They were sitting silently in the car, the glasses rolled down, letting fresh air in. Sehun had been dropped off at his home and they both had sighed in relief because being in a car with an omega in heat is something you definitely don’t want if you don’t want to get involved. Something which Luhan found funny. Even though it was Sehun in heat, he had not even looked at him like any alpha would have when an omega is in heat, like he would have had Sehun had his heat back when they were in SNU. No, he had just panicked because it was an omega in heat. That’s all. What made him really curious was how Xiumin had resisted. In fact, he hadn’t registered it at all! The older alpha was driving and Luhan was in the passenger seat, ignoring the awkward silence that sat like an elephant in the car. He would not initiate any conversation and Xiumin didn’t seem to be inclined to either. It had been a long time since he had been in Seoul, so, he figured he could just look outside and admire the view and ignore the uninterested-in-any-sort-of-communication alpha.

He didn’t know where they were going. He was pretty sure he saw the same hoarding cross twice.

Xiumin’s phone rang. Luhan’s ears immediately pick it up. It’s a Chinese song he used to like. “Jongdae-ah.. Yea.. ”

Luhan heard the younger male asking if Sehun was safe; if they had escaped the media. He also heard Chen suggest that he, Luhan should stay with the business man instead of going back to any hotel or, anywhere else. He needed to avoid media and controversies. Luhan was aware how the shorter male creased his brow at Chen’s suggestion and Luhan bristled. Of course, they weren’t on great terms. Knowing Xiumin, he’d only put up with Luhan’s forced presence at his home never once truly welcoming it but, also never expressing his discomfort or, whatever that he felt.

“Stop the car.”

“What?”

“Just pull it over.” Xiumin stopped the car in the nearly deserted street. Luhan got out of the car and tried not to slam the door very hard in irritation.

“ Where are you going?” Luhan just leaned on the door and looked at Xiumin.

Had he not decided back in those days that he’d never force his presence on his Korean friend ever again? He would step back. Only if Xiumin wanted, he would. So, that’s what he was going to do again. “Thanks for the lift. G’night.” He didn’t wait to hear what the other man had to say. He started walking quickly on the pavement in the opposite direction. He didn’t want to hear his feeble attempts of “No, Luhan, it’s okay.” He was not gonna trespass on anybody’s hospitality. He was having a growing suspicion that pajamas belonged to the other alpha and he was also the one who had returned his things and etc. Perhaps, even the suit. He had crossed the quota of needing the Korean alpha’s help. He stopped in front of a store. It was a flagship store of Key- Kim Kibum’s. He had these vague flashes of it in his memories and looked at the opposite side of the street not knowing exactly what it is that he was looking for. He crossed the road and stared. He looks to and fro unsure what he was supposed to be doing. And, it’s then when it caught his eyes. It was a make-shift food joint. Food joint? He automatically walked towards it and walks in. The Halmeoni was picking up some plates and glasses from one of the tables and turned back to look at her new potential customer.

“Hello, welc-oh. Young mister, you came back so soon! I thought when you said you’ll come soon you meant at least a few weeks.” She gave him such a big smile, her face wrinkled. He blinked.

“Ugh- yea.” And, ree of his trademark smiles. She ushered him to one of the tables at the corner. “I’d like to have whatever’s the spiciest. And, a bottle of soju, if you have it.”

The old beta lady came back a few minutes later. “Am afraid there isn’t much left. I was already closing up.”

“Ohh.”

“But, it’s okay. Enjoy your dinner.” Luhan thought he liked the lady. She was so warm and lovable right at the very first glance. He slowly ate his food, chewing as slowly as possible because what was he gonna do at this hour after this? His manager would be pissed if he found out about this. He’d have to quickly look for a hotel. The lady brought with her a green bottle and he accepted it happily. He took a gulp and let it wash and burn down his throat. He was cursing himself for just ordering such a dish. His stomach was going to revolt soon. He felt  his pocket vibrate but, did not check it. It could wait. He was concentrating on his meal. He asked the beta woman to give him another bottle. She simply nodded and went to fetch it from wherever she had stacked it. “Luhan-ssi, is your friend coming?” Luhan felt so sleepy. He could doze off any moment. It took awhile for him to register he was being asked something.

“Eh?” She was frowning. Why was she frowning?

“Is your friend- the other alpha not coming?”

“Nope. He got married.” does an ‘O’ and then, gave him a pitiful look. Luhan was thoroughly confused. “How do you know my name?”

He heard heavy footfalls as the beta woman left and he turned back to his plate. The lady could go ask her new customer questions. “He said you won’t be coming!” she was saying him. But, Luhan didn’t like eavesdropping so, he chooses to ignore them and drinks his soju with a devotion. He had to call his manager soon. He needed to go back soon too. He felt a pressure on his shoulder and looked up. Xiumin was knitting his brows and was looking at him with disapproval. “Why are you eating that? It’s going to upset your stomach.”

Luhan snorted. Of course, Xiumin would notice that.

“No, it won’t.”

“It will. You vomited all over Baekhyun yesterday. Now get up.” Xiumin tried to pull him up by the arm but, he resisted. He won’t give in so quickly. “What are you doing, Luhan? Let’s go.”

“No.”

“Lu-”

“Just go, Xiumin. I don’t need your charity. Am not your charity case.”

“What the ? Luhan, this is childish. Halmeoni needs to go home. You are delaying her.” He was still pulling at his arm and he, Luhan, was still resisting. “I’ll give you five minutes. Stop making a scene.”

“I am making a scene?” Luhan glared at him furiously and Xiumin somehow used Luhan’s sudden shift of concentration to his advantage and dragged him out of his seat.

“I am not your charity case, leave my hand.” Luhan didn’t have the strength to put up a fight as he was sleepy and tired or, so he told himself. He was just leaning onto the dark-haired alpha. Xiumin had Luhan’s one hand wrapped around his shoulder and had his right hand wrapped around the taller man’s waist. Luhan was light so it wasn’t difficult for him to support him or, help him walk to his car.

The last thing Luhan heard before drifting off was Xiumin instructing the Halmeoni to never serve him anything spicy because he got sick.

 *****

For the first time in the last two days, he muses he woke up in a familiar looking place. The room had a subtle scent of warmth that made him drop his guards. After all, he should be worried where he was, but, wasn’t. He scratched his head and stretched his arms and wondered if he should just go back to sleep. And, then, he stilled. He recalled Xiumin coming to pick him up and him behaving stupidly. What the Hell. He jumped off the bed, slipped his feet into the slippers lying at the foot of the bed and hurried outside. He sniffed. There was an odd, pleasing scent, one he had never encountered before and wondered whose it was. He looked here and there. Most of the nearby doors were locked. He proceeded further down that corridor to enter a hall. It’s more like a sitting room. There were sofas and bean bags and a TV and a way that lead to the hallway. No sign of anyone. He traipsed down the hallway.

“Hello? Xiumin?” He called out instinctively and immediately, felt foolish.

“In here”, a voice replied and Luhan quickened his steps, to follow the direction in which it came from. He entered a spacious dining room. There was an adjoining kitchen to it. Xiumin was seated on one of the chairs at the table. Behind him was the long kitchen counter. There was an unfinished bowl of noodles kept on the table and Luhan’s stomach rumbled. Xiumin was reading the newspaper. It was only the raise of one of his eyebrows that told Luhan that he heard it too and his cheeks tinged pink. He pulled one of the chairs and sat quietly on it. What next?

“Jongdae had called. The situation hasn’t improved. Media is till over there. I don’t think you should be going out anytime soon.” He turned a page.

“What about you? You are KEnt Director and you played the knight who saved the omega in distress.” Xiumin only smiled smugly.

“Am doing work from home today.”

“Aah. I see.”

“The food is getting cold.” He folded the newspaper and got up. Luhan noticed that the shorter male was wearing a mint green tee and a black shorts and looking very much at home (which he was) and Luhan was still in the now-crumpled suit and was very uncomfortable in them. He wanted to freshen up first but, his stomach grumbled in annoyance and he sighed. He began digging into his food. Xiumin was already gone.

He had not consumed much alcohol last night so, he’s okay as there was not really any hangover. He retraced his steps back to the room when he was done. He stopped when he found Xiumin coming out of the attached bathroom. “You’ll find all that you need in there.” He pointed in that direction.

“Thanks.” Xiumin simply shrugged. So he continued. “Thank you for yesterday and that night too.”

“It’s no problem, Luhan. I couldn’t have left you like that.” Luhan smiled half heartedly. “Do you have any plans for the evening?”

“Not really.”

“Okay. If you need something, let me know. I’ll be in my study.” With that Xiumin left and Luhan sat on the bed feeling strange. Because he felt like he was at the home of not a friend but, a person who was just accommodating him. He mused may be he finally needed to accept that Xiumin was a thing of past. The man in whose house he was right then was Kim Minseok and Kim Minseok was practically a stranger.

  ***

“Stop the car.” Minseok broke out of his reverie.

“What?”

“Just pull it over.” Confused, he stopped the car. But, Luhan was getting out of the car. He wondered how the Chinese actor was holding up. They both were in the car with Sehun. Luhan was on edge, he could tell. Said person looked like he was leaving. “ Where are you going?”

He just got a “Thanks for the lift. G’night.” instead. Minseok was aware that he was a little rude by not talking to Luhan, by not asking him how he was, by not saying how he himself had been for these past eight years. He watched his first true friend walking away. Someone with whom he had found a second chance to mend ways with. But, he was sitting, gripping the wheel tightly and just watching his retreating back.

Minseok had been shocked when he had been to that dingy little pub, whose address both Kyungsoo and Yixing had sent, when they had reached to collect the drunken lot and return them safely to their respective homes. He had not expected to find Luhan there. Of course, Lay and Luhan were best of friends but, even he and Luhan had been best of friends once and where had that gone? He had had no idea if the two foreigners had still been in contact post-University. Must have. Minseok had moved out of most of their lives. He was in contact only with Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Jongdae. And, they didn’t talk about Luhan around him. Jongdae did occasionally. He’d drop some info about him here and there. Like, how he had won an award or, how his albums were selling or, how he had a world record for having most number of comments on Weibo. But, in general, Minseok avoided anything and everything that involved Lu Han. KEnt worked in China too and it gave a wide berth to Lu Han the celebrity.

He restarted the engine and searched for a parking lot.

He had not seen Luhan first. He had been pulling Suho, trying to pry him away from Lay while Kyungsoo was trying to separate Baekhyun from Chanyeol who was trying to imitate a pole and Baekhyun, a pole dancer. It might have been hilarious in some other situation. Kyungsoo had somehow managed to convince them to continue their ‘pole’ thing in the car and not right there and had successfully dragged them outside. But, Minseok had been sweating and disgusted by the stench of pheromones permeating the air. He wanted to hurry out. Suho had been trying to put up a fight but, he was stumbling over his own feet managing to accidentally knock Minseok in the face and then, had fallen over Yixing. He heard a loud crash. Both of them had fallen. But, Minseok had not. Thin, wiry warms had held him from the back. The scent that had then crashed on his senses had been irresistible. It was like freshness, like the citrus based shampoos he used. It was like spring and Minseok loved that season. It turned out to be a very drunk Luhan who was swaying on his feet but, still somehow managing to stand and argue with Suho and hold him up. Minseok had just stood in his arms and stared ahead dumbly, his eyes glazed because this was the first time he had the chance to sniff in his scent. In eleven years. Luhan, he observed, had not masked his scent unlike most had. Even Chanyeol and Suho’s scents weren’t that.. Loud. Luhan’s had the ability to communicate to you exactly what he was feeling he found out soon. He had always been that way nature wise. An open book, no nonsense. He’d tell you whatever was on his mind.

He turned off the engine after finding a proper spot and got off the car. He dialled the other alpha’s number. That hair had surprised him. It suited him.He wasn’t receiving. He cursed silently and began looking for him. After ten minutes, he was getting worried. Luhan had a tendency of throwing caution to the wind, but, he could not. He called him twice but, both the time he was redirected to the voice mail.

Minseok was looking around frantically. He asked the few scant people around if they had seen a red-haired, thin, pretty looking alpha because isn’t that how Luhan looked like (he couldn’t exactly ask strangers “hey, you seen that famous Chinese celebrity?” ) but, they only looked at him with ‘you mad?’ look and gave a curt “no” or, just ignored him and Minseok was beginning to feel frustrated. He was wondering whom he should call and inform when he noticed the food corner he frequented on days he didn’t feel like staying at home alone. He went to approach the beta woman who ran it only to find Luhan sitting at the farthest corner eating his meal like he had all the time in the world. He picked up only the end of their conversation (“Nope. He got married.”///“How do you know my name?”) and he knew what they were talking about.

Halmeoni noticed him first and hurried towards him. She informed him looking distressed that his friend was not looking very well and if he could take him back. Minseok wondered what the lady thought he had come to do then. He went closer to were he was seated and frowned at the food that was being consumed. Wasn’t he supposed to not eat that? Last time it had happened, he had been sick. Very sick.“Why are you eating that? It’s going to upset your stomach.”

“No, it won’t.”

“It will. You vomited all over Baekhyun yesterday. Now get up.”

That had not been pleasant. They had already so less place. Everyone had to be squeezed into Minseok’s car. Lay had sat on Suho, Chanyeol was next to them, Kyungsoo was about to go in followed by Baekhyun when Luhan had suddenly remembered that Jongin was also supposed to be there. Kyungsoo had groaned and gone back in to fetch him. Jongdae had been lying across Yixing and Chanyeol’s lap. Chanyeol was mumbling something incoherent and Luhan was looking possessed swaying to and fro on his toes, his hair standing up in all directions, his eyes glazed and skin flushed. Minseok had to hold his arms thrice to stop him from landing face-first on the ground. A flushed Kyungsoo had come back with Jongin who was back hugging the former. His hold could crush the smaller man. He refused to detach himself from the author. So both of them moved into the passenger seat. Minseok smirked at his brother-like alpha who only grew a deeper shade of red. Luhan climbed in next to Baekhyun. Minseok took the driver’s seat. Their ride for the next half an hour was of listening to the cat calls (for Jongin and Kyungsoo), songs for Suho and Lay. Suho slurred his way through his speech on how happy he was to marry the love of his life. Luhan promised to kill him if he hurt his friend. Jongin and Baekhyun giggled. Kyungsoo sat frozen. Chanyeol sang songs off key. Baekhyun, Chen and Luhan joined him in intervals and Minseok decided he was put off for music for life.

They had to make a pit stop. First Chanyeol, Suho and Lay went. They returned in five minutes. Minseok didn't want to know where they had been to. Luhan, Baekhyun and Chen had to go next. But, Luhan and Chen were feeling sick and needed some fresh air so, they sat down on the pavement. They decided to split up. Kyungsoo was going to drive the car and take Lay, Suho, Chanyeol and Jongin with him. Minseok was going to take the second lot. He had asked one of his cousins to come pick them up. He was nearby anyway. But, they had to wait and the drunk alphas were feeling hungry so, Minseok took them to the place where he frequented. It was a very nice and humble place. So different from everything they had to be used to. Jongdae refused to eat anything after ordering, and went back outside. Baekhyun followed him. Luhan was happily gobbling beef when he suddenly got up and rushed outside looking panicked. Minseok hurried after him only to find him throwing up all over himself and Baekhyun. All three of them looked shocked. Then, they were all shouting and screaming, creating a ruckus and Minseok felt a raging headache coming on. Just at that moment, a bus stopped at the bus stop on the other side of the road. Jongdae looked at Minseok mischievously and dragged Baekhyun with him over to the bus. He shouted "good luck, hyung" over his shoulder and they both stepped into the public transport vehicle and were gone. Minseok just stood over there with his mouth hanging open. It was when he heard Luhan retching again and turned to see him doubled over in pain that he promptly shut his mouth and went to stand next to him, to hold the alpha gently, rubbing his back in slow, circular movements. The beta lady was also at his side offering him a bottle of water which he used to clean the singer's face. Luhan took the bottle, using the water to rinse his mouth and spit the water out. Neither of them were bothered if somebody was watching them. They stayed like that for sometime. Then, they left for his cousin's shop. He didn't mind at all that Luhan was holding onto him like he was his life support, personal space be damned.

And, just like last night, he was supporting Luhan again but this time, the red-haired alpha had passed out and so, he picked him up and carried him all the way back to where his car was parked.

***

Minseok had prepared noodles for breakfast. He was feeling tired to do anything else. When he had showered and gone to the guest bedroom where Luhan was, he had found the taller man still sleeping. A smile tugged at his lips. He picked up the blanket that Luhan had kicked off the bed. He folded it and put it next to the sleeping figure. But, he was turning around and Minseok panicked for a second. He didn’t want Luhan to think he was watching him sleep. So, he scurried back to the kitchen. Of course. Luhan must have woken up due to his presence, He wasn’t acquainted with his scent. Alphas instinctively detected another alpha’s presence even in their sleep if it was unknown. He was looking here and there trying to quickly come up with something. He found the newspaper. He had read it in the morning. “Hello? Xiumin?” He heard Luhan calling.

“In here.”

He unfolded the newspaper and tried to read it nonchalantly. He had read the whole of it. As soon as the Chinese man entered, his stomach rumbled and Minseok couldn’t help but, find that cute. He raised his eyebrow. Luhan sat down on one of the chairs and Minseok was trying not to breathe in too much of that scent. “Jongdae had called. The situation hasn’t improved. Media is till over there. I don’t think you should be going out anytime soon.”

“What about you? You are KEnt Director and you played the knight who saves the omega in distress.”

I saved you too last night like that Knight he thought smugly. “Am doing work from home today.”

“Aah. I see.”

He wanted them to talk. “The food is getting cold.” That’s all he could come up with. He walked out of that room and stood in the hallway wondering what he should do next. He went to Luhan’s room and checked if he had everything that he should need. Once done, he stepped out of the bathroom to find Luhan standing there. “You’ll find all that you need in there.”

Luhan thanked him. “It’s no problem, Luhan,” he said, “I couldn’t have left you like that.” He didn’t like the way Luhan’s smile didn’t quite reach the eyes. Minseok might be slightly aware of the whys. “Do you have any plans for the evening?”

“Not really.”

“Okay. If you need something, let me know. I’ll be in my study.” He turned and left because he didn’t know what else to say. He knew that the Chinese star wanted their friendship and Minseok didn’t want to give him that.