Luhan closed his eyes, a caged sigh escaping from his lips. Scrolling through his text conversation with Sehun from the night before, Luhan had come across the one message he had read over and over so many times last night. He couldn’t stop reading it; he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He could practically memorize it by now. Luhan wanted so desperately to do something, to say something to properly comfort Sehun after he had sent this text, but he knew he had failed to do so.

Opening his eyes slowly, hesitantly, almost afraid to see it again, Luhan read the message once more.

From: Sehun

In all honesty then, I’ll tell you.

The reason why I hate talking is because ever since I was little, people made fun of me because I have a lisp. I only ever had one or two friends that didn’t judge me for it. Even my parents find it amusing, and they laughed about it too. I tried to play off the remarks and insults with a smile and a playful “screw you” but really I was always hurt, and I was sad. Everybody else must’ve thought “oh it’s just Sehun, he doesn’t feel anything, he’s always joking around...” but no it wasn’t the case, I just didn’t wanna freak out on everyone and be the mean guy. After a while, I just gave up. I moved away and started over, and just stopped talking completely, cuz then if no one knew about my lisp, no one would laugh at me for it.

From: Luhan

I’m sorry... I feel so stupid, I shouldn’t have asked you, I didn’t mean to make you tell me something so personal. I just want you to know, I still want to hear your voice one day, when you’re ready. I want you to talk to me, to feel comfortable around me, knowing for a fact that I don’t care about your lisp at all. It doesn’t change who you are in my eyes, and I promise I’ll never judge you for it.

From: Sehun

You’re too nice to me, you make me feel bad

From: Luhan

Oh no, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!

From: Sehun

Too late. And stop apologizing, you haven’t done anything wrong

From: Luhan

I’m still sorry... I feel bad. I feel like I need to help you

From: Sehun

Don’t. I don’t want you to pity me. That wasn’t why I told you.

From: Luhan

Then... why did you?

From: Sehun

I don’t know, but you’re making me regret it. You know too much now!

From: Luhan

I’m sorry...

From: Sehun

Stop saying you’re sorry!

From: Luhan

Sorry...

From: Sehun
;_; stop it

From: Sehun
:( now you make me feel bad for making you say sorry

Luhan bit his lip, remembering how he couldn’t think of any other words besides “sorry”, “I’m sorry”, and “I want to help”. With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair, and watched as Baekhyun picked up their order of bubble tea from the counter and walked over to him, sitting down across from him at the table.

Baekhyun handed Luhan his taro bubble tea before taking a sip of his own, chewing on the bubbles happily. Just as Luhan was about to thank him for getting the drinks, his phone suddenly buzzed in his hand.

 

From: Sehun 

Grrrr!!! I’m a kitty =^._.^=

At this, Luhan just burst out laughing. It was just so random, yet it felt like something Sehun would do, something that just could make Luhan laugh so hard, stirring an unfamiliar flutter in his chest.
 

“Lulu, who are you texting?” Baekhyun asked curiously, seeing Luhan was now attempting to stifle a smile, his eyes still glued to the screen of his phone. “You’ve been staring at your phone, smiling like an idiot, for days now!” Baekhyun grinned, waving a hand in front of Luhan’s eyes to draw his attention.

“Did you say something?” Luhan asked innocently when he looked up at Baekhyun.

The younger boy merely smirked. “What’s going on? You’ve never been this distracted by your phone before,” Baekhyun raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

“Don’t worry about it,” Luhan grinned, his gaze dropping back to the screen.

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “See, that’s exactly what makes me want to worry about it,” he replied, even though Luhan was no longer listening. He sighed, deciding to turn his attention away from his unresponsive friend, and towards the other customers sitting in the bubble tea café with them.

“Oh look, Lulu, it’s the guy who was working with us at the restaurant the last weekend,” Baekhyun prodded his friend in the arm, hoping to draw his attention. “Sehun, right?”

An immediate look of surprise appeared on Luhan’s face, as he abruptly jerked his eyes up from his phone’s screen to see the familiar boy picking up his order from the counter.

It really is him...

A smile tugged at his lips as he recognized the drink in Sehun’s hands.

Chocolate bubble tea again...

Without waiting for a reply, Baekhyun called out suddenly, “Hey, Sehun!” and gestured for the boy to come over to their table. Luhan shot Baekhyun an immediate look of terror.

Don’t call him over here... I haven’t even thought of a reply yet! Has he noticed me? Did he send that message knowing I was here?

Luhan bit his bottom lip, his eyes searching for an escape from the impending awkward situation, even though he knew it was already too late to hide. Luhan hoped that somehow, by some of luck, Sehun wouldn’t hear Baekhyun’s call.

But of course he wasn’t that lucky.

Despite the undeniable surprise evident in Sehun’s expression when he turned to see them sitting at the table by the window, the younger boy obediently walked over, a small smile on his lips.

“Hi,” Luhan breathed, a little softer than he had wanted.

Sehun merely nodded, his voice remaining hidden.

A pang of disappointment struck Luhan’s chest, not realizing how badly he had wanted to hear Sehun’s voice until it had been denied from him.

He had gained Sehun’s trust, enough for the younger boy to confide in him the truth, but he hadn’t gained enough of his trust for the younger boy to actually speak to him? Sehun was still scared then, scared that Luhan would judge him, would leave him and laugh at him if he spoke out loud. Luhan wished desperately to change that.

Let me hear your voice...

He looked to Sehun hopefully, but to no avail. The boy merely turned away, he didn’t want to talk to Luhan.

“Sehun, I meant to ask you last weekend,” Baekhyun started suddenly, as if he had just remembered something. “Have we met before? Because you look kind of familiar to me for some reason, but I’m not really sure why...”

With a slight frown, Sehun paused for a moment before shaking his head.

Baekhyun shrugged. “That’s okay, I must be remembering wrong,” he smiled sheepishly. “Well anyway, so Luhan tells me you’re a really quiet guy... But don’t worry, I don’t mind, I can do enough talking for the both of us,” he grinned. “Just ask Lulu, he’ll tell you that I can’t ever stop talking,” he laughed, nudging Luhan with his elbow.

Sehun merely smiled as he sat down at the table across from Baekhyun, his arm brushing against Luhan’s as he set his chocolate bubble tea on the table.

The flutter resurfaced in Luhan’s heart.

He could