AN: Before I finish this, I'd just like to say THANK YOU so so sosososo much to everyone who's stuck with me these past 2 months! My little fix-it fic which was supposed to be only about 60k words at the max has become a total monster, but I'd never trade this experience for anything! This chapter was supposed to be up much sooner, but I accidentally deleted half of it and got stuck trying to rewrite everything :C Thankfully, that's over and done with! So without further ado, here's the last chapter of Breaking the Cycle!

❤︎ Day 18 - 12:01 AM ❤︎

POV: Saeran Mode

Truthfully, he didn't know what to expect the moment he opened the door to his and Zai's room. Maybe she would be asleep, maybe she would be crying again, he was going in blind, essentially. Turns out, she was neither of those things. Once he'd closed the door behind him, he'd realized that she was awake, staring at the ceiling with a neutral expression on her face. Moving slowly, he settled himself on top of the covers and relaxed against her side, letting one of his arms rest across her waist while the other curled around her head so he could gently stroke her hair.

"...It's late. You should be sleeping." She made a noncommittal noise and rolled over to face him.

"I could say the same to you. Besides, I have too much to think about..."

"Like what?"

"Like how I completely ruined everything earlier by losing it and then collapsing in your arms like a child." She squeezed her eyes shut and Saeran lightly knocked his forehead against hers.

"Stop beating yourself up about it. I should've helped you. This isn't some sort of punishment that you can just take upon yourself you know."

"I do..." She sighed and extracted her arms from beneath the covers so she could wrap them around his torso. "That doesn't mean I don't feel bad about it. I keep messing everything up."

"Zai...How many times do I have to tell you it isn't all your fault?" He pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth and pulled her in closer. "You told them the truth. That's what matters. Nothing is ruined because of you."

"I'm sorry. I just feel terrible for some reason. I don't want to be this way but I don't know how to stop..." She sounded close to crying again and Saeran wrapped himself around her as though she could shelter the girl in his arms from the outside world.

"For once, don't worry about us." He hummed into his next kiss and her sigh of contentment spurred him on. "You've been doing that for so long already. It's our turn to look after you now. So just take it easy these next few days without having to try and play mediator."

"If you say so, Saeran." She snuggled further into his arms and relaxed.

"I hope that one day, you'll realize what you truly mean to everyone." Shifting so he could pull up the blankets around them both, he kissed her once more before settling down to sleep.

❤︎ Day 18 - 06:00 AM ❤︎

POV: 707 Mode

"What on earth is going on over there?" Seven was anxiously reading and listening to the several messages that Yoosung had sent to him over the day. He'd been quite preoccupied as it was, so he hadn't gotten the chance to send his cutie a reply. Now he was getting worried as the intensity of each message seemed to increase exponentially the further down the list he went.

/ Yoosung : Hi Luciel! I know you're probably busy but I just wanted you to know that V is going in for his eye surgery today! /

/ Yoosung : Maybe if you get a chance to read this you could wish him good luck? /

Then some somewhat bad news.

/ Yoosung : So, uh, Jumin has been talking with the doctors for a while now... /

/ Yoosung : Apparently, they can't fix V's eyes all the way. /

/ Yoosung : But! They can make it so he can see properly with prescription glasses! /

/ Yoosung : It's not a complete solution, but it's better than being totally blind, right? /

The next message was by voicemail.

"Hey, Saeyoung? Is everything going okay for you? You haven't sent me anything all day and I'm starting to get worried. I hope nothing bad came up. I really hoped you'd be back by tonight, but it looks like that isn't going to happen. I'm trying not to be too worried because I know you're capable of looking after yourself, but Jaehee and Zen are with you too, they might get distracting. V is out of surgery now, though! The doctors expect him to be out of recovery as early as tomorrow! Isn't that great? Anyways, I'm a little hungry so I'm going to get something to eat. Stay safe! I love you!"

Then another.

"Uhh, hi! Did you guys find Zai yet? It's okay if you haven't, but Jumin is starting to get a little worried. Also, the hospital staff said we can't stay overnight so we've got to go back to Jumin's place in the meantime." There was a pause. "Please be okay."

And finally...

"Saeyoung!" Yoosung's panicked voice almost made him leap into a standing position. "I don't know if you've been getting my messages, but something happened at the hospital and Jumin left without me and I don't know what to do!" There were several seconds filled with only sharp breathing, and Seven's chest ached with the realization that he hadn't been there to comfort his boyfriend in his time of need.

"I'm not saying you should leave without Zai but... I- we need you, Luciel. So come home soon!" The message ended with a beep and Seven let his hand drop to his lap as he stared at the time blinking mockingly at him on the screen.

As soon as everyone was awake, they were going to need another talk.

❤︎ Day 18 - 09:15 AM ❤︎

Zai wasn't planning on waking up so early, but Saeran had pulled her out of bed and helped her get ready for a day with a whirlwind of movements that left her stunned and disoriented all the way to the kitchen. Her mind was still catching up with her body as she handed him ingredients with methodic movements that made her look more like a robot than a young woman. Saeran, with an uncharacteristic amount of patience, tolerated her slowness while carefully mixing everything together.

She was so out of it that she doesn't even notice Zen sliding into the kitchen until his arms were around her waist, prompting her to jump with a squeak. If it weren't for his well-trained reaction time, she would've hit him right in the nose. At her other side, Saeran, the double crosser, was laughing under his breath as he poured pancake batter and fruit into a heated pan. Spinning around in Zen's grasp, she set her hands against his midsection, pressing lightly.

"Zen! I could've damaged your precious face!" Saeran was nearly doubled over the stove with giggles and Zen's hands retreated from her middle so he could cough into his palm.

"N-no worries, Zai." Both men were only a little ways off from outright laughing and she didn't know whether she should be upset or laughing with them. "It'd take a lot more than a tiny headbutt to damage this perfection." She could see the tip of Saeran's tongue sticking out, his face pinched almost imperceptibly into a mocking expression.

"I don't know... I'm a lot stronger than I look." After all, she hadn't thought that both she and Saeran would be able to carry him, Seven, and Jaehee to her living room on their own, but they'd managed it in the end. That had to count for something, right? Zen gave her a fond look, causing her face to instantly light up.

"Of course, you're very strong in several ways." His expression took on an apologetic appearance as he suddenly pulled her up against him. "Zai...I hope you can forgive me and Jaehee for last night." She stiffened in his grip, and out of the corner of her eye, she can see Saeran taking glances at the two of them as while he cooks.

"What do you mean? I'm the one who freaked out and rui-" A soft squeeze caused her to still as he nuzzles her hair.

"Shhh..." The room was filled with the sounds of flipping pancakes and the scrape of a spatula against a pan while Zai takes shallow breaths. Zen's hands were resting against the small of her back and she couldn't help but tremble involuntarily. "We pushed you too hard. You were already upset and we just made things worse. I'm sorry that you had to experience that." He spoke in a way that was careful and planned. He'd most likely been holding the script for these words in his head all morning.

"Zen it's okay, really." She tried to pull away and thankfully, he let her go, moving to stand just next to her. "I needed that. I probably wouldn't have gotten everything out if you hadn't tried." There was a buzzing in the back of her mind that she was trying to ignore, focusing on the sound of Saeran cooking in order to block it out.

"That might be true, but you were hurt anyway. I don't want anything like that to happen again." He was treating her more gently than he ever had before and it was taking a lot out of her not to reciprocate. "Next time, you have to tell us when you're feeling stressed so we can help you. There's no reason for you to try and force yourself to carry all our troubles on your shoulders. It's much easier when we all share the weight together, yeah?" She made a light sniffle before burying her face in his chest, his arms tightening around her.

"Okay...okay." Something in her chest fluttered at his words. "Thank you, Hyun."

"It's nothing, my darling!" Her cheeks immediately flushed with color as she withdrew, Saeran making a noise of amusement while grabbing the bowls of fruit she'd prepared earlier. Zen shot him a look before grinning mischievously. "Hey, you're not off the hook either!" Suddenly, Zen was speeding across the room and Saeran all but threw everything he was holding back onto the counter before he was swept up into a bridal carry by the taller man. Zai snorted at how easily he accepted his new position in Zen's arms, an expression of both excitement and apprehension on his face.

"Don't think I've forgotten what we talked about last night!" Saeran looked even more nervous then, squirming to try and free himself. "You've gotta tell Seven sooner rather than later. It's been...what? Ten years? When he heard the news from V about you vanishing into thin air he nearly tore my head off with a wrench!"

"That isn't my problem! If you're so bothered by it then you can tell him yourself." Zen set the struggling man down and watched him reluctantly return to his place next to the stove to continue his cooking.

"Oh, Saeran, you told Zen about-?" Taking a seat at the table, Zai snuck a few pieces of fruit from the bowls he'd left behind.

"Yeah, I figured it wouldn't hurt. But, we haven't exactly been getting along... He might not even want me after he realizes what kind of person I grew up to be." Frowning, she was about to refute his statement when Zen jumped back into the conversation.

"I don't know. When I talked to him the other day he was beating himself up about not being there for you. He was pretty convinced that you'd hate him. The two of you just need to talk it out." Then he stepped over to place a comforting hand on Saeran's shoulder. Zai jolted a bit at the sight. She wasn't feeling any jealousy, but the emotions rolling around in her chest were reminiscent of the night she'd spent with Zen and Jaehee on the rooftop. Popping a blueberry into her mouth, she could already see the beginnings of something forming between the two men in front of her. It was... exciting.

❤︎ Day 18 - 10:22 AM ❤︎

POV: Jaehee Mode

Standing in front of the kitchen door, Jaehee didn't quite know what to do. She'd woken up to an empty bed and had taken her time getting dressed while thinking over the previous day's events. She'd be lying if she said that the thought of Zai replacing her and Zen hadn't been plaguing her mind ever since she was introduced to the strange hacker that had been sharing the house with her (Current? Former?) girlfriend for over a week. Although she was making leaps and bounds to recover the self-confidence she'd lost under Jumin's employ, she couldn't deny the fact that her anxieties continued to hound her relentlessly in the face of uncertainties regarding her relationship with Zai.

Did the young woman still want them? Or had she found someone- dare she even think it -better than Jaehee? That was what she was afraid of finding out. So here she was, frozen with apprehension, her hand halfway to the door handle. They hadn't spoken about their relationship since their reunion, but now Jaehee almost didn't want to bring the subject up out of fear for the worst. Zen seemed more or less unbothered by the presence of someone else with a possibly romantic connection with Zai, but she figured that had more to do with his own attraction to the red-headed stranger.

While opening the door, Jaehee thought about how she couldn't swim, when yesterday, Zen said that Zai's love was like an ocean. Upon seeing Zai's eyes brighten the moment she noticed Jaehee stepping into the room, all she could think about was that she would willingly dive into said ocean for the woman who had helped her so much in so little time. After all, there was a sea of love within her own heart that she would spill again and again if it would keep Zai by her side.

❤︎ Day 18 - 10:56 AM ❤︎

POV: ZEN Mode

Zen was having the best morning of his life. After his short talk with Zai and Saeran, all three of them started to work on preparing breakfast together. There was now a small mountain of assorted fruit pancakes on the table in front of them, surrounded by a swarm of various toppings. The moment Jaehee walked in the door, Zai had beamed before running over to the other woman and embracing her. Jaehee had looked so overjoyed in that moment that Zen was worried she'd start crying. He'd had enough crying to last him several weeks, thank you.

"I'm starting to think we made too many..." Saeran sounded tired, which was fair considering they had been making pancakes for over an hour. "How are we supposed to eat them all?" Almost as if he was summoned by magic, Seven practically slid through the door, narrowly avoiding a collision with the wall.

"With my amazing skills in eating honey buddha chips, I shall conquer the pancake everest!" His eyes had a dangerous gleam in them, and there was a fork and knife in his hands- just where did he get those!?

"Hold on- wait!" Zen nearly tackled him, but Zai and Jaehee held him back.

"Let him go, you know we can't finish those on our own." Zai handed him a plate and his own set of cutlery. "We can appreciate all this hard work together, okay?" He nodded slowly before looking back at the table. Seven and Saeran were already seated across from each other. While Seven had a tiny hill made out of whipped cream covering his pancakes, Saeran had somehow pulled out an entire container of ice cream out of the freezer and was now piling on his fifth scoop before Zai virtually dove over the table to grab the spoon out of his hands.

"Haha...that's enough ice cream for breakfast." The dark redhead frowned slightly but conceded defeat anyway. He'd already gotten more than enough already. Zai, Jaehee, and Zen sat down and retrieved their food at a much more leisurely pace than the other two occupants of the room. While eating, Zen shot glances at Seven's face the whole time. He and Saeran even ate in similar ways. How Seven didn't notice any of it? He had no idea.

❤︎ Day 18 - 11:38 AM ❤︎

POV: 707 Mode

Why was it so hard to speak up when everyone was having such a great time? After the immense (and really, there were a lot of pancakes) breakfast, the group had taken to idle chatter. He'd even managed to avoid snapping at the rival hacker in the room. But, Yoosung's messages were concerning and he needed to address them sooner rather than later. Standing up from his seat, he tried not to worry too much about the outcome of the situation.

"So, uh, thanks for the food but, um..." All eyes were on him but the other hacker's stare pierced right through his outer armor and into his soul. It was unsettling. "I have to leave..." Then, everyone started talking at once.

Jaehee wanted more of an explanation on what he meant. Zen immediately started trying to convince him not to leave. Zai's eyes were trapped, flitting between himself and the other hacker, who looked like he was going to be sick. If he listened hard he could hear the other redhead muttering 'Not again, not again...' under his breath. Just what was happening today to make everything go so sideways?

"S-seven can you please give us a few more details?" Although Zai's eyes were now on him, she was practically wrapped around the quietly panicking man with his head tucked against her stomach and her hands gently stroking his back. Shooting her an apologetic expression, he went back to his announcement.

"Yoosung called me last night about something urgent that happened while V was at the hospital recovering from his eye surgery," There were gasps from Zen and Jaehee, yet Zai and her companion were strangely silent. "He asked me to come back because Jumin left him without saying anything. I'm pretty worried about them all, considering I haven't gotten any more texts or calls from Yoosung, or Jumin for that matter. That's why I think it's best I leave while you four sort out," He made a vague gesture at all of them. "Whatever this is that you're dealing with..." Everyone looked uncomfortable, but he was the master of hacking, not the master of tactful deliveries. Seven almost yelped when the man who had practically been curled into a ball suddenly stood and kicked over his chair. Seven tuned out Zai's cry of surprise as hands gripped the front of his jacket, pulling him forward.

"You can't leave! You don't-!" Gold collided with gold and Seven felt a shiver travel through his whole body. Just who was this person?

"Okay, okay! Why don't we all calm down now!?" Zai's voice was considerably more strained than it was a minute ago. Seven was unceremoniously released as the other hacker staggered back into her arms. Both of them seemed rattled. There was more to this situation than they were letting on.

"Seven? Sae- um," She cut herself off before gesturing to the redhead in front of her. "He has...something he'd like to say to you." The sting of irritation burned in his mind.

"Look, whatever problem he has with me, I'll deal with it when I get back but right now I have to go-"

"But, Seven!" A strangled growl clawed itself free from his throat as his hands tugged at his hair.

"What could be so important that I have to put off going to help V and Yoosung!?" This whole situation was more stressful than any mission he'd ever been sent on, but he attributed that to the emotional ties he shared with the people who currently needed his help. He was stretching himself too thinly, it felt like he was going to snap hard.

"Listen, Seven-" Zai was once more interrupted when a hand slammed into the table, rattling the used dining ware and forcing Seven to look into the eyes of the man in front of him. The eyes that reminded him so much of...

"Whatever. It doesn't matter anymore. Go do what you do best and run back to safety like a coward." He stalked towards the kitchen door unimpeded, with even Jaehee and Zen wisely staying outside of the conflict. Once the door was open, he stood in the entrance for a mere second. "You always were the dumber twin, Saeyoung." The door slammed shut with a flash of gold and red and then the world was tilting.

"Hey! No no no, Seven!" He felt arms around his chest but his mind was full of static because there was no way, he was gone, he was gone but he was right there and the signs were in front of him this whole time how had he missed them? How had he not noticed? How how howhowhow?

Suddenly he was on the floor and everyone was kneeling in front of him, concern painted across their faces.

"Dude...are you alright?"

"Luciel, if there's anything we can do to help?" Seven shuddered and turned away.

"N-no. Someone... Zai, please." The pitying look she gave him hurt, but not as much as the revelation from a few moments ago had.

"So you knew..." His vision was tunneling but there was nothing he could do as the realization set in. His brother was alive. His brother had been living here for a week and they were in the same house together and Saeran hated him. "You knew this whole time." Was it just him or was the whole room shaking?

"I'm sorry, Seven. It wasn't my place to tell you." His breath caught in his throat. "Give him another chance. Yesterday he was terrified of how you'd react once he told you. I think you talking about leaving brought back some...unhappy memories." Well, that would explain some things.

"Okay...I- I can fix this. I just need to-" Pushing himself up, Zen and Zai helped him to his feet. "Thanks. Any idea where he might have run off to?" Zai's face immediately lit up with recognition before changing to apprehension.

"Uh, yes. But you probably won't like it."

A dog kennel.

A useless structure meant to house beings that weren't cats! It was a true waste of potential. But Zai had said that this would be the place to find his brother, so he'd take her advice. True to her words, when he'd entered the small, secluded building, Saeran was sitting in a corner, a mass of black curls lying across his lap. Although he hadn't heard him enter, the dog certainly did. It leaped towards him with a speed that he definitely wasn't expecting and before he knew it, he was on the ground, trapped beneath a hundred pounds of fur and muscle. There was a soft laugh from the other side of the room and even though his chest was being crushed, the sound was enough to make him feel light.

"Jamming...get down. You might be smarter than him but that doesn't mean I can let him suffocate." The weight off his chest vanished and Seven managed to push himself back up into a sitting position, grinning as though he hadn't been pinned by a large dog just seconds ago.

"Whew, thanks bro!"

"Don't call me that." He beckoned for the dog, which returned to its spot beside Saeran almost instantly. "Why won't you just leave already? Isn't that what you're best at?" A twinge of regret thrummed in his chest and he all but crawled over to Saeran's side, ignoring the large canine resting his head atop his brother's legs.

"Saeran...C-come on...I just figured it out. You're right. I'm an idiot." He was trying to keep his voice steady but the stress was already catching up to him. "All the signs were right in front of me, but I didn't want to see them." Frowning, he looked down at his hands.

"I kind of understand Zai's reasoning better, now. Why she didn't want us to forgive her for her actions. I mean, I didn't want you to forgive me for mine either before Zen convinced me there were better ways to make it up to you." Sitting up, he forced himself to brighten if only for a second. "But you're here now, and we're both free! Isn't- isn't that the dream you wanted to achieve when we were younger?" There was a sniffle from his left and he realized his brother's eyes were swimming with tears.

"Yes, but I wanted to achieve it with you... Then you left me. And now you're going to leave again." Head dropping, Saeran hid his face from sight and Seven was at a loss with what to do. "I wish you would've just kept away from me. You ruined everything." Scooting closer, he tentatively wrapped an arm around Saeran's shoulders, nearly collapsing with relief when it was allowed to stay.

"You don't mean that! I never wanted to leave you, but it was the only option I had to try and get you out of there. I thought V and Rika-" A hand was slapped over his mouth.

"Don't! Don't say her name. That woman..." He felt the faint trembling coming from his brother and pressed their sides together closer in an attempt to comfort him. "She did things to me. My memories...they're still not what they used to be. Zai started crying when she realized they were using drugs to manipulate me." Seven felt like he was going to be sick. He'd heard some of the details last night through Zai's confession, as well as during V's explanation about Rika, but now that he realized just what had happened to his own brother.

"Saeran...Saeran I'm so sorry you had to go through that. You shouldn't have had to. They promised me you were going to go someplace safe-!" His other hand pulled at his scalp roughly, fingernails digging into his own skin. "We should've run away together or- or something! Anything that would've kept you from-!" Once again his words were being smothered, but with two hands this time.

"Stop it. Stop. You're rambling." Leaning back, Seven tried to return his breathing to normal as he watched Saeran pet the dog while staring absently at the wall. "We were just kids and children hardly ever have the greatest plans. So, stop beating yourself up about it. What's done is done. All we can do is forgive ourselves and move on."

Watching his brother closely, he wondered.

"Does that mean you've forgiven yourself?" Saeran stilled.

"No...but, with her help, I'm learning how." There was no confusion on who he was talking about, but there was still the main reason why he came here in the first place.

"Look, Saeran..."

"Hm?"

"I- I want you to come with me when I go back." He got a wide-eyed stare in response.

"What?"

"I mean I want you to come home-"

"No, no, I get that part. I just don't understand why." Seven nearly jumped up from where he was sitting.

"Because you're my family! What other reason is there? Zai is coming too I bet. Zen and Jaehee aren't going to be just sitting in that kitchen with her and talking about the weather."

"I thought the RFA was your family." Seven withheld a groan of exasperation as he looked at his twin.

"Yes, but so are you. I just got you back and I don't want to leave you behind ever again. So come with me." He held out his hand and tried to focus so that he was only marginally shaking. "I know I can't make up for all our lost time as kids, but we can do our best to build a better future, together." Saeran stared out his outstretched arm for a moment before looking back at his face.

"On one condition."

"...Yes?"

"We get to keep Jamming." Said dog barked in response to hearing his name and Seven hoped he wasn't grimacing too badly.

"Fine." Arms wrapped around his torso and suddenly his face was full of dark red hair. Once the shock was gone, he returned the embrace ecstatically.

"Thank you, Saeyoung." His vision blurred with tears as he tightened his grip on the man in his arms.

"No, thank you Saeran, for giving me a second chance at forgiveness."

❤︎ Day 18 - 12:19 PM ❤︎

After Seven ran off to reconcile with Saeran, Zai was left sitting on her kitchen floor with Zen and Jaehee across from her. Something about the situation was giving her deja-vu.

"So, uh..." Looking over at the two people next to her, Zai tried not to shrink back from their gazes.

"Zai is that other man really-?" Ever thankful to Jaehee for breaking the atmosphere, she turned to answer her question.

"Saeran? Yeah, he's Seven's brother." Jaehee looked a little nauseous.

"That means yesterday when you spoke about him being used by that organization..." Placing her hand over her chest, Zai watched her rub her eyes lightly, Zen placing his arm around her in a comforting gesture.

"I'm sorry... I misjudged him terribly, and all this time you two were together, you were helping him weren't you?" Reflexively wrapping her own arms around herself, Zai nodded. This was the conversation she had been afraid of. However, it turned out that her fears were unfounded when both Zen and Jaehee moved forward to embrace her.

"Zai! Please forgive me for thinking badly of you!" Withdrawing slightly, Zai and Zen looked at Jaehee with confusion.

"What? I don't-" Then she was once more being enveloped in Jaehee's arms, the older woman hugging her close.

"I was so afraid! That you would leave us- leave me, because you found someone better. I'm sorry that I didn't trust you. I'll understand if you no longer wish to share that part of yourself with me." Zai half jumped and held onto Jaehee as well, tears budding in her eyes.

"No, no! I could never replace you or Zen, you know that! You're both so special to me." She moved back just so she could see warm caramel eyes, finally unobscured by the glasses Jumin had forced her to wear. "I don't want to ever think of a life without you in it. Jaehee, I love you!" The woman in her arms seized up and Zai tried not to panic. Had she been too forward? The buzzing in her mind started getting louder before she was jarred out of her thoughts by the sensation of a pair of lips crashing against her own.

Jaehee was kissing her.

Jaehee was kissing her on the lips of her own free will and this was the single greatest moment of her life-!

It was much too short in her opinion, but they both came away from the kiss dazed and flushed with a smile on their faces. From the side, there was a frustrated noise.

"Hey now, don't forget about me!" Eyes snapping to the albino actor next to her, Zai's cheeks burned. "You'll still share your heart with me, right Zai?" Although his tone was light, she could see the worry in his eyes at the thought of her not wanting him anymore.

"Of course! We're a team, aren't we?" She scooted a little closer to him and watched the anxiety fall away from his eyes to be replaced with anticipation. "I love you too, Zenny." The kiss she shared with Zen was softer than the one she had with Jaehee, which in itself was pretty unexpected. That didn't mean she didn't thoroughly enjoy it, though. A sharp squeal broke their concentration and the two parted with a sigh. Zai could see Jaehee watching them, her hands folded over her mouth.

"I'm sorry, please continue..." Sinking back down to the floor, Zai was overtaken by a fit of giggles, with Zen and Jaehee following soon after. Once their laughter had subsided, all three of them stood and started cleaning up.

"So, I forgot to ask earlier, but if you still want to be with us, then what'll happen with you and Saeran?" Zen brought up the question when he brought her the stack of plates they'd all used for the pancakes and Zai assumed a pensive expression while she thought about it. From what she could recall, Saeran didn't seem averse to the thought of sharing her, but it would still be better to talk to him about it sooner rather than later.

"I- ah, actually don't know, but I'll ask him when he's done talking with Seven." A sudden thought popped into her head and the cold chill of anxiety made itself known. "Are- are you and Jaehee sure about this? I can't help but feel selfish for asking you two to share me with another person." Moving to her side, Jaehee pressed an abrupt kiss to her cheek while handing her the used cutlery. If Zai's hands weren't covered in soap at the moment, she would have hidden behind them immediately.

"Zen had a very good explanation for it last night that I believe he should repeat to you someday, but yes, we're quite sure. In fact, we're happy that you've managed to find someone else who can make you happy, Zai. Even if your methods were somewhat...unorthodox." The last part was said teasingly and Zai couldn't help the warmth that spread throughout her body as she realized that her lovers (not ex-lovers!) had practically given their blessing for her relationship with Saeran.

Maybe, just maybe, things would work out between them after all.

❤︎ Day 18 - 01:47 PM ❤︎

POV: Saeran Mode

By the time Saeran returned to the kitchen with his brother in tow, the place had already been cleaned thoroughly. Zai was sitting with Zen and Jaehee, while all three of them were drinking coffee. Stepping past the threshold, Saeyoung was the first to announce their arrival.

"We're back! Everything is going to be just dandy from here on out!" Looking up from their conversation with a snort, Zen faced his brother.

"Dandy? Who says that anymore?" He sighed fondly before his expression changed to a grin. "Anyway, I'm glad you two worked it out. Jaehee made coffee if you want some. It's on the counter." Out of the corner of his eye, Saeran could see two more mugs on the counter and he felt a pang of affection somewhere in his chest. They'd remembered him, and the coffee mug was still warm when he picked it up. Climbing onto the seat next to Zai, he noticed her turn towards him with her arms spread open, an expectant look on her face. Setting his cup down, he let himself be drawn into a tight hug. However, It wasn't until he heard her emotional whisper in his ear that he understood why.

"I'm so happy for you two." She pulled away and wiped her eyes but let her hand move to hold his. Taking in her comforting presence, he let himself relax. When he took a sip of his coffee, he realized it was much sweeter than what Zai normally drank and gave her a questioning glance. Upon noticing his confusion, she turned back to him.

"You're wondering why it's so sweet?" He nodded. "Well, Jaehee made it for you! I told her that you like sweet things so she made that one special instead of copying mine like I usually do. I don't think I could handle all that sugar." Hearing her name, Jaehee glanced over to them and gave Saeran a comforting smile. Eyes flicking down to his cup, he took another drink and savored the taste. It was sweet, but somehow still tasted like coffee and not just sucrose and tar. Truly, being a barista was Jaehee's calling. Shooting her what he hoped was a grateful expression, he mumbled a quiet thanks before returning his focus to his mug.

It was a somewhat dangerous thought to have, but he could get used to this.

Once they were all finished with their drinks, they had to return to the matter at hand. Saeran and Zai could no longer stay at the estate, but Saeyoung had a hunch that the RFA had become compromised back home. His bunker was safe, but it wasn't practical to try and fit everyone there while they sorted out the situation. This left them few options.

"Look, look, there's an easy solution to this! Saeran can stay with me and-"

"No. No, I'm not staying with you. I just agreed to go back with you. I said nothing about actually staying in your house." His brother pouted.

"But Saeraaaaaaan!" He dragged out the last syllable and draped himself over the table dramatically. Saeran grimaced.

"Please stop. I'm staying with Zai, wherever she goes." He said that impulsively and almost immediately regretted it. He'd seen how she had been looking at Zen and Jaehee when they'd come into the kitchen. They had probably already re-solidified their relationship with each other, but he hadn't gotten the chance to ask her what that meant for him. Jarred out of his thoughts by the feeling of warmth against his palm, he glanced down to see Zai's fingers entwining with his. Managing a small smile, he met her gaze eagerly.

"Yeah, Seven. We've been together for a week, you can't just split us up now." Her tone was playful and light, but also serious. "Plus, I doubt you'll be able to focus with both Yoosung and Saeran in the same building with you. What if they don't get along?" Saeyoung made an exaggerated gasp of horror.

"M-my cutie and my brother not getting along!? What a scary image! I'm sure they'll be fine together, though." He made a thoughtful hum. "Zen's apartment is way too tiny to house four people for an indefinite amount of time, and Jaehee sold her place. Where would you all even stay?" Zen, who had been mostly focused on listening, jumped in.

"We can't stay at Jumin's either. Too much cat hair and snobbery." Jaehee laughed into her hand despite the seriousness of the situation. Internally, she probably agreed, having been subject to working for Jumin for two years.

"Yes, Mr. H- Jumin might have a lot of space, but the close quarters would be too much to bear, regardless." Eyes drifting over to Zai once more, Saeran noticed the pensive look on her face and gave her a nudge. She snapped out of her reverie and focused on him.

"Saeran...how many details did Mint Eye keep on people?" He blinked once at the question.

"Just basic information, age, appearance, close connections. Why?" A sly look passed over her, causing him to shiver.

"So, I don't suppose they'd have something like...my old house address?" Everyone else at the table stilled as they realized just what Zai was implying.

"I think I might have skimmed over it back when I was looking you up a potential subject for the plan, but otherwise, I never bothered saving it since you would have ended up either in the apartment or with me." It was a glaring flaw in their recruitment system that Saeran was glad to have missed.

"This is great! Zen, Jaehee, and Saeran can all stay with me. My house is big enough, and assuming my parents haven't randomly come back to the country and sold it or something, it should still be in the same condition as I left it." Zai was beaming and Saeran wanted her to keep that elated expression for as long as possible. Standing up from the table, Zen grinned and helped Jaehee to her feet as well.

"Then it's settled! We'll hide out with Zai while Yoosung stays with Seven again, and Jumin can do... whatever it is he does in his tall, shiny building all day."

"Sure! Just give me some time to pack and we can be on our way." Glancing at the clock, Saeran tugged on her hand slightly to get her attention. "Hm?"

"Let's eat lunch first, though. It's a long drive and we've still got a ton of food in the fridge."

"Okay, new plan. Seven and I will go pack everything into the cars while you guys cook all the perishables. Sound alright?" There was a round of nods and Zai's smile came back at full capacity. "Great! We'll be back in an hour or two!" Giving her and his brother a wave as they sped out of the kitchen, Saeran turned to the other two occupants of the room and tried not to shake beneath their combined gazes.

"So...do either of you know how to cook anything that isn't pancakes?"

❤︎ Day 18 - 03:26 PM ❤︎

After nearly an hour of work, Zai and Seven had gotten most of the essentials packed into their cars. They both agreed to keep the car arrangements the same for returning as they had been when arriving, Jaehee and Zen with Seven, while Zai stayed with Saeran (and, by extension, Jamming). Once everything was put away, they sat down on the porch with dual sighs. Glancing over to the man at her side, Zai gave him a slight nudge.

"It's good to see you and Saeran finally getting along. I was almost afraid that you two would never make up." Seven exhaled sharply before a genuine smile crept onto his face.

"Yeah, me too. I just can't believe he's actually here." His eyes snapped back towards her. "How- how long did you-?"

"Only about a day or so. He talked about you, but I didn't know it was you we was mentioning specifically." The two of them sat in silence for a few moments.

"You know, I really should be thanking you."

"For what?"

"For saving my brother, for helping the RFA even though you've only been with us for a short amount of time..." Zai scoffed lightly before giving him a derisive look.

"Cut the act, Luciel. You and I both know it's been much longer than everyone else realizes." She could see him straightening out of the corner of her eye and knew her words hit their mark.

"So...you remember too."

"Sometimes. My memories aren't perfect." Leaning forward on the railing, she let out an exhausted breath. "It's a good thing I can't do that anymore."

"...The resets?" Seven seemed more confused than angry so she took that as a sign to continue.

"Yeah. They used to happen every eleven days or whenever I messed up." She looked down at her hands and tried not to fall back into despair. "I think they stopped when I threw my old phone away." The memory was still a good one. The feeling of the cursed device leaving her fingers and the satisfying sizzle pop of it short circuiting were forever ingrained in her mind.

"In that case...we don't have to worry about dealing with this ever again?" Seven's words were guarded. She knew that he had noticed that she had something to do with the resets a while ago, but this was the only time they'd actually spoken about it directly.

"No, never. I never asked for that kind of power. I'm happy it's gone."

"Well, I guess that means I just have another thing to thank you for. I can't think of many people who would be willing to put up with me for as long as you have." She groaned at his teasing tone.

"Seven..." Although the subject was serious, his smile was infectious.

"Come on, let's go see what everyone else is up to." He was already halfway to the door by the time she was just getting up.

"Right behind you, as always."

"Just because Saeran and I are twins doesn't mean you can ogle my butt too. I have a boyfriend you know." Zai was glad she wasn't holding anything at the moment because she would have thrown it at his face.

"S-shut up!"

❤︎ Day 18 - 03:38 PM ❤︎

POV: Jaehee Mode

It was only her second time being in close quarters with Saeran without Zai nearby, but for some reason, she wasn't having as hard a time being near him as before. Maybe it was because she had just reaffirmed her place in Zai's heart, but the look of unease on his face reminded her of herself just a few moments ago. Zai hadn't gotten the chance to speak to him before she disappeared with Seven to pack, so he most likely didn't have any idea on their feelings towards the situation. Quickly looking over to where Zen was standing in order to make sure he was still preoccupied with cutting vegetables, Jaehee stepped closer to Saeran while continuing her task of whisking the bowl of eggs in her arms.

"Hello..." She didn't know why she was so nervous now. But thinking back, she wasn't even certain if they had previously interacted with each other on their own. Regardless, Saeran only barely looked at her, nodding sharply in response before returning his focus to his task of frying rice.

"...Hi... " He gave her a pensive look. "Is there...something I can help you with?" His question caught her off guard and she nearly dropped the bowl, only managing to just catch it. When she looked up again, Saeran was staring wide-eyed at her. "Are you okay?" Setting the bowl down before she risked dropping it again, Jaehee tried not to come off as too sheepish while she straightened herself out.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you." Sighing, she placed her hands on the countertop as well. "I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this." Turning off the stove, Saeran set the pan aside and angled himself towards her.

"Good at what?" Compared to the tender warmth that was in his gaze when he was with Zai, his golden eyes looked dull at the moment.

"I don't know, good at talking to people? Though, I think that I might just be like this with you." He frowned and Jaehee tried not to feel too bad about it. "Then again, I haven't really had to speak with anyone else who I know is romantically interested in my girlfriend besides Zen." He stilled at her words and Jaehee knew that if he could bolt, he would have.

"It's fine, I was prepared for this. When everything's worked out I'll leave you three alon-" She placed her hand on his shoulder before he could finish the sentence and she wondered if he realized that he was crying.

"Please don't." He was trembling in her light grip and Jaehee wished that Zai were there to help. "Although it's somewhat...unorthodox, we've spoken about it, and Zen and I have no aversions to you and Zai, um, continuing with your relationship." His head snapped up and his previously tarnished eyes glowed with hope.

"I- really?" Saeran sounded dazed with relief and some part of her is glad that he and Zai found each other, albeit, she would've preferred under different circumstances. "You're okay with us staying...us?" She nodded and he only brightened up further.

"You two seem to be surprisingly good for each other. I'd hate to be the person who gets in the way of Zai's happiness." Finally trusting herself not to drop it, Jaehee picked up the bowl once more and moved to pour the contents into one of the pre-heated pans they'd prepared earlier. "Plus, I don't think she's the only person I know who finds you worthy of affection." At that, they both turned to look at Zen, who was suspiciously quiet the whole time. Upon noticing that he'd been found out, he jumped back into cutting and dicing like he hadn't just been eavesdropping on them.

Jaehee smothered her laughter with a hand while she could hear the soft exhalations from Saeran's own breathy giggling. 'Yes,' She supposed. 'Sharing won't be too bad, not when it makes them all so happy.'

They'd just finished setting down the plates when both Zai and Seven all but tumbled into the kitchen. Upon seeing Zai, Saeran completely forgot about arranging the cutlery before he was running to her side and sweeping her into a hug, which was rapidly and enthusiastically reciprocated. Seven walked leisurely over to where she and Zen were standing as they watched the two lovers tune out the outside world and lose themselves in each other.

"Heehee, they're really cute together. Are you sure you're not having any second thoughts?" Jaehee shook her head while Zen responded with a definite 'Nope'. "Well...if you say so! As long as you treat my brother fairly." His tone was friendly but she knew that on the inside he must have been deeply worried about his newly-recovered twin. The smug look unfolding on Zen's face had Jaehee expecting the worst.

"Of course we will. After all, anyone who says I have pretty eyes can be trusted!" A sharp laugh came from his side and they all turned to see Zai standing there with Saeran beside her, an arm slung loosely around her waist.

"In that case, every one of your fans must be incredibly honest people, right Jaehee?" Her bright smile made everything seem just a little lighter and Jaehee was reduced to simply nodding in agreement.

"My fans are the most honest people on the planet! It's why my fan club is the best." Before, her mind would have immediately jumped to how dating not one, but three separate people could become a major threat to his public image. But now, she knew that if Zen's fans were true, then they would respect his decisions and be happy for him.

As everyone started taking their place at the table, Jaehee realized that this was the first time she could remember where she was surrounded by people who loved and cared about her. Having Zai and Zen beside her, even with the addition of Saeran, was a blessing to her. For once in her life, she was content.

❤︎ Day 18 - 09:44 PM ❤︎

POV: ZEN Mode

The drive back into familiar territory felt longer on the return trip, but at least they weren't taking the car with the dog in it. Jaehee was asleep in the back seat and Zen was barely clinging to consciousness himself, but upon pulling up to the admittedly large gated property in front of them, he forced himself into awareness. Ahead of them, he could see Zai jumping out of her car to unlock the front gate so they could proceed. Parking the cars in front of the building, Zen climbed out of the car and watched as Zai ran back after closing the gate behind them.

"Hey! Tell Seven he can just leave his car here for now. I'll give him the gate key before he leaves." Relaying the message, he looked up in time to see Zai pulling a sleepy Saeran out of her car, accompanied by her jumpy dog, who was bouncing at her heels. While Seven preoccupied himself with extracting Jaehee from his own car, Zen walked over to where Zai was struggling to hold the practically unconscious redhead and control her pet at the same time.

"Need some help?" Upon noticing him standing next to her, he suddenly found himself with his arms full as Saeran was half thrown half dropped into his grasp, forcing Zen to hold him tightly as the other man curled into his chest. "I- uh, Zai?" She took a moment to get her dog under control before turning back to him.

"Sorry! Can you carry him just until we're inside? I can unlock it for you as soon as I tie up Jamming first. I'd let him run around but then he'll get in the way." Tugging on the excitable canine's leash, she led him to the front door and knotted his leash around one of the extravagant posts holding up the canopy above their heads. "Be a good boy and wait here while we unpack, okay?" All she got was a soft woof in response, but that was probably the best she could ask for. Zen watched as she fished her keys out of her pocket before finally opening the door and turning on the light. Stepping inside of the building, Zen definitely wasn't expecting an interior that somehow looked even nicer than the house they'd just left that afternoon.

"Whoa...Zai, you lived here?" There was a wide open sitting room, and Zen carefully deposited Saeran's now-sleeping form on top of the cushions before looking around. "This place is huge..." Zai gave a sharp huff of annoyance.

"Yeah, there's a lot to clean. It's harder to maintain than you'd think." He couldn't help but think that he'd touched a sore spot, but before he could ask about it, Zai was already rushing out the door again to start getting things out of their cars. After giving the mostly-empty house one last glance, Zen followed her with a sigh.

❤︎ Day 18 - 10:29 PM ❤︎

POV: 707 Mode

It took a while for Zen, Zai, and himself to unpack everything from their cars, but once they were finished, Seven couldn't deny that he was feeling antsy. He missed Yoosung and he needed to check in with V and Jumin as well, but he had to make sure that Saeran would be okay first. Thankfully, his brother was currently tucked away in bed. Now he was standing just outside the building, waiting for Zai while she helped Zen put Jaehee to bed as well. He was close to pacing by the time she finally threw the door open, nearly falling on her face. Quickly regaining her footing, she stuck her hand out towards him and Seven reached forward to take the key dangling from her fingers.

"Sorry it took me so long to find the spare key. I haven't needed to use it for a while. You can keep it, though, I'll just get another one made." He nodded and turned to leave but was thrown off balance as Zai pulled him into an abrupt hug.

"Wh- Zai? Haha, this is new." Although he'd been getting better at it, he still wasn't used to sudden displays of physical affection, and Zai was the last person he'd ever expect to hug him like this. He was about to try and pull away when he heard her sharp breaths. "H-hey, are you okay?" When she looked up at him, her eyes were dry but full of gratitude.

"I'm sorry- I'm just- thank you, Luciel." Her words sent a jolt up his spine and he tentatively reciprocated her hug. "Thank you for bringing us back together..." He inhaled quickly and gave the woman in his arms a soft squeeze.

"I should be thanking you for that too. Just promise you'll look after my brother while he's here?" Nodding determinedly, she finally withdrew her arms from around his midsection.

"I'll take good care of him. Please give everyone else my regards and tell them I'll see them soon."

"Yeah, sure. It's good to have you back, Zai." He smiled and waved at her while bounding down the steps on the way back to his car. Just as he was climbing in, he managed to catch her shouted reply.

"It's good to be back!"

707 has joined the chat room.

/ Jumin Han: Ah, Luciel. You've returned. /

/ Jumin Han: Hopefully with Zai? /

/ 707: Yup! /

/ 707: And I bet you can't guess who else I brought home with me! /

/ Jumin Han: I'm not even going to ask. /

/ 707: Aww... /

/ 707: Oh well! Doesn't matter anyway. /

/ 707: You'll be meeting him soon enough! /

/ Jumin Han: Luciel... /

/ 707: Right, right. /

/ 707: It's serious time. /

/ 707: I got Yoosung's messages. /

/ 707: How is V doing? /

/ Jumin Han: Someone tried to break into his hospital room the other night./

/ 707: Whoa, what? /

/ 707: Is he okay? /

/ Jumin Han: Yes, but I am assigning extra guards to the room. /

/ Jumin Han: I will also be staying with him until we are sure there will not be a repeat offense. /

/ 707: That's understandable. /

/ 707: You want me to look into it? /

/ Jumin Han: That would be much appreciated. /

/ Jumin Han: Speaking of Yoosung, /

/ Jumin Han: He's still at my penthouse at the C&R Building. /

/ 707: What!? /

/ 707: You just left my cutie on his own all day? /

/ 707: Without anyone there to comfort him!? /

/ Jumin Han: Now that you mention it... /

/ 707: You could have at least let him borrow a car to go back to his dorm! /

/ Jumin Han: Yes, yes, I understand. /

/ Jumin Han: I'll forward you the security code for the building so you can go get him. /

/ 707: You want me to take him back tonight? /

/ 707: I've been driving all day ;;; /

/ 707: Can't I do that tomorrow? /

/ Jumin Han: Fine. Just don't touch Elizabeth the 3rd. /

/ 707: Me? I would Never! /

/ Jumin Han: Luciel. /

/ 707: Yeep! /

/ 707: Instructions understood Mista Trust Fund Kid, Sir! /

/ 707: I'll drop by with everyone tomorrow. /

/ 707: Give V my regards! /

/ Jumin Han: I shall. /

/ Jumin Han: Have a good night, Luciel. /

/ 707: I will as soon as I get to see my cutie again~ /

/ 707: Bye bye! /

707 has left the chat room.

Looking into darkened room, Seven stealthily crept along the plush carpet floor of Jumin's guest room. Upon reaching the bedside, he noticed Yoosung's sleeping form. He was curled up tightly with the sheets thrown everywhere, his adorable LOLOL patterned pajama top was riding up on his midsection, revealing a tiny expanse of smooth skin. Shedding his jacket and dropping it on the floor, he carefully climbed on top of the mattress and let his hand rest over his boyfriend's waist. Nuzzling his face into bleached-blond hair, he sighed with contentment as Yoosung shifted back in his sleep, subconsciously trying to fit himself in Seven's arms. Although he'd have to be up and working again tomorrow, for now, V was being looked after by Jumin, and his brother was safe with Zai, Jaehee, and Zen. He could relax for a moment.

Just for tonight, with his arms around his lover, he was home.

AN: Before you ask, yes there will be a sequel to this fic. Unfortunately, I don't know when it'll be up. It will definitely be shorter than this fic though. I've got some other plans for fics I'd love to write too ;^;

If you want to talk to me about MM (or my fanfics, please, I will scream with joy), I have a Mystic Messenger blog at 'saeranspancakes' on Tumblr! I'd love to be able to talk more about this AU as well as my other's and share HCs ~

Once again, thank you so much for joining me on this adventure, and I hope to see you all again next time!