“LUHAN!”

 

The shout was all Luhan heard before Jinho was suddenly ripped away from him and a loud resounding noise could be heard throughout the room – the sound of an angry fist making contact with a jaw.

 

Luhan doesn't even have time to process what he heard before he's being pulled into a familiar embrace, strong arms quickly wrapping around his trembling frame. With his face pressed against the warm, broad chest he's been accustomed to, Luhan finally realized who it was that came to his rescue.

 

Sehun.

 

Luhan could honestly say that he's never been so relieved. He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed himself further into Sehun's warmth. He immediately stopped trembling.

 

“Lu,” Sehun whispered, voice strained. “Lu, it's okay,” he whispered again when Luhan doesn't respond.

 

Luhan wanted to call out Sehun's name, but couldn't open his mouth because he's too absorbed in the moment, in being safe in Sehun's arms. He slowly wrapped his arms around Sehun's waist, the back of Sehun's shirt.

 

“Lu,” Sehun tried again and Luhan could hear the worry in his voice.

 

“Se-Sehun,” Luhan choked out, his vision increasingly blurry. “Sehun...Sehun.”

 

Sehun pulled back to look at him. And when he finally gazed into Sehun's concerned eyes, Luhan could feel the tears he was trying to hold back trickle down his face.

 

Seeing this, Sehun quickly cupped his face. “It's alright, Lu,” Sehun said as his thumbs brushed the tears away.

 

“Sehun.”

 

“I'm here,” Sehun said, a small smile appearing on his face to let Luhan know that everything was fine.

 

As he continued to wipe away Luhan's tears, Luhan couldn't find it in him to look away. With his eyes so trained on Sehun, he doesn't even realize that Sehun's thumb was now gently rubbing the spot that Jinho's lips had been, as if he was hoping to wipe away the evidence of Jinho's betrayal like he did with Luhan's tears.

 

If only it was that easy.

 

“Sehun-ah,” Luhan sniffed.

 

With his palms still cupping Luhan's face, Sehun scanned his body and asked, “Are you hurt anywhere?”

 

Luhan couldn't find it in him to tell Sehun that everything hurts, that everything felt battered, especially his heart.

 

Sehun, who must have understood, pressed their foreheads together. “Lu, I'm so--”

 

“How sweet. Oh Sehun to the rescue,” a voice from behind them sneered.

 

Reflexively, Luhan tightened his grip on Sehun, his body naturally clinging on to Sehun. He's not afraid, not with Sehun here, but there was something about Jinho's voice that sent his heart pounding erratically against his chest.

 

Sehun lowered his hands and settled them on Luhan's back. Although Sehun turned his face to look at Jinho sitting on the adjacent couch, Luhan refused to look in that direction.

 

“Don't push it,” Sehun growled, voice dangerously low.

 

Jinho merely cackled. “Wow. This isn't like you at all, Sehun. You're unusually calm. Why?”

 

There was no mistaking it – there was hurt hidden underneath Jinho's words.

 

“Sehun-ah,” Luhan whispered, tugging Sehun's shirt – telling him that he wanted to leave. Now.

 

Sehun immediately understood, but before he could walk away, Jinho stood up and continued with his taunts.

 

“Come on, Sehun. Aren't you angry? Furious? I had your boyfriend underneath me. I kissed --”

 

Sehun was so swift, Luhan almost didn't catch him punching Jinho in the mouth. Hard.

 

Jinho stumbled back on the couch, his hands clutching his mouth.

 

“Is that what you wanted?” Sehun asked, face absolutely livid.

 

Jinho chuckled mirthlessly. When he removed his hands from his mouth, Luhan gasped because he spotted a bit of blood on his lips.

 

“I think you need to hit me harder,” Jinho remarked, twisting his injured lips into a sad smile. “Because I can still taste the sweetness of your pretty Luhan. It's quite intoxicating.”

 

Before Sehun could plunge forward, his right fist ready to strike Jinho again, Luhan grabbed his wrist. “Sehun! Don't!” he shouted, panic in his voice.

 

Thankfully, Sehun stopped, though his fists were slightly shaking.

 

“This isn't Jinho. It's the alcohol,” Luhan stated as he held onto Sehun's wrist, afraid that Sehun might change his mind and hurt Jinho even further. “Sehun, don't,” he pleaded.

 

Jinho's eyes widened in shock. He just couldn't understand why Luhan wouldn't let Sehun beat him.

 

“Sehun-ah, let's go home,” Luhan said, eyes only on Sehun.

 

Sehun shot Jinho one last bone chilling glare before taking ahold of Luhan's hand and walking away. When he opened the door, he suddenly stopped and turned around.

 

“Don't worry about the bill – I already paid.” He paused. “Happy Birthday.”

 

Without another word, Sehun led Luhan out of the room and towards the elevator. When they got to the lobby, Sehun's boss rushed over with a shocked expression.

 

“What are you doing here, Sehun? Aren't you supposed to be servicing room--”

 

“I'm sorry sir, but I quit.”

 

Rendered speechless at Sehun's decision, Luhan watched as Sehun bowed politely to the old man before walking away.

 

When they got on the train, Sehun, still holding Luhan's hand, headed towards the seats near the end. He lets Luhan take the window seat before settling down next to him.

 

“Sehun-ah, why did you--”

 

“It's not worth it. You are more important to me,” Sehun confessed. “I wasn't going to make you wait till my shift was over. There's no way.”

 

“Sehun-ah..”

 

“I also realized that my job kept me too busy, and none of the paychecks were worth not seeing you when I wanted to.”

 

“But --”

 

“I'll figure something out, but really, there's no rush. The most important thing is that I just want you to know that I'm here for you...Always.”

 

“Sehun-ah, I already knew that,” Luhan said with a small smile.

 

“I'm glad,” Sehun said as he squeezed Luhan's hand.

 

The alarm in Sehun's eyes when he spotted the faint bruises on Luhan's wrists didn't go unnoticed by Luhan, but he ignored it. That wasn't important.

 

“Thanks, Sehun-ah,” Luhan murmured as he rested his head on Sehun's shoulder. “I'm really glad it was you who came in.”

 

“Mhm.”

 

“Does it hurt?” Luhan asked as he rubbed Sehun's knuckles, frowning at the slight discoloration.

 

“It stung, but it's fine now.”

 

Luhan pulled away to look into Sehun's eyes. “Sehun-ah, how are you feeling?”

 

“Could be better, but I'm not complaining.”

 

Sehun gave him a tiny smile, and Luhan could feel his heart ache a little because there was sadness behind that beautiful smile.

 

Luhan reached out to caress Sehun's face. “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

 

“There is, but we can't do it here. It's a private matter saved only for the bedroom,” Sehun stated, a tiny playful glint in his eyes.

 

Luhan couldn't help but grin because this was Sehun's way of ensuring him that he was fine – his boyfriend's adorable attempt at lightening the mood.

 

“Did I get you excited?” Sehun asked.

 

Luhan shook his head before resting it back on Sehun's shoulder. “Not at all,” he replied teasingly with his eyes glued to their intertwined fingers.

 

They don't say anything else for the rest of the train ride. Neither of them cared for the looks people were throwing their way – both too absorbed in each other to notice. Luhan had his head on Sehun's shoulder the entire time, while Sehun simply watched as Luhan played with their laced fingers. And though Luhan could sense his boyfriend wanting to ask him questions, he was grateful that Sehun didn't. He just wasn't ready to talk about it yet.

 

When they got home, Baekhyun and Chanyeol were in the living room, and as soon as they spotted the couple entering, they knew immediately that something was off – which was why they didn't say anything as Luhan and Sehun walked upstairs.

 

“I'm going to shower first,” Luhan said after he grabbed his pajamas from the closet. Judging from the look Sehun gave him, Luhan had a feeling Sehun knew why he needed to shower immediately.

 

Standing under the shower head, with his eyes closed, Luhan mentally told himself not to break down. He had scrubbed his entire body twice now, but still he felt dirty in a way, and it was becoming terribly frustrating. The marks on his wrists had gotten darker, and for a brief moment, Luhan feared that they would never disappear.

 

But what was most frightening was that everything felt eerily similar to his past. He was once again the victim of someone under the influence – someone driven mad by life's circumstances and unable to cope with it. He had felt powerless when he was eleven and he still felt powerless now.

 

His stepfather had hurt him and Jinho had hurt him, but the main difference between the two was that he, Luhan, couldn't blame Jinho.

 

Luhan had hurt him first.

 

Jinho had simply reacted, and though Luhan knew that if the other boy was sober, he wouldn't have done what he did, it still didn't change the fact that his actions were justifiable in Luhan's mind. It was simply the result. Luhan was truly the only one to blame for what happened.

 

When Luhan rejected Jinho, he had wanted to do it in a way that would hurt the boy less, but that proved to be a complete failure.

 

“You're hurting me, hyung.”

 

Leaning against the shower wall, Luhan could once again hear the gut-wrenching truth that had came out of Jinho's mouth.

 

“IT'S NOTHING COMPARED TO THE HURT YOU GAVE ME.”

 

Jinho was right. The pain that he was feeling when Jinho pinned him down was nothing compared to how the other boy must have felt. To have the receiver of his love reject him in such a way must have been extremely painful, but to lose the person to a friend must have made it worse.

 

“I can't have feelings for you?”

 

The image of Jinho's utterly dejected face when he said that appeared in Luhan's mind, and he suddenly found it hard to breathe.

 

For a second, he wanted to call out for Sehun because only he could make this go away – this overwhelming feeling of guilt.

 

Only Sehun could make him feel better – like he did that night at the hospital.

 

He didn't call for him though because he knew that it would only upset Sehun even more that he was like this as a result of what happened. He didn't want that. He couldn't bear it.

 

Luhan had never seen Sehun as furious as he was when they were back at the noraebang, so he definitely didn't want a repeat of that.

 

Eventually, after inhaling and exhaling a few times, Luhan calmed down. He stood still as the water wash over him. Sadly, it doesn't wash away the heartbroken voice in his head.

 

“I'm in love with you.”

 

“Why can't you return my feelings?”

 

“Am I not worthy?”

 

“Why must it be Sehun?!”

 

Luhan closed his eyes and whispered, “Jinho, I'm so sorry.”

 

******

Sehun was beginning to panic when Luhan was taking too long in the shower, but he stopped himself from rushing into the bathroom. He needed to give Luhan the chance to be by himself. Sehun could only trust that his boyfriend would have called for him if he needed help. Besides, Luhan was completely capable of handling his emotions. He wasn't like Sehun.

 

Sehun can't even begin to express how he felt when he heard Luhan crying out for him, screaming his name, nor can he express the shock and anger he felt when he opened the door to find Jinho pinning Luhan down in such a vulnerable position.

 

All of it felt unreal.

 

He just couldn't believe Jinho would go as far as he did. The worst thing Sehun thought Jinho could do was confess to Luhan when it got too hard for him to keep to himself. The thought of Jinho actually hurting Luhan never occurred to Sehun.

 

But it really did happen, and his heart clenched at the thought.

 

Everything was different now. What happened can't be undone.

 

But what were they supposed to do from here?

 

Sehun didn't exactly know the answer to that, but he was certain that he won't be able to forgive Jinho for what he did any time soon.

 

He may never.....

 

Sehun was sitting on his side of the bed when Luhan finally came in, and since his hair was dry, Sehun assumed that the older boy took a while because of that.

 

“I was worried you were going to come out wrinkly,” Sehun commented, giving Luhan a small smile as he waited for his reaction.

 

Luhan doesn't say anything as he closed the door. After doing so, Luhan stood rooted to his spot, looking unsure of himself as his eyes met Sehun's own.

 

Sehun silently held out his right hand, and he waits for Luhan to take it.

 

The older boy doesn't.

 

Instead, Luhan flung himself forward and tackled Sehun, the force causing him to fall back on the bed.

 

“I'm a horrible person,” Luhan muttered as he burrowed his face in the crook of Sehun's neck, his voice frail.

 

Holding Luhan, Sehun gently rolled to his side so that he could get a better look at him, but the older boy refused to look up, pressing his face further against Sehun's bare skin.

 

“Lu?”

 

Luhan doesn't respond, but Sehun could feel the boy inhaling, taking a deep breath. They both knew what Sehun was going to say next.

 

“Lu, tell me what happened.”

 

Sehun waited for Luhan to, presumably, gather his thoughts. He didn't want the boy to feel rushed in any way, but he really needed to know, so when Luhan still hasn't said anything, Sehun tried again.

 

“Lu, what happened before I came in?”

 

There was a moment of silence before Luhan finally spoke, his voice soft. “Jinho has feelings for me.”

 

Sehun's breath hitched. So he did confess...

 

“He told me he liked me,” Luhan continued. “And how much it hurt him seeing me with you. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to hurt him, but I-I..”

 

Luhan's voice faltered and Sehun hugged him tighter to let him know that it was okay. He didn't have to continue if he didn't want to.

 

Luhan sighed, clearly making up his mind that he was going to finish telling Sehun everything.

 

“I-I can't lie to him, so I told him that I can't return his feelings because I'm in love with you.”

 

Luhan's voice broke near the end, and so did Sehun's heart.

 

“Lu...”

 

“When he looked at me after I said that, his eyes, Sehun-ah, they were so hurt. So damaged. I didn't know what to do, but I couldn't give him any false hope. I really didn't want to hurt him, Sehun-ah. I didn't, but it still happened because he got angry with me, and he – he pushed me down....He wanted to know why it had to be you, and even when I tried pushing him off, he wouldn't let me go. He s-started screaming at me and when I told him to let me go, he said that he couldn't. I started screaming your name, but then he leaned down and – and... he...he....”

 

“It's okay, Lu. I saw what he did.”

 

Luhan shook his head and mumbled, “It's all my fault, Sehun-ah. I'm the one responsible. Because of me, Jinho hurt you. Because of me, you punched your friend – someone you grew up with. I ruined a perfectly good friendship. I'm --”

 

“Hey. Hey. None of this was your fault,” Sehun stated, his voice firm. “Don't ever blame yourself for what he did. You're not responsible for his actions.”

 

“But, Sehun-ah, I should have known. I'm always around him – how could I not notice how he felt about me? How could I be so blind?”

 

“Feelings aren't as transparent as you think they are, Lu. There's almost no way of knowing a person's feeling without him telling you.”

 

“If I had known, all of this could have been avoided --”

 

“You didn't see it, so you didn't know. Simple as that. Don't think for a second that you should have known. No.”

 

Luhan pulled away to gaze into Sehun's eyes. “Did you know?” he asked shakily. “Is that why you're not reacting like I thought you would?”

 

“I did,” Sehun answered, his stomach twisting as he saw the shock in Luhan's expression.

 

“W-Why didn't you tell me?”

 

“Because it's not my secret to tell.”

 

“But Sehun-ah --”

 

“It's also because, as your boyfriend, I'm strongly against anybody having even the slightest romantic feelings towards you and most importantly, I didn't want you to feel burdened by it.”

 

“What?”

 

“I was afraid you would blame yourself, much like you are now. I knew that it would change your relationship with Jinho. I know how much you enjoy being friends with him. I didn't want you to worry about how you should act around him or what you should say. Even if you argue that it would have been better for you to have known, that you wouldn't feel burdened, I know you, Lu. I can tell what you're feeling just by looking in your eyes. The first thing that probably ran through your mind when Jinho confessed was how I would feel. You put my feelings first, and I love you for that, but Lu, you should come first. Your feelings should be more important. Don't feel as though you're the bad guy for telling Jinho how you really felt, and please don't be inclined to feel as though you're the reason we're not as close anymore. You're not, so I couldn't – wouldn't allow myself to see you worrying about it.”

 

“You can't keep me from knowing his feelings, Sehun-ah.”

 

“One way or another, I knew you would find out. I was just hoping that it'll be under different circumstances. I still can't believe he did that to you.”

 

“He was drunk and hurt. Anyone would have --”

 

“No, Lu. Not all drunk people behave like that. He may have lost control, giving in to his impulses while intoxicated, but he should have stopped when you were screaming. There's a line that you shouldn't cross, and regardless of whether or not he was fully aware of it, he crossed it.”

 

“Wha-What about your friendship?”

 

“It's broken,” Sehun answered honestly.

 

His friendship with Jinho cracked the moment he found out about his harbored feelings, and now that Jinho had violated the friend code, among many other social codes, Sehun considered their friendship broken. A part of him wanted to say that it was completely over, but he knew that it wasn't possible – not with their shared history.

 

“Are you ever going to forgive him?” Luhan asked.

 

Sehun found it endearing that Luhan was more concerned over him forgiving Jinho when he was the one directly hurt by the other.

 

“Are you?” Sehun asked, eyes staring into Luhan's, hoping to find the answer.

 

Luhan looked away, his eyes zeroing in on Sehun's collar. He was silent for a while, his fingers mindlessly fiddling with Sehun's pajama top. Again, Sehun was patient with his boyfriend.

 

Finally, Luhan sighed and said, “I think eventually I will.”

 

“But not soon?” It sounded more like a statement than a question.

 

Luhan nodded slowly.

 

“Okay,” Sehun said as he reached out for Luhan's hands, hoping to end the conversation about Jinho.

 

He gently pressed the bruise circling Luhan's wrist, immediately frowning when Luhan winced.

 

“How bad does it hurt?” Sehun asked.

 

“Not that bad. I'll be fine.”

 

Sehun quietly untangled himself from Luhan and got out of bed.

 

“Where are you going?” Luhan asked, sitting up, eyeing Sehun curiously.

 

“I'm getting you an ice pack,” Sehun said before leaving.

 

When he got downstairs, a few of the other boys were watching something on TV. Although they all turned to look at him, with the exception of Kai, none of them asked him anything, which he assumed was Baekyeol's doing. Sehun felt himself smiling a little at the thought of his hyungs being worried about him, but not wanting to interfere – just another reminder that he'd always have good people around him.

 

Sehun returned to the room to find Luhan still in the position he was before. “It'll help with the healing,” Sehun stated as he walked over and pressed the ice packs on Luhan's wrists.

 

Besides the gasp due to the cold, Luhan was quiet. Sehun took it upon himself to visually search Luhan's body again for any other similar bruises.

 

Luhan, who quickly realized what he was doing, mumbled, “I'm not hurt anywhere else.”

 

“I had to make sure.”

 

“I know. Thanks, Sehun-ah.”

 

“No need to thank me,” Sehun said as he leaned forward to kiss Luhan's forehead.

 

Luhan smiled as a result, and Sehun couldn't help but follow suit. He pecked Luhan's forehead a few more times, each time resulting in a wider smile from the boy. Honestly, Sehun could do this all night. Anything to make Luhan smile and forget, even for a moment, about today's events.

 

When the ice pack was left as nothing but a bag of water, Sehun left to pour the water out in the sink. He came back to find Luhan already settled in bed, specifically on Sehun's side.

 

After turning off the lights, Sehun slipped under the covers, and the two of them naturally reached out for each other at the same time, needing to be as close as possible.

 

“Night Lu,” Sehun said, pressing his face in Luhan's hair.

 

And Luhan responded with something he'd always said, “Goodnight Sehun-ah.”

 

But unlike other nights, Luhan didn't fall asleep immediately after. Sehun could feel Luhan shifting here and there every other minute. A few times he could hear Luhan sighing, as if fed up about something. This went on for possibly an hour or two.

 

“Can't sleep?” Sehun asked, startling Luhan.

 

“Did I wake you?” Luhan asked apologetically.

 

“I was never asleep,” Sehun admitted, slowly running his fingers through Luhan's hair.

 

“Oh..”

 

“Are you scared?” Sehun asked, aware that he was breaching a touchy subject. He had a feeling that Luhan was afraid to fall asleep – afraid of having dreams.

 

Luhan shook his head. Cuddling closer, he murmured, “When I close my eyes, I can still see it and I can hear it. But I'm not scared. It's just...hard.”

 

Sehun knew right away what Luhan meant, but that didn't make him feel any better.

 

“Lu..”

 

“I know you must be tired, so I'm sorry for keeping you up, Sehun-ah.”

 

“I wasn't going to sleep until you did, so don't apologize. Just – Lu, it's okay. We can stay up and talk if you want, or watch a movie. Whatever you want to do.”

 

“Can you tell me a story then?”

 

“A story? What kind of story?”

 

Luhan looked up. “Any. One that has a happy ending.”

 

“Hmm. Okay.” Sehun turned to sleep on his back, his eyes staring at the ceiling, wondering what story he should tell.

 

“Once upon a time --”

 

“Sehun-ah,” Luhan cuts in, sounding slightly whiny.

 

Sehun chuckled. “Kidding.”

 

“I want a real story,” Luhan said sternly, and Sehun could picture his boyfriend furrowing his brows in the dark.

 

“Hmm. There is this one story that you might find interesting. It happened to a kid I knew.”

 

“Uh huh. Go on.”

 

“Well, this took place during my first year of middle school, the 6^th grade. I went to a prestigious private school, and though on the exterior, it looked like an excellent school with a more than stellar environment, it was actually far from it. There was this kid in my class who always sat by himself in the back. A lot of the other kids assumed that he was just the loner type – the kind that wanted to be alone. I didn't think so. Whenever I look at him though, I saw something else. I saw a kid who hated being alone, who despised loneliness, but doesn't do anything about it. I figured he couldn't. Maybe it was what he was used to. Something he couldn't overcome. When a few of the good students tried to talk to him, he didn't answer back. They had thought that he was rude, but I thought he just wasn't social, a part of his personality. He probably just had a hard time expressing his feelings, which contributes to him being unsociable. Eventually, the kids started labeling him as the 'freak' or the 'creepy kid who doesn't talk to anyone.' At first, it was just the whispering and the name calling, but it gradually escalated to the other stuff, nasty stuff.”

 

“Like what?” Luhan asked breathlessly, giving Sehun his undivided attention.

 

“Like during gym class when students had to pick teams, they would pick everyone else except him – most times they pretend that he wasn't even there. Even when the coach told them that he was still left, they would remarked, 'Where?' But all of that wasn't so bad.”

 

“It got worse?” Luhan asked nervously.

 

“Yeah. It got physical. For example, whenever the class played dodge ball, the opposing team would always make sure to get everyone out first. They wanted him to be the last one standing, so that they can continue to pelt him with the ball and only him. They don't aim it to hit him because that would end the game. No. It was simply to scare him, to make him look like a loser who was afraid of a plastic ball. A few times, his own teammates would join in the taunting. The only way the game ended was when they got tired and actually threw the ball to hit him. Most of the time, it was his face that got hit.”

 

“Wow,” Luhan murmured. “Kids can be so mean.”

 

“Yeah. They tend to ridicule something they don't understand. They didn't understand him, so they made him a target. But he had a secret.”

 

“What?”

 

“He was close friends with one of the most popular kid in school.”

 

Luhan gasped. “No way...”

 

“Yes. They were apparently very close, almost like brothers, but only outside of school. The reason his friend didn't do anything when his classmates were taunting him was simply because he didn't know. They didn't share any of the same classes. He only saw him every now and then at school assemblies, but that wasn't anything. To everyone else, he had no friend. I remember this one day when he was staying after school because his guardian was unable to come pick him up due to a problem at work, the other male students pushed him into the bathroom and started picking on him for stupid stuff. One of the boys had actually wanted to punch him for being such a 'weirdo' but his friend came in and stopped him. The others, after finding out that he was actually friends with the popular kid, left them, though they looked at them like they couldn't understand why someone would be friends with the 'freak.' After they were gone, the kid had yelled at his friend for stepping in.”

 

“Why?”

 

“He stated that he didn't want any help. He had shouted that he could take care of himself, that he didn't want him to interfere. I think deep down, he was really just worried that his friend would get the same treatment as he did if the others knew. He probably didn't want that to happen to him, but he had nothing to worry about because it never happened. The other kids looked at it as if the friend was simply being sympathetic – that he was just a nice kid who was friends with everyone. But still, each time he got in trouble with the other kids, his friend would come to his rescue, and each time he would get mad at him for doing so. Maybe he felt useless and that he didn't deserve to be saved. He probably felt really bad towards his friend...”

 

Sehun paused and thought about that day when he got home from school after yelling at Jinho for being stupid and reckless – accusing him of wanting to be a hero. He remembered running to his room and hiding under the covers as if trying to hide from guilt. As soon as he said those words, he had felt sorry about saying such mean things to Jinho, who looked absolutely hurt at his words, but he couldn't help it. For the second time that week, Jinho had stopped the other boys from pounding him against the bathroom stall. What made this incident different from the rest however, and what caused Sehun to say such things to Jinho, was that this time, Jinho was the one being called freak. His friend was now the target, simply for always defending him. Sehun felt terrified and sick to his stomach at the thought of Jinho becoming like him.

 

After realizing that he was wrong, Sehun had called Jinho and apologized. The other boy immediately forgave him and it made Sehun feel even worse. He just didn't understand why Jinho would do the things he did.

 

“Then one day, everything changed,” Sehun continued, his voice coated in sadness. “His friend had gotten hurt because of him. The bullies had punched him, and his friend returned the favor, only to be outnumbered when a big fight broke out. While they were at the nurse's office, the kid had asked his friend why did he stay and fight when he could have just ran. His friend had answered, 'Because I don't run away from my problems. I face them even if it gives me a hard time.' The kid then told him flat out, 'It was my problem not yours.' The friend had replied sadly, 'But I don't want you to think that you're alone. I'm here for you. I want to protect you.' After hearing those honest words, the boy realized that yes, he wasn't alone. He didn't have a lot of friends, but that didn't matter because he had one true friend. Someone who would be by his side whenever he needed. From then on, the boy saw everything differently. He accepted the fact that sometimes getting help is okay. That speaking out is important. So over time, things started changing. He talked more, joined more activities, got into music, and the others slowly stopped calling him 'freak.' He even made a few new friends along the way. Then one day during the summer before high school, his friend told him that he was moving. He was crushed at first, and he even stupidly worried that with his friend gone, things might go back to the way they were before. He argued that he needed him and refused to let him leave. His friend had smiled and told him that he really didn't need him anymore – he was capable of fending for himself. He didn't need protecting anymore. The boy asked his friend what he should do now that he was leaving. The friend told him that he should find a special person to protect... And now, years later, the boy who was always protected found --”

 

Sehun turned his head to face Luhan, his lips tugging upwards into a heartwarming smile. Luhan had fallen asleep long ago, his eyelashes were fluttering and faint snores could be heard coming from him. Sehun turned his body to sleep on his side.

 

With fingers softly caressing Luhan's cheek, Sehun said, “He found someone he wanted to protect. Someone so special, he constantly worries that he's not doing a good enough job...”

 

And soon after he said that, Sehun fell asleep.

 

He woke up the next morning to find Luhan curled to his side, looking as though he was in deep sleep. Naturally, Sehun smiled as his fingers carded his boyfriend's bed hair.

 

Last night, Luhan had slept pretty peacefully. Occasionally, he would mumble Sehun's name and tightened his grip on Sehun's shirt, and Sehun would just hold him closer to his chest. This would always cause the boy to relax.

 

He was thankful that Luhan didn't experience nightmares like Sehun had feared he would.

 

Sehun was in the middle of untangling his legs from Luhan's legs when the older boy stirred.

 

“Sehun-ah?”

 

“It's still early. You should go back to sleep,” Sehun replied, gently Luhan's face – coaxing him back to sleep. “Promise I'll be here when you wake up.”

 

“Mhm.” Luhan smiled.

 

After laying there for a few more minutes to make sure that Luhan was really sound asleep, Sehun quietly made his way downstairs.

 

He didn't expect anyone up this early, especially during a school break, but sure enough there were two hyungs already in the kitchen – Baekhyun and Chanyeol.

 

“Am I dreaming?” Sehun asked as he entered.

 

Baekhyun, who was sitting on the bar stool around the counter, widened his eyes. “No, you're not. Why are you up?”

 

“Are you forgetting that it's Luhan who can't be up at this hour? I'm fine with waking up in the morning.”
 

Baekhyun's eyes flickered at the mention of Luhan. “No, I didn't forget. Speaking of Luhan hyung....is he okay?”

 

Chanyeol, who was next to Baekhyun, looked at Sehun. “Yeah. Is everything alright?”

 

Sehun grabbed a juice carton and poured himself a glass, obviously aware that Baekyeol were waiting for his response. Leaning against the fridge, Sehun took a sip.

 

“Yes, he's fine.”

 

Chanyeol and Baekhyun both let out sighs of relief, as if they were holding their breaths the entire time.

 

“So what happened yesterday?” Baekhyun asked.

 

“A lot,” Sehun answered. “At Jinho's party, Luhan had suggested that they go to my workplace for the remainder of the night --”

 

“Oh, this is not going to end well,” Baekhyun said under his breath, his brows already creasing in worry.

 

“So I ran into Luhan and Jinho, but since I was responsible for another room I couldn't really be around them. After a few hours, I thought I should go see if Luhan was still there because I had told him earlier that if he didn't want to stay, he could wait for me in the lobby. When I got around the corner, I felt something was wrong. Really wrong. So I ran down the hallway, and then I-I heard Luhan screaming my name.”

 

Baekhyun's eyes widened and he grasped Chanyeol's hand.

 

Sehun doesn't continue, instead he looked down at his glass. He wasn't surprised that he was having a hard time retelling the story. It was almost like reliving it.

 

“Then?” Chanyeol asked.

 

Sehun took a deep breath. “Then I opened the door to find a drunk Jinho on top of Luhan, who had tears running down his face. Jinho had pinned him down, and forcefully kissed him on the cheek. I think it was only because Luhan had turned the other way.”

 

“What the hell!?” Baekhyun screeched.

 

“I second that!” Chanyeol added, looking visibly upset.

 

“So he forced himself on Luhan hyung?” Baekhyun asked, as if unable to believe what Sehun had said.

 

Sehun nodded, and Baekhyun's eyes grew to the size of saucers while Chanyeol looked like he wanted to vomit.

 

With his hands on his chest, Baekhyun inhaled and exhaled. “Please tell me that Jinho's body is tied to a cement block at the bottom of the Han River. If not, then it will be.”

 

He cracked his knuckles to emphasize his point, which Sehun found somewhat amusing.

 

“I punched him. Twice.”

 

“Well, that's not as good as first degree murder!” Baekhyun argued, pounding his tiny fist on the counter.

 

“Luhan hyung isn't hurt right?” Chanyeol asked, his hand automatically rubbing Baekhyun's fist that was fast becoming red.

 

“Yeah, nothing serious. Thankfully. Just bruises on his wrists.”

 

“That's a relief,” Chanyeol said, and Baekhyun nodded.

 

“What happened next?” Baekhyun asked.

 

“We walked out, and I quit my job.”

 

Baekyeol nodded in understanding. “Are you okay?” Chanyeol then asked.

 

“I can't say that I am, but I have to be strong for Luhan. He was blaming himself for what happened.”

 

“Oh no,” Baekhyun mumbled, a deep frown appearing on his face.

 

“Yeah. I made sure that he knew that it wasn't his fault.”

 

“Good,” Chanyeol said.

 

“So you two talked about it? You told him that you knew Jinho's feelings?”

 

“Yes, I did. Now there are no more secrets.”

 

Baekhyun scoffed. “Just broken pieces.”

 

Sehun couldn't have agreed more.

 

The storm had passed, and now all that's left was the devastating aftermath – broken pieces that were too valuable to discard, but too shattered to piece back together.

 

******

Luhan woke up an hour past noon, and found Sehun lying next to him, eyes studying him.

 

“You could sleep some more if you want,” Sehun said, brushing Luhan's bangs away from his eyes.

 

“I can't do that,” Luhan said, wrapping an arm around Sehun's waist.

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because I'll start missing you in my sleep.”

 

Sehun smiled, and Luhan's heart fluttered at the sight. Instinctively, Luhan moved closer to Sehun. “Aren't you forgetting something, Sehun-ah?” Luhan asked, his nose nuzzling Sehun's jawline.

 

Sehun pretended to roll his eyes at Luhan's actions, but nonetheless, he peppered Luhan's face with kisses here and there. Sweet kisses that had Luhan's heart pounding and his entire body floating.

 

Luhan and Sehun spent the rest of the day in bed doing nothing special. Baekhyun and Chanyeol had suggested that they hang out at the water park, but Luhan declined. He just wanted a normal day where he did uneventful things with his boyfriend like taking naps in the afternoon, watching movies, and reading a few books (Sehun had opted for magazines). All in all, Luhan thought it was a satisfying way to spend the day. It kept his mind off of things...

 

“Oh! Sehun-ah, what happened to that kid from your story?” Luhan asked later that night, pulling away from Sehun's embrace to look at him.

 

Sehun raised his eyebrow. “You won't fall asleep on me right?” he teased.

 

Luhan blushed. “Sorry about that.”

 

Sehun laughed. “Nah. It's fine.”

 

“So what happened?”

 

“Oh ummm.” Sehun smiled before he replied, “With his friend's help, he overcame his problems, defeated his bullies, and now he's a heartthrob in college with an adorable lover.”

 

“Wow...That's great!”

 

Sehun chuckled. “Yeah.”

 

******

Two days after the incident, Sehun received a text message from Jinho.

 

Let's meet.

 

Sehun doesn't hesitate to reply.

 

Where?

 

At the time, he didn't tell Luhan that he had received a message from Jinho wanting to talk. He figured this was something just between them. Besides, Luhan had hinted these past couple of days that he wanted him to try to work something out with Jinho in consideration for their friendship, so Sehun doubted that he would mind that they were going to see each other for the first time after what happened.

 

After bidding Luhan, Baekhyun, and Chanyeol goodbye (the trio had decided to go shopping at the new mega mall that opened across town), Sehun made his way to the meeting spot.

 

When he got there, a figure was standing in front of the sandbox, his back turned to Sehun.

 

“Why here?” Sehun asked, causing the other person to turn around.

 

The sight of Jinho with a badly bruised lip didn't seem to faze Sehun. He was the person who put it there.

 

“Because I figured you wouldn't want witnesses. There's also plenty of space so you could beat me up if you wanted.”

 

“Why here?” Sehun asked again, emphasizing the last word.

 

Understanding flashed across Jinho's features and he glanced around the playground.

 

Looking back at Sehun, who stood a few feet away, Jinho answered, “Because this place means something to the both of us. If I'm going to apologize for what I did, the best place to do it would be where we had a lot of fights as kids, where we settled our differences.”

 

“Do you really think I would forgive you?”

 

“No. I don't. I wouldn't if I were you.”

 

“Then why are we here?”

 

“Because you deserve an explanation and I need to get something off my chest.”

 

Sehun said nothing.

 

Jinho took Sehun's silence as his cue to continue. “I'm sorry for what happened – for what I did.”

 

He looked straight into Sehun's eyes. “But I'm not going to apologize for my feelings.”

 

 

 

~~~~~~ THE LONG AWAITED CHAPTER. FINALLY. Lol. Apologies for taking so long. I had exams and stuff going on. I finished most of the chapter at an ungodly hour, but I'm satisfied with it. Your thoughts? Feelings? To me, the part where Luhan was in the shower was very emotional. I felt sad for him when I was typing it! Lulu :( And also the story that Sehun told, that was very interesting. How many of you knew that Sehun was talking about himself? I added that part to give more reasons as to why Sehun will have a hard time dealing with Jinho and why Jinho would have a hard time as well (you'll see in the next chapter). The irony of protecting someone you love from the same person that protected you.. Deep stuff xD 

 

Oh and Jinho being a drunk A-hole...He deserved those punches. Lol. To my Jinho supporters, I'm not sorry. He had it coming. 

 

But of course, there was fluff here and there. Favorite line (besides Baekhyun's threatening to drown Jinho in the Han River) was Luhan's "Because I'll start missing you in my sleep." ♥ AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. HUNHANNN! Lol. 

 

Next chapter won't be up till the first week of August. I have finals coming, so yeah :( In the meantime, please go watch the Chinese ver. (right click) of the drama MV. It annoys me that their view count isn't nearly as high as the Korean ver. Yeah. Thanks for reading!