“What did you just do now?” Chanyeol isn’t angry. He is just pissed because Luhan is being a jerk again. He is standing in front of his best friend on the couch inside the utility room, hands on both hips. Baekhyun told him what happened.

Luhan just shrugs, leaning onto the back of the couch and closes his eyes. A slight furrow of eyebrows is visible on the flawless contours. “I didn’t do anything. I was just talking to her.”

“What did you tell her?” Chanyeol taps his foot a little heavily, watching Luhan’s immobile slumped figure, though he notices a twitch on his lips. “Why did Baekhyun tell me that she looked so upset?”

“I just told her that she is trespassing, that he is making me think of things I’m not supposed to…”

“Jesus! What the hell are you thinking? You told me…”

“And that he shouldn’t talk to and look at me like I…” Luhan exhales sharply, throwing a hand over his face.

It is one of Luhan’s ways that Chanyeol’s is so fond of. He is being like that when he doesn’t want to talk anymore. He isn’t speaking much, just that enough that makes Chanyeol raise his eyebrows in annoyance, as always. Luhan hasn’t even tried to talk about what he is feeling, nor even tells him if there really is something wrong in the first place. He could say that Luhan is strong because Luhan could handle what he is having inside on his own, but, in a way, he is just a coward piece of .

Chanyeol shrugs and maybe this is just another failure in addition to what they already have. He wishes that Luhan is trying to get back what he had three years ago. The happy, confident, carefree self he had before. If only he could do what Mina did that made Jongin the strongest person, then maybe everything isn’t like this. Luhan is his bestfriend, like a brother he never once had, and nothing more. He just wants Luhan to be happy, but he doesn’t know if Luhan wants it too for himself.

“I think I’m entirely disconnected to what you’re thinking, Luhan.” Chanyeol sighs, surrendering to sit beside the still quiet Luhan on the couch. The soft cushion against Chanyeol’s pants is slippery, and so he has to push a foot against the floor just to get him still. He talks softly and considering because Luhan he knows how Luhan’s feeling right now. Luhan’s already confused, he doesn’t have to be more that what he already is. Luhan had enough. “What are you thinking, huh? You’ve been saying that you’ll try, but what are you doing now? I’m helping you, Luhan.”

Luhan groans, shoulders falling in a sad way. “I’m trying.” He mumbles, and it makes Chanyeol want to hug him for comfort. He has seen so much of Luhan’s suffering, too much that he feels hurt too. Chanyeol leans and rests his head on Luhan’s shoulder, gently patting Luhan’s chest as he hums a tune (not really minding how deep his voice is.)

“Why is it so hard?” Chanyeol realizes that Luhan isn’t really chuckling when he says that. Instead, he’s sobbing.

“Everything will be fine.” Chanyeol murmurs, trying to calm the heavy ins and outs of Luhan’s breathing with his palm on his chest. He feels really sick everytime Luhan is like this. “We’ll find out.”

“Luna…” Luhan mutters, still not lowering the hand from his face. Chanyeol sits up straight upon the mention of the name. “I want to apologize to her. I think she misunderstood what I said.”

Chanyeol tries a small smile. “I could actually tell you that you’re right about that. Baekhyun told me that she looks like a mess when she came down. You know, that means you need to watch your words. She’s not used to people… well, like us. She has no friend here, I think.”

“How do you know?”

“I just know.” Chanyeol falls back to his shoulder. “I want to be friends with her. She’s sort of what I like.”

Luhan laughs then, chest vibrating and Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. It is almost true, only that there’s still a hint of sadness in it. “Do you like her then?”

“Like her in what way or…”

“Like her in what way.” Luhan teases, and Chanyeol wants to punch him on the shoulder. At leat Luhan still has the cocky Luhan in him.

“You know, you at this.” Chanyeol comments, laughing. Luhan follows. “I just want to be friends with her. Nothing more.”

“How about her being your best friend?” Luhan asks, something  visible in his voice that Chanyeol couldn’t figure out entirely. Is it jealousy?

“Chanyeol grins. “Oh, I can think about that.” He nods, and Luhan cringes away from him a bit. “Are you being jealous of Luna being my best friend right now?”

“No.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Then why are you answering monosyllabic answers?

Luhan shrugs. “Because I want to.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t get the reason why you want to still have another best friend besides me and Baekhyun.”

“So, you’re jealous.”

“Shut up.”

“You’re jealous.” Chanyeol grins.

“Shut up.”

“Tell me.”

“Shut up.”

“Please?”

Luhan groans, finally looking at Chanyeol, and frowns. “Okay, fine. That idea , okay?  I don’t want to share you to anyone, except the soccer team and your parents and my parents. You’re the only one left for me now. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that.”

Chanyeol squeals like a giant walrus, quietly. “That’s so sweet, baby.”

“I think I need to take back what I just said.” Luhan scrunches his nose. “Don’t use pet names at me! I feel uous about that, and it’s creepy.”

Chanyeol chuckles. “What did you mean anyway?”

“What?”

“Those things you said to Luna. I know that you weren’t in your right mind when you talked to her but…”

Luhan sniffs in response, making Chanyeol shrug. Here they are again. Though Chanyeol thinks, maybe Luhan really isn’t in his right mind, even right now, because he doesn’t know what to say or even just defend himself for a bit.