Luhan smiled at Sehun, and murmured, “Good morning, Sehun.”

Sehun’s mouth moved to form another sentence, but the words died brutally on his lips when a painful sneeze made him fall back onto the bed.

Head throbbing, Sehun grumbled, “Is it allergy season? I feel sick…”

Luhan’s doe-like eyes widened before glazing over with a look of understanding resignation.

“I’m so sorry, Sehun… I should’ve known,” he sighed plaintively. “You probably have a fever, let me check…” Luhan lowered his hand above Sehun’s forehead before quickly pulling back, muttering “that wouldn’t help…”

Sehun’s throat ached, and he coughed slightly. Luhan quickly stood up and smoothed the blankets over Sehun.

“Eh…? Luhan, where are you going…?” Sehun asked, suddenly feeling dizzy.

Luhan smiled apologetically, the upward tug of his lips masking obvious guilt.

“I’m sorry, Sehun… I’m going to run to the store to buy some more medicine and groceries. Wait here, I’m going to brew some Chinese herbal medicine I have in the kitchen…”

The Chinese male hurried back to Sehun with a steaming mug in his hands.

“Here, this medicine helps alleviate coughing and sneezing,” Luhan quickly explained. He gently passed it over to Sehun, who took the hot cup with shaky hands. Sipping it slowly, he winced as the bitter tasting liquid burned his mouth.

Smiling up at Luhan, he asked, “It wouldn’t happen to be flu season, would it? I was feeling just fine yesterday and last night, so I don’t know why I would be sick today…”

Casting Sehun a regretful look, Luhan sighed.

“We slept close together last night. I… have a very cold body. When you get too close to me, I take in your heat. Although you don’t feel cold, your body temperature is actually very low. That’s why you’re sick right now… I made a mistake, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that…”

Blinking back pricks of pain from Luhan’s word “mistake”, Sehun struggled to keep his emotions at bay. He barely knew Luhan, but why did he feel so strongly for him?

“What… are you, Xi Lu Han? I don’t understand…”

Luhan flinched at Sehun’s deadpanned words. Offering a shy smile, Luhan said, “I’ll tell you one day. I promise you. But right now isn’t the time…”

Sehun raised his eyebrows.

“And why not? I’m going to be living with you, so I’m entitled to knowing the bare minimum of your personal information. I’ve never met anyone like you, in more ways than one. What could it be about you that you can’t tell me?” Sehun hated playing the “bratty” card, but if it got him what he wanted, what he needed, he would put up with the personal repentance later.

“I promised you that I would tell you. But from now on, we’ll still live together, but it would be best for you to keep yourself at a distance from me.”

As Luhan left the cabin to buy groceries, the draft of cold air entering through the door chilled Sehun’s bones.

~

“Sehun, is there something that you would like to eat?” Luhan inquired meekly, arms slightly buckling from the heavy load of plastic bags looped around his hands. “I bought a lot of different vegetables and meats, so anything you say goes…”

Eyes wide from the display of food in front of him, Sehun shook his head slowly.

“Honestly… I’ve… never had a proper meal before,” Sehun confessed embarrassedly. “My parents were always too busy to cook, and I never learned how. I’ve only eaten instant foods… Recently, with my own money, I’ve been able to eat at cafés; but I’ve still never eaten a full-course meal.”

Luhan wallowed in silent regret, scolding himself for asking Sehun such a question. He was sick, and only a handful of foods were the best for a healthy recovery. And yet…

“Sehun, are you feeling better now?”

“Yes… I think so,” Sehun replied, a little confused.

“Well then, can you move to the kitchen? I’ll bring the blanket for you and put a seat cushion on the chair. It’ll take me a while to cook all of the dishes I have planned, so we can talk.”

~

Sehun found himself snugly wrapped up by a plush seashell-print bathrobe and covered with a thick yellow blanket. Luhan even gave him light-blue fuzzy slippers with little white clouds on them. He reveled in the softness of his entire getup, and lost his discomfort in the aromas of Chinese cooking wafting from beside him.

“You know, Luhan… This is really nice. Thank you so much for cooking for me,” Sehun smiled sincerely. Luhan turned his head towards the stove, shielding his light blush from Sehun.

“If you like it so much, then I’ll cook for us every day.”

“That would be wonderful,” Sehun said with a contented sigh. “My… parents never cooked at home. Well, I guess they cooked – they heated the water and ripped open the packets of ramen and seasoning – but I don’t remember us ever sitting together as a family and eating together. They were always too busy with their jobs; eventually, as I became older, I did too. I remember my naivety when I was younger… I always thought that meals should be eaten while the entire family was together, you know? So I would wait at the dinner table with my bowl of ramen in front of me for my parents to come home… I would wait every day until my noodles got cold and I fell asleep waiting. In the end, they got home and were too tired to notice me – there was even once when my dad ate my untouched noodles,” Sehun laughed plaintively. “Those are the kind of memories I have with my family. I suppose we also never cooked because we couldn’t afford much other than ramen, but my parents never admitted it. Honestly, it didn’t take too much for me to figure out how poor we were…”

Luhan stopped stirring the vegetables in the pan with his chopsticks. He faced Sehun now, even though Sehun’s eyes were downcast in a reverie.

“Why… Did you have any relatives?”

Sehun laughed bitterly. “The world is a very cold, realistic one. It’s not idealistic at all, Luhan. You would think that they would help us, being tied to us with the superficial word of “family” that is the supposed messenger of unspoken responsibilities and unconditional love… But that’s only in my fantasies. My mother’s family was also very poor. Since she was young, they had her set up in an arranged marriage. She didn’t understand back then, so she didn’t mind. When she was in high school, she met my father. They fell in love, and my mother rebelled against her parents. Naturally, my father’s family was also very poor. My maternal grandparents refused to let my mother have a relationship with my father, so they eloped after high school. Both of their families disowned them, so Mom and Dad were the only family I’ve ever had. And then they died.” Sehun’s voice was harsh at the mention of his parents’ deaths, and a tear threatened to cloud his vision before he fiercely blinked it away. Luhan’s mollifying hand was on his shoulder suddenly, but left as quickly as it had gotten there.

The temporary contact was cold and fleeting, but Sehun felt warmer.

Luhan silently set the dishes onto the table. There were a total of four dishes, one bowl of soup, and a plate of rice.

“I hope you enjoy your first traditional Chinese meal,” Luhan said with a cheerful smile. Although Sehun enjoyed a bright Luhan, it was too forced and contrasting to the atmosphere.

Forcing a smile onto his face wasn’t too hard. After all, Sehun was hungry and the food smelled delicious.

“Thank you, Luhan. You might laugh at me for saying this, but I’m certain that Chinese food is my favorite.”

Light laughter rained over them like the wind chimes brushing against each other in the spring.

~

“Luhan,” Sehun admonished after five minutes of unsuccessful persuasion, “come sleep on the bed. It’s not good for your back if you sleep on the floor. Since you’re so graciously sharing your home with me, at least take the bed.”

“No, Sehun,” Luhan repeated for the infinite time within those three-hundred seconds. By this time, Luhan was beginning to sound whiny, though Sehun doubted someone as pristine as Luhan could have any negative traits. “I’m telling you, I don’t need the warmth. You need it.”

“But you were snuggled under the same blankets I was last night!” Sehun exclaimed exasperatedly.

Luhan cast his eyes away from Sehun’s. “I… wanted to seem normal,” he admitted in a small voice.

Defeated, Sehun laid back onto the soft mattress as he watched Luhan on the floor.

“I still don’t understand what it is about you that makes you think you’re so much different from me, a normal human being,” Sehun stated bluntly.

When Luhan didn’t respond, Sehun sighed and shifted into a more compromising position on the bed. With his sickness and overall fatigue from days of travel, sleep claimed him with ease.

Luhan’s face was buried in his arms as cold tears dripped down his face.

“A normal human being…” Luhan whispered, “A normal human being…”

~

When Sehun woke up the next morning, his head felt lighter, and felt like the fever left his body. He stood up slowly to confirm his hopes, and he was indeed restored.

The first thing he noticed was the absence of Luhan and the addition of a silver, rectangular metal object standing on four wheels sitting near the center of the room. Curious, Sehun slowly got up to stand next to it.

The strange device emanated heat, and Sehun relaxed. He was pretty cold, after all. Luhan’s clothing was warm enough, but there wasn’t any heating in the house.

Sehun snuggled closer to the device and sat cross-legged in front of it. Cautiously reaching his hands closer to it, he flinched backwards when the heat scalded his hands.

“Aish! Sehun-ah, are you okay?!” Luhan yelped, running into their bedroom. “Oh, no… I should’ve told you that I got a space heater! You’ve burned yourself! Aah, quickly, let’s go rinse it with cold water!”

Allowing a panicking Luhan to drag him into the bathroom and sink his burned hand in the water, Sehun mused, “So that’s a space heater?”

Luhan nodded sheepishly. “I bought it earlier this morning because you looked really cold. I’m used to no heating, but I didn’t want you to get sick again.”
Sehun smiled gratefully at the shorter boy, who blushed under his gaze. As Sehun reached his unburned arm to thank him, Luhan suddenly backed away.

“Ahh, I’m sorry, Sehun. I have to go check on the steamed buns, to see if they’re done yet.” Luhan darted out of the bathroom, leaving a flustered Sehun with the water still running off of his hand.

~

“Wow, Luhan,” Sehun mumbled incoherently through agitated mouthfuls of red bean bun, “you can really cook! These steamed buns are amazing!”

Luhan laughed modestly before sliding a big plate full of steamed buns towards Sehun from across the table.

“Thank you,” he said shyly. “My mother taught me how,” Luhan added dolefully.

“She seems like a wonderful person, and a great cook,” Sehun complimented truthfully, eagerly reaching for another bun.

“She was… But you’ve never met her and I’ve only spoken of her just now, so why do you say so?”

Sehun gave Luhan a quizzical look.

“Because she raised you.”

Sehun’s straightforwardness made Luhan flush. Heat suffused his cheeks, and he used his hand to cover his mouth.

Sehun found this extremely adorable.

After the silence between them became awkward and the only sounds were Sehun’s rather loud chewing, he swallowed and quickly cleared his throat.

“So… Luhan, do you have a job?” Luhan’s head perked up.

An impish smile spread from his pink lips, and he smiled enigmatically.

“I suppose I could be considered a meteorologist…”

~

Later that day, Luhan made equally delicious meals for lunch and dinner. The next day, Luhan cooked a Cantonese-style dim sum breakfast, Shanghai cold-noodles for lunch, and kimchi noodles for dinner. Such were the rest of the days of winter break, following after their precedent day in a peaceful fashion. Sehun and Luhan found that they truly enjoyed each other’s company increasingly more as the days passed. Although Luhan still seemed to hover a safe few feet away from Sehun, he didn’t mind, as long as they could talk together in the same room.

Sehun learned that Luhan was a very talented chef. He could cook most Chinese foods, and a little bit of Korean cuisine. Luhan even promised Sehun that he would make them sushi one day, when the supermarket restocked in sticky rice. Luhan also had a love for the sea and the summer, which Sehun found oddly ironic.

Aside from obvious observations, Sehun also learned about Luhan’s personality. Luhan was demure and quiet, but a very interesting individual. Though his opinions weren’t always pronounced, he held strongly to his thoughts. This quality made him quite stubborn – Sehun noticed this after Luhan refused to let Sehun sleep on the floor. Luhan was also embarrassed and flustered easily; if Sehun complimented him or thanked him, he would redden and turn away.

Luhan also made many observations about his new roommate, Oh Sehun. Although Sehun wasn’t very well off and didn’t have the fondest past, Sehun was a cheerful and lively spirit. His childlike behavior at times tugged at Luhan’s heartstrings and made him want to hold him tight. Luhan always had a for cute things – small, chubby children made him squeal from their cuteness. But Sehun wasn’t small or chubby; Sehun was taller than him and very lanky. In fact, Sehun’s initial thinness worried Luhan to the extent of purposefully making Sehun more food that he liked to eat. It was a good thing, since Luhan noticed that Sehun was putting on significant weight. He still wasn’t fat, however; Sehun would always be far from that.

However, as each idyllic day passed, Luhan felt a growing trepidation in the pit of his stomach. Good, happy things that happened to him never lasted for long. Praying fervently, Luhan hoped that his time with Sehun would last just a little longer.

Luck wasn’t on his side. The next day, Luhan took Sehun to the village post office to check for any letters from the university.

“Oh! Here it is!” Sehun exclaimed excitedly, yanking the large, brown envelope out of the mail slot.

“When does school start?” Luhan asked softly, wistfully.

Sehun glanced over at Luhan briefly before tearing the package open. Pulling out the first sheet of paper, Sehun’s eyes ran along the page, searching for key words.

After a moment, Sehun’s gaze dropped and his smile slipped.

“What’s wrong?” Luhan peeked over Sehun’s shoulder. He stood right behind Sehun, and Sehun could feel Luhan’s cold body temperature permeating through the winter jacket Luhan gave him.

Holding in his involuntary shiver, Sehun mumbled, “School starts tomorrow.”

Luhan’s initial enthusiasm also plummeted, but he quickly composed himself.

“That’s wonderful, Sehun. We’d better get home so you can prepare your things for school!” Luhan chirped, and skipped ahead of Sehun. “I’m going to go on ahead and start cooking dinner. I’ll cook a little more so I can pack you a lunch tomorrow.”

Flustered, Sehun called, “It’s all right, you don’t have to. I can just buy lunch…”

“Nonsense! Why waste money when I have nothing better to do?” Luhan rebutted sharply. Sehun flinched at the sudden change in tone. Seeming to immediately repent on his harsh tone, Luhan turned around and walked back towards Sehun.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “It’s just… I haven’t had a friend in so long. I’ll miss you.”

Blushing, Sehun gripped Luhan’s cold hands in his.

“Don’t worry, Lu! I’ll see you every day! School is only for six hours, and I don’t have any clubs or activities. Besides, we’re best friends, right?”

Color bloomed on the apples of Luhan’s cheeks as he ducked his head into Sehun’s chest.

“Yeah,” he murmured. Sehun felt his smile through the thick, down layers of his winter jacket. “I’ll see you too, Sehun-ah.”

A/N: So sorry for the wait >///< Well, this chapter was kinda crappy but tell me what you guys think <3

Have you guys seen my new poster? :D It makes me happy lol

Update will come soon ^^