He had sad eyes.

That was the first thing that came to Sehun’s mind when he first saw him.

He was an exquisite creature, though, which was to be expected, naturally. Jongin’s taste had always been flawless.

“This is Luhan. My Lulu,” Jongin amended with his trademark smirk, the arm around Luhan’s shoulders tightening possessively.

My Lulu blushed, his eyes dropping to the floor as he flashed an embarrassed smile. Sehun couldn’t help sympathizing with him.

“Luhan, this is Oh Sehun. The old classmate I was telling you about.”

Sehun took pity on the boy and stuck his hand out, smiling warmly. “Nice to meet you, Luhan.”

Luhan glanced up at him, still wearing that embarrassed smile as he shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.” He spoke in lightly accented Korean, his voice soft and light, which Sehun found very pleasant to his ears.

“Isn’t he beautiful?” Jongin said, sighing over his own good fortune. “I thank God for the day that I found him.”

Because he knew that it was expected, Sehun grinned and said, “You’re a very lucky man, hyung.”

“I wish I could say otherwise but it was luck indeed,” Jongin grudgingly agreed. “If I hadn’t been running late that day, someone else would’ve snatched him up for sure. As it was, I got him straight off the boat.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jongin realized his error but it was too late. Sehun gasped in disbelief and Luhan’s already tinged cheeks were now bright red, his eyes once again glued to the solid oak floor.

“Oh man, I’m sorry. I know that I’m not supposed to say those things. I’m trying really hard to break out of it.” Jongin once again squeezed Luhan’s shoulders, leaning in to look up into his downturned face. “Forgive me, babe?”

Luhan nodded but he didn’t lift his gaze and the color in his cheeks did not recede for quite some time.

Jongin continued to talk, moving onto another topic, and Sehun tried his best to listen but his attention was almost entirely focused on Luhan. He still stood at Jongin’s side, hands politely clasped in front of him, eyes averted. He added nothing to the conversation and Jongin made no attempt to include him in it, though his arm never left Luhan's shoulders. Sehun got the impression that it was more of a habit: a dog marking its territory. He found himself wondering what Luhan was thinking, wondering about the nature of their relationship. From what Jongin had so proudly told him when they’d run into each other the week before, he and Luhan had been together for a couple of years and were living in unwedded bliss. Seeing them for himself now, though, he couldn’t help wondering just how true that statement was.

“Aish,” Jongin swore. “I see my boss is here. Gotta go kiss some for a bit. Lulu, why don’t you get Sehun another drink? His glass is almost empty. Also show him around a bit. Um, take him to the gallery, okay?” Without waiting for a response, he gave Luhan a pat on the shoulder and walked off, smiling widely as he called out to his boss.

Sehun’s attention once again returned to Luhan just as the boy in question took his glass from his hand.

“I’ll get you a refill,” Luhan said softly.

Sehun followed silently behind Luhan as he made his way to the bar, accepting the fresh glass of champagne that he handed him.

“This way, please,” Luhan said politely, gesturing to a doorway to his right.

Sehun wanted to tell him to stop, that he didn’t have to obey Jongin’s every mandate, but he was also quite intrigued by him and wanted to spend more time with him to figure out why.

Luhan led him down a short hallway and around a corner to another hallway before stopping in front of tall, wide double-doors. He reached out and opened one side, stepping back and gesturing for Sehun to precede him.

The room was impressive, Sehun had to admit. The ceiling was vaulted, dome-shaped, and painted with an intricate mural. The walls were covered with expensive artworks, each wall depicting a different era and style. Jongin-hyung had really done well for himself.

“This is amazing,” he said to dispel the deafening silence, walking to a painting to peruse it up close.

“Jongin is very proud of his collection,” Luhan said, sounding for all intents and purposes like a museum guide.

He stood by the door, hands still clasped in front of him, looking ahead of him but seemingly not at anything in particular. He definitely wasn’t looking at Sehun.

“How long has he been collecting?” Sehun asked, hoping that his questions would help Luhan to relax a bit.

“He has had an interest in art for most of his life,” Luhan recited dutifully, “but he has only been a serious collector for about five years.”

Sehun knew that Jongin had come from a good family, just like he had: not outrageously wealthy but certainly not lacking for anything. They’d met at a private high school but had gone their separate ways once they’d graduated, Sehun studying abroad while Jongin had stayed in Korea. Sehun had only been back for a year, now an established artist in his own right. His running into Jongin had purely been by chance but they’d hit it off, reconnecting over lunch. Jongin was pretty much the same as he’d remembered him: loud, talkative, full of life and energy. He’d always had an arrogance and cockiness about him but he’d still been extremely well-liked in high school. He wasn’t one of those popular kids who picked on those lower down the social ladder.

When he’d invited Sehun to a soiree at his house, Sehun had readily accepted. He hadn’t done much socializing since his return apart from gallery showings, the occasional lunch date with his noona or dinner at his parents’ home once a month. This was his first real non-work-related social gathering. He’d been impressed by the sheer size of Jongin’s house as soon as he’d stepped foot in it. His own modest town house could fit inside of this mansion three times over. It was a lot of room for just two people but Jongin liked the best that life had to offer and his job afforded him the luxury, even if Sehun personally thought that it was more for appearances’ sake than anything else.

“He’s got a great eye,” he said, mostly to himself.

Luhan nodded. “He would be most pleased to hear that.”

Sehun turned towards him, eying him speculatively. No matter how he tried to wrap his mind around it, Luhan didn’t belong in this place. He just didn’t…fit. He was as beautiful as any of the paintings on the wall, any of Jongin’s many shiny, expensive ornaments and from what Sehun had seen thus far Jongin had a tendency to treat him like one. But unlike those inanimate objects, Luhan was a living, breathing being. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was out of place in his surroundings.

It’s none of your business, though, a little voice reminded him.

Shaking off his thoughts, Sehun walked over to a plump chaise, dropping into it.

“Luhan…” He gestured to the spot beside him when the boy glanced over. “Please?”

Nodding, Luhan made his way over, gingerly sitting down, his back ramrod straight.

“About earlier…” Sehun began, choosing his words carefully. “I just want to apologize again on Hyung's behalf, on the behalf of my people as well. I know that we can be unforgivably ignorant at times.”

Luhan shifted uncomfortably, smiling slightly as he glanced over at Sehun. “Thank you. But it’s fine. He didn’t mean to say it. It just…slipped.”

“It’s not the first time, though, is it?” Sehun gently prodded.

Luhan’s averted gaze and pinkening cheeks gave him his answer and he couldn’t understand why he suddenly felt angry.

“I won’t make excuses for that kind of behavior but please know that we aren’t all like that. Some of us can actually make it through the day without putting our foot in our mouths,” he joked.

Luhan’s lips curved upward slightly and Sehun felt like he had been given a gift.

Not wanting to lose momentum, he forged on. “So, you’re from China?”

Luhan nodded. “Beijing.”

“I’ve always wanted to visit. I’ve been to many countries but haven’t really explored Asia,” he admitted somewhat shyly.

“You’re an artist, correct?” Luhan asked, sounding genuinely interested. “I think Jongin said you studied abroad and came back recently?”

Sehun nodded. “I went to college in New York, the land of the starving artists.” He smiled. “Fortunately, I didn’t starve for very long. I met some really business-savvy people who helped me build a reputation and get some showings in a few decent galleries. It all took off from there.”

“But you are staying here permanently, yes?”

He nodded again. “It might seem strange to walk away at the height of my career but I’d always intended to come home, I just wanted to come home a success. I can paint anywhere and perhaps the field isn’t as lucrative here as it is back there but there are other ways to supplement my income. It’s not about the money for me, anyway. I genuinely enjoy what I do.”

Luhan seemed to be turning his words over in his mind, moistening his bottom lip with the tip of his tongue. Sehun was positive that it was an unconscious action but it was one that he found incredibly y.

“You have passion,” Luhan murmured. “I think it’s admirable. Some…people forget that, I think. That they should actually like what they do, that it shouldn’t only be about the pursuit of riches.”

Sehun had the impression that Luhan wasn’t just making a blanket statement: he had someone in mind when he said it. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who.

“Money doesn’t buy happiness,” Sehun agreed. “Some get distracted by it but it doesn’t make them bad people. They only need to be reminded of the more important things in their lives,” he added gently. He didn’t know why he felt beholden to defend his friend. For old time’s sake, he supposed.

Luhan smiled, nodding his head. “Perhaps you are right.”

“What do you do, Luhan? I don’t believe Jongin-hyung said.”

Luhan’s blush returned. “At the moment, nothing.”

Sehun’s curiosity grew. “Did you originally come here to study or work?”

“Work. I got an assistant position through the Chinese branch of a Korean company. I’d always wanted to travel and it was a good opportunity. But when I met Jongin…” He shrugged delicately. “He said that it didn’t make sense, traveling three hours to and from work every day. My original accommodations weren’t really up to par with his standards and I don’t think he felt comfortable visiting me there, especially since I had a roommate, so he suggested that I move in here but that turned a thirty minute bus ride into three hours and two bus changes. In the end he decided that it was probably best that I leave. I could find something closer to home and…it was just an assistant position. Besides, it’s not like I had to worry my pretty little head about money.” He smiled bitterly.

Sehun heard the hurt in his words, saw it on his face, and he felt his earlier anger return. He wondered if his hyung had any idea how hurtful words could be. A simple, careless sentence could do irreparable damage to a person’s self-esteem and no amount of money or pretty things would fix it.

“Did you ever find a job closer to home?” he asked tightly.

Luhan shrugged again. “I looked but every time I found something interesting, he said that it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t exactly have a lot of options either, with my limited Korean at the time, not to mention the unwillingness of some employers to hire non-Koreans.”

That’s a nice way of putting it, Sehun thought wryly. He knew how secular his society could be and it sickened him to think that this delicate person had had to deal with scorn and rejection simply because he’d been born in the “wrong” country.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized sincerely, feeling guilt and disgust on behalf of his countrymen.

Luhan smiled, the brightest, sweetest smile Sehun had ever seen. “Thank you but please, don’t be. It’s not your fault and I don’t hold it against you or anyone else. I really do like it here, I just wish sometimes…”

Sehun held his breath, waiting for him to finish.

Luhan shook his head, blushing shyly. “Nevermind.”

Sehun touched his arm gently. “Tell me,” he encouraged.

“I just…”

“There you are!” Jongin exclaimed as he stalked through the door. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you two.”

Clearly not, Sehun thought as he got to his feet but said instead, “Luhan was just showing me your collection. Your taste, as with everything else, is superb,” he complimented, unable to stop himself from shooting a glance at Luhan as he spoke.

Jongin grinned proudly. “I thought you would say that. Speaking of which, there’s someone who would like to meet you.” He placed a hand on Sehun’s arm and started guiding him out of the room.

Sehun looked over his shoulder at Luhan, who followed silently behind them. He flashed him a smile and felt his heart flutter in his chest when Luhan smiled back. His smile widened when he noticed one more important thing:

Luhan’s eyes were no longer sad.

Later that night, Luhan lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, hands curled into the covers as he clutched them to his chest.

Beside him, Jongin was fast asleep, snoring loudly as he always did when he’d had too much to drink. He’d been in a good mood, his party having been a rousing success, as usual. After all the guests had left, he’d grabbed a bottle of champagne and dragged Luhan off to their bedroom.

Luhan winced, thinking about how sore he would be in the morning. Jongin was a…passionate man under normal circumstances but with alcohol in his system, his ardor could sometimes get out of control and, unfortunately, Luhan was the one that always paid the price. It wasn’t Jongin’s fault, though, he reminded himself. He was just full of life and energy and passion and it was sometimes hard to bottle it up, he supposed. He did wish that Jongin would be more gentle at times, though.

His mind drifted back to what was keeping him awake. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about him.

“Sehun,” he whispered into the darkness.

Luhan had met most of Jongin’s friends and colleagues and they weren’t bad people. They were smart and successful, just like Jongin. They would inquire politely about what he was up to but he always knew that they didn’t really care. They would compliment Jongin on catching someone like him, as if he was somehow responsible for the way Luhan looked. It was always about looks with those people. Jongin’s China Doll, they called him. Sometimes, later on when they were alone together, Jongin would apologize for their behavior, but other times Luhan was positive that Jongin didn’t even notice when they made similar harsh remarks.

Sehun wasn’t like that, though. He was different.

When he’d apologized for Jongin, Luhan had felt his sincerity and when he’d asked him about himself, he’d seen his curiosity, his genuine desire to know. For the first time in he didn’t know how long, he’d actually felt like someone cared. He didn’t want to seem ungrateful, he loved Jongin, he truly did, and he appreciated everything he did for him but work always came first for him, there was always money to be made, which meant that Luhan had to take a backseat. He didn’t have any friends or family: his closest acquaintance was their maid and she only came three times a week. Thus, he hadn’t had a real conversation with anyone in a very long time and…he couldn’t deny how unbelievably good it had felt.

He thought that perhaps he should feel guilty, thinking about Sehun while Jongin slumbered next to him and he could still feel the aftermath of their lovemaking, but he didn’t. His thoughts were filled with gratitude so that was okay, right? He was merely thankful towards Sehun for making him feel like a human being again, that was all. It didn’t matter that Sehun’s smile was permanently imprinted on his brain, that when they’d seen him off at the door he’d looked directly at Luhan when he'd said, “see you soon,” as if he’d meant it for him and only him.

He rolled onto his side, away from Jongin, grimacing as pain arced up his back. Sighing, he pressed his face into his pillow, exhaustion rolling over him. Against all odds, it had been a good day, he decided. Just before he fell asleep, he had one last thought.

He hoped he’d see Sehun again.