Chapter 12

Timeline: 5th of January 2005

There was a new kid coming to the orphanage! The younger kids peeped through windows to get a good look at him or her. Oh Sehun was one of them and boy, he was the most excited of them all. It was probably an understatement of the year. He was literally bouncing up and down in excitement.

A beige car stopped at the front gate and almost everyone held their breath. One of their caretaker got down and some of them were still holding it whereas some remembered to breathe. Their caretaker opened the backdoor and out stepped the most beautiful girl, no, boy? What is going on? Sehun's heart thundered against his chest. What was he feeling right now? Probably too much excitement.

He was the first to rush out to greet the new kid. When he got a closer look, his breath was taken away. This person was too pretty beyond words. The way his auburn bangs fell over his eyes, almost like a curtain shielding them away from view. Sehun wished that he could get a peek to see this boy's eyes. They must be the most beautiful things in the world. He was awestruck when those brown eyes lifted to finally meet his. They were really exotic but something was wrong. Those eyes looked funny, like they were in pain.

Sehun stuck out his hand and grabbed the other boy's hand without waiting. "Hi, I'm Sehun. You can call me Sehunnie." What possessed him to ask this new kid to call him that intimately? Whatever.

The boy looked up at their caretaker and the woman nodded with a smile. He shyly answered, "I am Luhan. Nice to meet you." His voice was simply melodious to Sehun.

"How old are you?" The other kids began gathering around the two, joining in their kids' conversation, as their caretaker called it.

"Twelve." He said he was twelve. Like seriously, twelve?! How could he be that old when he was about the same height as Sehun?

"Then, you're the same age as me." The kids looked up and saw the two tallest kids in the orphanage. To anyone, they looked like they were about to beat you up but Sehun was close to them so he knew better. They were really kind-hearted souls and they were overprotective over the younger kids.

Luhan, he noticed, flinched from the cold look he received from the tall blonde. Sehun took his hands in his, giving him a reassuring smile.

"He won't hurt a fly. That's just his usual expression. That is Kris. Kris is the same age as you and Chanyeol is two years younger. Kai, Suho and Baekhyun are probably inside." Luhan's hand was clammy and sweaty. He must be nervous.

"Okay, kids. Let's get you inside. Come along, Luhan. We need to register your name here. Then, you can play with the others, alright?"

Everyone went in but Sehun was reluctant to let Luhan's hand go.

"You can come too, Sehun. Looks like both of you would be sticking to each other a lot." The caretaker had looked at him with a knowing look. He did not like that look on her face. It made him feel like an idiot. Which was not a very pleasant feeling.

It was decided then that the new kid was rooming with Baekhyun. Awesome! He could sleep over at Baekhyun's and play with Luhannie.

Timeline: 7th of January 2005

Sehun noticed that every time someone tried to touch Luhan, he would shy away from those small touches. He did not seem to mind Sehun's though. He wondered if something was bothering his new friend.

Timeline: 10th of January 2005

He discovered purplish-black bruises on Luhan's back. He was so good at hiding it that no one knew about those ugly scars until Sehun tackled him to the floor one day. They were playing tickling and he found out that Luhan was very ticklish. He had won the upper hand in their battle and Luhan had tried to escape from his evil clutches. Sehun had pounced on him and Luhan had cried out when his back hit the floorboard. The younger of the two had peeled off the other's shirt out of concern.

His pretty pale skin held bruises here and there on his back like he had been abused. Maybe he had?

Luhan quickly pulled his sleeve back down and when Sehun tried to tell him that he did not mind them, Luhan just distanced himself.

Timeline: 11th January 2005

Luhan had been avoiding everyone the entire day especially Sehun. The younger boy was frustrated with himself. He cursed himself with every bad word he could think of. If Suho had heard him, he would be so shocked.

He looked over at Luhan, playing quietly in a corner by himself, and sighed while tucking his hair behind his ear.

Without a thought, Sehun made his way towards him. Shuffling his feet, he tried to catch the other's attention. Of all times, his voice had to crack now! That was just so embarrassing. But that embarrassment was blown away by a small chuckle from the elder boy.

Sehun grinned back and sat down beside Luhan, starting up a conversation. Well, he was doing most of the talking while Luhan just listened intently. They never ventured into the topic about Luhan's scars. They acted as if nothing had happened. But Sehun made a mental note to himself to ask Luhan about his past in the future once they were comfortable around each other and also, declared as best friends. Right, he was getting ahead of himself. It was not like Luhan would readily agree to be his best friend.

At least, he was not thinking about marriage yet. He wondered what life would be if they were to marry. He flushed red while thinking about Luhan in a wedding dress. Could two guys even marry?

"Sehun, do you have a fever? Your cheeks are red."

'Too close! Too close! Warning!' Sehun's mind screamed while he blinked dazedly at the other.

Luhan decreased the distance between both of them and touched Sehun's forehead with his own. The younger boy blushed hotly while the other checked his temperature.

"Seems like you're pretty fine. But if you're feeling unwell, tell me."

Luhan sat back down, picking up his puzzle pieces.

"I'm good." If possible, Sehun's cheeks were redder than a tomato as he told him that. Luhan watched him suspiciously before continuing to solve his puzzle while stealing glances at the other, making sure that Sehun was really alright. He looked like he would faint anytime.

Timeline: 22nd of June 2007 (About 2 years and a half later)

"Hey."

"Hey back to you."

After closing the door behind him, Luhan took a seat beside his best friend and linked his fingers through the other boy's. How their fingers fit so perfectly together, they would never know.

They sat in a comfortable silence before Luhan broke it with a cluck.

"I felt that I must tell you a secret of mine I've been keeping from everyone. I can't hold it in anymore. So just listen, please?" There was a hint of sadness plus anger as he said those words.

Sehun's heart skipped a beat, hoping against hope that he would tell him that he liked him, even maybe by a little. He kicked those hopes into a sack and dumped them into a locker inside his brain. That was totally absurd!

He nodded, grasping the other's hand tightly while smiling in encouragement.

"Two years ago, I was sent here by my StepFather. He hates me to the maximum. He looks at me like I was filth in his eyes."

Tears prickled Luhan's beautiful eyes. Sehun made a move to wipe them with the back of his hand.

"I could have sworn he married my Mum because of the money she inherited from my GreatGrandPa. He was cruel to me but sickeningly sweet to my Mum. He ran around trying to please her but hit me when she wasn't around at home. He bought costly stuff to make her happy but tried to beat me into submission. He ordered me to wear clothes which would cover the bruises he caused. My Mum never questioned me about the sudden change of fashion.

"Then a few days before I came here, I saw my StepFather and a few of his friends my Mum in the kitchen. She pleaded them to stop but my StepFather had that insane look in his eyes. He slapped her and told her to shut her trap."

Luhan was a sobbing wreck as Sehun gathered him in his arms, embracing him and rocking him. The elder boy's voice wavered as he continued his story.

"They her, Sehun. I was too horrified to move from the kitchen doorway. My StepFather did it on purpose. He knew I would be down during tea time. They freaking forced her to sign all her inheritance to my StepFather and his goons.

"The next day found my mother dead from excessive bleeding in the bathtub. My StepFather told me she committed suicide but I believed otherwise. He must have killed her! He killed her, Sehunnie."

The brown-eyed boy cried so hard that Sehun was afraid that he cried a litre of tears.

"He told me he would kill me if I say a word to my teachers or friends. I kept my promise. I never told a single soul. But somehow, word got out and he was arrested by the police.

Everything was a blur then. My Mum was gone and my Stepfather jailed in a flash. All of my relatives rejected me, saying that I brought bad luck wherever I go. Nobody was willing to house me. No one was willing to take me in. In the end, I ended up here.

Oh, Sehun. I have no one else to turn to at that time. But you... You were always there for me. Even now too and you never leave. Thank you so much. You'll always be my best friend."

"Hush, I'll always be by your side no matter what." He may have said that but his heart hurt so deeply. To Luhan, he would never be a potential lover.

He was not sure if Luhan got himself a girlfriend, would he be still able to stay strong for him?

To be continued...

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I'm so sorry for the long hiatus but yeah, I couldn't find the motivation and the inspiration to write after that project of mine. Man, that was mean of me, I know, right? Until today, when I went to check for comments and someone left a comment about how they missed my story. Thank you, kroongho for the motivation! <3

So, yeah. Here's a chapter from me. HunHan lovers, this is for you~! The excessive use of italics is due to all these are happening in the past. Sorry if they give you headaches.

Oh! Before I forget, thank you to all of my readers, reviewers, subscribers and voters. I mean it. Thank you so much!