"Sehun-ah, can you help me with Hani?" Lu Han asked. In the end, he was still stuck with the crazy dog.

"Why don't you just ask Nam Soo to help you?" Sehun rolled his eyes, walking faster than usual.

Lu Han furrowed his brows. Sehun was like this ever since his encounter with his old friend. "What? Sehun you're not making any sense."

"I never do."

"What?" Lu Han repeated for the nth time that day.

"I don't even make sense to myself. Going against it one minute, but now I'm like this," he muttered to himself, but it was still audible for the older boy to hear it.

Lu Han sighed. "What's wrong, Thehun?" he tried using his nickname to cheer him up, but to no avail.

"I'm just confused."

"About?"

"Don't worry about it," Sehun finally said before speeding off, leaving Lu Han behind, dumbfounded.

"Y-Yah! Oh Sehun!" Lu Han ran to catch up with him. "What's up with you today? You were perfectly fine before."

Sehun snapped, "Just leave it alone, okay? I'll figure it out myself."

Lu Han's face flashed a hurt expression, and Sehun sighed. Great, Sehun, you made him upset.

"Look, I"m sorry for snapping at you, but I'm alright. Let's just... go back home," Sehun said in a gentle tone. Lu Han noded slowly, still concerned about what Sehun was so sad about. He was with him the entire day. Was it possible that he did anything to upset the other? He retraced everything that happened that morning. There really wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

"Oh! Hani, please stop!" Lu Han almost begged the dog as she excitedly spun around Sehun and him multiple times. Ginger suddenly barked and did the same thing.

"Ginger! What...?" Sehun wondered out loud, utterly confused. Ginger never acted up like that.

The two dogs continued to run around the two guys, their leashes bringing them closer together. Sehun bent down slightly to try and catch Ginger, as Lu Han did the same with Hani. 

In the end, the two were completely pressed up against one another, Sehun with his knees bent a little so he was level height with the older. 

"I don't know why they suddenly did this," Lu Han laughed at the pointless yet cute act. 

"But how do we get out?" Sehun asked. They literally were tied together while the two dogs remained behind both of them. 

"I... don't know. But I'm sure these leashes will loosen up sooner or later."

"Depending on if the dogs want them to," Sehun replied with a chuckle. He suddenly forgot all about Nam Soo and his sour mood just a minute ago. For now, he focused on how to get his heartbeat to steady because he was sure that Lu Han would be able to feel it hammer against his chest, considering how they couldn't be any closer.

In the midst of this conversation, they hadn't realized that Hani was backing up behind Lu Han, her retractable leash almost coming to an end. Finally, she began to run until her front paws pushed the back of Lu Han's thighs, causing him to stumble forward into the maknae, his lips landing right on Sehun's soft ones.

So there the two were in the middle of an awkward kiss, Lu Han's hands on Sehun's shoulders to balance himself, while Sehun's hands were around Lu Han's waist to keep him from falling. 

Sehun's mind and heart were racing. He couldn't comprehend what was going on; all he knew was that he was kissing Lu Han... and he liked it. Slowly, he began to give into it and moved his lips against Lu Han's frozen ones, his eyes fluttering closed.

Lu Han felt like his whole living being was about to collapse. His legs felt like jelly and before he knew it, Sehun was kissing him. No, not like those stupid k-drama lip-touches, but a legit, mind-blowing kiss. He, too, started to get into it and accepted Sehun's invading tongue into his cavern, their mouths moving in sync all the while. 

Finally deciding that they've had enough, Lu Han was the first to pull back, his face as red as a ripe tomato. He hid his face in Sehun's chest, flustered. Sehun chuckled until he realized what just happened.

"Um," he started, "I think we should start to untangle these." Sehun bent down to grab a puppy while Lu Han did the same, his eyes never leaving Sehun.

What just happened???

Finally, once they were able to untie the leashes, the two started to walk back to Lu Han's house in silence. Lu Han pretended to be busy with Hani so that he could avoid talking to the maknae. He just didn't know what to think. Did that mean... Sehun liked him? He did start the real kiss, after all, but... he didn't say anything and acted all awkward afterwards.

Aish, I'm going crazy.

***

"I think I should be heading back now," Sehun informed Lu Han as soon as they reached his house. "Suho hyung said that I needed to be back before dinner," he lied, mentally face palming. What kind of an excuse was that?

"Oh, okay," Lu Han nodded with a slight frown on his face. How could he be acting like nothing even happened?

Sehun packed up his stuff and was about to head out the door when Lu Han's voice stopped him.

"Sehun-ah... back at the park..." he started, not knowing how to finish. He just needed to know.

Sehun started to panic. It sounded like Lu Han didn't like it. He forced out a chuckle. "Don't worry about that," he tried to say in a calm voice. "That was kind of an instinct thing for me. A mistake. Sorry."

Lu Han swore he heard his heart broke. So it meant nothing? But he felt so much... was it stupid of him to actually think that Sehun would return his hidden feelings? Tears pooled in his eyes. "A mistake... r-right. Well, I-I'll see you... soon?"

Sehun slipped on his coat. "Tomorrow?"

"A-Ah... no, that won't work. I'm planning on asking Nam Soo to hang out tomorrow," he abruptly decided. In all honesty, he was going to wait until the next week to contact Nam Soo again, but he needed an excuse.

Sehun froze. "Nam Soo... um, okay then. I'll see you later," he quickly slipped past the door and stayed there for a second, resisting the urge to knock on the door again.

No, it was too late.

He was a coward. Too scared to admit his feelings.

But just what was he afraid of?

Rejection? The thought of being alone again? Expressing himself? 

"It'll be okay," he whispered, trying to convince himself as he walked into the cold wind.

"It probably wouldn't have worked out anyway."

On the other side of the door was Lu Han curled up into a ball, sobbing to his broken heart's content.

***

"Tao, can I talk to you?" Sehun knocked on the door. He really needed some advice. He couldn't stop thinking about what just happened.

Tao finally slipped out of the room and shut the door behind him. "What's up?" he asked, already knowing what this was about. Tao looked up and down the hallway and dragged Sehun into his empty room again. "There's no one here."

Sehun nodded, grateful for Tao's thoughtfulness. "I kissed him today."

Tao's eyes widened. "You did? That's great!"

"No, it isn't," Sehun buried his face in his hands, plopping his onto the bed, "because I liked it."

Tao's eyes narrowed into slits. "Have you not listened to me?!"

"I mean I screwed up. I was too scared to tell him how I feel," Sehun sighed, clawing at the bed. 

"What did you do?"

"I... I told him it was a mistake and that it didn't mean anything."

"YOU WHAT?!" Tao screamed, standing on the bed now. "Do you understand what you just did? You probably just broke that poor boy's heart."

"He doesn't even like me," Sehun countered. "When I asked if I could see him tomorrow he immediately told me he was going to hang out with his old friend he met today. He chose him over me like that," he snapped his fingers.

Tao bashed him with a pillow continuously. Sehun allowed him to, feeling like he deserved it.

"You stupid! That's because he's probably heart broken from what you just said!"

"I was scared," Sehun defended himself.

"Relationships are about taking risks. You'd never know unless you tried. And you'll probably never know now," Tao harshly stated. "Have you thought about how Lu Han feels?"

"Of course I have!"

"Do you care about him?"

"I do."

"Well obviously not enough," Tao snapped. "Not enough to realize how you're only thinking about yourself right now."

Sehun looked down at his feet in guilt and shame. What has he done? 

Finally, Tao quieted down and sat on the opposite bed. "But the real question is, do you want to be with him?"

The maknae remained silent. Yes, his mind yelled. Just the thought of the kiss made his mind blurry and his insides warm. They hadn't known each other for long, but Lu Han just stood out from all the others. Sehun simply nodded and suddenly admitted what he wanted to say for a while now:

"I love him."

***

Lu Han looked at himself in the mirror. Hideous, he thought. He had managed to cover up his eyebags but not the red in his eyes from crying last night. He was getting ready to meet Nam Soo, although he wasn't looking forward to it as much as he would have before.

Nevertheless, he grabbed his coat and made his way out the door, off to the café he would meet his old friend at.

"Lulu-ge! Over here!" Nam Soo raised his hand and waved him over. Lu Han half-smiled and sat down in the seat across from the younger. "I'm glad you came."

"Of course I would come; I was the one who asked you, wasn't I?" Lu Han slightly chortled.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you don't have the right to not come," he said. "I ordered you a coffee. I hope you still like it the way you did back in China," he pushed the cup over to Lu Han.

Lu Han smiled. "Thanks. Yeah, it's still the same," he took a sip and let the coffee run down his throat savoringly.

"I hope your boyfriend isn't too mad at me," Nam Soo chuckled, taking a sip of his own. "I do keep taking you from him."

Lu Han abruptly placed his cup down and sighed. "He isn't my boyfriend."

Nam Soo studied the other's face. "But... you wish he was, am I correct?"

Lu Han looked away in shame. 

"By the looks of it, I think he liked you, too," his old friend said in a matter-of-fact tone. "He seemed pretty pissed that we were close buds."

"I doubt it," Lu Han rolled his eyes. "You didn't see what happened afterwards." He then proceeded to tell Nam Soo all of it. From Sehun being a tease to the kiss to the confrontation to now.

Nam Soo's mouth turned into a straight line. "Ouch. I'm sorry, man."

Lu Han shrugged. "Should have known anyway. He was always very closed-minded."

"Well... you aren't going to give up on him, are you?" Nam Soo asked with furrowed brows. 

"I don't know anymore. I'm confused. He acts so bipolar to me sometimes. I think it would be better for both of us if I did."

Nam Soo shook his head. "You can't!"

"Why can't I?" Lu Han raised a brow.

"Because," the other explained, "I saw how happy he made you. I don't think I've ever seen you that smiley before and I've known you since I was like ten. How did you feel when you were kissing him?"

"Well, I... I felt good. Extraordinary, even. And nervous, but more of the former."

Lu Han was about to talk again until Nam Soo planted a short kiss on his lips. His eyes rounded.

"Yah Lee Nam Soo, do you think this--"

"What did you feel with that?" Nam Soo asked, a smirk on his lips. 

Lu Han thought for a bit, seeing where the younger was going with this. "I felt nothing."

Nam Soo pretended to clap for him. "Bravo, you finally caught on. Get it now?"

"Yeah... I do. Thanks Nam Soo-ah," Lu Han gratefully smiled at him. He finally got it.

It was the first time in a long time he'd ever felt love.

And now that he's beginning to love Sehun...

He wouldn't give up without a fight.

"Oh, and Lu Han?" Nam Soo's voice broke him out of his trance. He hummed in reply. "Let's not tell my boyfriend about this, yeah?" 

Lu Han chuckled. "It never even happened."

***

"Lu Han? What are you doing--" Lay was cut off.

"Sehun. Is he here?" Lu Han asked, almost in a demanding tone. Lay scratched his head and peeked inside his room.

"He isn't here."

"What?" Lu Han sputtered. He had to sneak passed his father at 11 pm only to find that Sehun wasn't here? "Where could he be? It's nearly midnight," he pointed out.

Lay shrugged, his eyes half opened. "Dunno... probably looking for you."

Lu Han's tense body loosened. "Looking for me... why?"

Lay shrugged again. "He seemed pretty upset about something today when he got back. It had something to do with you, I think. Tao couldn't stop yelling at him. Did he do anything to upset you--," Lay was in the middle of explaining when Lu Han dashed down the hotel hallway without a goodbye. "Oh, okay. I see how it is."

***

Sehun sighed, burying his face in his jacket.

"Just what am I doing right now?" he asked himself, looking up into the sky that was painted with tiny stars. He stood in front of Lu Han's house. And watched it.

He couldn't sleep, especially knowing that Lu Han was with Nam Soo for the whole day. So unknowingly, his feet dragged him across town in front of the said boy's house. But now he was stuck. He couldn't just waltz up to the door asking for Lu Han late at night.

Sehun checked his watch. It was five minutes from midnight. He sighed once more, his breath making a puff of smoke in the chilly air.

"I should go," he finally decided. But as he was turning his heel to go, an arm stopped him. Surprised, his eyes widened as he faced the unknown person.

It was Lu Han.

The boy was panting hard, as if he had just ran a marathon. Bent over, he wheezed out, "Don't... leave."

Sehun remained silent, not knowing what to say. Should he just come out and apologize right now?

After catching his breath, Lu Han looked at Sehun straight in the eye, confidence pumping through his veins. "I understand."

"E-Eh?"

"I understand that you don't feel the same way about me. And... you probably never will," Lu Han rubbed his arms for warmth. "But... could you give me a chance? I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable before, it's just... I really like you, Sehun, and I..."

Sehun's eyes softened. He got closer to Lu Han and shushed him. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I was too scared. I didn't know at the time of what I wanted, but now I do."

Lu Han's eyes rounded. Did that mean...?

"I want to be with you."

The older gazed up into Sehun's eyes, his own filled with shock and awe. "Really?" he squeaked out.

Sehun chuckled and cupped Lu Han's face in his hands. "Really. I'm sorry it took me so long."

The corner of Lu Han's mouth hitched upwards into a grin. "Well, then... what are you going to do about it?"

The maknae laughed quietly before placing his lips onto Lu Han's. 

And this time, all the confusion, worry, and fear were gone.

Nothing had ever felt so right.

Ha. even the dogs ship them.