For @xoxo_annie_exo! I hope you like it!

Recommended music is EXODUS! I just realized the story of the song matches this plot so well. Haha <3

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Thanks guys!" Anne said brightly as she went out of the house. 

"Be careful," Suho winked as he reached for her hand to kiss it. She only laughed.

"I'm only going to cross the street, silly."

"But a street could be dangerous too, you know. Especially to a beautiful girl like you."Kris said coolly. 

"You guys are such dorks." She shook her head, chuckling. "Well, see you around!"

"Bye Anne! Stay pretty!" Chen waved cheerily like a little kid, and she waved back. The boys stayed for a while to watch her cross the street to her house. All were looking at her in awe, amazed at how easy she could be around and how she could fit in despite of being the only girl in the group. No matter how many times they bother her and ask her to come over just for a movie, or a short chat, or even help in cooking, she's still fine with them and maintains her bright smile. She was a very wonderful neighbor and a very amazing girl, and everyone agrees with that.

Especially four specific people in the group.

As soon as she was gone, the boys sat around the living room, all silent as if Anne was the only reason for them to be noisy.

"Do you think we should tell her already?" Lay broke the silence.

"No," Kris answered firmly. "You know the rules. We can't let any human know."

"But we've been hanging out with her for months. And even now, we still haven't fulfilled our mission." Xiumin said.

Luhan nodded. "Maybe we need help from a human in order to succeed. And so far, Anne is the only one we could trust."

"No," Kris hissed and stood up, making everyone flinch under his towering height. "We can't have deep connections with a human. We just can't afford taking a great risk."

"But if we can't accomplish the mission after all the months we've stayed here, then don't you think we actually need a human help?"

"But what exactly is our mission?" Sehun looked around, confused. Everyone gave him a WTF look.

"Seriously? You don't know?" Kai said. Sehun jut shrugged.

"To find out what makes the humans different from us." Baekhyun answered, but then uncertainty flashed in his face. "...Right?"

"Well, they don't have powers. We do." Tao shrugged.

"No, it's not that." Suho shook his head. "It's something deeper. Something that we have to understand very well so we'll know how to improve our planet's life..."

"But what is that something?" Chen raised a brow. Suho and Kris glanced at each other, as if they had the same question in their heads as well. In the end, they could only shrug.

"That's what we're meant to find out."

"But no one will tell her about us." Kris looked at each of them straight in the eye. "No one."

~*~*~

Chanyeol couldn't help but feel nervous about what he's about to do. But there's no turning back now. He has already knocked, and he could already hear Annie approaching the door. Surprise was evident on her face as soon as she saw the tall figure standing on her front door.

"Chanyeol! What's up?"

"I... I just wanted to bring you some fruits." He forced a bright smile as motioned at the paper bag.

"Oh, how nice of you!" She beamed as she took the bag from him. Then she motioned for him to sit in the living room. "Where are the others?"

"They're all busy..." He didn't dare look at her, afraid that she'll be able to see in his eyes that he was lying.

"They're always busy doing stuff." She chuckled as she took the seat beside Chanyeol. "What exactly do you guys do? You have such a big house and you have so much stuff in there. Tell me, are you the sons of insanely rich people?"

"Maybe...?" he forced a laugh, but based on how Anne's eyes narrowed by a fraction, he knew she detected something odd. "Anne, I'm actually here to tell you something..."

Her brows furrowed, like a mix of worry and curiosity. "Okay. I'm listening."

He took a few deep breaths, before finally finding the courage of looking deep into her eyes.

"The thing is...," he reached out to touch her hand. But then, as soon as their skins touched, it was like something flashed in Chanyeol's head, making him freeze. His eyes widened and looked at nowhere but Anne. It was like he suddenly saw her in a different light. Like a moment of realization.

"Chanyeol, are you okay?" She lightly squeezed his hand, making him quickly withdraw his hand. His emotions were such a mess at that moment that he was afraid he'll lose control of his power.

"I... I think..."

"Chanyeol?" A voice from the door caught their attention, and much to Chanyeol's horror, it was Kris. And Suho was standing beside him.

"Oh hey, guys!" Anne stood up to greet both of them with a hug. But little did she know, that the two were already glaring at Chanyeol.

"What are you doing here Chanyeol? I thought you were going to the grocery." Suho forced a smile, that probably looked real to Anne, but definitely not for Chanyeol.

"I-I did... I bought fruits for Anne..." He could only gulp and stay frozen in place, unable to guess of what the leaders would probably do to him once they get home.

"Yeah, he did. I was actually asking for you guys. Now that you're here, maybe you could stay a while and eat?"

"Thanks for your hospitality, but no thanks." Kris smiled. "We're still not done doing our stuff. We just went to find Chanyeol because we... needed him."

"Oh that's okay. You can always come by next time." Anne smiled. The two nodded and started to go out, giving a secret look at Chanyeol that urged him to leave with them. Gulping, he forced a smile and bowed at Anne.

"Sorry, but I have to leave." The girl just nodded and watched them cross the street. As soon as the three entered their house, Chanyeol was greeted by 9 pairs of curious eyes. The leaders didn't pay any attention to them though, and continued dragging him towards the meeting room. Kris let go of him quite harshly, making him stumble a bit against the table.

"What did we tell all of you yesterday?" Suho hissed lowly.

"I-I didn't tell her anything!" Kris grabbed Chanyeol by the collar and slammed him against the wall.

"But you were about to. You were going to break the rule. You hear that, Chanyeol? You were going to break the only fucking rule that we have to live by!" Kris gave him a hard punch to the face, sending everyone in deep shock. Even Suho.

"Kris. Kris that's enough." He tried to get Kris off Chanyeol, but Kris even managed to land another punch.

"You're selfish, Chanyeol. So fucking selfish." He hissed as he landed punch after punch, tears streaming down his own eyes.

"Kris! Stop it! STOP!!!" Suho did his best to stop him, but Kris was just so much taller and stronger that even him ended up getting shoved to the side.

"I FOUND OUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR!!!" Chanyeol screamed, finally making the leader stop. He spat out the blood pooling in his mouth and took a few deep breaths. "I know that something we're looking for. It's... It's been with us all along."

"What do you mean?" Kris hissed.

"It's because of Anne. We all care for her. It's not an object, hyung. It's... It's something we learn..."

"GET TO THE FUCKING POINT!!!!"

"I LOVE ANNE!!!!" Chanyeol blurted out. The room became so silent, that only their heartbeats could be heard. Tears started to cloud Chanyeol's eyes. "I realized I love Anne. Earlier, when I touched her hand, I had this feeling. Something that I've never felt before. And I know most of us feel that, too. Even you, hyung."

Kris tried to contradict Chanyeol's statement, but he couldn't, because he knew he was right. He does feel something different when Anne is around. It takes him out of his cool facade and gives him the urge to do whatever it takes to get all her attention. But he tried to reject that feeling for so many times, because there was a rule that forbid them to do exactly that. And it was a rule he was too afraid to break. Still in the state of disbelief, he backed away, slowly shaking his head.

"No... That can't be true..."

"He's right, hyung." A different voice popped up, and they all looked at the entrance to see Chen right outside the doorway. He couldn't look any of them in the eye, still half afraid of the consequences for standing up for Chanyeol. "I... I think I've fallen for Anne as well... I'm just so afraid to break the rules..."

"So all of us..." Suho mumbled as he cautiously looked at each man around him. "All four of us... feel the same for her?"

There was silence, as they realized the gravity of their situation. It was so hard to believe that the only rule they were bound to follow, was the one keeping them from realizing what they were meant to discover. All their lives, they were bound to the ground by rules created to make their world perfect. So perfect, but lacked something great.

They have found the something that they're supposed to find, but little did they know, that it was the same something that would make them throw out everything that they used to be.

Now, as they look at each other in the eye, they realize something more in themselves. They're not afraid to break any rules anymore, for the sake of fighting for what they want. It's that something that makes us human.

It's the ability to love.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[A/N]: Has anybody heard the EXODUS album? All the dubstep and husky voices are poisoning me. And it's going to be in my veins for a very, very, very long time. <3 <3 <3