"It was a natural reaction!" Jimin laughed from where he was sitting across the room on his bed. "You were sitting on my lap causing friction. It's not exactly my fault."

I pointedly ignored him and focused on pretending to do math homework.

The moment I'd felt Jimin junior underneath me I'd scrambled off, my entire body burning up at the sensation. The consequences of my actions hadn't fully occurred to me. I'd naively anticipated to fluster him. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten hormonal factors.

Now I was sitting on the floor at the base of the bed, notebook in hand and laptop right in front of me, scrawling random numbers on the paper in hopes that Jimin would leave me alone so I could collect myself. Maybe release a squeal or two in my pillows. My inner thighs could still feel the phantom hardness between them. I'd accidentally-not-so-accidentally turned on my crush.

"Aw come on partner." Jimin leaned forward earnestly. "It's like your natural reaction when you first saw me was touch and lick me."

My head snapped up. "I was drunk! Also, I never found out what happened to me after I blacked out. Did you and your guys do something to me after I passed out?"

Genuine shock struck his face, wiping all tease off his face. "Of course not! What kind of person do you think I am?" He gaped. "We just delivered your shamelessly shnockered, but mercifully unconscious, self back to your doorstep."

I ignored the jab at my flagrant drunken state. "How did you even know where I lived?"

"We looked at your ID."

I hated how quickly that made sense. I was hoping I'd have an excuse to act more mad at him and release the pent up giddiness.

He cocked his head cutely to the side. "I did enjoy it though. Both at the club and just now. You should try turning me on like that more. Though we might want to clean up some of your techniques."

Welp. There was a good excuse to act more mad at him.

"Slobbering over your lips was a turn on for you?" I raised my brow in disbelief.

"Your confidence was a turn on."

"You're shameless."

"And you're blushing."

I glared back down at my laptop. He was just playing with my emotions now. Teasing me as he normally did. I wondered what he would do if he ever realized that I actually did have some feelings for him.

I pursed my lips. Of all the people I could possibly fall for...

"Have you done it before?"

I glanced up when his tone shifted from sultry mischief to genuine curiosity. "Have I done what before?"

He winked and gestured south.

"No I have not straddled an Outworlder on a couch and turned him on before," I said flatly.

He rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

Why do you want to know? I wanted to yell at him. Instead I just lifted my shoulders, shrugging. "I've had a few relationships in the past. Some more serious than others."

"Are you still in contact with your exes?" A strange sharp gleam entered his gaze. "I mean, like, are you friends or close with some of them still?"

"Not really." I blinked, mildly confused at the earnestness in his voice.

"Have you ever dated an Outworlder?"

I frowned, giving up on my math homework and looking at him. I'd already procrastinated on the assignments for a week. Another day wasn't going to hurt. "No."

"Would you be fine dating an Outworlder?"

Play cool and flippant? Or be honest? Why is he even asking me this? Does he suspect something? I kind of want him to know that I like him. No. No I don't want him to know that I like him. It's too soon. Crap crap crap. He's staring at me now. Answer Jiyeon dammit!

"I wouldn't mind dating an Outworlder," I replied.

What the hell kind of answer was that Jiyeon, you numbskull?! I wouldn't 'mind'? You couldn't have phrased it just a teeny bit better could you?

"Why do you ask?" I shifted nervously.

Jimin leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "Because I was wondering if—"

A loud pounding downstairs shattered through his words.

We both leapt to our feet. It sounded like a battering ram was beating down our door. I leapt for my phone, prepared to call the police when a deep roar resounded outside.

"PARK JIMIN! SIR, WE HAVE A SITUATION."

Did person just call Jimin... 'sir'?

All the color drained from Jimin's face at the cry and he abruptly morphed into the bird and shot out of the room so fast I felt a breeze. One minute he was there, the next gone.

I rushed out of the bedroom myself, still clutching the phone, in case I needed to call someone at a moment's notice. By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs Jimin was already back in two-leg form with the door flung open.

I froze as several people entered the Sharehouse, all of them carrying a body between them. A very still body. A very still and very bloody body.

"Jiyeon!" I flinched at Jimin's sharp bark. I'd never heard that tone in his voice. He sounded like a commander. "Get a bowl of warm water and towels. Quick!"

I didn't even stop to question. I rushed to the kitchen as the newcomers all hefted the body in their arms and eased it onto the counter.

"Someone explain what the hell happened." That was Jimin's voice, still sharp and filled with an authority I'd never heard before.

"A group of humans broke into his house. We found him this morning." Someone with vibrant black Marks answered. "They did this to Hoseok."

"Why didn't you take him to the hospital?" Jimin demanded, voice hard and unyielding.

The water in the bowl seemed to be filling up too slowly and I risked a look over at the group of people in the house. There looked to be about five of them, not counting Jimin or the man on the counter. They were all Outworlders, their Marks blazing in midst of the situation.

I caught a glimpse of the body on the counter and bit back a cry. The body was covered in some sort of yellowish substance. That along with blood. It was a horrendous sight.

"We tried! But the hospital wouldn't accept him after the bomb from the business building. The humans don't trust us anymore."

I swallowed hard. It was the first time I'd seen so many Outworlders so angry and spitting about humans. It almost made me want to shrivel up and disappear.

"What even is this substance?"

The water was finally filled and I turned to see Jimin gingerly leaning over the body.

Several of the Outworlders glanced over at my approach and a mistrustful silence fell. I didn't miss some of the hostile looks thrown my way.

Jimin also followed their gazes. "It's alright," he told them. "We can trust her." When the silence drew on Jimin set his jaw. "That's an order. I want to know what happened to Hoseok."

An order...? Was he actually some kind of commander? This cockroach pranking, flirtatious teasing boy an authoritative figure?

"We don't know yet." An Outworlder with lovely cerise Markings finally replied quietly. "But whatever it is, it's counteracting the regenerative healing factors. Even worse, it's preventing him from morphing."

I silently swore. Jimin had said morphing was essential for Outworlder bodies to survive the stress of Earth's gravity. If he couldn't morph...

The next man's words sent ice flooding down my veins.

"I believe the humans have finally found a weapon that can properly eliminate us."

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