Sehun waits outside Junmyeon’s door for a good five minutes before gathering up the courage to knock. He’s never felt so anxious about speaking to Junmyeon in his life. “Come in!” Junmyeon calls cheerfully. Sehun feels a wave of guilt wash over him at the distress he’s about to cause his brother.

“Hi hyung,” Sehun starts, making his way over to the bed and sitting down stiffly.

Junmyeon is standing at his desk, pouring over what looks like a mix of work-related papers and wedding-related magazines. Upon Sehun’s arrival, however, he looks up and his expression morphs into one of concern. “Sehun-ah, what’s wrong?”

Sehun curses to himself, because of course Junmyeon would immediately be able to tell that something is bothering him. “I - I think maybe you should sit down,” he suggests quietly.

Within two seconds, Junmyeon is seated at his side, an arm around Sehun’s shoulders. “What’s going on? You’re worrying me.”

“I want to run away,” Sehun blurts out, his voice trembling and tears welling up in his eyes as the reality of what he’s suggesting truly sinks in. He’s talked about it so many times, but only now is the weight of the decision really setting in.  “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, hyung. Me and Jongin have been talking about it for days now, and we already told everyone else except for you, and I wanted to tell you, I swear, but I was just so scared you would be angry, or worse, you would get really sad, and -”

“Sehun-ah, slow down.” Junmyeon’s voice is carefully controlled as he rubs Sehun’s back soothingly. “Can you repeat just the first part of that?”

Sehun sniffles, rubbing at his eyes furiously, but now that they’ve started, the tears won’t stop. “I - I want to run away, hyung. With Jongin.”

Junmyeon is silent for a few long moments. The only sound in the room is Sehun’s quiet sobs as he tries to stem the flow of tears. “Could you - explain?” Junmyeon finally asks. He doesn’t sound upset, but he also isn’t expressing much of any emotion at all, which Sehun thinks is just as bad.

“I don’t want to marry that girl,” Sehun whispers. “And even if I did, I don’t want to be locked away from my friends and from you and from my life after the wedding. You know that’s what would happen, hyung, they were reluctant to even agree to let me get a job.”

“I do know that,” Junmyeon murmurs.

“If I were out of the house, you’d be able to leave too,” Sehun continues softly. “You could finally move in with Kris-hyung. You wouldn’t have to stick around for me anymore.”

“Sehun, I -” Junmyeon tries to interrupt, but Sehun stops him.

“Hyung, don’t try to deny it. I know you’ve only stayed as long as you have because you wanted to look out for me. And I’m so, so grateful for that.” Sehun takes a deep breath. “But I also think it’s time you do something you want to do, not out of a sense of duty, but because you deserve it.”

Junmyeon is blinking back tears now too. “That doesn’t mean you have to run away from home, Sehun-ah.”

“It’s the best way,” Sehun insists, wiping at his eyes again. “Hyung, it's not like we’re ever going to speak to any of you again. We’ve already been forced to promise that we’ll Skype at least twice a week.”

“Yeah right.” Junmyeon manages a faint smile through his tears at that. “Try twice a day, and you’ll be on the right track.”

Sehun stares at his brother, hesitating slightly. “Seriously?”

Junmyeon sighs, brushing away a stray tear on Sehun’s cheek. “I’m not happy about it. You’ll never hear me say that.” Sehun nods, having expected nothing less from him. “I’m not going to lie to you - the thought of you being on your own with only Jongin scares me, because what if something between you changes and you end up breaking up? But there’s a part of me that wants to believe that it won’t happen. Not just because I adore Jongin, which I do, but because you two remind me so much of me and Kris. I can’t say I completely understand your situation, but I can relate at least a little bit. And I’d be lying if I said it never crossed my mind to run away with him too.”

“If I could think of any other way to get out of this situation, you know I would do that instead,” Sehun tells him sincerely.

“Of course I know, Sehunnie,” Junmyeon confirms, and his voice is so tender that Sehun almost collapses into tears again. “It’s selfish of me to want you to stay. But in the end, I just want my baby brother to be happy, and as much as I would prefer to keep you with me, I understand why you want to do this. It would be hypocritical of me to not sympathize with you. And listen - I’m not going to provide you with unlimited financial support, not to mention our parents will probably be suspicious if I give you too much, but I’ll always be here if you two ever seriously need anything.”

“I love you, hyung,” Sehun mumbles. A few more tears slide down his cheeks. “I don’t tell you enough, but you’re the most incredible person I know and I don’t know what I did to deserve someone as understanding and compassionate and kind as you as my brother.  And I’m gonna miss you so, somuch. I’ve never tried to imagine what life would be like without you always being there.”

“Stop it, you’re gonna make me cry again, Sehunnie!” Junmyeon pulls him into a tight hug, and Sehun can feel him smiling even as the stray tears drip onto his shirt. “I’ll miss you so much, I don’t know what I’m going to do without you. And by the way, you’re the best little brother in the world and I love you. And I will support you no matter what, no matter where you decide to go and who you’re going with. Don’t ever think otherwise.”

Sehun wants to feel reassured, but he happens to glance down at Junmyeon’s hand and spots the ring on his fourth finger, where Junmyeon has recently started wearing the ring instead of keeping it on a chain; Sehun looks away guiltily instead. “How can I be the best little brother in the world if I won’t even be able to come to your wedding?”

At that exact moment, Kris opens the window and neatly slides into the room, the distraction preventing Junmyeon from replying. Kris stops abruptly at the sight of the two brothers still partially embracing, tear tracks frozen on their faces. “I’m so sorry, am I interrupting? I can leave!” He moves to go back out the window, but Junmyeon stops him.

“Kris, it’s fine,” he says, shaking his head. “Come sit with us.”

Kris sits on Sehun’s other side and looks at them expectantly. “So, um, what’s up?”

“Me and Jongin are running away together so I don’t have to go along with the arranged marriage and can have my own life, but when I leave I won’t be able to come to your wedding because I can’t be there if my parents are there too,” Sehun summarizes in a rush, squeezing in the wedding concern at the end of his explanation in the hope that someone will address it.

Kris raises an eyebrow. “Define ‘running away.’ Like, running away as in ‘We will never see any of the people from our lives prior to running away ever again because we are eloping and no one will approve’ or running away as in ‘We will maintain contact with our friends and only cut off contact with the toxic people who caused us to run away in the first place?’”

Junmyeon rolls his eyes at him. “Kris, don’t stress him out more, what are you asking such elaborate questions for?”

“Those definitions were, um, weirdly specific, but anyway - the second one,” Sehun answers readily.

Kris nods sagely. “I approve. That was the one me and Junmyeon would have gone with if we ever decided to go through with our running away plans,” Kris comments casually. Junmyeon gives him a look, and Kris just shrugs matter-of-factly. Junmyeon looks exasperated but still fond, and it puts a smile on Sehun’s face.

“So,” Junmyeon interjects. “I realize now that I forgot to tell both of you about this, but Sehun-ah - our parents aren’t actually coming to the wedding.”

“What?” Sehun can’t believe what he’s hearing. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, why aren’t they coming?” Kris demands.

Sehun looks at him strangely. “Did you want them to?”

“Well yeah, I think it would’ve been pretty hysterical and satisfying to see the look on your father’s face when I get to kiss the love of my life in front of him and let the guy know that I get to keep his son forever,” Kris tells him unabashedly. Sehun snickers out loud at that.

Junmyeon looks like he’s torn between punching Kris in the arm and kissing the life out of him. In the end, he does neither, instead settling for reaching around Sehun and squeezing Kris’s hand gently before continuing to explain, “Anyway, I was trying to talk to them about invitations and they told me that they’re very sorry but they won’t be able to make it.” He smiles innocently, but his eyes are alight with mischief. “Of course, I made sure to let them know what a tragedy and how disappointing it is that they won’t be there.”

“So that means - me and Jongin can come to your wedding without getting caught even after we leave?” Sehun clarifies hopefully.

“Well, I think it would be slightly rude for my best man and one of the groomsmen to just not show up,” Junmyeon confirms with a grin.

Sehun feels his heart swelling with a burst of pure happiness as he lets Kris and Junmyeon engulf him in hugs. It’s the first time in a while that he’s felt genuinely content. Finally, he thinks. Things are looking up.