31. you steal lightning for me (and I really love you for that) (1/2)
Title: you steal lightning for me (and I really love you for that)
For: krishoislove
Rating: PG-13
Other pairings: Suho/Lay
Warnings: cursing/swearing
‘Kyo is very similar to Earth, Minnie, it won’t be weird.’
Young versions of Minseok and Jongdae, maybe in their early teens, sit side by side at Incheon Airport. Minseok bites his lip nervously, while Jongdae keeps an arm around his friend’s shoulder, trying to comfort him.
‘Are you sure, Dae?’ he asks with a small and unsure voice.
‘I promise. Sure, the hours last 70 minutes instead of 60, the months last 27 days, there are seven seasons, and the grass can change colour. But those are small changes.’ Jongdae gives him a reassuring and confident smile. It hides his own insecurities that Minseok can see lingering in his gaze.
‘What are the big ones?’
‘Dragons. And powers.’
Minseok perks up. ‘Huh?’
‘We’re not the only ones with powers. And we’re all going to Kyo, like a big family. We won’t be outcasts-’
An agonising scream pierces the night, and Minseok is by Jongdae’s side in a heartbeat, his dream forgotten. Ignoring the thundering in his ears, he grabs his friend’s hand as he thrashes and cries. Drops of sweat trickle down his forehead, and he clenches his jaw so tightly that his face goes white. Minseok climbs into his bed and wraps an arm around his waist, the other round his shoulders.
‘Dae, wake up,’ he murmurs, lips pressed to Jongdae’s skin. ‘Wake up, it’s Min.’
But Jongdae chokes out broken pleas. ‘Help me!’ he sobs. ‘Please help me!’
‘Dae, you’re safe, it’s Min, I promise you’re safe, Dae,’ Minseok tries to soothe, gently shaking him awake. ‘Dae, wake up, you’re safe, please wake up.’
Jongdae gasps. His eyes open suddenly, and he clutches Minseok in his arms. ‘Min, Min, is that you?’
‘It’s me.’
Minseok hears Jongdae let out a breath of relief and watches as the tension slowly leaves his body. It takes a while, but eventually, his breathing settles, and he stops trembling. Snuggling into his friend’s chest, Minseok waits until he falls asleep before letting sleep overcome him.
Minseok is used to Jongdae’s nightmares, but they never fail to terrify him.
The next morning, Minseok gets up first. He presses a kiss to Jongdae’s forehead, before shuffling into the kitchen. The sun has already risen, and a soft morning glow lights up the room. He runs his gaze over the clock (it reads 07:65).
I’ve got time, he thinks to himself.
‘Pancakes it is!’
A little while later, Minseok has already placed the pile of pancakes on a plate, and is dancing along to SISTAR’s Give It To Me. Rolling his body, he runs his hands down it sensually, lost in the music. Smiling to himself, he makes the most of this time alone, not caring how ridiculous he may seem, loving every-
‘Minnie?’ Jongdae asks, seemingly shocked and appalled.
Minseok jumps in surprise. ‘Fuck! Jongdae!’ Blushing bright red, he goes back to putting things on the table. ‘I didn’t see you there…’
‘What are they teaching you at wotk?’ his friend demands.
‘I-’
‘And where can I sign up?’
Minseok stops abruptly what he’s doing and stares at his friend. ‘What?’
‘You’re a really good dancer,’ he marvels. ‘But I’m better, so I want to make sure your teachers are good enough for you.’ Minseok frowns at that. ‘Here let me show you.’
And that’s how, half an hour later, he collapses into Jongdae’s arms, breathless with laughter. Because Jongdae can’t dance. At all. Not even to save his life.
‘Oh yeah, definitely better than me,’ Minseok gasps out. He stands up straight, before bursting into another fit of giggles. Jongdae steadies him and holds onto him tightly.
‘I know right,’ he grins. His expression falters for a minute, and Minseok looks at him curiously. ‘Hey, um-’ He’s cut off by the landline ringing.
Minseok frowns. ‘I’ll get it. It’s probably some company advertising their shit or something.’
But it’s not.
‘Min?’
‘Jun?’ Minseok’s eyes go wide. This is a first.
‘Yeah, it’s me. Uh, listen, how quickly can you get here? There’s been an emergency.’ Junmyeon’s voice is laced with fear and worry, and it makes Minseok’s heart clench. Jongdae notices his pale face, with concern etched onto his own.
'I-I'll be there in 45.'
‘Thanks, Min.'
The line goes dead.
Within five minutes, Minseok is hastily dressed and out of the house. Jongdae follows quickly after, holding a large umbrella.
‘What’s that for?’ Minseok asks as he grabs his friend’s hand and they break into a run, headed for the station.
Jongdae rolls his eyes at him. ‘Start of the new season, remember? It’s the first of Poseidon. Monsoon begins today.’
Minseok nearly trips.
‘Shit,’ he mutters under his breath. He’d forgotten, and hadn’t noticed the weather.
Monsoon is Minseok’s least favourite season. It’s the most unsettling, and nothing ever good happens during Monsoon.
Like a crack in the pavement, the sky is split in two. One side is lit up by the sunbeams that shine down on the ground, while fluffy white clouds streak across the bright blue sky. Leaves rustle and vivid green grass rustles gently in the soft breeze.
But on the other, the city has been plunged into the dark dreariness of the worst season to come. Storm clouds clump together to become an eerie big mass of dark grey. In the distance, lightning flashes and torrents of water beat down on unsuspecting buildings. But what really spooks him is the grass. The closer to the roots, the blacker it is. It's black grass.
‘I really hate how grass adapts to the mood of the weather,’ he whispers. Jongdae nods solemnly.
Minseok can only hear their slightly ragged breathing and the sound of their shoes hitting the pavement. If he strains his ears, he manages to catch the low rumble of thunder. It makes his stomach churn, and Junmyeon’s panicked voice echoes in his mind.
He tightens his grip around Jongdae’s hand, and starts running faster.
The platform is empty as they arrive, and Minseok watches, annoyed, as the back of the train gets smaller and smaller.
'Let's sit down,' Jongdae offers as he sees Minseok's nostrils flare in fury. He tugs at his arm until his friend complies. 'The next one will be here soon.'
He nods, and they wait in silence.
It’s after Jongdae sends a few furtive glances his way that Minseok finally speaks up.
‘You wanted to say something before the phone rang. What was it?’
Jongdae hesitates. ‘I… It’s nothing important.’ He sees Minseok frown, but waves his hand dismissively. ‘It’s nothing, I promise.’ But his face betrays him. And Minseok looks at him, feeling heartbroken at Jongdae’s lost and helpless expression. He reaches out to hug his friend.
But the train arrives, and Jongdae uses that to switch topics. Minseok doesn't know if he's avoiding his gaze on purpose.
He doesn't have time to worry more about Jongdae and his weird behaviour this morning, because before he knows it, he's running through the lobby at SM Corporation, desperate to reach the basement.
He rushes straight past the receptionist, who doesn’t spare him a glance, and slams his fist against the lift button. Tapping his foot impatiently, he watches as the floor numbers flash by, before finally reaching the Ground Floor. He almost cries in relief when he sees it’s empty, and walks in with trembling legs.
‘Top floor, please,’ he calls out, and the doors close with a ding.
Now would be a great time to meet a space user, he thinks to himself. Teleportation is so useful.
There are pros of working for EXO: he can use the lift to get to the 40th. Though, there are cons of working for EXO: the lift is really slow.
But finally, he arrives.
The doors open and Minseok steps out, ready for the worst.
The sight to greet him really is the worst he’s ever seen.
The office is filled with clutter to make it look cosy. But never has it looked so empty with only Junmyeon sitting on the floor, looking paler and more miserable than ever. Stooped back, shoulders slumping, and dark bags beneath his eyes, his chin rests on his knees, tucked into his chest.
‘You look like death!’ Minseok blurts out, running up to his boss. ‘What happened? Where’s Sehun?’
‘Hospital,’ Junmyeon says. ‘Sehun is in the fucking hospital.’
Minseok sits down with a heavy thud. ‘Oh.’
EXO is a really small division, especially for an intelligence group. With only three people, the government is constantly debating whether to shut them down or not. But EXO is really good at what they do.
Junmyeon, Minseok, and Sehun can all work as field agents. Generally, though, Junmyeon takes care of the science and paperwork (on top of all that, he actually runs SM Corporation), Sehun works as a scout, and Minseok does all the dangerous stuff. (He once had to prevent a fire dragon from destroying a whole city.)
They have a success rate of 100%, which means that even foreign governments try to employ them.
But most importantly, they’ve never needed to go to a hospital (except for the odd mission). They’ve had their fair share of injuries, including broken bones, but nothing that Junmyeon’s powers can’t fix. None of them have ever been hospitalised. Ever.
Until now.
‘Is he going to be okay?’ Minseok asks.
They’ve moved to the coffee room that links the main office to the lab because Junmyeon refused to answer the phone (and it would. Not. Stop. Ringing). Sat at the small table, neither of them has touched their tea, which has now gone cold. Junmyeon looks like he’s fighting tears, while Minseok is trying hard not to think of life without Sehun.
‘I don’t know. They’ve got him hooked to a life support, and they say he’s in a coma. Plus his heart is really weak. I honestly don’t know.’ Junmyeon talks with a soft but ragged voice, nearly whispering. He refuses to look up, not that Minseok wants to look at him. He knows they’d both burst into tears.
‘What happened?’
Junmyeon sighs. ‘Remember those weird videos of lightning that kept cropping up last year?’
Minseok frowns. ‘The ones where the lightning would freeze then slowly shrink?’ His friend nods. ‘Wasn’t that last year?’
‘Yeah, it was,’ he replies. ‘And Sehun couldn’t find anything weird. But it happened three days ago. Even though Monsoon started today, the storms started last week in some parts of the southern China region. And it happened again.’
Minseok heart drops. ‘So our stupid maknae went to investigate without telling us,’ he guesses. Junmyeon's expression is the only answer he needs. ‘He didn’t actually go visit his mother, did he?’
‘No.’
‘Idiot. That fucking idiot,’ he mutters bitterly.
‘I know,’ he says. ‘But he did tell me eventually. Yesterday.’
At this, Minseok perks up. ‘Really?’
‘He thought he’d found something. Turns out, he found someone. A user.’ Junmyeon finally looks up. ‘You’ll never guess what type.’
‘Tell me.’
‘A lightning user.’
Minseok chokes. ‘But they don’t exist. You get light users, sure, and water users who are really good with storms, but lightning users? No, they don’t exist. They can’t exist.’
‘Apparently they can, and apparently they do. Sehun found proof. He says that the locals have already dubbed him the Lightning Thief.’ Junmyeon pauses, hesitating, before meeting Minseok’s gaze. ‘I really want you to go find him. Sehun wanted to talk to him peacefully, but he struck him down with lightning. It’s a miracle he’s still alive. I don’t want to bring this to national attention, but please, be careful.’
Junmyeon has never needed to ask Minseok to consider taking on a mission. They both know Minseok can handle himself. But now, with Sehun in hospital, and a new type of user to face, Minseok feels the fear striking his heart.
He lets out a shaky breath.
‘Of course.’
In all honesty, Minseok would rather spend the rest of the day by Sehun’s bedside just to make sure he’s okay, but not even Junmyeon can visit him at the moment. So instead, while Junmyeon finally starts answering all those missed calls, he uses his time to start sifting through all the files on the Lightning Thief he can get his hands on.
There’s not much.
‘1m 73… Huh, like me…’ he mumbles to himself as he reads aloud the notes Sehun made. ‘Male? Identified as a lightning user. See video file… Fucking hell, there’s nothing here.’ But there’s a line that Junmyeon seems to have added by hand.
‘Last seen in action outside of Qingdao village, by the shrine along the main road.’
Maybe it’s time for a field trip.
The minute Minseok gets home, he packs some supplies in a small rucksack. Qingdao is about a day’s train ride away, and he’ll probably have to spend at least a full day investigating.
He hopes the Lightning Thief won’t be there, and he doubts he will. Minseok remembers studying the different locations of what he called, at the time, the Mini Weather Effect. There was no pattern, and it never struck twice in the same spot. If the Lightning Thief really is the one responsible, then he should be keeping up the same strategy.
Unfortunately, Jongdae isn’t home. So Minseok texts him instead.
TO: The Camel
The emergency at work was nothing too serious. But I’m needed in China ASAP, so I won’t be home for dinner tonight. See you in a few days. 15:68
Jongdae doesn’t know what Minseok really does. He thinks he’s a photographer, and he’s used to his spontaneous business trips, but Minseok still hates leaving unexpectedly.
FROM: The Camel
I hope it’s not too serious. Have a safe trip! 16:00
(Love you) 16:00
Luckily, Jongdae is understanding. And cute. Minseok tries not to smile goofily at that last message.
TO: The Camel
Love you too :) 16:03
The only way to travel is by train or car.
Kyo is too big of a planet for its population of 1 billion. On top of that, all the countries and their cities are thinly spread out, which means day trips are pretty much unheard of.
With dragons dominating the skies at all times, despite living in the mountains, air travel is out of the question. (Minseok remembers when one company tried that out. The plane was destroyed within five minutes of take off.) Meanwhile, sea serpents rule the oceans, and being more ruthless than their flying cousins, no one has ever tried using a boat on anything other than a lake.
Minseok can’t drive, so he’s confined to a train.
With a quiet, empty carriage, he falls asleep quickly and only wakes up when his phone rings.
‘You have one new message, received today at 23:28.’
Minseok frowns. Who would call him at this hour?
Beep.
‘Hey, Snowflake, it’s Jongdae’ -he tries not to blush at the nickname- ‘I was hoping you’d pick up, but never mind. You better be sleeping. Don’t overwork yourself, okay? Um, anyway, I called because… basically there’s something I’m not telling you, and I know you’ve picked up on that. I- Just- Just know that it’s nothing harmful. I’ll tell you eventually, but I don’t want you to worry about it. So, uh, so don’t, okay? You’re so amazing, and understanding, I promise I’ll tell you. Soon.
‘I think that’s it… I love you.’
Beep.
‘End of messages.’
Hanging up, Minseok sinks into his seat. He clutches his phone tightly, while a small giddy smile blooms on his face. He can’t help it.
It’s not something he likes admitting to himself, because he never lets himself dwell on the thought. And it’s definitely not something he wants to tell anyone, least of all Sehun, who would piss his pants laughing (the little shit).
But Minseok really loves Jongdae. Romantically. And yes, it’s clichéd, falling for your best friend, but he doesn’t care. Jongdae makes him happy, and small messages like this remind him how much of a great friend he is.
Minseok wishes he would finally have the guts to tell him.
After a restless night on the train, Minseok arrives in Qingdao a short while before lunchtime the next day. He doesn’t start investigating until after dark. By then all tourists have left the shrine. Satisfied, he smiles and sets to work.
There’s not really much to do but shine his torch over every inch of grass in hopes of finding some sort of clue that could lead him to the Lightning Thief. But after an hour of scouting, he finds a patch of singed grass.
It’s hard to spot, because the roots have started blackening from the change of season. But when he leans in and inspects the patch up close, he can see the difference in texture, separated by a thin stretch of green. He pulls out a set of tweezers from his bag and picks off a few blades of grass, carefully sealing them inside a sandwich bag.
And it’s when he swings his light round that he sees it: a clear glass bottle with a cork lid. It flickers faintly with light. Minseok approaches.
Inside is a tiny bolt of lightning.
The moment Minseok gets back to his hotel, he calls Junmyeon.
‘Hello?’
‘It’s Min.’
‘Min, hey. What’s up?’ He gladly notes that Junmyeon’s voice is less melancholic than the previous day.
‘I’m in Qingdao and I just wanted to check in on Sehun. I’m not disturbing you, am I?’
‘What? Oh, no, no news about Sehun. And no, of course you’re not disturbing.’
‘I see.’ He nods, but remembers Junmyeon can’t see him. ‘Oh, by the way, I also called because I need to see you tomorrow when I get back.’
‘When do you get back?’
‘Late, probably 11, can you meet me at the office at midnight?’
‘Yeah sure. I’ll see you then.’
‘Night, Jun.’
‘Night, Min.’
Minseok doesn’t sleep. Not that night, and not on the train the next day, either. The bottle seems like a step closer to the Lightning Thief, but it weighs him down so much. Something’s not right. Why did the Lightning Thief leave a bottle behind? Was it on purpose? Or was it an accident?
Either way, it’s really, really worrying.
So reaching the top floor of SM Corporation is a relief, because Minseok can finally lock the bottle away in the EXO office. A few minutes later, Junmyeon arrives.
‘What did you find, then?’ he asks, taking a seat at his lab desk where Junmyeon is already waiting.
‘A bottle. With a lightning bolt inside. You can see for yourself, it’s in your special toys locker,’ he says. But he quickly waves his hand dismissively. ‘That’s not why I asked you here. I need your access code to the government database.’
Junmyeon looks at him curiously. ‘Why?’
‘I have a hunch. But I need more information.’
‘Do you think the government is hiding something from us?’
‘I don’t see why not,’ Minseok shrugs. ‘We don’t work for them, and they don’t like that.’ Junmyeon hesitates. ‘Please, Jun.’
Minseok looks at him pleadingly. But he finally caves. ‘Alright. I’ll write it down, but you have to burn it once you’ve used it.’
‘Yes, Boss.’ Junmyeon nods and turns to leave. Minseok frowns and coughs. ‘Um…’
‘Go home and sleep first.’
‘But-’
‘Sleep. You like terrible. I’ll give you the code in the morning.’
‘Yes, Mum,’ he mutters, and they leave it at that.
Minseok scowls when his keys rattle loudly. He winces when the door creaks open. And he sighs when it slams shut.
He’d been hoping to enter quietly. That clearly failed.
‘Jongdae?’ he calls out softly. ‘Dae? It’s Min.’
‘Minnnie?’ his friend replies sleepily, slouching into the hall while rubbing his eyes. ‘You’re already back.’
Minseok smiles and nods, as Jongdae shuffles forward and hugs him. ‘Yeah,’ he whispers. ‘Got everything done. Plus I missed you.’ His heart feels tight with emotion and longing.
Jongdae sniffs. ‘I missed you too.’ And maybe he’s a little sad.
Whatever it is, they hold each other firmly, breathing each other’s scents in. Minseok doesn’t know how long they stand there before going to bed in each other’s arms.
That night, Jongdae has no nightmares.
Minseok is out of the house before Jongdae is awake.
It makes him pout as he boards the train alone. Sometimes he forgets how much time they spend together, and how much he misses him when he’s away. They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but boy does Minseok always forget that, even if it’s a three-day trip.
But he has no time to dwell on his thoughts.
The second he steps foot in the office, Junmyeon ushers him into the lab, thrusting a post-it into his hand, before he slams the door behind him. Minseok cringes at the sound, then glances at the note.
It’s a list.
The first item is the username and password for the database. ‘Server: Olympus,’ it reads.
The second says, ‘We’re going out for lunch.’ (Mini fist pump from Minseok.) ‘We leave at noon. Don’t be late.’ And the third is a not so gentle reminder to burn the code. (Junmyeon reminds him of an overprotective mother: Be careful with the FIRE!!)
Checking the time, he gets to work. With only a few hours to spare, he needs to do as much research on the Lightning Thief as he can. When he sees how much he needs to go through, he realises that he’ll need all the time he can salvage.
‘First page,’ he mumbles to himself. ‘Hm… Just an overview, nothing new.’ It’s not very useful, but it’s a start.
He makes a list of all the useful information he picks up along the way:
Initially, he’d thought there’d only been a handful: about a dozen the previous year during Monsoon, and another one last week.
He wants to scream, ‘WHO THE FUCK ARE THE FATES AND FURIES?’ and then ask them why they’re hiding so much stuff about the Lightning, what they’re hiding about him, why he’s never heard of them before, and what the fuck are they doing, messing with his job like that.
He sighs. It’s already time to leave.
At least he’s gotten some answers.
‘The Boss wants me in China again,’ Minseok announces over dinner that evening.
Jongdae tries to hide his pout. ‘For how long will you be gone?’ he asks.
‘A week or two.’
‘Oh.’
Minseok’s heart drops. ‘I hate leaving so soon. I’m really sorry, Dae.’ But if he doesn’t investigate the Wastelands, he might never find the Lightning Thief.
‘No, it’s okay, I understand. Work has been keeping you busy,’ he says. ‘Will you be able to call from time to time?’
Minseok shakes his head. ‘I don’t think so. It’s quite a remote place, and I don’t think there’ll be a signal. But the moment I do, I’ll call, I promise.’ Jongdae attempts a smile at that, but it’s not difficult to see he’s upset. It hurts Minseok to see him this way, and he promises himself to bring that smile back.
‘Change of topic: how’s work at the bookstore going?’
He wonders if confessing would make Jongdae smile or run away.
It takes him ages to fall asleep, because all he focuses on is his trip to the Wastelands.
The Wastelands are an enormous mass of land that separates Europe, Asia and Africa into their different continents. Mostly made up of deserts and mountains, it’s mainly home to dragons, and some other animals. But to humans, it’s useless, a waste.
It’s also very dangerous. Dragons are the least of Minseok’s worries. The Wastelands are the prime area for the worst natural disasters, including, but not limited to, monsoons, earthquakes and constant volcanic eruptions.
The Wastelands are massive, and far. And Minseok really, really, wishes he could teleport.
Unfortunately, Junmyeon is a water user, Sehun controls the wind, and Minseok can make snowmen with his eyes closed (it’s one way of looking at it).
Maybe that’s the one plus side of going to the Wastelands: he can use his powers to their full extent. At least half of the world’s population have control of an element, but with so many civilians, it’s difficult to learn how to exploit them.
He thinks of what to keep in his bag: a bottle to store water, which won’t be hard, being an ice user and all, and two large boxes of cereals. In terms of nutrition, it’s not great, but it should last him the trip in case he can’t find any food in the Wastelands. It’s not like there are any superstores.
On top of that, he has a map, and there’s a little cross to mark the main area where Minseok the Lightning Thief might be. The closest train station to that spot is in China, and quite close to the border. If he’s right, it should take him three days on foot. But that’s without sleeping, so it will probably take him a bit longer.
But, he thinks to himself, what if I use a snow storm to take me there faster? He shrugs. He can always try that out if he walks too slowly.
Despite the long list of things to plan, he eventually falls asleep.
Minseok wakes the next morning feeling strangely refreshed. With a spring in his step, he makes his way to the kitchen where Jongdae is already having breakfast.
But the minute he walks in, Jongdae looks like he’s about to have a heart attack.
‘Jesus fucking- Min? Where’d you come from?’ he says incredulously, looking at him like he’s a ghost.
Minseok frowns, pointing in the direction he came from. ‘I- Our bedroom.’
‘That’s not possible.’ Jongdae shakes his head.
‘What do you mean?’ Minseok says, and he tries not to let the panic seep in.
‘I was there less than ten minutes ago, and you definitely weren’t there. I thought you were on your trip!’
‘But I- I haven’t even left for my trip yet!’
Jongdae looks at him strangely. ‘Min, you left for your trip ten days ago.’
Minseok pales. ‘I did?’ he laughs nervously. ‘Oh yeah, silly me, I did. Woops, I must’ve slept so well I gave myself amnesia.’
‘That doesn’t make sense-’
‘Never mind! I’m just going… to… go.’
And go he does: right out the door, not even sparing Jongdae a second glance.
It’s as he races down towards the station that he realises that he’s not in pyjamas, like he should be.
What the fuck is going on?
The lab is empty when he arrives. He gives himself a second to sigh in relief before switching on Junmyeon’s computer.
The last thing he wants is someone to see him in his state of utter confusion and panic. If he has a mental breakdown, it’s going to be now.
It’s probably not recommended for a government division like EXO to have such poor security (not that they’ve ever had any problems in that department), and Minseok should probably care. But at that moment, he really doesn’t, and instead thanks Junmyeon for always sharing his passwords. The computer is a bit slow at booting up, but once it’s on, it takes Minseok no time at all to find what he’s looking for.
EXO is slack with security, but Junmyeon is paranoid enough to make sure that all data and files ever created on any of their laptops are saved to Junmyeon’s computer. Which means that Minseok can access all of his files from the safety of EXO’s office, away from any prying eyes.
He does realise, however, that whoever did this shit to him probably stole his laptop.
And he’s right.
There’s a file marked ‘Poseidon 2014: Wastelands/Lightning Thief’, and in the notes section, it reads, ‘XIUMIN: deleted’, with Xiumin being his code name and his laptop.
‘Thank you, Junmum, for being so paranoid with your files,’ he says under his breath.
He inhales and exhales deeply, before opening the file: it’s a document with all the notes of his trip to the Wastelands. It’s very detailed, and Minseok pats himself on the back for that.
There are separate accounts for the events of each day, and Minseok is quick to hold onto the important information, which is highlighted for easier spotting: he didn’t find the Lightning Thief, but he found his headquarters, which he seems to share with other people. Together, they make up a group called Anonymous. Their logo is a maze, and to get into the headquarters, a key shaped like that maze is necessary. (According to his account, he used his ice powers to recreate it. Good thinking, Min.)
There’s a longer part on what he found inside Anonymous, but what really grabs his attention is the account written on the last day of his trip.
It says that he stumbled across a warehouse, belonging to the F&F (there’s a picture of the door, and yeah, it must be the F&F) but that he couldn’t get in. The following paragraph starts to describe how Minseok thinks someone was following him, but his sentence is left unfinished.
His blood runs cold as suddenly a flash of a memory comes back to him.
The Lightning Thief can’t find out. Anyone who finds out has to be deleted.
He wonders if someone is watching him now. He wonders if he’s going to be “deleted”. (It’s a stupid way of putting it, if you ask him.)
And his thoughts immediately jump to Jongdae.
Minseok runs home. He ignores the trains and the buses, his bag full of equipment hitting his back with every step. He ignores everything: his clenched heart, his shallow breathing, his burning lungs, and his aching limbs. He can’t afford waiting, and he can’t afford stopping. He just really needs to get home to Jongdae.
And finally, he does.
He leans against the wall, breathless, and knocks. There’s a muffled ‘Coming!’ from the other side, when suddenly, the door swings open, revealing a very surprised Jongdae. He doesn’t say anything, but just gapes.
Minseok freezes. His throat goes dry. He wants to say something, but he doesn’t know what. So, instead, he takes a step forward and he throws his arms around Jongdae, hugging him tightly.
‘I’m sorry I ran off this morning. I’m really sorry,’ he whispers, ‘ but I forgot to tell you that I missed you so fucking much.’ Running a hand through Jongdae’s hair, he twirls some strands around his fingers, and takes a shaky breath, before he continues. ‘I missed you so much it hurt. It hurt and I don’t want to have to go through that again. I hate being away from you, and Dae. Dae. I really love you.’
‘I love you too, Min,’ Jongdae says, pulling back slightly to look at Minseok. One arm is wrapped firmly around Minseok’s shoulders, while the other grips his waist securely. He presses a kiss to his cheek. ‘I missed you too.’
Minseok shakes his head. ‘I don’t think you get it…’ He stares him in the eye. Taking a deep breath, he pleads, ‘Can I kiss you?’
Jongdae’s jaw drops, and he goes bright red, eyes widening. Almost instantly, Minseok regrets it.
But then, but then, Jongdae nods. And it’s certain, and firm.
Minseok’s heart surges. Without hesitating, he leans forward, and his lips meet Jongdae’s. It’s desperate, and the tears he hadn’t noticed falling taste bitter. But Jongdae is sweet, and warm, and safe, and Minseok feels his worries fade as their kiss deepens. Eventually, they stumble into their bedroom and fall onto Jongdae’s bed, while hands roam over every inch of each other, and shy giggles and breathy moans fill the silence.
That night is all about lips against hot skin, and letting Jongdae know how much Minseok loves him.
Part 2 →
For: krishoislove
Rating: PG-13
Other pairings: Suho/Lay
Warnings: cursing/swearing
‘Kyo is very similar to Earth, Minnie, it won’t be weird.’
Young versions of Minseok and Jongdae, maybe in their early teens, sit side by side at Incheon Airport. Minseok bites his lip nervously, while Jongdae keeps an arm around his friend’s shoulder, trying to comfort him.
‘Are you sure, Dae?’ he asks with a small and unsure voice.
‘I promise. Sure, the hours last 70 minutes instead of 60, the months last 27 days, there are seven seasons, and the grass can change colour. But those are small changes.’ Jongdae gives him a reassuring and confident smile. It hides his own insecurities that Minseok can see lingering in his gaze.
‘What are the big ones?’
‘Dragons. And powers.’
Minseok perks up. ‘Huh?’
‘We’re not the only ones with powers. And we’re all going to Kyo, like a big family. We won’t be outcasts-’
An agonising scream pierces the night, and Minseok is by Jongdae’s side in a heartbeat, his dream forgotten. Ignoring the thundering in his ears, he grabs his friend’s hand as he thrashes and cries. Drops of sweat trickle down his forehead, and he clenches his jaw so tightly that his face goes white. Minseok climbs into his bed and wraps an arm around his waist, the other round his shoulders.
‘Dae, wake up,’ he murmurs, lips pressed to Jongdae’s skin. ‘Wake up, it’s Min.’
But Jongdae chokes out broken pleas. ‘Help me!’ he sobs. ‘Please help me!’
‘Dae, you’re safe, it’s Min, I promise you’re safe, Dae,’ Minseok tries to soothe, gently shaking him awake. ‘Dae, wake up, you’re safe, please wake up.’
Jongdae gasps. His eyes open suddenly, and he clutches Minseok in his arms. ‘Min, Min, is that you?’
‘It’s me.’
Minseok hears Jongdae let out a breath of relief and watches as the tension slowly leaves his body. It takes a while, but eventually, his breathing settles, and he stops trembling. Snuggling into his friend’s chest, Minseok waits until he falls asleep before letting sleep overcome him.
Minseok is used to Jongdae’s nightmares, but they never fail to terrify him.
The next morning, Minseok gets up first. He presses a kiss to Jongdae’s forehead, before shuffling into the kitchen. The sun has already risen, and a soft morning glow lights up the room. He runs his gaze over the clock (it reads 07:65).
I’ve got time, he thinks to himself.
‘Pancakes it is!’
A little while later, Minseok has already placed the pile of pancakes on a plate, and is dancing along to SISTAR’s Give It To Me. Rolling his body, he runs his hands down it sensually, lost in the music. Smiling to himself, he makes the most of this time alone, not caring how ridiculous he may seem, loving every-
‘Minnie?’ Jongdae asks, seemingly shocked and appalled.
Minseok jumps in surprise. ‘Fuck! Jongdae!’ Blushing bright red, he goes back to putting things on the table. ‘I didn’t see you there…’
‘What are they teaching you at wotk?’ his friend demands.
‘I-’
‘And where can I sign up?’
Minseok stops abruptly what he’s doing and stares at his friend. ‘What?’
‘You’re a really good dancer,’ he marvels. ‘But I’m better, so I want to make sure your teachers are good enough for you.’ Minseok frowns at that. ‘Here let me show you.’
And that’s how, half an hour later, he collapses into Jongdae’s arms, breathless with laughter. Because Jongdae can’t dance. At all. Not even to save his life.
‘Oh yeah, definitely better than me,’ Minseok gasps out. He stands up straight, before bursting into another fit of giggles. Jongdae steadies him and holds onto him tightly.
‘I know right,’ he grins. His expression falters for a minute, and Minseok looks at him curiously. ‘Hey, um-’ He’s cut off by the landline ringing.
Minseok frowns. ‘I’ll get it. It’s probably some company advertising their shit or something.’
But it’s not.
‘Min?’
‘Jun?’ Minseok’s eyes go wide. This is a first.
‘Yeah, it’s me. Uh, listen, how quickly can you get here? There’s been an emergency.’ Junmyeon’s voice is laced with fear and worry, and it makes Minseok’s heart clench. Jongdae notices his pale face, with concern etched onto his own.
'I-I'll be there in 45.'
‘Thanks, Min.'
The line goes dead.
Within five minutes, Minseok is hastily dressed and out of the house. Jongdae follows quickly after, holding a large umbrella.
‘What’s that for?’ Minseok asks as he grabs his friend’s hand and they break into a run, headed for the station.
Jongdae rolls his eyes at him. ‘Start of the new season, remember? It’s the first of Poseidon. Monsoon begins today.’
Minseok nearly trips.
‘Shit,’ he mutters under his breath. He’d forgotten, and hadn’t noticed the weather.
Monsoon is Minseok’s least favourite season. It’s the most unsettling, and nothing ever good happens during Monsoon.
Like a crack in the pavement, the sky is split in two. One side is lit up by the sunbeams that shine down on the ground, while fluffy white clouds streak across the bright blue sky. Leaves rustle and vivid green grass rustles gently in the soft breeze.
But on the other, the city has been plunged into the dark dreariness of the worst season to come. Storm clouds clump together to become an eerie big mass of dark grey. In the distance, lightning flashes and torrents of water beat down on unsuspecting buildings. But what really spooks him is the grass. The closer to the roots, the blacker it is. It's black grass.
‘I really hate how grass adapts to the mood of the weather,’ he whispers. Jongdae nods solemnly.
Minseok can only hear their slightly ragged breathing and the sound of their shoes hitting the pavement. If he strains his ears, he manages to catch the low rumble of thunder. It makes his stomach churn, and Junmyeon’s panicked voice echoes in his mind.
He tightens his grip around Jongdae’s hand, and starts running faster.
The platform is empty as they arrive, and Minseok watches, annoyed, as the back of the train gets smaller and smaller.
'Let's sit down,' Jongdae offers as he sees Minseok's nostrils flare in fury. He tugs at his arm until his friend complies. 'The next one will be here soon.'
He nods, and they wait in silence.
It’s after Jongdae sends a few furtive glances his way that Minseok finally speaks up.
‘You wanted to say something before the phone rang. What was it?’
Jongdae hesitates. ‘I… It’s nothing important.’ He sees Minseok frown, but waves his hand dismissively. ‘It’s nothing, I promise.’ But his face betrays him. And Minseok looks at him, feeling heartbroken at Jongdae’s lost and helpless expression. He reaches out to hug his friend.
But the train arrives, and Jongdae uses that to switch topics. Minseok doesn't know if he's avoiding his gaze on purpose.
He doesn't have time to worry more about Jongdae and his weird behaviour this morning, because before he knows it, he's running through the lobby at SM Corporation, desperate to reach the basement.
He rushes straight past the receptionist, who doesn’t spare him a glance, and slams his fist against the lift button. Tapping his foot impatiently, he watches as the floor numbers flash by, before finally reaching the Ground Floor. He almost cries in relief when he sees it’s empty, and walks in with trembling legs.
‘Top floor, please,’ he calls out, and the doors close with a ding.
Now would be a great time to meet a space user, he thinks to himself. Teleportation is so useful.
There are pros of working for EXO: he can use the lift to get to the 40th. Though, there are cons of working for EXO: the lift is really slow.
But finally, he arrives.
The doors open and Minseok steps out, ready for the worst.
The sight to greet him really is the worst he’s ever seen.
The office is filled with clutter to make it look cosy. But never has it looked so empty with only Junmyeon sitting on the floor, looking paler and more miserable than ever. Stooped back, shoulders slumping, and dark bags beneath his eyes, his chin rests on his knees, tucked into his chest.
‘You look like death!’ Minseok blurts out, running up to his boss. ‘What happened? Where’s Sehun?’
‘Hospital,’ Junmyeon says. ‘Sehun is in the fucking hospital.’
Minseok sits down with a heavy thud. ‘Oh.’
EXO is a really small division, especially for an intelligence group. With only three people, the government is constantly debating whether to shut them down or not. But EXO is really good at what they do.
Junmyeon, Minseok, and Sehun can all work as field agents. Generally, though, Junmyeon takes care of the science and paperwork (on top of all that, he actually runs SM Corporation), Sehun works as a scout, and Minseok does all the dangerous stuff. (He once had to prevent a fire dragon from destroying a whole city.)
They have a success rate of 100%, which means that even foreign governments try to employ them.
But most importantly, they’ve never needed to go to a hospital (except for the odd mission). They’ve had their fair share of injuries, including broken bones, but nothing that Junmyeon’s powers can’t fix. None of them have ever been hospitalised. Ever.
Until now.
‘Is he going to be okay?’ Minseok asks.
They’ve moved to the coffee room that links the main office to the lab because Junmyeon refused to answer the phone (and it would. Not. Stop. Ringing). Sat at the small table, neither of them has touched their tea, which has now gone cold. Junmyeon looks like he’s fighting tears, while Minseok is trying hard not to think of life without Sehun.
‘I don’t know. They’ve got him hooked to a life support, and they say he’s in a coma. Plus his heart is really weak. I honestly don’t know.’ Junmyeon talks with a soft but ragged voice, nearly whispering. He refuses to look up, not that Minseok wants to look at him. He knows they’d both burst into tears.
‘What happened?’
Junmyeon sighs. ‘Remember those weird videos of lightning that kept cropping up last year?’
Minseok frowns. ‘The ones where the lightning would freeze then slowly shrink?’ His friend nods. ‘Wasn’t that last year?’
‘Yeah, it was,’ he replies. ‘And Sehun couldn’t find anything weird. But it happened three days ago. Even though Monsoon started today, the storms started last week in some parts of the southern China region. And it happened again.’
Minseok heart drops. ‘So our stupid maknae went to investigate without telling us,’ he guesses. Junmyeon's expression is the only answer he needs. ‘He didn’t actually go visit his mother, did he?’
‘No.’
‘Idiot. That fucking idiot,’ he mutters bitterly.
‘I know,’ he says. ‘But he did tell me eventually. Yesterday.’
At this, Minseok perks up. ‘Really?’
‘He thought he’d found something. Turns out, he found someone. A user.’ Junmyeon finally looks up. ‘You’ll never guess what type.’
‘Tell me.’
‘A lightning user.’
Minseok chokes. ‘But they don’t exist. You get light users, sure, and water users who are really good with storms, but lightning users? No, they don’t exist. They can’t exist.’
‘Apparently they can, and apparently they do. Sehun found proof. He says that the locals have already dubbed him the Lightning Thief.’ Junmyeon pauses, hesitating, before meeting Minseok’s gaze. ‘I really want you to go find him. Sehun wanted to talk to him peacefully, but he struck him down with lightning. It’s a miracle he’s still alive. I don’t want to bring this to national attention, but please, be careful.’
Junmyeon has never needed to ask Minseok to consider taking on a mission. They both know Minseok can handle himself. But now, with Sehun in hospital, and a new type of user to face, Minseok feels the fear striking his heart.
He lets out a shaky breath.
‘Of course.’
In all honesty, Minseok would rather spend the rest of the day by Sehun’s bedside just to make sure he’s okay, but not even Junmyeon can visit him at the moment. So instead, while Junmyeon finally starts answering all those missed calls, he uses his time to start sifting through all the files on the Lightning Thief he can get his hands on.
There’s not much.
‘1m 73… Huh, like me…’ he mumbles to himself as he reads aloud the notes Sehun made. ‘Male? Identified as a lightning user. See video file… Fucking hell, there’s nothing here.’ But there’s a line that Junmyeon seems to have added by hand.
‘Last seen in action outside of Qingdao village, by the shrine along the main road.’
Maybe it’s time for a field trip.
The minute Minseok gets home, he packs some supplies in a small rucksack. Qingdao is about a day’s train ride away, and he’ll probably have to spend at least a full day investigating.
He hopes the Lightning Thief won’t be there, and he doubts he will. Minseok remembers studying the different locations of what he called, at the time, the Mini Weather Effect. There was no pattern, and it never struck twice in the same spot. If the Lightning Thief really is the one responsible, then he should be keeping up the same strategy.
Unfortunately, Jongdae isn’t home. So Minseok texts him instead.
TO: The Camel
The emergency at work was nothing too serious. But I’m needed in China ASAP, so I won’t be home for dinner tonight. See you in a few days. 15:68
Jongdae doesn’t know what Minseok really does. He thinks he’s a photographer, and he’s used to his spontaneous business trips, but Minseok still hates leaving unexpectedly.
FROM: The Camel
I hope it’s not too serious. Have a safe trip! 16:00
(Love you) 16:00
Luckily, Jongdae is understanding. And cute. Minseok tries not to smile goofily at that last message.
TO: The Camel
Love you too :) 16:03
The only way to travel is by train or car.
Kyo is too big of a planet for its population of 1 billion. On top of that, all the countries and their cities are thinly spread out, which means day trips are pretty much unheard of.
With dragons dominating the skies at all times, despite living in the mountains, air travel is out of the question. (Minseok remembers when one company tried that out. The plane was destroyed within five minutes of take off.) Meanwhile, sea serpents rule the oceans, and being more ruthless than their flying cousins, no one has ever tried using a boat on anything other than a lake.
Minseok can’t drive, so he’s confined to a train.
With a quiet, empty carriage, he falls asleep quickly and only wakes up when his phone rings.
‘You have one new message, received today at 23:28.’
Minseok frowns. Who would call him at this hour?
Beep.
‘Hey, Snowflake, it’s Jongdae’ -he tries not to blush at the nickname- ‘I was hoping you’d pick up, but never mind. You better be sleeping. Don’t overwork yourself, okay? Um, anyway, I called because… basically there’s something I’m not telling you, and I know you’ve picked up on that. I- Just- Just know that it’s nothing harmful. I’ll tell you eventually, but I don’t want you to worry about it. So, uh, so don’t, okay? You’re so amazing, and understanding, I promise I’ll tell you. Soon.
‘I think that’s it… I love you.’
Beep.
‘End of messages.’
Hanging up, Minseok sinks into his seat. He clutches his phone tightly, while a small giddy smile blooms on his face. He can’t help it.
It’s not something he likes admitting to himself, because he never lets himself dwell on the thought. And it’s definitely not something he wants to tell anyone, least of all Sehun, who would piss his pants laughing (the little shit).
But Minseok really loves Jongdae. Romantically. And yes, it’s clichéd, falling for your best friend, but he doesn’t care. Jongdae makes him happy, and small messages like this remind him how much of a great friend he is.
Minseok wishes he would finally have the guts to tell him.
After a restless night on the train, Minseok arrives in Qingdao a short while before lunchtime the next day. He doesn’t start investigating until after dark. By then all tourists have left the shrine. Satisfied, he smiles and sets to work.
There’s not really much to do but shine his torch over every inch of grass in hopes of finding some sort of clue that could lead him to the Lightning Thief. But after an hour of scouting, he finds a patch of singed grass.
It’s hard to spot, because the roots have started blackening from the change of season. But when he leans in and inspects the patch up close, he can see the difference in texture, separated by a thin stretch of green. He pulls out a set of tweezers from his bag and picks off a few blades of grass, carefully sealing them inside a sandwich bag.
And it’s when he swings his light round that he sees it: a clear glass bottle with a cork lid. It flickers faintly with light. Minseok approaches.
Inside is a tiny bolt of lightning.
The moment Minseok gets back to his hotel, he calls Junmyeon.
‘Hello?’
‘It’s Min.’
‘Min, hey. What’s up?’ He gladly notes that Junmyeon’s voice is less melancholic than the previous day.
‘I’m in Qingdao and I just wanted to check in on Sehun. I’m not disturbing you, am I?’
‘What? Oh, no, no news about Sehun. And no, of course you’re not disturbing.’
‘I see.’ He nods, but remembers Junmyeon can’t see him. ‘Oh, by the way, I also called because I need to see you tomorrow when I get back.’
‘When do you get back?’
‘Late, probably 11, can you meet me at the office at midnight?’
‘Yeah sure. I’ll see you then.’
‘Night, Jun.’
‘Night, Min.’
Minseok doesn’t sleep. Not that night, and not on the train the next day, either. The bottle seems like a step closer to the Lightning Thief, but it weighs him down so much. Something’s not right. Why did the Lightning Thief leave a bottle behind? Was it on purpose? Or was it an accident?
Either way, it’s really, really worrying.
So reaching the top floor of SM Corporation is a relief, because Minseok can finally lock the bottle away in the EXO office. A few minutes later, Junmyeon arrives.
‘What did you find, then?’ he asks, taking a seat at his lab desk where Junmyeon is already waiting.
‘A bottle. With a lightning bolt inside. You can see for yourself, it’s in your special toys locker,’ he says. But he quickly waves his hand dismissively. ‘That’s not why I asked you here. I need your access code to the government database.’
Junmyeon looks at him curiously. ‘Why?’
‘I have a hunch. But I need more information.’
‘Do you think the government is hiding something from us?’
‘I don’t see why not,’ Minseok shrugs. ‘We don’t work for them, and they don’t like that.’ Junmyeon hesitates. ‘Please, Jun.’
Minseok looks at him pleadingly. But he finally caves. ‘Alright. I’ll write it down, but you have to burn it once you’ve used it.’
‘Yes, Boss.’ Junmyeon nods and turns to leave. Minseok frowns and coughs. ‘Um…’
‘Go home and sleep first.’
‘But-’
‘Sleep. You like terrible. I’ll give you the code in the morning.’
‘Yes, Mum,’ he mutters, and they leave it at that.
Minseok scowls when his keys rattle loudly. He winces when the door creaks open. And he sighs when it slams shut.
He’d been hoping to enter quietly. That clearly failed.
‘Jongdae?’ he calls out softly. ‘Dae? It’s Min.’
‘Minnnie?’ his friend replies sleepily, slouching into the hall while rubbing his eyes. ‘You’re already back.’
Minseok smiles and nods, as Jongdae shuffles forward and hugs him. ‘Yeah,’ he whispers. ‘Got everything done. Plus I missed you.’ His heart feels tight with emotion and longing.
Jongdae sniffs. ‘I missed you too.’ And maybe he’s a little sad.
Whatever it is, they hold each other firmly, breathing each other’s scents in. Minseok doesn’t know how long they stand there before going to bed in each other’s arms.
That night, Jongdae has no nightmares.
Minseok is out of the house before Jongdae is awake.
It makes him pout as he boards the train alone. Sometimes he forgets how much time they spend together, and how much he misses him when he’s away. They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but boy does Minseok always forget that, even if it’s a three-day trip.
But he has no time to dwell on his thoughts.
The second he steps foot in the office, Junmyeon ushers him into the lab, thrusting a post-it into his hand, before he slams the door behind him. Minseok cringes at the sound, then glances at the note.
It’s a list.
The first item is the username and password for the database. ‘Server: Olympus,’ it reads.
The second says, ‘We’re going out for lunch.’ (Mini fist pump from Minseok.) ‘We leave at noon. Don’t be late.’ And the third is a not so gentle reminder to burn the code. (Junmyeon reminds him of an overprotective mother: Be careful with the FIRE!!)
Checking the time, he gets to work. With only a few hours to spare, he needs to do as much research on the Lightning Thief as he can. When he sees how much he needs to go through, he realises that he’ll need all the time he can salvage.
‘First page,’ he mumbles to himself. ‘Hm… Just an overview, nothing new.’ It’s not very useful, but it’s a start.
He makes a list of all the useful information he picks up along the way:
- Confirmed to be a lightning user.
- Most incidents are random, but energy levels can be traced back to the southern region of the Wastelands.
- There have been over two hundred incidents. However, most are classed as ‘Privately Solved by the F&F (Fates & Furies)’.
Initially, he’d thought there’d only been a handful: about a dozen the previous year during Monsoon, and another one last week.
He wants to scream, ‘WHO THE FUCK ARE THE FATES AND FURIES?’ and then ask them why they’re hiding so much stuff about the Lightning, what they’re hiding about him, why he’s never heard of them before, and what the fuck are they doing, messing with his job like that.
He sighs. It’s already time to leave.
At least he’s gotten some answers.
‘The Boss wants me in China again,’ Minseok announces over dinner that evening.
Jongdae tries to hide his pout. ‘For how long will you be gone?’ he asks.
‘A week or two.’
‘Oh.’
Minseok’s heart drops. ‘I hate leaving so soon. I’m really sorry, Dae.’ But if he doesn’t investigate the Wastelands, he might never find the Lightning Thief.
‘No, it’s okay, I understand. Work has been keeping you busy,’ he says. ‘Will you be able to call from time to time?’
Minseok shakes his head. ‘I don’t think so. It’s quite a remote place, and I don’t think there’ll be a signal. But the moment I do, I’ll call, I promise.’ Jongdae attempts a smile at that, but it’s not difficult to see he’s upset. It hurts Minseok to see him this way, and he promises himself to bring that smile back.
‘Change of topic: how’s work at the bookstore going?’
He wonders if confessing would make Jongdae smile or run away.
It takes him ages to fall asleep, because all he focuses on is his trip to the Wastelands.
The Wastelands are an enormous mass of land that separates Europe, Asia and Africa into their different continents. Mostly made up of deserts and mountains, it’s mainly home to dragons, and some other animals. But to humans, it’s useless, a waste.
It’s also very dangerous. Dragons are the least of Minseok’s worries. The Wastelands are the prime area for the worst natural disasters, including, but not limited to, monsoons, earthquakes and constant volcanic eruptions.
The Wastelands are massive, and far. And Minseok really, really, wishes he could teleport.
Unfortunately, Junmyeon is a water user, Sehun controls the wind, and Minseok can make snowmen with his eyes closed (it’s one way of looking at it).
Maybe that’s the one plus side of going to the Wastelands: he can use his powers to their full extent. At least half of the world’s population have control of an element, but with so many civilians, it’s difficult to learn how to exploit them.
He thinks of what to keep in his bag: a bottle to store water, which won’t be hard, being an ice user and all, and two large boxes of cereals. In terms of nutrition, it’s not great, but it should last him the trip in case he can’t find any food in the Wastelands. It’s not like there are any superstores.
On top of that, he has a map, and there’s a little cross to mark the main area where Minseok the Lightning Thief might be. The closest train station to that spot is in China, and quite close to the border. If he’s right, it should take him three days on foot. But that’s without sleeping, so it will probably take him a bit longer.
But, he thinks to himself, what if I use a snow storm to take me there faster? He shrugs. He can always try that out if he walks too slowly.
Despite the long list of things to plan, he eventually falls asleep.
Minseok wakes the next morning feeling strangely refreshed. With a spring in his step, he makes his way to the kitchen where Jongdae is already having breakfast.
But the minute he walks in, Jongdae looks like he’s about to have a heart attack.
‘Jesus fucking- Min? Where’d you come from?’ he says incredulously, looking at him like he’s a ghost.
Minseok frowns, pointing in the direction he came from. ‘I- Our bedroom.’
‘That’s not possible.’ Jongdae shakes his head.
‘What do you mean?’ Minseok says, and he tries not to let the panic seep in.
‘I was there less than ten minutes ago, and you definitely weren’t there. I thought you were on your trip!’
‘But I- I haven’t even left for my trip yet!’
Jongdae looks at him strangely. ‘Min, you left for your trip ten days ago.’
Minseok pales. ‘I did?’ he laughs nervously. ‘Oh yeah, silly me, I did. Woops, I must’ve slept so well I gave myself amnesia.’
‘That doesn’t make sense-’
‘Never mind! I’m just going… to… go.’
And go he does: right out the door, not even sparing Jongdae a second glance.
It’s as he races down towards the station that he realises that he’s not in pyjamas, like he should be.
What the fuck is going on?
The lab is empty when he arrives. He gives himself a second to sigh in relief before switching on Junmyeon’s computer.
The last thing he wants is someone to see him in his state of utter confusion and panic. If he has a mental breakdown, it’s going to be now.
It’s probably not recommended for a government division like EXO to have such poor security (not that they’ve ever had any problems in that department), and Minseok should probably care. But at that moment, he really doesn’t, and instead thanks Junmyeon for always sharing his passwords. The computer is a bit slow at booting up, but once it’s on, it takes Minseok no time at all to find what he’s looking for.
EXO is slack with security, but Junmyeon is paranoid enough to make sure that all data and files ever created on any of their laptops are saved to Junmyeon’s computer. Which means that Minseok can access all of his files from the safety of EXO’s office, away from any prying eyes.
He does realise, however, that whoever did this shit to him probably stole his laptop.
And he’s right.
There’s a file marked ‘Poseidon 2014: Wastelands/Lightning Thief’, and in the notes section, it reads, ‘XIUMIN: deleted’, with Xiumin being his code name and his laptop.
‘Thank you, Junmum, for being so paranoid with your files,’ he says under his breath.
He inhales and exhales deeply, before opening the file: it’s a document with all the notes of his trip to the Wastelands. It’s very detailed, and Minseok pats himself on the back for that.
There are separate accounts for the events of each day, and Minseok is quick to hold onto the important information, which is highlighted for easier spotting: he didn’t find the Lightning Thief, but he found his headquarters, which he seems to share with other people. Together, they make up a group called Anonymous. Their logo is a maze, and to get into the headquarters, a key shaped like that maze is necessary. (According to his account, he used his ice powers to recreate it. Good thinking, Min.)
There’s a longer part on what he found inside Anonymous, but what really grabs his attention is the account written on the last day of his trip.
It says that he stumbled across a warehouse, belonging to the F&F (there’s a picture of the door, and yeah, it must be the F&F) but that he couldn’t get in. The following paragraph starts to describe how Minseok thinks someone was following him, but his sentence is left unfinished.
His blood runs cold as suddenly a flash of a memory comes back to him.
The Lightning Thief can’t find out. Anyone who finds out has to be deleted.
He wonders if someone is watching him now. He wonders if he’s going to be “deleted”. (It’s a stupid way of putting it, if you ask him.)
And his thoughts immediately jump to Jongdae.
Minseok runs home. He ignores the trains and the buses, his bag full of equipment hitting his back with every step. He ignores everything: his clenched heart, his shallow breathing, his burning lungs, and his aching limbs. He can’t afford waiting, and he can’t afford stopping. He just really needs to get home to Jongdae.
And finally, he does.
He leans against the wall, breathless, and knocks. There’s a muffled ‘Coming!’ from the other side, when suddenly, the door swings open, revealing a very surprised Jongdae. He doesn’t say anything, but just gapes.
Minseok freezes. His throat goes dry. He wants to say something, but he doesn’t know what. So, instead, he takes a step forward and he throws his arms around Jongdae, hugging him tightly.
‘I’m sorry I ran off this morning. I’m really sorry,’ he whispers, ‘ but I forgot to tell you that I missed you so fucking much.’ Running a hand through Jongdae’s hair, he twirls some strands around his fingers, and takes a shaky breath, before he continues. ‘I missed you so much it hurt. It hurt and I don’t want to have to go through that again. I hate being away from you, and Dae. Dae. I really love you.’
‘I love you too, Min,’ Jongdae says, pulling back slightly to look at Minseok. One arm is wrapped firmly around Minseok’s shoulders, while the other grips his waist securely. He presses a kiss to his cheek. ‘I missed you too.’
Minseok shakes his head. ‘I don’t think you get it…’ He stares him in the eye. Taking a deep breath, he pleads, ‘Can I kiss you?’
Jongdae’s jaw drops, and he goes bright red, eyes widening. Almost instantly, Minseok regrets it.
But then, but then, Jongdae nods. And it’s certain, and firm.
Minseok’s heart surges. Without hesitating, he leans forward, and his lips meet Jongdae’s. It’s desperate, and the tears he hadn’t noticed falling taste bitter. But Jongdae is sweet, and warm, and safe, and Minseok feels his worries fade as their kiss deepens. Eventually, they stumble into their bedroom and fall onto Jongdae’s bed, while hands roam over every inch of each other, and shy giggles and breathy moans fill the silence.
That night is all about lips against hot skin, and letting Jongdae know how much Minseok loves him.
Part 2 →