Sehun woke up to the sun shining on his face and an arm draped over his waist. He rubbed his eyes and stretched on the bed, turning around to see a half- Jongin next to him. A small smile made its way to his lips as he remembered the events of the previous day but a blush quickly replaced it when he remembered the previous night. Jongin was sound asleep, lightly snoring, disheveled hair that was becoming a little long now draped over his forehead and all over the pillow. Sehun didn't mind it though, he thought his hair looked better long. He brought his hand up to brush the strands off his face so he could see him more clearly. Now that it was the next morning, it felt a little weird to think about what happened the previous night. It wasn't that Sehun didn't like it, it was just... weird. He had never been exposed like that to anyone ever before and it was quite embarrassing to think about.

Sehun's hand was absent-mindedly caressing the elder's soft hair and before he knew it, Jongin's eyes were fluttering open adorably. He yawned and his eyes met his boyfriend's, before grinning goofily.

"Good morning," He said, his voice thick with sleep.

"Morning," Sehun muttered.

Jongin moved to lie above Sehun on the bed and dug his face into his neck, placing a small kiss there, "How are you feeling?"

Sehun smiled, "Good. You?"

"Hm... I don't know. I'm just really happy."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I just am."

"Um... Do you wanna talk about last night?"

"What's there to talk about?" Jongin asked, lifting his head up so he could look at his boyfriend.

"Well, you know..."

"Aww, you're all shy, again," Jongin cooed, teasingly pulling his cheek, "So cute."

"Shut up."

Jongin laughed and leaned down to capture his lips in a soft kiss. But it was soon broken when the doorbell rang, making Jongin groan and pull away.

"Is that your mom?" Sehun asked.

"No.. She's supposed to be back after tomorrow," Jongin said with a frown, getting up from the bed, "I'll go see who it is. You wait here."

"Okay."

He watched as Jongin put on his sweatpants and a T-shirt before leaving the room. He came back a few minutes later with a slight frown marring his features.

"You okay?" Sehun asked.

"It's your mother."

"What?" Sehun's eyes widened in shock.

"Your mother is downstairs. She's asking for you."

The younger blinked a few times, trying to think of a reason for her to come. He got up from the bed and put on his t-shirt and pants that were scattered on the floor from the previous night and got downstairs, Jongin slowly following behind him.

"Mom? What're you doing here?" Sehun asked once he saw his mother at the door.

She smiled at him, "Ah, I came here a few times yesterday but it seemed you weren't home."

"No um... we were out pretty much the whole day," He said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

"I see. I came to wish you a happy birthday. And well..."

"Well...?"

The woman seemed slightly nervous, "I was wondering... if you wanted to go shopping together? Have some mother-son bonding time?"

Sehun blinked at her blankly, trying to process what she just said to him, "What?"

She sighed, "Look, I know I've been a bad mother, and I don't want you to think of this as me trying to make up for lost time or anything, because I'm not. I just... Before you go wherever you go, I want you to have at least known what it feels like. To carry at least some good memory of me when you leave."

Sehun stared at her, dumbstruck, not believing that this was really his mother in front of him. She was actually being nice to him. She was asking him to go shopping together. And she seemed sincere enough.

It was weird.

Weirdly pleasant.

"...Okay."

"Really?" She asked, instantly brightening up, "I didn't think you'd agree..."

"No, you're right. I should at least carry some good memory of you when I go," Sehun said, nodding slightly to himself, "Come in. I'll go get dressed."

She nodded hesitantly and walked into the house, eyes wandering around curiously. He led her to sit on the couch in the living room before making his way up to his room.

"So... What happened?" Jongin asked, randomly popping out in the hallway and walking alongside his boyfriend.

Sehun chuckled slightly, "She wants to take me out shopping, apparently."

"Really?" Jongin's eyebrows rose in amusement, "And you agreed?"

"Yeah."

"So I won't be seeing you much today?" Jongin asked with a cute pout on his plump lips.

Sehun rolled his eyes, "We were together the whole day yesterday. I'm sure we could use a break from each other."

"I don't need one though..." Jongin mumbled under his breath, "Well, I guess I'll just spend my day playing console games and being a couch potato until you get back."

"Sounds like fun," Sehun suddenly stopped in his tracks as an idea suddenly popped in his head.

"What?" Jongin questioned, curious as to why he suddenly stopped. 

A smirk slowly spread onto Sehun's lips, "I need your help with something."

"Well, I'm all ready to go."

Mrs. Oh turned her eyes away from the television screen and to her son, and they immediately widened.

There he stood, clad in black jeans, a black T-shirt with a skull on it, and black, spiky boots. There were large headphones around his neck, eyes lined with kohl, hair all spiked up and is that a lip ring? Mrs. Oh could barely recognize the boy in front of her.

"Sehun? W-What are you...?"

"What, ma?" He asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow, "This is my new style now. Do you not like it? Do you wanna cancel the whole shopping date now?"

"O-Of course not!"

"Sure you'll go out with me like this? In public?"

It was clear to Mrs. Oh that he was testing her, and that he wasn't going to back down. Of course it wasn't going to be that easy, she thought. She forced a smile onto her lips.

"Of course I will. If this is how you want to dress now, then you can do whatever you like. Should we get going now?"

The expression on his face was a mix of surprise and amusement. He wasn't really expecting her to relent so easily, because his mother was always so obsessed with her image and reputation in front of people. With a slight nod of his head, he followed the lady outside the house.

It was awkward, the car ride. The two hardly spoke, and it always seemed as if they wanted to say something, but changed their minds and decided to stay silent instead. In the end, his mother cleared .

"So... Jongin. He's the one, right?"

"One?"

"Your uh, boyfriend?" She said awkwardly.

"Oh. Yeah. He's the one."

She kept quiet for a while.

"He's a nice boy. He dances pretty well, too," She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, "But not better than you."

Sehun's eyes widened slightly in surprise, "Uh, thanks."

"So, when exactly did it happen?"

"When did what happen?"

"When did you two, uh, get together?"

"A couple of months back," Sehun answered shortly.

"Ah, I see. Well, I hope you're happy together."

Sehun blinked slowly, "So wait, you're really okay with the fact that I'm dating a guy?"

"I won't say I'm ecstatic but," she paused, "Whatever makes you happy."

"Oh. Okay." Sehun wondered how his mother changed so much in such a short span of time. Was it all just an act to get him back? He couldn't tell for sure at this point, so he wasn't going to give in just yet. "Well, Jongin is great. He takes care of me really well and he does make me happy," Sehun admitted with a soft smile on his lips at the thought of his boyfriend.

"That's... great. I'm glad."

Awkward silence.

"Where's father, by the way?"

"Oh, he's on a business trip. He also wanted to wish you a happy birthday. Also, he wanted to sign you up for a driving school so you can get your license."

"He did?" Sehun asked, slightly in disbelief. 

"Yeah," she replied, pulling in to the parking lot of the mall, "We're here."

Once she parked the car, the two stepped out and made their way to the mall entrance.

"So, where do you wanna start? We have to get everything you need for college today."

Sehun noticed all the people giving him weird and judging looks for his attire but he didn't really care much. He could tell his mother also noticed it by how uncomfortable she looked.

Nonetheless, they shopped through the entire day, and after a while she seemed to have gotten used to how he looked and the judging stares. It was awkward at times, because his mother didn't know what style of clothing he liked or even what his size was. And he could see the guilt in her eyes because of it. They went through most of the stores in the mall and she insisted to buy all sorts of stuff like backpacks, notebooks, clothes, shoes, headwear, winter clothing, fancy pens that were expensive for no particular reason and other mostly random things. They stopped halfway to have lunch in the food court and while she first suggested an expensive Italian restaurant, he shook his head and opted for fried chicken instead (the Jongin influence). She looked unsure at first but didn't complain and they ended up having oily fried chicken in the middle of a noisy food court, Sehun wielding a huge smile on his face through it all. He knew was mother wasn't used to this environment and the relatively "low-grade" food, but he wanted to know just how far he could push her buttons. Surprisingly enough, she was passing every test he was putting her through. It was almost frustrating. 

By the end of the day, hands full of shopping bags, they tiredly made their way back to the car. When they were done loading the things into the trunk, they got in and she drove them back to Jongin's home. This time though, the ride wasn't quiet and awkward. The two of them chattered almost effortlessly, a warm feeling of comfort settling between them. For a moment, she really felt like a mother, and Sehun really felt close to her. 

When they reached the house, his mother looked hesitant as they both got out of the car 

"Well..." 

"Well?"

"It's been a nice day." 

Sehun smiled, "It has." 

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" She asked with a knowing smile on he face, gesturing to his attire. He laughed softly. He didn't think he'd ever genuinely laugh in her face before, but here they were.

"Yeah, I did. I wanted to know if you'd still go out with me in public."

"Did you actually get your lip pierced?"

Sehun laughed and pulled the lip ring off, "Nah, it's fake."

The lady found herself laughing along with her son, eyes glistening, and before she knew it, tears were slipping out. 

"M-Mom?" He asked, a little taken aback at her suddenly tear-streaked face.

"I'm so sorry, Sehun," she sobbed, sending a pang through her son's heart at the sight of her, "I wish I did this sooner... I wish I took the time to know you better. I don't even know the things you like, what your favorite food is... What kind of mother am I?"

Sehun simply stared at her, not knowing what to say. Nonetheless, the sight of his mother crying in front of him was utterly heartbreaking.

Why?

Because she was his mother.

"I don't think there's anything that can justify what we did to you. We were horrible parents. And I don't expect you to forgive us. Even if you did, I don't think we'd deserve it. But please... allow me to be a proper mother to you now. Allow me to give you the love and affection you deserve, that I didn't give you all these years. I know I can't make up for all these years or fix my mistakes at this point and you can hate me if you want to but please... Just let me be a real mother starting now, starting today, this time for real."

Sehun stared down at the ground, his own tears welling in his eyes.

"What happened to Changjo was not your fault. You... You were his everything, Sehun. But we were cowards... we couldn't take responsibility for our actions so we pinned it all on you and-" she knelt down to the floor in front of him, clutching at her knees, "I'm so, so, sorry, Sehun. I wish I could punish myself for this, peel off my own skin if I had to."

"M-Mom..." Sehun was in shock. His mother, who always had her nose up in the sky was kneeling down in front of him, makeup smudged from the tears, apologizing. He didn't like the sight of her like this, "Please, stand up."

"No... let me atone for everything I did," She sobbed.

Sehun knelt down in front of her and wrapped her in a tight hug, "Shhh... It's okay. I don't hate you. And I already forgave you. Please, don't apologize to me anymore. Don't cry."

She wrapped her own arms around her son, clutching at his shirt from the back, crying even harder into the embrace. Sehun could feel the dampness on his shoulder and hugged her tighter.

It was different from the time Mrs. Kim embraced him.

There was a certain familiarity to it, a certain warmth incomparable to any other.

Sehun realized if only she hugged him like this sooner, she could saved him. She could have brought him out of his year-long depression. She could have given him so much strength. Made him feel loved and cared for.

But it was all in the past now.

She was here now.

She was hugging him now.

And as much he wanted to hold a grudge against her, he couldn't. As much as he thought she deserved to suffer some more, he just couldn't.

Because she was his mother, and he loved her.

"I love you, son," She said, and the sincerity was clear in her voice, "And no matter what your dreams are, what you like, what you'll become, or what your uality is, I will always be proud of you. Because you have such a kind heart." She placed a palm on his chest, "Don't let anyone taint it."

Sehun nodded, feeling the warmth spread in his chest. He felt like there was a hole there that he didn't even know existed, and it was now being filled. Once they pulled away from the hug, she cupped his face in her hands and smiled proudly through her tear-stained face, "You can do whatever you want to do, and go wherever you want to go, and know that we'll always support you and be here for you."

"Okay," He whispered, smiling back at her, wiping the tears off her face, "Stop crying now please."

"Okay, okay," She laughed softly, wiping at her own tears, "Ah, my eyeliner is all over the place."

Sehun laughed at that before getting up off the floor and picking her up with him, "Come on, ma. You should go home and get some rest. I'm sure you must be tired. I'll carry these things inside."

"Okay," She nodded, and he led her towards the driver's seat of her car.

"Take care of yourself," She said, smiling.

"You too. Drive safe."

"I will. Good night, Sehun."

"Good night, mom," He smiled at her, "And thanks for today. We should do it again."

Once Sehun walked into the house, setting down the shopping bags on the floor, he found Jongin, as promised, sprawled out on the couch and playing on his PS4. He couldn't help but chuckle softly at the sight.

"Oh, you're back," Jongin said, eyes lighting up instantly as he paused his game. Sehun made his way to the couch and sat next to him, a bright smile on his face.

"Yeah. How was your day?"

"Obviously I didn't do much," Jongin said with a chuckle, scratching the back of his head slightly, "How was your day? I take it you and your mother made up?"

"'Yeah... you could say that," Sehun said, looking at Jongin affectionately.

"That's great," Jongin smiled at him, but it was soon wiped off his face, "Uhh... What's up with that look?"

"What look?" Sehun whispered, face inching closer ever so slightly.

"You're all starry-eyed."

"Am I now?" Suddenly, Sehun had Jongin underneath him on the couch as he hovered over him, eyes taking in his cautious features.

"This is new," Jongin muttered, eyes lingering on Sehun's mouth. The latter his lips before placing a soft, teasing kiss on his lips, pulling away after just a few short seconds. Jongin whimpered slightly, wanting more contact.

"I never really paid you back for yesterday, did I?" Sehun asked softly, head tilting to the side. He subtly pushed his knee in between his boyfriend's legs, making the latter groan softly. His eyes fluttered closed when Sehun kissed him again, this time for longer. Jongin realized he liked this new, dominant side of Sehun because  did it turn him on.

Damn, cliffhanger much? xD

Only one more chapter to go guys, and then this story is officially complete. It's such a bittersweet feeling, ya know? The accomplished feeling of finally finishing a story but the realization that this is where it all ends... *sighhhhhhh*

After writing the next chapter,. I'm gonna start editing the story all the way from the beginning. And if you guys like, I'm willing to write some extra chapters, based on your suggestions. But we'll get to all that later xD

For now, I hope you guys liked this chapter and please leave a comment below because your comments really do make my day! Take care :*