“Hey sleepyhead. You okay?” Amber asks while Bambi's head gently.

 

“Don't speak, please. Too loud,” The latter croaks with her eyes closed and hands on each side of her face.

 

After waking up, her stomach grumbled like crazy, so she decided to head down to the kitchen instead of taking a shower. Her friends immediately came to her aid, giving her the meal they set aside for her that same morning.

 

“Well, I guess that solves the mystery of the stolen wine,” Sandara declares flatly as her eyes fall upon Amber. The other girl instantly glares at her. “MY stolen wine. Sorry, mom.”

 

“Told you it wasn't me.” Jongdae snorts and folds his arms across his chest.

 

Bambi massages her temples, trying to tune them out. What exactly was she thinking when she thought going downstairs would be a better option than having her peace in her room? As she slowly continues to eat, the rest badger her despite her condition.

 

“You drank a whole bottle last night?” Jongdae asks.

 

“Couldn't sleep,” She retorts shortly.

 

“Well, drink half. Don't drink everything,” Sandara scolds as Amber glares at her once more. Her tone then suddenly turns gentle, “I'm sorry, sweetie. But you should've asked for my permission.”

 

Bambi only sends her a wave of dismissal in response.

 

“Here.” Sehun clears his throat nervously as he lays a warm cup of tea next to her plate. “I'm guessing it'll help.”

 

Bambi slowly looks up and stares at the delicately designed teacup. Her eyes then briefly meet his as she murmurs, “Thanks. That's very kind of you.”

 

“She loves tea. How'd you know what to give her?” Amber eyes him suspiciously.

 

“Well, coffee doesn't really seem like an option at this point.” He shrugs coolly.

 

Kyungsoo casts a look towards him and shakes his head. As he nears his best friend, he asks, “So, we can count on you not remembering any of the you did last night?”

 

“Well...my head's throbbing like crazy, so no,” She replies, trying not to think too hard, “Why? Did I wake you?”

 

“No. But I DID see you walking and dancing like a weirdo on the beach,” He recalls as his gaze subtly turns to Sehun, “And it seemed like you kept flirting with a REALLY tall tree.”

 

“Oh God,” She groans while still managing to chew her food, “That must be why my legs hurt too.”

 

“What? Because of the flirting?” Jongdae whispers and Amber instantly casts a knowing look his way. He decides to let it go, figuring that with the speed his brain is running, he'll get it sooner or later. “Right.”

 

“You a 100% sure you don't remember anything?” Kyungsoo asks as his eyes fall upon Sehun once again. “The tree seemed to really like you.”

 

“When did Bambi ever remember anything she's done when she's piss drunk?” Sandara snorts, knowing too well how her friend acts when she's had too much.

 

“Told you,” Kyungsoo mouths towards Sehun.

 

“We should be heading out soon though don't you think?” Amber suggests with a sigh. She doesn't want to leave the vacation house just like the rest, but the weekend's almost over.

 

“What time is it anyway?” Bambi asks casually.

 

“Four,” Her friends reply simultaneously.

 

“I slept THAT long?” She gasps in disbelief.

 

“You underestimate yourself, my darlin'.” Sandara pats her back with a teasing smile.

 

It isn't long before they all start packing up while Bambi painstakingly attempts to finish her meal. She's guessing that Amber did the cooking, judging by how delicious it is. It's a shame that she couldn't fully enjoy it, because of her agonizing hangover.

 

Although she tries hard not to, she keeps trying to remember what happened last night. She knows that Kyungsoo was implying something, but she has no clue as to what it is. She scolds herself for drinking beyond her limit. She's somewhat relieved that he was the only one who witnessed her little drunken escapade, but couldn't help feeling embarrassed as well. Out of all the people she's with, it had to be him who caught sight of her over the top antics. Yes, Kyungsoo is one of her best friends and he's seen her at her worst; but she hates the fact that he'll probably bring this incident up again at the most inappropriate time in the future.

 

Would you prefer it if Sehun saw you instead? She freezes at her own thought.

 

What? Her other mental voice snaps.

 

Kyungsoo or Sehun?

 

I'm not dignifying that question with an answer.

 

Kyungsoo or Sehun???????

 

Get off it, .

 

We're the same person, genius.

 

Girl, bye.

 

“Okay! Buckle up, guys!!” Sandara cheers as she runs outside the house excitedly.

 

Bambi immediately snaps back into reality and looks down at her plate. She's surprised she managed to finish all the food.

 

“Time to go, deer princess,” Amber teases as she tugs on her best friend's sweater for them to head out as well.

 

Bambi notices her carrying her bags and jumps out of her seat right away. “Amber, you didn't have to--”

 

“Relax, Bambs. I got this.” She chuckles. “You should go rest in the car.”

 

Bambi pouts, but doesn't protest any further.

 

As she's about to sit inside the van, she notices the oldest in the group hanging just outside the driver's seat. “Please don't let Dara drive. Please.”

 

“I'll be gentle. Don't worry!” Sandara reassures and continues in an optimistic tone, “Look at it this way. You'll have two of your best boys taking care of you at the back!”

 

“I call shotgun!!” Jongdae hollers with a wide grin.

 

“Okay...” Sandara shrugs sheepishly. “One.”

 

“I find that offensive,” Sehun deadpans.

 

“But you're MY best boy, aren't you, Sehunnie?” Sandara's voice turns honey sweet as she sends him a bright smile.

 

“I've never wanted to barf so much in my life.” Bambi queasily looks at her while her head continues to throb.

 

“That's just the hangover talking.” Sandara waves at her dismissively as she gets in the car.

 

“What about me, Dara? WHY DO YOU HATE ME??????” Jongdae whines with a hurt pout in the front seat.

 

“Pipe down, Jongdae. He's our little maknae. We need to take care of him.” She rolls the window down and grins at Sehun. “Don't we, Sehunnie?”

 

“I'm starting to see why Bambi doesn't like having you around.” Jongdae glares at the tall man and rolls his eyes shortly after.

 

“She's only teasing. We all know Dara loves you best,” Amber says, amused by the situation.

 

“I call middle seat with Bambi!” Kyungsoo announces as soon as he joins them.

 

“Me too!” Sehun blurts out.

 

“Wow. You two are such gentlemen leaving me in the back with the bags.” Amber sends them both her best death glare.

 

“You're weird,” Bambi says, cocking an eyebrow at Sehun before taking her seat inside.

***

“I can't believe you're actually doing this to me.”

 

“Don't overreact. We'll only be a few minutes.”

 

“Kyungsoo...” Bambi pouts, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

 

“I'm hungry, Bambs,” He says as his eyes darts towards the numerous food chains only a few feet away.

 

After driving at a steady pace for quite awhile, Sandara eventually grew tired and parked in the nearest rest stop. She and Jongdae got out of the van in a rush, realizing just how hungry they actually were as opposed to tired. Kyungsoo, who served as Bambi's pillow during the ride, tried to escape from her grasp without waking her up, but failed miserably.

 

She takes the opportunity to pout at her other best friend this time.

 

“I've literally spent the last two and half hours back here cuddling luggage. Do you really expect me to stay?” Amber points out.

 

Bambi grumbles and scrunches her nose up in annoyance. The betrayal. Best friends are useless when it comes to the battle for food.

 

“I'll stay,” Sehun chimes in casually.

 

Kyungsoo and Amber immediately exchange looks, trying to figure out if their youngest friend has a death wish or something of the sort.

 

Bambi gives Sehun the once-over. “No. I'd rather be alone.”

 

“I'm not staying, because of you,” He argues, “I'm staying, because I want to get some sleep. I couldn't get any with Jongdae jabbering about with Dara.”

 

“Whatever.” She maintains a sour expression as she turns to her best friends.

 

“Do you want anything?” Amber asks with a small smile.

 

“The usual snacks?” Bambi shrugs while fighting the urge to fall asleep then and there. Her eyelids are incredibly warm for some reason.

 

“Sure.” Amber waves, smile still intact, as she and Kyungsoo leave.

 

Bambi leans towards the window and closes her eyes. Although engulfed in an awfully awkward silence with Sehun, having a head splitting migraine isn't exactly making her notice just how awkward it really is.

 

“So, what IS your favorite movie?” He starts in a casual tone.

 

“I thought you weren't staying because of me,” She mumbles, trying to get back to sleep.

 

“I wasn't,” He replies, “But you're here. So...21 questions?”

 

“Are you kidding me?” She snaps, growing even more irritated.

 

“17 questions left for you,” He jeers in a singsong voice.

 

“17?! We literally just started,” She protests, finally turning towards him and glaring.

 

“We never got to finish the first one.”

 

“That was MONTHS ago,” She says through gritted teeth. “And you're making my headache worse!”

 

“Sorry.” He shrugs as he pats his shoulder. “You can always...”

 

“I'd rather not.” She makes a face and suddenly begins coughing nonstop.

 

“Are you okay?” He scoots closer and pats her back.

 

“Yeah, no. I just—I rarely get hangovers. But when I do, it's a huge pain in the . It's like my whole body's shutting down on me,” She explains in between coughs and groans, “God...”

 

He hovers over her concerned and immediately reaches for her forehead. “You're burning up.”

 

“No, I'm not,” She coughs, moving away from him. The last thing she needs is Sehun 'taking care' of her.

 

“Jesus. Can you just NOT be stubborn for one second?” He says firmly before pulling her close to him.

 

As her head rests on his chest, Bambi stays quiet, still taken aback by his actions. Sehun also freezes in place, not knowing what to do next.

 

“Sure. 17 questions left for you too,” She manages to squeak with a fair amount of humor.

 

He chuckles at her response. “I didn't know we were still playing.”

 

“Mmmmm...” The warmth of both their bodies in close contact suddenly relaxes her. She feels her eyes slowly closing as her mind drifts off to dreamland.

 

Sehun tilts his head to confirm whether or not she's fallen asleep. The sight of her peaceful state produces a small smile on his face. Steadfast breathing. Calm expression. Soothing and still; as if nothing in the world can harm her ever. There's a certain vulnerability to it, but not the type that makes her look weak. Rather, it makes him sigh in understanding.

 

'Ah, so this person has this side too,' is his initial thought. A side that those close to her always see, but never really pay that much attention to. Something he can see in a completely different light. It reveals more about her than he expects. She's multiple dimensioned just like the rest of them. Beautifully flawed. Strong, but in ways beyond comprehension.

 

He knows that there's much more to find out about her and she probably won't let him. But is he really willing to let a wounded person be blinded and engulfed by their own pain and doubts? A person who consistently thinks that acting sassy or crazy happy is a better option than letting themselves be. A person who prefers feeling nothing than anything at all.

 

No. He sighs to himself while gently her head. So what or who exactly is making you hurt this much?

 

“You continue to surprise me, you know?” Kyungsoo interrupts his peace, taking a seat next to Bambi.

 

“What now?” Sehun complains with a long face as his hand jerks away from his roommate's head.

 

“I didn't say anything.” Kyungsoo shrugs, feigning ignorance. Deep down, he's too eager to get a rise out of the younger one.

 

“I already told you that nothing's going on.” Sehun maintains a firm tone and expression.

 

“Right. There isn't.” Kyungsoo nods in agreement as he gestures to him. “Hand her over.”

 

“What? Why?” Sehun questions taken aback and holds Bambi closer to him.

 

“The only reason she's resting on you is because she had no choice. Now that I'm here...”

 

Sehun looks down at her and then, back at him. “We wouldn't want to wake her up though...”

 

“Are we going to handle this situation like we did last night?” A mischievous smirk slowly starts to form on Kyungsoo's face while recalling what he had witnessed.

 

After finishing his book at around two in the morning, he felt the need to sit by the porch that faced the beach before finally calling it a day. Lo and behold, the exact moment he got comfortable in his seat, he spotted Sehun holding Bambi's hair back as she vomited. Thinking it was odd at first, he wanted to approach them and ask what was going on. But what followed after her puking seemed all too good for him to intrude upon. He couldn't believe it either; when he saw with his own two eyes that Bambi was blatantly flirting with Sehun. He knew at that point, she'd drunk beyond what she could handle.

 

The even more bizarre thing about the situation is that Sehun didn't seem to mind this particular side of Bambi. He took care of her in a way Kyungsoo never expected. When she reached phase three of her drunken state, he watched Sehun carry her on his back all the way to the house.

 

And that's when he finally decided to get involved. He offered to take Bambi up to her room since he's done enough, but Sehun wouldn't take no for an answer. He ended up standing by on the sidelines, quietly observing Sehun as he tucked her into bed.

 

Naturally, as a best friend, it concerned Kyungsoo how 'caring' Sehun was acting towards Bambi. 'This girl has done nothing but push you away in multiple occasions. So, why do you keep looking out for her as if she owes you a huge debt?' was what he first threw at him. After much badgering, Kyungsoo concluded that there indeed was something going on, but Sehun has yet to face and accept it. Bambi, on the other hand, is a whole other case to deal with later.

 

“I told you, didn't I? She won't remember,” He says, reminding him of the reality they're presently in.

 

“I wouldn't want her to anyway.” Sehun shrugs, staring at a sleeping Bambi. “She thought she was talking to someone else. Not me.”

 

“Look, if you have the hots for her--”

 

“I don't. Okay?” Sehun raises his voice defensively. “I just—” He sighs as he continues calmly, “She seems to be going through a lot. And I just—”

 

“Want to help. I know,” Kyungsoo replies in a soothing tone, “Look, you're not a bad guy. She knows that. It's just that it's always been hard for her to open up to people.”

 

Sehun already knew that. Although he'd like to believe that it was just the drunk Bambi talking, he knew that there was some truth to what she confessed. Why else would she be saying it out loud otherwise?

 

“Hey! Y'all ready to go??” Sandara bubbles, plopping on the driver's seat.

 

“Whoa. What exactly happened here?” Jongdae questions, immediately noticing the weird atmosphere in the middle seat.

 

“Isn't it obvious? The deer fell sick. Part of the hangover process,” Amber answers for the two speechless guys as she rides in the back.

 

“I'm not asking about THAT. I'm asking about THIS.” Jongdae points furiously at a comfortably resting Bambi on a nonchalant Sehun.

 

“Huh.” Sandara tilts her head at the sight with a small side smile.

 

“I know that 'huh'.” Jongdae's head snaps towards her.

 

“What? They'd make a really--”

 

“DON'T!” He exclaims at her, trying not to be filled with disgust. “Finish that sentence.”

 

“Am I missing something here?” Sehun asks cautiously.

 

“Nothing. Pipe down, new guy,” Jongdae snaps as he rolls his eyes.

 

 

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AN: 

Merry Christmas Eve from my side of the world to each and every one of you reading this! :) Thanks so, so much to those who subscribed as well! It may not be a big deal to many, but 11 is two digits...so...it's a start. Haha. I hope you continue to enjoy whatever it is that I have to offer. Do share your thoughts from time to time. I don't bite. :P

Catch you next week with another chapter! Hope you're feeling festive this holiday season! <3