted to say, he seems to let it lie and shoots you a kind, lopsided smile instead.

You give him one of your own, even offering him your hand to show him that you guys are fine and that he can forget about everything else that happened. He doesn't hesitate for a second to take it, securing your hand in his own as you both run after the guys to hurry back upstairs and defrost in some much-needed warm showers.

~~~

"Why was my room chosen as the place everyone felt the need to congregate in?"

You glance around at each of the guys draped out about the room. On the beds, the chairs, the couch. They had trickled in one by one after taking their own showers to warm up and wash off, just like you had done. Now you're changed into a comfy pair of shorts, a loose crop top, and the softest lace undergarment set you own. You had packed this pair just for fun but you're running low, so while you would've preferred something a little less flashy, this will have to do.

The important part is you're clean and wrapped up in your big blanket that's keeping you warm, and with things resolved with Changbin, your body is relaxed and your mind feels light. You're happy, and after the rollercoaster of the past few hours, you take that as a win.

There's a knock at the door then, which Felix goes to answer, only to come back with a frazzled Hyunjin in tow. "I'm here! Don't start without me, I'm here!"

You just chuckle at Hyunjin's dramatics from your blanket retreat. "We weren't doing anything Jinnie, no need to stress."

"I just don't want to miss anything," Hyunjin responds back airily, throwing himself down on the couch beside Lee Know.

Then Chan is peering around at the eight of them before he clears his throat, and that one action makes I.N stand and stretch out his lean limbs before making his way to you.

Wordlessly, I.N pulls the blanket off of you and bends over to level his lips with your ear. Then he takes your hand, whispering, "Make them behave. And make them pay for it if they don't." And with that, he pulls back just enough to place a chaste kiss to your cheek, squeeze your hand, and walk out the door.

What in the world was that? Make them behave. What the hell does that mean? 

You glance around at the rest of the boys but that search doesn't yield many answers. Years of being an idol makes them decent at keeping secrets it seems. "Anyone want to tell me what's going on?"

"We have a proposition," Chan starts slowly. "We've...noticed that you've been doing a lot better lately and we see how comfortable you are with us--"

"Like how relaxed and carefree you were with Lix and me this morning," Hyunjin specifies.

"And with me and Innie at the pool," Chan continues, picking up the thread with a shy smile. "I don't know, you just seem like you're finding yourself again and we want to help boost your progress."

"Okay..." A noble enough crusade. Heartwarming and kind if you do say so yourself. "What's the plan?"

"A game of guess who."

Guess who...

Slowly, you nod, trying to process the suggestion for what it is. When you open your mouth to ask any number of the questions rattling around in your head, Chan adds one last word that has you stopping short completely.

"Reversed."

You blink at him, confused and shocked and wholly unsure what in the world that means for you. "...Reversed?"

"You heard the man," Han declares confidently. "Same game. You're still guessing. Except this time...we're the ones doing the touching."

Them? They'll be touching--

You don't get time to process the absolute mind-bend of a twist they tacked on when Chan barrels on. "I know you told me physical touch is something that you've had a bit of a hard time with lately...so we want to help your mind and body relate touch to something good again. Drown out all the bad memories and replace it with good ones." He rubs at his neck, looking bashful. "We just want to help make you feel as good as we can. If-if you're okay with that."

"You said it helps to feel loved," Hyunjin adds with a wink in your direction.

"Spilling our shared secrets are we?" you tease with a glance at him. Banter is the easiest vice against your otherwise panic-stricken state of mind so you latch onto it with both hands. What they're suggesting--

Hyunjin shakes his head vigorously. "Never. In fact, all I said when this whole thing was suggested is that it's a good idea and would probably do you some good. That's it, I promise," he says, placing his left hand on his chest and raising his right as if in oath.

"I believe you Jinnie. And," you tell him, focusing back on Chan with a nervous smile, "I'm more than okay with it."

In all seriousness, you've hardly wrapped your head around the whole concept. You've barely had a minute to breathe much less think about what the hell they're suggesting, but you understand enough to know you want in. You are more than okay with it.

"I think we should also tell you why we all wanted to do this. Other than the obvious reasons," Chan says with a genuine but shy smile. "Aside from the fact that since you burst into our lives we've all kinda been fighting over you and it was starting to cause some rifts..." A confession you're guessing has something to do with the spat between Lee Know and Changbin. "...we also wanted to take this chance to ask for your permission."

You feel your throat closing up with the sheer amount of nerves building up inside you as the conversation drags on, but you manage to squeak out a, "For?"

"For all of us to pursue you. To get involved with you," Lee Know interjects plainly. "I told Chan what you said about wanting to find yourself, just like we've been trying to find ourselves too. We have the opportunity to do that here with someone I can confidently say we all care about and trust wholeheartedly. Just like I know you trust us."

Lee Know smiles at you, bright and unrestrained. So genuinely, in fact, that it almost melts your heart more than hearing him say he trusts you. Coming from him, that means the world.

"You can take this as us all agreeing to free rein," he drawls slowly with a lazy wave of his hand. "You're allowed to pursue and do what you want with whoever you want. And we're all allowed to simultaneously pursue you too. No fights. No one gets upset. We share, simple as that."

When you give a slow nod, processing the words and trying to mentally piece together what he's saying, he seems to take that as your bid for him to continue.

"There's no denying we all like you and vice versa," he confesses . "We don't see the point in dancing around it anymore, hence why we wanted to kick-start this little adventure with a fun game of guess who. Test the waters so to speak. See if all parties can handle the new dynamic."

New dynamic...you getting involved with them...them pursuing you...free rein...there's no denying we like you...

You hadn't let yourself think back to that conversation with Lee Know when he first said those words since it happened. Granted, with everything that happened in the past few days, you didn't really have the energy or wherewithal to do so. Hell, your mind didn't even go anywhere near being anything but platonic these past few days with your brain and body being so off-put by touch. The boys seemed to be just as respectful and understanding of how you were trying to mentally cope with what happened and you're thankful for it.

But you can't deny that Chan's little game idea holds merit. It would make sense that it could possibly help override the bad. Blur it so to speak, and give you a much-needed push toward normalcy.

Now that you're hearing what they're proposing on top of that...you can't help but think back to what else Lee Know said. Someone will try to sleep with you...eventually your charm and our loneliness will mix... Granted, this game isn't you guys sleeping together and while you don't know how far they intend to take it, it seems like it would barely walk the lines of foreplay. But then again, you don't truly know what they're planning with this. One thing is for sure though, this sure as hell isn't meant to be platonic and they're not beating around the bush about it anymore either.

They admitted to liking you and it makes sense that, especially given how close they all are, they'd choose to share over fighting for possession of something they all wanted and letting it tear them apart. They had always been kind to each other like that.

Nor can you deny that the idea of essentially being with all of them at once is a little bit...exhilarating. Like it isn't every delusional fan's dream.

Honestly, it isn't that you didn't want to pursue any of them until now (because you most certainly did) but you haven't had the chance to try and take anything further despite Lee Know's admission of them liking you when you guys first talked--that admission almost seeming like his own form of permission--so it seems now they're all collectively taking the first step instead.

"Okay..." you finally say as you look up to take in all their hopeful faces. "Free rein sounds good to me." More than good.

In all actuality, you sound more calm and put together than you feel. On the inside you're having a full-blown meltdown just trying to process all of it. Are they really serious about going through with this? They have to be. You know they wouldn't all be sitting here together like they just stepped up for the weirdest intervention known to man.

But despite everything...you can't help the one curious little thought niggling in the back of your mind. You have to ask--

"It doesn't bother you guys to do...this...all together though?" you question. "Seems a little...private, no?" You wanted to say intimate but that seems a little too presumptuous and you're already nervous about what all of this means.

"Why would it?" Lee Know lifts a brow at you, the pretend curiosity belied by his smirk. "We don't mind sharing."

You deadpan, the disbelief winning out over the nerves for a moment. "Really?" He of all people seems most adverse to sharing, and he knows that, but he holds firm to his statement regardless.

"We don't," he assures you, pulling an oddly pliant Hyunjin to him and wraps his arms around the tall dancer, placing one splayed hand over his chest and the other over his abdomen. "We all share each other already. Or we have in the past at least. Is that not enough proof?"

There's a myriad of wheezed coughs and someone even chokes at Lee Know's words. Even Hyunjin blinks at the admission though he seems the least fazed. While you see Lee Know grin at the pained sounds around him, taking pride in having caused it, you can't bring yourself to look away from him. At the open confession. At what it means.

"Minho," someone says but you're too utterly out of it to recognize who, much less look to see.

Even the way Lee Know stares back at you, eyes sparkling, you know he's just waiting for you to ask, no matter the soft warning you could hear laced in his name, you can tell he's itching to bring you into the loop, consequences be damned.

"You know that's not entirely true," one of the others says after a moment and you finally turn to see Seungmin shaking his head, so over Lee Know's theatrics.

"Maybe not for everyone," he admits, barely sparing Seungmin a glance before refocusing on you. "But it certainly isn't wrong when it comes to the majority."

"Minho," someone says again and this time you recognize it to be Chan.

Lee Know just smiles innocently, turning to look at Chan as he presses a deceptively chaste kiss to Hyunjin's neck making the younger's breathing go almost imperceptibly shallower. "What's wrong hyung? It's no secret and I feel like it's only fair for her to know, don't you think? We shouldn't have to hide it. Implying that we're blind, or weren't curious, or aren't men who have needs sometimes seems a bit dishonest, hmm?"

"I'm not saying to hide it," Chan concedes with a bit of effort, but you see him look away, hiding his reddening cheeks behind a hand. "Just..." He sighs.

"And all I'm saying," Lee Know muses, taking up the silence in the wake of Chan's open-ended sentence, "is that while we feed the fanservice monster in one way in front of the camera, it isn't always the same story behind. That's all."

"Don't be embarrassed Chris," Felix coos, faithfully consoling Chan who seems to only get redder the more Lee Know talks. "Nothing to be ashamed of, we're right there with you, you know that."

"Lix is right," you say, finally finding your voice again and woefully ignoring when Lee Know presses another kiss to Hyunjin's jaw as he watches you under his lashes. Hyunjin also trying his best to solely focus on you. So you look to Chan instead, trying to be comforting despite the blush you feel on your own cheeks.

"There really isn't anything to be ashamed of. I've done a bit of experimentation too," you confess, hoping it'll put him at ease to know he's not alone. Or at least that you aren't judging him when you've done the same. Not much experimentation but some.

It absolutely blows your mind to hear what they're saying. To have Lee Know openly confess to them having...fooled around with each other. And he's right. The fanservice monster is one thing. The ships the fandom created exist for a reason and the flirting had always been something fans fawned over and loved to see. But to know that behind the camera it isn't always one-sided like it is on screen?

As if the two part reverse guess who proposition and the "let us court you" request wasn't enough to make you lose your mind...

Shaking your head, you focus your thoughts again, smiling consolingly at Chan. "I appreciate the honesty because I'll always believe in good communication first and foremost, but if you're worried that it'll, I don't know, make me think less about any of you? It won't. It can only make me love you more. Not to mention it means more...let's just say options," you continue with a smirk. "If you guys really are serious about this whole...free rein thing."

"Which we are. See hyung?" Lee Know preens at your admission, his cat-like smirk ever present. "I told you it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Old news, hmm? It was a cut and dry agreement from all of us anyway, we all knew that going into it. And it's why that agreement still works like a well-oiled machine. We help each other not go crazy. No feelings. Simple. Nothing to be embarrassed about Channie."

"Don't you Channie me right now," Chan grouses, leaning back heavily in his chair. "You can't do the things you've done, say shit like that, and then go around acting like you're even remotely innocent. We both know you only call me Channie when you're trying to be cute."

Lee Know only grins wickedly and shrugs, not bothering to deny it. Which spurs Chan to grumble with a soul-deep roll of his eyes. "Devil bunny," he mutters.

All things considered, you see the way Chan looks at them all. The affection and care he has for them despite any annoyance or exasperation he may feel from time to time. But c'mon what real family can get away with not annoying and teasing each other to death? And there's no denying that's what they are. Either way, the love always remains.

"Anyway," Chan continues, fully intent on ignoring Lee Know as he takes the mantle again, continuing the flow of conversation. "All of us here...we want to help you. I should probably also tell you we've...never done anything all together like this before. So believe me when I say we're just as new to this and just as nervous as you."

"What makes you think I'm nervous?" you fire back with a little too much force to be convincing. Truth be told, your mind is going a mile a minute still trying to process what Chan had proposed. The idea that you're guessing had popped into his head when he abandoned you in the pool.

All seven of them...doing that? Because they wanted to be fair and give everyone the same chance. Because they all wanted in. It almost sounds like a prank. A dream. Too good to be true.

Wait.

Your mind rewinds for a second. Seven? You glance around and yes, you count seven.

At which point your mind quickly reminds you that I.N left before this all started. Reminds you how he left. And then you suddenly remember what he said earlier today when the two of you had been talking in the pool. It had seemed so random and out of place at the time but...could it be that he knew what was going to happen and his use of the word "friend" was a clue?

It's possible but you can't be sure. One thing is for sure though, he definitely knew what the rest of them were planning--he had to--so his absence is a purposeful thing. You'll check in on him later to make sure he's okay and you didn't do anything to upset him but you respect his wishes if he didn't want to be a part of this. It makes you a bit sad, but you respect it.

Lee Know pointedly glances down at your bouncing leg before putting a gentle hand on your knee to stop it, shaking you from your tangential stupor. "It's okay to be nervous, y/n. Like Chan said, we are too."

"It's good nerves though," you admit softly and that makes Lee Know smile, equally soft. A rarity in and of itself, but one you relish.

"We can talk about everything else later. For today, for now, we just want to help you y/n," Chan says, bringing your attention back to him. "So this is all about you. It's what you're comfortable with so we need you to communicate with us, okay?"

"I can do that," you respond with a genuine smile, excitement slowly but surely mounting the more you guys talk. "I mean, isn't that what the traffic light system was built for?"

Changbin chokes, coughing at your blatant statement and when you glance up, everyone else is either staring at you with surprise or--namely Lee Know and Seungmin--with approval.

Chan, still red-faced, just chuckles--though if it's at you or everyone else you can't tell--and you can't help but roll your eyes and cross your arms as you sit back. "It can be used for more than just the kinky stuff, grow up."

"You say that as if we aren't already grown."

You roll your eyes again, this time focusing it on Han at his prideful comment. "It's easy to forget sometimes. You guys still act like children."

And you mean it. Being a Stay...being a fan so distanced from their day to day lives, sometimes you do forget they're fully grown men.

"We're nothing if not appropriately named," Lee Know remarks, but when his eyes meet yours, you see the fire sparking behind them as if taking your own comment as a challenge. "But give it a few minutes. You won't be able to forget so easily." Then he looks to Chan expectantly. "Boss?"

Chan takes his cue, turning back to you looking equal parts shy, nervous, and excited. "We're gonna take this slow. It won't be that different from the last round of guess who okay? So relax and let us take care of you. And don't hesitate to slap us with a yellow or red the moment you're uncomfortable."

You nod and when Felix gives an expectant cough--one that honestly catches you completely off-guard, especially given that it came from him--you can't help your laugh. "I understand," you reiterate verbally. "Everything is green."

That seems to be enough to appease Felix--his ever-present sunshine smile returning--and you shake your head again, unable to help that either. "You know, I thought it would be harder to figure out who the alphas, betas, and omegas are but you guys are making it pretty easy."

"This isn't prehistoric times," Hyunjin huffs, not at all fazed. "Don't be embarrassed to use the right vernacular. You can say doms, subs, and switches."

"Oookkaayy," Chan interjects with a choked cough of his own. "Let's get back to the task at hand hmm?"

He turns back to you, obviously actively ignoring his reddening cheeks. "Now one last thing I want to mention before you're...preoccupied with other things is that we wanted to give the game a little flair. I mean, it wouldn't be us if we didn't, now would it?" He chuckles. "So while there is a prize for guessing all of us right, we're not going to take it easy on you either. You'll stay blindfolded and we won't say a word until our turn is over. Kinda the same as last time. With a few additional rules."

"So complicated," Lee Know grouses from his spot beside Han.

Han giggles at that and Chan rolls his eyes but keeps his attention on you. "As if he didn't come up with most of the rules on his own," Chan huffs under his breath. "Anyway. Number one: we'll tap you three times if we want you to say your color. Two: you don't get to touch back or direct our attention anywhere, so you're expected to exercise your restraint. You have up to five minutes per person. Five minutes to make your guess or else you forfeit the prize.

"And three: we'll confirm or deny your guess after each person goes just to give you a little help. But only until the last three. And the moment you guess just one of us wrong, the prize is forfeited then too. Though we do intend to continue playing even if that is the case. But...maybe if we're feeling generous we'll give you a second chance. Depends on how well you behave, I suppose. Sound easy enough?"

Hardly easy.

You see what they're doing though. It's a mischievous twist, you admit that much. Whereas you had sought out their notable features when you had been the one doing the touching, here they're taking that edge away. Holding their cards close to their chest. Only providing you with smaller details and seeing if you can still come to the same conclusions.

You know what? Game on.

"Like it'll be a challenge," you drawl with faux confidence.

"Don't think this is going to be as easy as last time," Seungmin comments.

You just quirk a brow at him. "You guys thought the last round was going to be hard so what do you even know?"

"Enough with the trash talk," Chan butts in, silencing you both as he hands you a plain black blindfold. "How about you back up all that talk with some action, hmm?"

Taking the blindfold, you allow yourself a minute to throw off the blanket you had been wrapped up in and fix the bed before plopping yourself back down dead center of the now neat spread. And then you don the blindfold with more confidence than you feel, if only to trick them into believing you have this in the bag when in all actuality you're not sure you'll make it very far in this game at all.

"Ready when you guys are," you announce to the room at large. You smirk, your excitement mounting. "Unless you guys are too scared. I won't hold it against any of you if you want to call it off now. Maybe a little teasing but nothing too crazy I promise."

"She's talking too much smack for someone who's at our mercy," Hyunjin mutters.

And you chuckle to yourself when you hear a responding, "Won't last long," from Han cutting through the general noise of them moving around.

"We're going to mix ourselves up and then get started so you won't hear any of us talk until the game progresses and you've made some guesses," Chan says. "You're sure you're okay with this?"

You nod. "I'm sure," you respond, clear and concise. You know that's the only way this works.

"M'kay. As you wish." A pause. Then, "Felix, set the mood."

Almost immediately, you hear faint music filtering out of what you're guessing is Felix's phone. And although faint, it's enough to recognize "Taste" and you nearly choke on your spit as he confidently turns it up. Which has them all chuckling for one reason or another.

Although it doesn't take long for them to silence themselves and then all you hear is the music. Soon enough though, you feel the bed dip and you can only guess that the game is finally starting. Number one.

You open up your hand, extending it out in offering. But instead of feeling any touch to the skin on your hand, you feel a swift pinch to your bicep.

"Hey," you snap in warning. "I'm not bossing you around or directing you anywhere. I was offering you a place to start if you needed it. Be nice."

There's a hand that takes yours then, the touch softer as if to apologize. You smile as they continue to explore, feeling your skin with their fingertips. Running the pad of their finger along each line of your palm. Caressing softly over the inside of your wrist. Doing the same to the other side like they're determined to memorize every plane and curve of your limb.

Soon enough their hands move up, soft fingers trailing up the inside of your forearm in a random swirling pattern. No set path, no search for anything in particular, just taking in the terrain as that touch continues upward onto the outside of your bicep.

You feel those wandering fingers soothe over the faint tingle where you had been pinched, as if to take away the lingering hurt. Then, without warning, you feel a feather-soft pair of lips ghost over that same hurt, the smallest of kisses pressed to the spot where pain had settled but is now long gone.

You can't help your small gasp at the unexpected action which has whoever is sitting in front of you on the bed grabbing your arm, shaking with the desperate urge to resist their laugh and give themselves away.

"I'd smack you if it didn't get me in trouble with the gamemaster," you snip at the laughing. Which has them squeezing your arm harder and it takes everything in you to simply settle with a pout. "Get on with it, dude. My time is ticking."

The feel of the hand on your skin is familiar and you have a guess of who it is though you're not one hundred percent sure. But when that hand leaves your arm and those fingers caress over the line of your jaw, one side then the other, you're starting to narrow down the options. Not even because of the touch itself but the demeanor, the way they touch.

Those fingers travel up the side of your cheek, over your cheekbone, over the blindfold and down the bridge of your nose, softly booping the tip. And when you feel that touch at the front of your throat, the back of their knuckles gently, gently ghosting over your skin, a shiver runs through you making you force out a shaky breath.

You thought you could take it, you thought it wouldn't affect you so much, but the way their touch is an odd mix of reverent and teasing has your mind going blank. But you're not about to continue this teasing torture without making a move. You'd rather take the loss even though you aren't sure who it is at all. Not like you were given much to go off of but you try to quickly puzzle it out anyway as you go through the short list of intimate details you know about each of them.

The hand isn't quite broad enough to be Changbin's. You doubt Lee Know, after all his shameless talk, would waste this shot with something so blandly innocent. Chan, you feel like would be just as "seize the moment", especially given how he was at the pool.

As for Felix, while it's a possibility, you imagine that while he would be just as gentle, he would also be firm with his intent and his affection, just like he has up till now. And this doesn't feel like that. Similar reasoning for Han. He doesn't seem like he would be one to hold back, especially when he sets his sights on something. Which leaves Hyunjin and Seungmin. And you're just about going out of your mind as those knuckles continue trailing up and down your throat, on the underside of your jaw, stopping just long enough to tilt your chin up ever so faintly.

"S-Seungmin?" You guess, trying your best to sound half as unaffected as you wish you felt.

The hand drops from your throat in an instant. "Are you freaking kidding me? How in the world did you get me from that?" Sure enough, Seungmin is huffing at you while you hear the rest of the guys in the background try their best to hold in their laughs.

You just shrug, finally able to take a level breath again and you take a moment to relish in the win. Unlike the last round of this game, you really had been guessing based off the little information you happen to have about them.

"Cheater," Seungmin grumbles. "I'm watching you y/n. I'm gonna figure out how you did it. You shouldn't be allowed to reap the rewards if you're cutting corners."

You just smirk, tilting your head up toward the voice to make sure he sees your smile. "And how could I have cheated, hmm? I never touched you. I'm blindfolded. No sound. You guys mixed yourselves up. Took away any edge I could have possibly had."

When he starts to mutter something again as Taste playing in the background putters out, you just shake your head. "Go ahead Kim Seungmin. Watch me to your heart's content. Sit back and enjoy the show the rest of the boys and I will put on for you."

In the small window of silence between songs, you hear him walk off and you don't even get the chance to listen for any clues on who's coming up to you next when Red Lights starts up. The telltale breath...breath...breath etched into your brain for all eternity.

You groan. Deeply. "You're a menace Felix," you snip to the room, not knowing where the man in question is specifically but needing him to know your utter disapproval of his antics. "I swear to God, if you added Wow, Drive, or Connected to this cursed playlist, y'all will have some--"

The rest of your sentence gets caught in your throat when another hand, different than the first takes yours firmly. In fact two hands takes your one, the fingers gently smoothing over the back of your palm. The touch is sure, confident almost.

You feel your hand being lifted then and just when you're about to question what's going on, do you feel a smooth set of lips press to the backs of your fingers. Vision or no, the action has your mind rewinding to the olden princes and princesses the gesture had stemmed from, and it makes you all the more upset that it was never a tradition that got brought back.

All the same, you flush, trying your best to school your face into neutrality. Round two had barely just started, not that that deters your second torturer. No, those lips are determined to map out your hand, traveling over your knuckles, trailing to the inside of them, planting kisses to your palm. Then to the pad of each finger. The inside of your wrist. Up your forearm...

You shiver again, ignoring the heat flooding your body and pooling in your core. Even though you're sure they can all see how affected you are, the fact that you can't see them witnessing it makes things only marginally better. Just enough for you to shove away the embarrassment you know you would otherwise feel. Ignorance is bliss, right?

Whoever it is making you suffer this round sure is taking their sweet time, their movements slow and languid, the kisses doubly so. But somehow also firm and insistent if that's possible. Sometimes they're fleeting as if barely there, other spots doubled up on, multiple kisses pressed to the same patch of skin. And when those kisses turn into little nibbles and licks trailing up and down your arm--first one then the other--you feel your breathing turn shallower. You can only imagine how feral you'd go if you could see them doing this to you...

Though your mind seems empty of anything but the heat slowly simmering under your skin and the less than innocent thoughts swirling around in your head, you try your best to focus on anything else. To figure out who it is so you can put a stop to this sweet torture. So you force your mind to zero in on anything that could give you clues.

The feel of their hand wasn't enough for you to go off of. Nothing that really stood out. Their lips...those had been big and...and plush and--

"Hyunjin. I-it's Hyunjin," you say confidently, if not a bit breathlessly. But unlike with Seungmin, the touch doesn't fall away, at least not immediately.

"This is impossible," Hyunjin says, pressing more kisses to your arm, thankfully forgoing nibbling playfully on your skin anymore. "You didn't even let me go all Red Lights on you. I wrote the damn song after all. What a shame."

There's one last purposeful kiss set to your skin, his lips momentarily warming the back of your hand as he goes back to his princely ways. God you should've known it was him just from that alone. And then he's releasing you, the bed creaking as he gets up to leave.

Wait...he said--

"Hyunjin, wait." You reach out toward where you thought he was but your hand meets nothing but empty air, no doubt having danced away out of reach. "What do you mean 'go all Red Lights' Jinnie?" you ask as you sit back again, a bit forlorn at the loneliness. "Are you actually admitting that it's like...Fifty Shades of Grey akin?"

"Nope," he pouts. "My time got cut short. I'm not telling you anything now."

"Hyunjiiinnnn" you whine. "Why won't you--"

A finger presses to your lips, not at all forceful but an obvious bid for you to stop talking. Reluctantly you listen, but not before you shake your head to dislodge the finger and blow a raspberry in their direction.

There's a flick to your nose that has you scrunching it and sniffing in annoyance. Soon enough though, whereas you had been expecting the bed to dip in the front again, this time, it dips behind you. Strong hands are gripping the sides of your upper arms almost immediately, faintly calloused palms rubbing up and down the small muscles there. Even stopping every so often to give a few appreciative squeezes

The touch is tender and sweet in a way that has you fighting back a shy smile, especially knowing the guys not currently participating can see it. You don't want to give them any more ammo for their already incessant teasing when what they've seen already is more than enough.

How easily their touch riles you up and--

You shouldn't be surprised at this point when a pair of lips presses to the tip of your shoulder over your shirt, just as tender and just as sweet. Like none of them are able to resist the temptation. It pulls another gasp from you despite the clothing barrier, your breaths stuttering for a beat or two.

There's three taps to your skin then and it takes a second for your hazy mind to shake out of it and remember the unspoken question.

"Green," you say in answer, clearing your bordering on squeaky voice to sound somewhat normal again. "And-and you can, I mean...we-we can take my shirt off if it makes things easier. If you want," you add quickly.

You don't know where in the world the suggestion came from but apparently even your subconscious knows there would be nothing better than doing this skin on skin, nothing in between, just--

"Fucking hell y/n," Hyunjin groans deeply somewhere in the background. Followed by a few other grumbles you can't quite decipher. Not like you have the wherewithal to do so.

Tap tap tap.

You understand the question it's meant to be. "I'm sure," you tell them. On second thought, you simply pull the fabric off yourself, leaving your top half in nothing but that lacy bralette you're now very happy you brought. And you're beyond thankful the fabric is decently thick as you feel your nipples pebble from the sudden loss of warmth, though that doesn't stop Hyunjin from groaning again at whatever he sees, or Seungmin from adding his two-cents.

"We should be allowed to go again," he mutters. "This is unfair."

You barely even register when Red Lights fades out and Shivers by Ed Sheeran cuts through the talk as whoever it is behind you doesn't waste any time in taking that green light and open invitation to rain more kisses down on your shoulder. No obvious rhyme or reason other than the obvious slow ascent toward your neck.

You subtly lean away, trying to prolong the inevitable knowing just what those kisses would reduce you to. The man behind you seems to notice your poorly concealed escape though, as the hands still on your biceps tighten, firmly pulling you back to where you were. The action a bit at odds with the thumbs rubbing absentminded circles on your skin.

In an instant, you freeze, unable to bite back the halfway stifled whine that falls from your tongue as those blasted lips press to the base of your neck, at that spot right in between your neck and shoulder.

There's a pause and a near silent groan in response from behind you that you almost miss in the midst of your haze.

Three more taps pull you out of it. This time on your shoulder where those strong hands are firmly keeping you steady and rooted to your spot.

It takes but a second or two for your barely there mind this time around. "Gr-green," you breathe.

Unable to move away, you simply hold your breath, knowing what's coming next, your skin tingling with anticipation. Then...finally, finally...those blasted lips attach to your skin again. Pressing intently to the side of your neck that has you tilting your head to bare more of your skin before you can even think better of it.

A soft, appreciative hum is all you get in response as those lips travel upward toward the open expanse of skin you had offered up without thought. Soft kisses slowly melding into small scrapes of teeth, to gentle suckles that you aren't sure you want to leave a mark or not.

You feel your jaw drop open on its own, your heat involuntarily clenching around nothing when those lips finally land on your pulse point, running through the cycle again. Kiss...scrape...suck... You shiver, your chest heaving with the effort of trying to hold back your bodily reactions, your noises. But it's no use.

Your neck has always been incredibly sensitive. You've never been able to function much less string together a coherent sentence with someone mouthing so purposefully at your neck. Especially not when you want nothing more than to tear off this blindfold and get your own taste of whoever is behind you. Now that you've basically been given permission?

It's only by sheer luck and all those sinful thoughts swirling around in your head that in a blessed moment of clarity, it hits you.

"Chan." It's one word but it's enough to make them pause. You don't know how it didn't occur to you earlier, the touches and placement too similar, too reminiscent of the teasing from earlier this afternoon. This one you're sure of. "Chan I k-know it's you."

The lips against your skin pull into a smile. And he presses one more lingering kiss to the spot he had stopped at before pulling away.

"You got me sweetheart." You hear as Chan shuffles around, the bed dipping this way and that until he's finally crawled out from behind you, giving your bare shoulder an affectionate squeeze as he leaves.

"Hyung..." you hear Hyunjin chastise Chan as the man himself goes to join them. "No marks, remember?"

"There aren't any," Chan responds sounding more proud than he should, audibly dropping himself down to sit with the rest of them more than likely.

Before you can ask why marking you up is such a big deal...especially given that you don't have appearances to keep up like they do and you can cover hickies easily enough, you feel another set of hands on your shoulders. This time surprisingly, they push you back. While confused you're also incredibly curious so you follow the push without complaint, lying down on the bed and rearranging your legs a bit more reasonably for the new position.

Your new assailant seems to wait for you to find a comfortable position before you feel an unmistakable weight settling down on your hips as someone most definitely sets themselves on your lap.

They aren't heavy by any means but you can't help the way your hands immediately shoot toward the thighs bracketing your hips to ground yourself. To fight against the onslaught of butterflies, the urge to grind up against the comforting weight on you, and the strong desire to tear off the blindfold with a desperate plea to stop teasing you and actually do something and give you more than the tiniest bit of stimulation you've gotten so far.

Luckily, you stop yourself short before you actually grab hold of them, but that doesn't stop them from batting at your hands in warning.

"I'm not, I-I'm not," you mutter raising your hands up in surrender and setting them beside your head on the bed. You clench and unclench your hands a few times, trying to dispell the need to grab at the person on you in any way you can.

A tap tap tap to the inside of your wrist.

"Green." You're surprised when that tap tap tap comes again a moment later, almost as if to be 100% sure. You smile at the action, feeling warmth bloom in your chest. "I'm green, I promise."

That seems to be enough to appease them as you feel the bed dip beside your head and hands, as if whoever it is on your lap had leaned forward and placed their own hands there. You may not be able to see it but you can feel their presence loom over you in the best of ways and it has your stomach doing a flip.

Right about now you're truly hating the blindfold hiding what you know would be an image that would break the entirety of the Stray Kids fandom. One that would almost assuredly make you combust on the spot. But one, consequences be damned, you would give anything to see anyway.

You sigh. But rules are rules and you're nothing if not determined to see this through. Given the new...arrangements, maybe you'll get a chance to relive this moment and actually be able to take in every delicious detail without the blindfold.

You're so distracted by your musings that you didn't notice Drive filtering out of Felix's phone now. Nor did you notice the way the weight on you has tilted almost all the way forward, bringing warmth that you can feel radiating off of them hovering over your almost completely bare chest and midsection.

It's also only reflex when you jolt in surprise at the puff of warm air that they breathe onto the font of your neck, just a bit off-center. The action giving away their presence and proximity.

Of course it was naïve of you to think that had been the end of your neck torment. They're tyrants, the lot of them. No doubt they saw how much of a reaction it got out of you and wanted to partake in the fun. Of course Chan just had to let the cat out of the bag.

So you shouldn't be surprised when that breath is immediately followed up by a pair of lips pushed to your neck at that very same spot. But the fact that you had been halfway expecting it doesn't at all stop you from groaning at the touch. And all you can do to combat those noises is bite your lip, hoping it'll be enough to muffle most of the embarrassing sounds that crawl up your throat unbidden.

"Aww don't be like that," Hyunjin says from somewhere in the background. "We want to hear you."

It's then that you realize they must see you desperately holding it all back and you can't say that it's a reassuring thought. But it isn't enough to now know they're all watching you so closely, no, the lips at your neck pause at the statement and pull away completely. Not by much though, with the warmth you can still feel from them being so close but enough for you to feel a finger at your own lips, gently pulling your red-bitten lip from between your teeth.

You barely get a second to breathe before their lips are returning to your skin, going straight for the center column of your throat this time. Kissing from the tip of your chin all the way down to the center of your collarbones where they add a tiny but noticeable suck.

Your faint moan is involuntary. One you can't hold back, especially after removing the only barrier you had against it. And you're all but losing your shit, ready to make any random guess just to end your misery--Changbin, you're gonna go with Changbin--when the person above you answers with a moan of their own, no doubt feeling the very vibrations of your noise with them pressed up against your throat. It's a small sound they make, but it's unmistakable.

And definitely not one from Changbin.

"Han," you breathe.

This round hadn't been long at all but with how you can only lay there, near boneless as you fight the pleasant shivers going up and down your spine, you felt like your torment had gone on forever.

"Seungmin is right," Han pouts from above you. "No fair."

"Too bad, rules are rules," you fire back, though there's no bite to it. You don't have the energy for that. "I guessed you. Time's up."

"Yeah yeah," he grumbles, climbing off of you but not before he sneaks in one last kiss to your cheek making you squeak in surprise. You shove him the rest of the way off but it does nothing to dampen his responding chuckles at your suffering.

Instead, Chan is cutting in with a hearty chuckle of his own. "Okay y/n. From now on, you won't get any confirmation of who it is until the game is completely over. You got that?"

You give him a weak salute. "Aye aye captain."

"She's lost her mind..." Seungmin. "What the hell did you do Han?"

"Not much," Han grumbles back as you faintly hear the next candidate make their way toward you. "You saw what I did."

You tune out of their halfway bickering conversation when you feel the bed dip again so you know you're going to need all of your attention to figure out who it is. In fact, you start to sit up, intent on being more put-together in order to focus but there's a pair of hands stopping you, gently pushing you back down.

Your heart swoops. Great.

And just when you're expecting the assault on your neck to continue given how much you know they see of your sensitivity, you're shocked to find hands at your knees, ever so softly caressing over your kneecaps to rest firmly just above that.

Tap tap tap.

"Green." This time around though, you don't know what to expect, not at all sure what's to come, especially with them having taking a different route than everyone else by dipping lower rather than going high. "Someone is paving their own path," you joke.

There's a responding squeeze on your leg, which spurs their other hand as well, both palms flattening and reverently smoothing over your thighs inch by inch. They don't go up far and they politely stay away from the inside of your leg which you're incredibly grateful for. It's yet another place you're far more sensitive than you should be.

Both hands travel to one leg, returning back to just above your knee and making that same ascent up your thigh. A squeeze here and there, some gentle, some firm. Soft caresses that smooth over those spots. And then, much to your surprise, the unmistakable scrape of blunt nails that has your skin prickling and you involuntarily tensing with the inability to truly respond to the touch.

They mix the actions together, jumping from one leg to the other with no rhyme or reason that allows you to forecast where or when the next touch will come. And it isn't until those fingers faintly brush against the hem of your shorts before dipping back down toward your knee that your panicked mind reminds you of your goal here.

Right. Guessing. You take in a shaky breath, unable to stop the small heave of your chest with every upward pass those hands make on your thighs. Felix, Lee Know, Changbin. Those are the ones left.

Though it's incredibly hard, you try your best to focus less on what the hands on you are doing--and what you wish they were doing--and instead focus on the hands themselves, since it seems like that's all they're giving you to go off of.

Gentle touches. Hands more so on the bigger side...so it can't be Felix. Callouses--

"Changbin." The more you think about it, the more sure you are. You know Lee Know has the second smallest hands in the group, right next to Felix. And you know both the boys don't work out nearly enough to have those rough callouses that Changbin does. "It's Binnie, no question."

"If you say so," Chan hedges from his spot in the gallery, as the comforting hands on your legs leave with one last squeeze. "Next up."

You feel your stomach do another flip. If you really are right about the last one having been Changbin, you're scared to know what Felix and Lee Know are going to do. They're both wildcards but for vastly different reasons, and you're not sure which is better. Or which one is going to cause more damage. You know, the good kind of damage though. And that's not even considering the fact that they're so similar in a lot of ways so it's going to be difficult to tell them apart.

As expected, the mattress under you dips again and you're thrust into a weird kind of deja-vu moment when someone is crawling into your lap, perching themselves there like Han had done before. Thankfully it doesn't surprise you as much this time around and you're able to keep your hands to yourself, keeping them where they lie beside your head.

Whoever it is on you doesn't waste any time in getting started either as you feel them lean forward, but instead of feeling them tilt toward you neck like you had expected, you feel their faint warm breath at your temple instead where they place the sweetest of kisses that you can't help but smile at.

A tap tap tap to your shoulder where one of their hands seems to eternally reside. The other you feel on the bed beside your head, keeping them upright.

"Green." Barely anything, but very sweet. In comparison to what the other boys have done so far?

Those lips that hadn't moved from your temple while they waited for an answer floats down an inch or two. Pressing another to your cheek.

Tap tap tap.

"Green," you parrot. Again, not much but still makes your chest warm with how cute it is.

They continue downward another inch, to the line of your jaw. A kiss, all soft and tentative.

Tap tap tap.

Your heart drops a bit, realizing the game they're playing at. The music, the noise, everyone and everything else falling away as your focus zeros in on them. But you answer anyway, clearing your throat to hide any of the coming tremors. "Green."

Just like you thought, they continue down that path they've carved, dragging there lips to rest on the right side of your neck. A place that has been given way too much teasing love over the past 20 minutes.

It's robotic now, like clockwork. Tap tap tap.

"Green," you respond, softer this time. Anything above that and you know you'll sound as much of a mess as you no doubt look.

Sure enough, those lips are dragging faintly over your skin again in its mad descent downward, this time stopping at that dip between your collarbones, right where Han had stopped.

You suck in a breath but this time, thankfully you're able to stop from making any other noise. "Green," you breathe before the taps come.

The lips on your skin pull into a wide smile, which melds into one last lingering kiss to the spot before moving up to dot a series of kisses up your collarbone on the right, stopping where the bone meets your shoulder.

They pause, probably expecting you to know the question to come but you can't help that your mind has turned hazy again, the heat flooding back in with a vengeance. Eventually...tap tap tap.

The action barely enough to snap you out of it and murmur back a faint "green". They seem to realize it too because you feel that smile against you again right before they give a small nip and a quick follow-up kiss to the skin right next to your bralette strap.

If your mind wasn't in the gutter before, it surely is now, the touch making your skin pebble all over again.

Sure enough, tap tap tap.

You can only faintly nod. But it doesn't seem like it's enough of an answer when the taps come again, firmer this time.

"Gree...green." The word feels like a mess of letters that don't make sense but the person above you understands well enough.

So when they take that chance to skim over the front of your chest, down the lace edge of your bralette in another series of kisses, you can only take in a breathy gasp. Though that doesn't stop them and their trek toward the V junction of your bra, in between your breasts.

You bite your lip again at the feel of those lips ghosting over your skin so very close to where you want them but not close enough. And it takes every ounce of restraint in you to not arch your back in a quiet bid for more.

"Two minutes left," comes a voice that you don't have a single ounce of awareness to place.

But the callout has you sobering enough to remember you have a goal here so you use the fast-fading cognizance to focus. Guessing Changbin the last round leaves you just Felix and Lee know. But which one? It honestly could be a toss-up between the two with them being so darn similar physically but something about the way this person had gone about their touches to each and every part of you...the insistent taps of concern...how you felt worshipped almost...

"Felix?" you squeak out, still not able to sustain anything above that.

Soon enough, they're leaning back, leaving you craving the warmth they had brought with them. Not quite pressed directly up against you, but so painfully close.

Tap tap tap.

Your brows rise in surprise at the unspoken question but after a stabilizing breath or two, you smile reassuringly, if not a little lazily with how leeched of energy you feel right now. "Everything is green. I'm good, I promise."

The hand that had found its home on your shoulder and been that reliable bridge of communication squeezes once and then they're climbing off of you, honestly leaving you feeling a little forlorn. Whether it's the comforting weight, the warmth, or the desire to have them continue what they started, you don't know.

Wildcard or no, and despite the absolute whiplash of that last round, you still stand by your assumption that Lee Know wouldn't be holding back. He's always been one for doing things with a flourish and going out with a bang. This had just felt too...loving. There's no better way to put it.

Before you can even think to breathe, someone is throwing themselves down on the bed beside you before who you think was Felix has even left completely yet. And it only takes a moment more for them to crawl their way toward you--or that's what you imagine the back and forth movement of the bed is from.

Without warning, there's a light brush of fingers on your abdomen followed up by a quick tap tap tap.

"Green?" Confused at the chaotic turn you just tilt your head the direction the hand had come from. "What else do you want me to say? Nothing has happened yet."

And maybe those were the wrong words to say. Maybe they had been more of a challenge than the reassurance it was meant to be to whatever crazy mind is joining you right now. Because from one second to the next, those fingers are replaced with an insistent pair of lips. But whereas you had been expecting kisses if anything, instead, you feel a scrape of teeth.

But they don't stop there, no. The nibbles they pepper your stomach with morphs into firm licks and full-on--though surprisingly gentle--bites that don't last more than a split-second.

This moan too is involuntary, brought on by the whirlwind of touch to a part of you that is more sensitive than you thought. Not exactly the sexiest spot to go at it, but with every nip to your skin and every stripe licked up your abdomen, you're quickly being proven wrong just what's sexy and what isn't.

And just as quickly as they had traveled up, it's like you can feel the moment they decide to change direction. The carving of this path is a bit slower but with no less intent, each bite and suck to your skin like an unmistakable claim from a predator that wants to devour their prey whole.

Your body almost feels like it's on fire with all the attention. With every touch. Your inability to hold back in squirming under them getting more and more difficult with every second that passes, leaving you only able to grip at the sheets under you to keep yourself grounded. Especially as they unceremoniously bite into the little patch of skin at your hip bone, right at the waistband of your shorts, which has you letting slip something between a moan and a whine, though you truly don't know which one it is.

It's only after your third less than controlled moan do you realize that you could've ended this minutes ago. That you had been so distracted by the cloud of pleasure blanketing your brain that you didn't make your last guess. By process of elimination of who you've already listed off, it's Lee Know. And with a dirty play like this, it would absolutely make sense.

So you voice it, finally completing the metaphorical hand of Stray Kids members you had been dealt.

But it seems the need to get the last "word" in runs in the family because not a second after you utter his name, there's teeth digging into the skin above your hip one last time before they roll away with a maniacal laugh. Which is all you need to confirm it really is him.

"That was...that was a cheap trick," you mutter to Lee Know, which has him bursting out laughing all over again. "You distracted me. I didn't...there was no one else to guess. You didn't have to do anything."

"Didn't have to, but very much wanted to," he says, sounding more and more like a cat that got the cream. "Needed to give you confirmation it was me."

You pull off the blindfold, immediately squinting at the brightness despite the dimmed lighting of the atmosphere. But once your eyes don't feel like they're being singed in their sockets and you can finally focus on the things around you, you're met with an eerily similar sight to the last game of guess who. One of the boys spread out about the room in similar stages of obvious discomfort, legs crossed and pillows strategically placed on their laps. Something you don't let yourself fully consider with your mind in shambles.

As you look them over, you notice that they're once again sitting in order. The order they had gone. Seungmin. Hyunjin. Chan. Han... Them you knew for sure. And following them... Changbin. Felix. Lee Know.

So... "I was right?"

"Unfortunately," Seungmin huffs back. "I still don't know how you cheated. Just like the first round we played, I'm sure of it. There's no way you're that good at this."

You just huff back and throw an arm over your eyes, not bothering to move your over-stimulated body beyond that. "Not that different from the last round of guess who my ass," you mutter.

"I thought you said you could handle it? Easy peasy?" Lee Know teases. "Did our y/n get a little riled up? Do you...need some alone time to say...finish the job? Maybe we should all leave..."

You glare at him, all the sexual frustration simmering within you channeled into that look. Not that it does anything to dim the mirth in his eyes in the face of your current issues.

"Ten minutes?" He guesses with a grin. Then his eyes flick over you, noting everything as if he didn't already know. "Or maybe five is enough..."

He knows how turned on and wound up you are after that little game. And especially after the shit that he pulled on his turn. But what he forgets is that you know they're turned on too.

You pointedly glance down below his belt and the obvious tent of his pants that he can no longer hide now that the blindfold is off. "Estimating your own alone time Minho?"

You watch as his ears immediately go red, his face not that far behind. So it's not surprising that he simply turns on his heel, throws an arm around Hyunjin and leads him out the door with one last, "Everyone out," thrown over his shoulder. Which you're thankful for. You don't think you could face them for much longer without dying from embarrassment. And it's probably a good idea to take this whole new situation slow.

Oddly enough, Seungmin is quick to follow them with a shy smile thrown your way. One you return with all the warmth you feel toward him. Felix too looks just about as red as you feel your cheeks still are, no doubt finding himself a bit embarrassed now that the blindfold is off. It's like talking with someone on the phone. Easy to hide behind a screen, but when you come face to face with reality? Not so easy to be bold.

All the same, Felix cutely waves at you as he makes his way out too, grabbing Han's hand as he passes and drags out the suspiciously quiet quokka with him.

A quick tilt of your head has you spotting Changbin where he's rising to his feet, more than likely to trail after the rest. But you stop him with a quick "come here" wave of your hand. Which he quickly follows without question, if not a bit bashfully--like they all seem to be, except for Lee Know.

"Yes...?"

You wave your hand again, motioning him closer. This time, he hesitates a moment but eventually stoops down beside the bed, bringing his head level with yours.

"You okay?"

In his eyes, you can see the concern is genuine, the faint worry that he had been called over because something is wrong, when in reality, that isn't the case at all.

You quietly hum in answer. "Everything's fine Binnie. I just wanted to ask you a question."

"A...question?"

You nod, letting a wide smile settle on your lips. "I was wondering if I could join you in the gym tomorrow morning? If you're going that is."

Like fire to kindling you see his eyes light almost immediately. "You want to come with me? Well, shit y/n," he says, a toothy smile--one so genuine it has his dimples popping--breaking out on his lips, "if I wasn't planning on going, I sure as hell am now. I'm gonna create the perfect routine. Want me to stop by to come get you in the morning?"

You think about it for a second, but eventually shake your head, just happy to see his unmistakable excitement. "Not sure when I'm going to be waking up. This...took a lot out of me," you say with a chuckle. "Need to load up on whatever energy I can if I want any chance at keeping up with you tomorrow. I'll text you when I'm up, if that works?"

You see him blush at the mention of the not-so-innocent game you had all played, but he nods all the same. "Of course, that's totally fine. And..." he trails off for a second, but eventually lifts his eyes to meet yours again, his gaze clear. "I wanted to apologize again. For earlier. I promise I'm going to be better about it. You deserve better."

Reaching out you take Changbin's hand in your own and bring his fingers to your lips, pressing a kiss there, not unlike the ones they've been showering you with all evening. "It's okay Binnie, I promise. No more apologies, okay? It's water under the bridge. Now go." You shove him away halfheartedly. "Go get some rest. I need my trainer working at full capacity tomorrow. I wanna feel this workout for days, you hear me?"

"Careful what you wish for," Chan interrupts from where he had still been lounging on the couch, now standing up with a big stretch. "I've been there and trust me the inability to walk is not as fun as you think. Besides," he says as he focuses on Changbin, "Bin needs to take it somewhat easy on you. You do still need to be able to walk tomorrow night."

"Yah," Changbin grumbles as he too stands up from where he had been crouched beside the bed. "Have you no faith in me? I think we can handle a little workout and not go overboard."

Chan deadpans and Changbin just shoves at him and walks toward the front door. "Buzzkill," he mutters. But just as quickly, he's grinning back at you. "I'll see you tomorrow morning y/n." Then he's off and out the door, leaving you and Chan as the last ones standing.

With a groan at the overall ragdoll feel of your body, you reluctantly pull yourself up and off the bed to walk toward him. When he just watches you suffer with raised brows and an amused smile, you quirk a brow back. "So?"

"So what?" he repeats back, meandering toward the front door alongside you.

"My prize." You roll your eyes. "Obviously. I was promised one if I won. And I won. So...?"

"I knew you could do it," he tells you with a grin, expertly avoiding your question as he opens the door to step just barely onto the other side of it. "Didn't doubt you for a second."

What you don't tell him is that he should've doubted you, because if it weren't for Han being so vocal, you would've mistaken Changbin for Han.

Despite the playful nature of the conversation, you can't help the warmth you also feel in your heart for what this evening meant to you. What they did for you.

So, you lean forward giving Chan a kiss on the cheek where he stands in front of the open door to your room. And you thank him for everything. For all the things he's done for you. How much he cares about you, willing to go this far just to help you overcome a little bit of trauma. "I don't deserve you guys. The way you all constantly set everything aside just to help me?" You shake your head.

Chan shakes his own right back. "Uh-uh, we'll be having none of that, you hear me? Or I'll be shoving you back into that room," he says with a quick nod behind you, "and we'll be staying there--going through every damn reason you do deserve us--until you believe me." He lifts a pointed brow. "Better self image remember?"

You chuckle, shaking your head again but this time because you just can't believe this man and the depths of his caring heart. "You follow up on your threats and you'll have the kids coming after the both of us saying I'm picking favorites."

Chan shrugs, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. "Sounds like a them problem." When he meets your eyes again, they're twinkling with mischief, but he stays where he is, clearly trying to behave. "Anyway," he says, clearing his throat, "just wanted to let you know we're going to the mall tomorrow early afternoon to buy some outfits. And we'll all be occupied in the evening, you included. So no making plans for the second half of the day."

You smile knowingly but you're willing to play along. "Whatever for Christopher?"

His eyes spark at the nickname but he just grins back. "Your prize, as I'm sure you've guessed. It's not a physical thing per se but it takes place tomorrow and we need to be dressed for the occasion, hence the need to shop. But that's all I'm going to tell you, so no more questions."

You can tell he does desperately want to tell you about his plans but you know he also loves surprises infinitely more so you smile when he simply leans against the doorframe, eyes still glinting. "And I'll have you know, we'll be making good on that secret service picture I promised you. Our queen needs her circle of protection, yeah?"

With one last wink he pulls back and saunters off after the boys and back to their own rooms, leaving you to try and process what your life has become.

But before anything else...as heat continues to pool in your core...you have a slightly more pressing issue to take care of first.

______________________________

NOTE

34k words...what an absolute behemoth 💀

Thank you to everyone who has stuck by me so far in this writing journey. I'm blown away by how many of you continue to support me and how much love I receive on the daily because of this work whether it's here or on Ao3 (where yes, it is cross-published). We've hit over 14.5k views on Ao3 and 3.6k here on Wattpad. It's crazy! I feel like I'm not worthy of it. I don't know what I did to deserve you guys 🥺😭

I'm sorry it took me so long to write up this chapter. I've had a lot going on with work just becoming so absolutely all-consuming that I had nothing left in the tank for so many days this last month or so. But I promise I did continue to work on it when I had the energy, even if it was just a few sentences that day. And it paid off because here we are!

So, to start, a random thought: with all the Unveil 13 concert clips that were swirling around and the snippets of shirtless Felix when he performed his solo "Rev Up", I gotta say, it's a perfect rendition of what you should picture in that bathroom scene at the beginning of the chapter 😂 gotta thank our man for the gloriously timed visuals.

And then there's the new "Rock Star" album. Oh my lord is it perfect in every way, shape, and form. I'm so proud of our boys. Every song. Every performance. I gotta say "Cover Me" is an absolute masterpiece that indeed made me bawl my eyes out, but I love all the songs.

AND their BBMA win alongside their "debut" on the Billboard Hot 100 list AND their MAMA win? So many accomplishments and milestones! I'm beyond proud.

Now, before I burst from anxiety...it terms of the story. I was honestly kinda (read very) nervous for this chapter. I've been so excited to write this "guess who" scene with all of them (and give you a taste of some spice like I promised) as I've had it planned for a WHILE but I knew it would probably end up being a bit polarizing. I really hope it didn't ruin the story for any of you. So I'm very very sorry if it did.

And I'm sorry for any of you who were disappointed that I.N didn't participate in our game. I went into this story with set roles and relationships in mind and I want to stick by those. I do plan on showing the spicy side of him eventually so don't worry. It's just that the plan for him is not one that intertwines with y/n in that way. But he's still very much a part of the story and will continue to be. I love our maknae and he deserves no less.

Also, if you were hoping for OT8 here, I'm sorry to let you down in that regard too. Spoiler 🤷‍♀️. Sorry, figured it's better for you to know now than be disappointed later. BUT...I was planning on starting another story at some point that is purely OT8. So if that's what you're hoping for, I hope you can stick around until then.

Truthfully, I debated on changing the guess who scene and deleting it out completely because I was scared and thought you all would hate it, but (and it takes a lot of continual effort to do so) I remind myself that at the end of the day, I wrote this story for me first and foremost. I wrote it just to get this story I've been conjuring in my mind down on paper so I could look back at it if I wanted.

And I started the story with a plot and with an outline of events in mind. These scenes build on each other and they all have a reason for existing. So changing one this drastically would alter a lot of what comes after. I say all of that to say, again, I'm very sorry if this chapter wasn't to your tastes but you can find comfort in knowing it won't be like this moving forward so I hope you can still enjoy the story if you decide to stick around. (We'll still get PLENTY of spice, don't worry about that either. Just not exactly like this.) And I'm sorry if that's disappointing too. I know there's no winning 😅

Sorry for the rambling rant. And thank you for sticking to it thus far. I won't hold you guys up any longer. Just know I'm working on the next chapter already and I look forward to bringing it to the masses.

Also, a random side note because I want to do right by my own role models...it wouldn't be right if I didn't give a shoutout to the lovely and talented Makirasan who recently became a reader of mine. (*Cue the feral squeals of joy*).

I've followed her stories for the longest time now and so I wanted to spread the love and appreciation. If you enjoy my work, I can almost promise you, you will VERY MUCH enjoy hers. Go take a look at her many fics on Ao3 (where her username is the same and where she updates her stories). So go and show her how amazing she is!

Now, my parting gift, the chapter 8 title: "Make Good On Your Promises". It's gonna be a fun and dare I say...spicy? one 😏

Last but not least, another gift (though this secret has been out for a while, but I'm officially announcing it here): I've started a new series! Well, kinda. It's called "A Series of Unexpected AUs: Stray Kids". Go check it out to learn more!

Per the usual, let me know what you think and I'll see you all in the comments my loves.

Bunnii out,
xoxo