Jeongin and Seungmin still hadn't been able to see eye to eye. The younger boy was beyond frustrated with the older, and eventually, Jeongin became tired of arguing. So, he left the room and told Seungmin to look for a new partner. Those words, while Seungmin knew they were just words to make him feel bad, were hurtful; even if the younger boy didn't really plan on changing partners.

"I just don't understand why he's so caught up in Felix and Changbin's personal life," Jeongin ranted to Woojin and Hyunjin.

"Seungmin's intelligence is a mystery. He has to keep his brain occupied at all times. This is just his way of thinking about something in order to keep his mind busy," Hyunjin reasoned.

But Jeongin couldn't see the logic behind the older boy's words. He didn't want to see the logic in them, either. He was angry at Seungmin, and there was a part of him that wanted to stay angry at Seungmin.

"That's not an excuse to not help me out on missions and skip training! He's been a terrible partner since Felix showed up and I...I hate him for it," Jeongin said, bringing his knees up to his chest.

"You don't hate him, Jeongin," Woojin stated knowingly.

"I do," the younger boy insisted.

"I hate him."

I hate him because he's so unfair, the younger boy thought dishearteningly to himself. It's not fair that all I do is try and protect him and take care of him, and yet lately, he's treated me like a waste of his oh so precious time.

"You don't," Hyunjin stated, shaking his head.

"You might be angry with him right now, but you'd never actually hate him."

Deep inside, Jeongin was well aware of the fact that he didn't hate the redhead. He was far from hating Seungmin. But he was angry, and in a lot of ways, he felt betrayed by the older boy.

"It's just not fair," Jeongin stated, tears forming in his eyes.

"I've always been there for him. Even when he's a complete jerk, I never treat him like he's nothing. I've always been a good partner..." he trailed off as the tears made their way down his cheeks.

But the tears he shed in those brief moments weren't out of anger or frustration. There wasn't any type of other meaning behind them...Jeongin was just sad, and that was the bottom line.

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"It doesn't matter if you can't see why, Seungmin! Sometimes, you just have to bite the bullet and apologize in order to save a friendship," Chan stated.

"Given that tooth enamel is at most two point five millimeters thick at the crown, and tooth enamel is extremely brittle, and a jacketed round is incomprehensible due to the lead inside, and the lead used in most rounds is either jacketed or an alloy to avoid gumming up the barrel of the gun, the only thing that would come out of me biting a bullet is most likely a broken tooth, depending on how hard I bit down and how much force I put on my jaw. However, if the bullet was first fired from a gun-"

"See, this is why Jeongin is fed up with you," Jisung interrupted.

"Since you're just so incredibly smart, let me put this in terms that you should easily be able to understand, yeah?" Minho joined the conversation forcefully, looking the redhead directly in the eyes.

"You've been a really, really shitty partner these past three weeks. Jeongin is tired of it. You've been so absorbed in Felix's personal life, in Changbin's personal life, in whatever relationship they may or may not have; to the point that you've been seriously neglecting your own partner. You've been so preoccupied with other things, that you haven't noticed how lonely and worthless you've made Jeongin feel. That's why he's angry with you, and that's why you need to go and say that you're sorry. Because, if you don't, you're going to lose your best friend."

"I just don't see why he's angry. I'm only trying to figure out why my hypothesis was incorrect," Seungmin replied.

The concept of right and wrong, in Seungmin's mind, was black and white. There were no gray areas. He could either get the problem and solve it correctly, or he would be incorrect. That's the way he'd always lived his life since tapping into the superhuman intelligence a few years back. However, his interpretation of right and wrong was very, very flawed in that sense. Sure, that kind of mindset may work when you're a scientist or a mathematician, but not when you're one half of a duo; and the older one at that.

"It's not about your hypothesis or any kind of information gathering! This is about you being oblivious to the way you make Jeongin feel. You make him so unbelievably frustrated, and when he tries to talk with you about it, it's like you're not even listening!" Chan snapped.

"No, I listen to everything that Jeongin says," Seungmin denied.

"You don't," Minho shook his head.

"You didn't even notice when he got up and left earlier," Jisung reminded him.

"I was thinking," the redhead said defensively.

"Yeah, and how often do you think you ignore his existence when you're thinking about stupid things?" Chan questioned.

For once in his life, Seungmin didn't have a quick witted response. He stayed quiet, not answering the question. Not that it was a question that really needed to be answered anyway.

"What's more important to you, Seungmin? Being right, or having Jeongin in your life?" Jisung asked the important question, getting straight to the point.

"And if you even have to think about it, then Jeongin should get a new partner," Minho commented.

"I don't need to think about it," the redhead shook his head.

"I want to be right, obviously, but if I had to choose between being right and having Jeongin in my life; I'd never be right again."

"Then stop trying to be right all the time and go tell him that!" Minho demanded, pulling the redhead to his feet forcefully.

Chan and Jisung both pushed Seungmin lightly towards the hallway, and as they watched him walk down the hall toward his and Jeongin's shared room, the three of them felt a sense of accomplishment. Woojin and Hyunjin exited the room moments after Seungmin entered, and they too joined the other three in the living room. Coming to stand in between Chan and Minho, Woojin rested his arms on either of the boy's shoulders. The blond smiled brightly as he said his next words.

"I think they're gonna be okay."

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Under a mountain of blankets, Felix was shivering uncontrollably. Seungmin had stated that it was just a reaction to using his power so forcefully. He explained that because Felix's power used up lots of his own body heat, it would take time for him to regain his normal temperature. That left the Australian bundled up in his bed with constant goosebumps all over his body. Changbin, who had just returned to their room after his daily training, was shocked to see his own blankets had been ripped off his bed in order to give the younger boy more warmth.

"Changbin," Felix's weak voice called out to him as he closed the bedroom door behind him.

"Yeah?" The raven haired boy inquired, getting closer to Felix's bed in order to make out his muffled words better.

"What happened on the mission?"

Felix had forgotten almost every detail about the endeavor, and the ones that still lingered were fuzzy. He also didn't know whether some of them were real or if he'd simply dreamed them up while he was sleeping.

"What's the last thing you can remember?" Changbin asked, needing a general idea of where to start the recollection of their mission from earlier that morning.

"I remember you explaining that we were in Crimson Vector's main headquarters. But, after that, things get pretty fuzzy," Felix replied.

"Do you remember the power they have?" The older boy asked.

"They use their own blood as a weapon, right?" The younger boy replied questioningly.

If that's not the real power and I just made that up while sleeping, I'm going to look like a massive moron, Felix thought to himself nervously as he replied.

"Yeah," Changbin confirmed, much to the brunette's relief.

"After we left the room, we split up for a few minutes," the raven haired boy began.

Well that was probably a stupid decision, Felix thought, curling into himself more in order to become warmer.

"Our timing was just about perfect. We got lucky in that retrospect. I got all the information needed about Blair, the newest member of Crimson Vector, within the first five seconds of standing in front of the meeting room door. You were also able to spot her in the training arena," Changbin went on.

Good, Felix mentally breathed a sigh of relief, I did do something to help.

"But, on our way back to the room to call in Red to come get us, we got caught. I...Would have died if it hadn't been for you, Felix. So, thank you for saving me," the older boy said.

Felix was a bit shocked. He was a timid person, so it wasn't like he was normally the type to be a hero. However, Changbin had just said that he'd saved his life...

"Can I ask you a question?" The raven haired boy asked, fiddling with his thumbs.

"Sure," the Australian replied nonchalantly.

"Why did you risk your life to save me?"

That question had been eating away at Changbin since the event took place. The older boy just couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Felix had risked his life, a life that Changbin had become so very fond of, in order to save his. The older boy hadn't ever really loved himself. He'd never found value in himself, either. But, Changbin valued Felix's life. He knew that the younger boy would go on to do great things, he was sure of it, and that was far much more than he'd ever be able to say for himself. In his own eyes, Changbin was a waste of space. There was no particular reason for his existence. He was born to be a lost soul, yearning for a home he wasn't sure he'd ever find, and feeling homesick for a place that he'd never even been to. And that was a daily train of thought. There was no looking in the mirror and feeling even the slightest bit of contentment with the person he saw staring back at him. He felt deformed, monstrous, disgusting, and, most of all, he felt inhuman. So he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Felix, someone with such a bright future and an existence that truly meant something, had risked that life to save the life of Changbin, who felt like nothing more than a waste of it.

"I don't remember saving you," Felix began lightly.

"But, I know that if I was put in that situation again; I'd do the same exact thing. I did it because you're my partner, and I really hope that, if the roles were reversed, you'd do the same for me. A-And also because I think you've got a lot more living to do," the younger answered, and the reply left Changbin virtually speechless.

For a boy like Felix to say that to someone like Changbin...It made the older boy's head spin and it made his heart do somersaults in his chest. To Changbin, Felix was the human embodiment of a wondrous galaxy that nobody would ever be able to fully comprehend. The stars lodged in the Australian's eyes were enough to keep Changbin staring for hours on end. And he didn't quite understand that either, considering the fact that he'd never really been one for astrology. And, even so, Changbin was infatuated with the universe implanted in the younger boy's mind. He didn't see how it would be possible for him to not want to connect the stars and form beautiful constellations from the scatter brained thoughts of the brunette. In the older boy's mind, the blood running through every vein in Felix's body was injected with stardust, lacing every drop of it with wonder. So, how could Changbin look at the galaxy before him and not feel insignificant? It simply wasn't possible.

"Will you lay with me, Changbin?" Felix asked lightly, breaking the silence from inside his mound of blankets.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, it's just that...I'm freezing, and...Body heat, y'know?"

The older boy was stunned by the younger. Felix nervously awaited the raven haired boy's answer. It wasn't anywhere near as simple as Felix was making it out to be. It wasn't just that he was cold and wanted to feel Changbin's body heat in order to warm himself up. No, it was that Felix wanted to make sure that the older boy was okay after whatever ordeal that had taken place. Coming out from under his blankets would be like a mortal sin in that time and place, so the only other option was for Changbin to lay with the younger boy.

"...Just for a little while," the shorter boy murmured, not really being one to enjoy physical contact.

Changbin slipped under Felix's mountain of about five or six blankets, immediately feeling the overwhelming heat. And yet, as hot as it was underneath all the blankets, Felix was still shivering. When the older boy found a place to lay that was comfortable, the younger moved closer, intertwining their legs.

You feel ice cold, Changbin realized. It's not right. You of all people are never supposed to feel this way.

"I hope you don't mind," Felix mumbled softly, bringing his head down to rest on the chest of the older boy.

"I don't mind," Changbin answered, and as he spoke Felix could feel the vibrations in the raven haired boy's chest.

Felix closed his eyes, but not because he was tired. He closed his eyes because he could better focus on the steady rhythm of Changbin's heartbeat when he lost touch with all his other senses. The Australian decided to be brave that evening, and he grasped ahold of Changbin's hand. The older boy said nothing about it as the younger brought his hand upward. Felix placed Changbin's hand upon his own chest, letting it rest in the same place his head had been just moments prior.

"What do you feel?" Felix asked quietly.

Though he was confused, Changbin answered anyway.

"My heartbeat," he replied.

"That's called purpose, Changbin. As long as you can put your hand there and feel that beating, you're alive, and there's a reason for you to be here. So please, stop questioning your own worth and learn to love yourself."

Love...Myself? Changbin questioned. But, if nobody else loves me, then why should I?

Changbin didn't know what to say or how to react. Though it was dark under the blankets, he could feel Felix's intense gaze and he knew that the younger boy was being serious.

"I can't do that," the raven haired boy whispered, and the brunette noted the soft crack in his voice.

"I'll help you," Felix mumbled, nuzzling his face into the crook of Changbin's neck.

The older boy could feel just how cold the younger truly was. He could feel Felix's body shaking slightly, and his frigid skin sent a chill down Changbin's spine. The raven haired boy turned onto his side, snaking his arms around the Australian's body, pulling him close. Felix was surprised by the suddenness, but he welcomed the warmth of the older boy, as well as Changbin's touch. The younger boy's fingers clenched tightly around the fabric of the older's shirt, and his face became buried in his chest. Even if Felix said something, which he didn't, the words would have been muffled and completely unclear anyway. But, that didn't really matter, because Felix's actions conveyed everything that he was too afraid to say. And, just like that, with a simple action, Felix could feel his veins ignite with flames that were always lurking inside of him on the rare occasions that Changbin's skin came into contact with his own.

The reasons behind the older boy's actions were half unknown. He tried to brush the majority of the other thoughts away. He was holding Felix because he needed Felix to get better; not because he wanted to have the younger boy in his arms. It wasn't intimate; it was like a buisness transaction.

Yeah, Changbin reminded himself, this is to help him get better. Its got nothing to do with me personally. Nothing. We're in this position because he's cold...And he told me a while ago that he doesn't fancy cold weather.

Closing his eyes, Felix let Changbin's scent fill all his senses. He let his skin tingle on the places where the older boy's hands rested around his waist. He let his heart pound away rapidly, just hoping that Changbin wouldn't be able to feel it. But he could. And the raven haired boy took notice of it, too.

His heart beats fast when we're close, too? Changbin pondered, letting his chin rest on the crown of Felix's head.

Felix didn't understand why the older boy was suddenly being so kind. As cold and aloof as he often was, there was no signs of that in those moments as they laid together underneath five blankets, only able to hear the sounds of soft breathing and the faint pitter-patter of racing heartbeats. Changbin didn't really know why he was doing what he was doing either. It was like his body was acting all on its own...But, truth be told, his heart, mind, body, and soul were all in agreement. He just couldn't quite recognize that yet. He didn't understand the feeling of being okay, or the feeling of being at peace with himself...And he certainly didn't understand the feeling of being happy. And yet, despite that, the both of them were content in their confusion.

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