==

“Hi”

Luhan was taken aback, was Mr. Adonis really talking to him? His brows furrowed in confusion. He turned his head to search for someone beside or behind him.

“I was talking to you” the other spoke once again.

Luhan’s eyes quickly snapped back as the latter stared right into his eyes. “O-oh..umm..Hi”

And cue the nervousness in his gut. ‘Calm down’ he thought. And along with it, Luhan was also thinking how undeniably handsome this guy was up close-

“so.. you think I’m hot?”

Luhan didn’t know why he was reminded of that certain memory after opening the front door of his house only to see his best friend standing outside with the familiar youthful and radiant smile on his face.

Well, the smile was a part of it, but his attention was elsewhere.

“You got a haircut?” he exclamied. It was not only that, he also noticed how his best friend had his hair dyed a shade darker. Rather than the usual dark brown he was used to for the past four years, it was now a shade of black instead.

“Oh I did, I’m still not used to it. All I ever had was a long hair. how do I look?”

Handsome.

 “..average”

Never in a million light years will Luhan admit how attractive Sehun was in front of his handsome face out loud.

Moreover, he looked ho– manly with his forehead exposed and hair gelled up. It would feel weird and well… awkward (that’s what he thinks).

Besides, adding more to Sehun’s ego will make him ten times annoying, and Luhan didn’t want to deal with an annoying Sehun. He could become unbearable at times.

“Right. Just be honest and say I’m handsome.”

“you are” Luhan blurted, he panicked for a brief second, but he covered it up with a sweet smile and a short act of sarcasm “not”. He received an eye roll in reply.

Sehun settled himself on Luhan’s bed, patting the space next to him, Luhan complied and sat next to him “So what were you up to while I wasn’t around?” He asked reaching behind Luhan’s neck, giving it a light massage of some sort.

“Stop that!” Luhan scooted away but in a matter of seconds the hand was back once again. He sighed, well.. he did kind of miss these small touches so-

Luhan gave a snort “If that is your way to indirectly ask about the bet, then I’d say everything is in progress” he answered. It was exactly not a lie. Jongin did say he’d inform him.

“in progress? With whom?”

At his reply, Luhan can’t help but furrow his brows, lips almost jutting into a pout “you would know, if you bothered replying to my messages!” Luhan exclaimed “You are mean! Why were you ignoring me?”

Sehun reached for Luhan’s stuffed cat, eyes lowered as he played with it. “well, to be honest. I was trying something out”

“go on”

He heaved a breath, glancing at Luhan “Don’t judge me okay? This would sound foolish.” He paused

“I’m pretty sure you’ve heard about it, but there’s this popular saying that ‘Absence make the heart grow fonder’. And, I kind of just went for it..” he rubbed the back of neck, a sheepish smile on his face as he shamelessly admitted “I kind of wanted you to miss me-”

What.

“-You wanted to be missed?”

His best friend nodded in confirmation.

What.

“Sorry for ignoring you, did it work though?” Sehun stared at him in a hopeful manner, before smiling like the kid he was.

“I know it would. You missed me, right?”

“seriously? this is the dumbest thing I’ve-“

“-you missed me right?-“

“-ever heard Oh Sehun”

“-admit it, you missed me.”

Luhan rolled his eyes. ‘oh joy, someone’s acting whiny again.’ He thought.

“Luhan. Hyung, c’mon I know you did-“

“shut the up. I won’t tell you”

Sehun’s lips immediately shut tight. He blinked at Luhan a little dumbfounded ..or at least that was what he thought until Sehun spoke.

“because I did.” His lips turn to a grin.

“I missed you, Han.”

Luhan would lie if he said he wasn’t affected by Sehun’s honesty nor did he find that smile cute.

Sehun was messing with him again, Luhan concluded.

He spluttered and out of habit said “Eww! Where’d that come from!” However, his adamant reaction coupled with his warming cheeks (hope to god he’s not blushing) was a dead giveaway. Hopefully Sehun wouldn’t notice.

He did and there was a triumphant look on his face. This bastard.

“Go home Oh Sehun. You look tired” Luhan tried to change the topic instead, and he wasn’t lying about this one either. Sehun did seem all smiles while talking, but Luhan can detect the tiredness.

He just can tell.

Sehun sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re right. I am”

After hearing the answer, he felt a little pride. Someone had to be at his level to be able to tell his best friend’s moods.

“If you’re so tired, what are you doing here? Go home” was what he was about to reply but the taller beat him to it.

“I’m so tired I don’t want to walk anymore. Maybe I should just sleep here after all. Move over. I’m sleeping here tonight.”

Right.

Typical Oh Sehun, inviting himself just like that.

“for the umpteenth time, Oh Sehun. Go change your ing clothes” Luhan once again nagged. And his words were yet again ignored. He exasperatedly threw his arms up in the air “I give up” He settled beside Sehun, huffing when he saw the other smiling with his eyes closed and arms caging his stuffed cat almost possessively (he tried to snatch it earlier but Sehun had a strong hold).

“Turn the lights off.”

“Of course, my King” Luhan sarcastically said while rolling his eyes.

He didn’t expect for Sehun to play along “say it louder. Please me, my Queen.”

“what the .”

Sehun snickered, covering himself with his arms when Luhan smacked him with a pillow.

“Don’t get shy now, my Queen.” Sehun snickered some more but stopped himself when Luhan had the pillow in the air once again, and ready to attack.

“I’m just playing! Geez! Calm down!” he said with a wide smile, before burrowing his face further in Luhan’s pillows.

That was the problem though, for some reason, Luhan wasn’t calm. The queen thing sounded suggestive in his ears and Sehun knows Luhan gets embarrassed with that kind of stuff.

Sehun should stop tainting him or he won’t think twice to bury his best friend six feet underground.

Sighing, Luhan grabbed a pair of socks to wear, it was increasingly getting cold and he always had trouble with keeping warm.

His eyes then settled to his best friend’s form, thinking that Sehun was lucky because he had always been warm.

He knew about it because this hadn’t been the first time that they slept beside each other, It had been a while since the last time. Luhan can vaguely remember those moments. It was when Sehun was still acting clingy and all.

But then there was a certain phase in their friendship where he stopped and even dared to ignore Luhan. It was a time that Luhan never wanted to get back to because it had hurt him so.

He was just grateful it didn’t last long. Sehun was back to his side before he knew it, like he didn’t ignore his best friend.

It was then that Sehun’s friendly touches, Luhan was used too became a little more what was it… controlled? It was as if he was holding himself… maybe? Luhan truly had no idea. They never really talked about it.

“Luhan”

The sound of his name snapped him from his thoughts “you were saying?”

“I said when are you gonna meet this Kris guy?”

“why don’t you ask Jongin, you’ve been texting him this whole time weren’t you?” he huffed, his previous thoughts getting completely forgotten.

“are you still mad?”

“duhh. You ignored me just for the sake of…. of making me miss you. I’m still judging you by the way. And then there was Jongin, freaking hiding it from me. The nerve.”

“I’m judging myself as well and that makes two of us.” He deadpanned, and Luhan stifled a bit at that “But admit it, saying it out loud makes it sound sweet, doesn’t it?”

‘Sweet?’ he thought while making a face. Sehun had a different definition of sweet it seemed. “No, it sounds dumb. You are dumb”

“you are too. For the longest time.”

“what is that supposed to mean?”

Sehun snorted “It means me wishing you good night. Good night, Han”

The moment his head hit the pillow, everything became like an automatic response. He only noticed how heavy his lids felt right that moment, he didn’t even know he was this tired. Sleep was consuming him fast and there was nothing he could do but let it, he didn’t have the strength to resist much further anyways.

Through the transition of wake and sleep, he thought he heard Sehun speaking once more.

“Absence really do make the heart grow fonder. There was only one little thing I haven’t considered in that dumb plan.”

But even if Sehun did, Luhan was too sleep consumed to listen anyway.

“..And that was me, missing you.. a damn lot. Sleep tight, Han”

==

“Please tell me you got everything”

Luhan smiled wide “Of course! Have a little faith in me will y-“ he stopped in his tracks, muttering a crisp “.”

He forgot to go back for the ugly Christmas sweaters.

Sehun groaned. “Don’t make me go back in there. It’s too crowded, too stuffy and it’s a battlefield.” Sehun whined, and it might just be Luhan’s imagination but he might’ve heard cute little whimpers coming from his best friend.

‘what a baby’ He thought.

It was a Holiday rush after all, there was a battle bound to happen. And Luhan’s the type of person to dive in for Christmas sales to save money (he’s a cheapskate, sometimes) and drag his best friend along.

Oh well, he’ll come back for that ugly frosty the snowman and ugly reindeer sweater for another day.

“fine, you big baby.”

“Oh I’m your baby alright.” Sehun grumbled as he walked past Luhan.

“….did you say something?”

“I said I’m hungry”

It wasn’t that Luhan didn’t hear, he did. Ever since Sehun came back, he’d been acting weirder than before.

Saying more weird things and the constant need to touch Luhan seemed to increase (it included that damn neck massage). Luhan was at a loss of what to do, so he tried to act how he normally do and play pretend.

“Oh”

“The least you could do, after dragging me to that battlefield, is to feed me.” He said with a frown as he adjusted the shopping bags from his hands. “hurry up. My stomach’s growling mad” he added with a grouch, and true to his word, Luhan heard the mad growling of his best friend’s tummy when he caught up to walk beside him.

“Woah. Okay Mr. beast, you are indeed need to be fed, asap”

Sehun must’ve truly been hungry if his strides were this long. Luhan thought as he struggled catching up to the taller. He thought battling against a throng of people was over but the current situation proved him otherwise.

“wait.” If not for Sehun’s tall stature and red snapback, Luhan would’ve lost sight of him. “Sehun wait u-“

Luhan was a bit startled when Sehun’s figure suddenly appeared in front of him. “Don’t get lost, now.” He had a disapproving look on his face, his thick brows narrowed and his lips twisted to a frown. He removed his hold from the shopping bags only to place it on his other hand. He reached out to Luhan. “Hold my hand”

Luhan hesitated at first, but he was not given any other choice when some random stranger bumped him from behind. He felt Sehun reaching for his hand “so stubborn, c’mon”

This time, it was Luhan who was feeling like a baby, no, a little kid.

As they buzzed their way through the crowd, bodies in close range, not really wanting to lose each other, Sehun questioned. “it’s just a few more days before Christmas, are you still looking for that Prince?”

“of course! The bet is still on if that’s what you’re asking!” Luhan said confidently. He was just waiting for his prince to come and meet him.

And now that’s he’s reminded of it, Jongin sure is taking long to contact him. He hoped he could meet this Kris guy before Christmas day!

“I was asking for about the Prince thing.” Luhan felt Sehun’s hand tightening around his hold “don’t bother looking for one. I’ll be your Prince instead.”

If this was the Luhan from before, when they first agreed to the bet, he would shrug this off and laugh good naturedly.

And so he laughed, but this time for some reason, he felt conscious.

Especially when Sehun gave his hand a squeeze once more, glancing at him with a grin.

“Right. will you ever stop saying these weird things?”

“Nope”

Two dark orbs stared right back at him

“what are you staring at.”

Luhan snapped at his stuffed cat. Of course the poor toy did not have the power to say anything back.

“fine, I’m sorry.. I didn’t mean to yell.. I was just” he paused, finding the right term ”..distracted.”

Luhan sighed as he found his mind wandering once again. For some odd reason, his mind kept going back to the events of earlier, he found it tiring. With the crowd and doing some last-minute shopping for presents and all.

He reached for his stuffed cat with one hand only to pause, his mind once again replaying that certain scene.

It wasn’t really the crowd nor the last-minute shopping that was tiring his mind out. It was something else.

He overturned his hand and looked at his palm.

He wondered how his hand felt when held.

Did it feel soft?, or rough? Maybe clammy?, dry? Could it be warm?, or probably cold?

Or was there a certain softness, roughness and warmth combined?

like Sehun’s.

Oh what was he thinking about?

His thoughts were slowly scaring him.

The more he thought about these kind of things, the more he felt himself lose his mind.

‘Lose to what?’

Luhan grumbled, all these thoughts seemed to make him overthink “I’m going to sleep, move over fatass” he reached for his