With Sehun's tenure at an end, things around the office slowed down.

Offers still rolled in but despite his earlier assertion that he needed to take advantage of the opportunities coming his way, nothing interested him enough to stimulate his creative juices so he let Luhan deal with the emails and telephone calls, as usual, while he doodled or caught up on Telenovelas with Magda. He was becoming quite capable in conversational Spanish. He particularly enjoyed slang and swear words, much to Magda's chagrin. She often expressed her displeasure in little clicks of her tongue and disapproving looks. It reminded him of his mother, which he found endearing, and it further cemented his conviction to reunite her with her son. Neither one should have to miss out on the little things that others took for granted for it was the little things that children looked back on fondly when they became adults.

One afternoon, he decided to drive Luhan home simply because he was bored and wanted to get out of the house. The car-ride to Jongin’s house was filled with chatter as Luhan updated him on the activities of his favourite idol group. Sehun smiled and nodded along, not so much paying attention to what was being said as he was simply enjoying the sound of Luhan’s voice, the sheer excitement and happiness woven through it. If it were a painting, it would be gold, he decided, reflecting the sun or a prettier yellow than the stupid flat smiley-face icon.

As he turned into the driveway, the tall gates standing wide open, Luhan said,

“Huh. Jongin must be home. I know I closed the gates when I left this morning. He’s the only one that leaves them open but…it’s so early.”

Sehun shot him a sideways glance, immediately noting the slight frown on his face.

When he pulled up to the house, Jongin’s sleek little car was indeed parked in front of the steps. He parked behind it, turning the engine off without thinking and alighting from the car just as Luhan did. He usually just dropped Luhan off but something told him that today was the day to stick around.

He rounded the car to join Luhan at the bottom of the steps but just as Luhan opened his mouth to say something, the front door flew open and Jongin came rushing out.

“Oh!” he exclaimed. “You’re home.” He glanced over at Sehun, smiling slightly. “Sehun-ah.”

Sehun nodded in acknowledgment. “Hyung.”

“You’re home early,” Luhan commented softly.

Shifting his gaze back to Luhan, Jongin replied, “Yeah, I just stopped in to get some stuff. I was on my way out.”

It was then that Luhan and Sehun’s gazes dropped to his hands and they saw his briefcase in one hand and a small suitcase in the other.

Luhan’s frown deepened. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Oh, yes. I meant to call you, I really did. It must have slipped my mind. We’re nearing the end of the project, everything’s almost finalized but there are still some last minute details that need to be addressed so the team is heading to Busan for a few days. I only had enough time to drive here, pack a few things, and speed off to the airport to make my flight.” His expression softened. “I’m really sorry that I didn’t call.”

Luhan shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I understand.”

Jongin glanced at his watch. “I really need to get on the road now.” He looked back up at Luhan. “Now I feel bad for leaving you here alone.”

Luhan shook his head again. “No. It’s fine. I’ll be okay.”

“Are you sure?”

Luhan nodded. “Yes.”

“Well…if you say so.” He glanced at his watch again.

“Luhan-hyung can come stay with me,” Sehun said suddenly, surprising both men into turning their heads sharply to look at him. “Until you get back.”

Color tinged Luhan’s cheeks. “It’s okay, I’ll be fine. Really,” he insisted. “And it’s just for a few days, right?” The last part was directed at Jongin.

Jongin nodded. “A few days, a week at most. These things can get dragged out at times but I don’t anticipate it lasting that long.”

“Still. Luhan-hyung can come stay with me,” Sehun said reasonably. “I mean, he has to come to work in the morning anyway so that’ll save him the commute and he won’t be lonely. It’s just a few days, right?”

“Right…” Jongin looked unsure for a moment, his gaze shifting from Luhan to Sehun and back. Finally, he smiled, nodding his head in agreement. “It’s a good idea. Like you said, it’ll save him the commute and at least he wouldn’t be lonely.”

Face burning bright red, Luhan once again attempted to speak up. “I’m…”

Jongin glanced at his watch a third time. “, I’ve got to get going.” Gripping his cases, he raced down the steps, pausing to give Luhan a brief kiss on the cheek. “I’ll call you,” he promised. Turning to Sehun, he flashed a smile. “Thanks, Sehun-ah. You’re a lifesaver.”

And with that, he was gone.

Luhan didn’t move for a few minutes, not until Sehun took his elbow and guided him up the stairs and into the foyer where he released his grip.

“I’ll just…be a minute,” Luhan stammered before turning and heading up the staircase.

As he watched him go, Sehun wondered if he’d done the right thing. He personally had no problem with Luhan staying with him, in fact he looked forward to it, but Luhan had seemed stunned. He wasn’t sure if it was due to the fact that Jongin had almost left without a word or the fact that Jongin had all but left him in Sehun’s care. Maybe he didn’t want to stay with Sehun. Sehun hadn’t asked Luhan himself; he’d proposed it to Jongin as if Jongin’s permission was the one that mattered. Wasn’t he trying to empower Luhan? He’d done quite the opposite by turning to Jongin, as if Jongin owned him.

“Ready,” Luhan said softly from the door.

Sehun turned around, smiling slightly at the adorable picture Luhan made as he stood hunched and unsure in the doorway. He walked over and took his small suitcase from limp fingers before reclaiming his elbow and leading him back out. He released his hold on the landing and continued to the car while Luhan locked up and set the alarm before joining him.

The drive back to his house was a marked contrast to their journey to Jongin’s, the silence deafening, but Sehun didn’t let it get to him. Luhan was probably just working it through in his head and whenever he was ready to talk again, Sehun would be more than happy to listen.

“Well, you know where everything is. Make yourself at home.”

Luhan nodded, looking around the hallway as if he’d never seen it before despite having walked through every day for months.

“Luhan?”

At the sound of Sehun’s voice, his head jerked up. Sehun was looking at him quizzically and why wouldn’t he when he had suddenly turned mute? Idiot!

“Are you alright? I’m sorry I didn’t even ask you if you wanted to come. Maybe you would have liked some alone time at your own home.”

Luhan immediately shook his head, eyes going wide. Was that what Sehun thought? He had it all wrong.

“No! Um…no, it’s not that. I’m just…a little nervous.” He blushed. “This might sound strange, not to mention childish, but I haven’t been away from…home since I came here. Well…except for when you were sick. But that’s it really.”

“Oh…” A smile of understanding broke out across Sehun’s face. “It’ll be fun. Just think of it as a sleepover. I can’t braid your hair, paint your nails or anything like that but we can watch movies and stay up late talking about boys,” he joked.

Luhan couldn’t help but smile. It was impossible to resist.

“Go on up and change while I order us some dinner. Is Italian good for you?”

Luhan nodded.

“We’ll have wine with it. I’ve got a really expensive bottle I’ve been saving for a special occasion.” He wiggled his eyebrows, drawing another laugh from Luhan.

Picking up his suitcase from where Sehun had set it on the floor, Luhan started towards the staircase.

“And Luhan?”

He paused, turning to look back.

“Make yourself at home.”

Heat suffused his cheeks. Why, oh, why couldn’t he ever play it cool?, he thought in disgust. Nodding quickly, he all but ran up the rest of the stairs.

Once he was out of Sehun’s sight, he released a long, audible sigh and slowed his steps, taking his time as he ambled his way down the hall to the second bedroom.

Sehun had it all wrong, he thought as he unpacked his things after changing. He wasn’t upset that Sehun hadn’t asked him if he wanted to stay with him. Not in the least.

It was true that he’d been surprised that Jongin was leaving, hurt by his lack of consideration for Luhan. A simple phone call was all it took to alert Luhan of his plans, one that rarely ever came. He was used to it but it still hurt, though Jongin had seemed sincere when he’d apologized. Perhaps he’d just been too hurried and it really had slipped his mind. And yes, he supposed it would seem presumptuous of Sehun to offer to let him stay with him and to address the offer to Jongin, not Luhan himself – that hadn’t gone unnoticed – but he wasn’t offended because Sehun was never high-handed and rarely ever presumptuous where Luhan was concerned and he knew that Sehun hadn’t meant anything by it. After all, wasn’t he the one who had made Luhan realize that he was quite capable of standing on his own two feet and being his own man?

What had struck him dumb, however, was the realization that he was going to be alone with Sehun in his house day after day after day. He already was, he supposed, but it was completely different. Coming in the morning and leaving in the afternoon was not the same as being there twenty-four hours, seeing him first thing in the morning, sitting down to dinner with him and saying goodnight. It would be like…

Living together.

His whole face began to burn, a sure sign that he was beet-red, and he rushed out to the bathroom down the hall, throwing open the door and splashing water on his face.

Idiot, idiot, idiot!

He was being silly. Sehun was his friend, his friend who had kindly offered to let him stay with him while his boyfriend was out of town. Sehun was just nice, that’s all. The nicest person he’d ever met. Smart, intelligent, kind, caring…

He shook his head, trying to dispel his thoughts.

Sehun was just his friend. His friend who he was incredibly attracted to and who seemed to return his feelings.

“Luhan! Food’s here!”

Oh, God.

He was in trouble.

Despite Luhan’s premature fears, the following days were mostly uneventful and he found himself settling into Sehun’s home effortlessly.

With the two of them in the house and not much to do, Sehun gave Magda the week off and he and Luhan did some spring – summer – cleaning, rearranging the furniture to utilize the space in the living room and office, and started a garden. Sehun had a nice little backyard that he said he’d meant to do something with but had never gotten around to. Luhan didn’t know the first thing about gardening but they bought a book, gear, tools and supplies at a gardening store in the city to help them. After puttering for a couple of days, Luhan had to admit that the garden was shaping up nicely. They’d bought some mini-trees and planted them along the walls as a hedge of sorts, with the seeds being planted around the garden furniture in the middle. He couldn’t wait to see the flowers and potted cherry tomatoes in bloom.

Days passed before Jongin finally called and when he did, the conversation didn’t even last a minute. He sounded frustrated and tired and Luhan couldn’t help worrying about him, wondering if he was taking care of himself, but he didn’t voice his concerns since experience had taught him that Jongin didn’t always appreciate his mothering, as he’d referred to it on a few occasions. Jongin did mention that his trip had been extended but he couldn’t say exactly when he would be returning. When Luhan relayed the news to Sehun, Sehun suggested that they visit his house for more clothes, if he wanted, since he would probably run out soon. Luhan agreed.

He was in the kitchen on Sunday perusing the meager offerings in the fridge and making a mental note of what he needed to pick up at the supermarket when Sehun appeared behind him.

“Hyung, go get dressed.”

Surprised, Luhan jumped and spun around, his hand clutching his chest as his heart hammered away.

“Sorry,” Sehun apologized sheepishly.

As he calmed down, Luhan’s eyes drifted over Sehun, taking in his tan loafers, slim-fitting slacks and plaid shirt, the sleeves casually pushed up to his elbows.

“Are you going somewhere?” he asked.

“We’re going to lunch,” Sehun replied, smiling.

Luhan’s eyes widened. “We are?”

Sehun nodded. “Yes, and you’d better get dressed soon because we’re going to be late.”

“Where are we going?” Luhan felt strangely apprehensive for reasons he couldn’t explain.

Sehun’s smile widened into a grin. “It’s a surprise. Now please hurry, hyung.”

Still looking wary, Luhan made his way upstairs and changed his clothes, taking a cue from Sehun’s outfit while choosing his own. He settled on jeans and a loose sweater. He combed his hair, brushed his teeth and with one last anxious glance at his reflection, went downstairs to meet Sehun.

“Don’t look so scared, hyung,” Sehun teased as they left the house and climbed into the car. “It’s a good surprise.”

As they drove towards their destination, Sehun kept him talking and little by little, he felt himself relax. He trusted Sehun implicitly and knew that he wouldn’t spring anything bad on him. He just wasn’t used to surprises, or had a not-so-great history with them rather. The ones he’d received in the past, especially since he’d been with Jongin, weren’t always good.

An hour later, they drove into a pretty gated community, one where every street was named after a flower or fruit. Sehun to Marigold drive and parked in front of a rustic, two-storey house.

Who lives here?, Luhan wondered as he climbed out.

He turned his head sharply when Sehun placed a hand at the small of his back and urged him up the flowery, cobbled path to the front door.

“Hyung, don’t be nervous but…” He flashed a guilty smile. “Just…don’t be nervous.”

Luhan gulped. If Sehun thought his words would be comforting, he couldn’t have been more wrong. If anything, they quadrupled Luhan’s anxiety. Exactly who was he about to meet?

As if the universe, or the person inside, had heard his unspoken question, the front door opened, drawing his attention to it.

“Sehun-ah!” a woman exclaimed.

She rushed down the short flight of steps and threw her arms around Sehun’s neck, forcing him to stagger back before he regained his balance.

Laughing, Sehun wrapped his arms around her. “Did you gain weight? Or have you been working out again? Should I be worried?”

She pulled back and playfully cuffed him on the shoulder. “You know it’s rude to comment on a lady’s figure.”

He glanced around innocently before looking back at her. “Lady? I don’t see one.”

She raised her fist threateningly but there was no malice in her eyes and they both broke out laughing.

“My Sehunnie…Forever sharp-tongued and witty,” she cooed, pinching his cheeks.

“Stop it,” he grumbled.

Grinning, the woman pulled away and looked over at Luhan. “Oh, you brought a friend? Mom didn’t mention anything.”

“It wouldn’t be a surprise if I did, now would it?” Turning to Luhan, he slid his arm around his waist and propelled him forward so that they were standing side by side. “Luhan, this is my noona. Noona, this is Luhan.” He smiled so widely, his eyes curled into little half-moons. “Surprise!”

Feeling more than a little faint, Luhan bowed respectfully before raising his eyes to the unusually tall woman in front of him. She really was tall, taller than Sehun actually, with strong, toned arms, visible in her sleeveless top, and an angular face. She definitely wasn’t the typical dainty female he was used to. She was striking, though, and her resemblance to Sehun was uncanny. They had the same intense eyes, same nose, jaw and, when she smiled, the same tiny teeth.

“Luhan, hello,” she greeted, offering him a hand: another surprise.

“Have you been gone so long that you forgot that we bow in this country?” Sehun asked pointedly.

“We shake hands too sometimes,” she argued.

“But we bow first!” Sehun insisted.

“Are you two at it already? Geez, he just got here, Emily. He’s not even inside the house yet.”

Luhan looked over Emily’s shoulder to see a short, petite woman walking down the steps towards them. When she reached them, her eyes immediately zoomed in on Luhan and as with her daughter – again, the resemblance was clear – surprise stole across her features.

“Oh. Sehunnie, you brought a friend.”

“Hello,” Luhan said softly, bowing yet again.

Sehun's arm tightened reassuringly around Luhan. “Mom, this is Luhan. Luhan, my mom.”

“He's a surprise,” Emily informed her with a wicked grin.

Sehun glowered but before he could make a retort, his mother said,

“Let's all go inside before the neighbours start peeking through their windows and calling each other on the phone.”

With a firm grip on her daughter's arm, she dragged her up the path, leaving Sehun and Luhan behind to follow.

“Don't worry,” Sehun murmured into his ear. “They're harmless.”

“What if they don't like me?” Luhan whispered, surprising them both with the question since he hadn't consciously realized he'd been thinking it.

Sehun sighed. “You're right. They won't like you.”

Luhan gasped, his eyes darting up to meet Sehun’s.

Sehun chuckled softly. “They'll love you, silly.” He tweaked Luhan's nose. “It's impossible not to.”

As was his nature, colour bloomed in Luhan’s cheeks but before he could think of a reply – his brain was moving at a snail’s pace – Sehun urged him towards the door which, quite frankly, looked like a mouth eagerly waiting to swallow him up.

Taking a deep breath, he gathered what little courage he could muster and braced himself.

“He’s quite lovely.”

Sehun carefully placed the dishes in the sink and turned to face his mother as she proceeded to do the same. He’d known when she'd asked him to help her with the dishes that she wanted to talk and it didn't take a genius to figure out what the topic of conversation would be.

“He is,” he replied simply.

His mother said nothing for a few minutes while she scraped the plates clean of the remnants of their meal but Sehun was prepared for her first strike. Whatever she came at him with, he could handle.

“So that’s it then, is it?” she finally said.

“That’s what?”

She placed the last dish in the sink and turned to face her son, her expression unreadable.

“You’re in love with him,” she stated flatly.

For a second he froze, then a small smile flirted across his lips. “Is it that obvious?” He didn’t consider lying to her, not for a second. Honestly, what would be the point?

“Sehun-ah...” Her face wasn’t expressionless anymore. Concern for her son, her baby, was etched in the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and mouth. Cupping his cheeks, she looked deeply into his eyes. “Are you sure that this is what you want?”

Sehun nodded. “He is.”

“What about Hyeri? I thought things were going well between you. I thought...”

“She knows, Mom,” he said gently. “She's always known. We’d make a great match if we were genuinely interested in each other and I adore her and cherish our friendship but that's all it'll ever be. We both feel the same.”

“Marriages have been based on less,” his mother reasoned, not yet ready to throw in the towel.

“Is that what you want for me? A loveless marriage?”

“You said that you adore her. That’s a great start. Adoration can blossom into love.”

Sehun smiled, shaking his head. “Perhaps for some, but it won’t for us and it’d be selfish of me to ask her to wait for something that might never come. Like me, she wants to marry for the right reason: love, and nothing but.”

His mother sighed.

“I’m sorry if I’ve disappointed you,” he said softly.

It was her turn to shake her head. “You haven't. You couldn’t if you tried. You’ve always made me proud, me and your father. We could never want more from a son than what we’ve gotten from you.”

“Except maybe grandchildren,” Sehun teased.

“Don't remind me,” she muttered. Suddenly she perked up. “There’s always adoption. Or better yet, surrogacy?”

Sehun laughed. “We'll see. There’s time enough for that yet.”

His mother’s expression fell once again, a tentative panic tingeing the worry in her eyes. “It's not going to be easy.”

Sehun nodded. “I know.”

“And he's...”

He nodded again. “Yeah...”

She sighed. “You always did pick the most difficult path. Daddy says come join his firm, you hie off to America to be an artist.” She shook her head. “You can never play it safe, can you?”

Sehun chuckled, leaning down to kiss his mother's forehead. “Safe is no fun.”

Clucking her tongue, she enveloped her son in her arms and gave him a tight hug.

As the minutes ticked by, Sehun began to wonder if she ever planned on letting go but eventually she did. She gazed up at him and he hated the look in her eyes, a look that he had put there. Standing on the tips of her toes, she kissed the corner of his mouth.

“Be careful.”

Dropping her arms, she walked away, just as his sister came through the door.

“Um...were those tears that I saw in mom's eyes?” she asked, glancing back the way their mother had exited.

Sighing, Sehun grabbed pair of gloves and threw another at her. “I'll wash, you dry.”

They got down to work and for the first five minutes or so the kitchen was blissfully quiet. Sehun knew that it was only a matter of time, though. He could practically see the questions burning the tip of Emily's tongue all the way through lunch.

“So...”

Sehun pretended that he didn't hear her, continuing his rhythmic soap-rinse-pass routine.

“There’s no point in ignoring me. I’m not going away, Baby Brother,” she said in English, sounding far too cheery.

 “You wouldn't be you if you did,” he muttered.

“What was that? I didn't quite catch it.”

Sighing, he glanced over at her. “Just spit it out, will you?”

“Spit what out, dear boy?”

“Em...” he growled.

She shrugged. “Actually... It may surprise you to know that I have nothing to say. Well, no questions to ask rather. I think I know everything that I need to.”

Sehun cocked a brow. “Is that so?”

Emily grinned. “Your face always gives you away, Sehunnie. Other people may not be able to read you but they don't know you like I do. All it took was one look, one glimpse of you looking at him, to tell me everything that I could ever want to know.”

“And what's that?” he asked, though he knew that she was right. She knew him far too well.

It was her turn to raise a knowing brow. “Do I really need to say it?”

He shook his head, feeling small all of a sudden. They were only a couple of years apart, she was actually the same age as Luhan, but of all his sisters she was the only one who made him feel young at times. Probably because he was closest to her and she knew him better than anyone else.

“Aren't you going to give me advice? Tell me not to think about it, that it's wrong?”

Emily paused to think for a moment. “No.”

Sehun's brows disappeared into his bangs, surprise etched across his face.

“Shocking, right?” She chuckled. “I won't lie and say that I'm deliriously happy for you. It’s not an ideal situation. But I know you. If you got yourself into this then there must be a reason, a damn good one. I know that his situation isn’t…the best. So if you're willing to go there...for him...then he must really be worth it.”

Sehun smiled tenderly. “He is.”

“You see! That right there!” Emily rolled her eyes. “You can't even talk about him without sounding and looking like a puppy. It’s gross, or it sure as hell would be if you two weren't so damn cute.”

Sehun laughed. “Don't be jealous, Noona. If you want someone to look this way while talking about you then you may want to soften up a bit. No man wants a woman who is manlier than he is.”

“I'm not manly! I'm just not one of those overly frou-frou women who simper and swoon at the littlest thing. And any man who wants that isn’t a man at all. Being with someone you perceive as weak doesn't make you strong. What kind of cockamamie logic is that anyway?” She rolled her eyes again, breaking off into a muttering string of insults about the type of men she detested.

Silence descended between them and they wrapped up what they were doing, deciding on a second slice of cake before rejoining the others.

“Luhan is probably freaking out,” Sehun mused, guilt nipping at him.

“I can't believe you didn't give him any advanced warning,” she chided. “You bring him to meet your family but don’t even let him prepare for it? Or us for that matter!”

“You don't know Luhan.” He smiled tenderly. “Telling him would only have upset him. He would panic, worrying that you guys wouldn't like him, wanting to bring some kind of gift, and then freaking out over whether you guys would like whatever he chose. It was better to just not say anything. I never mentioned that I had lunch at home once or twice a month so there seemed no reason to bring it up today.”

“You're evil, maknae,” she sneered, calling him by his nickname.

“Learned from the best!” he quipped.

“So what are you going to do?” she asked after some time.

Sehun looked contemplatively at his fork. “Nothing...”

Emily glanced at him out of the corner of her eye but remained silent.

“I know how I feel and I know what I want. But I decided from the beginning that I wasn't going to do anything. Nothing to jeopardize them, nothing to force him before he's good and ready. If or when it happens, it'll be because it's time. Because he wants it.”

“And if that time never comes...?”

He shrugged, flashing a brave smile. “I'll survive. I'm resilient if nothing else.”

Emily nodded. “Like a cockroach.”

"Yah!" Sehun dipped his finger in frosting and smeared it on her nose, thus instigating another round of sibling rowdiness.

Hours later, as he exited the city and headed towards his quiet little nook on the outskirts of Seoul, he glanced over at Luhan, a smile automatically tilting his lips.

He looked peaceful, happy even, the polar opposite of his demeanor on the ride to his parents’ house. He was leaning against the window, a small smile curving his pretty lips.

“Had fun?”

Luhan rolled his head in his direction, his smile widening as he nodded. “Yes. Your parents are very nice. Your sister is...” He blushed.

“Crazy?” Sehun supplied. “Loud? Obnoxious?”

Luhan’s blush deepened but he nodded. “She's really fun. and funny.”

“She'd be glad to hear you think so.”

“Why is she called Emily? Is that really her name?”

Sehun shook his head. “No. It’s JungEum. But – and don’t tell her I said this – she’s a bit of a brainiac and when she was sixteen, she got a scholarship to some fancy boarding school in the U.S. and she decided that she needed an English name so that’s what she chose. To help her get used to it, she asked us to call her that and it sort of stuck over the years.”

“Ahh…”

“She basically lives over there. After high school, she went to a prestigious university and now she’s doing her PhD in…something. I’m sure she’s told me more than once but I don’t pay attention to her when she gets in the zone, much like she doesn’t care for my art. We lived in different states, though, so we hardly saw each other when I was there. You know…if you listen to my parents, well…my mother, you’d think that I was the first chick to shirk convention and fly the proverbial coop but no, Em beat me to it. Luckily for her, she doesn’t get her ears chewed off about it every time she comes home.”

Luhan chuckled. “It’s only because you’re the only son. And the baby to boot.”

“Meh…”

Luhan glanced down at his lap, his eyes falling to the bag filled with containers of leftover food and several thick slices of cake.

“Your mom’s a great cook,” he murmured.

Sehun nodded. “She’s fantastic.” He glanced over at Luhan. “But you’re no slouch yourself.”

A flush tainted Luhan’s cheeks but for once he didn’t bother to try to hide it. The dim interior of the car did it for him anyway.

“You’re very lucky,” he said suddenly, his voice so soft that Sehun almost didn’t hear him.

He didn’t need to ask what Luhan meant. He’d seen the sad, wistful looks on his face off and on during their visit.

“You miss your family, don’t you? Home?”

Luhan nodded. Tears pricked the backs of his eyeballs but he kept them in check. “They aren’t perfect but they’re the only family I have.”

“You’ll see them soon,” Sehun assured. “Maybe you can go back during your vacation time.”

Luhan turned to him, frowning. “Vacation?”

“Well…usually employees get two weeks’ vacation once they’ve been working for a year but we can move it up a bit. Maybe you can go home for Christmas.”

Luhan dropped his gaze, touched that Sehun would do that for him. He didn’t know what to say.

Sehun reached over and patted his knee. “You’ll see them soon,” he repeated.

A few days later, Sehun found himself sitting in the bar at the hotel nursing a scotch.

Hyeri had just left, bringing an end to their meetings. Their parting had been amicable, he’d expected no less, and they’d promised to keep in touch. She truly was a lovely girl, inside and out, and would make some man a wonderful wife. But it wasn’t going to be him.

He should have been happy to be done with the obligation but for some reason, he was hesitant to go home. Luhan was there, which one would think would be incentive enough to get him moving as quickly as possible, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave just yet.

It was so hard, and getting harder every day, being around him, being near him, wanting what he knew he shouldn’t, what didn’t belong to him. Which wasn’t to say that Luhan belonged to Jongin, if anything he belonged to himself, but there was someone else in the picture and that he couldn’t forget. He couldn’t, wouldn’t, allow himself to. He’d asked himself so many times what the hell he was doing. He wanted Luhan but he did nothing to make him his. However, he’d known that he wouldn’t, had promised himself that he wouldn’t actively pursue him, so what was the point then? Why harbor these feelings if he was never going to do anything about them?

It would be so easy to test the waters, to make a move and see if Luhan reciprocated, but he didn’t dare try. For one thing, he risked outright rejection, for another Luhan might be confused or give in simply because Sehun was his friend and boss, someone he looked up to. Luhan was so hard to read. He knew that there was something there but he didn’t want to make any kind of assumption as to what it was. Only Luhan could definitively say how he felt and Sehun simply wasn’t brave enough to ask. That and he didn’t think he had any right to.

And then there was Jongin…

He’d been thinking of their past a lot, how they used to be. Their friendship had been superficial, he’d always known that, but it had worked because they’d been honest with each other. They’d cared for one another, had had a bond, but it wasn’t the kind where they would go so far as to call each other brother or promise to die for the other, nothing that dramatic. They’d simply been two people sharing experiences in their youth. Once they’d graduated, the friendship had pretty much died. So with that in mind, and given the current state of their friendship, he didn’t feel like he really owed Jongin anything, wasn’t obligated to a deep sense of loyalty, but he also wasn’t the type of person who openly coveted and made an effort to possess someone else’s belongings. Again, he hated thinking of Luhan that way but in a sense, that was what he was. He was Jongin’s and for that reason, he couldn’t be Sehun’s. Despite what he thought about Jongin and their farce of a relationship, and regardless of the fact that he knew that he would be a better match for Luhan, he wasn’t going be the straw that broke the camel’s back in their relationship. If it ended, when it ended, he was determined that he wouldn’t be the cause.

Sighing, he drained his glass and stood, thankful that he’d already paid so he wouldn’t need to talk to anyone.

He was approaching the entrance when he thought he heard a familiar deep voice, a laugh. Frowning, he stopped and turned towards the sound, his eyes going wide when he confirmed who the voice belonged to.

Jongin. What…

He was dressed for work, much like he had been the last time Sehun had seen him, a pretty bleached blond beside him, smiling up at him. They both had briefcases so Sehun assumed that she was a colleague.

Strange…he was supposed to be in Busan. According to Luhan, when last he’d called, new problems had arisen and negotiations were at a standstill, which meant that his return was delayed yet again. That had only been a day or so ago so he wasn’t supposed to be back in Seoul and yet…there he was.

Sehun couldn’t hear what they were talking about but whatever the topic, the woman seemed to be thoroughly entertained since she kept laughing, placing a hand on Jongin’s arm whenever she did. They stopped at the reception desk and spoke briefly to the clerk before turning to each other once again. The woman hugged Jongin lightly, not making any attempt to hold on, which led Sehun to the conclusion that they were friends. It still didn’t explain why he was there and not where he was supposed to be but he wasn’t going to assume anything more about their interaction than what he saw.

He had just decided to approach Jongin when the woman left, waiting for the right moment to step out of the shadows of the bar’s entrance, when the pair turned and Jongin slipped his hand around her waist…and down to her , where it stayed. Sehun waited for her to slap him or push it off, something, but instead she leaned into him. He watched as they reached the elevator bank – apparently not leaving like he’d initially thought – boarded an elevator and disappeared from sight.

Fool, he thought as he finally stepped outside of the bar, white hot rage rolling over him. Bloody fool.

He didn’t know who the word was meant for: Jongin or himself. Probably both.

Jongin was a fool for not appreciating what he had and continuously taking Luhan for granted and he…he was obviously a fool because despite his better judgment, he continued to try to respect Jongin’s relationship when Jongin himself obviously didn’t. Meanwhile Luhan, poor, unsuspecting Luhan, was at home waiting…for both of them.

That was the final straw for Sehun.

He couldn’t do it anymore. He’d tried so hard to be good, so hard to keep a distance and maintain boundaries, but after what he’d just seen, he no longer possessed even a shred of respect for Jongin, much less his relationship. Luhan deserved so much better and it broke his heart to think about how he would feel if he knew. He could kill Jongin for being such a selfish . Suppose Luhan had been the one to see him, not Sehun? Or someone they both knew? He would be crushed.

Beneath his anger was a sense of disappointment, which made him realize that though he’d known better, he’d still hoped that Jongin would come to his senses. He no longer felt that way, though. He was well and truly done this time.

With a heavy heart and a turbulent mind, Sehun headed to the hotel’s exit, wondering how he could look Luhan in the eyes with the memory of what he’d just seen haunting him.

He couldn’t tell him, he knew that he couldn’t, but he would make it up to him, someway, somehow…

A/N: Omg, is Jongin really cheating on Luhan? O.o  Our poor Lulu...