As soon as Luhan opens the door, he is met with the one thing that makes him want to close it – to run away, to never come home again.

Sehun is leaning against the edge of the dining table, head slowly rising as he senses Luhan’s presence. To Luhan’s surprise, or more, he is upset when he sees Sehun’s eyes are perfectly fine. His face isn’t crack-dried like Luhan’s. His lip isn’t bleeding because he’s been biting it to try and stop his tears. His hands aren’t even shaking.

Does he hate me that much?

“Luhan…”

Luhan is sure he felt his body crack at his name. There wasn’t even anything in Sehun’s voice that said his throat was raw from screaming tears.

Nothing.

Luhan doesn’t look into Sehun’s eyes. He focuses them elsewhere – anywhere else. He realises there are no bags packed, or items missing. He hasn’t even got keys in his hands. Luhan really doesn’t understand anything anymore. When he speaks, he realises he’d been crying more than he thought. He doesn’t even recognise his own voice. He’d been crying more than he had ever in his life.

“…y-you…want to leave?”

Sehun appears to sniff. Luhan can’t tell. There isn’t an ounce of moisture on his face.

It hurts.

But Luhan is caught off guard by Sehun’s answer.

“I don’t want to, Hyung.”

Luhan finds his voice, as something rises in his stomach. It comes out louder than he intends.

“Then don’t! Don’t leave!”

Sehun’s face mirrors his own, but without the tears - without the red eyes. But still, it looked pained – perhaps even more than his…

“I-I have to…”

“Why?! Why do you have to leave?!”

Luhan begins to move towards Sehun, but Sehun pulls away. He’s still standing at the table, and Luhan, at the doorway. It’s like there’s an invisible wall between them. They seem…separated.

“Luhan…I do love you…I-I don’t know what t– ”

“Then stay! Stay with me until you’re certain! We can work through this. We can solve whatever problem you have…”

Sehun lowered his gaze to the floor. Luhan thought he heard him whisper something like why are you making this so hard? But he doesn’t understand.

If he loves him, then why does he want to leave him? 

Sehun nods to himself, as if he’d made him mind up about something.

“Five days, Hyung. After five days, I will decide what to do.”

That’s it.

After five days, Luhan and Sehun were either going to be back the way they were before, eating dinner together at 7.30pm every night…

After five days, Luhan could end up so broken, that nobody in the entire world would be able to fix him.

After five days, Sehun could be gone.

He doesn’t want to believe it.

“Five days.”